Are You Allergic To Romance? - Chapter 3
Chapter 3: The Night the Beast Appears
Jing Yuan stood at the gate of her courtyard. This small seaside villa was quite far from the town center; one could say it was an extremely secluded location.
This made it perfect for her to live alone until her condition stabilized, without any disturbance during that time.
From any creature.
She thought she could quietly move in as anticipated, but Uncle Lu had indeed left her a massive “surprise.”
From a distance, the two large ducks with green and gray tufts of hair and bells hanging around their necks started flapping their wings and running toward her.
They seemed to be challenging her over who the true master of this house was.
Although the two ducks were aggressively squawking, they were twisted into a beautiful bow by black, terrifying matter before they could get close. Neck tied to neck, they cried out, nearly suffocating.
It’s the first day. She didn’t want to see bl00d.
Jing Yuan stared with an impassive, handsome face at the ducks held tightly together.
One, two, three—they were quickly deterred by the invisible pressure emanating from the person before them and fell silent.
These two “little darlings” were rather smart; seeing they couldn’t win, they immediately lowered their heads and rubbed against Jing Yuan’s shoes in a gesture of utmost respect.
Jing Yuan had no choice but to squat down, looking at the carved golden bells around the ducks’ necks. It was clear the previous owner was very fond of them.
They were well-fed and plump.
However, she inherently disliked noise. She couldn’t understand why Uncle Lu was so “considerate” as to give her two ducks for company.
“If you don’t squawk, you can live in peace today,” Jing Yuan said slowly to the two fluffy, shiny ducks.
Jindou and Yuanbao seemed to understand, immediately bending their necks to signal compliance.
Seeing that these two little creatures were so responsive and played cute, Jing Yuan released them from their constraint. She entered the villa, ignoring them. Jindou and Yuanbao knew their new master was not benevolent, but under someone else’s roof, they had to yield. To survive, they decided to be competent mute ducks starting today.
…
After discussing the ducks with Uncle Lu, Jing Yuan initially didn’t want any living creatures for company.
However, Uncle Lu brought up pressure from her mothers. Her Mummy, vacationing overseas, called immediately upon hearing that Jing Yuan was “unhappy with her living situation.” To prevent her mother from worrying, Jing Yuan stopped resisting.
“Even highly solitary individuals need companionship. When you find a partner, Little Whale, I’ll take the ducks back, alright?”
The elder on the other end happily hung up the phone.
“…” Jing Yuan stared at the phone in silence.
Highly Solitary Individual. What new phrase was this?
Jing Yuan was forced to accept the gift from her elders. After organizing the villa, she plunged into the deep sea alone.
…
Several days passed.
The new owner of the seaside house was always mysterious.
After experiencing their master’s power, the two guard pets, Jindou and Yuanbao, were very obedient, staying only in their small nesting area. They seemed to know their cold master wasn’t eager to be near them.
Did she not like them?
However, even as they felt sad, not understanding their master’s way of expressing affection, their food and water were always plentiful. The young master always replaced their daily supplies when they were asleep.
They only saw their young master once a day. She was nowhere to be seen during the day and returned when night fell.
Her hair was always wet, plastered to her face as if she had just emerged from the sea. Her body carried a scent that terrified them—the oppressive aura of an apex predator in the jungle.
But she never hurt them.
Whenever she appeared, the slightly bolder Jindou would run over to Jing Yuan, rubbing its small head frantically against her, signaling: My young master, you’re back!
Jing Yuan never knew how to handle such an enthusiastic little creature. A fluffy head was frantically rubbing against her.
It was just as difficult to deal with as any human who tried to get close to her.
Jing Yuan looked at Little Jindou rubbing itself vigorously.
‘So cute, I really want to pet it.’
The affectionate thought that popped into her head made her waver.
But if she petted it, a sense of intimacy would develop. What would she do if she couldn’t bring herself to let it go then?
No. She still had to get rid of these two ducks as soon as possible.
With this thought, Jing Yuan’s frown deepened. She forced herself to walk past Little Jindou with cold indifference, showing no emotion.
Poor Little Jindou had no idea how long its master had resisted the urge to pet it. It only knew that its attempts at cuteness had failed again. This iron-hearted master truly wouldn’t budge!
…
The night after that, Jindou and Yuanbao were roped and placed inside a pet carrier box by Jing Yuan.
The weather was decent today. The cold and distant young master planned to take them out for a walk and, incidentally, find a good home for them.
However, after visiting several pet stores, Jing Yuan hadn’t even set foot inside before some of the sensitive, timid animals inside were instantly startled into convulsions by her aura. The owners were so busy and flustered they had no time to deal with Ms. Jing Yuan, who wanted to sell two pet ducks.
Jing Yuan even drove past a slaughterhouse.
The butcher owner was very happy to take these two fat ducks, saying they were well-fed. But in the end, Jing Yuan didn’t sell them; she decided Jindou and Yuanbao were not meant for consumption.
“Wow, those two ducks of yours are really well-fed. Their feathers are so shiny.”
Jing Yuan, about to check out at a convenience store, heard the plump owner across the counter speak up. She looked up at him, then tentatively asked, “Then are you willing to buy them?”
“B-buy them!? Oh no, I don’t raise animals, but I have a very empty lot behind the store where they can play, haha!” The owner laughed good-naturedly, accepting the change from the woman.
Jing Yuan didn’t say anything else, her expression looking slightly disappointed.
The owner observed the woman before him. Her clothing and demeanor were rather solemn. It wasn’t even cold today, yet she wore a black coat and even black leather gloves.
The car she drove was quite nice, suggesting she wasn’t an ordinary person. But strangely, why was she trying to sell two ducks?
She didn’t look like a tourist; she looked more like a strange, rich second-generation heir slumming it, perhaps having her credit card cut off by her parents and forced into this situation…
She must be hard up and desperate for cash.
Look at her frugal gesture of counting out coins one by one—she clearly needed money.
He happened to be struggling to find temporary staff for his expanding store!
“Miss, you seem like a good person. Why don’t you come work at my store? I’m hiring, and the pay is great.” Mr. Chen smiled broadly at the young woman, then pointed to the hiring notice posted on the glass door.
Jing Yuan took her bottled water and looked up in confusion.
“We are super short-staffed on Saturdays and Sundays. Are you willing to give it a try? And normally, your two little pets can stay in the backyard! Meals and accommodation are covered!”
“Accommodation for the ducks, too?” Jing Yuan’s eyes widened in surprise, hitting the crucial point.
Even if she couldn’t sell them, she wanted Jindou and Yuanbao to get out and about. It wasn’t good for the two little creatures to be cooped up at home for too long. Perhaps someone would take a liking to them and buy them in the meantime.
Hearing that she was interested, Mr. Chen quickly nodded and agreed. He swore that if she agreed to work at the store, he’d make sure the two ducks were well-cared for.
These pet ducks were cute; maybe they’d even bring in wealth.
Mìsōng Town was currently in its tourist season, and some outsourced construction workers passed through here. His store was truly short on staff. Plus, trouble sometimes broke out here since it was newly developed, and the nearest police station was far away. Locals familiar with the area were reluctant to work here, even with good pay.
It was driving him crazy.
“This Saturday?” Jing Yuan asked. She had nothing planned anyway and could use the opportunity to experience the local life.
“Yes! You’d be willing?! This Saturday, the pay is calculated like this.” The owner tapped the calculator and showed the amount to Jing Yuan.
“Okay. Can the ducks be left here the entire day?”
“Absolutely no problem.”
And just like that, inexplicably, while recuperating, Jing Yuan temporarily found a job at a convenience store.
Since this large 24-hour convenience store welcomed its new member, Mr. Chen felt the indoor temperature was several degrees lower than before. The weather hasn’t changed, has it? It was truly cold and gloomy. He even turned on the air conditioner to heat the place.
But clearly, inviting her to the store was the right choice.
Although the young woman was outwardly cold, she was serious about her work and had an excellent memory, quickly memorizing the details of everything in the store.
She even perfectly corrected the lighter inventory error that veteran employee Sister Jin made yesterday.
“This kid is really… amazing, Boss. Where did you dig up such a treasure?” Sister Jin, applying nail polish, watched Jing Yuan in the store uniform by the shelves, amazed.
She had a beautiful face and those extremely rare golden-brown eyes, though she also had heavy dark circles. She was quiet, kept to herself, and was a little aloof.
But if you spoke to her, she was willing to engage, and most importantly, she was very competent and reliable.
“I think she’s super impressive, too. The calculator isn’t as fast as her,” Xu Xin, who was unloading cargo nearby, said admiringly. He had noticed Jing Yuan on her first day of work; she was a very unique young woman, the kind whose eyes could kill.
But very beautiful.
“So Boss, why haven’t you paid her insurance yet? You should be paying it for her,” Sister Jin teased Mr. Chen, who was happily standing with his hands in his pockets. “Working here could put your life at risk at any moment.”
“What are you saying? Public safety is much better now! And it’s not that I don’t want to pay it; Jing Yuan said she didn’t need it. I can’t do anything about it. Every time I pay her cash, I worry she won’t show up the next day, it’s very frustrating.”
Mr. Chen complained with a headache. All the other staff had insurance except Jing Yuan. Since she insisted she didn’t need it, they still didn’t know anything about her except:
Female, named Jing Yuan, currently lives alone in a remote corner by the sea.
Very mysterious.
“What exactly is Little Jing Yuan’s background? Could she really be a secret love child from a wealthy family, hiding out here?” Sister Jin, speaking frankly, looked at Jing Yuan’s solitary nature and was reminded of certain melodramatic TV dramas.
“Hahaha!” Old Lin, the delivery driver, laughed good-naturedly along.
“Sister Jin, I think you could be a screenwriter.”
“It’s true! Last time we had a barbecue dinner, Jing Yuan didn’t come. I was hoping to chat her up and see if she had a partner or anything.”
“You guys are so gossipy, but I’m curious too.” Xiao Man, who was labeling prices nearby, smoothly joined the group.
Just as the group was chatting in the sun near the entrance, Jing Yuan looked up from the inventory list toward the gossiping employees, squinting and staring intently.
The seniors felt as if they were pierced by ten thousand arrows upon receiving the icy signal. They felt inexplicably guilty. Xu Xin even blushed, his heart pounding.
“It seems you seniors are all very idle,” Jing Yuan said without warmth.
Mr. Chen immediately took out his phone to make a call, and the others scattered like birds.
“Not idle, not idle!” Xiao Man frantically checked the price tags. Although Miss Jing Yuan’s voice was nice, it would be better if it didn’t come with a layer of ice, sob.
Sister Jin fed the peanuts in her hand to Jindou and Yuanbao at the door, then came cheerfully to Jing Yuan, smiling: “Busy?”
Jing Yuan looked up at Sister Jin. Sister Jin liked to dress up, and she was an okay person, just a bit of a gossip.
“Mhm.” Jing Yuan nodded, realizing what the other woman was about to say.
“It’s just that today… I have something to take care of. I might be a little late for the night shift. Could you cover for me for a bit?” Sister Jin hesitated. Her ex-husband needed to discuss their daughter’s alimony, and every family has its own difficulties. Sister Jin didn’t want her unreasonable ex to cause trouble at her workplace.
But she also didn’t want to inconvenience her junior—who doesn’t want to relax on a Saturday? Yet, the matter was sudden. “Oh well, never mind…”
“I can,” Jing Yuan agreed without asking any questions.
Sister Jin was immediately relieved. She quickly smiled and said, “Next week, I’ll bring you some delicious fried fish skewers. A new place opened near my house; they’re especially tasty.”
Jing Yuan just gave a slight smile, accepting her kindness.
Sister Jin was momentarily stunned. Did this girl just smile? An angelic smile?! But the next second, Jing Yuan returned to her cold and indifferent look. Sister Jin quickly shook her head, assuming she’d seen wrong.
And so, Jing Yuan didn’t finish her shift until after nine that evening.
Sister Jin had planned to call a taxi for Jing Yuan, but it was notoriously difficult to catch a cab here at night.
“I didn’t realize it would be so late. Are you really not taking a car? Why don’t you wait a little longer, a cab will surely come.” Sister Jin felt guilty.
“No need, it’s fine.”
Jing Yuan shook her head. She mounted the small electric scooter Sister Jin offered her, taking Jindou and Yuanbao with her.
Yes, she hadn’t driven her car today. She had planned to walk home, but she couldn’t refuse Sister Jin’s kindness and persistent nagging.
Jing Yuan rode the small scooter through the empty night streets.
To be honest, this area was quite remote. There were few cars, and streetlights were far apart. What a normal person would consider a terrifying environment, Jing Yuan viewed as a pleasant form of enjoyment—she wouldn’t be disturbed.
Except for the two ducks behind her, who squawked occasionally to announce their presence.
Jing Yuan assumed there would be no one on this road at this hour, until she saw a sedan parked diagonally on the side of the road.
Its hazard lights were flashing continuously.
Was there an accident?
But she didn’t approach to check, merely glancing as she continued onward.
However, Jindou and Yuanbao, who had endured the cold wind, became excited when they saw the flashing high beams. They honked loudly several times. With their already strong lung capacity, the ducks’ cries were particularly mournful and sharp in the silent night.
The high decibel sound immediately startled the woman inside the car, who was about to fall asleep from the cold.
She immediately opened her eyes. Through the car window, she saw a flash of ducks and a person on a scooter.
Finally! A living person—!!
Xie Mianzhi completely ignored her half-slipped-off high heels. She hurriedly opened the car door and stumbled out, chasing after them.
“Hey! You… Please wait! Don’t go, don’t go! Please, please wait!! I—cough, cough—this is really—”
Xie Mianzhi tried to shout a few times. She struggled to keep her heels on, and the cold wind rushing into her throat made her cough violently. It seemed she had failed; the person riding the scooter with the ducks likely hadn’t heard her and didn’t stop.
Xie Mianzhi looked ahead, frustrated, running a hand through her hair and breathing heavily. The more she thought about it, the more wronged she felt.
Am I really going to have to spend the night in this environment?
The eldest daughter of the dignified Xie family reduced to this—people would laugh their heads off if they heard.
Xie Mianzhi ‘Tch’-ed. The desolate sea wind made her shiver. She rubbed her arms, trying to look less miserable.
Forget it, I won’t die.
Thinking this, she was about to turn back when the dark road ahead suddenly flickered with small yellow lights, and the ducks’ frantic squawking started again.
Xie Mianzhi was delighted to see the person had turned back. Even one of the ducks was running back toward her first.
At this moment, anyone who appeared was an angel.
However, when the small scooter rode up to her, Xie Mianzhi was truly startled. The gusting sea wind covered the rider’s face with black hair, making her look quite frightening.
Moreover, the exposed skin of the person in front of her was a little deathly pale. Was she anemic?
This was Xie Mianzhi’s first impression of the person before her.
At this very moment, Jing Yuan took a deep breath. She really wanted to shave the feathers off the mischievous Jindou. That little creature got so excited seeing the high beams flashing that it started squawking furiously and pecked away her hair tie, causing her hair to be blown everywhere by the wind while riding.
Jindou even jumped off the scooter and ran back gleefully.
She had been forced to turn back to chase it. Now, she and Jindou were staring silently at each other.
It was clear the woman in front of the car was a little confused by the situation. Was the person’s return not because of her…?
After a moment of silence, Jing Yuan pushed the hair away from her face. Then, under the astonished gaze of the woman by the car, she walked up to the duck with the green tuft, suddenly gripped its small neck, and silently commanded with her eyes: Spit it out.
Immediately, the hair tie in the duck’s mouth dropped into the woman’s hand. The duck even rubbed its head against the woman’s palm in an attempt to flatter her.
How magical. Xie Mianzhi watched the farce like a silent movie.
Jing Yuan stared at Jindou for a few seconds, then released her grip. She quickly tied up her hair, then stood up and turned to look at the woman who was staring at her.
In the dark night, Xie Mianzhi froze instantly.
Those eyes, golden like metal, were looking directly at her. Xie Mianzhi suddenly realized the color of her pupils was so eerie and beautiful.
It was like,
A beautiful, elegant beast staring coldly at her, sending a chill down her spine.
Xie Mianzhi felt she must have been suffering from delusional thoughts after being trapped in the cold night for two hours to describe a beast as “beautiful” and “elegant.”
And even more so, to describe a young woman as a “beast.”