Are You Allergic To Romance? - Chapter 9
Chapter 9: Do You Ever Get Lonely?
About forty minutes after hearing the guest room door close, the homeowner, sitting at her desk, slowly closed her book. She rubbed her brow and blinked. Finally, her vertical pupils gradually returned to normal.
Xie Mianzhi must be asleep by now.
Jing Yuan thought, then stood up and looked into the glass mirror in the room. Some of the black markings on her body slowly concealed themselves around her eye sockets, making her look even more gloomy in the mirror.
When Xie Mianzhi knocked and said good night, Jing Yuan was in her most abnormal state. She was so worried that her sudden, low voice would alert the other woman that she quickly wrote that note.
For some reason, the first guest in her home had ignited her “appetite.” The hunger and thirst lingered, still not having dissipated.
A sudden flash of the woman’s surprisingly pale chest,
and the scent floating near her nose,
made her feel both irritated and agitated.
She was perplexed, deeply so.
“Ehh…” Jing Yuan sighed softly, tugging at her tight collar. She opened the door and stepped out.
She paused at the door of Xie Mianzhi’s room for a while.
Her acute hearing allowed her to perceive clearly that the woman was asleep, resting soundly.
This was the first guest she had hosted in her Mìsōng Town house—a woman, brought here on a whim.
Was she so unguarded? Sleeping that soundly?
No, this Miss Xie had a rather fierce personality, like a beautiful, arrogant little jellyfish that could sting.
In any case, it was not a personality she could easily handle.
But the woman was only staying here for one night.
Jing Yuan blinked her golden eyes, ended her contemplation, and, after confirming the woman was in a deep sleep, left the house.
…
The Next Morning
As countless rays of morning sunlight pierced through the sheer curtains, Xie Mianzhi slowly frowned and opened her eyes.
Gazing at the unfamiliar ceiling, her still-groggy brain made her sit up immediately.
It took several seconds to calm down before she remembered everything that happened last night and that she was staying at Jing Yuan’s house.
She had slept so deeply. She always slept poorly when traveling for business; unfamiliar environments always kept her on edge. But last night, she had slept soundly, feeling like she had sunk into soft cotton candy, soothed by a pair of icy hands that felt like feathers gently comforting her.
Pulling her into a deep slumber.
Xie Mianzhi shook her head. Why did she have such strange feelings?
She turned her head to look at her wristwatch. It was already 9:30 AM.
She had slept this late? When did her sleep quality get so good…
Puzzled, Xie Mianzhi stepped into the slippers and opened the door.
It was so quiet.
So quiet that she felt like she was the owner of the house.
Could that little brat with the dark circles still be asleep?
Just as Xie Mianzhi was guessing, she suddenly smelled a sweet aroma, the wonderful scent of food.
On the dining table was a meal box printed with the Jìsōng Hotel’s gold logo. Inside was an elegant Black Forest cake, maple croissants, and a small, sliced portion of focaccia, along with a caramel latte and fresh orange juice. These were all thoughtfully arranged and numerous—a disaster for anyone with decision-making difficulties.
There was also a bag of oranges, clearly indicating the orange juice was freshly squeezed.
Xie Mianzhi was surprised. She picked up the sticky note next to the meal box and read it:
This is breakfast.
—Jing Yuan
A very brief message, with sharp, elegant handwriting, as beautiful as the handwriting from last night.
Did Jing Yuan buy all this this morning? Did she buy it specially for her?
She remembered the woman saying she had nothing but instant noodles at home last night.
Just as she picked up the orange juice and was pondering, she suddenly heard the sound of ducks quacking in the courtyard.
Xie Mianzhi had to put down the orange juice, walked to the door, and saw Jing Yuan in the courtyard.
She smiled, resolutely picked up the empty glass on the table, and poured half of her own glass into it, holding both.
“Morning. So you’re out here.” Xie Mianzhi greeted Jing Yuan first upon seeing her.
Jing Yuan looked up at Xie Mianzhi, who was wearing the blue pajamas. They fit reasonably well, though the pajama pants were a little long.
“Yes,” Jing Yuan replied.
Xie Mianzhi watched the two ducks, Jindou and Yuanbao, with their shiny, plump bellies, cooing comfortably in Jing Yuan’s hands. Jing Yuan was stroking their feathers.
Xie Mianzhi walked over and stood beside Jing Yuan, bending down to watch her pet the ducks.
“Which one is ‘Jindou,’ and which one is ‘Yuanbao’? I got the two little darlings confused again last night.”
As Miss Xie leaned closer, her soft hair accidentally brushed against Jing Yuan’s ear, which tickled slightly.
Jing Yuan could only tilt her head slightly, striving to keep her voice calm: “The one with the gray head and gentle nature is Yuanbao. The green-headed, mischievous one is Jindou.”
“Mhm~ If Jindou knew you described it like that, would it get angry and peck you?” Xie Mianzhi couldn’t help but laugh at Jing Yuan’s serious explanation.
Jing Yuan pondered the question seriously. She felt Jindou wouldn’t dare to be presumptuous even if given ten times the courage.
“Here, this glass is for you.”
Xie Mianzhi handed the other glass of juice to Jing Yuan. “Thank you for buying me breakfast. It’s so rich. I was just about to get up and eat instant noodles.”
She truly hadn’t expected Jing Yuan to go to the Jìsōng Hotel early in the morning just to buy her breakfast.
Jing Yuan accepted the juice since it was offered right in front of her. “You are a guest.”
The meaning was clear: preparing breakfast was expected, even if this guest was somewhat “uninvited.”
She thought Xie Mianzhi was only staying for one night, so she racked her brain wondering what kind of breakfast would be suitable.
Considering the woman’s background and their few hours of interaction, Jing Yuan decided to buy the exquisite meals from the best five-star hotel in the area.
The thought of buying breakfast this morning almost made her laugh.
She was so preoccupied with the breakfast issue that she was still thinking about it while meditating in the deep sea. So, after coming ashore and returning home, she found a VIP card her mother had given her previously—a black card from the Jìsōng Group.
Her mother’s original reason for giving her the card was:
(Little Whale, if you ever feel desperate living in that seaside haunted house, just go stay somewhere else.)
Her exact words.
Afterward, she drove to the Jìsōng Hotel. Unsure of Xie Mianzhi’s taste, she bought all the freshly baked pastries, plus a hot drink, and picked up some oranges on the way back.
“So, you bought all that food this morning? How many hours did you even sleep?” Xie Mianzhi took a sip of juice and looked at Jing Yuan.
Jing Yuan finished feeding the breadcrumbs in her hand to the two little darlings and woodenly replied: “Something like that.”
“For me?” Xie Mianzhi slightly hooked her lips, asking this kind soul with a hint of amusement.
Seeing that Jing Yuan didn’t speak, she immediately followed up: “I’m just kidding. I genuinely think you’re very kind.” No wonder the woman had such heavy dark circles; she hadn’t gotten much sleep at all.
Jing Yuan looked up at Miss Xie, who was praising her. The woman seemed to “arrogantly” tease her, including calling her out for buying her things.
Jing Yuan was grateful for the compliment and seriously added: “Actually, I was out during the night.”
“Night?” Xie Mianzhi put down her glass, not quite understanding Jing Yuan’s meaning.
“I went to the seabed to calm down for a while after midnight. The surrounding top ocean predators were a bit noisy, and then I came home around seven to wash up before going to buy some food you could eat. To be accurate, I was asleep until about seven o’clock.” Jing Yuan said this while standing up. Her perfect posture leaned in close to Xie Mianzhi, instantly shrouding her in shadow.
“Wait, the seabed? As in the ocean floor?” Xie Mianzhi didn’t quite grasp it because the description was so outlandish.
“Mhm,” Jing Yuan nodded.
Upon receiving the confirmation, Xie Mianzhi blinked frantically. “Are you saying you went to the seabed at night?” She turned, looked at the sea not far away, pointed at Jing Yuan, then pointed at the vast ocean. “You didn’t just jump in here and stay in the ocean until morning, did you?”
Xie Mianzhi’s expression of utter shock, as if she was about to eat the earth, was reflected in Jing Yuan’s golden eyes. She was slightly amused. Indeed, no one would believe her if she told the truth.
It was preposterous.
Jing Yuan straightened up, felt she had made her point, and quietly stated: “I was just kidding.”
“…So you just pranked me?” Xie Mianzhi finished the juice in her hand, finally realizing the weird tone of the woman in front of her.
Jing Yuan walked ahead, her expression very innocent. She didn’t agree with the woman’s choice of words.
She was just telling the truth, but no one would believe her.
“I take back what I said about you being kind. You’re clearly a vindictive little brat,” Xie Mianzhi muttered under her breath, keeping the last few words quieter.
But Jing Yuan still heard them.
Little brat?
Jing Yuan’s expression was indescribable. No one had ever used that word to describe her before, and she found it rather fascinating. “What did you say? Clearly you are…? What’s next? I didn’t quite catch it.”
Xie Mianzhi saw Jing Yuan staring at her with curiosity. She could only shrug and force a professionally saccharine smile: “Clearly, you’re a generous little savior. I was praising you.”
Jing Yuan nodded in agreement. “Thank you. That’s too much praise.”
…
The Question of Loneliness
Xie Mianzhi followed the extremely polite homeowner back into the house and dutifully went to the dining room to eat breakfast. No one could pass up food.
Chewing her food, Xie Mianzhi subtly observed the person in the living room.
It tasted quite good.
The hotel’s standard was a bit below her personal chef’s, likely because it was takeout early in the morning, but it was palatable.
“It was such a rush last night, I didn’t get a chance to ask: what’s Mìsōng Town like?” Xie Mianzhi asked the homeowner, breaking the silence after finishing her breakfast.
The woman was not talkative. If Xie Mianzhi didn’t start the conversation, the woman would likely remain silent forever.
“What specifically would you like to know?” Jing Yuan put down what she was doing and looked at Xie Mianzhi.
It seemed she had bought the right things. Miss Xie finished it all. She had deliberately bought two portions of everything, wondering if it was enough.
“I’m here for a vacation, so… just the surrounding environment, comfort, safety, and so on,” Xie Mianzhi steered the conversation, poking at her plate with a fork.
“From what I know, Mìsōng Town is suitable for a vacation, close to nature. Safety… I’m not entirely sure,” Jing Yuan spoke honestly. She had heard this from others and through TV promotions. As for safety, she personally felt that no place was absolutely safe, and one should always be vigilant.
“It’s a good thing they didn’t interview you for the Mìsōng Town tourism promotional video, or the town’s GDP would be cut in half,” Xie Mianzhi couldn’t resist teasing her.
Jing Yuan just quietly stared at the woman, using her eyes to decline the “compliment.”
Xie Mianzhi pretended not to meet her gaze, having to admit that the woman’s eyes were too sharp.
A beautiful, translucent gold.
“Are you a local?” Xie Mianzhi couldn’t contain her curiosity.
“Not exactly.”
Xie Mianzhi was intrigued. Her curiosity about the homeowner was growing.
Not a local, yet living alone on such a remote seaside cliff in Mìsōng, in a decent little house.
It was quite a distance from the town center, transportation was inconvenient, and she only kept two ducks for company.
Before this, the house only stocked unopened instant noodles.
This was the first time she had encountered a person like this.
It was completely outside her social circle experience.
“Can I ask you one question?”
“Mhm.”
“Have you always lived alone?”
Jing Yuan didn’t understand the underlying meaning of the question but nodded factually.
“Then, do you ever get lonely?”