My Jealous and Beautiful Villainous Wife (ABO) - Chapter 18

That evening, they found themselves at the same restaurant where they had dined the previous night.

Having shared many meals together, Si An and Long Xiao had grown familiar with each other’s preferences. Si An favored sour and spicy dishes, while Long Xiao had a sweet tooth.

Si An hadn’t noticed this until their last visit, when the restaurant offered a complimentary dessert rice-flavored ice cream.

Three small scoops, garnished with mint and honey, looked exquisitely delicate.

But with a single, generous bite from Long Xiao, the entire goblet of ice cream vanished.

Si An’s pupils dilated in shock. Before he could even react, he saw the Alpha across from him narrow his eyes in delight.

More than the shock, discovering Long Xiao’s fondness for sweets piqued his interest.

So, this time, while Si An still ordered the dishes, the Omega lowered his gaze and selected several sweeter options.

Last time, they had ordered eight dishes and finished every bite. This time, they ordered twelve.

Long Xiao, completely oblivious to Si An’s subtle intentions, merely thought with some annoyance, Has my wife not been eating enough on our previous dates?

But he immediately dismissed the thought. His beloved Omega wasn’t the type to deny himself anything.

Long Xiao’s spirits lifted again. He suppressed a smile as he gazed intently at Si An across the table.

He had been longing to see Si An for ages, and after enduring a whole day of restraint, he had finally gotten his wish.

Si An was as breathtakingly beautiful as ever. Even in a full black suit, he looked astonishingly handsome.

Perhaps love truly makes the heart see beauty everywhere. Long Xiao found everything about Si An utterly captivating.

His golden eyes, like molten honey, seemed to merge with the warm yellow lamplight, enveloping Si An in a radiant glow.

Si An frowned slightly, lifting his gaze to meet Long Xiao’s. He was about to speak when the Alpha’s words caught him off guard.

I missed you.

I meant to tell you on the phone, but I forgot.

Long Xiao delivered these words with a calm expression, his narrow, deep-set eyes lowering slightly. Though his demeanor was cool, the words he spoke burned in Si An’s ears.

Si An paused for two seconds before replying, …Sweet talk won’t work on me.

The Omega harbored no doubt that this was an Alpha’s trick. These creatures were notorious for using words to deceive.

Si An hadn’t personally experienced such manipulation, but he had been taught about it in his elite education.

As one of the most privileged and highly trained individuals, he would never fall for such shallow tactics.

Long Xiao’s expression remained unchanged. He merely tilted his head slightly, silver-white strands of hair sliding across his cheek.

Sweet talk? How could this be sweet talk?

It’s just ordinary sincerity, Long Xiao said, his deep voice remaining calm, just as Si An remembered. He wore a slightly puzzled expression, as if he couldn’t quite grasp Si An’s words.

Si An looked away, his pale golden lashes drooping to veil the light in his icy blue eyes. He repeated softly, I told you, sweet talk doesn’t work on me.

Long Xiao watched Si An’s clear rejection, a faint smile curving his lips. I’ve been thinking about you a lot.

All day, in fact.

I was so happy to get your call this morning.

You once said you hated my scales, that I wasn’t your type.

…Is that still the case?

His deep voice was honeyed, as if only sweet words could pass through his lips.

To Si An, this was an obvious ploy.

The refined and aloof Omega frowned slightly. Just as Long Xiao thought he might be angry, Si An lifted his gaze and fixed Long Xiao with a steady look.

Long Xiao, you’re so dense.

With those flat words, Si An turned away, no longer meeting Long Xiao’s eyes.

The sharp lines of the Omega’s profile were stark, the shadow along his jawline clearly defined.

From Long Xiao’s perspective, Si An looked painfully thin.

That face seemed so fragile, as if it might shatter with a touch.

Just as Long Xiao was about to say something more, the waiter arrived with their dishes.

Sir, your food is here.

Long Xiao stopped mid-sentence.

One dish after another was placed on the table sweet and sour spare ribs, sweet and sour pork tenderloin, honey-glazed steel-pipe chicken, pineapple sweet and sour pork…

Long Xiao lowered his gaze to the table. He didn’t recognize several of the dishes, but they all seemed to be sweet.

Si An doesn’t like sweet food, does he…?

As he pondered this, Long Xiao picked up his chopsticks and began to eat.

When it comes to eating, one must be serious.

Si An also started eating, but he kept a close eye on Long Xiao’s movements out of the corner of his eye.

After the meal, Long Xiao’s gaze softened, his eyelids half-lowered, giving him a somewhat languid appearance.

Though subtle, Si An could tell this was the expression of an Alpha content after a satisfying meal.

Si An set down his chopsticks, a faint smile playing at the corners of his eyes. Even though he hadn’t cooked the meal himself, seeing Long Xiao’s current state inexplicably filled him with a sense of satisfaction.

It was nearly impossible to discern any emotion from Long Xiao’s icy blue eyes, whether he was smiling or not. His pupils were naturally small, making it difficult to read his expressions. Moreover, Si An’s control over his own facial expressions was exceptionally precise.

He usually maintained a cold demeanor, or wore a faint smile that was clearly insincere. Even these rare smiles were reserved for moments of significant personal gain.

Having finished his meal and noticing Si An had also set down his chopsticks, Long Xiao resumed their earlier conversation.

Si An, are you working too hard lately?

The Si Family isn’t just you. Are you taking care of yourself?

Hearing Long Xiao’s concern, Si An, though puzzled by the question, answered truthfully,

I’m not particularly busy. I work from eight to five, and my daily hours rarely exceed eight.

Si An’s tone remained casual, completely oblivious to his recent days of frantic overtime.

Long Xiao listened to Si An’s explanation, nodding but offering no indication of whether he believed it or not.

Si An was the object of Long Xiao’s love at first sight, and he had naturally conducted a thorough investigation.

Just last month, the Omega had been working overtime every day.

But since Si An said otherwise now, Long Xiao would believe him without question.

Without further comment, Long Xiao reached into his suit jacket and retrieved a small jewelry box.

He opened it and extended it to Si An.

Seeing the Alpha offer something, Si An reached out to accept it, though he had no idea what it was.

It was likely just some sort of gift. While Long Xiao could be surprisingly dense in some areas, he was meticulous about the rituals of courtship.

As expected, when Si An glanced inside, he saw a pair of cufflinks.

Compared to the pair he had received that morning, these looked far more conventional, though the gemstones were astonishingly pure.

Their color was flawless, like two tears fallen from the sky.

As Si An gazed at the cufflinks in the box, Long Xiao’s voice echoed,

I’ve never collected gemstones this small before, so I bought these this afternoon.

They’re very light.

As he spoke, Long Xiao’s cheeks flushed slightly.

He felt embarrassed presenting such an inexpensive gift. The Dragon Clan, though fond of treasures, wouldn’t typically collect such small gems.

But his beloved Omega had said larger gems were too heavy and he wouldn’t wear them.

Heartbroken, Long Xiao had specifically gone out that afternoon to buy a pair of smaller, yet still somewhat pricey, cufflinks.

Listening to Long Xiao’s words, Si An glanced up and noticed the Alpha’s slightly pink earlobes. For a moment, he was speechless.

He had seen many genuine affections, countless sincere and fervent admirations.

But these Alphas had either lacked persistence or simply failed to capture his interest.

Long Xiao, however, was emotionally stable, attentive, strong, reliable, and gentle.

He was willing to try things he’d never done before for Si An, and his occasional clumsiness meant there was no need to worry about him attracting unwanted attention.

In that fleeting second, Si An’s thoughts raced. He closed the jewelry box and slipped it into his shirt pocket.

He didn’t say whether he liked the gift or not, nor whether he would wear it.

Instead, he simply curved his eyes slightly at Long Xiao, offering a fleeting, barely perceptible smile that vanished as quickly as it appeared.

Today, I’ll allow you to escort me home.

Like a tiny snowflake drifting in the air—cool, beautiful, yet melting away in an instant.