Phoenix A: Internet Sensation! ( GL , ABO) - Chapter 9
“Then I’ll go with you to the blind date…”
Shen Nian suddenly felt a chill on the back of her neck.
She glanced around, puzzled, but didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.
The steamed buns made by Aunt Wu were milk-scented and slightly sweet, soft and easy to chew. Still, that didn’t stop a certain little bird from craving the sour soup wontons even more.
She turned to see that Jiang Zhiwan had already eaten most of her bowl and seemed to be losing interest. Shen Nian’s round eyes lit up, and without any hesitation, she moved in.
Since Jiang Zhiwan always ate lightly, it would be a waste to leave those last few wontons. They were just enough for her.
Shen Nian was shameless about it. Without a second thought, she stole the remaining wontons from the omega’s bowl and turned around, ready to dig in.
As long as she didn’t see Jiang Zhiwan’s face, she wouldn’t have to deal with her reaction. That was her logic, and she fully believed it.
She had truly mastered the art of willful ignorance.
Luckily, Jiang Zhiwan had a calm and gentle temperament, especially when facing her. She simply reached for a napkin and wiped the corner of her mouth.
She didn’t seem the least bit bothered by the bird’s rude behavior. In fact, she looked rather amused as she watched her eat with such enthusiasm.
Getting angry was not even a consideration.
After all, who could really get mad at such a beautiful little bird?
Watching Shen Nian finish the remaining wontons in just a few quick bites, Jiang Zhiwan silently added a note to herself. This little thing was not just bold but also extremely greedy.
While eating, Shen Nian could feel a steady gaze from behind. She knew exactly who it came from but ignored it.
Once she was full, she contentedly patted her round belly with her wing and sighed in satisfaction.
She had to admit, Aunt Wu never missed. Every dish she made was something Shen Nian liked.
Just as she was lying lazily on the table, too full to move, an unexpected hand reached out toward her.
Shen Nian reacted quickly. Jiang Zhiwan had no choice but to pull her hand back, her expression showing a bit of disappointment.
The feathers on the bird’s belly were much softer than the rest of her body. It was a pity that this little creature was so alert and wouldn’t let her touch for more than a second.
The small bird opened her beak and began muttering angrily. She complained that Jiang Zhiwan had ambushed her and accused her of being inappropriate. Her face flushed slightly in frustration.
Jiang Zhiwan let her rant and acted as if she didn’t understand a single word. She calmly picked up her glass of water and took a sip without changing her expression.
It was like trying to argue with a wall. Shen Nian’s anger quickly fizzled out. In the end, she gave a short huff and fluttered to the far end of the table, putting some distance between them.
Jiang Zhiwan lowered her eyes slightly and smiled to herself. This little bird still had the same temper.
Before she had a chance to speak again, her phone began to ring.
She looked at the caller ID. The name “Yu Mengning” lit up the screen, and memories of this old friend from her previous life flooded her mind.
The voice on the other end was cheerful and familiar, filled with warmth.
“Zhiwan, have you been busy lately? Do you have time to meet up?”
Jiang Zhiwan blinked slowly and listened to the voice she hadn’t heard in a long time.
“Not busy. I’m free. We can go out today.”
As expected, there was a happy cheer from the other end of the line.
“Great! I’ll send you the time and location. You have to come, no excuses.”
After a short pause, Yu Mengning added playfully, “And don’t forget your mask and sunglasses, my superstar.”
Shen Nian was curious about who had called but didn’t want to show it. She quietly perked up her ears, hoping to catch some details.
She didn’t manage to hear much and was still processing when Jiang Zhiwan gently moved her closer.
Jiang Zhiwan looked down at her and spoke softly.
“Little bird, would you like to go out with me today?”
Shen Nian wanted to refuse, but she quickly realized Jiang Zhiwan wouldn’t understand her answer anyway. Clearly, this was a trick question.
Fine, she would go. So this woman wanted to trap a bird with words?
Shen Nian scoffed inwardly but obediently landed on the omega’s shoulder, curious to see who she was going to meet.
Based on how friendly the conversation sounded, it was probably a close friend.
On the way to the meeting, Shen Nian reviewed a few scenes from the story and suddenly remembered who they were about to meet.
It was Yu Mengning, an omega who had been friends with Jiang Zhiwan for many years.
Yu Mengning was cheerful, generous, and always stood by Jiang Zhiwan’s side. Whenever Jiang Zhiwan encountered trouble, she would do everything she could to help.
But despite being such a good person, Yu Mengning did not have a happy ending in the original story.
Thinking about her fate, Shen Nian sighed twice after seeing her for the first time.
The behavior was too humanlike and caught Yu Mengning’s attention. She found it amusing.
Curiously, she studied the bird and smiled at Jiang Zhiwan.
“Is this your new pet? I’ve never seen this breed before. Its ink-like feathers are so beautiful.”
The question was casual, but it triggered a realization in Jiang Zhiwan.
To other people, the bird’s feathers looked like a rare mix of black and white, forming a beautiful ink-painting appearance.
But in her eyes, the colors were even more vivid and brilliant.
Although she sensed something unusual about it, Jiang Zhiwan instinctively chose not to say anything. She simply replied naturally.
“Yes, it looked cute, so I decided to keep it.”
Yu Mengning nodded, clearly agreeing with her friend’s opinion. She couldn’t resist reaching out, hoping to pet the bird’s feathers.
But the little bird wasn’t cooperative and easily avoided her hand.
Not even a touch?
Yu Mengning refused to give up. She reached out again, but the bird dodged just as skillfully as before.
She felt a little discouraged. Why didn’t this lovely bird like her?
Seeing her friend’s reaction, Jiang Zhiwan glanced at the bird resting on her shoulder and offered a gentle explanation.
“It probably gets nervous around strangers.”
What was meant to smooth things over turned into something completely different. Instead of playing along, the little bird even shook her wings twice in what looked like silent provocation.
Yu Mengning instantly realized the truth. There was no shyness at all. This little thing was clearly doing it on purpose just to avoid her touch.
No wonder it was Jiang Zhiwan’s pet. In some ways, the bird had inherited its owner’s attitude and temper.
Fine. If it didn’t want to be touched, then so be it. It was rare enough to get Jiang Zhiwan to come out and meet her, so Yu Mengning decided not to dwell on it. She casually waved a server over and ordered a few small desserts.
The two omegas then settled into a casual conversation, asking about each other’s recent life and work.
Shen Nian only half-listened, her attention quickly drawn to the dessert that was just placed on the table—a tall glass of cantaloupe ice cream.
Three scoops were arranged beautifully in the glass, with two chocolate sticks peeking out from the top. Cold vapor drifted softly from the surface, tempting and refreshing.
Unable to resist, Shen Nian hopped down from Jiang Zhiwan’s shoulder and made her way toward it.
Yu Mengning noticed the movement out of the corner of her eye and immediately knew the little bird wanted a taste. She raised her eyebrows with interest.
Shen Nian watched as Yu Mengning slowly lifted the glass of ice cream and picked up the small wooden spoon, pretending she was about to scoop some.
The little bird stared at her eagerly, eyes wide and full of anticipation. Yu Mengning chuckled to herself, then deliberately winked and asked, “What is it, little one? You want some too?”
Shen Nian hesitated for barely a second before nodding her small head, looking hopeful.
Yu Mengning nodded as if she understood and dragged out her words playfully.
“Oh, is that so…”
The moment she finished speaking, she used the spoon to scoop out one of the chocolate sticks and popped it into her mouth with a satisfied look.
As soon as Shen Nian realized she had been tricked, she began jumping up and down in frustration. She looked absolutely furious.
Yu Mengning felt triumphant. Using the ice cream to win back some dignity from earlier made her feel much better. She laughed so hard she nearly dropped the spoon.
Jiang Zhiwan actually wanted to laugh too, but she worried that her little bird might get even more upset. So she turned her head away, pretending to look elsewhere.
Shen Nian was fuming. She had genuinely believed that Yu Mengning found her cute and was generously offering her a taste of the dessert. But no—she had just wanted to tease her.
Unwilling to be outdone, Shen Nian took her chance while the two omegas were distracted. With a quick hop and a bold move, she took a big bite out of the top scoop of ice cream.
After finishing it, she flapped her wings twice and returned proudly to Jiang Zhiwan’s shoulder, even whistling with satisfaction.
She knew Jiang Zhiwan didn’t like cold food anyway, so she probably wouldn’t be upset with a little bird stealing a bite.
Shen Nian crossed her wings with pride.
“Serves you right for messing with me,” she grumbled internally.
Yu Mengning couldn’t understand what the little bird was saying, but she definitely recognized that smug attitude. Gritting her teeth, she muttered, “Zhiwan, I think your little bird is getting out of hand.”
Shen Nian responded instantly, full of confidence.
“So what if I am? You’re not going to hit me anyway!”
Jiang Zhiwan could understand her, but she had to pretend she couldn’t. Watching one human and one bird squabble like this was genuinely entertaining, and she couldn’t help the soft smile that appeared in her eyes.
She tapped a few buttons on the table’s ordering screen and added another serving of ice cream.
“Alright, Mengning. Why argue with a little bird?”
Those words worked. Yu Mengning calmed down, though she still gave the bird one final glare.
Truthfully, she had asked Jiang Zhiwan out today for more than just dessert. She had something else to share.
Her family’s patriarch had once again arranged a blind date for her out of boredom.
Yu Mengning was fed up with it. But this time, the chosen partner was someone her grandfather particularly liked, so she could not turn it down no matter how hard she tried.
“And on top of that, he gave me a condition I couldn’t refuse. He said if this blind date fails too, then he’ll stop bothering me with these matchmaking plans.”
Her tone was light and relaxed, filled with hopeful visions of freedom after sabotaging this final attempt.
But only Jiang Zhiwan knew the truth. In the previous life, this so-called final blind date had been the beginning of something far worse. Her friend had been tricked by that deceitful alpha.
Yu Mengning was about to try convincing Jiang Zhiwan to go with her, but before she could say a word, Jiang Zhiwan had already spoken.
“I’ll go with you.”
Yu Mengning’s eyes lit up. She immediately hugged Jiang Zhiwan tightly.
“I knew it. You always understand me before I even say anything. That’s why we’re soulmates!”
“I booked the meeting at a hotpot restaurant on purpose. When I give you the signal, just come in from the corner.”