What to Do if You Mess With an Omega? - Chapter 26.1

Ning Hanzhu was bustling about in the kitchen when her optical computer vibrated twice and then connected automatically. Xu Yuqing’s cool face appeared before her eyes.

Xu Yuqing stared in a daze. “What are you doing!?”

She had sent someone to pick up Ning Hanzhu, but they had not found her. She had feared something had gone wrong, only to see this person, ruddy-faced, grab a handful of long, thin worms and stuff them into her mouth in two or three bites, chewing and swallowing them down.

Xu Yuqing felt utterly unwell.

Ning Hanzhu had made the rice noodles by hand, but because time had been short, they had not aged properly. Fortunately, the soup pot served as a base, so the flavor was not too bad. They just lacked chewiness, and the rice noodles broke easily. The broken rice noodles resembled short, fat white threadworms.

In Xu Yuqing’s eyes, Ning Hanzhu had just eaten a handful of worms.

“I’m making food.”

To show off her handiwork, Ning Hanzhu turned the angle, letting the optical computer capture the row of decent-looking dishes on the kitchen table.

She had carefully selected the ingredients for these dishes from an ingredient shop on the starnet. They ranked at the bottom of the current most unpopular list because their audience was small, and ninety percent of interstellar people listed them as dislikes, so they sold exceptionally cheaply.

The shopkeeper had even offered a buy-one-get-three-free deal.

Ning Hanzhu had spent only two hundred to buy them all.

A small, white, tender hand suddenly entered the frame, looking particularly out of place.

Ning Hanzhu felt helpless. “Qianqian, you’re sneaking bites again. Today, you’ll be penalized by eating one less dish.”

Ning Qianqian had been drawn by the aroma from the kitchen. She sneaked a taste now and then whenever Ning Hanzhu turned her back—not much, just one bite. The first few times had gone luckily unnoticed, but this time, Ning Hanzhu caught her red-handed.

It was just too fragrant.

She poked her little head out with a look of deep grievance and patted her round belly with both small hands. “Sister, hungry hungry. Can we eat now?”

Xu Yuqing could not bear to see Ning Qianqian look so pitiful. “If Qianqian wants to eat, let her. How did you become so stingy as her sister?”

“…”

Being human was too hard.

Ning Hanzhu walked over and gently patted Ning Qianqian’s round little belly. “Look at her tummy. Brother Lu said she has been eating all day. Eating more might give her indigestion again.”

Xu Yuqing had nothing to say to that.

She gave Ning Qianqian a helpless look.

Lu Yutang took Ning Qianqian to wash her hands. Ning Hanzhu saw that Xu Yuqing had not ended the video call and casually invited her. “Do you want to come try my cooking?”

Xu Yuqing fell into a rare silence.

Eat… worms?

…

Xu Yuqing sat at the dining table, watching Ning Hanzhu and Lu Yutang bustle about setting things up. Actually, she regretted agreeing the moment she did.

She truly was not suited to see Ning Hanzhu again today.

But she had come anyway.

“Qianqian, is your sister’s cooking good?”

“Super good.”

Xu Yuqing knew Ning Qianqian was her sister’s biggest fan and had never said a bad word about Ning Hanzhu. She could believe at most thirty percent of what she said. She lowered her voice and asked secretly, “Compared to the food we ate before, which is better?”

That narrowed the scope a bit.

But the best food Ning Qianqian had eaten was just those few meals. She licked her little lips. “Pretty sister, all good.”

Even if the two kept their voices low, they could not escape Ning Hanzhu’s hearing. She distributed clean bowls and chopsticks to Xu Yuqing and Ning Qianqian. “You’re asking Qianqian. She thinks everything is delicious. Why not ask me directly?”

She had confidence in her own taste buds too.

Among an Alpha’s five senses, taste was one of them. She had only noticed today while adjusting seasonings that she could precisely detect changes like adding one gram too much salt or one or two grams too little sugar. This made cooking convenient for her.

“Eat up.”

“Why aren’t you eating?”

“Why are you all just watching me?”

Ning Hanzhu saw that among the three present, only Ning Qianqian was enthusiastic. Lu Yutang and Xu Yuqing looked like prisoners awaiting execution on the scaffold, hands unmoving, just gazing at her with innocent eyes. She felt a mix of amusement and exasperation and simply teased them. “You all recognize these dishes, so I guess I don’t need to introduce them.”

Lu Yutang’s mouth twitched. Even on Elf Star, he had heard of a few of these dishes, let alone Xu Yuqing, who had grown up on the capital star. She propped her head on her hand. “Ning Hanzhu, are you trying to poison me?”

In front of her sat a plate of beast chicken stewed with black mushrooms. The mushrooms’ surface was blacker than usual, and the chicken differed from what she remembered. Interstellar beast chickens were three times larger than the chickens in Ning Hanzhu’s original world, with strong combat power. Their two legs could jump three meters high—this would have meant chickens could fly in the past.

But correspondingly, the two chicken legs had tender, fine meat texture. Combined with the mushrooms for umami, Ning Hanzhu directly picked up a piece of mushroom and put it in her mouth, swallowing it in two or three bites.

Lu Yutang had not even had time to stop her. “Bamboo, are you okay?”

Ning Hanzhu explained, “Don’t worry, no poison. There are many kinds of mushrooms. Some are indeed poisonous and even hallucinogenic, but I ran full tests before making this dish, so you can taste it with confidence.”

This was where the nanny robot proved useful. Ning Hanzhu had always thought having one in the house was superfluous before, but just now in the kitchen, the division of labor between one person and one machine had been clear. With one command, the robot followed suit, lightening her load and even providing precise tests. It was a great assistant.

The vast database made her admit the necessity of a nanny robot.

Lu Yutang let out two dry laughs, his hand shaking as he picked up a small piece, looking like a hero marching to his heroic death. “Bamboo, do we really have to eat this stuff?”

And that food streamer thing…

It seemed utterly unreliable.

Xu Yuqing frowned. Before agreeing to come, she had not looked closely at the specific dishes, only seeing a table full of red from afar. Only after arriving did she realize what Ning Hanzhu had made.

“Eat. Eat boldly and without worry. Qianqian, let’s open our mouths.”

“Hey, hey, don’t feed Qianqian randomly—”

She was still a child.

But she failed to stop it. Ning Qianqian chewed twice and swallowed. “Wow, so yummy.”

Lu Yutang saw he could not stop her and adopted a broken-jar-falls attitude. “Bamboo, just in case, I mean just in case something happens to your Brother Lu, my mom is… in your hands.”

“Brother Lu, look here.”

Lu Yutang turned his head, and something was stuffed into his mouth. He chewed instinctively. The savory meat texture captured his tongue at once, juices bursting forth, every taste bud clamoring for more. “Bamboo, what did you just feed me?”

Ning Hanzhu smiled slightly. “Is it good?”

Lu Yutang had never eaten anything so delicious. The savory flavor lingered on his lips and teeth after swallowing, utterly addictive. “Good. The taste is incredible.”

Ning Qianqian giggled. “Fishpond brother, it’s little chicken.”

Lu Yutang’s pupils widened. Only after a long moment did he recover. “You mean the little chicken stewed with mushrooms?”

Ning Hanzhu smiled modestly. Though this little chicken differed from that one, she had followed the steps for little chicken stewed with mushrooms, so it barely counted.

Xu Yuqing looked puzzled at the table of unpopular dishes—basically the foods capital star people hated most. She did not think Ning Hanzhu had made them deliberately to humiliate her.

Otherwise, they themselves would not eat so happily.

“Why did you suddenly decide to make these? You could have just had the nanny robot order for you. It’s much more convenient than cooking yourself.”

“Mm.”

Ordering takeout was certainly fast.

The prices were beautiful too—or rather, the charges were exorbitantly black-hearted. Take their breakfast: they had eaten nearly one thousand five hundred. If Ning Hanzhu rated the taste, she could only say it was barely passable—edible, but far from delicious standards.

At the same price, she would rather drink bland nutrient solution. At least it was cheap, filling, and hassle-free.

One thousand five hundred, though.

Back on Elf Star, one thousand was the monthly relief for her and Ning Qianqian. Her meager pocket money did not allow such waste. The first meal on the capital star could count as celebrating their new journey.

Moreover, the house they lived in now was not even theirs.

Ning Hanzhu did not know how to explain cost-performance to Xu Yuqing, this young lady who wanted for nothing, so she abruptly changed the subject. “Try a bite first.”

Xu Yuqing’s brows furrowed slightly.

Ning Qianqian tugged at her sleeve. “Pretty sister, it’s yummy. Try it.”

Xu Yuqing could not refuse Ning Qianqian’s expectant gaze. She felt that refusing would hurt the child’s feelings. With a mindset of trying it and dying if it killed her, she scanned all the dishes. For safety, she chose the one Ning Hanzhu had just tasted. From the presentation alone, it rivaled Yijian Shisuo’s—easily nine points.

She picked up a very small piece and bit lightly. The tender, delicious meat filled her mouth with fragrance at once. She licked her lips lightly, her eyes lighting up. Without needing Ning Hanzhu’s urging, she took a second bite, then a third.

Past beast chicken had been stinky and fishy, with one bite possibly chipping a tooth.

It was a food forbidden on Omega menus.

Xu Yuqing found it unbelievable. “This is different from the beast chicken I’ve eaten. Ning Hanzhu, how did you do it?”

Of course, thanks to the recipes left by predecessors.

Ning Hanzhu feared she would ask too much and simply picked other dishes for her one by one, like the rice noodles that Xu Yuqing had mistaken for threadworms. Lu Yutang saw how readily Xu Yuqing accepted them and could not help giving Ning Hanzhu a covert thumbs-up. He soon joined the eating frenzy.

By the time Xu Yuqing had tasted every dish, Ning Hanzhu seized the moment to ask, “Do you think capital star people would accept these flavors?”

Xu Yuqing’s palate was discerning. If she accepted them, others were no issue.

Xu Yuqing answered without thinking. “You made these dishes taste great, but I’m afraid people would struggle to accept them. If no one even tries, wouldn’t all your effort be wasted?”

She had chosen these dishes first for their cheap price, second for their sufficient gimmick. When something was collectively loathed, turning opinions around would draw massive attention.

What Ning Hanzhu aimed to do was transform these so-called garbage foods into delicacies. The ingredients themselves were fine; only poor handling ruined them.

“It’s fine. I think someone will try them.”

“Hm?”

Though Xu Yuqing did not understand her plan, she said no more upon seeing her confidence. She enjoyed a bountiful meal, her taste buds greatly satisfied. Once full, she half-reclined on the sofa to rest, looking lazy like a sated cat, every hair seeming to proclaim contentment.

Ning Hanzhu was cleaning up when she suddenly saw the person on the sofa beckon to her with a finger.

“Come here.”

“What’s wrong?”

Xu Yuqing propped her head and sized her up like that. Without the fancy clothes, Ning Hanzhu’s aura seemed subdued and utterly ordinary. But she knew full well how domineering the pheromones on this person were. “My arm is numb. Help me up.”

Pfft.

Ning Hanzhu nearly burst out laughing.

Xu Yuqing’s cool eyes caught the amusement on her face, annoyance flaring in her heart. This Alpha actually dared mock her. Truly infuriating.

The displeased Xu Yuqing decided on a small punishment for Ning Hanzhu.

When Ning Hanzhu helped her up, the hand propping the sofa slipped deliberately, and her body crashed forward heavily. As expected, she fell into a warm, dry embrace.

“Are you okay?”

As Ning Hanzhu lowered her head, Xu Yuqing lifted hers. Her soft lips pressed against Ning Hanzhu’s forehead just like that.

Both froze, staring wide-eyed at each other.

Ning Hanzhu, “…”

What had she done.

Aaaahhhh.

Save save save her.

Her neck stiffened like rusty hinges, creaking twice before she pulled back. As she withdrew, the unprepared Xu Yuqing truly toppled.

Ning Hanzhu rushed forward again to steady her, ensuring she sat properly before retreating a full meter away.

Xu Yuqing laughed in anger at her avoidant attitude. She huffed a laugh. “Alphas truly are no good.”

Ning Hanzhu forced a smile uglier than crying and raised her hand in oath. “That was an accident just now. Don’t worry. I promise not to breathe a word outside. Once we’re out this door, no one will know.”

Xu Yuqing grew even angrier. Was she some flood beast?

This damn Alpha.

Xu Yuqing stood and left decisively. The hover car drove far before she remembered what she had meant to say at the end. Du Rongrong’s inquiries about Ning Hanzhu could not escape her notice. She had originally wanted to ask Ning Hanzhu’s views on the Ning family.

“Hmph. Have that person tell Du Rongrong that Ning Hanzhu is not my protector.”

Just an Alpha from Elf Star.

And a coward who dared take advantage but would not admit it.

The Ning Hanzhu who had scored such a huge bargain nearly scared herself to death. The last Alpha who had tried to take advantage of Xu Yuqing was still in prison, life or death unknown. She patted her chest. Close call. Good thing her reflexes were quick.

Thumbs up for her own cleverness.

…

Du Rongrong visibly relaxed upon receiving the reply. “Good, good.”

Ning Yingwu’s brows shot up in delight. “Did the person by Miss Yuqing’s side really say that? I knew it. That guy must have used some despicable trick. Deserves to die.”

Ning Hanzhu had been a sword hanging over their heads. Now that sharp blade had become a thin sheet of paper, drifting lightly down.

The tense atmosphere in the entire Ning family cleared at once.

Ning Hesong still felt something off. “Strange. Earlier, I tried to inquire about what happened to them on Elf Star, but I couldn’t reach Ning Ye no matter what.”

A flicker of doubt crossed Du Rongrong’s eyes. She knew about Ning Ye—a petty turncoat who could be bought off with a little money. Otherwise, that job would not have fallen to him back then.

What kind of place was Elf Star? A dumping ground for trash.

No one wanted to go there.

When sending off the sisters, she had even given Ning Ye a special hint.

Du Rongrong planned to try contacting him later. It could not be that Ning Ye had been bought off by Ning Hanzhu, could it?

Ning Yingwu said excitedly, “Mom, since Ning Hanzhu isn’t Miss Yuqing’s protector, I still have hope. Help me pull some strings again.”

Du Rongrong said, “My son is so outstanding. Of course you have hope, unless an Alpha even better than Yan Bojing appears.”

Mentioning Yan Bojing inevitably brought back memories of the banquet hall incident that day.

Du Rongrong could not gauge Ning Hanzhu’s Alpha differentiation level yet. If she was a waste, then even returning posed no threat. But what if not? She decided on the spot. “We still need to deal with Ning Hanzhu first. As long as she exists, we can’t rest easy. Arrange a time to meet her and see what she wants.”

Ning Yingwu felt a bit unwilling. He truly did not want to see Ning Hanzhu’s face. But to clear this eyesore sooner, he went through twists and turns to obtain Ning Hanzhu’s optical computer number.

[Ning Hanzhu, come out and talk.]

An unfamiliar optical computer number.

Ning Hanzhu was preparing for today’s stream, getting all the ingredients ready in advance. She paused in confusion upon receiving the message.

Who was this?

The tone did not seem like friendly chit-chat. It felt more like trouble. Looking at the attached address, she saw it was too far from her current residence. No time.

Ning Hanzhu ignored it and instead turned on the camera, taking her first step as a food streamer.

There is a kind of fish on the moon star called fangfish, named for the sharp spines covering its body. Not many people like eating this fish because it is relatively troublesome to prepare, but one thing is great: the fish meat has no bones.

Perhaps all the sharp spines grow outward on the skin.

The fish Ning Hanzhu planned to handle tonight was this one. She had chosen it because it was free—the shopkeeper, seeing her buy so many unsold goods, had given it away.

Free ingredients—what more could she want, a bicycle?

After starting the stream, Ning Hanzhu began removing the spines from the fish. These spines were hard and sharp, a bit like needles. Though difficult to pull and easy to prick for others, in her hands, they came out effortlessly.

The viewer count in the stream went from 0 to 1 quickly, then back to 0 upon seeing the ingredient she was handling.

Ning Hanzhu paid it no mind. After all, her newly registered account had no fans, which was normal. She continued her explanation diligently at her own pace.

“Some say these spines are hard to handle. My first try does not seem as difficult as imagined. But spines are secondary; the key is the fish meat.”

The fangfish was quite large, about as long as her arm. From what she knew, Alphas in this world had huge appetites. The higher the level, the greater the nutritional demands.

Before differentiating, the original body and Ning Qianqian had shared half a tube of nutrient solution, barely filling their stomachs. After differentiating into an Alpha, one ordinary tube was nowhere near enough, and she often felt hungry, especially as she grew taller, requiring even more food.