Chapter 10

Despite the many changes in this life compared to her previous one, there were still plenty of preparations and arrangements she could make ahead of time.

Li Jia met Ye Chengxing’s gaze. Whether from her breathing rhythm or her expression, there was no way to tell that this Omega had actually just returned from the raging storm outside—merely moments before Ye Chengxing herself.

Ye Chengxing noticed the pen in Li Jia’s hand. “Were you just writing something?”

Li Jia’s eyes curved in a gentle smile, and she gave a soft hum of affirmation. “My morning tutoring session ended, and the teacher left me some worksheets.”

Ye Chengxing listened attentively as she spoke. After Li Jia finished and paused for a second, Ye Chengxing finally spoke. “How does it feel?”

“It’s fine. I can keep up. The teacher’s very responsible and explains everything well.” Li Jia’s face held a smile from start to finish. After saying this, she blinked, and the curve of her lips suddenly deepened into something even sweeter. “I really… thank you, Sister.” Without the high-level access Ye Chengxing had granted her, it wouldn’t have been nearly this convenient—or quick—to shift things around or divert attention as needed.

Ye Chengxing clearly had no idea Li Jia was referring to something else. From her perspective, she assumed it was about the tutoring and school.

“It’s nothing…”

As she spoke, Ye Chengxing seemed to notice something and suddenly said, “Wait.”

She leaned in a little closer and lightly touched the ends of Li Jia’s long hair, as if confirming. “Did you just wash your hair? Don’t forget to blow it dry.”

Li Jia’s pupils contracted slightly the instant Ye Chengxing drew near, but after hearing her words, she forcibly held herself still.

Ye Chengxing withdrew her hand. Seeing only the tips damp, she assumed Li Jia had already blow-dried it and felt a bit relieved.

She was truly worried about Li Jia catching a cold or falling ill again. During the checkup, she’d seen for herself: due to years of uninterrupted aphrodisiacs, Li Jia’s health was far from good. On the surface, she seemed perfectly fine, but inside, she was fragile as paper—unable to withstand any mishaps.

Seeing this, Li Jia’s eyes darkened slightly.

It seemed Ye Chengxing hadn’t noticed anything.

She gripped the pen in her hand a little tighter, her expression unchanged as she smoothly changed the subject. “I just finished blow-drying… Have you eaten yet, Sister?”

Though it was already afternoon when Ye Chengxing returned, she hadn’t had lunch. Meals in this world could be handled quickly—like chugging nutrient liquid—but Ye Chengxing was done with that. Nor did she want to shell out exorbitant prices for what passed for “gourmet food” here, which barely measured up anyway.

But Li Jia’s words reminded her: the procured ingredients and kitchenware from her outing hadn’t been brought in yet. She’d had the bodyguards carry them back in batches, probably stowing them in the Smart Warehouse for now. She contacted Xiao Bai to confirm, then instructed it to transfer everything to the kitchen—including some bulky items.

She had to admit, for all its lack of real cuisine, this world made up for it with genuinely convenient high-tech.

As Ye Chengxing gave instructions to Xiao Bai, she answered Li Jia in the gaps. “Not yet.”

“I haven’t eaten either.” Hearing this, Li Jia smiled brightly. “I was waiting for you to come back so we could eat together.”

At the Omega’s words, Ye Chengxing froze in place for two seconds before lightly coughing and replying, “Okay… let’s eat together.”

Li Jia’s smile instantly grew more pronounced. “Then wait for me while I put away my pen and clear the table. I’ll be right down.”

But the moment she turned, the smile vanished from Li Jia’s face without a trace, replaced by icy detachment.

Ye Chengxing watched the Omega’s retreating back, oblivious to the shift in her expression. She unconsciously lifted a fingertip to her own hair, recalling the pen Li Jia had been holding—still uncapped. Clearly, Li Jia had rushed down. Still, coming home to someone waiting to eat together felt wonderful, even a touch embarrassing. She decided she’d tell Li Jia later there was no need to wait—no matter what, eating properly and on time was most important.

By now, Xiao Bai had nearly finished setting up the kitchen. The original host rarely ate at home, preferring outings with her fair-weather friends, so there was no chef on staff—only some high-grade nutrient liquid stocked. Overall, the kitchen had been rather bare.

With Xiao Bai arranging her purchases, the empty space transformed in an instant.

Thinking of Li Jia waiting for her to eat together, Ye Chengxing resolved to cook all three meals herself from now on. She simply couldn’t stomach the nutrient liquid anymore—especially not the image of them sitting across from each other, sipping it like that was a proper meal. In her mind, eating was something else entirely.

As she pondered, memories surfaced of the home-cooked meals from her family before she’d dropped dead and transmigrated. Everyone gathered noisily around the table—no stuffy “no talking while eating” rules. The atmosphere was always relaxed and joyful. Whenever exhaustion hit her, a single family meal restored her to full energy.

…She missed home a little.

She wondered about her body’s state back in her original world. From what the System had implied before, it probably wouldn’t vanish entirely—after all, completing the tasks would let her revive and return. So likely a vegetative state?

Ye Chengxing sighed.

Pushing down these sudden waves of homesickness, she rolled up her sleeves and stepped into the kitchen. Li Jia hadn’t come down yet, so she decided to get started.

Perhaps because fine food was so rare and pricey here, ingredients and cookware cost a fortune too.

The everyday vegetables and meats in her eyes fetched tens of thousands—small quantities that might last only a few meals before needing replenishment. Spices, pots, and pans were sky-high, let alone the functional kitchen gadgets.

No wonder everyone stuck to nutrient liquid. Cooking costs were outrageous, few knew how anyway, and recipes weren’t sold on the market. Fail, and you’d wasted real money. Nutrient liquid was far more practical.

Ye Chengxing’s cooking skills came from her study-abroad days. Disliking the local fare, she’d experimented herself, honing her craft rapidly over time.

She pulled out some ingredients and recalled Li Jia’s tastes from the original plot.

It was mentioned late in the story—by then, Li Jia was nearly fully blackened and especially fond of sweet dishes.

But that was later Li Jia. Would this early-stage version like them?

Ye Chengxing started the rice steamer and settled on sweet and sour pork ribs, plus two stir-fried veggie sides.

This world’s kitchen gear differed from her previous one—unfamiliar designs, but similar functions, only more efficient.

Running through the sweet and sour pork ribs recipe in her head, Ye Chengxing focused intently. She cut the ribs, blanched them, fished them out, and began mixing the sauce. Midway, she realized she was missing a condiment and turned to grab it.

The motion revealed Li Jia standing right behind her. The Omega was quite close. As Ye Chengxing turned, a faint, slow smile bloomed on her face.

She was smiling, yet Ye Chengxing inexplicably felt a chill down her spine. Someone appearing suddenly like that had genuinely startled her—but seeing it was Li Jia dissipated most of the fright. She laughed and teased, “Li Jia, you walk so quietly. Not a sound.”

Li Jia gave a soft hum and, during Ye Chengxing’s reach for the condiment, subtly shifted aside, smoothly pocketing her folding knife without a trace. “I was curious what you were making, but I didn’t want to disturb you, so I kept quiet.”

Her lashes fluttered lightly. “Sister… did I scare you? I’ll tell you next time. Don’t hate me.”

Ye Chengxing shook her head at once. “How could I?”

Hearing this, she felt her heart melting.

Afraid of disturbing her, so utterly silent—this was no one to hate. Clearly a little angel.

She grabbed the condiment and returned. Seeing Li Jia with hands clasped behind her back—the Omega still looking apologetic and guilty—Ye Chengxing’s tone softened further. “This is your home too. Come in whenever you like. No need for hesitation.”

She uncapped the bottle and continued casually, “Making sweet and sour pork ribs right now. I’ll stir-fry a couple more dishes after. Not sure if they’ll suit your taste…”

Here, Ye Chengxing paused, then spoke again, her voice tinged with tension—though her care shone through even more clearly. “Li Jia, what do you like to eat?”

The question came so naturally that Li Jia was momentarily caught off guard.

What did she like to eat?

Her gaze swept over the condiment bottles and nearby ingredients. Suddenly, it clicked what Ye Chengxing was up to.

She’d suspected tampering in the food at first, but now… so this was a bid to win her over.

Ye Chengxing couldn’t possibly cook for real. This was all show.

The Omega’s crimson lips curved, her long lashes casting shadows on her cheeks. “I’m not picky. I like anything.” She’d see what came of all this groundwork.

Home cooking, no less—even years later in her past life, from this timeline’s future, no recipes had surfaced.

Where had this useless second-generation wastrel learned it? This freak was bold in her lies. Did she take her for a fool?

Internally sneering, Li Jia kept her expression neutral. “I’ve never seen the full process of cooking before, though. Sister, can I stand here and watch?”

Ye Chengxing was still mulling Li Jia’s “not picky” line, concerned the Omega was just being polite and reluctant to voice preferences. She’d observe more going forward.

Hearing Li Jia wanted to watch from the kitchen, she hummed in agreement.

Li Jia’s smile deepened further.

She was convinced she’d seen through Ye Chengxing’s little scheme. The woman had gone out of her way to make a big production of buying all those pricey ingredients and kitchen tools before asking what she liked to eat. No doubt the finished dishes were already custom-ordered and waiting for delivery. Li Jia didn’t buy for a second that Ye Chengxing planned to cook them herself—it was all just the usual playbook.

Now that she was standing right there watching, Ye Chengxing had to be hesitating. With her eyes on every move, the plan to put on a mere show was surely doomed to fail.

She was truly curious to see how Ye Chengxing would wriggle out of this lie.

Ye Chengxing did have some reservations.

Even in this world, where equipment and tools were so advanced that cooking efficiency had improved dramatically, it still took time. For anyone accustomed to nutrient liquid, preparing a meal like this might feel painfully slow.

After a pause, Ye Chengxing spoke up. “It might take a bit. Why don’t you sit in the chair and watch?”

With that, she instructed Xiao Bai to bring in a chair.

Ye Chengxing eyed the chair now in place, then glanced at Li Jia, whose expression had stiffened a little. It took her two seconds to realize—could Li Jia be feeling too embarrassed?

Understanding dawned on Ye Chengxing, and her tone softened with even greater consideration. “It’s fine. Come on, take a seat.”