After Saving My Cannon Fodder Omega - Chapter 16

Xie Yueyue was completely bewildered by Chi Wei’s enigmatic behavior. “Sister Chui? What are you doing?”

Due to the angle, she couldn’t see exactly what Chi Wei had done at first. It was only when she stood up and leaned over that she realized both phone screens were stuck on the chat interface with the restaurant’s new owner.

Feng Zhi and Ming Rui noticed something was off and were about to stand up and walk over, but Chi Wei, feeling guilty, slid Xie Yueyue’s phone back with a sharp shua.

Feng Zhi: “?”

Xie Yueyue lit up her screen blankly. Seeing the extra “cute smile” emoji on the screen, her face filled with confusion. She didn’t quite understand the point of Chi Wei using her phone to send that smiley face.

To be honest, Chi Wei didn’t quite understand it herself; it was just that the moment she realized they were chatting, her heart felt like it had been dipped in vinegar. All her previous actions had been fueled by that sudden burst of sourness. Now that she had calmed down, she realized her petty testing was incredibly childish.

Ming Rui hadn’t been there that day and didn’t know anything about Chi Wei’s “love at first sight.” When she received the message to come here for lunch, she had assumed Chi Wei was feeling nostalgic for their youth and wanted a trip down memory lane. But seeing Chi Wei’s reaction just now, and connecting the dots of cause and effect, the look in her eyes as she watched Xie Yueyue and Chi Wei began to change.

Feng Zhi had been dense regarding romantic matters for a long time. She simply assumed Xie Yueyue was once again competing with her over who was Chi Wei’s “number one best friend.” She immediately swapped seats with Ming Rui to sit directly opposite Xie Yueyue.

The private room wasn’t large; with an eight-person round table, having four people seated meant only one empty space between them. Whether sitting to the side or directly across didn’t make much of a difference, and it conveniently allowed Ming Rui to look at Chi Wei—exactly what she wanted.

Chi Wei was busy being jealous while simultaneously self-reflecting. She ignored whatever was hidden in the gazes of the three people around her, her left thumb unconsciously tracing the hardened pad of her index finger. The callus felt a bit rough to the touch, and it stung slightly when pressed—a burn she’d accidentally gotten while polishing the ring setting last night.

Looking at the chat history with Xuan Nian on her own phone, which didn’t even total ten messages including the recent emoji, Chi Wei suddenly felt a bit aggrieved.

The ring was tucked against her person, the setting hand-polished, and the pink diamond she had chosen held extraordinary meaning for her. She had already made her declaration in front of her family, so her purpose for coming here today was crystal clear.

But despite all her calculations, Chi Wei hadn’t expected Xuan Nian not to be here at all—and that Yueyue would know the answer even before she did.

The more Chi Wei thought about it, the more she felt Fate was mocking her. In her past life, she had often regretted not being more direct or confessing earlier; perhaps everything would have been different. Now that she was truly prepared to “cut the Gordian knot,” she had ended up coming home to an empty nest.

But when it came down to it, the lack of chatting was her own fault. They clearly had each other on WeChat, so why couldn’t she chat while working? Why did she have to hold it all in until the ring was finished?

If you aren’t proactive, you get what you deserve…

“Xiaoyu? What are you looking at?” Feng Zhi sat to Chi Wei’s right. Seeing her staring blankly at her phone, she craned her neck like a curious wild goose to take a look.

Chi Wei’s reaction was several beats late as she pursed her lips. “Nothing.”

Despite her words, her fingers suddenly twitched, tapping rapidly on the bottom half of the screen. Since the answer hadn’t come from Xuan Nian herself, no one else’s word counted.

Thus, under that uniform smiley face, she sent another follow-up question: “Is Boss Xuan not at the tavern today?”

When Xuan Nian received this message, she had just served her rice and sat down at her own dining table.

Seeing that the person labeled “Little Tiger Tooth” had also sent her a message, she weighed her options for a brief second. She replied to her “big client” Chi Wei first, and only after a short delay did she reply to “Little Tiger Tooth.”

After accidentally seeing Xu Danying’s Moments feed that night, she knew that Little Tiger Tooth and Chi Wei were acquaintances. She also knew they were coming to the tavern for lunch today. To avoid looking like she had nothing better to do, she intentionally delayed her response for a bit.

Reasonably speaking, as it was the tavern’s first day of reopening, Xuan Nian should have been there in person to oversee things. However, by a stroke of ill luck, her father had strained his back yesterday while pushing her mother out for a stroll; he was now confined to bed rest. Furthermore, Mrs. Xu’s leg injury still required dressing changes.

The family driver was on leave, leaving only the housekeeper. Xuan Nian didn’t feel at ease, so she had timed her return home perfectly. She had originally intended to just drop them off and leave.

But as a biological mother, how could Xu Danying let her daughter leave on an empty stomach? Seeing her daughter so restless she couldn’t even eat properly for the sake of the tavern, Xu Danying felt a pang of heartache. “Did you forget what your father said? No looking at phones while eating at home.”

Xuan Nian glanced at the empty head of the table. She wanted to say that rule was specifically meant to restrain her mother, but catching Xu Danying’s worried gaze and knowing it came from love, she cooperatively put down her phone and picked up her chopsticks to focus on her meal.

On the other side, after confirming that Xuan Nian had replied to her first, Chi Wei’s awkward heart finally felt a bit better.

From the moment she got her phone back, Xie Yueyue had been pondering exactly what she had done to upset Chi Wei. She had thought about it for ages without understanding until Boss Xuan’s reply appeared on the screen.

She didn’t know much about pursuing someone, but she understood the feeling of liking someone all too well. Having guessed a certain possibility, Xie Yueyue didn’t hesitate; she directly deleted Boss Xuan’s WeChat contact.

Chi Wei had been reflecting on herself just now. Seeing Xie Yueyue put down her phone and proactively rotate the chopped chili fish head toward her, she gave an apologetic smile. “Sorry. I wasn’t snapping at you just now.”

Before she differentiated into an Alpha, Xie Yueyue had already developed special feelings for Feng Zhi. Naturally, she was more experienced than Chi Wei when it came to jealousy. Hearing the apology, she waved her hand understandingly. “I get it. No need to apologize.”

Chi Wei felt Feng Zhi’s gaze and turned to look, only to find her face filled with oblivious confusion. In the past she hadn’t thought much of it, but now, thinking about Yueyue liking Feng Zhi, it wasn’t much better than her own situation.

Feng Zhi, still out of the loop, looked at Ming Rui in confusion, unsure if she should speak directly. Her eyes darted around as she mouthed: “What’s wrong with them?”

Seeing her look so bewildered and cautious, Chi Wei laughed openly instead. “It’s nothing. It’s just a shame I can’t meet her today. Do you guys have any plans for tomorrow night?”

Feng Zhi glanced at Ming Rui and shrugged nonchalantly. “I don’t have any plans. A meal with the parents, then free time.”

Xie Yueyue thought for a moment. “Same here.”

Ming Rui, sitting opposite them, stared at Chi Wei for a long time before finally finding an opening to speak: “I have a family banquet tomorrow night. If there’s any nightlife afterward, I can probably make it?”

Chi Wei refused to meet her eyes—eyes that held an indescribable, doting warmth. “No nightlife. I’m also eating with my family. I booked a table here; do you want to come?”

Ming Rui was an only child, but her parents were not. Her grandmother was in her seventies and possessed an extremely strong desire for control; she loved the liveliness of a full house. Every significant date was inevitably spent with the extended family, so there was no need to actually consider her.

Chi Wei was only being polite. Feng Zhi and Xie Yueyue wanted to chime in, but fearing Ming Rui would overthink things, they remained silent in a stroke of perfect tacit understanding.

Ming Rui’s gaze drifted over the three people in front of her, and she suddenly laughed. “Xiaoyu, I have a feeling you all don’t like playing with me anymore.”

Feng Zhi and Xie Yueyue exchanged a look, and Feng Zhi took the lead: “What nonsense are you talking, Ming Rui? Don’t overthink it.”

Xie Yueyue didn’t say a word. She knew Sister Ming didn’t care what the two of them said; she was asking Xiaoyu—asking Chi Wei.

Chi Wei looked at the rice in front of her. Knowing Ming Rui’s gaze was fixed on her again, she used the serving chopsticks to place a piece of bright red chili atop a snow-white grain of rice. The image of the red-lipped, white-teethed Xuan Nian she had seen at the hospital flashed through her mind.

Lifting her head, her eyes curved into a smile. “Sister Ming, I have someone I like. There’s a high probability I’ll be ‘prioritizing love over friends’ from now on. If I neglect you, please bear with me.”

Feng Zhi was shocked. “What? Prioritizing love over friends? Xiaoyu, you can’t be a ‘love brain’!”

Xie Yueyue raised a hand to cover her forehead, wishing she could cover her eyes as well. Chi Wei simply pretended not to see.

Ming Rui took a deep breath and stood up. “Then congratulations. Let’s talk another day. I still have things to do at the office. I’ll head out first; you guys enjoy your meal.”

Feng Zhi looked back in surprise. “Huh? Leaving already? Didn’t you say before you came that—”

Chi Wei didn’t look at Ming Rui. Hardening her heart, she said, “Fine. Let’s catch up another day.”

Xie Yueyue remained silent. As Ming Rui passed behind her, she gave her shoulder a meaningful pat. When she reached the door, she gave Feng Zhi a half-smile and a wave before leaving.

“???” Feng Zhi scratched the end of her eyebrow with her fingertip, confused. She tapped the edge of the table near Chi Wei. “That’s not right. Xiaoyu, why do I feel like Ming Rui was a little angry just now? You guys… what does this mean?”

Xie Yueyue didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Are you for real? You’re confused when it’s your own business, but how can you still be so blind as a bystander?”

“Huh?” Feng Zhi blinked thoughtfully at the last sentence, then her whole body jolted. “Ming Rui… she doesn’t like Xiaoyu, does she?!”

“Can you be any stupider? Day in and day out, you’re only sharp when you’re drinking.” Xie Yueyue furrowed her brows, her expression a mix of disdain and melancholy.

Feng Zhi was instantly displeased. “Xie Yueyue! Who are you calling stupid! Who’s sharp?! Did you not get enough of arguing last time? You want another go?”

Chi Wei had eaten very little yesterday and had only managed to gnaw on half a cob of corn this morning in her rush. Her stomach had been sticking to her back for ages. She was finally getting a bite of food when she was nearly startled to death by Feng Zhi’s raised voice. She coughed, pounding her chest and drinking water to clear her throat.

Feng Zhi: “…”

Whether from the shock or the choking, the tears Chi Wei had stopped before entering the tavern started flowing again. Feng Zhi panicked instantly, standing up to pat her back. “Are you okay? Are you okay?”

Chi Wei pulled out a tissue and wiped her eyes. “As long as you two don’t fight, I’ll be fine.”

Feng Zhi let out a reluctant “ah” and sat back in her seat.

Once Chi Wei stopped her tears, she pulled out her phone and used the selfie camera as a mirror to check the dark circles under her eyes. After confirming her makeup hadn’t run, she put her head down and focused on eating. Only once she was full and satisfied did she reply to Xuan Nian’s message.

—”When will Boss Xuan be back? I’ll wait for you at the tavern.”