Returning to the Villain Omega's High School Days - Chapter 25

Su Wan thought Xie Ning was going to take her to one of the small restaurants near the school gate. Instead, she saw the car Uncle Ling, the Xie family’s driver, often drove. She found it a little unbelievable.

Xie Ning stopped by the car door and looked back at her. “Wanwan, get in.”

She opened the car door and waited for Su Wan. Su Wan could only follow her, get in, and sit properly. Xie Ning even fastened her seat belt for her.

Xie Ning’s hair was long and black. As she leaned over, the ends of her hair fell against Su Wan’s chest. The cool touch carried an inexplicably pleasant scent, making Su Wan draw in a soft breath and straighten her body, not daring to move carelessly.

She remembered last Friday, when she had sat in this car and squeezed into Xie Ning’s arms. Back then, she had curled up in Xie Ning’s embrace like a little shrimp. Thinking back on it now, it was almost unbearable.

Most of the time, Xie Ning was considerate and gentle. Perhaps this was a common trait among female Omegas. Because of their genetic setting, female Omegas needed to take on reproductive functions and care for younger groups, so they were destined to be gentle and considerate.

After fastening the seat belt, Xie Ning went around the back of the car and sat beside Su Wan, one hand resting idly against the car window.

She seemed to have forgotten to fasten her own seat belt, but no one reminded her. Uncle Ling did not remind her either.

Thinking back, the last time the four of them had all sat in the back seat, no one had fastened their seat belts either.

Why was Xie Ning especially attentive to her?

Uncle Ling sat in the front, pushed up his sunglasses, looked back at the two of them, and asked, “Where to?”

Xie Ning looked at Su Wan. “What do you want to eat?”

Su Wan: “…”

After freezing for a second, Su Wan hurriedly said, “You decide.”

Xie Ning asked, “What time does afternoon class start?”

“One-thirty,” Su Wan said quietly. “It might be almost one now.”

Xie Ning lowered her head and checked her watch. The time displayed was “12:51.”

She struggled internally for a moment, then asked Su Wan, “Class starts at one-thirty? I remember there’s self-study or something in between…”

Su Wan found Xie Ning’s unfamiliarity with the schedule unbelievable, but she showed no reaction and calmly said, “Self-study starts at twelve-thirty.”

In other words, they were already using up self-study time now.

Xie Ning felt a little frantic, but Su Wan added, “The first class this afternoon is music.”

Xie Ning curved her lips into a smile. “Then I really have to thank the music teacher for approving our leave.”

Su Wan: “Uh.”

“There’s plenty of time. Think about what you want to eat.” Xie Ning counted on her fingers. “Cantonese food, Hunan cuisine, Sichuan cuisine, Hangzhou cuisine, Shanghainese food? Or do you want something sweet and sour? Thai food? Korean food? Japanese food? Seafood?”

Su Wan’s head suddenly felt big. She had never eaten most of the things Xie Ning mentioned. After the Su family hired a French chef, they only liked making Western food, so she had no chance to come into contact with those types of cuisine.

Seeing that she could not make a decision, Xie Ning turned to Uncle Ling and said, “Go to the fifth floor of Starlight.”

Uncle Ling smiled and started the car. Xie Ning asked him, “Uncle Ling, have you eaten?”

“I was planning to eat after sending you two there,” Uncle Ling said, looking at them through the rearview mirror with a smile. “What, Young Lady, are you treating me to a meal?”

“Of course,” Xie Ning said. “We just need to buy one more ticket.”

“Then I’m truly honored.” Uncle Ling laughed heartily, while the car remained smooth and steady.

The atmosphere inside the car relaxed, and Su Wan also let out a breath. She turned her face to look at Xie Ning.

Xie Ning explained, “It’s a buffet. You can take whatever you like.”

Su Wan: “…”

Xie Ning lowered her eyes to look at her and said softly, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Su Wan turned her face away, the corners of her lips carrying a trace of a smile.

Xie Ning watched for a while, and inside her heart, she felt the urge to pounce over, hug Su Wan, and fiercely ruffle her for a while.

Su Wan would probably think she was crazy.

Starlight Tower was a Xie family asset. The buffet on the fifth floor had always been famous in Rongcheng. Usually, city leaders liked arranging their meetings here, then heading downstairs to eat at the buffet afterward. Aside from them, some well-known professors from universities also held meetings and treated people to meals here.

Ordinary people rarely came here to eat, let alone high school students.

Xie Ning asked the restaurant manager for three vouchers, brought the two of them inside, and found a window seat to put down her bag.

It was already past one, and there were not many people in the restaurant. The dishes were basically all complete. Su Wan was dazzled by what she saw, but at this moment, she was regretting one thing—

She still wanted to use the bathroom!

She could not hold it anymore!

Xie Ning sat for a while and called a teacher to ask for leave for Su Wan. Then she saw Su Wan run out. She thought something had happened, but Uncle Ling told her, “She probably went to the restroom.”

Xie Ning: “…”

Why did she feel a little silly?

Very soon, Su Wan returned to the restaurant and followed behind Uncle Ling, taking a plate to pick up food. Uncle Ling even told her which things tasted good, which things were expensive, and reminded her to pick the expensive ones.

Seeing Su Wan chatting harmoniously with Uncle Ling, Xie Ning was in quite a good mood and continued handling the matters in her hands.

Su Wan came over with her plate and asked her, “What do you want? I’ll get it for you.”

Seeing that she had taken a lot of food, Xie Ning smiled and said, “Get me some seafood. Thank you.”

Not long after, Su Wan returned with two big plates of seafood, even setting out wasabi and vinegar. She looked quite proper, as if Uncle Ling had taught her on the spot.

She then asked, “What do you want to drink?”

Xie Ning laughed. “I’ll go get it with you.”

Su Wan said, “I’ll get it for you.”

“Then get me coffee.”

Su Wan spat out a word. “Cappuccino?”

Xie Ning was thoroughly amused. Su Wan’s Sichuan-style accent saying a Chinese-English word with pauses and emphasis was simply invincibly adorable.

“Cappuccino,” Xie Ning repeated in her accent.

“Wait for me.” Su Wan set down her plate and ran off to study the big coffee machine.

She could smell that the coffee here was indeed very fragrant. A rich, mellow aroma spread around the coffee machine, with a warm, roasted feeling. It was nothing like the instant coffee powder packets she had brewed before.

But this thing was not as easy to study as the other food items. Su Wan took out a mug and operated it according to the English instructions beside the machine. Sure enough, black liquid came out.

Next should be making milk foam… But there was also ready-made cream beside it, as well as chocolate and other things, which confused Su Wan.

What was the difference between milk foam and cream?

Was she supposed to directly put milk in and foam it?

Su Wan was a little puzzled. She muddled through making the milk foam, but still did not feel confident and was about to ask the restaurant staff for advice. Suddenly, her breath tightened. She sensed someone behind her, and then the hand holding the mug was held by someone else.

It was Xie Ning’s scent. So sweet and pleasant.

Like the scent of pinewood burning in a snowy field in winter, warm yet not heavy at all, faint and clean.

Xie Ning stood behind her. When she breathed, her breath fell against Su Wan. When she spoke, her voice was soft, as if lingering around Su Wan’s heart—

She said, “I’ll do it.”

Su Wan did not dare use strength. She watched Xie Ning hold her hand and the cup with one hand, while Xie Ning’s other hand picked up the prepared milk foam, lifting it high to draw out a thin, dense stream of foam and slowly add it into the mug.

The thickness of the coffee slowly rose. A white heart gradually appeared on the surface, like a heart about to come into being. Su Wan’s breath stilled.

Even after Xie Ning walked away from behind her, Su Wan still had not recovered. Only after hesitating for a moment did she carefully carry the coffee back to the seat.

Xie Ning sat down, looked at her, and asked, “Where’s Uncle Ling?”

“He said he ran into acquaintances, so he went over there to eat.” Su Wan was still the same as always, absolutely never saying more than necessary.

Xie Ning was peeling crab. Her fingers were long and slender, and holding a king crab leg, she looked especially artistic. Su Wan secretly glanced at her, then lowered her head and took a bite of food from her plate. Her taste buds practically exploded.

She looked at Xie Ning. Xie Ning calmly said, “You and Uncle Ling seem to get along well?”

“He’s from my hometown,” Su Wan said. Then she picked up another piece of meat and put it in her mouth, chewing until her cheeks puffed up. She said vaguely, “My hometown is only thirty kilometers from the county town where he’s from. Very close.”

So that was it. Xie Ning could not help smiling. Then, like pulling out a thread, she extracted a whole piece of meat from the crab leg and placed it in front of Su Wan.

Su Wan asked, “You’re not eating it?”

“You try it first.” Xie Ning paused, then added awkwardly, “See if it’s fresh.”

Su Wan said, “As you command.”

Xie Ning: There was really no need, haha.

She touched her nose, watching Su Wan eat in great gulps, and felt especially satisfied inside.

By the time they finished eating, it was almost two. Xie Ning said, “Let’s take a taxi back.”

“Okay,” Su Wan said. “Should we tell Uncle Ling first?”

“No need.” Xie Ning was silent for a while, then took out her phone and placed it on the table. She said to Su Wan, “Can you help me with something?”

Su Wan: “?”

Xie Ning said, “Those people eating with Uncle Ling just now. Did you see them?”

“Mm.”

“Pretend you’re going to get food in a bit and secretly take a photo for me. Is that okay?”

Su Wan nodded, took Xie Ning’s phone, and did as she said.

After taking the photo, she checked whether it was clear. Pulling back, she accidentally flipped to other photos on Xie Ning’s phone.

Unable to resist her curiosity, she flipped through a few more. Then she immediately swiped back and returned the phone to Xie Ning.

“All done?” Xie Ning rested her chin on one hand and lifted her eyes to look at her.

“Mm.” Su Wan handed it back.

Xie Ning glanced at it, pulled back two photos, smiled, then put away the phone and said, “Let’s go back?”

Su Wan stood and followed Xie Ning downstairs.

When they entered the elevator, there were only the two of them. Su Wan still could not help saying, “Xie Ning.”

Xie Ning: “Mm?”

“I accidentally saw it.” Su Wan’s face was stern as she frowned and said, “You plan to repeat a grade?”

Aside from a few good-looking selfies, Xie Ning’s album also had several chat screenshots. The screenshot Su Wan had glimpsed was Xie Ning discussing repeating a grade with Uncle Xie.

Su Wan could not describe her shock at that moment. In her impression, Xie Ning’s grades were very good, and her mother had also praised Xie Ning for being good at math. How could she want to repeat a grade?

If it were before, Su Wan would definitely have pretended not to know about this.

One less problem was better than one more, and she did not want to leave Xie Ning with the impression that she had gone through her phone album.

That would be far too terrible.

But this was Xie Ning.

If she repeated a grade, she would be in the same year as Su Wan.

Someone as outstanding as her—how could she want to repeat a grade? Had something happened to her?

Su Wan truly had no way to pretend she did not know. Perhaps Xie Ning would not listen to her at all, but at least… she still had to express her thoughts.

The elevator slowly descended. Xie Ning looked at Su Wan and calmly said, “If I repeat a grade, I should be in the same class as you…”

Aren’t you happy?

But Su Wan did not look happy. Xie Ning did not dare ask that question at all. She moistened her throat, then continued, “My grades right now aren’t very good. Even my homeroom teacher said there’s no hope of me getting into Tsinghua or Peking University, so I want to repeat a grade and relearn the material, striving to get into Tsinghua or Peking University.”

Su Wan: “…………???”

The elevator doors opened. Someone outside was waiting to come in. Seeing that Su Wan was still in a daze, Xie Ning reached out and tugged her, holding her hand as she walked out.

The autumn afternoon sunlight was neither cold nor hot. It felt just right shining on them.

Xie Ning wanted to keep holding her hand like this, all the way until that autumn twenty years later arrived.