After eating the clay pot porridge made by Gu Sijiu, Song Jinzhi felt as if she had come back to life, her stomach finally content and no longer in pain. Gu Sijiu looked at the empty bowl of porridge. She had thought that Song Jinzhi wouldn't have much of an appetite, but to her surprise, the entire pot of porridge had disappeared into her stomach. She couldn't help but glance at Song Jinzhi's flat stomach, curious about where all that food had gone.
"Are you full? Was it good?" Gu Sijiu held the empty clay pot and asked gently. Hearing this, Song Jinzhi lying on the bed stiffened for a moment. Truth be told, it was indeed delicious, but Song Jinzhi could sense Gu Sijiu's teasing and playful glint in her eyes, and she didn't want to give her the satisfaction.
"It was okay." Song Jinzhi replied casually, as if the person who had just finished the entire pot of porridge wasn't her. Gu Sijiu's mouth twitched slightly. If that was just 'okay,' then her little clay pot might not even be enough for her next time.
"I'm going out now. You get some rest. If you need anything tonight, just call me." Gu Sijiu said before quietly closing the door behind her.
The room fell silent, and Song Jinzhi shifted her body, realizing she had regained quite a bit of strength. She got up to wash her face and brush her teeth, then wiped her body down before lying back in bed.
She began to feel a bit bored, more accurately described as lonely. Time had passed quickly when Gu Sijiu was around, and now that she was gone, even the lingering aroma of the porridge couldn't dispel her sense of emptiness. Realizing her own thoughts, she shook her head and forced herself to sleep. Being sick made one feel weak, and she was no exception. She surprisingly found that spending time with Gu Sijiu was quite nice, it seemed she was really unwell.
Song Jinzhi's illness came and went quickly. After a night's rest, the next morning, Song Jinzhi woke up feeling surprisingly refreshed. She stepped out of her room, knowing Gu Sijiu was probably still asleep. The downstairs was empty, with only the housekeeper making breakfast in the kitchen. When she saw Song Jinzhi come down, the housekeeper brought up a bowl of porridge. It was seafood porridge, made with good ingredients, but it tasted a world apart from Gu Sijiu's.
Song Jinzhi managed to eat half a bowl before putting down her spoon. She craved Gu Sijiu's cooking—not just the porridge, but anything else would be even better. With this in mind, she decided to go to work today. Her health was back to normal, and the pile of tasks waiting for her after taking leave needed to be tackled.
"Busy as ever, what have you been up to lately?" After arriving at the office, a video call from Jing Yu came in. Seeing the background behind her, Song Jinzhi guessed she had just returned from the airport.
"Not much, same old. What about you? Just finished up your busy schedule?" Jing Yu worked in the air purification department, and constant travel was a basic requirement of her job. Strictly speaking, Jing Yu was much busier than Song Jinzhi.
"It's been a while since we've seen each other. I was worried you'd find someone new and forget about me, your old flame. How about dinner tonight? I've also invited Teacher Wen, you two know each other pretty well, so it'll be good to catch up." Jing Yu sounded in a good mood, and since Song Jinzhi had nothing planned for the evening, she readily agreed.
After work that evening, Song Jinzhi arrived at the restaurant Jing Yu had booked at the agreed time. When she got there, Wen Qiulan had already been waiting inside for a while. Since their first meeting, they hadn't had a chance to see each other alone. They were unmarried Alphas and Omegas, and it wasn't considered proper for them to meet privately. Song Jinzhi occasionally discussed interesting books with Wen Qiulan, and their most frequent topic was the issue of equality between Alphas and Omegas. Song Jinzhi discovered that, in many ways, her views aligned with Wen Qiulan's, as Jing Yu had said—Wen Qiulan was indeed a very good Alpha.
"Teacher Wen, it's been a while since we last met." Song Jinzhi said with a smile as she sat down across from Wen Qiulan, who was dressed in a light white dress, looking elegant as always.
"Indeed, it's been a long time. If it weren't for Xiao Yu inviting us today, it might have been even longer." Wen Qiulan replied, passing a cup of hot tea to Song Jinzhi just as Jing Yu walked in.
"Sorry, I got caught in traffic and arrived late. Have you two been waiting long?" Jing Yu's voice was bright and lively, instantly bringing energy to the room. She hugged both Song Jinzhi and Wen Qiulan as soon as she arrived.
"I just got here as well, Teacher Wen arrived a little earlier than I did." Song Jinzhi said, feeling happy to see Jing Yu again after such a long time. Both she and Wen Qiulan had quieter personalities, while Jing Yu was much more lively, ensuring that the atmosphere at the table would never feel awkward.
"Teacher Wen, do you want to go see an opera after dinner? I have a few tickets, and they look pretty good." Jing Yu asked, feeling that after the meal, they still had time and it was rare for them to gather together, so ending the night early would be a bit boring. Wen Qiulan hesitated and shook her head. She had recently taken on student and had classes to teach in the evening, so she wouldn't be able to go.
"Xiao Yu, sorry, I have to teach my student later, so I'm afraid I can't make it." Wen Qiulan said, glancing at the time. Jing Yu was a bit surprised, it wasn't unusual for pianists like Wen Qiulan to have students, but Jing Yu knew that Wen Qiulan was usually quite reserved and busy, and she had never taught anyone in the past ten years. Why had she suddenly taken on a student?
"Teacher Wen, why did you suddenly decide to take on student?"
"It's not exactly sudden. I had considered it for a while. Recently, I haven't had any tours, and with more free time, I decided to take on a student." Wen Qiulan explained. She found that taking on students wasn't as difficult as she had imagined. Just then, her communicator beeped, and she apologized for the interruption, looking down to check the incoming message.
—"Teacher Wen, I'll be over shortly. Do you want coffee? I'm at the coffee shop, should I grab you a cup?"
The message was from Wen Qiulan's student. Seeing this, Wen Qiulan replied that it wasn't necessary, but then thought it sounded too cold and added, —"Drinking too much coffee will keep you too energized tonight, you should have less."
"Xiao Yu, A'jin, I need to leave now. Let's catch up again next time." Wen Qiulan said after reading the message, deciding to leave early. As she walked out with a light step, Jing Yu exchanged a curious glance with Song Jinzhi, feeling a bit gossipy. She had the impression that Teacher Wen's relationship with her student seemed a bit unusual.
Song Jinzhi ignored Jing Yu's inquisitive look and let her thoughts drift to home. She hadn't messaged Gu Sijiu before coming to dinner and wondered if she would be cooking at home tonight. As this thought crossed her mind, she couldn't help but scold herself internally for being greedy, she had just eaten, yet she was already thinking about Gu Sijiu's cooking again.
After leaving the restaurant, Wen Qiulan drove straight to her piano studio. This space was originally meant for her practice and composition, and since she had recently taken on student, it was now being used as a classroom. Though it was a teaching space, it was well-equipped, with a lounge and kitchen. Wen Qiulan took off her shoes, placed her new slippers by the door, and changed into a more comfortable white dress. She sat quietly at the piano, gently touching the keys. Just then, she heard the doorbell. When she went to open the door, she found her new student, Evie, standing there.
Wen Qiulan couldn't help but feel a bit incredulous about seeing Evie again. The unexpected encounter from that night had left an indelible mark on her memory, making her feel extremely uncomfortable every time she thought about it. Some time ago, a friend had mentioned that her relative wanted to learn piano, and since Wen Qiulan was looking to take on students, she had agreed to meet Evie. When she invited Evie to the restaurant and saw her face, a twinge of regret washed over her.
At that moment, Evie seemed completely different from how she had been that night. She wore a clean, simple pale yellow floral dress, and her golden hair fell gently over her shoulders, giving her a quiet and demure appearance. Upon seeing Wen Qiulan, she appeared a bit surprised but quickly composed herself and bowed politely.
"Hello, Teacher Wen, I'm Evie." This was Evie's first formal introduction of herself. Before coming, Wen Qiulan had already learned that the person interested in piano lessons was a female Omega, but she hadn't anticipated it would be Evie. Wen Qiulan had thought about leaving, but since Evie was a friend's relative and she could be considered somewhat of an elder, she felt she couldn't just walk away.
Wen Qiulan reluctantly chatted with Evie, trying to confirm whether their personalities were suitable before teaching. If they weren't a good match, she planned to use this as an excuse to cancel the lessons. However, as they talked, Wen Qiulan realized that Evie's current demeanor was completely different from that night. Evie was lively and talkative, yet reserved and polite in her actions. Seeing her current appearance, no one would imagine she had acted so differently during her heat.
Realizing this, Wen Qiulan felt for the first time how frightening an Omega's heat could be, transforming a pure and gentle Omega into someone so unrecognizable. Throughout their conversation, Wen Qiulan was quite satisfied with Evie and managed to overlook their previous unpleasant encounter. They agreed on the lesson schedule and fees, and everything was set.
"Teacher Wen, about that night... I'm really sorry. You know how it is, Omegas sometimes can't control themselves. I apologize, that wasn't my usual self." During their meal, Evie brought up that night, and a blush of embarrassment spread across her face. Seeing her guilt and remorse, Wen Qiulan quickly shook her head.
"Ms. Evie, it wasn't your fault. I understand." Wen Qiulan said gently, clearly not wanting Evie to feel guilty. Hearing her reassurance, Evie smiled but then seemed worried.
"Teacher Wen, I don't remember what I did that night. I didn't hurt you, did I?" Evie looked at her with innocent eyes, and upon hearing her words, Wen Qiulan recalled a certain area that had been sore and bruised after she got home that night, and her face flushed red within seconds.
"It's fine, nothing happened..."
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