Chapter 15
The ginkgo tree at the corner of the shop turned from green to gold, and the autumn sun baked everything into a shimmering, golden hue. Wu Xing acted as if nothing had happened that night, and life went onâmuch like the rising steam from a pot of wonton broth, flourishing and steady.
Ever since the “Mixed-Sauce Dry-Tossed Shrimp and Crab Roe Wontons” became a hit, food bloggers were constantly visiting Wuâs Wonton Shop to take photos. Boss Wu watched as they snapped pictures not just inside the shop, but out on the street, even picking up bright red maple leaves to use as props.
“Excuse me, may I take a picture of you?”
A-Jiu, wearing his mask, stood out in the noisy crowd with an air of effortless grace. Once he understood what the person was asking, he waved his hand in refusal. Wu Xing stepped out to smooth things over, politely ushering the bloggers out of the shop.
“Hello, one portion of large shrimp and crab roe wontons, to go.”
A middle-aged man in a suit and tie placed the order, scanned the QR code, and sat back in his car. The Omega didnât recognize the car’s emblem, but just looking at its exterior, he could guess it was incredibly expensive. It should have been A-Jiuâs job to deliver it, but remembering the blunt way A-Jiu had refused the bloggers earlier, Wu Xing decided to carry the packed wontons over himself.
The dark-tinted window slid down silently.
“Mr. Jiang, yes.” The customer sat in the driverâs seat, speaking respectfully into his phone to someone who wasn’t there. “Understood. Iâm on my way.”
Wu Xing stood waiting with the wontons for a while before the man finally reached out to take them, asking with a hint of distrust, “It won’t leak, will it?”
“Don’t worry, we’ve checked it thoroughly.”
As the customer took the wontons, he noticed a tall man walking toward him, backlit by the sun. He felt the figure looked familiar, but before he could dwell on it, he pressed down on the gas pedal.
“That’s the first time I’ve seen such a wealthy customer,” Wu Xing muttered to himself, watching the black luxury car speed away.
A-Jiu appeared by Wu Xingâs side, saying, “The wealthy one isn’t the customer buying the wontons, but the owner of that car.”
Wu Xing turned his head, let out a soft “Ah,” and asked, “Why do you say that?”
“He’s just a driver.”
Wu Xing was even more curious. “How can you tell?”
“Even though heâs wearing a suit and tie, his pockets are bulging. Based on the material poking out, it’s driving gloves.”
“That could be anything,” Wu Xing said. He suddenly recalled Dr. Zhuâs speculation about A-Jiuâs backgroundâif it were true, A-Jiu would have likely encountered many people like that.
“His leather shoes look nice, but they have very thick, reinforced soles. Why do you think that is, Xing-ge?” A-Jiu continued. “And that was a central-district license plate, with five sixes. Thatâs not something an ordinary person could get.”
Wu Xing had a sudden epiphany and praised, “Your observation is so sharp.”
A-Jiu smiled. There was one other reason he didn’t mention: people of that status didn’t come to the slums to buy wontons. Suddenly, the Alphaâs head began to throb, and he took a deep breath, rubbing his temples.
The bowl of wontons wobbled in the luxury car as the driver, Old Wang, brought them to the central district. In the center of the city, where skyscrapers stood like swords piercing the sky, every street looked impeccably clean, and the glass curtain walls shimmered in the sunlight. While waiting for “Mr. Jiang” to come down, Old Wang took the wontons out and ate them in a deserted lounge.
Countless refined urbanites bustled through the building, a scene straight out of a fashion drama. Old Wang looked up to see a man in a deep gray custom suit walking toward him with effortless poise; he stood up immediately.
“Mr. Jiang.”
The man glanced at the luxury watch on his wrist. His strong features were tinged with indifference as he lowered his gaze, his thin lips pressed into a straight line. Old Wang, still wearing his driving gloves, opened the car door for him.
The man referred to as Mr. Jiang was actually quite youngâonly in his early thirtiesâbut he was likely the next head of the Jiang Group. Jiang Linzhou sat in the back, closing his eyes to rest, and said coldly, “Don’t bring food into the car next time. It smells terrible.”
Old Wangâs expression changed as he gripped the steering wheel. “Yes, sir.”
Jiang Linzhou rubbed the space between his brows. That woman had come to cause a scene again because of her missing son. Fortunately, he had covered his tracks perfectly; there was no way they could trace it back to him.
Old Wang drove, glancing at Mr. Jiang in the rearview mirror. He wondered, Do people like this have worries, too? Aside from being a Beta, this man had everything he could possibly want. In the past, heâd had a half-brother (an Alpha) to deal with, but that young master had been missing for over six months now, likely meeting a grim fate. As Old Wang thought this, he suddenly recalled the familiar figure he had seen at the wonton shop.
“Mr. Jiang, weâve arrived.” Secretary Lin stood at the hotel entrance with a briefcase, rushing over as soon as he saw the car.
Old Wang drove into the underground garage and lit a cigarette. He shouldâve known better than to buy those wontons. Everyone online had raved about them, but he didn’t think they were anything special. How good could anything from the slums be?
Wu Xing sneezed from a migraine and handed the last delivery order to a rider. As he prepared to tidy up the counter, Old Zheng from the dry-goods store next door and the landlady from the convenience store walked in.
“Little Wuâs business is booming!” The old manâs hearing was poor, and he refused to wear a hearing aid, so he spoke at a volume that made the landlady rub her ears.
“A-Jiu, come sit with me. Two bowls of small wontons.”
Wu Xing cooked the wontons and served them personally. “Have you two had lunch yet?”
Old Zheng, thinking he was being spoken to, just went “Ah?” The landlady answered for them, and both men said they had already eaten. When Old Zheng tried to pay, Wu Xing insisted it was on the house, but the old man didn’t listen and insisted on paying anyway.
“Thatâs just his temper; you might as well take it,” the landlady said, jingling the gold bracelet on her wrist. She took a sip of wonton broth and continued, “By the way, Little Wu, did you know that dumpling shop has started selling a dry-tossed dish just like yours?”
Wu Xing nodded. “Yes.” The recipe for his mixed-sauce was obvious to anyone with a discerning palate; it wasn’t patented, and other shops could make it too. Being imitated was unavoidable; all Wu Xing could do was ensure he kept his quality high and focused on his own business.
“Ever since your wonton shop opened, their business hasn’t been as good as it used to be. I heard that Old Liu used to be a troublemaker and has plenty of friends on the streets.”
Wu Xing froze for a second, realizing she was kindly warning him. He gave her a grateful look. “Thank you. Iâll keep that in mind.”
“Weâre all neighbors, don’t be so formal,” she laughed. She looked at A-Jiu, who was sitting across from them, and shifted the topic. “A-Jiu, how old are you this year? Are you single?”
These two questions were actually quite tricky for the amnesiac A-Jiu. Following the identity Wu Xing had made up for him, he replied, “Twenty-three. Single.”
When the Alpha said the word “single,” his gaze landed on the Omega in the apron beside him. The landlady didn’t think much of it and continued, “Youâll be twenty-four after the New Year. Have you thought about settling down?”
Wu Xing realized what this meantâshe was likely trying to set A-Jiu up. To say he felt no ripple of emotion would be a lie, but did this feeling mean anything?
Seeing A-Jiu keep his eyes lowered, the landlady assumed he was just shy. She continued on her own, “If youâre interested, I happen to have a candidate. I wanted to ask what kind of person you like first?”
A-Jiu didn’t answer immediately. He looked at Wu Xing and repeated, “What kind of person do I like?”
The Alphaâs eyes traced the Omegaâs silhouette as he replied slowly, “Kind, soft-hearted, occasionally a bit stubborn, and very serious about everything they do.”
“When they’re gentle, you can’t find a single fault, but when they’re angry, they might bite.”
Wu Xing realized at the very end that A-Jiu was talking about him. His earlobes turned bright red and felt hot.
Hearing this description, the landladyâs eyes darted around. “Why do you young people speak so abstractly? Just tell me if you want to meet this person or not. Heâs an Omega, a kindergarten teacher. Heâs very delicate and looks quite a bit like Wu Xing.”
When A-Jiu heard that last sentence, his brow arched slightly, and he looked at Wu Xing. “What does Xing-ge think?”
Wu Xingâs fingers clenched, his rounded nails digging into his soft palms.
Old Zheng, who had been silent, set down his chopsticks and said, “Iâd say Little Wu is lucky. A-Jiu works hard, and on top of that, he only listens to you.”
A-Jiu stood up to clear the table, turned to Wu Xing, and said, “Old Zheng is right. I only listen to Xing-ge.”
“So, do you want me to go meet this person?”
As soon as the Alpha said this, the landlady and Old Zheng looked at Wu Xing almost simultaneously, as if the Omega were some iron-fisted tyrant. Wu Xingâs cheeks burned under their three gazes, his hands twisting the hem of his apron as he remained silent.
“Itâs just a meeting. Making another friend is a good thing.”
The landladyâs voice sounded again. Two years ago, when Wu Xing was still working at a Chinese restaurant, well-meaning colleagues had tried to set him up, but for various reasons, nothing ever came of itâhe hadn’t even managed to get to the first date.
Wu Xing began to think seriously about the idea of a blind date.
