Chapter 26 Buttered Wet Bread

Chapter 26: Buttery Moist Bread

"You know today's tea party has a dessert theme, right?"

"Of course, of course! To be honest, my grandfather was once a master at making Portuguese custard tarts for the royal family. Please, take a look..."

At the entrance to the Sky Garden, the elaborately dressed Three Birds Madam had taken on the role of security captain, meticulously inspecting each guest's accompanying gift.

As the closest friends of the noble mermaid Omega, they were exceptionally well-informed and carried themselves with an air of haughty confidence, acting as the de facto co-hosts of the gathering.

Back when the marriage alliance was first formed, a few of the officers' wives harbored considerable animosity toward the mermaid.

They believed that the reclusive mermaid Omega, who had no public records, lacked social graces and was far inferior to the animal-hybrids who had grown up in the human world. Despite both being animal-hybrids, a strange pecking order had inexplicably formed.

But that day, they heard about the shocking incident where the Major General publicly displayed affection.

Being a devoted admirer of Ruifulodite had become the prevailing trend, and one by one, they put on smiling faces, scrambling to attend the little mermaid's party.

The flamingo stepped forward, her radar-like eyes pinpointing a few uninvited guests—

"You, out."

"Why?!"

"Caw! No excuses!" The woodpecker flew over, ready to peck.

Unbeknownst to them, the core members of Major General Li's fan group had gradually transformed into the young madam's anti-hater squad.

Meanwhile, Rui Rui, the object of such fierce rivalry, sat there, hugging a wine bottle and spacing out.

Hmm...

How was it done again?

The warm-hearted baby seal had organized this gathering but had only just learned that red wine needed to be decanted. There were also countless dining etiquettes he knew nothing about—all because he had skipped etiquette classes a few days prior.

The underachieving seal sighed.

He wouldn’t skip class again next time!

Fortunately, most tasks were handled by waitstaff, so the apprehensive Omega only needed to sit at the head of the table, gracefully nodding, smiling, and murmuring "mm-hmm."

It wasn’t a formal gathering to begin with, and the music and games gradually grew louder.

"Rui Rui, would you like to try this?"

"Or try mine first—it's ice cream cake. If it melts, it won’t taste as good!"

The well-mannered Omegas had long heard that the mermaid wanted to learn baking but had given up midway. So this time, they all put in extra effort to impress, hoping to become Rui Rui’s dessert teacher in one fell swoop.

That way, they could also ask Rui Rui to whisper a few gentle words about them to Major General Li.

A truly win-win situation.

"No rush, let’s share and exchange thoughts and experiences." These common items clearly weren't to the mermaid's taste. He calmly pressed a napkin to the corner of his mouth. "How could I eat everything by myself?"

In his mind, the baby seal was ecstatic.

His shiny black, bead-like eyes narrowed into slits, his seal cheeks flushed, and he flapped his little flippers as if swimming through an ocean of desserts.

—This party was definitely a success!

The Omegas eagerly agreed, maintaining an air of elegance, though in unseen spots, they fiercely elbowed each other.

"Hmm?" Rui Rui’s delicate nose twitched, and his expression changed. "I smell something unusual. Who is it?"

Everyone was startled.

They quickly checked if their scent suppressant patches were secure.

What if the young madam didn’t want to pick up too many Omega scents? They worried the young madam might get jealous if the Major General noticed.

The usually polite and pretty host suddenly stood up and said gently, "Who is it? Please bring it out for everyone to try."

"...It’s my buttery baked bread."

From an inconspicuous corner, a timid voice spoke up.

A naturally red-haired fox Omega brought out a plate of pastries, hesitating to step forward. His dessert resembled pineapple buns but had an enticing aroma, clearly infused with his own creativity.

Yet such an ordinary offering couldn’t possibly stand out.

Among the attendees was even an international fondant master, who watched in shock as Rui Rui walked toward the fox, setting aside table manners for a moment, and picked up a piece with his slender, pale fingers to taste.

The fox instinctively wanted to stop him, thinking his food wasn't worthy of the noble mermaid.

But he had intentionally made Ruifulodite eat his pastry loaded with excessive butter and condensed milk—it was practically a potent fattening agent!

The fox Omega pursed his lips, his gaze sharpening.

Why did *he* get to marry the Major General, when the Major General dismissed *me*?

Once you lose your beauty and youth, the position of the top wife in the military district will be up for grabs.

"...!"

Rui Rui could barely suppress a primal urge from the depths of his soul.

The baby seal’s round, plump physique required ample fat to maintain. He tended to lose weight if he wasn't careful, which had troubled him for a long time.

From this seemingly plain bread, he sensed the resonance of a calorie bomb.

In his mind, his soul form—a round, dumpling-like baby seal—swelled wildly!

It gave him a sense of power, as if he could slap away a killer whale with his left flipper and dunk on a polar bear with his right!

A waiter leaned down to offer a napkin. Rui Rui wiped his hands, barely containing his excitement. "This is the most delicious thing I’ve tasted today. Thank you."

The fox Omega’s previously drooping tail stiffened instantly, his ears twitching like airplane wings as he mumbled awkwardly, "Y-You’re welcome..."

Another attendant presented an expensive parting gift.

Inside was a handwritten postcard from Rui Rui—more precious than anything else. The attendees grumbled in dismay, "What’s so special about that fox? A low-class nobody, I'll have him taken care of."

An ostrich Omega waving a small fan pursed her lips.

After the party, she took Rui Rui aside and whispered, "That fox is an Omega who once went on a blind date with the Major General. I think he’s up to no good. You should be careful!"

Rui Rui, whose brain was slowly turning into a pineapple bun shape: "Hmm!"

"Seeing how dedicated you are, I can rest assured."

"Mm-hmm!" He took another big bite.

-

You don't get thin from just one day of hunger, and ruining Madam Mermaid's beauty certainly can't be achieved in a single day either. That little gift and the touching, heartfelt handwritten letter weren't enough to shake such sinister ambitions.

At 3:30 a.m. the next day, the fox Omega got up with a determined expression to knead the dough.

"Just you wait!"

Fresh butter bread was in the oven.

By 6:30 a.m., a sleepy-eyed Rui Rui received a video call from the little fox: "Lovely madam, remember me? I’ve come to bring you breakfast."

The red-haired young man now lived a comfortable life and didn’t need to do this himself, but to ensure his enemy got a hot meal, he bravely dealt with security on his electric scooter and arrived at the Major General’s doorstep even more punctual than a delivery driver.

Rui Rui was touched and ate everything right there downstairs.

"Thank you, you are my...!"

The baby seal almost blurted out "you are my best friend," but he had made so many friends lately that it was hard to rank them.

Changing course, he excitedly grasped the fox’s paw: "My most special friend!"

Under the morning light, the cunning fox instinctively swayed his fluffy tail, feeling briefly guilty.

He turned away: "I’ll come again tomorrow."

I will destroy you step by step.

You mermaid Omega who doesn’t belong here!

Rui Rui, still craving more, licked his lips, waved goodbye, then went and bought over ten steamed buns and two bowls of douhua. After finishing it all, he went upstairs pretending to have just woken up and had breakfast with Li Hanchuan.

As the week passed—

The Major General finally noticed something unusual.

Who was this little one meeting so early every morning?

This time, the Alpha quietly followed, his light brown eyes narrowing, darkening slightly, carrying an indescribable dangerous air.

Huh?

Just a delivery person?

Whose food is so good it has to be eaten in secret?

Rui Rui chatted and laughed while eating breakfast, with breadcrumbs still at the corner of his mouth.

The fox Omega caught a sudden glimpse of Li Hanchuan’s shadow, like a predator stalking its prey, and immediately bristled. He put on his helmet and sped off on his electric scooter right up to the speed limit.

That damn mermaid hadn’t changed at all, but he himself had become tired, dark, and thin from the effort, so angry that he reverted to his animal form and bounced around the house.

"Bye, see you tomorrow!"

Even a fox he’d never even met before could treat him so well.

What reason did he have not to give back to this wonderful world?

Overflowing with gratitude, the baby seal started doing good deeds that very day. While helping an old lady cross illegally, he got lectured by traffic police for over half an hour.

But that didn't dampen his spirits.

The baby seal had many connections and friends, and he could swim through rivers like a submarine, hearing about matters great and small on land, sea, and air.

His intelligence-gathering skills rivaled the investigation department's.

Within a few days, he was happily occupied with everything from helping expedite military benefits to delivering ointment to a lady with a rash.

Due to his increased activity, the baby seal’s appetite had to keep up.

"Madam?"

Rui Rui looked up and met the Major General’s cold stance with crossed arms: "?"

Li Hanchuan was displeased.

Since returning from the hot springs, this little mermaid hadn’t been clinging to him.

They’d even kissed, and now he was acting like it never happened?

Did he not kiss well enough, or was his little wife too shy to consider that day meaningful?

"Who have you been seeing these past few mornings?" The Alpha tapped the table, clearly in an interrogative mood.

It wasn’t like he’d done anything wrong. The baby seal wiped his mouth, glided over gracefully, and explained softly, "That was your former match, bringing me food."

As for where all the food went.

That didn't matter.

"——!"

Li Hanchuan’s face turned ashen, his fingers clenched until his knuckles turned white.

The Alpha suddenly stood up, wanting to explain, but his wife’s retreating figure was resolute, even the swaying ends of his hair like sand slipping through fingers. He noticed Rui Rui wasn’t wearing a hairband, paused for a moment, but ultimately didn’t try to stop the departing little mermaid.

A long time later, he muttered to himself, face pale, "It’s not what you think."

He had been forced to attend family-arranged blind dates, squeezing them into his busy schedule just to go through the motions, and couldn’t remember a single face.

Later, he simply took a sip of tea and left, spending two hours at the aquarium.

Li Hanchuan smiled bitterly: "Have I disappointed you after all?"

-

The next day around 4 a.m., the fox Omega, biting his tongue and kneading the dough noisily, was startled so badly he jumped by a loud noise. He stared fearfully at several uninvited guests: "Who are you?!"

One of them stepped forward and suddenly turned into an elephant, nearly filling the kitchen.

Adjutant Qi Mu’s trunk snagged the Omega’s chef hat with a swoop. It was the first time he’d done something so ungentlemanly, and the African elephant flushed slightly.

But what could he do? It was orders from above.

"Little guy, do you know how dangerous the things you’re making are?"

The fox nimbly shifted into a fiery red figure and bared his teeth at the elephant: "You, you...!"

Seeing the fluffy creature, the adjutant struggled to resist the urge to play with him using his trunk. Instead, he coiled up the already baked egg tarts and tossed them into his mouth, chewing noisily.

Huh!?

That's so sweet!

"If you dare make these again, I'll come and eat them all, understand?"

"This is my warning to you."

-

Around six o'clock that day, the baby seal, who had already developed a snack-time body clock, woke up early. A round, chubby lump lay in bed, idly patting his belly, eagerly anticipating the day's delicious treats.

"Gurgle..."

Bad tummy, don’t growl.

Just wait a little longer, it'll be fine.

But after a while, there was still no message from the fox Omega. Little Dumpling gulped, his little paw scratched his chin.

Where's my food?

An hour later, his phone vibrated, and Little Dumpling finally received a message from the other—

[Sorry Rui Rui, something came up, and I won’t be able to bake bread for you for a while.]

Oh, I see…

The warm-hearted chubby little seal sent his sympathies, offering to help if needed, then turned off his phone and lay back down.

The air was so quiet, but his belly was so loud.

The baby seal hugged his pillow, teary-eyed, suddenly like a fragile and trembling sesame ball, his softly murmuring mouth letting out a faint: "Whimper?"

Mommy…

Where's my food?