When an Alpha is Marked by One of His Own Kind

Chapter 17

"Smells good. Does someone in the kitchen need me to volunteer as a taste tester?"
After showering upstairs, Qian Bao came down to the second floor and detected the delicious aroma of chicken in the air. Her stomach started to gurgle right away, and she couldn't resist sticking her head out from the stairwell to peer longingly at the kitchen.

Old Wo came out holding the garbage. He gave her a sympathetic look and offered some advice out of the goodness of his heart:

"Don't dawdle here. We're not good enough to eat."

Qian Bao didn't understand. "Why? Our HQ's aunties are the kindest queens in the world. Surely they wouldn't deny the adorable little me this simple request for a taste."

Old Wo huffed a short laugh. "Yes, but that presumes the chef is one of our beloved aunties and not a cold-hearted, ruthless dog."

Qian Bao blinked.

She was still confused when she saw someone approach the stairs, carrying a big plate. As that tall figure slowly approached, Qian Bao followed the aromatic scent with her gaze and spotted decadent, tender chunks of chicken meat simmering in a glistening red sauce, with a side of rice. The white grains were plump, almost translucent.

She sighed dreamily and couldn't help but offer, "Wow, Captain. Carrying the dish is something I can do for-"

As she spoke, she reached out to take the plate from Lu Zhe. But when he casually swept his cold gaze over her, she froze. The scent of cedarwood grew stronger in the air. It was, unmistakably, a silent threat.

Qian Bao could only scoot to the side and clear a path for Lu Zhe. "...my bad, sir. You go on ahead."

As soon as Lu Zhe brushed past her, Qian Bao bolted down into the HQ's cafeteria. But she only found the same few dishes as always. Forget about huangmen chicken. There wasn't even a single chicken feather left for her.

After scarfing down some food without really tasting it, Qian Bao trudged back to the training room. As soon as she plopped down in her chair again, her sensitive nose picked up that delicious, alluring scent once more.

She swiveled towards the scent and found the huangmen chicken dish of her dreams sitting right there, on Shen Qiao's desk.

Qian Bao tearfully denounced Lu Zhe: "Is our DG's headquarters finally turning into the sort of place where newcomers rejoice while the suffering of the old guard goes unnoticed?"

Lu Zhe was watching as Shen Qiao picked out the green peppers from the dish and tossed them into the trash. He heard Qian Bao, but responded without even lifting his head:

"Anyone who eats my chicken belongs to me. You really want a taste?"

Qian Bao was silent for a moment before she said, "...sorry to interrupt."

Er-Hua, who was still waiting for his long-delayed takeout order, was being assaulted by starvation and the drool-inducing scent of huangmen chicken. At that point, he dejectedly accused, "Captain, I have reason to suspect you're being a perv, and I have the evidence to back it up."

Lu Zhe plucked out a bony piece of chicken and placed it in his own bowl. He gave a self-righteous response:

"When a team captain turns yellow, not a single one of his teammates is innocent."

Er-Hua, Old Wo, and Qian Bao all spat their disgust in unison.

All the while, only Shen Qiao remained calm and unperturbed. He enjoyed his lunch without paying the others any mind. By the time he set his bowl aside, he was so full that he seemed to exude a heightened sort of lethargy, like a big cat ready to take an afternoon nap.