Chapter 833: Su Nuanxi's Repentance
The next day at mealtime.
Su Nuanxi wore a hat to cover her face.
After yesterday's incident, she couldn't face anyone anymore.
Although she had eaten that kind of thing before, being tricked by an old man into consuming it as a health supplement was a completely different matter.
When she arrived at the cafeteria, Su Nuanxi joined the queue, waiting for Old Xie to serve her food.
"One standard meal, half portion of rice."
The crew members burst into laughter when they saw her. "Little Su, we heard you cried yourself to sleep again yesterday?"
Su Nuanxi's face turned pale, veins visibly popping on her forehead.
Another crew member shouted, "Stop lying! I saw your red nose from crying with my own eyes!"
"This... sighing, it was just sighing. How could a refined lady's lamentation be considered crying?"
The cafeteria immediately erupted in cheerful laughter.
Xie Changming watched her with amusement but handed her a standard meal from below the counter.
"This is your ration for today."
Su Nuanxi didn't inspect it carefully, quickly taking the food back to her room to eat alone.
She lacked the courage to stay there any longer, afraid of becoming the crew's gossip topic.
Back in her room, she scooped a spoonful of food into her mouth.
After a few bites, she frowned at the strange taste.
At first she thought it might be today's special dish, but the more she ate, the more something felt off.
She spat it out, only realizing after chewing that the food had gone bad!
The rice was passable, but the fried vegetables were definitely spoiled, and the frozen chicken wasn't fresh either.
The hot oil had masked the taste initially.
But after several bites, her discerning palate couldn't ignore the problem.
"What's wrong with today's food?"
Poking at her meal, she suddenly spotted mold growing on it!
She collapsed by an old bucket, vomiting violently.
After recovering, she stormed back to confront Xie Changming.
"Old Xie! Why did you serve me spoiled food today?" she raged.
Xie Changming and others were eating at the table, all wearing identical mocking smiles.
Their synchronized expressions of anticipation made Su Nuanxi extremely uncomfortable.
"Why are you all looking at me like that? I got bad food!"
Xie Changming pointed at her plate with his chopsticks.
"Forgotten already? Yesterday you said spoiled food wouldn't kill anyone. So the captain ordered me to serve you this for the next week."
"Surely a noble lady like you keeps her word and won't complain?"
Su Nuanxi froze, then stamped her feet tearfully. "But this isn't fit for humans! It's pig slop! I can't eat this!"
Old Tian corrected her: "That's inaccurate. Where I'm from, pigs get quality feed. Nobody feeds them rotten food."
"You... you're all bullying me!" Su Nuanxi cried, her "little pearls" of tears falling rapidly.
The crew showed no sympathy, roaring with laughter instead.
"You asked for this yesterday!"
"Nothing we can do - this is your ration standard for the week."
"Your own words - it won't kill you!"
The thought of enduring this for seven days made Su Nuanxi retch again.
But no one pitied her; they just enjoyed the spectacle like it was entertainment with drinks.
Truthfully, they didn't need her to have a good time.
Finding no sympathy, Su Nuanxi tearfully went to Zhu Yunque for comfort.
But Zhu Yunque was already at her limit.
Tommy's incessant crying had frayed her nerves beyond repair.
Sometimes she even caught herself imagining hands around his neck.
"Why did I take on this burden?" she thought bitterly.
So when Su Nuanxi came whining, Zhu Yunque had no patience left.
"You made your bed. Just endure it - only a week."
"Yesterday you said it wouldn't kill you, no?"
Zhu Yunque's sharp tone reflected her irritation.
Too scared to argue, the crestfallen Su Nuanxi retreated to her room.
Curled in a corner hugging her knees, she felt utterly abandoned.
Yet her stomach's hunger pangs were undeniable.
If this continued, she'd have no proper food for seven days.
After hours of deliberation, she resolved to negotiate with Zhang Yi.
Knocking on his door, she called softly, "It's me, Su Nuanxi. Commander Zhang, may we talk?"
Zhang Yi opened the door to find red-eyed Su Nuanxi biting her lip nervously, fingers twisting together.
His lips curled in amusement. "What do you want?"
Su Nuanxi sniffled, tears already falling. "Commander Zhang, I... I've come to apologize."
"After serious reflection, I truly understand now how wrong I was yesterday."
"I feel deep shame for my ignorance and stubbornness."
"I accept your criticism and want to make amends—I genuinely recognize my mistake."
Covering her mouth, she sobbed, "So please don't make me eat expired food! Waaah!"
Zhang Yi nodded approvingly. "Repentance merits forgiveness. Good you recognize your error."
Peeking between her fingers, Su Nuanxi asked hopefully, "Then... I don't have to eat spoiled food anymore?"
"Tears mean nothing here. You'll remember better after more meals like that."
"But I'll die!" she wailed. "Even pigs wouldn't eat that! What if I get sick?"
Zhang Yi grinned confidently. "No worries - we have excellent doctors."