Chapter 238
Chapter 238
She hadn’t learned.
Zhong Ning cleared her throat. “I can sing.”
Chapter 81
Camping was actually quite convenient if one had a car and a tent. After the group found a suitable spot, they began setting up the tents. There were a total of four tents, each with a different style, but all of them were quite large.
Xie Shiqing, though a bit clumsy, spread out the picnic blanket. Their car was big, so they had managed to bring plenty of supplies. There was even a mini fridge in the car, where they had stored a variety of meat, fruits, and drinks—keeping everything fresh wasn’t a problem.
For a picnic, naturally, barbecue was the first choice.
All the ingredients had been prepared and skewered in advance. The grill was a smokeless type. Zheng Xuan was an expert at barbecuing—mainly because her wife liked to eat it, so she had gone out of her way to learn. Different ingredients required different grilling times, and controlling the heat accurately was crucial.
Zhong Ning took out her camera and started filming today’s vlog.
Pine Mushroom nudged her hand at the side, wanting to play ball.
Michelle took snacks, fruits, and drinks out of the fridge and arranged them on the picnic blanket.
“You can’t play,” Zhong Ning patiently reasoned with Pine Mushroom. “There are so many people here, and even kids. If I let you go, someone will complain.”
“Be good. Do you want some beef?”
Pine Mushroom flopped down on the ground with an indignant huff, turning her head away in clear annoyance.
Fu Nanshuang burst out laughing, hands on her hips, and walked over. As Pine Mushroom’s eyes widened in alarm, she scooped her up. “Come on, let me cuddle you!”
Xie Shiqing smiled with curved eyes and mimicked Zhong Ning’s pose, sitting cross-legged on the ground. She picked up a slice of watermelon and took a bite.
Today, she had finally given up on wearing a skirt and changed into a very casual outfit: a short-sleeved top and long pants. She wore sneakers on her feet, and as she sat cross-legged, she felt a peculiar sense of experiencing something new.
It was a strange feeling of relaxation.
Not bad—in fact, quite pleasant.
Camping, for her, was probably a very “down-to-earth” activity.
The only relaxing place she’d been to before was perhaps a private club. She had attended countless banquets, but banquets weren’t relaxing. Neither were auctions, and business meetings were even less so.
If she didn’t have to maintain her face and this body, she might not even know what relaxation felt like.
There were many people at the campsite. With their group of stunningly attractive individuals gathered together, they were quite eye-catching. However, perhaps due to the size of their group, no one came over to strike up a conversation.
Except for a little girl—who looked around five or six years old—wearing a pale yellow sunhat, bouncing over as she ran. “Pretty sister, can I pet the doggie?”
She grinned wide, revealing a gap in her front teeth.
Fu Nanshuang couldn’t help but chuckle.
The little girl’s parent came running after her, looking especially flustered—clearly the shy, socially anxious type. Head lowered, voice soft, she repeatedly apologized. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry for bothering you all.”
"It's okay, she can pet it," Fu Nanshuang waved her hand, then suddenly thought of something and turned her head to shout, "Little Ning, can the dog be touched?"
Pine Mushroom sat on the ground, seemingly rolling her eyes ever so slightly.
Zhong Ning had been peeling an orange for Xie Shiqing. When she heard that, she quickly went over. "What happened?"
"The little girl wants to pet the dog," Fu Nanshuang said. "Should we let her?"
"Yes, yes, she can." Zhong Ning crouched down, led Pine Mushroom over, her hand still holding onto the collar without letting go, letting the dog stand sideways. "Come pet her, but you can't grab her fur, okay?"
The parent became even more flustered and began thanking them repeatedly.
The little girl, on the other hand, was completely at ease. She gave Zhong Ning a big gap-toothed smile and said, "Thank you, jiejie!" She spread both hands, ten fingers splayed like stems and leaves of a flower. "My hands are clean."
Both Zhong Ning and Fu Nanshuang laughed.
"Wow, doggie, you're so soft." She raised one hand, mouth opened wide in amazement. "I’m petting gently."
"Doggie, you're so pretty. Jiejie, what's doggie's name?"
"Her name is Pine Mushroom."
The word was a bit hard to pronounce. The little girl reasoned with her tongue for a while but still couldn’t get it out, ending up saying something that sounded like “Zhong Rong.”
And so she stood there saying, “Zhong Rong, Zhong Rong, you’re so pretty!”
She only petted for a few minutes before stopping. "Thank you, jiejie. Thank you, Zhong Rong!" She raised her hands above her head and made a heart shape.
The parent, once again bowing and apologizing non-stop, scooped up her daughter and hurried off.
Fu Nanshuang laughed so hard she was bent over. "So cute! How come the kid is a social butterfly and the parent is a total introvert? I'm dying."
"Seriously, too cute. Makes me kinda want a kid myself."
"By the way, when are you two planning to have kids?"
Zhong Ning was caught off guard by the question and lowered her voice to say, "Neither of us wants children. We feel it would disrupt our world for two."
"Not having kids is fine too," Fu Nanshuang said with full understanding. "After my mom gave birth to me, she never stopped complaining—said I made her waist a few centimeters thicker, her belly all loose, abs and mermaid lines completely gone. Every now and then she still blackmails me over it."
"Not giving birth is pretty good too. No matter how advanced medical technology gets, it can’t erase the toll pregnancy takes on the body." Her tone suddenly changed. "But you still have to consider the matter of company inheritance."
"How about this," she rolled her eyes slyly, "you both can be my godmothers, and then pass the company on to me."
Zhong Ning said, "You’re a few years older than me!"
Fu Nanshuang replied, "Oh right. Then you call me godmother, and I’ll pass the company to you. Just make sure to take care of me when I’m old."
Zhong Ning couldn't be bothered with this nonsense and turned to walk away. Fu Nanshuang shouted after her asking if she could walk the dog, and Zhong Ning just waved her hand in response.
But joking aside, company inheritance really was a major issue that needed to be resolved.
This problem, no doubt, was something Xie Shiqing had already thought about. If Zhong Ning asked, it would seem like she was overly concerned about the money in her pocket.
They were both still young. There was no rush.
For now, it could be set aside. When Zhong Ning returned to her seat, a clean orange segment was brought to her lips—neatly peeled, with not a single string of pith.