Chapter 132 : No Regrets
"I'm sorry, you're a good person, but I think we should just be friends."
Li Qian sighed as she looked at the young man in front of her. This was already the fifth boyfriend she had broken up with recently. She had tried dating all sorts—kind guys, macho types, pretty boys—but for some reason, even the ones she once liked didn't stir her heart anymore.
"Isn't that Li Qian? Didn't she just agree to date that guy from the neighboring class last week? Looks like she dumped him again."
"How many is that now?"
"Let me count... one, two... five. This is the fifth one already. She's such a b***h."
"..."
The whispers weren't exactly quiet, and Li Qian could hear them clearly. Still, she didn't bother to refute them. After all, even she thought her behavior was a bit b***hy.
"Yo~ B***h. Playing with innocent boys' hearts again?"
The only one who dared to address Li Qian like that without fear was our protagonist, Ling Ning.
"What's it to you?" Li Qian snapped back, clearly annoyed.
Ling Ning didn't mind her attitude and wrapped her arm around Li Qian's. "It really isn't any of my business. I just wanted to ask if you were thinking about where to have lunch."
"No, get lost."
"You always say that, but you end up treating me anyway, you tsundere b***h." Ling Ning rubbed her cheek against Li Qian's.
Startled by Ling Ning's sudden gesture, Li Qian's face flushed red. She wanted to push Ling Ning away, but a part of her didn't want to let go.
The young man standing nearby watched the scene unfold, feeling an inexplicable sense of harmony. In the week they had dated, no matter what he did, Li Qian had only ever given him a polite smile. Perhaps this was the real Li Qian, and maybe Ling Ning was her true match.
"I wish you both happiness."
With that realization, the young man smiled and turned to leave. After all, love has no boundaries—it just so happens that the person you like might be the same gender as you.
"Huh?"
Li Qian looked at the young man's retreating back, utterly confused. What did he mean by "I wish you both happiness"? Wasn't that implying he thought she was into girls? For the record, she was not... right?
Li Qian wanted to run after him and explain, but with Ling Ning clinging to her like a koala, she couldn't even move.
"Let go of me!" Li Qian struggled, but Ling Ning's grip was too tight, and she couldn't break free.
"I can let go, but only if we go have lunch at that place we went last time—beef hotpot."
Ling Ning had been craving the beef from that restaurant ever since their last visit. The place was a bit pricey, and even Li Qian rarely went there. Especially after taking Ling Ning once, she had vowed never to return, given the hit to her wallet.
"Ling Ning, I'm telling you, I'd rather starve, jump off a building, than treat you to lunch there again!"
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"This beef is amazing."
Ling Ning was happily munching on the spicy boiled beef. No matter how she tried, she could never recreate that flavor at home.
Li Qian, on the other hand, looked gloomily at her now-thin wallet. Ever since this gluttonous Ling Ning had shown up, her allowance had dwindled significantly. Even buying new clothes had become a painstaking decision, having to think twice about whether she could afford both the clothes and food.
Just yesterday, she had been browsing Taobao and found a coat that perfectly matched her style. It wasn't even that expensive, but just as she was about to place the order, she realized that buying the coat would mean living on instant noodles for the rest of the month.
Before Ling Ning, Li Qian never had these kinds of issues. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got, and she ended up fighting Ling Ning for the beef.
"Hey! You don't even like beef!" Ling Ning shouted, panicking as she tried to grab her food back. Li Qian never ate beef, which was why Ling Ning dragged her to this restaurant.
"Can't I change my taste once in a while?" Seeing Ling Ning's flustered expression, Li Qian felt even more satisfied. Though she wasn't particularly fond of beef, it somehow tasted better when she could tease Ling Ning.
Seeing that persuasion was futile, Ling Ning decided to fight back. After all, if she wasted time talking, all the beef would be gone.
In the end, the last piece of beef ended up in Li Qian's bowl, and it was the biggest piece too.
Seeing Ling Ning's defeated expression, Li Qian mischievously took a small bite of the beef, savoring it. Then she waved it teasingly in front of Ling Ning. "Ah~ This last piece is just so delicious."
Without hesitation, Ling Ning lunged forward and snatched the half-bitten piece straight into her mouth.
"Did you really think I wouldn't eat it just because you bit it first?" Ling Ning taunted as she chewed.
A piece of beef eaten by a cute girl—no regrets!
"Y-you... you..." Li Qian stuttered, her face flushed bright red. Finally, she managed to squeeze out, "Pervert!"
Ling Ning just grinned shamelessly, taking it as a compliment. After all, what's wrong with being a little perverted? She might be a girl now, but she wasn't that long ago.
With the last piece of beef down, Ling Ning let out a satisfied belch. This meal was definitely worth it—satisfying in every possible way.
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"How can someone be so shameless?" Li Qian muttered to herself as she walked home. The whole afternoon, her thoughts were distracted by Ling Ning eating that piece of beef. Though it was just a trivial incident, she couldn't stop thinking about it. She only snapped out of her daze when she arrived at her doorstep.
Taking out her key, she opened the door and saw a slender figure lying on the couch watching TV. Hearing the door, the figure turned around to face her.
"Welcome home, sister~"
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Author's Note:
The salted fish thought it over and decided to release today's update early. Anyway, that's all for now—Happy New Year, everyone! I'm off to have some fun, and the next chapter will be up at 3 PM this afternoon~