Chapter 138 : Seasoned Driver
"......"
The movie had ended, but Ling Ning still hadn't snapped out of it.
Although Ling Ning had long heard of this movie's reputation online—and even remembered how it dominated a certain well-known social platform for a while—watching it for the first time still managed to amaze her.
Whether it was the visuals, the storyline, the character portrayal, or the attention to detail, for her, it was an incredible experience. Even her creative mind seemed to expand after watching it.
Even Li Qian and Li Meng, the bickering sisters, had not exchanged a word since they left the theater. Evidently, they too were captivated by the film.
"Do you two want to go anywhere else? If not, I'll take you home," Ling Ning said, finally snapping back to reality.
After all, Li Meng had injured her foot, and the sisters' relationship was still as turbulent as ever. If the two of them returned home alone, who knew what might happen on the way?
Hearing Ling Ning's question, both sisters nodded in unison and said, "Let's go home!"
Apparently unhappy that they had spoken at the same time, they immediately began their signature "death glare" battle, silently attacking each other.
Ling Ning sighed, glancing at them both in exasperation. What could she say?
Li Qian's house wasn't too far from here, but it wasn't exactly close either. Considering Li Meng was injured, Ling Ning reluctantly hailed a cab.
And of course, the conflict resumed.
"Why do you get to sit in the back with Ling Ning? Since your foot's hurt, you should sit in the front," Li Qian frowned.
"Exactly because my foot's hurt, I need to sit in the back. Ling Ning can help me," Li Meng argued with conviction.
"You're just causing trouble!"
"So what if I am?"
Ling Ning took a deep breath. "Both of you, shut up. I'll sit in the front by myself. You two can sit in the back. Behave, and don't make the driver uncomfortable."
The sisters seemed ready to argue some more, but seeing the slightly dark expression on Ling Ning's face, they decided to stay silent.
The cab driver, an experienced man, couldn't help but watch the three beautiful young women with interest. He couldn't help but reminisce about his youth. He wondered how that person from his past was doing now...
Suddenly, the driver had an impulse. After finishing this ride, maybe he should go look for that person. So many years had passed; perhaps things had changed.
A seasoned driver was indeed seasoned—steady and swift. In no time, they were in front of Li Qian's apartment building.
"Alright, we're here. I won't be going up," Ling Ning said with a cheerful smile.
"Huh!? Won't you come up for a bit? You could stay for dinner too," Li Qian blurted, and then, as if she realized something, added, "But it's okay if you don't want to. I'm not insisting or anything..."
"Could you look less expectant when saying that, you silly tsundere..." Ling Ning silently grumbled to herself.
"It's fine, I really can't. My little sister and the boss's daughter are waiting for me to make dinner at home~"
"By the way, you two should try to get along better. You're sisters, after all. Learn to understand each other a little more. Alright, I'm heading off." With that, Ling Ning turned and walked away.
As Ling Ning disappeared from sight, the sisters, who had been smiling brightly, suddenly turned into bitter rivals.
"I think it's safe to say you and I will never truly understand each other, dear sister," Li Qian said with a fake smile.
"On that point, we are surprisingly in agreement, dear sister," Li Meng replied in the same tone, her smile equally insincere.
"Speaking of which, I still haven't settled today's score with you~"
Just thinking about how her lovely day of shopping with Ling Ning had been ruined by her sister's interference made Li Qian's blood boil.
"Don't think just because I have a hurt foot that you can take me on," Li Meng retorted without backing down.
⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱
"Ye Ye, Mom's home~" Ling Ning called out joyfully as she opened the door.
Upon hearing her mom's voice, Ling Ye silently saved her current Word document and closed it.
"Ye Ye, what were you up to~"
Seeing her daughter's actions, Ling Ning curiously moved closer, trying to catch a glimpse of what Ling Ye was working on. Unfortunately, she was too late, and all she saw was a desktop featuring a whimsical wallpaper of a magical girl fighting a tentacle monster.
It reminded Ling Ning of an old joke from her past life—"Whenever parents walk into a kid's room, all they ever see is the desktop." Could it be...
Since Ling Ning had gotten her daughter a computer, Ling Ye's behavior had changed. She spent a lot of time glued to it, typing away furiously. It made Ling Ning incredibly curious.
"Hey~ Ye Ye, tell Mom what you've been up to~" Ling Ning moved closer, hugging her daughter tightly and rubbing her face against Ling Ye's cheek. She suddenly realized how soft her daughter's skin was—so good for cuddling.
"Uh, it's... it's nothing, really~" Ling Ye stammered, doing her best to endure her mother's cheek-rubbing assault.
"Oh~" Ling Ning continued cuddling her daughter's cheek.
"Really, it's nothing..."
Ling Ning looked at her daughter, smiled gently, and patted her on the head. "If Ye Ye says there's nothing, then there's nothing. Mom won't pry. But no unhealthy things, okay? That's a strict rule."
With that, Ling Ning turned and walked into the kitchen to start cooking. As she walked away, Ling Ye heard her muttering to herself, "Ye Ye is at that age where she starts having her own little secrets. Does that mean I'm getting old~"
Ling Ye watched her mom's retreating back, her expression filled with exasperation. What was that all about?
Speaking of "unhealthy things," Ling Ye thought of the USB stick she had been studying. She had nearly deciphered everything on it, except for a folder labeled "Harmony." The contents were still a bit too advanced for her.
And with other tasks coming up, Ling Ye decided to put aside the "study materials" in favor of focusing on more important matters.
⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱
Author's Note:
*Sigh~ What more can I say about how cool a salted fish is?*