Chapter 161 : A Worthy Opponent
"Ling Ning!?"
Hearing someone call her name, Ling Ning turned around and glanced around her surroundings. She quickly spotted a familiar figure not far behind her.
The twin tails, the flat figure—it could only be Zhou Xiaoxiao.
Ling Ning was genuinely surprised. She hadn’t expected to run into Zhou Xiaoxiao here of all places. It was definitely fate, no doubt about it.
Next to Zhou Xiaoxiao was an obvious "clingy tagalong." No need to ask—it was Zhou Xiaoxiao's former fiancé, Qian Xu. Ever since Ling Ning had pretended to be Zhou Xiaoxiao's boyfriend and lectured Zhou Jingshan, it seemed to have had a real impact.
The next day, Zhou Jingshan had talked to his old classmate, and they decided to break off the engagement. However, if Qian Xu could manage to win Zhou Xiaoxiao's heart before she got married, he would still have a chance.
So, using the holiday as an opportunity, Qian Xu somehow managed to persuade Zhou Jingshan and his wife to take a vacation here, and Zhou Xiaoxiao had no choice but to tag along with her parents.
While their parents were inside playing mahjong, Qian Xu took the opportunity to accompany Zhou Xiaoxiao on a walk, trying multiple times to confess his feelings—all of which were soundly ignored by her.
Zhou Xiaoxiao had no interest in Qian Xu whatsoever. In fact, she wasn’t interested in any other guys either. Lately, whenever she closed her eyes, all she could think about was that day when Ling Ning had dressed as a man. No! It was Ling Ling! That moment kept replaying in her mind, and she couldn’t shake it.
Just as Zhou Xiaoxiao was getting increasingly annoyed by her former fiancé's persistence, she caught sight of a familiar figure in front of her. Without thinking, she called out, though she immediately regretted it. Ling Ning should still be in S City, so how could she possibly be here?
Yet miracles happen when you least expect them.
To her surprise, it really was Ling Ning walking ahead, along with her sister and Xia You.
Zhou Xiaoxiao excitedly approached them, asking curiously, "Ling Ning, what are you doing here?"
"Well, a few days ago, I won this 'Three-Day Luxury Hot Spring and Fireworks Festival in D City for a Family of Three,' so here I am~" Ling Ning replied casually.
After hearing this, Zhou Xiaoxiao was left speechless. She had already heard from Ye Xuan about Ling Ning's recent prize win, but now this too? For some reason, she felt her heart grow oddly numb.
"Ling Ning, I think your special skill must be winning the grand prize at every lottery! You could seriously make a living off entering lucky draws." Zhou Xiaoxiao said earnestly.
"Oh, you know how it is. Luck is just one of those things—unpredictable."
Ling Ning didn’t take Zhou Xiaoxiao's comment too seriously. After all, luck could be incredible one moment, like being blessed by the luck of the gods, and absolutely awful the next, like being cursed with misfortune. She would never put her fate in something as fickle as luck.
Although, admittedly, her luck had been pretty strangely good lately.
"Xiaoxiao, are these your friends?" Qian Xu caught up from behind, flashing them all a bright smile. Well, he thought it was bright. To Ling Ning and the others, there was an inexplicable sense of "trying too hard" about him.
When Qian Xu's gaze landed on Ling Ning, he frowned slightly. He had this nagging feeling that he had seen this beauty somewhere before, but he couldn't quite place her in his memory.
"Qian Xu, haven't you learned that it's rude to stare at a girl like that?" Zhou Xiaoxiao snapped, annoyed at Qian Xu's staring.
"S-sorry, it's just that I feel like I've seen this young lady somewhere before. May I ask your name?"
Ling Ning's heart skipped a beat. Was it possible Qian Xu had figured something out? But she had been so careful with her disguise last time—there was no way he could have seen through it.
"That is such a cheesy pickup line. But whatever, it's just a name, and there's no harm in telling you. My name is Ling Ning—Ling, as in 'water calms the dust,' and Ning, as in 'serene melody on seven strings.' Remember it." Ling Ning said, feigning indifference. She purposely revealed her name to gauge his reaction.
As expected, when Qian Xu heard the name "Ling Ning," he seemed startled. However, he didn't connect this beautiful girl in front of him to his lifetime rival. After all, the difference was too great—one was a guy, and the other was a girl. Could there even be a comparison?
Besides, plenty of people in the world shared the same name. It was probably just a coincidence.
"My apologies, I must have mistaken you for someone else."
"Yeah, yeah~"
Judging by Qian Xu's reaction, Ling Ning was relieved to see he hadn’t made any connection. She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she'd been holding.
With Zhou Xiaoxiao now part of the group, they continued their sightseeing without changing their plans. As for Qian Xu, he trailed far behind them, having apparently upset Zhou Xiaoxiao with his earlier behavior. He didn't dare approach the group of beautiful young women now.
Ling Ning glanced at Xia You, who was ahead helping Ling Ye take pictures. Then she looked back at Qian Xu, who was still keeping his distance. She leaned in close to Zhou Xiaoxiao and quietly asked, "How’s that situation coming along?"
"It's settled, but my parents said that until I get married, Qian Xu can still pursue me. So, he hasn't given up yet. Still, it’s much better than before, and I have you to thank for that, Ling Ning~" Zhou Xiaoxiao smiled.
"Oh, and my dad keeps asking when you’ll come by to play chess with him. He keeps going on about how it's so hard to find a worthy opponent. My mom’s the same—she wants you to come over and show her how to make 'braised salted fish.'"
Ling Ning thought for a moment before replying, "I'll make time to visit once I'm back in S City. By the way, when are you guys heading back?"
"We’re leaving the same day as you!" Zhou Xiaoxiao replied without hesitation. Their family's original plan had been to leave in a couple of days. Even if it hadn’t been on the same day, Zhou Xiaoxiao would have found a way to make it so.
"That’s good. If you guys stayed any longer, I might already be starting school again~"
"Don't worry, it won’t happen~" Zhou Xiaoxiao said confidently.
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Author's Note:
That's the second update done. Heading out to play some mahjong now. Lately, I’ve been feeling a bit lazy. I mean, getting stuck while writing is one thing, but only managing to get two chapters done a day? I might really be a fake salted fish.
Also, it seems like Xia You’s popularity is rising super fast lately.