Chapter 177 : Come At Me If You Dare~
"Ahhh, that sleep felt so good~"
After a full month of rigorous studying, Ling Ning and her friends finally had a two-day break. It wasn't easy, especially since Bai Yiyue's concert was scheduled for tomorrow night, meaning Ling Ning had decided to sleep in as much as she could today.
Even after waking up, Ling Ning had no intention of getting out of bed. She simply nestled deeper under her blankets, savoring the warmth of her cocoon.
To be fair, it wasn't like she didn't want to get up, but rather that there seemed to be a powerful seal over her blanket. Even someone as formidable as Ling Ning needed some time to break free from it.
Basically, Ling Ning had been getting lazier lately. If it had been the old Ling Ning, she would have already been up and at the café, earning some extra spending money.
"Is it true that people change when they get money?" she muttered to herself.
Ling Ning then began contemplating what she should do today. Heading to the café was no longer feasible at this hour, but staying home felt like a waste of her short break. As she was mulling over her options, her phone suddenly rang.
She casually picked up her phone to see that it was Xu Qing calling.
"Ling Ning, are you awake yet?"
"More or less, I'm getting up soon~ What's up? Yawn~" Ling Ning replied lazily.
"So, um, do you have time this afternoon? Let’s go sing karaoke, and let's bring Ye Ye and Xia You along too~"
Hearing Xu Qing's suggestion, Ling Ning blinked in surprise and then asked, "What's with the sudden urge to go sing karaoke?"
"Well, it's because Bai Yiyue's concert has a tradition where a lucky audience member is chosen to go on stage and sing with her. I was thinking, what if I get picked to sing with Bai Yiyue? I don't want to embarrass myself by being off-key, so I figured I’d practice a bit to prepare."
Xu Qing's earnest explanation almost made Ling Ning burst out laughing. Putting aside the possibility of any bias in the selection process, the odds of being chosen among thousands of concert-goers were like hitting ten SSR cards in a single ten-pull—utterly impossible.
Sensing Ling Ning's amusement, Xu Qing became somewhat indignant. "Hey, people need to have dreams, okay? What if it actually happens?!"
Ling Ning chuckled softly. "Alright, alright. Where and when? I'll ask Ye Ye and Xia You if they want to come too~" Considering that she didn't have any plans today, karaoke seemed like a good way to kill time.
"1 p.m. at the 'Lucio Music Club' over on King's Avenue. Promise me you'll be there, okay~?" With a delighted laugh, Xu Qing hung up the phone.
After the call ended, Ling Ning checked the time and realized it was almost noon—time to get up.
Taking a deep breath, she looked at the "seal" covering her (the blanket), and shouted, "Break free!!!" In an instant, she felt the seal lift (as she threw off the blanket), and she quickly escaped from the powerfully binding place (the bed). She casually slipped on her spirit robe (a jacket), walked to the window, and unveiled the barrier blocking the light (the curtains).
In an instant, the darkness of the world (the room) was flooded with light (sunshine), dispelling every bit of the ominous shadows.
Ling Ning looked at the scene before her, tears of emotion welling up (because the sunlight was blinding).
"May the holy light be with you!" she mumbled to herself, her voice full of over-the-top dramatics.
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"Ye Ye, how about going to sing karaoke with Mom this afternoon?"
After washing up, Ling Ning entered her daughter’s room, seeing a lump on the bed that looked just like her earlier self—trapped beneath the blanket's "seal." She spoke helplessly.
Upon hearing her mom's words, the lump wiggled a bit before a small head emerged from under the covers. Sleepily, Ling Ye muttered, "Karaoke? Sounds like a hassle. I'd rather not go. Plus, one of my readers rewarded me with a ton of money yesterday, and now I owe them several chapters~ Damn rich people!"
"Alright~ But you should probably get up soon. The sun’s almost reaching your butt." Ling Ning gave her daughter a "you're on your own" look and turned to leave the room.
"Xia You, are you home?" Ling Ning walked up to Xia You's door and gently pressed the doorbell.
After a long moment, just as Ling Ning was beginning to think Xia You might be out, the door opened. Xia You stood there, looking exhausted, and gave Ling Ning a weak greeting.
Seeing the dark circles under Xia You's eyes, Ling Ning was taken aback. "Xia You, what happened to you? You look like you're about to collapse."
"It's nothing... I just pulled an all-nighter editing videos. I'm trying to finish them all in the next couple of days so I can schedule uploads. So, what’s up, Ling Ning?" Xia You waved her hand, signaling that she was okay.
Ling Ning repeated Xu Qing's suggestion to her.
Xia You shook her head after hearing it. "I'll pass. I'm not going to the concert, and I have a ton of game commentary videos to edit. Plus, honestly, I'm terrible at singing. I’d probably be off-key no matter what song I tried."
"Alright, just take care of yourself. Don’t overwork, okay? Make sure to come out for lunch later."
Hearing Ling Ning’s words, Xia You felt warmth bloom in her chest. She gave a small smile and nodded.
"Mm~"
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"Then it's settled, okay? Make sure you bring your sister along."
With her daughter and Xia You both turning her down, Ling Ning realized that only she and Xu Qing would be going to karaoke. Just the two of them... they’d end up singing until their voices gave out.
After thinking it over, Ling Ning decided to invite more people, and after getting Xu Qing’s approval, she reached out to Li Qian and her sister, Li Meng. She just hoped those two wouldn’t start fighting on the way there.
But Ling Ning had underestimated them—those two had already started fighting before even leaving home.
"Did Ling Ning say she was inviting me too?" Li Meng squinted at her sister.
"Nope. Ling Ning only invited me. Don’t get ahead of yourself!" Li Qian turned her head away, refusing to acknowledge it.
"My dear sister, do you think I just met you today? Every time you lie, your eyes always drift down to the right. Ling Ning definitely invited me too!"
"Oh, and as if you don’t do the same thing! Let me tell you, a person like you would get absolutely wrecked if they tried to pull this in my school!" Li Qian snapped back, growing more agitated at being caught in a lie.
Li Meng gave her sister a dismissive look. "And what if I just want to stir things up? Come at me if you dare~"
"Li Meng!!!!"
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Author's Note:
Spent the entire day doing housework back at home, didn’t write a single word. Feeling cute~