Chapter 180 : Don’t Worry, It's All Good
"Why isn't she back yet?"
In the hotel room, Wu Zi paced back and forth in the living room, her brows furrowed. Something was off today. By this time, Bai Yiyue usually would have returned after dinner.
But now, not only had she not returned, even her phone was unreachable.
Wang Jiaqi, standing off to the side, kept dialing Bai Yiyue's number repeatedly, only to hear the automated message: "The number you are calling is currently switched off. Please try again later."
"No, we can't just sit around any longer!"
Just as Wu Zi was about to call someone to start a search, her phone suddenly rang. She glanced at the unfamiliar number—it was a local call.
Wu Zi frowned. She had two phones, one for work and one for personal use. Many people knew her work number, but only a few had her personal number.
"Hello, who is this?"
"Hiya, is this Sister Zi? It’s Yiyue! I’m using my friend's phone. Some things happened, so I probably won’t be able to come back tonight~" Bai Yiyue's voice came over the line, cheerful and full of energy.
Hearing Bai Yiyue's voice, Wu Zi let out a sigh of relief. From the upbeat tone, Wu Zi could even detect a hint of joy—seemed like not only was Bai Yiyue okay, she was actually having a great time.
"What happened? Why didn't you call earlier? And what's this about not coming back tonight? Don't forget you have a concert tomorrow. Where do you plan to stay tonight?" Wu Zi fired a barrage of questions at Bai Yiyue.
There was a brief silence on the other end of the line. Wu Zi's rapid questioning seemed to have momentarily stunned Bai Yiyue. After a long pause, Bai Yiyue finally responded, "My phone died, and I forgot my portable charger. But don’t worry, I remember the concert tomorrow, and I’ll be back early. Tonight, I'll stay at a friend's place—it's no problem at all."
Wu Zi raised an eyebrow at this. As Bai Yiyue's manager, she was quite familiar with Bai Yiyue's social circle, and she was sure she had never heard of any friends in S City.
"A friend's place? Who is this friend? Are they male or female?"
"Oh, come on, Sister Zi, relax! It’s a genuine girl—absolutely no hanky-panky involved! I’ve got something to do, so I’ll hang up now. Anyway, I’ll be back as early as possible tomorrow. Don't worry~"
Without waiting for Wu Zi's reply, Bai Yiyue hung up. Wu Zi was so frustrated that she almost wanted to smash her phone. But then she remembered the phone was a recent, expensive purchase, so she decided against it—definitely not worth it.
"Was that Miss Bai on the phone?" Wang Jiaqi asked, looking hopefully at Wu Zi.
Wu Zi nodded, then sighed deeply. She felt like she'd been cursed to take care of this unpredictable young lady. Then again, if it hadn’t been for Bai Yiyue, she’d probably still be doing odd jobs at the company.
"Alright, there's nothing more to do. You should go get some rest." Wu Zi waved her hand dismissively.
"Okay~"
After Wang Jiaqi left, Wu Zi quietly pulled a pack of women's cigarettes from her pocket, expertly lighting one. Her eyes turned pensive, lost in thought.
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"Are you sure it’s really okay for you not to go back?" Ling Ning took the phone from Bai Yiyue, looking at her with some concern.
"Don't worry, it's all good!"
Bai Yiyue waved her hand dismissively. She had finally managed to see the person she missed day and night—there was no way she was leaving so soon.
Seeing Bai Yiyue's carefree attitude, Ling Ning shrugged and cautiously led Bai Yiyue in the direction of her home.
Although it was already nighttime, there were still quite a few people out on the streets. Even though Bai Yiyue had makeup and a mask on, Ling Ning was still nervous. If Bai Yiyue were recognized, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Seeing Ling Ning being so overly cautious, Bai Yiyue burst out laughing. "Seriously, do you think my disguise is that easy to see through? If I hadn’t taken off my mask while eating, those paparazzi would have never spotted me."
Hearing Bai Yiyue's laughter, Ling Ning shot her a sideways glance. "Laugh it up. If you keep it up, I'll rip your mask off and yell, 'Bai Yiyue is here!'"
"Go ahead and do it~ I don't care. I’ll just cling to you, and we can both make the headlines tomorrow."
Seeing Bai Yiyue's unbothered, devil-may-care attitude, Ling Ning sighed in resignation and continued walking toward her home.
As it turned out, Bai Yiyue's disguise was quite effective. While they received a lot of glances along the way, most of the attention was directed at Ling Ning. Only a few people even looked at Bai Yiyue, and they soon lost interest.
After all, if given a choice between a masked person and a pretty girl whose face was showing, it was obvious who they'd focus on.
"Do you live here, Ling Ning?"
Standing outside Ling Ning's building, Bai Yiyue curiously looked around, taking in the surroundings.
Ling Ning didn't answer Bai Yiyue's question. During the entire walk, Bai Yiyue had been a nonstop chatterbox, bombarding her with questions left and right. At first, Ling Ning answered here and there, but eventually, she gave up altogether.
In Ling Ning’s mind, Bai Yiyue's elegant, high-class image had utterly shattered.
"Ye Ye, Mom’s back!"
The moment Ling Ning opened the door, she called out.
After a moment, a faint, lethargic voice drifted out of Ling Ye's room. "Oh~"
And then there was silence. Ling Ning figured her daughter was still working hard, probably writing.
"M-Mom?!"
Hearing Ling Ning's words, Bai Yiyue was stunned. How could Ling Ning, at her age, already have a daughter? And judging by that voice, the daughter seemed quite grown up. What kind of person would do something like this to Ling Ning? Had Bai Yiyue made a mistake by coming back into her life so late?
Seeing Bai Yiyue's shocked expression, Ling Ning could easily guess what she was thinking. With a sigh, she said, "Don’t go imagining things. It's not what you think. Let's sit down, and I'll explain everything."
"Oh... okay..."
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Author's Note:
Sadly, this salted fish has survived, and it seems none of your attempts to eat me have worked. Hahaha~