Chapter 195 : Even My Chest is Flat!
"What… what should I do? I think… I’m lost again!"
Chen Ruo’s original plan was to visit her late husband’s grave with her daughter, but somehow, despite walking with her, she managed to get separated… again.
Looking around, Chen Ruo realized the whole area looked identical, and an eerie sense crept up on her as she remembered the horror movie she’d watched last night. That thought only made her more nervous, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that something unseen was watching her.
“Come on… this is the age of science. Ghosts and monsters don’t actually exist!” Chen Ruo muttered to herself, trying to stay calm.
Suddenly, she heard rustling sounds nearby, like something moving swiftly through the grass. Her initial relief turned into panic as she scanned the surroundings, her imagination running wild.
After a while, when no further sounds came, she relaxed, thinking it was just her imagination. But just as she was about to let her guard down, the noise returned—growing closer.
Before Chen Ruo could react, a stray dog leapt out of the bushes, startling her so badly that she fell back onto the ground. The dog gave her a disinterested look before trotting away.
It took a moment for Chen Ruo to process what had happened. Realizing she’d nearly been scared to tears by a dog, she felt utterly humiliated. Even worse, the fright had left her feeling the urgent need to find a bathroom—a habit of hers when she got nervous.
“What… what should I do? This might be the biggest crisis I’ve ever faced,” she mumbled to herself, wishing someone would come to her rescue.
For some reason, a slender figure flashed in her mind. Every time she’d gotten lost, that person had always appeared to guide her back.
Chen Ruo chuckled, feeling silly. “As if Ling Ning would just show up out of nowhere…”
At that moment, a figure appeared behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder.
Without turning, Chen Ruo brushed the hand away, mumbling, “Hey, I’m trying to think. Stop bothering me.”
But as a moment passed, it dawned on her—there shouldn’t be anyone behind her. A shiver ran down her spine as she froze in place.
“Spare me, ghost brothers and sisters! I’m barely edible, and I’m flat-chested! If you need someone to feast on, go after Ling Ning! She’s got way more… uh, substance,” Chen Ruo whimpered, her voice shaky. The name had slipped out, as Ling Ning had been on her mind.
“Chen Ruo, maybe I should leave so I don’t get eaten by mistake?” came Ling Ning’s voice from behind her, tinged with amusement.
“Eh?!” Startled by the familiar voice, Chen Ruo slowly turned and saw Ling Ning standing there, looking at her with a blank expression. Realizing what she’d just said, Chen Ruo felt the urge to disappear on the spot.
“It… it’s not what you think, Ling Ning!” Desperate to explain, Chen Ruo tried to get up, but her high heels betrayed her, causing her to twist her ankle. Luckily, Ling Ning caught her just in time, pulling her into a warm embrace.
FeeLing Ning Ning’s warmth, Chen Ruo’s face turned crimson, as though it were on fire.
Standing nearby, Ling Ye watched as her mom caught Chen Ruo in her arms. She stomped her foot in frustration. This was supposed to be *her* moment, yet this woman seemed far too familiar with her mom.
After a moment, Chen Ruo gathered her thoughts and asked, “By the way, Ling Ning, what brings you here?”
“Today is Qingming Festival, so I came to pay my respects,” Ling Ning replied. After finishing her conversation with Ye Xuan, she’d been on her way home when she unexpectedly ran into Chen Ruo again. It seemed they were bound to meet.
Chen Ruo hesitated, then asked cautiously, “How long… have you been here? Did you… see me fall?”
“Oh, I saw everything—the part where you got scared by a dog and ended up on the ground,” Ling Ning said with a mischievous smile.
Chen Ruo’s face turned ashen, and she felt her soul leave her body. That embarrassing moment had been witnessed by *Ling Ning* of all people.
In an anime, steam would probably be rising from her head at this point.
“By the way, where’s your ‘little tail’? I don’t see your daughter around,” Ling Ning asked, looking around for Chen Ruo’s daughter.
“Oh no! I completely forgot!” Chen Ruo exclaimed. Now she remembered she’d somehow lost track of her daughter.
Seeing her expression, Ling Ning sighed. “Alright, where did you last see her?”
“Um…” Chen Ruo blinked, thinking hard. “I… forgot. But I think it was somewhere on the way to my husband’s grave.”
“And where is his grave located?” Ling Ning asked, now curious about what kind of person had married someone as scatterbrained as Chen Ruo.
“I… don’t know.” Chen Ruo looked down, embarrassed.
Ling Ning shook her head, a wry smile on her face. She didn’t think even a miracle could help Chen Ruo’s sense of direction.
“Alright, let’s go ask at the cemetery’s management office.”
Ling Ning looked at the motionless Chen Ruo and asked with some confusion, "What's wrong? Did you twist your ankle just now?"
"No... it's not that, I..." Chen Ruo's face was flushed. It wasn't that she didn't want to walk, she just couldn't. Right now, she felt like she wouldn't be able to hold it in any longer. If she kept walking, she was sure she would lose control, but she didn't know how to express this. It was just too embarrassing.
"I... I can't hold it anymore." Chen Ruo spoke in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz.
Although Chen Ruo's voice was very soft, Ling Ning still heard her, which left Ling Ning at a bit of a loss for words. She sighed helplessly and asked, "Can you still walk?"
Chen Ruo shook her head.
"Come on, get on, I'll carry you." Ling Ning walked over to Chen Ruo, turned her back to her, and squatted down halfway, gesturing for Chen Ruo to climb on.
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Author’s Note:
Twelfth chapter—halfway there!