Chapter 226 : Ling Ning, Let Me Explain!
“Huh? Ling Ning!?”
Through the peephole, Chen Ruo spotted Ling Ning standing outside, accompanied by an unfamiliar, beautiful young woman. As she looked at the stranger, an odd thought flashed through Chen Ruo’s mind: “But… I was here first…”
Realizing she’d been stalling, she quickly jumped off the chair and opened the door.
Just as Ling Ning started to think Chen Ruo might not be home, the door finally swung open, revealing Chen Ruo’s adorable face. Ling Ning sighed in relief. “Chen Ruo, I almost thought you weren’t home~”
“Heh heh,” Chen Ruo giggled, putting on a cute face. “I was just, um, gathering some… resources…” At that, a sudden thought struck her, and she immediately shut the door halfway.
“Um… Ling Ning, could you wait just a minute? I need to tidy up a bit,” she said, quickly shutting the door with a loud clunk.
Ling Ning and Xiao Xiao stared at the closed door in confusion, wondering what had just happened.
Inside, Chen Ruo dashed around her living room, turning off her “reference materials” playing on the TV and scooping up the pile of “research items” on the sofa. She threw everything into her bedroom and stuffed it all under her bed covers.
Taking a quick glance around to make sure nothing incriminating was left in sight, Chen Ruo sighed with relief. Even though Ling Ning already knew about some of her “research,” she couldn’t bring herself to let these items be seen. It was just too embarrassing.
“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Chen Ruo said sheepishly, finally reopening the door.
“Oh~” Ling Ning nodded knowingly. From Chen Ruo’s panicked reaction, she figured she’d interrupted her in the middle of “research,” and Chen Ruo had hurried to hide the evidence.
Ling Ning and Xiao Xiao stepped into the apartment, which looked just as tidy as it had during Ling Ning’s previous visit—everything in its place, except for a few empty snack wrappers and an open bag of spicy snacks on the table.
Chen Ruo noticed the wrappers, hurriedly cleaned them up, and carefully set the unfinished snack bag on the dining table. Wasting a single piece of spicy snack was simply unthinkable to her.
Following behind Ling Ning, Xiao Xiao was astonished. She’d read both of Chen Ruo’s adult-themed and BL manga, but she never imagined that the creator of such mature content would look like a young girl!
What is the world coming to, Xiao Xiao thought, When young girls are producing work like this?
Noticing Xiao Xiao’s shocked expression, Ling Ning leaned in and whispered, “Don’t let her looks fool you—Chen Ruo may seem young, but she has a daughter my little sister’s age.”
Feeling the warmth of Ling Ning’s breath on her ear, along with the subtle, pleasant scent Ling Ning carried, Xiao Xiao blushed slightly. And hearing Chen Ruo’s real age only left her more speechless; she could hardly believe that the “loli” in front of her was actually older than her.
Once everything was in order, Chen Ruo poured them each a glass of water and sat on the couch, curiously studying Xiao Xiao. After a moment, she asked, “You must be the editor who called me for directions, right?”
Xiao Xiao nodded, suddenly recalling the frustrating wild goose chase she’d been on. She probably shouldn’t have called the loli artist for directions.
“Hello, I’m Xiao Xiao. My boss sent me here to meet with you. And here’s a little gift,” Xiao Xiao said, holding out a large bag of spicy snacks. Although she was curious why her boss had specifically requested this, she’d complied.
The sight of the snacks immediately brought a gleam to Chen Ruo’s face. “Oh my! You didn’t have to!” she said, but eagerly accepted the bag and stashed it in a cabinet behind her, visibly delighted.
Watching this, Ling Ning couldn’t help but feel embarrassed for Chen Ruo.
“About the illustrations and cover art—your boss already spoke to me, so just let her know I’ll take on the job,” Chen Ruo said cheerfully. Receiving the snacks had clearly put her in a great mood, and she spoke to Xiao Xiao in a much warmer tone. After all, anyone who gave her snacks couldn’t be a bad person.
“Really?” Xiao Xiao blinked in surprise but quickly nodded. From the fact that her boss had sent her with a bag of snacks—and Chen Ruo’s reaction—she figured her boss and Chen Ruo were probably old acquaintances.
Just then, Xiao Xiao’s phone rang. After a brief conversation, she apologized to Ling Ning and Chen Ruo. “I’m really sorry, but my boss just called me with something urgent. I have to go.”
“Goodbye! Feel free to call me if you need anything~” Ling Ning said with a smile and a wave. Xiao Xiao had always been busy like this in their past life, constantly rushing around.
Suddenly, Ling Ning had a thought. If Xiao Xiao was here in this world, maybe her girlfriend from her previous life existed here too. If so, how was she doing now?
The urge to find her old girlfriend struck Ling Ning, but she quickly brushed it off. Finding someone in a world of billions was no easy task, and even if she found her, the other person probably wouldn’t recognize her.
“What’s on your mind?” Chen Ruo asked, noticing a distant look in Ling Ning’s eyes that replaced her usual cheerful expression. Ling Ning seemed lost in thought, her face carrying a hint of sadness.
Ling Ning managed a small smile. “It’s nothing, just thinking about the past.”
Chen Ruo felt a pang of sympathy. Even smiling, Ling Ning carried an air of melancholy that made her heart ache.
“Let’s watch some TV, then~”
Chen Ruo picked up the remote and turned on the TV. The screen immediately displayed a scene of two beautiful, unclothed women entwined together, accompanied by sounds that made anyone’s face turn red.
“Wait! Ling Ning, it’s not what you think! Don’t back away to the wall—please, let me explain!”
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Author’s Note:
This was all Xiniang’s idea—I swear, it has nothing to do with me! Also, I’m just friends with Xiniang, nothing more!