Chapter 241 : You Are All My Enemies!
"Do I really have to wear this?"
Li Si stared at the outfit on her bed—a feminine dress that Ling Ning had bought for her during their last outing. Even though Ling Ning had asked her to wear it yesterday, Li Si couldn’t shake a strange sense of embarrassment. She was, after all, a girl, so why did putting on a dress make her feel like a guy dressing up?
“Maybe I’ve pretended to be a boy for so long that I started seeing myself as one,” Li Si thought to herself.
After some hesitation, she took off her pajamas and awkwardly put on the dress that Ling Ning had given her. Since she had already made up her mind to reclaim her identity as a girl after graduating high school, she figured it was only a matter of time before she got used to wearing feminine clothes.
Looking at her reflection in the mirror, Li Si saw herself in a snug-fitting dress. Normally, she wore loose, boyish clothes, so this outfit felt unfamiliar—especially the feeling around her chest. She couldn’t help but wonder why Zheng Yun would want something so cumbersome.
Honestly, Li Si envied Zheng Yun's flat chest. Less fabric, no jiggling—a perfect setup.
Her hair had also grown out a bit recently. Caught up with her college entrance exams, she hadn’t found time to get it cut. After a moment’s thought, she took a hairpin that Ling Ning had given her and neatly pinned back her bangs, making her eyes more visible. It looked much better.
Satisfied with her preparations, Li Si skipped breakfast and headed to the spot where she and Ling Ning had agreed to meet.
After learning about Ling Ning’s habit of showing up early, Li Si had come a whole hour ahead of schedule this time. She didn’t want to make Ling Ning wait.
“Finally, I got here first, right?” She looked around and, not spotting Ling Ning, let out a small sigh of relief.
"What did you get here first for?"
The familiar voice behind her startled her, and she turned around to find Ling Ning standing there with a cheerful smile.
Today, Ling Ning wore a white dress that was a bit shorter than her usual style. Her face was lightly made up, and her long hair was tied in a rare ponytail, exposing her pale, elegant neck. Without her usual stockings, her long, graceful legs drew a fair share of glances from passersby.
As far as Li Si knew, Ling Ning rarely wore white dresses. Seeing her in one today, Li Si was struck by her beauty, feeling an unexplainable allure.
"L-Ling Ning, did…did you get here early?" Li Si stammered.
Ling Ning shook her head, lifting the bag in her hand, which held a warm batch of steamed buns. She had just bought them from a breakfast shop nearby. Since she’d gone to bed early the previous night—and had her daughter’s plushie to ensure a good night’s sleep—she had woken up early and gone out to buy breakfast, thinking Li Si might not have eaten yet.
"I just got here a little while ago and figured I’d get some breakfast. Since you’re here so early, I bet you haven’t eaten yet. Here, these buns are delicious!"
"T-Thank you."
Li Si took the bun and devoured it in big bites. As Ling Ning had promised, it tasted amazing. She finished one in just a few bites and reached for the second when she noticed Ling Ning smiling at her, which made her hesitate.
"Is there something on my face?" Li Si asked, touching her cheek.
Ling Ning shook her head and chuckled, "No, I just think you look really cute eating like that."
Watching Li Si eat reminded Ling Ning of her own former self. Nowadays, with her memories merged, she had developed the habit of eating slowly, which often left her at a disadvantage when competing for food with Li Qian.
Li Si’s cheeks reddened, her heartbeat speeding up at Ling Ning’s comment. She lowered her head and continued munching on the bun.
After they finished their breakfast, Ling Ning led Li Si to a café.
On the way, Li Si couldn’t help but wonder where Ling Ning was taking her. If it was that kind of place, what would she do?
When they arrived, Li Si finally remembered that one of Ling Ning’s part-time jobs was at a maid café. She had come here to look for a maid job…
“Well, if it isn’t Ling Ning! What brings you here so early, and why the outfit? Are you off to…do some ‘side work’?”
Chu Mengyao, who was sweeping at the door, looked at Ling Ning and chuckled.
"Shut up!" Ling Ning retorted. She didn't choose this outfit; for some reason, wearing a white dress always gave her this “escort vibe.” While it looked pure on others, somehow, it had the opposite effect on her.
But with the heat, she didn’t have much of a choice. She had even forgone her stockings to stay cool.
"So, is this the one you mentioned yesterday?"
Chu Mengyao squinted as she looked Li Si over. When her gaze landed on Li Si’s chest, she seemed taken aback. What was with this generation’s bust sizes? How was a flat-chested girl supposed to compete?
"Not bad…but a little heavy on top," Chu Mengyao muttered.
Li Si instinctively covered her chest, looking at Chu Mengyao with alarm.
Ling Ning nodded in agreement, "Yeah, I think so too."
"Shut up! You’re no better! You’re both my enemies!" Chu Mengyao shot a glance at Ling Ning’s chest and then at her own, a look of resignation crossing her face as she accepted her fate of never experiencing any “bounce.”
"Oh, whatever. I’m not going to argue with you over this."
Chu Mengyao sighed and turned to Li Si. “So, you’re Li Si, right? Are you sure you want to work here?”
Without hesitation, Li Si nodded. She didn’t have time to second-guess herself; even if she had to sacrifice some dignity, earning money was her top priority.
Plus, if she could work alongside Ling Ning every day, it would be wonderful.
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Author’s Note:
Valentine’s Day, huh? Huh!? Why do I suddenly have a torch and gasoline in my hands? Oh well, might as well burn the salted fish!