Chapter 335 : I’ll Help You Put It On!
"Ling Ning, are you done yet? Do you need me to come in and help you put it on?" Zhou Xiaoxiao asked as she stood outside the dressing room.
Ling Ning had been inside for quite a while, and Zhou Xiaoxiao was getting impatient. She was nearly ready to barge in to give her a hand—if not for the sharp-eyed "little tail" nearby watching her every move.
Ling Ye glared at Zhou Xiaoxiao angrily. If anyone was going to help her Mom change, it would be her. Who did Zhou Xiaoxiao think she was, trying to butt in?
"J-just a moment, almost done," Ling Ning called from inside.
She sighed helplessly and looked at herself in the mirror, now clad in a white bikini. Why wasn’t this the swimsuit she had chosen? She had only wanted a modest one-piece, so how had she ended up with this?
Remembering the words of Zhou Xiaoxiao and her daughter when they had picked it out for her, she could only shake her head in exasperation. Was it her fault she had such a good figure?
Ling Ning took a deep breath and opened the dressing room door. Seeing the fiery gazes from Zhou Xiaoxiao and her daughter, she grew self-conscious. "So? I think I should go with the one-piece swimsuit instead."
"No, no, no! This one’s perfect! Right, Ye Ye?" Zhou Xiaoxiao declared.
Ling Ye nodded fervently, looking at her Mom with admiration. She wondered when she’d be able to grow a figure like her mom’s.
"See? Two votes in favor—this is the one," Zhou Xiaoxiao said.
"Wait, but I—"
Ling Ning began to protest but was quickly cut off.
"I know what you’re going to say, but this swimsuit was handpicked by your ‘sister.’ If you reject it, she’ll be so heartbroken~" Zhou Xiaoxiao said, glancing meaningfully at Ling Ye.
Catching on, Ling Ye immediately put on a sad, puppy-dog expression, staring at her Mom with big, teary eyes.
Ling Ning was speechless. She opened her mouth to retort but ultimately gave up. Fine. This one it is. She’d just throw on a cover-up when they hit the beach. After all, her daughter had picked it out with such enthusiasm.
Seeing Ling Ning’s defeated expression, Zhou Xiaoxiao smirked—her plan had succeeded.
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After changing back into her clothes, Ling Ning joined Zhou Xiaoxiao to buy accessories and swimming gear. She hadn’t realized there was so much to prepare for a simple beach trip.
"By the way, Xiaoxiao, didn’t you say you were short on cash recently? But you’ve been buying so much..." Ling Ning asked.
"Oh, I asked Chu Mengyao for an advance on my salary. Once we’re back, I’ll start repaying my debt," Zhou Xiaoxiao replied nonchalantly.
Seeing her cheerful demeanor, Ling Ning couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness. Even a rich girl like Zhou Xiaoxiao could end up like this.
With a sigh, Zhou Xiaoxiao muttered, "Once I graduate high school, I won’t have to work so hard anymore."
"Is that so?"
"Yup, but enough about that. Let’s see if there’s anything we forgot to buy..."
As Zhou Xiaoxiao reviewed their purchases, she realized they were missing sunglasses—an essential for a beach vacation. She quickly ran off to grab three pairs.
Ling Ye’s eyes lit up as she took a pair and put them on, striking a cool pose. She even considered saying something suave but decided against it since her Mom was right there.
"I think we’ve got just about everything. How about we find a place to sit down?" Ling Ning suggested, stretching her arms. After walking around for so long, her legs were starting to ache, and she wanted a break.
"What are you talking about? We’ve barely scratched the surface! We still need sunscreen, mosquito repellent, and so much more!" Zhou Xiaoxiao exclaimed, her excitement undiminished. It had been ages since she’d enjoyed such a satisfying shopping spree. She didn’t care if she had to dip into next month’s allowance—today was her day to splurge.
"...Alright," Ling Ning conceded.
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"Ugh~"
Ling Ning slumped into a chair at the restaurant, rubbing her sore feet. She hadn’t expected Zhou Xiaoxiao to drag her around for so long after leaving the swimsuit store. It was well past lunchtime before she was finally released.
"Ah, today’s shopping spree was amazing! Let’s keep going this afternoon~" Zhou Xiaoxiao beamed.
"Huh?" Ling Ning blinked in disbelief. "Didn’t we already buy everything?"
"Sure, we’ve got all the vacation stuff, but I still want to shop for clothes," Zhou Xiaoxiao said with a mischievous grin.
"Wait a second, didn’t you say your budget was maxed out?"
"Yeah, but I just called my mom and told her I needed to buy clothes. She didn’t even hesitate to send me more money. So, let’s go! You have to help me pick out outfits, Ling Ning~"
"...Fine," Ling Ning sighed in resignation. It seemed there was no escaping this. "By the way, have we decided when we’re leaving for the trip?"
Zhou Xiaoxiao thought for a moment before replying, "I have something to do tomorrow. How about the day after?"
"Sure, works for me."
Since Ling Ning had nothing scheduled, she was flexible. Then, a thought occurred to her, and she asked, "How long are we staying, and how are we getting there?"
"As long as you want to stay is fine with me. As for transportation, my dad said he’d drive us."
"Your dad?" Ling Ning’s eyes widened in shock. Was Zhou Xiaoxiao not worried her dad would figure out the truth about "her boyfriend"? If he found out, wouldn’t it be a disaster?
Zhou Xiaoxiao waved it off nonchalantly. "It’s fine~ Just trust your acting skills. You can totally bluff your way through."
"I..." What else could Ling Ning say at this point?
"Mom, I’m hungry~" Ling Ye interrupted with a pout. She had been watching her Mom chat with Zhou Xiaoxiao for ages. She understood it was an important discussion, but couldn’t they at least order food first? Didn’t they notice the waitress had been standing by for a while?
"I... I’ll order right away."
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Author’s Note:
For some reason, this salted fish suddenly feels very sad!