Chapter 372 : I Didn’t Do Anything... Probably
“Ugh, I’m so full.”
Ling Ning clutched her stomach, a look of despair on her face. She had gotten carried away and eaten too much, leaving her feeling uncomfortably bloated.
“Who told you to keep stuffing your face like that?” Li Qian teased, forcing a smirk. Truthfully, she had also overeaten while keeping up with Ling Ning, but her pride wouldn’t let her admit it.
Ling Ning glanced at Li Qian’s stomach and was tempted to point out that her belly was already bulging.
“B***h, why do I feel like Sun Ting keeps staring at us? And she’s smiling... but it looks weirdly friendly,” Ling Ning whispered, tugging on Li Qian’s sleeve.
“Of course she’s staring. You stole her spotlight. Why wouldn’t she?” Li Qian replied, clearly amused.
From the moment they had arrived, Sun Ting’s gaze had been glued to them. It was obvious to Li Qian, but seeing her middle school nemesis so out of sorts was immensely satisfying.
In fact, if she had any interest in boys, Li Qian might have been tempted to steal Sun Ting’s boyfriend just to see her reaction. The thought alone made her grin even wider.
At that moment, Zhang Hao approached with two glasses of wine, flashing a charming smile. “Would you ladies like a drink?”
“No, thank you,” Ling Ning declined without hesitation.
While she did enjoy drinking, she would never do so with someone unfamiliar—especially not a man. With her low alcohol tolerance, she could easily get drunk, and who knew what might happen then? She only ever drank with close friends.
“This is just wine. It’s very light—won’t get you drunk,” Zhang Hao persisted.
“Yeah, come on. It’s rare for everyone to get together like this. Just have a sip,” some classmates chimed in.
Ling Ning recalled advice from her past life: “Anyone who insists on making a girl drink isn’t up to any good.” Her old girlfriend had said that, and she’d remembered it ever since.
“I’m sorry, but I’m allergic to alcohol,” Ling Ning said, politely but firmly.
Zhang Hao’s smile faltered, and a hint of annoyance flickered across his face before he forced a grin. “If you’re not drinking, then how about you, Li Qian?”
Li Qian gave a sweet yet mischievous smile. “Oh, I get drunk easily. Even a little bit and I’m out.”
Her words immediately caught the attention of several male classmates, their eyes gleaming with interest. Even Ling Ning was momentarily taken aback, though she chose not to comment since Zhang Hao was still standing there.
“Ah Hao, if neither of them will drink, I’ll join you,” Sun Ting chimed in, raising her glass with a sultry smile. Her cheeks were already flushed from alcohol, and the faint blush only added to her allure, drawing the attention of many men in the room.
Humiliated by the back-to-back rejections, Zhang Hao retreated to his seat and began drinking alone.
Once Zhang Hao had left, Ling Ning leaned close to Li Qian and whispered, “B***h, should we leave soon, or stick around a bit longer?”
Li Qian thought for a moment before replying, “Let’s wait and see. It’d be rude to leave right after eating.”
Ling Ning nodded in agreement. Despite her desire to leave, it would indeed feel impolite to disappear right after the meal.
While the two whispered to each other, Zhang Hao suddenly stood up and announced, “Alright, everyone, don’t drink too much. I’ve booked a private room at the ‘Lucio Music Lounge’ for the afternoon. Let’s head there to sing karaoke after this.”
Hearing this, Ling Ning immediately wanted to leave. She wasn’t in the mood for karaoke, and with all the attention she had been getting, she could already imagine how the afternoon would go.
Noticing her discomfort, Li Qian whispered, “If you don’t want to go, we can just make an excuse to leave.”
She had already achieved her goal for attending the reunion. Spending the afternoon alone with Ling Ning sounded much more appealing—and the thought made her a little giddy.
Meanwhile, Sun Ting had been sipping her wine and stewing in her jealousy. The alcohol fueled her frustration, and an impulsive idea formed in her mind: she’d make that spotlight-stealing Ling Ning embarrass herself.
Her plan was simple. She would walk over to Ling Ning and Li Qian, pretend to trip in her high heels, and accidentally spill her wine on them. It was an easy excuse, and no one would question it.
However, just as she approached, fate intervened. Sun Ting genuinely misstepped in her high heels and lost her balance. Flailing her arms to steady herself, the wine in her glass flew through the air in a perfect arc, splashing onto several classmates—including Zhang Hao, who was sitting directly across from Ling Ning.
The wine thoroughly drenched Zhang Hao, staining his once-white shirt a deep red.
And Sun Ting? She landed flat on her back in a most undignified manner, completely losing her composure.
Ling Ning, who had been mid-conversation, blinked at the chaotic scene in front of her, still trying to process what had just happened.
“Are you okay?” Ling Ning asked, standing and offering Sun Ting a hand.
Sun Ting, however, ignored her and stood up on her own, wincing. That fall had been painful, and she silently cursed herself for wearing such high heels.
As she rose, her eyes met Zhang Hao’s. His expression was stone-cold, his shirt soaked and ruined.
Forcing a smile, Zhang Hao addressed the group. “Sorry, everyone, but I won’t be able to join you for karaoke this afternoon. Feel free to go ahead without me—just mention my name at the front desk.”
With that, he turned and walked out of the private room without a backward glance.
Realizing she had to follow him, Sun Ting hurried after him. But before leaving, she shot Ling Ning and Li Qian a venomous glare.
Ling Ning blinked, looking genuinely puzzled. “I didn’t do anything... probably.”
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Author’s Note:
Salted fish is working hard on stockpiling chapters~