Chapter 399 : Fully Charged
“Ling Ning, was that girl just now someone you know?”
Lin Xi blinked curiously as she asked. She had held back earlier due to the strange atmosphere, but now she couldn’t resist her growing curiosity.
“Well~” Ling Ning chuckled softly without offering a clear answer. To her, Su Ya was someone deeply familiar, a person she couldn’t forget. But to Su Ya, Ling Ning was nothing more than a vaguely familiar stranger.
Lin Xi and Luo Xiaoyu exchanged glances, their curiosity intensifying. It felt as if a cat was clawing at their hearts. But since Ling Ning wasn’t forthcoming, there wasn’t much they could do.
Lin Xi, however, wasn’t ready to give up just yet. After mulling it over, she pressed on. “That Su Ya… could she be your ex-girlfriend or something?”
Ling Ning raised an eyebrow at the question, though the movement was subtle enough to go unnoticed.
“What makes you say that?”
“Just a hunch!” Lin Xi replied, feigning seriousness. Her “hunch” was entirely fabricated, based solely on the way Ling Ning had looked at Su Ya earlier. It reminded her of how she used to gaze at her ex-boyfriend.
Ling Ning sighed helplessly before speaking with a deliberately wistful tone. “I can’t believe you figured it out.”
“Wait, so it’s true?! Then why did she act like she didn’t recognize you? Did something happen? Did she lose her memory and forget about you?!” Lin Xi asked, her voice brimming with excitement.
Her imagination was already running wild, weaving a melodramatic love story filled with heartbreak and soap-opera twists.
“Actually… she was my girlfriend in a past life.”
Lin Xi’s excited expression froze, and her grin turned stiff. She stared at Ling Ning as if to say, Are you kidding me right now? A past-life girlfriend? By that logic, Lin Xi was a magical girl in her past life too!
“Have you been hanging around my sister too much?” Luo Xiaoyu quipped, her tone dripping with sarcasm. She had been listening intently, hoping for some juicy truth, only to find that Ling Ning was messing with them.
Ling Ning shook her head lightly. “These days, it seems no one believes the truth anymore.”
“If we believed you, we’d be fools!” They both retorted in unison.
Luo Xiaoyu sighed. “How about I show you around campus this afternoon?”
“No need. I just remembered something urgent, so I’ll head home for now. Thanks for your help today!” Ling Ning replied with a polite smile.
“Oh, alright. I need to start packing for school anyway,” Lin Xi said, sighing wistfully at the thought of the new semester.
As the two left, Ling Ning’s polite smile faded. There was no pressing matter—she simply didn’t have the energy to stick around. All she wanted now was to return home and find some peace.
She was still reeling from the encounter. Though she had seemed composed on the surface, her mind was a mess.
Why had it come to this? Meeting her past-life girlfriend should’ve been a moment filled with joy and countless things to say. But instead of happiness, the experience had left her heart heavy. Why did Su Ya have what seemed to be a boyfriend?
“Ugh!”
Frustrated, Ling Ning ruffled her hair, turning her previously neat locks into a mess. Not that she cared. After tidying up half-heartedly, she headed for the subway station. Going home and taking a break felt like the only viable plan.
The mental strain was overwhelming. She needed to start preparing for the steps of her NTR strategy.
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“Yawn~”
Xia You stared blankly at an empty cup of instant noodles. She had only just woken up after staying up all night editing videos. Though she wanted to accompany Ling Ning to registration earlier, her exhaustion had gotten the better of her.
Her “nap” had lasted until now, and she still felt groggy. Even after washing up and eating, her body felt drained, as if her energy had been sapped.
Glancing at the overflowing trash bin, Xia You sighed and slowly got up to take the garbage out. The distance to the dumpster wasn’t even 20 meters, but she still didn’t feel like moving.
Tossing the trash into the bin, Xia You thought wistfully, If only Ling Ning were here. Her energy could recharge me in an instant.
As if summoned by her thoughts, the elevator doors opened, and Ling Ning stepped out. Spotting Xia You, Ling Ning appeared briefly surprised before smiling. “Xia You, you’re up.”
“Mm, but why are you back so early?” Xia You asked. The faint fragrance Ling Ning carried seemed to refresh her completely. As expected, “Ling Ning Energy” was a miracle cure. Xia You now felt fully recharged.
“I had some things to take care of, so I came back a bit early,” Ling Ning said softly, brushing her hand against Xia You’s face. Noticing the dark circles under her eyes, Ling Ning’s expression softened with concern. “Don’t stay up late so often—it’s bad for your health.”
“Got it. This time was an exception since I wanted to finish a video before school starts,” Xia You explained. Then, as if remembering something exciting, she added, “Oh! When are we playing games together again? The last video we made got such a great response!”
“Let’s do it when we have some free time. For now, let me hold you for a bit,” Ling Ning said, extending her arms to hug Xia You tightly. Feeling Xia You’s soft and warm embrace, Ling Ning’s chaotic emotions began to settle.
“Eh?!” Xia You blinked in surprise but soon relaxed. Wrapping her arms around Ling Ning’s waist, she thought, I don’t know what’s wrong, but if Ling Ning wants a hug, she can have one. Even if it’s for a lifetime, I wouldn’t mind.
After a while, Ling Ning let go. “Sorry, I got a bit carried away. I’ll head back now. If you’re free tonight, come over for dinner.”
“Okay.”
Xia You watched Ling Ning leave, a dazed look on her face. For a fleeting moment, as Ling Ning turned away, it seemed like she was… crying.
Why?