Chapter 420 : That Ship’s Really Not Bad, Pretty Great Actually~
“Ugh!”
Su Ya glanced at Ling Ning, who was sitting a short distance away chatting with Xia You. She had thought Ling Ning might approach her and say something, but days had passed, and Ling Ning hadn’t come to talk even once. At most, she would glance in Su Ya’s direction or nod as a greeting.
Su Ya couldn’t help but wonder if Ling Ning’s confession that day had been a joke.
But the tone, the look in Ling Ning’s eyes, and especially that kiss—none of it had felt like a joke. So why? They were so close in proximity, yet Ling Ning hadn’t sought her out for a conversation.
Having seen Ling Ning frequently over the past few days only added to Su Ya’s inner turmoil.
“Something on your mind, Xiao Ya?” Lu Muyuan asked, noticing the conflicted expression on Su Ya’s face.
“No... it’s nothing.”
“Still stuck on your friend’s situation?”
Su Ya hesitated before responding, “Not exactly. It’s just… my friend asked me again. They’re wondering how they can figure out their own feelings.”
“Feelings, huh? It’s about how your heart feels when you’re with that person. Like how you feel when you’re with your boyfriend, for instance.”
“My boyfriend...”
Su Ya murmured, narrowing her eyes as she thought about it. Perhaps because she and Xie Zeyu had been classmates for three years, their outings together didn’t feel particularly special.
In fact, things didn’t feel much different from before his confession—it was all a bit too bland.
Whenever they were together, Xie Zeyu always talked about games, regardless of whether she understood or cared. Ling Ning, on the other hand, shared similar interests with her, so they always found common ground for conversation.
Being with Ling Ning felt reassuring, and Ling Ning’s casual gestures often made Su Ya’s heart race. Was this… what it felt like?
“Xiao Ya? Xiao Ya!”
“Huh? What? Did you say something?”
“I said, I haven’t seen your boyfriend around much lately.”
“He... might be busy with something recently~”
Since that incident, Xie Zeyu hadn’t contacted her. Even when they bumped into each other on campus, they acted like strangers. Thinking back, it made sense—after witnessing her kiss with Ling Ning, he wouldn’t have been able to ignore it. Though Ling Ning was a girl, there wasn’t exactly a rule against same-sex relationships nowadays.
Still, Su Ya felt a pang of annoyance. If he had moved on, he could’ve just broken up with her outright. Why flaunt his “new flame” in front of her? And if it was a misunderstanding, why not explain it properly?
Watching Su Ya’s troubled expression, Lu Muyuan grew more convinced that things weren’t as simple as Su Ya made them out to be. Something must have happened between her and her boyfriend.
Just as Su Ya was about to say something more, the whistle blew, signaling the end of the break. If they didn’t assemble quickly, there would be consequences.
Meanwhile, in the boys’ training group, their break had also just ended.
Watching Su Ya’s retreating figure, Xie Zeyu let out a heavy sigh.
“Are you really not going to explain things?” Wei Niang asked from beside him.
“I… I don’t know how to explain it. After all, it’s partly my fault to begin with.”
“If it’s about our situation, I can explain it to her. It’s not what she thinks it is.”
Xie Zeyu let out a bitter laugh. “It’s not just that—it’s about what happened before.”
He couldn’t stop thinking about how he had been so absorbed in gaming recently that he had missed several dates with Su Ya. It was undeniably his fault. That neglect had probably given her close friend the opportunity to step in.
If only he hadn’t been so addicted to games back then, maybe things could’ve turned out differently.
Wei Niang looked at Xie Zeyu intently but decided to say no more. Instead, he leaned back against the wall, quietly sitting by his side.
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“Xiao Ya, is there something you want to talk about?”
Ling Ning smiled as she looked at Su Ya, who had approached her after morning training ended. Su Ya had said she wanted to have a private chat.
Facing Ling Ning, Su Ya felt a whirlwind of emotions stir within her. Taking a deep breath, she finally asked, “I... I just wanted to know if what you said to me that day was serious.”
“Of course, I was serious! I would never joke about something like that.”
“Then why have you been avoiding me these past few days?”
“I wasn’t avoiding you. I was just worried you might be upset after what I did, so I didn’t dare approach you,” Ling Ning replied earnestly.
Su Ya opened her mouth but found herself at a loss for words.
“So, Xiao Ya, are you here to accept my confession? Or to reject it?” Ling Ning asked with a bright smile.
“I… haven’t decided yet,” Su Ya admitted hesitantly.
Ling Ning nodded thoughtfully, then leaned closer with a playful grin. “In that case, why don’t we try dating for a month? If, after a month, you still don’t like me, I’ll give up. But if you do, then we’ll make it official. What do you say?”
“Well...” Su Ya hesitated, torn. But deep down, she knew she couldn’t let things drag on indefinitely—it would only make her feel worse. After a moment, she nodded. “Alright.”
“Great! How about we start counting after military training ends?”
“Okay.”
“Until then, Xiao Ya won’t mind if I call you, chat with you, or go shopping with you, right?” Ling Ning asked with a mischievous smile. Even though she felt confident she could win Su Ya over, extending their time together could only improve her chances.
“Ling Ning, you’re shameless.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment~”
“······”
Though Ling Ning appeared cheerful, a faint trace of worry lingered in her heart. Su Ya still didn’t know about her current relationship with Xia You. If Su Ya found out, things could go very wrong.
Her thoughts grew increasingly tangled. Why was managing a “harem” so difficult? In novels, everyone’s relationships seemed to fall into place effortlessly. Maybe she was a fake transmigrator after all.
For now, all she could do was take things one step at a time. After all, as the saying goes, the ship always rights itself as it nears the bridge. Speaking of ships, this one really wasn’t bad—pretty great, actually.
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Author’s Note:
Surprisingly, I managed to pull Black Jeanne without sinking the ship! I even had funds ready to splurge, but she came in the first round... Oh, and the illustration was suggested by Xi Niang—blame her, not me~
