Chapter 421 : The Ugly Side of Europeans
“Ling… Ling Ning, what did Su Ya tell you?”
Looking at Xia You, who exuded an air of rightful authority, Ling Ning blinked her eyes before recounting her agreement with Su Ya in full detail. After all, even if she didn’t tell Xia You, it was only a matter of time before Xia You found out.
Besides, aren’t lovers supposed to be honest with one another?
After listening to Ling Ning’s explanation, Xia You, as usual, nodded lightly and then held Ling Ning’s hand, pulling her toward the cafeteria.
As they walked, Ling Ning glanced at Xia You in confusion. Her reaction was unexpectedly calm—Ling Ning had assumed Xia You would at least complain a little.
Seeing Ling Ning’s expression, Xia You smiled faintly. “Although I really want to lock you in the basement for a month, I know that would only make you angry at me. So as long as you’re by my side, I won’t mind anything else.”
Ling Ning opened her mouth slightly before softly clasping Xia You’s hand in return. Sometimes, a simple gesture was more meaningful than countless sweet words.
“The military training is already more than halfway over. It’s almost done, and then real university life will finally begin~” Ling Ning said with a hint of emotion.
The past few days of military training had been incredibly exhausting. For someone as physically weak as her, even the basic exercises felt like torture. But as a man—well, someone who used to be a man—she refused to give up on the training. So, she persevered.
However, this experience completely shattered her fleeting thought of going to the gym.
Originally, she had planned to get a gym membership once she had some free time at university. But now that she thought about it, working out seemed much less appealing compared to relaxing at home, writing, or scrolling through Bilibili.
“Ling Ning, are you tired?”
“Ah, so tired! Why is our instructor so cruel? He looked like such a nice person at first glance,” Ling Ning lamented, her tone utterly defeated.
Hearing Ling Ning’s complaint, a faint, inexplicable smile appeared on Xia You’s lips. “If you’re tired, I’ll give you a massage when we get back at noon.”
“Okay…” Ling Ning was about to agree but suddenly froze as if realizing something. Her smile stiffened, and she quickly changed her tone. “No… no need! I can handle it myself.”
“Huh? But it’s no trouble. Didn’t you compliment my massage skills just yesterday?”
At this moment, Xia You’s expression looked as though she were savoring a memory, causing Ling Ning’s heart to pound anxiously. Why? Why did Xia You, who usually seemed so timid and shy—like a little "uke"—always turn out like this?
Once or twice would be understandable, but why was she always the one being pushed down? Ling Ning couldn’t accept it!
Yet, every time, Xia You somehow managed to… persuade her. Ling Ning felt utterly helpless.
When they reached the cafeteria, the two grabbed their meals and started looking for a seat. Suddenly, someone called out to Ling Ning. She looked around and eventually spotted Xu Qing sitting in a corner wearing a camouflage uniform.
The cafeteria was full of new students in identical uniforms eating together. At first glance, everyone looked the same. If she hadn’t looked closely, Ling Ning might not have noticed her acquaintance.
“Xiao Qing Qing, long time no see~”
Ling Ning approached Xu Qing with a bright, smiling greeting.
“Long time no see.”
Xu Qing replied, giving Ling Ning a deep look. Because they were in different majors and their classrooms were in completely separate buildings, the two hadn’t met in a long time. They usually kept in touch through messaging apps.
Sitting beside Ling Ning, Xia You gave Xu Qing a smug glance. After all, she was the one sitting beside Ling Ning now.
Of course, Xu Qing noticed Xia You’s expression and let out a light snort. If only she had thought more carefully about her choice of major back then, it would definitely be her sitting beside Ling Ning now.
“Ling Ning, what brand of sunscreen did you use during training? Your face doesn’t look tanned at all.”
“Sunscreen? Just an ordinary brand. I don’t tan easily anyway, so I only need to worry about sunburn,” Ling Ning replied casually, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Xu Qing felt like she had asked the wrong question. How could she even talk to someone who didn’t tan? There was nothing more to say.
“By the way, Ling Ning, is anyone pursuing you right now?” Xu Qing asked, feigning nonchalance. On the surface, she appeared indifferent, but inside, she was incredibly nervous.
“Yeah, there are a few. But I haven’t paid them much attention.”
Thinking about the boys who approached her after training, Ling Ning couldn’t help but sigh. Every time she was exhausted after drills, they would try to strike up a conversation. Normally, she might have responded politely, but at those moments, she had zero interest in entertaining them.
“I see…”
Xu Qing let out a quiet sigh of relief. As long as Ling Ning didn’t have a boyfriend, her chances weren’t completely gone.
Just as Xu Qing was about to continue the conversation, an unwelcome voice suddenly interrupted. Ling Ning turned her head and found Lin Hai standing nearby, smiling at them.
Ling Ning frowned. Why did he show up everywhere she went? This wasn’t the first time—it had happened during meals over the past couple of days as well. To avoid him, she had even switched to a more distant cafeteria. Yet here he was again.
This was starting to feel suspicious.
“What a coincidence, Ling Ning. We meet again,” Lin Hai said cheerfully. Without asking for their permission, he sat down beside them and began eating his lunch.
Eating while admiring beautiful women—what a joy in life.
But seriously, every time he found Ling Ning, he noticed another gorgeous girl by her side. It made the effort he spent hiring someone to locate her seem completely worthwhile.
Suddenly, Lin Hai felt a chill run down his spine. He instinctively turned his head and glanced at the girl sitting beside Ling Ning.
If he remembered correctly, her name was Xia You. For some reason, this gloomy-looking girl gave off an unsettling, dangerous vibe.
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Author’s Note:
Who do you think this is, Rama or Sita? Personally, I think Rama is a bit more exciting~