Chapter 423 : Master... Something
"Finally free!"
At this moment, Ling Ning was in Xia You’s room, dressed in a light nightgown, hugging Xia You tightly. Xia You, nestled in Ling Ning’s arms, was engrossed in her game, occasionally offering commentary. Today was supposed to mark the final day of military training, so technically, they shouldn’t have been here.
Just hours ago, Ling Ning and Xia You had been wearing their thick camouflage uniforms, preparing for the final military drill performance on the field.
But before it even began, the previously clear sky suddenly turned overcast, accompanied by low rumbles of thunder. Soon after, a light drizzle began.
With no other choice, the school decided to end the drill early, granting everyone an early start to the post-training break. Including the following two days, they now had a two-and-a-half-day holiday—a pleasant surprise.
Ling Ning hadn’t expected the rain to be so heavy, especially when the weather forecast had predicted clear skies. Her plans to meet up with Su Ya were now scrapped. In this downpour, going out wasn’t an option, so she could only hope for better weather tomorrow or the day after.
Taking in the faint fragrance of Xia You’s hair, Ling Ning softly murmured into her ear, “Xia You, how are we going to handle lunch? The fridge is out of ingredients, and the rain is too heavy to go out. Should we order delivery? Or just settle for instant noodles?”
“Ling Ning, you’re just too lazy to cook,” Xia You replied with a faint smile.
“How could that be? I told you, there are no ingredients!”
“Whatever Ling Ning wants to eat is fine with me. As long as I get to eat with you, even plain steamed buns would taste amazing.”
Hearing this, Ling Ning instinctively shrank back a little, stammering, “S-Steamed buns might be a bit much. Let’s just go with instant noodles for lunch. I’ll boil some water.”
Watching Ling Ning’s retreating figure, Xia You’s lips curved into a beautiful smile. She wished time could stop at this moment—just the two of them in the whole world.
Humans are never truly content.
Long ago, Xia You would have been satisfied simply watching Ling Ning from afar. After becoming her neighbor, she had hoped to stay by her side forever. Now that they were officially together, Xia You found herself wishing she could have Ling Ning all to herself.
“Xia You, you’re about to die! Heal up quickly!”
Ling Ning’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts. Xia You reflexively maneuvered her game character to avoid the monster’s attack and quickly healed herself, narrowly avoiding disaster.
“What’s wrong? You seem distracted.”
“Just… thinking about something.”
Xia You turned her head and placed a gentle kiss on Ling Ning’s lips.
Ling Ning, already used to Xia You’s affectionate gestures since their relationship had deepened, responded casually, almost as if she enjoyed it.
“All right, the water’s boiling. I’ll go make the noodles~”
Ling Ning said with a smile, leaving Xia You’s room to finish her task in the living room.
A short while later, the aroma of instant noodles wafted in from the living room. Ever since moving in with Ling Ning, Xia You had rarely eaten instant noodles, opting instead to enjoy Ling Ning’s cooking or order takeout.
Noticing that Xia You was busy battling a boss, Ling Ning chuckled to herself. She picked up the bowl of noodles and began feeding Xia You.
Initially, Xia You had planned to pause her game to eat, but Ling Ning’s gesture caught her off guard. Still, being fed by Ling Ning made the noodles taste even better.
“Hey, Ling Ning, do you have anything planned after lunch?” Xia You asked.
Ling Ning paused for a moment, then shook her head. She didn’t want to do anything today—just relax and watch Xia You play games.
“Nothing. Why?”
“Well… how about we do some after-meal exercise?” Xia You said, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
“After-meal exercise? No way, I’m not moving.”
“Huh? But you don’t need to move.”
“Don’t need to move? Wait! You don’t mean—no way! Unless… unless I’m on top!”
“Sure.”
Seeing Xia You’s smile, Ling Ning couldn’t shake the feeling that things wouldn’t be so simple. But whatever—this time, she was determined to be assertive and show Xia You who was the real master here!
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When Ling Ye returned home from school, she found her Mom slumped on the couch, watching TV with a dejected expression.
“Mom, what’s wrong?” Ling Ye asked curiously.
“N-Nothing. I just got counter-killed while playing a game earlier. It’s no big deal,” Ling Ning replied, her face a mask of despair.
“Oh, okay. I’ll go take a shower first.”
Even though she had brought an umbrella to school, the heavy rain and wind had left her soaked. If she didn’t dry off and change soon, she risked catching a cold.
“Mm, go ahead. Mom will start making dinner.”
Ling Ning sighed as she got up and went to the kitchen. She opened the fridge and retrieved ingredients for dinner. Her earlier claim of having no ingredients had only applied to Xia You’s fridge. Her own fridge was fully stocked—she’d just been too lazy to cook lunch.
Just as Ling Ning placed the rice in the cooker, her phone rang. The caller ID showed it was Qin Qing, likely about work.
“Hello? Ling Ning speaking. You’re done with military training now, right?” Qin Qing asked.
Ling Ning chuckled. Qin Qing’s straightforwardness was as strong as ever. “Yes, the drills ended today, and I have the next two days off. Is there work to do?”
“Yes, the project I mentioned before. If you’re free tomorrow, come over. It should only take a day.”
“Got it! No problem!” Ling Ning paused, a thought crossing her mind. “Sister Qin Qing, can I bring a classmate to visit the company tomorrow?”
“A classmate? Sure, why not? Don’t forget—you’re one of our major shareholders now.”
“Thank you, Sister Qin Qing!”
⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱
Author’s Note:
I don’t feel like writing today. I just want to grind gacha pools, clear the Abyss, raid with my team, scavenge in Yae Village, maybe play Gwent, hide behind barrels with a camera, build wonders, and light the fire...