Chapter 426 : I’m Really Not a Gaylord!
“All done!”
Looking around at the now spotless office, Ling Ning wiped the faint sweat from her forehead. This had been quite the cleanup. It seemed she’d need to visit more often to keep things in order.
Not that she had much of a choice—based on Qin Qing’s comments, there would be a lot of work coming her way. It looked like her carefree days were officially over.
Turning to look at the two people still deep in conversation, Ling Ning smiled wryly. “Hey, you two—having a good time?”
Hearing Ling Ning’s voice, the two snapped back to reality. Qin Qing glanced at her now-pristine office and, looking slightly embarrassed, said, “Ah, you always have to go out of your way for me.”
“It’s no big deal. By the way, when do you need the photoshoot done?”
“Right now would be good. Even though you’re fast, there’s still a lot of outfits to photograph. Go find Ji Xiaoyue; she’s got everything ready. I’m going to take a nap first—wake me up for lunch.” Qin Qing let out a yawn, visibly worn out from her three days of minimal sleep.
Ling Ning led Su Ya to the photoshoot area, where the outfits and team were already prepared. Staring at the rack full of clothes, Ling Ning felt overwhelmed. *This is a lot? Qin Qing has way too much faith in me. I’ll need at least until tomorrow to finish all this!*
“Xiao Ling Ning, long time no see! Did you miss your Sister Xiaoyue~?”
Before Ling Ning could process the amount of work ahead, a voluptuous older woman pulled her into a hug. The familiar scent of milk and the stifling embrace left Ling Ning struggling to breathe.
Su Ya, meanwhile, stood frozen nearby, staring blankly at the scene unfolding before her.
Finally managing to escape, Ling Ning exhaled deeply and shot Ji Xiaoyue an exasperated look. “Sister Xiaoyue, can you not greet me so enthusiastically every time? If you smother me to death one day, your ‘weapons’ will officially be classified as deadly!”
Having experienced this firsthand, Ling Ning finally understood what her daughter must feel every time they hugged.
“Hmph! You’re so cold, even when I’m being so warm and welcoming~”
“Alright, let’s get started.” Glancing at the rack full of clothes, Ling Ning sighed heavily.
“Fine, fine. Let’s go with the usual—start from the left and work our way to the right.”
Nodding, Ling Ning turned to Su Ya with a gentle smile. “I’m about to start working. You can sit over there and watch. If you get bored, let me know, and I’ll take you to the design department.”
“N-No, I’m fine here,” Su Ya replied softly.
Though the idea of visiting the design department sounded enticing, the thought of being surrounded by unfamiliar faces made her uneasy. She’d rather stay here and quietly watch Ling Ning work.
“Alright then.”
Ling Ning signaled to one of the staff members to look after Su Ya before heading to the dressing room with the first outfit.
When she emerged, she was wearing a black lace dress that completely transformed her aura. Su Ya couldn’t help but stare, slightly stunned.
After changing, Ling Ning moved on to makeup. Although she had already applied a light touch herself, Ji Xiaoyue wasn’t satisfied. Compared to the other models, however, Ling Ning’s natural features required little enhancement. Her makeup was always quick and straightforward.
For the shoot itself, Ling Ning’s skill shone through. Every pose and expression was executed flawlessly. According to Ji Xiaoyue, when Ling Ning was in the zone, she was like a living work of art—perfect from every angle.
Photographing Ling Ning was almost too easy.
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“Alright, let’s take a break and have some lunch.”
Ji Xiaoyue announced, stretching lazily. Her impressive figure caught the attention of several staff members—and even Su Ya found herself drawn to it.
Subconsciously, Su Ya glanced down at her own chest and felt a pang of inadequacy.
At that moment, Ling Ning approached her. “Xiao Ya, what’s wrong?”
“N-Nothing.”
Su Ya quickly averted her gaze, but her eyes darted toward Ling Ning’s chest. The feeling of defeat only deepened. It was one thing to lose to Sister Xiaoyue, but why did she also fall so far behind her peer Ling Ning? It just wasn’t fair!
“Bored? I’ll go change, and then we can grab lunch.”
“Mm.”
After changing back into her regular clothes, Ling Ning headed to Qin Qing’s office. She knocked lightly, but there was no response. Opening the door quietly, she found Qin Qing fast asleep on the couch. Her exhaustion was evident.
Ling Ning shook her head with a sigh. She gently adjusted the blanket that had slipped off Qin Qing before tiptoeing out of the room.
When Su Ya saw Ling Ning return alone, she asked curiously, “Isn’t Ms. Qin Qing joining us for lunch?”
“Let her rest a bit longer. I’ll bring her something later.”
“Oh, okay~”
As they headed downstairs, they ran into one of Qin Qing’s trusted colleagues, a plump man named Pang Zi.
“Hey, Ling Ning! Heading down for lunch too?” Pang Zi greeted her warmly.
“Yeah, Pang Zi. Haven’t seen Jilao around—where is he?”
“Jilao? He went down ahead of me. Why, were you looking for him?”
“Huh? Aren’t you and Jilao a couple? I figured where one of you is, the other wouldn’t be far behind,” Ling Ning teased with a grin.
Pang Zi nearly spat out blood. “I’m straight, okay?! Just because I hang out with him all the time… Wait, do the other employees think we’re together too?!”
Now that he thought about it, the way people looked at him recently had been… odd.
“Well, I’m off. Don’t want to interrupt your ‘date’ with Jilao. Bye!” Ling Ning waved cheerfully and left with Su Ya.
Watching her retreating figure, Pang Zi shouted indignantly, “I’m really not a gaylord!”
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Author’s Note:
Up next: innocent friendship recommendations! Today’s pick is The Third Miss of the Scarlet Manor/某红萌馆的三小姐, a delightful tale about a loli vampire and her daily escapades. In this world, yuri and cuteness reign supreme.