Chapter 485 : This Cake Is Delicious~
“Eh!? You’re really not going to eat?”
Ling Ning looked at Li Qian in surprise, not expecting her to actually order just a single serving for one. It seemed that Li Qian’s determination to stick to her diet was unshakable this time.
“Hmph! I said I wouldn’t eat, so I won’t. Nothing you say will change that!”
Although Li Qian said this confidently, her gaze couldn’t help but drift toward the cream cake sitting in front of Ling Ning. The luscious cream made her subconsciously swallow a gulp of saliva, but she remained steadfast.
She absolutely could not let all her recent workouts go to waste!
Even though Li Qian tried to hide it, Ling Ning keenly noticed the slight change in her expression. A subtle, amused smile curved on her lips as she said, “What a shame. Let me tell you, this cream cake is superb. In every way, it’s flawless.”
As Ling Ning spoke, she carefully used her fork to cut off a small piece of cake and placed it into her mouth, her face lighting up with exaggerated delight. While her performance might have been over the top, it was no less effective in tormenting Li Qian.
Li Qian gritted her teeth, clutching her twitching right hand to stop herself. She glared at Ling Ning. This little witch was deliberately tempting her! No, no—she had to resist. Once the cake was gone, this ordeal would be over.
Seeing Li Qian’s reaction, Ling Ning raised her eyebrows. She hadn’t expected her to withstand such temptation. It seemed she had underestimated her resolve.
But even so, Ling Ning still had other tricks up her sleeve.
Just as Li Qian was breathing a sigh of relief, thinking the worst was over, Ling Ning cut another small piece of cake and held it out in front of her. The enticing sight left Li Qian momentarily stunned.
“What are you doing?”
“Well, eating alone feels a little awkward. Xiao Qian Qian, have a bite too. It’s just a tiny piece—what harm could it do~?”
Li Qian hesitated as she stared at the tempting cake.
“Just… just one small piece should be fine, right?” she thought to herself, trying to rationalize it.
“Don’t hesitate. A single bite won’t hurt~”
“F-fine! I can’t believe you’re so insistent. Since you feel so awkward eating alone, I’ll help you out. But just a little, okay?”
With that, Li Qian slowly opened her mouth, letting Ling Ning feed her the small piece of cake. The familiar yet somehow new taste immediately struck a chord in her heart. Dieting be damned—she wanted to eat, eat, eat!
Without hesitation, Li Qian reached out and pressed the call button, ordering a fruit cake for herself.
“Eh? I thought you were on a diet, Xiao Qian Qian. What happened?”
“Ling Ning, you’re the worst!”
Wait—wasn’t that fork… the one Ling Ning had just eaten from? Did that count as an indirect kiss? Realizing this, Li Qian’s cheeks flushed red.
Ling Ning chuckled softly and mimicked Li Qian’s earlier words with an exaggerated seriousness: “I, Li Qian, would rather starve to death than eat a single bite of dessert!”
“Stop mocking me!”
Li Qian covered her face in embarrassment. Why had she made such a firm declaration earlier?
“Xiao Qian Qian, I’m telling you, I could laugh about this for a whole year.”
“Forget it. Forget it right now!”
Li Qian glared at Ling Ning with an intensity that seemed to say, Someone like you should be locked in a basement and properly dealt with to appreciate the joys of life.
“Don’t look at me like that. I was just joking. Honestly, your figure is already in great shape. Eating a little something now and then won’t hurt.”
“Hmph~”
A moment later, Li Qian’s cake arrived. Her eyes sparkled as she stared at it, practically drooling. To hell with dieting—desserts were life!
Watching Li Qian’s blissful expression, Ling Ning shook her head lightly. Just then, she noticed a familiar figure entering her line of sight.
It was a flamboyantly dressed woman. Ling Ning recalled almost bumping into her once before. Apart from that, she had the nagging feeling that she’d seen this woman somewhere else—likely here in this dessert shop.
After pondering for a moment, the memory struck her. This was the same woman who had stolen Lin Xi’s boyfriend! Their first encounter had indeed been in this dessert shop.
The woman seemed to sense something and turned toward Ling Ning. When their eyes met, the woman looked momentarily surprised but quickly recovered, offering a faint smile. Ling Ning couldn’t discern what her expression was meant to convey.
“What’s wrong?”
Li Qian turned to follow Ling Ning’s gaze but didn’t see anyone she recognized.
“It’s… it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”
“Oh~”
Ling Ning retracted her gaze and rubbed her chin thoughtfully. No, this wasn’t right. She felt like she’d seen the woman somewhere else, but where?
She couldn’t quite remember.
Not that it mattered. They didn’t have much of a connection anyway, so remembering wouldn’t change anything.
After finishing their desserts, Li Qian was about to pay when Ling Ning stopped her.
“What are you doing?”
“I’ll cover this afternoon tea. My treat this time.”
“Eh!?” Li Qian looked at Ling Ning in disbelief. Was this the Ling Ning she knew? Since when did she offer to pay for anything? She wondered if she was dealing with an imposter.
Ignoring Li Qian’s bewildered expression, Ling Ning also ordered two cakes to-go—one for her daughter and one for Xia You.
“It’s getting late. Xiao Qian Qian, want to come over to my place for dinner?”
Li Qian was tempted but ultimately shook her head. She had something important to do that evening. Otherwise, she’d definitely stay and eat Ling Ning out of house and home.
“What a pity. Well, I’ll head back now. See you tomorrow. Don’t forget about your free lunch~”
“Get lost!” Li Qian snapped irritably.
Every time she saw Ling Ning, was “free lunch” the only thing she could think about?!
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Author’s Note:
Tsk tsk tsk. Last night, this salted fish actually won at mahjong. You can’t curse this salted fish to fail, hahaha!