Chapter 502 : As Long as Ling Ning You Tonight
“What’s wrong?”
Seeing Zheng Yun suddenly freeze in place, Xia You looked at her with a puzzled expression.
“I felt something… just now.”
Standing at the entrance of the small restaurant, Zheng Yun frowned slightly. She had the distinct feeling that Li Si was nearby. Then again, it might have been just her imagination.
Shaking her head lightly, Zheng Yun said, “Never mind. It’s probably nothing. Let’s head in, Master.”
The two of them entered the restaurant. The owner, spotting Xia You, greeted her warmly. “Oh, if it isn’t Xia You! Here for dinner today?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“By the way, Ling Ning was just here as well. You two must be together, right?”
Raising her eyebrows briefly at this information, Xia You then offered a soft smile. “Mm. Ling Ning should be in one of the private rooms. I’ll go find her myself.”
“Alright then. Just let me know what you’d like to eat, and I’ll give you both a 20% discount~”
“Thank you, Boss~”
Zheng Yun stared at her master in confusion, unable to make sense of what had just happened.
Xia You turned her head slightly, speaking in a low voice. “Just follow me. If all goes well, you’ll see the person you’ve been wanting to meet.”
“Huh?!”
Blinking in disbelief, Zheng Yun had no idea what her master was talking about. But since Xia You said so, she figured there was no harm in following her lead.
Inside the private room, Ling Ning was waiting for the food to arrive when she suddenly heard the door creak open. She instinctively turned her head, expecting the waiter, but was greeted by a familiar face instead.
“Eh?! Xia You, what brings you here?” Ling Ning exclaimed in surprise.
“I heard from the owner that you were here, so I thought I’d come over. Am I interrupting?” Xia You asked innocently, her wide eyes gleaming with an almost childlike innocence.
Ling Ning chuckled softly. “Of course not.”
However, the next person to step in made Li Si visibly tense.
“Li Si~ Long time no see! Did you miss me?” Zheng Yun chirped as she plopped down beside Li Si and latched onto her arm, nuzzling against her affectionately.
Li Si shot Zheng Yun a helpless look. Her gut feeling had been spot on. Every time they met, it ended up like this. What was supposed to be a quiet dinner with Ling Ning was now thoroughly derailed.
Ling Ning, noting the situation, could only laugh lightly. “Well, since there are more people now, the dishes I ordered might not be enough. How about this—dinner’s on me tonight, Li Si. You can treat me next time~”
Li Si opened her mouth to protest, but Ling Ning’s next words silenced her.
“No arguments! If you say no, I’ll refuse to go out to eat with you next time~” Ling Ning teased with a mischievous grin.
After a moment’s hesitation, Li Si nodded.
Hearing how Ling Ning addressed Li Si, a faint, fleeting glint flickered in Xia You’s eyes before she quickly reverted to her usual soft demeanor, making it impossible to read her thoughts.
Meanwhile, the little loli Dong Xue, who had been napping on Ling Ning’s chest, stirred awake. Blinking groggily at the new arrivals, she looked around in confusion.
“Oh dear, Xiao Xue woke up? Did we disturb you?” Ling Ning asked gently, stroking Dong Xue’s head.
Dong Xue shook her head quietly. Seeing that the food hadn’t arrived yet, she nestled back into Ling Ning’s chest and promptly fell asleep again, her breathing even and calm.
Tilting her head, Ling Ning couldn’t help but marvel. Had Dong Xue mastered the art of falling asleep anywhere, anytime? That was quite an impressive skill.
Ling Ning added a few more dishes to the order. Watching Zheng Yun’s relentless attempts to pester Li Si, she sighed inwardly. The girl was certainly persistent.
Noticing Ling Ning’s gaze, Zheng Yun turned her head and glared at her fiercely. In Zheng Yun’s mind, it was Ling Ning’s presence that kept Li Si from accepting her confessions. Even if Ling Ning was someone her master cared for, Zheng Yun found it unforgivable.
Scratching her head awkwardly, Ling Ning thought, Why does it feel like I’ve become a target for her resentment again?
Sitting across from them, Xia You quietly reached out and held Ling Ning’s hand, her fingers softly caressing Ling Ning’s palm. A serene smile spread across Xia You’s lips as she savored the touch.
Ling Ning cast a sideways glance at Xia You but chose not to comment. Unlike Bai Yiyue, Xia You knew how to maintain a sense of decorum in public. If it had been her overly affectionate childhood friend, a single “kind smile” from Ling Ning would have been enough to deter her.
The dishes soon arrived, their delicious aroma wafting through the room. The scent reached Dong Xue’s nose, rousing her instantly. Her sleepy eyes lit up at the sight of the table full of food, and her drowsiness vanished.
Ling Ning chuckled. “Alright, let’s dig in. The food here is amazing, so don’t blame me if you miss out by being too slow~”
“So full…”
Ling Ning walked home with a satisfied smile, her wallet slightly lighter but her mood unburdened by dishwashing duties. On second thought, maybe doing the dishes wasn’t such a bad trade-off after all.
Trailing behind her, Li Si looked like she had something to say but hesitated. Her gaze fell on Zheng Yun, who was practically glued to her side. Shaking her head with a sigh, she finally spoke. “Ling Ning, I’ll head back with her from here.”
“Alright. If you need anything, just give me a call~”
“Mm.”
Only after hearing this did Zheng Yun release Li Si, stepping forward to bow respectfully to Xia You. “Master, I’ll take my leave as well.”
“Mm. Remember what I told you and keep at it.”
Listening to their exchange, Ling Ning couldn’t help but feel something was amiss. Once Zheng Yun and Li Si left, she turned to Xia You. “What exactly are you teaching Zheng Yun? What kind of game is this?”
“Huh? What game?” Xia You blinked innocently, fumbling with her words. “Oh, just a silly game. You wouldn’t be interested.”
“C’mon, tell me~ What game is it?”
“Well, I could tell you… but only if Ling Ning you tonight…”
“How could you?!”
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Author’s Note:
Salted Fish says: Hehehe~