Chapter 507 : I Understand
“Sister, I’m home—uh!?”
Xu Xiaoxiao pushed open the door, only to be greeted by the sight of her sister pinning Ling Ning down on the sofa. Ling Ning’s flushed face, disheveled clothing, and startled expression all screamed that she had walked in at the worst possible time.
Hearing her sister’s voice, Xu Qing instinctively turned her head. She froze when she saw her sister standing at the doorway, and the compromising position she and Ling Ning were in suddenly became glaringly obvious.
Before Xu Qing could say anything, another figure appeared behind Xu Xiaoxiao. It was Qin Sirou, one of Xu Xiaoxiao’s close friends.
Qin Sirou gasped, covering her mouth in shock. Her wide eyes remained fixed on the pair on the sofa, as if waiting to see what would happen next.
Ling Ning blinked, a sinking feeling in her chest. If her daughter said she was out playing with friends today, then by her calculations, there was a high chance that those friends included the two people now standing before her. If that was true, there was only one inevitable conclusion.
As expected, right after Qin Sirou appeared, Ling Ye followed her inside. The moment Ling Ye saw her Mom being pinned by Xu Qing, her entire expression darkened.
It took Xu Qing a long moment to recover. She quickly straightened herself and got off Ling Ning, her face flushed with embarrassment. How had things escalated to this point? They were just playfully messing around—how did it turn into this?
“Ahem. So, why are you all back so early?”
“Well, it looked like it might rain, and since we didn’t bring umbrellas, we thought it’d be better to come home,” Xu Xiaoxiao explained. After a pause, she added, “Did we interrupt something?”
“Ahem, no, no! It’s not what you think,” Xu Qing stammered. “Your Sister Ling Ning was provoking me, so we were just fooling around. There’s really nothing to misunderstand here!”
Xu Xiaoxiao nodded slowly, though her expression screamed, Sure, I get it. In movies and TV shows, people who said things like this were rarely innocent.
Seeing her sister’s knowing look, Xu Qing felt like pulling her hair out. Why couldn’t Xu Xiaoxiao overthink when she should and not overthink when she shouldn’t?
“It’s true. We were just messing around.”
Ling Ning chimed in, straightening her clothes. If she didn’t clarify things, her daughter might start overanalyzing the situation. Ling Ning didn’t know why, but every time Ling Ye saw her with other girls, she seemed… jealous?
Ling Ning had thought about this before. She suspected her daughter’s attachment to her might simply be overdependence. Surely, this would fade as Ling Ye grew older… right?
Hearing Ling Ning’s explanation, Ling Ye’s expression softened, though a hint of jealousy remained.
She quietly walked over to her Mom, climbed into her lap, and sat there as if declaring ownership. Mom belongs to me—no one can take her away!
Ling Ning couldn’t help but laugh at her daughter’s antics. She gently patted Ling Ye’s soft hair and asked, “Ye Ye, did you all have lunch yet?”
“We did. We ate at ‘Lan Lan Lu.’”
“Then, Ye Ye, can you get off for a bit? Mom needs to eat her instant noodles.”
Glancing at the cup of noodles, Ling Ning sighed. Given how much time had passed, they were probably overcooked. What a waste.
Ling Ye reluctantly wriggled out of her Mom’s lap but stayed by her side, unwilling to move too far away.
Opening the noodles confirmed Ling Ning’s fears—they were a soggy mess. She glanced over at Xu Qing, whose expression mirrored her own. Neither of them felt the slightest appetite for the ruined meal.
“Uh, Xiao Qing Qing, do you have any extra noodles? Let’s make a new batch.”
Xu Qing shook her head. “That was the last of them.”
“Isn’t there a convenience store nearby? Why don’t you go grab some?” Ling Ning said in a cutesy tone.
“Why don’t you go? I boiled the water and added the seasoning packets. It’s your turn to contribute,” Xu Qing replied, deadpan.
“Well… while that’s true, I’m a guest, aren’t I? Is it really okay to send a guest out to buy things?”
“Uh…”
Their back-and-forth was cut short by the sudden sound of rain pouring down outside.
They exchanged a glance before silently resigning themselves to eating the soggy noodles. If they couldn’t muster the effort on a sunny day, going out in the rain was even less appealing.
Xu Xiaoxiao watched the two lazy individuals with exasperation. Sighing, she wondered how anyone could be this unwilling to move. Then again, if she put herself in their shoes, she wouldn’t want to go out in the rain either.
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“Bye, Xiao Qing Qing! I’ll visit again soon~”
After saying goodbye, Ling Ning left Xu Qing’s house with Ling Ye and Qin Sirou. Fortunately, the rain hadn’t lasted long, and the skies cleared before nightfall. Otherwise, Ling Ning might have been tempted to stay overnight.
The rain had also cooled the air, making the walk home much more pleasant.
Since Qin Sirou was leaving with them, Ling Ning decided to drop her off first. Although Qin Sirou protested, saying it wasn’t necessary, Ling Ning insisted. With the evening approaching, she felt it was safer this way.
Ling Ye had no objections.
By the time they reached Qin Sirou’s house, night had fallen. When Qin Sirou opened the door, Ling Ning was surprised to find Qin Qing not only home but also accompanied by Sister Shui Shui. The sight genuinely caught her off guard.
“Ling Ning, why not stay for dinner before you go?”
Just as Ling Ning was about to decline, Qin Qing added, “I bought a ton of fresh seafood today—it’s top-notch.”
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Author’s Note:
You understand, I understand, we all understand.