Chapter 543 : What Do You Think
"Ling Ning, you seem a bit down today. Is something bothering you?"
This morning, Xia You originally planned to go grocery shopping with Ling Ning, but when she saw her, she noticed an uncharacteristic air of melancholy about her.
Having spent a lot of time with Ling Ning, Xia You immediately sensed that something was troubling her.
Hearing Xia You’s concern, Ling Ning turned her head, sighed softly, and shook her head. "It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it. Anyway, what do you feel like eating today?"
"Anything is fine, you know me~" Xia You looked at Ling Ning, hesitated for a moment as if she wanted to say something, but ultimately decided against it.
Ling Ning pondered for a moment. She recalled that her daughter had mentioned craving hot pot recently. Hot pot it would be for lunch, and she planned to spend the day at home to accompany her daughter.
"Let’s have hot pot for lunch. Wait a moment while I change clothes~"
Watching Ling Ning’s retreating figure, Xia You lowered her gaze in thought. Last night, when she left, Ling Ning had been her usual cheerful self. What could have happened overnight to change her mood so much?
Could she have had an argument with Ling Ye?
On second thought, that didn’t seem likely. Ever since Xia You had known Ling Ning, she had never seen her argue with Ling Ye. If anything, Ling Ning doted on her excessively.
No matter what Ling Ye wanted, Ling Ning would do it for her. If Xia You didn’t know the nature of their relationship, she might even feel a bit jealous.
Before she could dwell further, Ling Ning returned, dressed and ready. Seeing Xia You sitting on the sofa, she smiled brightly. "Let’s go~"
"Where’s Ye Ye? I didn’t see her this morning."
"She started writing right after breakfast. Besides, with how cold it is, she wouldn’t want to go out. We shouldn’t linger either; let’s get the groceries quickly and head back. It’s supposed to be even colder today than yesterday."
"Alright."
The two of them left the complex and headed straight to the nearby market. While the supermarket was closer, some things could only be found at the market.
Despite the drop in temperature, the market was bustling as usual, likely because it was a holiday.
After finishing their shopping, as they were about to leave, Ling Ning spotted a familiar figure at the market entrance. Surprised, she walked over and gently tapped the person on the shoulder, smiling. "Disciple, what are you doing here?"
Startled by the sudden voice, Jiang Xue instinctively jumped forward. When she turned around and saw her Teacher and Xia You standing beside her, she relaxed.
"Am I that scary? Seeing me is like seeing a ghost. I’m going to feel hurt, you know~"
"N-no, it’s not like that! I was just looking at something and got startled. That’s all, really!" Jiang Xue stammered, flustered.
Ling Ning chuckled softly. Her disciple was as innocent as ever. "Alright, I was just joking. But what are you doing here? Don’t tell me you’re grocery shopping?"
"Yes." Jiang Xue nodded, somewhat embarrassed.
Hearing her response, Ling Ning’s face showed genuine surprise. "But you can’t cook, right?"
"I just suddenly felt like trying..." Jiang Xue blinked. She was telling the truth. After watching a food-themed anime called Spirit of the Culinary King, she had been inspired to try her hand at cooking. However, upon arriving at the market, she realized she hadn’t decided on a dish to make.
When Ling Ning saw her earlier, Jiang Xue had been searching online for recipes.
"Really?"
"Yes."
Ling Ning, seemingly remembering something, asked curiously, "By the way, Disciple, the results for the Water Dragon Awards you entered should be out by now, right? I’ve been a bit busy lately and forgot to check. How did you do?"
"Second place..."
"Wow! That’s amazing! Why didn’t you tell me sooner? I would’ve thrown a celebration for you~"
Jiang Xue pursed her lips. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to share. But every time she thought about the time she impulsively kissed her Teacher, she worried she wouldn’t be able to hold back the next time they met. That’s why she hadn’t mentioned it.
"Why don’t you come over to my place today? We’re having hot pot for lunch~" Ling Ning suggested cheerfully, shaking the bag full of ingredients in her hand.
Hearing the mention of hot pot, Jiang Xue couldn’t help but swallow nervously. But after a moment of consideration, she reluctantly declined.
"I see. Then we’ll celebrate another time. I’ll invite Madam Chen too~ Alright, we’re heading back. If you run into any trouble while cooking, just call me."
With that, Ling Ning and Xia You walked away.
Watching her Teacher’s retreating figure, Jiang Xue finally breathed a sigh of relief. Just seeing her had brought a flood of images from her "study materials" into her mind. Was she broken?
She had sworn to stop indulging in such things, yet she couldn’t resist. Every time she started, she couldn’t stop.
Over time, she had gone through most of the "study materials" stored on that little USB drive.
Once Ling Ning was out of sight, Jiang Xue sighed softly again. Looking at the market entrance, she suddenly lost the motivation to cook. She realized she much preferred eating food made by her Teacher.
"If only my Teacher could cook for me forever," Jiang Xue thought silently.
Meanwhile, a short distance away, Xia You suddenly asked, "Jiang Xue is really your disciple? I always thought she called you that as a joke."
"Of course! I’m her life Teacher~" Ling Ning declared proudly.
"Wow, I didn’t know Ling Ning was so impressive."
Xia You glanced at Ling Ning. A life Teacher, huh? It didn’t seem wrong. If it weren’t for Ling Ning being by her side, then perhaps... Ling Ning might be her life Teacher too.
"What’s up? Want to have a life chat with your Teacher?"
"Yes, I’d like to chat with you about life. Preferably... in bed. What do you think?"
"No way, I refuse!"
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Author’s Note:
Today’s salted fish still hasn’t rolled Maya~