Chapter 602 : The Four Heavenly Kings, Wait... Five
“Ling Ning, isn’t Xu Qing going to Bai Yiyue’s concert? If I recall correctly, she’s one of Bai Yiyue’s most devoted fans.”
Ling Ning’s expression turned awkward at the question. Honestly, she had no idea. Ever since that incident, Xu Qing had stopped contacting her.
Despite Ling Ning’s attempts to reach out, Xu Qing either ignored her calls or avoided her at school. Even when Ling Ning tried to ambush her by arriving early, Xu Qing always managed to slip away—as if someone were tipping her off.
Why had things turned out this way?
Noticing her odd expression, Li Meng asked curiously, “Ling Ning, is something wrong?”
“No… it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it. As for Xu Qing, I’m not sure. But I did give her a ticket, so I think she’ll come~” Ling Ning replied, her tone uncertain.
Li Qian raised an eyebrow. Something about Ling Ning’s response seemed off. Just as she was about to ask more, Ling Ning quickly changed the subject.
“It’s getting late. Let’s find a place to eat first. After lunch, we can kill some time before heading back to campus.”
“Oh~”
Li Qian and Li Meng both caught the abruptness of her topic change but decided not to press further, noticing that Ling Ning seemed reluctant to continue.
Ling Ning scanned her surroundings and quickly spotted a nearby restaurant. She had been there a few times before; the food was good and reasonably priced, making it the perfect choice for lunch.
As they entered the restaurant, Ling Ning immediately noticed a group of familiar faces—Chu Feng and her friends. She raised an eyebrow. What were the odds? Randomly picking a restaurant and running into acquaintances… fate, perhaps?
However, this time Chu Feng’s group included someone new: Wei Suozhai’s younger sister, whom Ling Ning recognized from her neighborhood.
Sensing her gaze, Chu Feng instinctively looked up and met Ling Ning’s eyes. Her expression became slightly awkward. Running into familiar faces wasn’t unusual, but if her sister showed up, it could cause unnecessary complications—like exposing her true identity.
Ling Ning chuckled softly and gave Chu Feng a reassuring look, silently promising not to interfere. Following the waitress, she took a seat at a table not too far from Chu Feng’s group—close enough to observe but far enough not to intrude.
Returning her attention to her companions, Ling Ning smiled and said, “Let’s order. The food here is pretty good.”
As Li Qian browsed the menu, she asked curiously, “Were those your friends you were looking at just now?”
“More or less. But they seem to be on a date, so I thought it best not to disturb them~” Ling Ning replied with a sly grin.
Seeing that grin, Li Qian suddenly felt an urge to mourn for Ling Ning’s “friends.”
Meanwhile, at the other table, Wei Suozhai was chatting animatedly with Chu Feng, seemingly oblivious to his surroundings. At some point, feeling warm, he shrugged off his jacket. Unbeknownst to him, a small USB drive slipped out of his pocket and onto the floor.
As a passerby walked by, they accidentally kicked the USB, sending it skittering across the floor and out of sight. Noticing nothing amiss, the person glanced down briefly before continuing on their way.
At Ling Ning’s table, she felt something bump against her boot. Looking down, she spotted a small USB drive on the floor. Picking it up, she examined it curiously. The label on it read: TOP SECRET.
The words piqued her curiosity. Why would someone label a USB drive like this? Did it contain some kind of “important study material”?
Before she could ponder further, Li Qian and Li Meng returned from the restroom.
“Ling Ning, what’s up?” Li Qian asked, noticing her thoughtful expression.
Startled, Ling Ning quickly slipped the USB into her pocket. “Nothing. Just thinking about something. By the way, have you decided where to go this afternoon? Remember, the concert isn’t until the evening.”
“No worries. We can always catch a couple of movies. I heard there’s a new horror film that’s supposed to be really good~”
“Are you serious? The last time you watched a horror movie, wasn’t it a disaster?” Ling Ning asked with a knowing smile.
Li Qian bristled. “I-I’m not scared of those things! Ghosts and demons are all fake, just special effects. Why would I be afraid of that? Don’t be ridiculous!”
“Exactly! I’m not afraid either~” Li Meng chimed in, backing her sister up.
Ling Ning chuckled softly. “Alright then. Let’s give it a shot. Just don’t cling to me when you get scared, okay?”
“Hmph, we’ll see who’s clinging to whom!”
Ling Ning’s smile deepened. These sisters were so predictable. Even though they were clearly terrified, their pride wouldn’t let them admit it. Still, she was intrigued by the movie’s reviews online. It seemed genuinely terrifying, and she couldn’t help but feel a little curious herself.