Chapter 606 : Big News
“Off to class again, huh? I really don’t feel like going~”
Ling Ning dragged her feet lazily as she walked toward the subway station. With the concert over, the weekend had also come to an end. This meant she had to return to class. Unfortunately, there were always about thirty days a month when she didn’t feel like attending school.
“You came home pretty late last night, didn’t you, Ling Ning?” Xia You asked curiously from beside her.
“More or less. I only came back late because I grabbed a midnight snack first. It’s perfectly normal~” Ling Ning replied with a cheerful smile.
“Oh~”
As the two chatted, they entered the subway station. After swiping their "Universal Pass" to get in, they settled into their daily routine of waiting for the train to arrive.
During this time, Ling Ning naturally took out her phone to check the news. However, the moment she opened the news app, she froze. The headline staring back at her felt off in every possible way:
“Shock! Bai Yiyue Caught Kissing a Mysterious Beauty Late at Night!”
The ominous headline sent a chill down her spine.
After hesitating for a moment, she tapped on the article. The accompanying photos made her blood run cold—they were snapshots from last night, capturing Bai Yiyue kissing her. While her own face wasn’t fully visible, only a faint side profile, Bai Yiyue’s face was unmistakably exposed.
Noticing Ling Ning’s unusual expression, Xia You tilted her head and asked, “What’s wrong, Ling Ning?”
“N-Nothing. The train’s here. Let’s get on~”
Xia You raised an eyebrow suspiciously at Ling Ning’s nervous tone. Although Ling Ning said it was nothing, Xia You’s intuition told her otherwise.
As soon as they boarded the train, Ling Ning immediately pulled out her phone and called Bai Yiyue.
The call connected after only a few rings.
“Hello? Xiao Bai?”
“Ling Ning, I know what you’re about to say. I just got scolded by Sister Zi. We’re already working on damage control. Who would’ve thought we’d trip up like this? But it’s no big deal. I’ll just issue a clarification later.”
“Clarification? What exactly are you planning to clarify?”
“Obviously, I’ll clarify that the person I like is actually you~” Bai Yiyue teased with a mischievous tone.
Ling Ning sighed helplessly. Even in situations like this, her lovestruck childhood friend still had the energy to joke around. From her tone, it seemed there wasn’t too much cause for concern.
Still, Ling Ning couldn’t help but wonder how they got caught. She had checked their surroundings last night and was sure no one was around. Thankfully, her face wasn’t revealed. Otherwise, she wouldn’t even be able to show up for school today.
The subway ride to school was short, only a few stops. Soon, the two found themselves at the school gates.
Naturally, with Bai Yiyue’s concert fresh in everyone’s minds, the students were buzzing about her. However, most of the conversations weren’t about the concert itself but rather the breaking news Ling Ning had just seen.
“Wow, did you see today’s news? Bai Yiyue’s into girls! I wonder if I stand a chance?”
“Dream on. Miss Bai said from the start of her career that she already had someone she liked. I bet her concert here at S University was for that person. That photo must be of the person she loves. From the silhouette, it seems they’ve got a great figure~”
“Yeah, no doubt about that. But the clothes they’re wearing are super trendy. Tons of people were rocking that outfit at the concert last night.”
“Could it be Ling Ning? I think the figure matches, and she was wearing the same outfit last night during her duet with Bai Yiyue.”
“Who knows? But it’s definitely possible~”
Hearing the passing conversations, Ling Ning couldn’t help but feel a sense of impending doom. Were today’s students always this scarily observant? She consoled herself with the thought that it was just speculation.
On the way to class, she overheard countless versions of the same gossip. Some were so ridiculous that Ling Ning thought the storytellers might have better luck writing dramatic romance novels.
Finally, when she arrived at the classroom and took her seat, she let out a quiet sigh of relief. It seemed like she’d have to put that outfit into temporary retirement. At least it was just a common trendy piece she’d worn casually.
If it had been something more unique, her identity would’ve been exposed by now.
“Ling Ning, is this you?”
Before she could fully exhale, Xia You’s soft voice broke her train of thought. Turning her head instinctively, she saw Xia You holding up her phone. Sure enough, the screen displayed the news photo.
Ling Ning sighed in resignation. “It is, but… there’s a long, long story behind it~”
“Oh~” Xia You nodded thoughtfully. Though she was upset—really, really upset—she knew that acting rashly would only push Ling Ning away. And losing Ling Ning was something she absolutely couldn’t bear.
Seeing the flicker of an indecipherable emotion in Xia You’s eyes, Ling Ning suddenly felt an immense pressure weighing on her.
Sighing again, she put her phone away and started browsing the internet. Unsurprisingly, Bai Yiyue’s name was trending at the top of the charts. The online discussion about her was endless.
Even the school forum was flooded with posts about the incident. Some students speculated on the identity of the mysterious beauty Bai Yiyue had kissed.
Checking a poll, Ling Ning noticed her own name had come up quite a bit. After all, she’d just performed a duet with Bai Yiyue, making her an obvious target.
Some even posted comparison videos and photos. If the pictures hadn’t been slightly blurry, Ling Ning figured her cover would’ve already been blown.
Exhaling deeply, she decided it was better not to dwell on these things. Hopefully, time would let the issue fade, or maybe, just maybe, some other celebrity would make an even bigger splash to divert attention.
But realistically, Bai Yiyue’s story was already major news. Hoping for something bigger seemed a bit far-fetched.