Chapter 645 : So, Shall We Cooperate
“Xiao Qing Qing, want to try your luck at the raffle?”
Holding several raffle tickets, Ling Ning asked Xu Qing with barely concealed excitement. It had been ages since she last participated in a raffle, and she couldn’t help but feel the thrill of anticipation. Who knows? Maybe she’d win big this time!
“Give me one.”
Xu Qing replied, casually taking a ticket. While she was aware of Ling Ning’s almost supernatural luck, she figured it wouldn’t hurt to see how her own luck fared today.
Scratching the coating off the ticket, Xu Qing revealed the dreaded words: “Thank you for participating.”
She wasn’t surprised. Whether in real life or in games, her luck in raffles had always been abysmal.
Before she could dwell on it, Ling Ning handed her another ticket.
“This one’s special. I handpicked it just for you—it’s guaranteed to win!” Ling Ning said with utmost seriousness.
“Is that so?”
Xu Qing didn’t take her words to heart and scratched the new ticket casually. To her astonishment, the result was the second prize!
She looked at Ling Ning in disbelief, half-suspecting she had some kind of supernatural ability to see through the tickets.
At that moment, Ling Ning nonchalantly crumpled her own tickets and tossed them into the trash. Noticing Xu Qing’s gaze, she said with mock exasperation, “Looks like my luck isn’t great today. But Xiao Qing Qing winning second prize? I’m impressed!”
Xu Qing blinked. She wanted to point out that Ling Ning had picked the ticket for her, but decided against it.
“By the way, what’s the second prize? I’m curious,” Ling Ning asked, glancing at the promotional flyer. “Oh, it’s a snack bundle. Not bad at all!”
After claiming their prize, the two left the supermarket with only the snack bundle in tow. Ling Ning had bought so much earlier that she’d had the supermarket staff deliver everything to her home.
She had no choice—she hadn’t realized how much she’d bought until it was too late. The sheer amount of money spent had left her feeling a pang of regret.
As they walked, Xu Qing hesitated before saying, “If there’s nothing else, I’ll head home now.”
“Eh?! Xiao Qing Qing, come have dinner at my place. It’s not far anyway.”
Faced with Ling Ning’s hopeful gaze, Xu Qing found herself unable to refuse. It was as if she were under a Geass—before she could even think, her body had already nodded in agreement.
“Great! It’s decided, then~”
Ling Ning chuckled and looped her arm through Xu Qing’s once again, leading her toward her home.
“Stop pulling me! I can walk by myself!”
“What’s the big deal~”
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When Ling Ning returned home, she found her daughter nestled under the kotatsu, munching on the snacks that had just been delivered. What surprised her more was that Ling Ye had already unpacked and organized everything she’d bought. Ling Ning couldn’t help but feel her daughter was becoming more and more reliable.
Hearing the door open, Ling Ye turned to glance at her mother. She was about to say something when she noticed Xu Qing following behind Ling Ning.
Her mood instantly soured. Another young woman clinging to her mother?
In Ling Ye’s eyes, any woman lingering around her mother was probably up to something. And so far, her judgment had rarely been wrong.
After greeting Ling Ye with a smile, Xu Qing asked, “Is Xia You not here?”
“Xia You? She had a fever and is resting in her room.”
As Ling Ning debated whether to check on Xia You, the sound of a key turning in the lock drew their attention. Only three people had keys to Ling Ning’s home—herself, Ling Ye, and Xia You.
Sure enough, Xia You entered moments later. She looked a bit surprised to see Xu Qing but quickly composed herself.
“You’re here,” Xia You said with a slight nod.
“Mm.”
Ling Ning watched the exchange with a hint of confusion. Something about the atmosphere between the two felt off, though she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
Shaking her head, Ling Ning decided not to dwell on it. “Xia You, how are you feeling?”
“I’m fine, really. You don’t need to worry about me.”
“Good to hear. You and Xiao Qing Qing can relax in the living room. I’ll handle lunch.”
With that, Ling Ning headed to the kitchen. While Ling Ye had organized the snacks, the ingredients were still piled up haphazardly, so she had some sorting to do.
In the living room, Xia You settled on the couch and, after a moment’s hesitation, turned to Xu Qing.
“Since you’re here, does that mean you’ve made your decision?”
“Mm. I’ve realized I can’t forget about Ling Ning. So, I’ve decided to follow my heart.” Xu Qing chuckled softly. “Thanks for tipping me off earlier. If you hadn’t, Ling Ning might’ve already cornered me.”
“It was nothing. If helping you disappear from Ling Ning’s radar gets you out of the picture, I’m more than happy to do it.”
Xu Qing laughed. “You don’t hold back, do you?”
“Getting rid of rivals whenever possible—that’s my philosophy.”
“But it seems I’ve disappointed you by showing up again. Not only that, I plan to stay by Ling Ning’s side permanently~”
For the first time, Xia You smiled faintly—something she rarely did around anyone other than Ling Ning. “In that case, let’s see who wins. Will you take Ling Ning away, or will I keep her by my side?”
“Honestly, I don’t think either of us is the only contender here.”
“Agreed.”
“So, shall we cooperate?”
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Ling Ning suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. A sense of foreboding loomed over her, though she couldn’t pinpoint why.