Chapter 653 : Always Ready, Always
“Well, we’re at your apartment building now, Senior. I don’t think I need to see you upstairs, right?”
“Thanks, but aren’t you coming up for a bit? The rain’s only getting heavier. Heading back now might be dangerous.”
Ling Ning glanced at the downpour outside. Zhao Rui was right; the rain had worsened significantly. If she tried to head back now, she’d likely get completely soaked.
She was already halfway there, with much of her clothing damp despite her best efforts. The weather forecast had only predicted light rain, so how had it come to this?
As Ling Ning hesitated, Zhao Rui grabbed her hand and led her inside the building.
Sighing in resignation, Ling Ning followed Zhao Rui upstairs, deciding to leave once the rain let up.
Inside the elevator, Zhao Rui used her key to unlock her apartment door. Ling Ning couldn’t help but marvel at the spacious interior and luxurious decor.
She sighed wistfully. “When will I ever join the ranks of these ‘evil rich’?”
“Ling Ning, your clothes are pretty wet. Why don’t you take a shower first? You’ll catch a cold otherwise.”
“No need. It’s just the outer layers.”
“Then at least change into something dry. It must be uncomfortable wearing wet clothes.”
This time, Ling Ning didn’t refuse. The damp feeling was indeed unpleasant.
A short while later, Zhao Rui returned to the living room with a set of clothes. Placing them down, she said, “I’ll go take a shower first. You can change and relax for a bit—I won’t be long.”
After Zhao Rui left, Ling Ning also went to the bathroom to change. The dry clothes lifted her spirits considerably.
Returning to the living room, she wandered to the window and stared out at the city under the night sky. She couldn’t help but wonder why she had come to find Zhao Rui in the first place.
With a soft sigh, she sat back down on the couch. Though the apartment was spacious, it felt lacking in warmth.
She wasn’t sure how much time had passed when she sensed someone beside her. Startled, she turned to see Zhao Rui smiling mischievously behind her.
“When did you get out?”
“Quite a while ago. You were so focused on your phone that you didn’t notice.”
“Uh.”
Feeling a little awkward, Ling Ning put her phone down. She hesitated briefly before asking, “I’ve always wondered, Senior, why did you join our small club back then? I can’t imagine it was to escape your admirers.”
“Why? Because of you, of course~”
“Me!?”
Ling Ning blinked in confusion. She hadn’t even known Zhao Rui at the time, so how could it have been because of her?
Zhao Rui moved closer, her voice taking on a seductive tone. “I noticed a lot of girls seemed to like you, so I wanted to get closer and see what was so appealing about you.”
“I’m the type of person who loves things that others like. But honestly, I’m often disappointed.” Zhao Rui smiled enigmatically.
Hearing this, Ling Ning felt as though a thousand tiny voices in her head were protesting. What did she mean by “getting closer”? And why was “liking what others like” even a thing? Zhao Rui was definitely unhinged.
Seeing her confusion, Zhao Rui chuckled. “Maybe I am. I’m not sure myself. But I find you fascinating, Ling Ning~”
“Fascinating how?”
“You handle all these outstanding women around you with such ease. Honestly, I suspect you might be even worse than me~”
Zhao Rui’s comment left Ling Ning speechless. She wasn’t wrong—Ling Ning had thought the same about herself before.
“That’s why you intrigue me even more. I keep wondering what would happen if I won you over. What would the faces of those who like you look like? I really want to see~”
Zhao Rui’s eyes gleamed with a fervor that made Ling Ning uneasy. Her intentions were clear now, but Ling Ning wasn’t about to let herself be “won over.”
“Then why tell me all this?”
“Because you asked~ Consider it my payment for you coming to find me tonight.”
Zhao Rui hadn’t expected Ling Ning to show up. When she saw her, she had even thought she was imagining things. After all, it was the first day of the New Year, it was raining, and Ling Ning hadn’t even been given a proper address. Yet here she was.
It was enough to stir feelings in Zhao Rui’s heart.
“So, Ling Ning, have you thought about dating me?”
“Huh!?”
“I think we’d make a great pair of scoundrels. Maybe we’re even a match made in heaven. If it’s you, I’d be willing to let you take the lead~”
Zhao Rui leaned closer, her expression enchanting, like a temptress luring someone into the depths.
“I think I’ll pass.”
Ling Ning replied with a dry laugh. Her romantic debts were already overwhelming. Adding another would likely spell disaster, culminating in a catastrophic finale of epic proportions.
"Oh!? In that case, how about we make a bet?"
"A bet?"
"You and I secretly date. If I conquer you first, you’ll be mine. If you conquer me first, I’ll be your secret lover. Always at your beck and call, no matter when or where—and for anything. Any position, any play—you name it, I’ll deliver."
"No."
Without a moment's hesitation, Ling Ning rejected Zhao Rui's proposal outright. While it sounded undeniably tempting, she absolutely couldn’t afford for her already tangled situation to become even messier.
"Oh!? What a pity. But you know, the more you refuse me, the more I want you to agree."
Cough. "Uh, Senior, I think the rain might have lightened up. I should probably head out now."
As her words fell, the downpour outside grew even heavier.
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Author’s Note:
A salted fish would ghost the story? Impossible!