Chapter 657 : Intense Inspiration, Courtesy of Underwear
“The rush hour is finally over.”
Ling Ning glanced around the café, noticing that only a few customers remained. The hectic rush had subsided, leaving the staff with barely any time to eat lunch.
As Ling Ning sat down to catch her breath, her apprentice, Jiang Xue, suddenly appeared beside her, staring intently. Before Ling Ning could say anything, Zhou Xiaoxiao seated herself across from her, clearly wanting to talk as well.
For some reason, Ling Ning couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d walked straight into a battlefield.
Zhou Xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes at Jiang Xue, silently questioning why she was by Ling Ning’s side. Jiang Xue, in turn, wondered why Zhou Xiaoxiao had shown up just as she was about to speak with her mentor. She was here first—what was this all about?
The air grew tense.
Just then, Xia You arrived at the table with a calm demeanor. “Lunch is ready. Let’s eat first.”
Reluctantly, Jiang Xue and Zhou Xiaoxiao exchanged glances before leaving the table, giving Ling Ning a moment of relief. Handling situations like that wasn’t her forte, and given her current circumstances, she suspected such encounters would only become more frequent.
She sighed. Why had things come to this?
Xia You placed a plate of curry in front of her and said, “Eat up.”
“Alright.”
The enticing aroma of the curry immediately whetted Ling Ning’s appetite. Xia You’s culinary skills were truly impressive.
As Ling Ning began eating, Xia You nonchalantly took a seat beside her and started eating as well. To Jiang Xue and Zhou Xiaoxiao, however, this action looked more like a declaration of dominance.
Frustrated but maintaining polite smiles, they silently watched the scene unfold.
Meanwhile, Chu Mengyao observed the drama around Ling Ning with great amusement, finding it far more entertaining than any soap opera. She couldn’t help but wonder what Ling Ning’s eventual choice would be—if she didn’t set sail on a “Grand Fleet Era” first.
Just then, the door to Luo Xiaoning’s room opened, and the young woman emerged, looking disoriented. Clad in Gothic-style attire and sporting heterochromatic eyes, she exuded an air of mystery.
However, anyone who knew her well understood she was a goofball at heart.
“Hmm? I smell food.”
“Over here.”
Luo Xiaoning shuffled over and plopped herself onto Chu Mengyao’s lap, where she was promptly hand-fed in a playful display.
Even from a distance, Ling Ning could feel the metaphorical “dog food” flavoring her curry.
At that moment, Xia You offered a piece of chicken from her plate to Ling Ning, her intentions clear.
Without thinking much of it, Ling Ning casually ate the chicken. However, the atmosphere in the room shifted immediately, with her friends’ gazes turning sharp and intense.
Ling Ning blinked, baffled by the sudden tension. Xia You, on the other hand, seemed unbothered, calmly offering her another piece of chicken—a blatant act of provocation.
As she chewed, Ling Ning couldn’t help but feel the pressure mounting. What was Xia You doing? What had this turned into? She dreaded what might happen next.
Fortunately, a new wave of customers flooded the café, forcing everyone to hasten their lunch. It was a reprieve for Ling Ning, who finally felt like she could breathe again.
The afternoon rush proved even more exhausting than the morning. By the time they finished, the sky was already dark, reminding Ling Ning of her daughter waiting at home. She needed to cook dinner for her soon.
Chu Mengyao announced the end of their shift, allowing the staff to finally relax.
After changing and collecting her pay—which included not only Su Ya’s maid outfit photos but also cosplay photos of other staff members—Ling Ning left the café, satisfied.
As she walked out, Chu Mengyao pulled Luo Xiaoning into her lap and said, “You should keep your distance from Ling Ning in the future.”
“Why?”
“Just trust me. Ling Ning may seem like a gentle older sister, but she’s a bulldozer in disguise.”
Recalling the events of the afternoon, Chu Mengyao sighed. Ling Ning’s situation was beyond salvation, and not even she could help her now.
Still, she marveled at how Ling Ning managed to charm so many women simultaneously—a skill far superior to her own back in the day.
“By the way, Valentine’s Day is coming up.”
Though unsure why it was mentioned, Luo Xiaoning replied, “It’ll be just after Ling Ning and the others return to school. Are you planning something for me?”
“We’ve been together for a while now~”
“Huh?”
“I’ll surprise you on Valentine’s Day.”
“The moment you said that, the surprise was ruined.”
“Don’t be like that. You’ll still be shocked, I promise!”
“Alright, I’ll look forward to it.”
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“Just a bit more.”
Meanwhile, Ling Ye was sitting by the kotatsu with a pair of her Mom’s panties on her head. The intense inspiration she felt was unstoppable—far beyond her usual productivity. Despite exceeding her daily word count, she wasn’t ready to stop.
Hearing the sound of keys at the door, she quickly removed the panties and stuffed them into her pocket, pretending to be engrossed in her writing.
When Ling Ning entered, she was surprised to find her daughter still typing away. “You’ve been at it since morning. How much have you written?”
“Welcome home, Mom! And I’m starving!”
“I’ll make dinner right away. But you ate lunch, right?”
“Yep.”
Ling Ning gave her daughter a puzzled look. Something seemed off—was she imagining things?