Chapter 686 : Pink and White Stripes
"What... are you two doing?!"
Lin Yue stood frozen, staring at the scene before her. She had only gone to the bathroom for a moment, yet she returned to witness such a heartbreaking sight.
Hearing her daughter’s voice, Chen Ruo snapped back to reality. She quickly moved away from Ling Ning, her face flushed, unable to form a coherent sentence. Her reaction only deepened the misunderstanding.
Sighing, Ling Ning explained, "Xiao Yue, this is all just a misunderstanding. Your Mom tripped over something while walking past and fell into my arms. That’s all!"
Lin Yue raised an eyebrow, her expression clearly saying, Do you think I’m an idiot? Despite her young age, she could see through the situation. Either Ling Ning had made the first move, or she had somehow coerced her timid Mom into doing it.
There was no way her shy Mom would initiate something like this on her own.
Suddenly, Ling Ning’s eyes lit up as an idea struck her. "Xiao Yue, did you see the gift your Mom gave you? Since I’m here, why don’t you try on the dress for us?"
"Yes, yes! I’d love to see it," Chen Ruo chimed in, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Without hesitation, Lin Yue flatly refused. "No!"
She had already looked at the dress. If it were just her Mom, she might have agreed, but with Ling Ning present? Absolutely not. She could already imagine Ling Ning mocking her.
"Aw, are you shy, Xiao Yue?"
"Who’s shy?! I just don’t think the dress suits me!" Lin Yue glared at Ling Ning.
"How could it not suit you? As a professional model, I can assure you it’s a great choice. Sure, it might look flashy, but it’ll definitely look amazing on you. Plus, your Mom spent a lot of time picking it out," Ling Ning said earnestly.
She wasn’t lying. When Chen Ruo chose the dress, they had carefully considered whether it would suit Lin Yue.
"Tsk."
Glancing at her Mom’s hopeful expression, Lin Yue sighed and turned toward her room. However, she paused before entering and said, "If I come back and find you’ve done anything to my mom, you’re dead!"
"Don’t worry. I won’t do anything!"
Once Lin Yue entered her room, Ling Ning turned to Chen Ruo with a smirk. "By the way, Chen Ruo, your five minutes are up."
"Huh? That doesn’t count!"
"How could it not? Even with Xiao Yue here, you could have done something. I wouldn’t have resisted."
Chen Ruo pouted in frustration. If there were a next time, she vowed to use all the "knowledge" from her study materials to get the upper hand against Ling Ning.
Amused by her adorable pout, Ling Ning reached out and gently pinched Chen Ruo’s cheeks.
"Mmff! Don’t—treat me—like this!"
Though she struggled, it was futile. Ling Ning finally let go after a while, feeling quite satisfied. She had just discovered another entertaining side to Chen Ruo.
At that moment, the door to Lin Yue’s room opened. She stepped out, wearing the new dress. Just as Ling Ning had predicted, it wasn’t too flashy and instead highlighted Lin Yue’s cuteness.
"My daughter looks so adorable and precious!"
"Yes, it suits you perfectly."
Blushing at the compliments, Lin Yue mumbled, "Are you happy now?"
"Since you’re already wearing it, why not keep it on for a while?" Ling Ning teased.
"No way!"
Huffing, Lin Yue returned to her room, leaving Ling Ning and Chen Ruo to exchange disappointed looks.
At that moment, Ling Ning’s phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen and saw it was her daughter calling.
"Hello, Ye Ye. What’s up?"
"Nothing much. I just wanted to ask when you’ll be back."
Realizing how late it had gotten, Ling Ning replied, "I’ll head back soon."
"Okay! I’ll wait for you so we can play games together!"
After hanging up, Ling Ning stood and addressed the two. "Sorry, but it’s getting late. I should head home now."
"Huh? But it’s still early. Why leave so soon?"
"Don’t try to keep me here, Chen Ruo. I’ll visit again soon—it’s not like you live far away," Ling Ning replied with a chuckle as she slipped on her shoes and grabbed her belongings.
As she casually slipped her hand into her coat pocket, she felt something soft and fabric-like. Pulling it out, she froze.
It was a pair of panties. Pink and white stripes—totally Chen Ruo’s style.
"I told her I didn’t want them! Why does she insist on slipping panties into my pocket?!" Ling Ning thought, exasperated. At this rate, Chen Ruo probably thought she was some sort of panty-obsessed maniac.
Shaking her head, Ling Ning resolved to return them next time and clear up the misunderstanding.
Though spring was arriving, the evening air still carried a slight chill. As the cool wind brushed past, Ling Ning tightened her coat around her.
People were strange. In winter, they longed for summer, and in summer, they wished for winter’s coolness. Truly, spring and autumn were the best seasons—not too hot, not too cold.
Thankfully, the walk home from Chen Ruo’s house was short. Within ten minutes, Ling Ning was back home. She opened the door to find her daughter sitting on the sofa, engrossed in a game.
After changing her shoes, Ling Ning approached her. "Why aren’t you playing with Sister Xia You?"
"Because I want to play with you, Mom!"
"Fine, fine. I can’t say no to you."