Chapter 28
Xie Shiqing (puffed up in anger) (turned into a pufferfish)
Zhong Ning: "Wow, lunch was so delicious!"
Zheng Xuan was chatting amicably when her phone suddenly rang. She hurriedly took it out, a silly smile spread across her face. "Aiya, I’ve got to go. Someone at home is waiting for me to peel oranges. I won’t chat with you anymore."
"Let’s get together next time."
Fu Nanshuang waved her hand, she leaned against the sports car, pulled out a cigarette and lit it up.
People in their upper-class circle might seem glamorous on the surface, but there were many hidden conflicts beneath.
Take the Zhong family for instance. Zhong Lin and her first wife seemed harmonious with a child. But later, people found out that Zhong Lin was having an affair — and not just with anyone, but with Madam Zhong’s close senior schoolmate. Madam Zhong even arranged for that woman to join the Zhong Corporation, unaware that her real target wasn’t the manager’s chair, but the chairman’s bed.
Then, Madam Zhong and the Zhong family Head had a business marriage. On the night of their engagement banquet, that senior sneaked into the Head’s room and became her mistress. In the end, she gave birth to Zhong Zinuan, who was even a year older than Zhong Ning.
However, Zhong Lin was good at keeping up appearances. She and Madam Zhong had always looked like a loving couple, and everyone believed they were one of the rare few truly loving couple in their circle.
No one expected it all to be an act. After learning the truth, Madam Zhong couldn’t accept it and took her own life.
Afterwards, Zhong Lin married her mistress.
At that time, Zhong Ning had just graduated from middle school and had secretly gone out drinking. That was when Fu Nanshuang encountered her at a bar.
It wasn’t without reason that the two of them became close friends. Fu Nanshuang’s family was just as messy. The Fu family Head was a playboy, and so was Madam Fu. The two of them embraced the term ‘open relationship’ to the fullest, even inviting their lovers to parties together.
They both tacitly agreed not to have another child and focused on grooming Fu Nanshuang as the sole heir. Rather than a married couple, they were more like like-minded “partners in play” and business collaborators.
Their companies often worked together, and after all these years, they had never once argued.
Growing up in such an environment, Fu Nanshuang’s views naturally became skewed. She didn’t believe in love or marriage.
She treated romance as a play, opposite to the original Zhong Ning, who felt disgusted and didn’t want to touch it at all.
They had once agreed never to marry, forming a so-called single alliance with other friends in their circle, including Zheng Xuan just now. One by one, everyone left, leaving only her and Zhong Ning. And now Zhong Ning has also left.
Everyone seemed to change once they found a partner. Take Zheng Xuan for example — she used to be into extreme sports, always traveling all over the place. But now, since having a girlfriend, she stayed home all the time and even learned to cook.
They rarely had time to get together anymore. If it wasn’t one missing, it was another.
Whenever asked, they all said they were accompanying their girlfriends. Things would never go back to how they were.
In Fu Nanshuang’s world, friends were more important than lovers. She couldn’t understand what was going on with these people. For a long time, she had even regarded Zhong Ning — the last remaining single friend — as more important than life itself. Who would’ve thought that even the last friend would step into the grave of marriage?
Although she felt wistful, she still actively helped Zhong Ning and the others solving their relationship problems. After all, she was the one with the most experience in love among them.
After finished the cigarette, she stubbed it out and tossed it into the trash can. Fu Nanshuang got into her sports car, ready to drown her sorrows with another round of drinking — probably for the last time, now that all her friends had moved on.
——
On the other side, Zhong Ning gave herself a good scrub in the bath, then instructed the kitchen to prepare more food. After she finished washing up, she brought the prepared lunch and once again knocked on Xie Shiqing’s bedroom door.
No response.
"See me, please, see me, please, see me, please…" echoed the repeated wails.
Ten minutes later, the door was pulled open. Xie Shiqing stood inside, unable to bear the harassment any longer, an oppressive air emanating from her like a tangible force.
Zhong Ning: "Hi… why are you in pajamas? Were you sleeping just now?"
Xie Shiqing: "…"
Her hand clenched silently around the doorknob.
Zhong Ning: "Ahhh! I’m sorry!"
Xie Shiqing took a discreet deep breath and said with a strained smile, "It’s fine. I don’t have morning temper."
Zhong Ning immediately beamed, her smile brighter than the sunlight outside. "That’s great! Can I come in?"
Xie Shiqing was seething. If those eyes of Zhong Ning’s were just for decoration, they might as well be dug out and installed on her own face!
Still wearing a smile on her face, she instinctively stepped aside — before she could even react to her own actions.
Damn Zhong Ning. Damn her pheromones.
Xie Shiqing was so angry she could grind her teeth to dust.
Zhong Ning walked into Xie Shiqing’s bedroom as if it were her own home. She set down the food tray, then turned back and took her hand, chattering nonstop: "I’m sorry, I’m sorry, about what happened at lunch. I’ve realized my mistake!"
"I didn’t pay attention to the perfume on me and made you upset. It won’t happen again. Shiqing, please don’t be angry, okay?"
Xie Shiqing jerked her hand back, her brows arching slightly. She let out a cold laugh. "Who said I was angry?"
Zhong Ning didn’t realize this was a trap. The moment she was asked, she cheerfully blurted out the answer, "Fu Nanshuang said so."
"You and she seem to get along well. You talk to her about everything," Xie Shiqing said softly. Her gaze turned distant and dark, unreadable. The dark green hem of her robe hung down like unfurled lotus leaves.
"I was so worried that you might be angry. Why didn’t you eat lunch? I was afraid your stomach would feel bad. I didn’t know if you were unhappy or just didn’t want to eat. But if it’s my fault, I have to fix it right away."
Zhong Ning didn’t catch the cold air emanated from the smaller girl, thinking her apology had worked. She started pouring out her heart.
"I… I really like you. I don’t want you to feel sad because of me. But I’ve never liked anyone before. I’ve never been in a relationship, so I don’t know what the right thing to do is."