Hearing these words from Ling Wangjin, Yu Ning also felt that what he said made a great deal of sense.

However, having seen his silver-tongued act in her dreams, she still couldn’t fully set her mind at ease.

Hand-Cut Lemon: I’ve been so hesitant. Talking things through with you, there are so many things I couldn’t see clearly while I was in the thick of it. It wasn’t until you pointed them out that I realized.

People always hide their darker sides. Even if she didn’t want to admit it, Yu Ning was clear on the fundamental reason she couldn’t let him go.

Hand-Cut Lemon: Regardless of whether it’s real or fake, I’m just too fond of the gentleness, consideration, and empathy he shows. Even after discovering something was wrong, I couldn’t bear to let go, so I’ve been playing deaf and dumb, refusing to take a step further…

Yu Ning gradually made up her mind.

Bionic Wonder House: What are you planning to do?

Hand-Cut Lemon: I can’t get anything out of him. I’m going to ask Lao San. Like you said, the truth needs to be brought to light.

Yu Ning picked up her phone and tapped on Lao San’s profile picture.

In the past, she and Lao San would say whatever came to mind, but now, she typed and deleted, terrified of making a typo or saying the wrong thing.

Hand-Cut Lemon: San-zai, what are you doing?

Lao San: Reviewing for exams, why?

Yu Ning typed and deleted, and before she could polish her words, a message arrived from the other end.

Lao San: My online class is about to start. Let’s talk later.

It was like this again. Yu Ning felt a bit dejected.

She tossed her phone aside, scooped up the cat that was rubbing against her feet, and kissed its furry little face several times.

Accompanied by the cat’s meowing, she heard a beep, followed by a click.

It was the sound of the front door opening.

Yu Ning set the cat down and walked out of the bedroom.

Just as she reached the doorway, the aroma of fried food wafted over.

Ling Wangjin was carrying a paper bag. Seeing her walk out, he shook the bag in his hand.

“Fried pork chop. Want some?”

Yu Ning silently reached out.

“It’s hot.” He retracted a few fingers from the bag’s handle, leaving a clear space before handing it to her.

Yu Ning took the bag, and the steaming air surged from the opening onto her hands.

The pork chop couldn’t have been out of the fryer for long; it smelled delicious.

Ling Wangjin raised his hand. He was carrying another bag, which contained several small containers of sauce.

Yu Ning carried the paper bag over to the sofa.

“You’re home early today.”

She peeled open the paper bag. The pork chop wasn’t cut; she liked eating it this way, biting right into it.

“Things at the institute haven’t been busy lately.” He placed the sauce containers on the coffee table in front of Yu Ning. “I also wanted to come back and spend more time with you.”

If she hadn’t had those dreams, Yu Ning would have been delighted to hear him say this, but now, her mood was quite complicated.

Ling Wangjin picked up the Pikachu mug from the coffee table and walked into the kitchen. Following the sounds of washing the cup, drawing water, and the hiss of carbonation, he returned with sparkling water.

Yu Ning noticed he had taken off his jacket, and several buttons on his shirt were undone. He was likely getting ready to take a shower.

“What’s wrong?”

Ling Wangjin was always exceptionally sensitive to her moods.

Yu Ning: “Nothing.”

“Did you encounter something unpleasant?” he asked.

Yu Ning was a bit annoyed. She kept scrolling through her phone to refresh the chat interface with Lao San, ignoring him.

Ling Wangjin: “Did I make you unhappy?”

As he spoke, he undid the buttons on his wrists.

Yu Ning didn’t look at him.

Suddenly, a message popped up on the chat interface.

Lao San: Alright, intermission. What did you want to say?

Hand-Cut Lemon: San-zai, has Ling Wangjin reached out to you privately?

At the same time, to verify if Ling Wangjin was lying, Yu Ning looked up and asked, “Have you reached out to Lao San?”

He undid the remaining buttons on his shirt and pulled it apart.

“I sent an email.”

The phone in Yu Ning’s hand vibrated.

Lao San: He did send me an email.

Yu Ning felt a surge of irritation.

“Why did you send an email?”

Hand-Cut Lemon: What did he send? Can you tell me?

Yu Ning scrutinized him.

Ling Wangjin turned around. His black shirt, now unbuttoned, hung off his shoulders, split down the center. His white, defined muscle groups extended from top to bottom.

Ling Wangjin: “You were in a low mood during that time…”

“You don’t need to lay out so much groundwork.” Yu Ning interrupted him directly, trying to avoid getting muddled by his various honeyed words later.

In fact, she kept her head down now, refusing to look at the rippling muscle lines revealed as his shirt slid open.

Just then, the phone in her hand vibrated again.

Lao San had initiated a voice call.

Yu Ning glanced at him and answered the call.

Lao San: “Did you two have a fight?”

Yu Ning was stunned.

Lao San spoke very quickly, as if eager to explain something.

“Your boyfriend emailed me before, asking what was wrong with you. You’d been in a bad mood for a while, and he couldn’t figure out why.”

This entire explanation left Yu Ning confused.

“I didn’t fight with him. It’s just that you’ve been so distant since you got back, and I thought… did he say something?”

Lao San: “Damn, he didn’t tell you? You were complaining to him about my work situation before, right? He emailed me to ask if I’d consider changing jobs. He has a friend hiring for a position that perfectly matches my expertise… I’ve been preparing for the First-Class Constructor exam lately, and you kept looking for me to chat every day. You know I don’t like idle chatter when I’m studying.”

Yu Ning let out an “Ah.”

Lao San: “Don’t tell me you fought because of this? Do you want to see the email he sent me? Hang on, let me find it and read it to you.”

Following a few clicks of a mouse, Lao San cleared her throat.

Lao San: “I know you are excellent and don’t want to use back-door connections, preferring to carve out your own path with your own strength. However, Ningning likes you very much. While I feel a bit of jealousy in my heart, I also hope Ningning’s wishes can be fulfilled. Would you be willing to come to Echeng to work?”

“He wrote it quite elegantly… Ningning.” Lao San’s tone shifted. “Actually, I’ve always worried about the kind of people you meet, but when I received the email, I was truly happy. Even though I felt jealous of him when I saw how clingy you two were at dinner, I realized later that you’re about to start a family, and here I was, acting like a giant lightbulb with no sense of decorum. But after reading his email and thinking it over, we’re friends, aren’t we? What is there to fear between friends?”

Lao San: “I was really angry that you didn’t tell me when you were sick before, but later I thought about how much pain you were in, and how could I be so demanding? Also, sorry for neglecting you lately. I didn’t even realize you were so anxious that it affected your relationship with Ling Wangjin.”

Lao San: “Also, please tell him for me that I appreciate the kind offer. I checked out the company his friend is at; it’s a great company with high academic requirements, but I don’t want to use this back-door connection right now. I’ll wait until I pass my exam, and then I can walk through that door with more confidence, right?”

“By the way, Ningning, don’t be afraid.”

Lao San’s laughter traveled slowly into her ears through the phone.

“Even if we are separated by thousands of mountains and rivers, I will always be your friend.”

Lao San told her a lot. By the end, Yu Ning heard the sound of the online teacher calling for class to resume on the other end of the call.

Yu Ning: “Go to class. We’ll have a long talk after you’re done.”

Lao San: “Alright, are you still sad?”

“No, not anymore.” Yu Ning cradled her phone and smiled. “Go on, hurry.”

After hanging up, she let out a sigh of relief.

Then, she looked up. Ling Wangjin had been standing quietly to the side. Until she finished her call, he stepped around the coffee table and walked to the side of the sofa.

He still wore a smile on his face and even placed a wet wipe for her to clean her hands in front of her.

A sense of guilt arrived late. She had wronged him after all; she had been biased by what happened in her dreams.

Yu Ning: ”…I’m sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing?” He sat down beside Yu Ning, the sofa sinking and bringing a slight sway.

“My attitude toward you wasn’t good.” She twisted her hands together in a tangle, fidgeting with her fingers, though her peripheral vision couldn’t help but fall on the open hem of his shirt.

“Was your attitude bad?” Ling Wangjin said. “I don’t think so. Besides, it’s normal for people to have mood swings.”

Yu Ning felt even more guilty.

Ling Wangjin: “It’s just that lately, you’ve looked very restless and uneasy.”

Yu Ning saw him reach out, gently placing his hand on the back of hers.

With the slight vibration of the sofa, he slowly moved closer.

In Yu Ning’s peripheral vision, the hem of his shirt slid to one side, and those neatly stacked rows of abdominal muscles squeezed into her field of vision, though they were still half-blocked by the shirt.

She started to let her imagination run wild, thinking that even sitting like this, pressing against his abdomen, there wasn’t a single ounce of fat. Was he sucking in his stomach? It looked quite impressive…

So, she couldn’t help but take a peek, and then another.

Ling Wangjin: “You’ve been unwilling to tell me what’s wrong all this time, haven’t you?”

Yu Ning was momentarily speechless, not knowing whether she should tell him about the dreams. She was afraid that telling him would make an already “abnormal” person even more so, but not saying anything left her feeling terribly guilty.

—Zhi

The leather sofa groaned under the pressure. He braced one hand beside Yu Ning’s face, leaning over her like that, casting a large shadow down upon her.

Yu Ning looked up, swallowing a mouthful of saliva.

Ling Wangjin: “Why won’t you tell me?”

A chill rose from her spine, and it felt as if even her scalp was tingling with cold. Yu Ning didn’t even dare to blink, staring straight at him.

Is he about to do something excessive? she wondered.

Regarding this, she felt both afraid and, unexpectedly, a sliver of curiosity. The shoe that had been hanging in her heart for so long was swaying, as if it were finally ready to drop.

But in the next second, the shadows looming over her head suddenly pulled away.

He leaned in from the side, reaching out to wrap his arms around her shoulders. His other hand slid into the gap between her and the sofa, effortlessly lifting her up and pulling her into a gentle embrace.

Yu Ning was moved into a different position and subconsciously looked at him.

She felt this posture was a bit awkward; she had one leg splayed out, and she cautiously didn’t dare to sit directly on his waist.

Ling Wangjin, however, leaned in close and tilted his head up, as if wanting to give her a kiss.

Damp, warm breath washed over her face, and the tip of his nose brushed against her cheek all the way down to her chin.

His nose is really bridge-y, Yu Ning thought to herself.

As the angle changed, she was held up, her head higher than his, forcing her to look down.

He tilted his head, resting it against her shoulder, his lips curled into a smile that revealed his sharp canine teeth.

“Tell me, Ningning.”