Bionic Wonder House: Did he… cause a rift between you and Lao San?

Hand-Cut Lemon: We didn’t have a rift.

After having that dream, Yu Ning discovered that Ling Wangjin’s attitude was all wrong.

Hand-Cut Lemon: He never shows his likes or dislikes in front of me. You can’t tell anything from his expressions or actions. When I first started having these dreams, I actually thought he just didn’t like Lao San.

Bionic Wonder House: I’m afraid your boyfriend doesn’t like anyone around you who has a good relationship with you.

Hand-Cut Lemon: …I can feel that.

Bionic Wonder House: My guess is… he’s been driving a wedge between you and Lao San in both your dreams and reality, trying to make you two fight and break off your relationship. Has he said anything bad or done anything to create conflict between you and Lao San?

Hand-Cut Lemon: No, he never speaks ill of others…

Hand-Cut Lemon: But there was one thing in the dream later on that was a bit strange…

Bionic Wonder House: What was it?

In the dream, it was that same office desk with a piece of paper spread out on it.

A hand was writing on the paper.

First was Qin Wen, followed by notes: single-parent family, sensitive, strong sense of pride.

Bionic Wonder House: Have you talked to him about Lao San’s situation?

Hand-Cut Lemon: Not much, but I often talk to Lao San on WeChat and the phone… maybe he heard it.

The hand stopped writing. He took out his phone and made a call.

Ling Wangjin: “Ningning, have you booked your hotel yet?”

Ling Wangjin: “You haven’t? That’s perfect.”

Ling Wangjin: “I’ve been thinking about it. Since it’s rare for Lao San to visit, why don’t you let her stop worrying about booking a hotel?”

Hand-Cut Lemon: He said Lao San is my best friend, so he should show some hospitality to make a good impression. Plus, he has a membership at the hotel and could use his points for a discount.

Bionic Wonder House: Did you let him book the hotel in the dream?

Hand-Cut Lemon: …Yes.

Bionic Wonder House: What kind of hotel did he book?

Hand-Cut Lemon: A very expensive one.

Bionic Wonder House: Didn’t you refuse in the dream?

Hand-Cut Lemon: …I didn’t realize it. Because whenever I stay out with him, we stay at these kinds of hotels. He said his company has a contract with them and gets an internal discounted rate… I was just used to it…

So, when it was time to leave the hotel in the dream, Ling Wangjin drove over with great hospitality to take Lao San to the airport.

In the dream, ‘Yu Ning’ smiled and hooked her arm through his, the two of them leaning in close to whisper a few words.

Meanwhile, Lao San stood to the side, handing her room card to the receptionist.

The receptionist printed out a slip of paper.

From Ling Wangjin’s perspective, Yu Ning clearly saw him lean over slightly, spread out the printed paper at an angle, and say in a soft voice:

“Have you decided what you want for lunch?”

‘Yu Ning’ in the dream was immediately distracted and took out her phone.

“Let me see what good food is nearby.”

Immediately after, the spread-out paper was tilted slightly, as if inadvertently, toward Lao San.

It was the receipt for the room, with a row of numbers printed in the bottom right corner: 6,920.

Bionic Wonder House: How many days did you stay?

Hand-Cut Lemon: Two days.

Yu Ning could still remember Lao San’s face in the dream.

After her gaze swept over that receipt, it suddenly froze. Her entire face flushed red, but when Ling Wangjin looked at her, she forced a smile.

“Th… thank you.”

“Think nothing of it.” He took the pen from the receptionist and signed his name at the bottom of the paper. “You’re out to have fun, so just enjoy yourself.”

Ling Wangjin: “Let me know in advance next time you visit.”

In the dream, Yu Ning couldn’t see Ling Wangjin’s face, only heard him say:

“I’ll book the hotel for you again.”

Lao San’s head bowed low.

Bionic Wonder House: Wow… your boyfriend, I don’t even know how to describe him.

Hand-Cut Lemon: Sob sob sob.

Bionic Wonder House: And then? What did you do in reality?

Hand-Cut Lemon: I felt like he had bad intentions, so afterward I was extra careful not to let Lao San meet him. Even if they did meet, I made sure to be there.

Bionic Wonder House: You still let them meet?

Hand-Cut Lemon: I didn’t want to, either.

Hand-Cut Lemon: In reality, Lao San came over for an exam; I couldn’t just stop her. Besides… we hadn’t seen each other in years.

Bionic Wonder House: That’s true. So what did you do in reality?

Hand-Cut Lemon: I booked the hotel for Lao San myself. I didn’t let him get involved at all, but sometimes I really don’t know what to say…

“What’s wrong?”

A cup of lemon tea was placed in front of Yu Ning.

Lao San inserted a straw into her own milk tea and held the end of the straw out toward Yu Ning. “Want a sip?”

Yu Ning took a sip. “A bit sweet.”

After saying that, she inserted a straw into her lemon tea. “Want some?”

“I’m sick of that lemon tea of yours.” Lao San waved her hand, then looked up and asked, “What’s the deal with your boyfriend?”

Yu Ning: “Huh?”

“You’re always talking about him on WeChat, and you sound so head-over-heels. Now that I’ve finally come to Echeng, you really have to let me meet him. I want to see who snatched my Ningning away.”

Yu Ning: ”…Let’s not.”

Lao San: “Oh, come on. I won’t make your boyfriend pay. I’ll treat you two to a meal.”

Bionic Wonder House: Lao San makes a fair point. Did you agree?

Hand-Cut Lemon: Why does it sound like I’m a total pushover when you say it like that? I didn’t agree, but I didn’t refuse either. I just vaguely brushed it off. Anyway, Lao San is only here for two more days. If I take her to enough fun places, she’ll forget about the dinner plan, right?

Bionic Wonder House: And then?

There are only so many things to do in the city. Lao San had already done most of the tourist spots on her previous visits to Echeng, and two days was too tight to travel outside the city.

Yu Ning planned to take Lao San to a KTV to kill time and chat.

Yu Ning: “This KTV has a great atmosphere. I come here often.”

Lao San: “Which shop? Let me see if there’s a group deal.”

Yu Ning: “No need, no need. I have the manager’s WeChat; I can just book it directly.”

Lao San laughed after hearing that. “You even have the manager on WeChat? You don’t come here alone, do you?”

“I just come here a lot.” Yu Ning put away her phone.

Bionic Wonder House: It’s your boyfriend who brings you here often, right?

Hand-Cut Lemon: Yes…

Bionic Wonder House: Have you noticed that when you go out, you unconsciously end up doing things that involve your boyfriend?

Lao San: “Should I call the car instead?”

Yu Ning shook her head. “I’ll do it, I’ll do it. You don’t know the location of the KTV. Just wait for the Didi verification code to come through.”

Just as she finished speaking, a call came in.

Yu Ning paused. Seeing the Didi interface prompt that a verification code call would be incoming, she immediately answered. She listened carefully for a moment, then clumsily entered the code on the Didi interface, and spent a few more seconds re-locating and calling the car.

Lao San laughed. “It’s been a while since you’ve hailed a ride, hasn’t it? You even had to log back in.”

Yu Ning was stunned. Upon closer reflection, it seemed that ever since she started dating Ling Wangjin, she had almost never hailed a ride. He basically drove her everywhere.

Bionic Wonder House: Was he the one who picked you up for your company dinner last time, too? That time you were testing him during the rain?

Hand-Cut Lemon: No, it was a test, right? What if he arrived at my dinner spot and wouldn’t leave? I didn’t let him drive me, but he hailed a ride for me.

Bionic Wonder House: Didn’t you think to hail one yourself?

Hand-Cut Lemon: He said if he wasn’t driving, then I should just take a taxi, and then he immediately took his phone and booked it for me… I didn’t think too much about it…

Bionic Wonder House: …

Hand-Cut Lemon: Have I been rendered completely helpless and incapable of basic tasks by him?

Bionic Wonder House: …You’re only realizing this now?

Hand-Cut Lemon: …

Bionic Wonder House: Continue with the story about you and Lao San. Can you tell me what you guys talked about?

While singing at the KTV, Lao San said a lot.

Lao San: “Are your parents still pressuring you to get married?”

Yu Ning thought for a moment. “They are. They used to pressure me to find a boyfriend, now they pressure me to get married.”

Lao San: “Are they pushing hard?”

Actually, they were. Almost every time Yu Ning and Ling Wangjin visited her parents, the topic would come up.

However, whenever the conversation turned to these topics, Ling Wangjin would always walk over, gently drape an arm around her shoulders, and use that moment to pivot the conversation toward their relationship, then talk about her parents’ health, and finally present a gift.

This kind of high-pressure topic would be effortlessly diverted toward recent fun anecdotes.

Lao San: ”…It doesn’t seem like they’re in a rush.”

Yu Ning felt conflicted.

Lao San: “You know the nature of my work. I’m running around all over the country, staying at construction sites every day, and I can’t go back home… My mom is worried sick.”

Yu Ning: “Do you want to get married?”

Lao San smiled. “I don’t know.”

Yu Ning looked at her.

Lao San held the microphone, her face illuminated in multicolored light by the room’s fixtures. “I have to go home the day after tomorrow to meet someone. His situation is decent.”

Yu Ning didn’t know what to say. She felt that Lao San wasn’t very happy.

“How are you feeling about things out there?” Yu Ning wanted to change the subject.

“Work-wise?” Lao San sighed. “In our small company, it’s all about connections. There’s absolutely no room for advancement.”

Yu Ning realized she had chosen the wrong topic.

Lao San suddenly changed the subject. “Let’s not talk about these depressing things. Ningning, how about we go to Thailand at the end of the year?”

Yu Ning: “Sounds great.”

Hand-Cut Lemon: Lao San and I sang for the whole afternoon. We went out to find something to eat afterward, but man proposes, God disposes…

Yu Ning had one arm linked with Lao San’s, and with the other, she opened Meituan and showed her the restaurant she had chosen.

“Ningning?”

Hearing this voice, Yu Ning looked up and saw Ling Wangjin standing at the KTV entrance, carrying a large bag of milk tea.

Yu Ning was shocked. “Why are you here?”

“Company team-building event.” He smiled and lifted the bag of milk tea. “I was staying there, but the others like Xiao Lin couldn’t relax with me around, so I just came out to buy some milk tea.”

Yu Ning was very surprised. In the past, Ling Wangjin never participated in company team-building events; at most, he would just approve the reimbursement forms sent after the event.

“Is this Lao San?” He smiled and walked a few steps forward, coming to Yu Ning’s side. “I’ve heard Ningning talk about you often.”

As he spoke, he turned sideways, accompanied by the patter-patter sound of footsteps running over.

Yu Ning saw Xiao Lin run out from the depths of the hallway and take the milk tea from Ling Wangjin’s hands.

Ling Wangjin: “Since it’s a rare meeting, why don’t we have a meal together?”