102. What Am I Supposed to Do? I'm Desperate Too~
The next morning.
Ling Ning and Xu Qing walked slowly on their way to school, Ling Ning looking utterly exhausted. She hadn’t gotten much sleep the previous night.
Xu Qing and Qin Sirou had such awful sleeping habits. Every time Ling Ning was just about to doze off, she’d get smacked in the face by an arm or kicked in the rear by a leg. The worst part was that it always happened right as she was drifting off, and the two of them took turns—first one arm, then a leg.
And if that wasn’t enough, Qin Sirou would talk in her sleep, occasionally blurting out phrases like “Excalibur!” and “Separation of Heaven and Earth, Primordial Star!”—completely over-the-top lines. Every time she said something, she’d also throw a punch or a kick.
If it weren’t for not wanting to disturb her daughter, Ling Ning would have gone to sleep in another room a long time ago.
“Are you alright?” Xu Qing asked, feeling a little guilty. She knew her own sleeping habits weren’t great. At home, she often ended up sleeping on the floor, and once or twice, she’d even slept under her desk.
Ling Ning shook her head, indicating that she’d just catch up on sleep at school.
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Xia You, as usual, arrived at the gate of Ling Ning’s complex to “escort” her to school. But after waiting for so long without Ling Ning showing up, she had no choice but to head to school first.
When she got there, she found Ling Ning already at school, laughing and chatting with Xu Qing. Not only that, but Xu Qing was even wearing Ling Ning’s dress! Xia You had already memorized everything in Ling Ning’s wardrobe down to the last detail, even if it was just an outfit worn once.
So why was Ling Ning’s dress on Xu Qing? Xia You’s eyes narrowed sharply.
“Xia You, why so late today~?”
At the sound of Ling Ning’s voice, Xia You’s sharp gaze instantly softened into one of vulnerability, and she stammered, “I-I, um, overslept today… so I’m a bit late.”
“Must be nice~ being able to sleep in.” Ling Ning gave Xu Qing an almost resentful look.
“D-don’t look at me like that! I’ll treat you to lunch, alright?” Xu Qing said, panicking under Ling Ning’s wistful gaze.
“Oh-ho, that’s a promise then~”
Ling Ning flashed a sly grin—this was exactly what she’d been aiming for. With lunch settled, she could rest easy and sleep through the morning.
“Li-Ling Ning, you look like you haven’t slept all night.”
“Of course, that’s because…” Ling Ning recounted the events of last night to Xia You.
After hearing Ling Ning’s explanation, Xia You finally understood that Ling Ning had moved into her boss’s place. No wonder she’d waited so long without seeing her at the gate this morning.
And Xu Qing even shared the same bed with Ling Ning, wearing her clothes too—how envi—ugh! It was just so infuriating!
Time passed in sleep, and before Ling Ning knew it, she was being woken up—it was already the end of school for the day. Getting to sleep through the whole morning felt amazing, and thinking about Xu Qing’s free lunch made it even better.
While having lunch, Ling Ning received a call from Zhou Xiaoxiao, who told her to wait at the school gate after classes ended in the afternoon.
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After school.
Ling Ning walked to the school gate, where she immediately spotted Zhou Xiaoxiao, waiting there. Dressed in an expensive St. Freya Academy uniform, Zhou Xiaoxiao caught the attention of many boys. After all, St. Freya Academy was a prestigious all-girls school, and the students there were mostly wealthy young ladies.
The sight of a young lady from such a school standing at the gate of a regular high school, her uniform distinctly different, naturally drew attention. Of course, there were also attempts to strike up a conversation, but Zhou Xiaoxiao’s icy gaze drove them all away. After spending so much time with Ye Xuan, she had picked up that chilling look.
Spotting Ling Ning in the crowd, Zhou Xiaoxiao pushed through and approached her.
“Finally found you.” Zhou Xiaoxiao’s voice carried a sense of relief, as if a weight had been lifted. Being surrounded like that was really uncomfortable.
“Why are you still in your uniform?”
“I had no choice. I skipped class to come find you. I didn’t have time to change,” Zhou Xiaoxiao explained, shrugging.
Glancing around, Ling Ning suggested, “Let’s find somewhere else to talk.”
Zhou Xiaoxiao nodded and followed Ling Ning out of the school, winding through the streets until they reached a secluded ice cream shop.
As soon as they sat down, Zhou Xiaoxiao pulled out a small notebook from her bag and handed it to Ling Ning. “This contains information about my parents’ interests, hobbies, and basic details, as well as some information about my fiancé, Qian Xu—his family situation, preferences, that kind of stuff.”
Ling Ning flipped through it casually, surprised to find that even details like how many boyfriends Zhou Xiaoxiao’s father had before marrying, how many girlfriends her mother had, and what kind of cross-dressing Qian Xu liked were included, complete with pictures. Was this really “basic information”?
“Make sure you memorize what’s in here. My happiness depends on you. My parents said that unless I find a boyfriend they approve of, I’ll have to marry Qian Xu as soon as I graduate from high school.” Zhou Xiaoxiao spoke with a hint of melancholy as she thought about her predicament.
“Uh…” Ling Ning suddenly felt a lot of pressure. The happiness of an entire girl’s life had been entrusted to her.
“Can I ask… why did you pick me to play your boyfriend?” Ling Ning asked, touching her face. Surely she was pretty enough that she didn’t look like a guy?
Zhou Xiaoxiao looked at Ling Ning intently. “You know, the first time you came into the café, I thought you were a guy. Even though I know you’re a girl, there’s just something about you. It’s hard to explain, but it’s that feeling that made me choose you. Even though that feeling is faint now, I still trust it.”
One had to admit, sometimes a woman’s intuition could be frighteningly accurate.
“Why not just find a guy to play the part?” Ling Ning asked.
Zhou Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes at her. “You do realize my school is all girls, right? Even the janitors are women, and even the guard dogs are female. What am I supposed to do? I’m desperate too, you know! I can’t just rely on those creepy guys hanging around the café!”
Ling Ning took a deep breath, looked Zhou Xiaoxiao straight in the eye, and said seriously, “Don’t worry, I’ll do everything I can to help you! My beautiful girlfriend~”
“Well then, I’ll leave everything in your capable hands, my lovely ‘boyfriend’~”
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Author’s Note:
Didn’t write a single word today, and it felt amazing.