READ NOVEL ONLINE 63. A Free Lunch
“Ring ring ring~”
The bell rang for lunch, and students began filing out of the classroom. Xu Qing woke up Ling Ning, who sat there in a daze before slowly making her way to the cafeteria.
Seeing the “pig slop” on display, Ling Ning lost her appetite. She wasn’t particularly hungry anyway, so she decided to head back to the classroom to nap instead.
On her way back, she ran into Ye Xuan, who was just heading out for lunch. When she found out Ling Ning hadn’t eaten, Ye Xuan graciously invited her to lunch off-campus.
Delighted at the offer, Ling Ning happily tagged along. After all, she could be hungry or not, depending on the situation. And who didn’t love a free lunch?
With a friend, Ling Ning didn’t hold back, ordering all her favorite dishes without hesitation.
“Free food really does taste better,” Ling Ning thought as she ate with gusto.
“What will you do after lunch?” Ye Xuan asked, watching Ling Ning devour her food with amusement.
Swallowing a mouthful, Ling Ning answered slowly, “I’ll go back to the classroom and sleep.”
Ye Xuan wasn’t surprised by her answer. She’d heard from other teachers that Ling Ning often napped during class. But she couldn’t help but wonder why Ling Ning loved sleeping so much. From her time with her, Ling Ning didn’t seem like a person who’d normally sleep all day.
“You know, if you want to nap, why don’t you come to my place?”
“Your place?”
“No, not my house,” Ye Xuan clarified. “I mean the private rest room the school assigned to me.”
“A private rest room? The school actually provides something like that?” Ling Ning asked, surprised. She’d never heard of teachers having personal rest rooms.
“There’s a bed, soft pillows, and air conditioning,” Ye Xuan said in a tempting tone.
Originally planning to decline, Ling Ning couldn’t resist the allure of a cozy bed, soft pillows, and air conditioning. She quickly agreed, practically dreaming of the perfect nap.
Ye Xuan’s satisfied smile went unnoticed by Ling Ning, who was too preoccupied imagining the cool air and soft sheets.
⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱
When they arrived, Ling Ning realized the “private rest room” was simply a teacher’s dorm. She’d half-expected Ye Xuan to have pulled some strings to secure it.
“Sometimes, if I’m busy, I’ll stay here since it has a bathroom and a small kitchen. It’s convenient,” Ye Xuan said with a smile.
“Oh~”
“Oh, by the way, isn’t Ye Ye’s school starting soon?”
Ling Ning nodded, smiling softly at the thought of her daughter. “Next week.”
“The bed’s over here. Go ahead and rest; I’ll wake you up when it’s time,” Ye Xuan offered, pointing to the bed.
As soon as Ling Ning saw it, her drowsiness returned. In one fluid motion, she kicked off her shoes, climbed into bed, and closed her eyes. The scent on the pillow—a faint trace of Ye Xuan’s fragrance—didn’t bother her in the least. The cool air, the soft bed, and the cozy pillow quickly lulled her to sleep.
After about half an hour, Ye Xuan, pretending to read, quietly crept over to Ling Ning’s side.
Watching her sleep, she reached out with a slightly trembling hand, gently touching Ling Ning’s smooth, slender leg. The soft, warm skin beneath her fingers felt like silk. She found herself mesmerized, thinking she’d never get tired of this.
As she trailed her hand down to Ling Ning’s delicate foot, she marveled at the translucent skin and the faintly visible veins beneath.
“I want to taste it…” Ye Xuan murmured, licking her lips as she gazed at Ling Ning’s foot.
Just then, Ling Ning shifted uncomfortably, pulling her legs in and curling up. But even that wasn’t enough to escape Ye Xuan’s touch. Seeing that Ling Ning was still deeply asleep, Ye Xuan grew bolder, her hand drifting higher.
But just as she was about to take things further, a sudden knock on the door interrupted her. With a frustrated sigh, Ye Xuan withdrew her hand, casting one last longing look at the peacefully sleeping Ling Ning.
“Ms. Ye, I’m sorry to bother you, but the headmaster needs us in the conference room for a quick meeting.”
The knock had come from the teacher Sora Jing. And before you misread, her name is Sora Jing, not Sora Aoi!
“Yes, understood.”
After tucking the blanket around Ling Ning, Ye Xuan left with Sora Jing, a nagging feeling in her mind that she was forgetting something.
⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱
Ling Ning had overslept. She was jolted awake by the afternoon bell. She’d assumed Ye Xuan would wake her, so she hadn’t set an alarm. Who’d have thought?
But she didn’t think Ye Xuan would have left her on purpose—she’d probably just gotten called away unexpectedly.
After gathering herself, she lazily strolled out of the teacher’s dorm building. Since she was already late, there was no point in rushing to class just to be scolded.
When Ling Ning finally reached her classroom, the lesson was already halfway over. To make matters worse, it was her least favorite teacher, Mr. Yu Wen, leading the class. Hesitating at the door, she weighed her options before deciding to go in. Skipping class would be more serious than being late.
“Class is halfway done—why are you only coming in now?” Yu Wen frowned at her. He had a love-hate relationship with this student. Ling Ning always slept through his lectures, but whenever he called on her, she’d give impressive answers, sometimes even surprising him with insights he hadn’t considered.
“Oh well, just sit down,” he relented.
“Huh?” Ling Ning gaped at him. Was she dreaming?
“What are you waiting for? Get in here or leave; don’t interrupt my lesson.”
“Thank you, sir,” Ling Ning said, hurrying to her seat and promptly falling asleep.
Yu Wen watched her doze off the moment she sat down, wondering if he’d made a mistake in letting her in. Perhaps he should’ve made her stand outside.
Then again, knowing her, she’d probably find a way to sleep standing up.
⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱
Author’s Note:
If you thought her name was Sora Aoi, stand up and admit it!