Chapter 120: Stepping on Ningning’s Landmine
Refusing to revise her work meant rejecting a promising opportunity, and Yu Linna began to lose heart. After the Chenghe incident, she understood how the upper echelons operated, the consequences of being too headstrong. In this world, without power and obedience, one was ruthlessly discarded.
Still, she didn’t want her week of hard work to be in vain. She had no choice but to wait for the results, hoping they might still give her a chance. But it was wishful thinking.
Following Fang Jiangning’s advice, she took her medicine regularly. Fang Jiangning visited her every day, keeping her company. Gradually, she recovered, her loneliness easing. But Ye Zhiyun still hadn’t returned. It had been half a month since she left, and the New Year was fast approaching.
“Linna, how are you planning to spend the New Year?” Fang Jiangning asked casually.
Yu Linna hadn’t given it much thought. She had always been alone. While others celebrated, she worked on New Year’s Eve, earning several times her usual wage.
But what about this year?
“I don’t know. Haven’t thought about it. What about you, Jiangning?”
“My family goes back to our hometown for the New Year. I did well on my exams this semester, so everyone’s happy. I have to tell my grandparents. My dad even said my grades are better than my cousin’s now.”
Pride beamed on Fang Jiangning’s face.
Since becoming Yu Linna’s deskmate, her grades had significantly improved. Yu Linna often tutored her, and despite frequently missing classes, she had a knack for teaching. Perhaps it was due to her experience as a teaching assistant; she had a unique approach to learning.
Their teacher hadn’t expected the seating arrangement, assigned randomly at the beginning of the semester, to have such an impact. But since being paired with Yu Linna, Fang Jiangning’s grades had soared. She had made it into the top ten of their grade for the first time, leaving her parents speechless.
Their homeroom teacher, initially critical of Yu Linna, now had nothing but praise.
“That’s great…” Yu Linna said, a hint of envy in her voice.
Fang Jiangning suddenly remembered that Yu Linna had no family, spending every New Year alone, with no relatives to visit.
“I’m sorry, Linna. I got carried away…”
“It’s okay. I’m used to it. You don’t have to worry about my feelings.”
“But… what are you going to do this year?”
Though Yu Linna looked mixed-race, she was Chinese at heart and, like everyone else, celebrated the holidays. How would she spend the upcoming Spring Festival? It was a problem.
“I don’t know. I’ll wait for Zhiyun to come back.”
Though she said so, Yu Linna had a feeling Ye Zhiyun wouldn’t be back in time.
Being gone for half a month meant it was something serious. She wouldn’t be back anytime soon.
Feeling awkward, Fang Jiangning suggested they go out to have some fun, to lift Yu Linna’s spirits. Yu Linna agreed, needing a distraction. Unlike before, she no longer had to work every day and had plenty of free time.
“Oh, let’s ask Ningning to join us! She’s been wanting to get closer to you. Is that okay?”
“Her? …Fine, I don’t mind.”
When it came to Huo Ningning, Yu Linna felt nothing but exasperation. The girl was always trying to get close to her, and she didn’t understand why. She was a girl! What was Ningning’s interest in her?
Upon hearing Yu Linna was going out, Huo Ningning became ecstatic, arriving at the meeting place in under five minutes, her face flushed, her breathing ragged. She had clearly run all the way.
“Good morning, Linna! Where do you want to go? I recommend a movie!”
“…No movies. I want to go to the arcade.”
The thought of sitting next to Ningning in a dark theater, being stared at, made her skin crawl.
Having lived as a girl for over a decade, Yu Linna wasn’t averse to interacting with other girls, but she wasn’t comfortable with excessive closeness. So far, only Ye Zhiyun and Nangong Ying had been allowed into her inner circle.
She had a reason for wanting to go to the arcade. She had gone there once with Ye Zhiyun, who had won her a stuffed animal, a prize she still cherished. She wanted to try again, to play the claw machine.
As for Huo Ningning, she agreed solely because Yu Linna was going. Wherever Yu Linna went, she would follow.
Who was Huo Ningning, anyway? According to Fang Jiangning, she came from a relatively well-off family, better off than Fang Jiangning’s, though the nature of her family’s business remained unknown. Apparently, they had only become wealthy in recent years.
“Linna, let’s do something active! Look, there’s a coin-operated basketball game over there. Let’s play!”
“Well…”
“It’s decided! Let’s go!”
“Can you not hold my hand…?”
Wasn’t this bespectacled girl supposed to be shy and timid? Why was she suddenly so assertive? Did she really enjoy Yu Linna’s company that much?
And Fang Jiangning, with a cheerful expression, didn’t seem to mind, as if everything was going according to plan.
“I’m not very good at basketball…”
Inserting the coins, Yu Linna held the basketball, looking at the hoop, feeling a headache coming on.
Even in her previous life as a boy, she hadn’t played many outdoor sports, mostly spending her time quietly reading at the orphanage. In this life, she had been too busy working to engage in any physical activity, let alone play basketball. If she had the time, she would have taken up taekwondo like Ye Zhiyun.
“It’s okay, I’ll teach you. Just throw the ball into the basket. Watch me. Like this.”
Huo Ningning demonstrated.
“Linna, lift your arms like this, and your waist…”
“Ahem, don’t touch me. I can do it myself.”
Seeing Huo Ningning’s hand reaching for her waist, Yu Linna immediately stepped back, a frown on her face. This girl was clearly up to no good, trying to get touchy-feely again.
Huo Ningning pouted, looking like she was about to cry. Fang Jiangning patted her shoulder, sighing.
“Too eager. She’ll get spooked.”
“It’s so hard, Jiangning. How can I be like you…?”
“Well, take it slow.”
Ignoring their conversation, Yu Linna held the basketball, looking at the hoop. She jumped slightly and threw the ball.
With no experience and awkward form, her shot missed. She picked up the ball and tried again, rarely making a basket.
As she moved, her shirt lifted slightly, revealing a flash of her pale stomach. Huo Ningning stared, mesmerized.
Her movements were so graceful, especially that glimpse of skin…
“Ningning, stop ogling her, or she’ll really start to dislike you.”
“Whoa… I can’t control myself…”
Huo Ningning, the seemingly timid, introverted girl with glasses, had a wild side. Was this what they called “hidden fire”?
Having known her for so long, Fang Jiangning understood her personality all too well.
Yu Linna was indeed terrible at basketball. After a few shots, she was out of breath, sweat beading on her forehead, her body weak. This sport wasn’t for her.
Perhaps it was also due to her lack of exercise these past two months, spending all her time cooking. If she were still working multiple jobs, running errands all day, she wouldn’t be so out of shape.
As for Huo Ningning, she hadn’t made a single basket, too busy staring at Yu Linna. She was probably devastated.
Yu Linna headed towards the claw machines, wanting to try her luck. Huo Ningning grabbed her hand, pulling her towards the women’s clothing section, ignoring Yu Linna’s protests.
“Linna, let’s buy some clothes! Don’t worry, it’s on me.”
“Are you crazy? I don’t buy women’s clothing! Let go of me!”
“Just try it on! Just once, okay?”
“No!”
Huo Ningning was unusually assertive, almost aggressive.
This was all thanks to a book she had read this week. It advised that to win a girl’s heart, one had to be bold, shameless, and take charge, ignoring the girl’s objections. This would supposedly showcase one’s masculine charm.
The book was titled, “How to Pursue a Girl.”
Clearly, she had misunderstood something…
It was meant for boys, not girls.
“No! I don’t want to wear this!”
“Just once! Come on, just try it on!”
“No!”
Fang Jiangning watched, speechless. Had Huo Ningning completely lost it? Even with a girl, this wasn’t the way to go about things.
Huo Ningning held a dress, insisting Yu Linna try it on. Yu Linna adamantly refused, and they reached a stalemate. Suddenly, Huo Ningning slipped, falling towards Yu Linna. With a yelp from Yu Linna, they both tumbled into the changing room.
“Ahh!”
Fang Jiangning saw the curtain close behind them, followed by muffled gasps.
Huo Ningning pinned Yu Linna to the floor, her face flushing as she looked at the girl beneath her.
Yu Linna pushed her off angrily, scrambling to her feet, pulling up her jacket, her face red with rage.
“Enough! What are you trying to do? How could you treat me like this? Hmph! I’m leaving!”
Shoving Huo Ningning aside, Yu Linna stormed out of the women’s clothing section, clearly furious.
“That’s it, game over…” Fang Jiangning thought. Not even a god could save Ningning now.
Chapter 121: The Seed
Yu Linna disliked Huo Ningning not for anything she had done, but simply because she couldn’t stand being stared at with such an intense, almost predatory gaze. It made her uncomfortable.
If Ningning behaved normally, Yu Linna wouldn’t mind being friendly. After all, she was Jiangning’s friend, and Yu Linna was willing to give her some leeway.
But today…
She had had enough.
Being treated like this for no reason, unilaterally at that, was unbearable. Even if she was Jiangning’s friend, it was too much.
Yu Linna hated being treated this way.
“I’m… I’m so sorry, Linna! Please don’t be angry! I was wrong!”
“I’m going home. Leave me alone.”
“No, please! I really was wrong! Please forgive me!”
Huo Ningning wanted to punch herself. How could she have made such a grave mistake? She needed to be locked in a cage to learn her lesson.
As for Fang Jiangning, all she could do was facepalm. Her friend was usually normal; how could she mess up so badly today? What had she been doing? Ningning had only mentioned looking up strategies, reading books on how to interact with people. What kind of book had she been reading?
“Linna, Linna… I’m sorry! Please don’t go! I was wrong…”
Huo Ningning abandoned her earlier assertiveness, her voice now soft and pleading, reverting to her usual timid self.
“I just wanted to be friends with you! I really didn’t mean to… Please forgive me…”
Huo Ningning tugged on Yu Linna’s sleeve, her voice trembling. Yu Linna, despite being a girl herself, couldn’t bear to see another girl cry, especially in front of her.
Whenever a girl cried in front of her, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse their request. It had been the same with Ye Zhiyun; after witnessing her vulnerability, Yu Linna couldn’t reject her.
“Fine. I’ll give you one more chance. But if you do that again, hmph!”
“I won’t! I won’t! I was just too eager! From now on, I’ll listen to you!”
As long as she could be with Yu Linna, she would do anything.
Seeing that Yu Linna was no longer angry, Huo Ningning breathed a sigh of relief. If she had truly angered her, it would have been disastrous.
However…
Yu Linna had been genuinely angry.
She had simply forgotten.
Looking at the blonde hair, the familiar silhouette, Huo Ningning’s mind flashed back to a similar image. The same blonde hair, the same back, but a different heart.
(“Mind your own business! It’s none of your concern! Who are you to tell me what to do?!”)
She would never forget that scene, the scene she regretted to this day.
If it hadn’t been for the past, there wouldn’t be a present.
She truly regretted her actions. They could have been better friends, but ultimately, it wasn’t meant to be.
Yu Linna might have forgotten, but Huo Ningning hadn’t. She knew who Yu Linna was, her background, her status as an orphan. She had known all along but had kept silent.
When Huo Ningning was young, a little girl had come to live with her family. Everything had started then; that was when the little blonde girl entered her life.
But the girl had only stayed for a month before disappearing.
Huo Ningning saw her again in high school.
The moment she saw her on campus, she knew it was Yu Linna, the mixed-race girl. She wanted to talk to her, to get to know her, to become friends. But she lacked the courage.
In their senior year, by chance, they ended up in the same class. And since Yu Linna was close to Fang Jiangning, Huo Ningning used that connection to get closer to her. However, their relationship hadn’t progressed much, remaining awkward, with Yu Linna always keeping her distance, partly due to Huo Ningning’s overeagerness.
“Linna, want to grab a drink? It’s on me. I’ll take you to the best place in town.”
“Stop having ulterior motives! I’m a girl, understand?”
“I would never! I’m a girl too!”
She wanted to be with Yu Linna, to rekindle their friendship, even though Yu Linna had forgotten everything. But Huo Ningning remembered clearly.
She regretted the words she had spoken, words that had changed everything. Since then, she had vowed never to hurt anyone with her words again.
But the damage was done; there was no going back.
“Ningning, aren’t you taking me somewhere? Where is it?”
“Wait, I’m coming.”
Fang Jiangning, watching them, breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed things were going smoothly.
When Huo Ningning had confessed about her past with Yu Linna, Fang Jiangning hadn’t believed her at first. But Ningning wasn’t one to lie, so she chose to believe her. Ningning had asked for help in mending her relationship with Yu Linna, and Fang Jiangning had agreed.
It wasn’t an easy task, but fortunately, there wasn’t any serious conflict between them yet.
In a quiet studio apartment, the only sounds were the clicking of keys and the flickering of the computer screen. The curtains were drawn, the room shrouded in darkness, illuminated only by the glow of the monitor.
The rhythmic tapping of keys echoed as Zhao Yuyan’s fingers flew across the keyboard, her eyes fixed on the screen. As the number of characters increased, her furrowed brows relaxed.
“Phew…”
Zhao Yuyan paused, stretching. Working since early morning was tiring, and she was starting to feel hungry.
But it was her own fault for procrastinating, leaving everything to the last minute. It was a classic writer’s ailment.
And one that frustrated Chen Xi to no end. Of all the authors she managed, Zhao Yuyan was the worst procrastinator. Chen Xi often reminded her during their meals to start writing early to avoid last-minute cramming. Zhao Yuyan always agreed, then proceeded to procrastinate anyway.
There was no helping it. Zhao Yuyan was lazy. She wanted to play games, not work. She had university, assignments, and her author duties; how could she possibly have the energy for anything else? Writing meant sacrificing her gaming time; she was already working hard enough.
Despite her procrastination, Zhao Yuyan’s writing was consistently high-quality, always finding a market. She mostly wrote short stories, with her longer works progressing at a glacial pace. She was about to publish another collection of short stories, this time about a rag-and-bone girl who meets the male protagonist.
With her popularity and reputation, her short story collection would undoubtedly sell well. That was the value of her name.
“Wow, so much left. Looks like there’s no time for fun before the New Year.”
Looking at her progress, Zhao Yuyan sighed. Procrastination felt good in the moment, but the all-nighters were killer.
But she was a professional writer and had to take her work seriously. There was no other way but to work overtime.
Suddenly, her phone rang. It was Chen Xi, the demon editor!
“Hello, Sister Chen! I wasn’t slacking off! I was really working hard…”
“Huh? What are you talking about? I’m calling to let you know about this year’s New Talent Awards. It’s scheduled for after the New Year, and we’d like to invite you. Hopefully, you can make time for it.”
“Ah, the New Talent Awards? Me?”
She had attended the awards ceremony last year, winning first place at the age of nineteen, securing a publishing contract for “The Rich Man’s Game.” A year later, the novel had reached its third volume, with the fourth in progress.
The New Talent Awards was a place of aspiration for every newcomer, a platform to gain recognition and launch their careers. Having experienced that glory herself, Zhao Yuyan understood the significance of the competition.
“Air, as the winner of last year’s award, you should be there. If possible, we’d like you to give a short speech, a few words of encouragement for the new writers.”
“In that case, just send me an invitation. You didn’t have to call.”
“That’s because I know you probably wouldn’t come even with an invitation, so I had to call and order you to attend.”
“What? It’s an order?!”
“That’s right, an order. You must be there.”
“Can I refuse…?”
“If you don’t go, I’ll lock you in a hotel room and cut off your internet until you finish writing.”
“You’re a demon!”
Zhao Yuyan cried out. The demon editor truly lived up to her name! How could she be so cruel?!
Zhao Yuyan didn’t want to go! Not at all!
She just wanted to stay home and play games, raid dungeons, play League of Legends, PUBG, and Dungeon Fighter Online!
“By the way, Air, speaking of the New Talent Awards, there’s an author I’m quite interested in. I want to sign them, but… their writing style is hard to define.”
“Another newcomer caught your eye? Lucky them.”
“Their pen name is Shion. I don’t know their real name. They blocked me. If you know them, please let me know.”
“Pfft! Blocked you? Hahaha! Sister Chen, you got blocked by a newbie? Hahaha!”
Zhao Yuyan burst out laughing. The legendary super editor Chen Xi, blocked by a newcomer? It was the funniest thing she had ever heard. That newbie had guts! Blocking an editor! It was too much; she couldn’t stop laughing.
“Air…”
“Okay, okay, I’ll stop laughing… hahaha…”
“Should I book you a hotel room?”
“No, no, no! I’m sorry! I don’t want to be locked up and forced to write!”
A single petal fell to the ground. Unseen, a seed began to sprout.
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