Chapter 33: Heart in Turmoil

Sunday night.

Jiang Ling supported a dizzy Lu Yuyao as she opened the door, struggling to lead her into the living room.

She set her down on the sofa, and the moment Lu Yuyao touched the cushions, she went limp like a fish returning to water, sitting there motionless.

Jiang Ling regretted everything.

Lu Yuyao had been in high spirits tonight and suggested going out for dinner.

They had found a casual home-style restaurant and ordered several delicious dishes.

While waiting for the food, Lu Yuyao suddenly took an interest in the beer in the freezer, saying she wanted to buy a bottle to try it.

Jiang Ling was alert enough.

After all, Lu Yuyao was still a high school student, and she had no idea what her alcohol tolerance was.

No matter what Lu Yuyao said, Jiang Ling refused to let her buy any.

When the tissues on the table ran out, Jiang Ling went to the front desk to grab some.

By the time she returned, an opened bottle of Snowflake Beer was sitting on the table.

Lu Yuyao held a paper cup in both hands, taking small sips.

When she saw Jiang Ling notice, her eyes gleamed with the smugness of someone who had successfully pulled off a prank.

And then, things ended up like this.

After drinking only half a cup of beer, she was now slumped on the sofa, her delicate lips murmuring something incomprehensible.

Jiang Ling pressed a hand to her forehead.

She didn’t know what had gotten into Lu Yuyao, assuming she was just acting out of curiosity.

She made a mental note that she would never let Lu Yuyao near any alcoholic beverages again.

After resting for a moment, Jiang Ling still had to help Lu Yuyao to her room.

She was already quite familiar with the routine; she felt as though she could find Lu Yuyao’s bedroom and tuck her in with her eyes closed.

“Mm, I feel so bad…”

Lu Yuyao let out a soft groan.

Once back in bed, she instinctively pulled a bolster into her arms.

Her adorable appearance caused Jiang Ling to daze for a split second.

However, Jiang Ling quickly told herself that Lu Yuyao deserved it.

For someone who never touched a drop of alcohol, why was her curiosity so overwhelming?

Jiang Ling sighed, but her gaze drifted to the mess on the desk, and her heart grew heavy again.

Had Lu Yuyao’s troubles still not been resolved?

It had already been one week.

She had previously asked Fang Chenxi to look into it, but Fang Chenxi hadn’t gathered any useful information either.

Jiang Ling grew increasingly curious about what kind of matter could trouble Lu Yuyao to this extent, making her unwilling to seek help even from those close to her.

Jiang Ling looked at the stylus and tablet scattered on the desk.

She knew Lu Yuyao had been drawing; Lu Yuyao hadn’t told her, but she had guessed it herself.

‘If I just open it and look, I’ll know everything.’

‘I’m doing this for Lu Yuyao’s own good.’

Jiang Ling reached out toward the tablet.

Just as she was about to touch it, the sound of Lu Yuyao tossing and turning startled her, and she yanked her hand back instantly.

Jiang Ling frowned and ultimately couldn’t bring herself to reach out again.

‘I’ll ask her again when she’s sober.’

***

When they woke up in the morning, Lu Yuyao finished washing up and headed downstairs.

Jiang Ling was in the middle of making breakfast.

The sound of Lu Yuyao coming down the stairs caught her attention, and she asked, “How is it? Your head doesn’t hurt, does it?”

Although there was no hint of blame in her voice, Lu Yuyao sheepishly stuck out her cute tongue and said in a soft, sweet voice, “Mm… I’m fine. I won’t drink next time.”

Jiang Ling gave her a dry look.

Seeing how well-behaved Lu Yuyao was being, the teasing remarks she had prepared died in her throat.

Lu Yuyao stayed by Jiang Ling’s side, helping her set the table with the fried eggs and warm milk.

During the meal, Jiang Ling pretended to bring it up casually.

“Have you encountered any difficulties with your studies lately?”

Lu Yuyao paused her drinking and looked at her in confusion.

She tilted her head, appearing to think seriously before shaking it.

“No… why would you ask that?”

Lu Yuyao had always been smart.

Jiang Ling had seen her middle school grades, and she had been at the top of her class in every subject.

Jiang Ling had only asked to start a conversation.

“Really?”

Jiang Ling added, her eyes flashing with a playful glint.

“So last night’s binge drinking wasn’t because you were bothered by something?”

Binge drinking…

She had clearly only had one cup before getting drunk.

Hearing the term “binge drinking” come from Jiang Ling’s mouth, Lu Yuyao’s face instantly flushed pink.

She gave her a reproachful glare but was also a bit curious.

“I was just interested in the taste… why do you say I’m bothered by something? Ling, you’re overthinking it.”

Jiang Ling shrugged.

Seeing that she wouldn’t get any information this way, she dropped the subject and talked about other things.

Lu Yuyao’s eyes were clearly darting away, which Jiang Ling saw plainly.

This confirmed that whatever was troubling Lu Yuyao was something she found difficult to talk about.

If the soft approach didn’t work, she would have to try something firmer.

Jiang Ling thought of a good idea and decided to test it out tonight.

***

“I’m so tired.”

Jiang Ling slumped over the table, her back arched.

The soft curves of her chest resembled two semi-circles, looking particularly eye-catching.

Ji Qingyan only took a brief glance before immediately averting her eyes.

It was currently the lunch break.

Jiang Ling had snuck out, wanting to rest in the club for a while.

After all, there was no one here, and it felt more private.

When Jiang Ling pushed open the door to the club, she saw Ji Qingyan sitting inside.

A smile spread across her face; having company was certainly better.

As for why Xia Yu and Ding Rui weren’t there, they were first-year students and likely didn’t have the nerve.

Jiang Ling wailed while slumped on the table like a wandering spirit.

While reading her book, Ji Qingyan asked, “What happened? Why are you so exhausted?”

“You have no idea. I spent the entire morning doing practice exams. I feel like my brain cells are almost all dead,”

Jiang Ling complained.

She straightened up and rested her hands on Ji Qingyan’s shoulders, leaning her entire body toward her.

Ji Qingyan tried her best to avoid letting her gaze fall where it shouldn’t, but Jiang Ling kept moving around.

As she spoke, that soft weight even pressed against her shoulder.

Ji Qingyan stiffened.

She responded by saying it sounded tough, but her heart was racing like a startled deer.

Jiang Ling kept talking to herself, failing to notice Ji Qingyan’s abnormality.

Rarely, Jiang Ling had wanted to test how much high school knowledge she still retained today, so she had borrowed several mock exams covering the high school curriculum and spent nearly the whole morning working on them.

Chinese: 110, Math: 100, English: 110, Science: 200.

Though it was a bit of a struggle, Jiang Ling was quite satisfied with the final scores.

One had to remember she had graduated a long time ago; maintaining such a level was already quite impressive.

Fang Chenxi had been very surprised when she saw the scores, even wondering if Jiang Ling had intentionally overestimated them.

However, after grading them herself, she found that Jiang Ling’s estimation was accurate.

Jiang Ling had even bragged smugly, “How about it? It’s not too late for you to admit defeat.”

Fang Chenxi had only smiled without saying a word, which left Jiang Ling feeling a bit frustrated.

As Jiang Ling shared her joy with Ji Qingyan, Ji Qingyan simply nodded and said Jiang Ling was amazing.

That alone was enough to make Jiang Ling happy.

Smelling the faint fragrance on Ji Qingyan and the subtle scent resembling a certain type of body wash, Jiang Ling felt her mind settle into a peaceful state.

She felt more and more that Ji Qingyan was much better than Fang Chenxi.

Qingyan wouldn’t get handsy with her; she would just quietly listen to her talk and chat.

Just as Ji Qingyan felt she couldn’t take it anymore, Jiang Ling finally pulled away from her shoulder.

Ji Qingyan breathed a sigh of relief, her clenched fingers having left faint marks on the pages of her book.

After venting her frustrations, Jiang Ling felt much more refreshed.

She lay her head back down on the table.

The warm afternoon sun spilled through the window onto the two of them, feeling cozy and pleasant.

By the time Ji Qingyan realized Jiang Ling hadn’t spoken for a long time, she saw that she had already fallen asleep on the table.

Ji Qingyan closed her book with gentle movements, not wanting to wake Jiang Ling.

She was also feeling a bit sleepy.

Leaning her head on the table, Ji Qingyan watched Jiang Ling’s sleeping face.

A tenderness she didn’t even realize she possessed flickered in her cool eyes.

‘Good afternoon, Jiang Ling.’