If this meal were just between Jiang Ling and Fang Chenxi, the silence would likely have been excruciating.
Fortunately, Lu Yuyao was there to handle things.
Jiang Ling didn’t have to worry about sudden lulls in conversation or Fang Chenxi launching an unexpected verbal attack that she wouldn’t know how to answer.
Still, Jiang Ling ate quite distractedly.
Her thoughts were a mess.
So many things had happened in such a short time.
She was naturally easygoing, but the impact of these events made her realize that her “escape plan” might need to start early.
Let’s recap.
First, the love letter.
Jiang Ling had already thought of a response.
The note had actually said, “If Senior is unwilling, then leave a reply in your locker, and I will check it tomorrow.”
Jiang Ling planned to do exactly that.
Honestly, it was a bit creepy.
To have a junior who came and went like a ghost and somehow fell for her—if the girl hadn’t been so polite, Jiang Ling might have considered calling the police.
This was the burden of being beautiful.
Having only been a girl for a short while, Jiang Ling was already experiencing the extra trouble that an outstanding appearance brought.
And then, there was Fang Chenxi.
Jiang Ling glanced at Fang Chenxi, only to accidentally lock eyes with her.
Fang Chenxi smiled and tilted her head playfully.
Jiang Ling immediately looked away.
No, this won’t do.
Every time she saw Fang Chenxi’s face, her heart raced for no reason.
Jiang Ling interpreted this as the uncontrollable power radiating from a “female lead.”
Damned protagonist aura.
She would never be seduced.
Lu Yuyao felt something was a bit off.
She had caught the interactions between Fang Chenxi and Jiang Ling throughout the evening.
Even though it was their first day knowing each other as deskmates, she felt a certain… should she call it an “ambiguous” vibe between them?
Lu Yuyao wasn’t sure; it just felt strange.
Maybe it was just an illusion.
After all, she hadn’t seen Fang Chenxi in a long time.
Lu Yuyao was truly happy tonight.
You could tell by the way she chatted incessantly.
She had always been lively, but never quite to this extent.
Setting the plot aside, seeing the two of them laughing at the table felt very comfortable to Jiang Ling.
If possible, she’d like to keep living like this.
You two can fall in love, and I’ll live my life as a total nobody.
We all have bright futures ahead.
After dinner, Lu Yuyao received a call.
She seemed to have something to handle and headed back to her room first, leaving only Fang Chenxi and Jiang Ling in the living room.
“You sit in the living room for a bit; I’ll go clear the dishes.”
Jiang Ling checked the time.
It was nearly eight o’clock—still early.
She actually wanted to tell Fang Chenxi to go home now that she was done eating.
But as a maid, she couldn’t exactly issue an eviction notice on Lu Yuyao’s behalf.
“I’ll help too.”
Jiang Ling wanted to say it wasn’t necessary, but Fang Chenxi was quick.
She picked up the remaining plates and followed her into the kitchen.
She even closed the door behind them.
???
What is the meaning of this?
Jiang Ling swallowed hard.
The kitchen was large, but Fang Chenxi intentionally or unintentionally squeezed in right next to Jiang Ling.
Their slender arms brushed against each other from time to time.
Uncomfortable, Jiang Ling nudged herself further away.
But Fang Chenxi seemed to follow her.
I’m telling you, what kind of mischief are you up to now?
Jiang Ling didn’t speak, but Fang Chenxi opened her mouth first.
“Jiang Ling, I heard you received a love letter today?”
!
Jiang Ling froze for a second, her deer-like eyes widening.
Heard?
Heard from whom!
Seeing her reaction, Fang Chenxi smiled. She had only asked a question, and Jiang Ling had already exposed herself.
The Jiang Ling of the previous life certainly wasn’t this simple.
“Who… who did you hear that from?”
“Who did I hear it from… I can’t tell you that.”
Fang Chenxi laughed.
“If someone tells me a secret, I can’t just expose them, can I?”
Fang Chenxi wiped a dish dry, placed it in the cupboard, and then rested her palm on Jiang Ling’s shoulder.
She leaned close to Jiang Ling’s ear and whispered softly, “But don’t worry. I guarantee you that besides her and me, no one else will know about this.”
“So, relax.”
Fang Chenxi winked, looking quite playful.
If you’re going to talk, just talk.
Why get so close?
Jiang Ling’s ear felt itchy.
She stepped a few paces away, turned her head to glare at her, and said, “Even if you both know, it’s nothing. I don’t care.”
Jiang Ling felt she needed to be firmer, otherwise, she would always be led by the nose by Fang Chenxi.
Fang Chenxi chuckled.
She knew Jiang Ling was just acting tough; otherwise, she wouldn’t be this nervous.
But she didn’t mind.
“So, the person you spoke of… did she see that the one who delivered the letter was a girl?”
Fang Chenxi nodded.
That’s a relief.
Although the pink, flowery look of the letter made it likely it was from a girl, if it had actually been a boy trying to be “cute,” Jiang Ling felt she would have lost her appetite.
Jiang Ling hesitated before saying, “But, why are you telling me this?”
Wouldn’t it have been better to just pretend you didn’t see anything?
Fang Chenxi smiled.
“After all, we’re friends. Of course I’m going to tell you about things concerning you.”
“….”
Fang Chenxi was getting a bit too familiar.
Jiang Ling sighed and said, “Then I really have to thank you.”
“So, what do you plan to do? Are you going to accept? I saw that girl; she’s actually quite pretty.”
Fang Chenxi was talking nonsense with a straight face, her phoenix eyes secretly observing Jiang Ling’s expression to see how she would respond.
Jiang Ling didn’t hesitate for a second.
While wiping the kitchen counter, she said, “Reject her, obviously. What else? I’m only a sophomore; I have no intention of dating.”
Fang Chenxi was stunned.
She really hadn’t expected Jiang Ling to decline so decisively.
She lowered her head and murmured, “I see… that’s true. After all, it is the age for studying.”
But in her heart, she felt an inexplicable sense of relief.
Jiang Ling shot her a sidelong glance, feeling that Fang Chenxi’s words had a hidden meaning, but she ignored her.
After taking off her apron, Jiang Ling stepped out of the kitchen first, and Fang Chenxi followed.
“Do you want some fruit? I’ll wash some apples for you.”
“No, it’s getting late. I should head back. Tell Lu Yuyao for me that I’ve gone.”
“Bye.”
Jiang Ling showed no intention of asking her to stay.
This left Fang Chenxi, who had polite platitudes ready on the tip of her tongue, completely choked up.
Her gaze turned strangely resentful.
She shot Jiang Ling several looks before finally stepping out of the villa under Jiang Ling’s watchful eye.
“Phew, finally sent off that great Buddha.”
Dropping her previous calm facade, Jiang Ling slumped onto the sofa.
Her eyes went blank as she stared at the ceiling.
Jiang Ling was certain that because of her arrival, the plot of this book had changed to some extent.
The meeting between Fang Chenxi and Lu Yuyao should have happened during tomorrow’s military training, not tonight.
What reason did Fang Chenxi have to visit Lu Yuyao in the evening?
Just to chat?
She couldn’t figure it out.
Jiang Ling’s brow furrowed.
No matter how she thought about it, it didn’t make sense.
And then there was what Fang Chenxi said in the kitchen about her receiving a love letter.
Why was that any of Fang Chenxi’s business?
The Fang Chenxi in the original work was never a meddler.
“What are you thinking about? Your brow is all wrinkled.”
A gentle voice came from above.
Lu Yuyao had stood behind Jiang Ling without her noticing.
Her warm fingers rested on Jiang Ling’s brow, gently rubbing the tension away.
Jiang Ling opened her eyes, only to have them forced shut again by Lu Yuyao’s fingers.
The playful voice continued, “If you’re uncomfortable, close your eyes and rest a bit.”
As a maid, getting an eye massage from the Eldest Young Lady—did that count as a privilege?
Lu Yuyao’s hands seemed to have a magic power, slowly bringing a sense of calm to Jiang Ling.
The pleasant orange scent of her hand soap soothed her mood, and Jiang Ling’s mind gradually went blank.
If Lu Yuyao were to become an animal trainer, she would definitely be top-tier.
“Is it because you felt too nervous being around Chenxi-jie?”
“You guessed right.”
Jiang Ling opened her mouth, eventually letting out a bitter laugh.
“Chenxi-jie might look a bit intimidating or rebellious, but she’s actually a very good person. When I was little and other kids would gully me, Chenxi-jie would always act like a big boss and chase all those bad kids away.”
“She’s a person with a great sense of justice.”
“….”
Jiang Ling was stunned.
She hadn’t known such things had happened between them.
No wonder Fang Chenxi’s favorability was always so high in Lu Yuyao’s eyes.
That’s the Fang Chenxi in your eyes, Jiang Ling really wanted to say.
But looking at Lu Yuyao’s peaceful, smiling face, she couldn’t bring herself to say it.
“So, you like her a lot then?”
Jiang Ling joked.
“Of course I like her,” Lu Yuyao said without a moment’s thought.
The decisiveness of the response made Jiang Ling freeze.
She opened her eyes and met those cute, deer-like eyes.
Jiang Ling realized she had misinterpreted the meaning.
Lu Yuyao was very pure.
The “like” she spoke of was simply the kind of love for family—the love for someone she had spent many years with and considered an older sister.
Jiang Ling suddenly felt like teasing Lu Yuyao and added mischievously, “What about me? Do you like me?”
“Eh?”
“You like me too, right?”
How could liking a friend not count as “liking”?
Jiang Ling suddenly wanted to laugh.
“Pfft, hahaha.”
Lu Yuyao really was so pure!
Lu Yuyao’s expression froze.
She didn’t understand why Jiang Ling had suddenly burst out laughing.
Was her answer funny?
She was pure, but she wasn’t stupid.
Lu Yuyao quickly realized that Jiang Ling was making fun of her.
Her delicate lips puffed out so far you could have hung an oil jar on them.
“Ya!”
The next second, Jiang Ling’s cheeks were pinched and pulled apart like dough.
Lu Yuyao vented her frustration at being teased.
She didn’t stop until Jiang Ling cried out in pain.
“That’s for teasing me.”
As if afraid she had actually hurt Jiang Ling, Lu Yuyao then used her hands to gently rub the sides of her face, all while complaining peevishly.
“Eldest Young Lady, I’m getting worried now.”
“Hmm?”
“Promise me, take care of yourself during military training. Don’t let such a gentle and cute Young Lady turn into a little charcoal person, okay?”
“I think you, this little maid, really have a death wish!”