Qin Xiruo felt her heart constrict at the sight of the two people ahead of her. ‘What was Ling Chunxi doing here? And why was Ling Xiaoting cornering her like that? What were they talking about?’
Clenching her fist, Qin Xiruo hesitated to take a few steps towards them. But once she saw the two of them duck into a side alley, she sprang forward without hesitation to follow them secretly.
Ling Chunxi’s impatient tone cut through the darkness of the alley. “Ling Xiaoting, I already told you, I have other matters to attend to. I’m very busy. So, if you’ll excuse me.”
“Can’t you spare me a moment Chunxi? I really have to ask you something.” Ling Xiaoting wore a complicated expression upon his face and blocked off the alleyway so Ling Chunxi couldn’t leave just yet.
“Spit it out then!” barked Ling Chunxi exasperatedly. Her patience was wearing thin. She looked at Little White, snuggled in her embrace and began to fidget with its ears. Little White’s ears twitched away from her devilish tweaks and pinches but Ling Chunxi kept at it. It devolved into an amusing war of pinching and twitching between Ling Chunxi and Little White. What an extreme pair.
Observing this, Ling Xiaoting felt even more complexities rising within his heart. Ling Chunxi was more willing to play with a fox than to look him in the eye and listen to what he had to say. Should he even ask her what he wanted to?
“Well, what is it? Just speak up.” Ling Chunxi raised her head to meet Ling Xiaoting’s uncertain gaze with an impatient one. This peacock of a man had spotted her buying five-spice melon seeds earlier and had offered to treat her to them. He then proceeded to trail after and pester her, saying he had something he really needed to ask her. However, he’d stuttered and stammered whenever he’d actually tried to ask.
“Chunxi…” Ling Xiaoting attempted to ask his question again after taking yet another deep breath. “Did you… really never like me? Not even a little?”
“Pfft—” Ling Chunxi burst out into raucous laughter. For a moment, she had actually thought Ling Xiaoting had some important matter to discuss with her. She didn’t think this would be his question! Not only was Ling Chunxi never interested in him that way, she had never harbored any goodwill towards him at all. All there had ever been, was loathing.
The blood drained from Ling Xiaoting’s face. Ling Chunxi didn’t verbalize her response, but her reaction gave him a definitive answer that hurt more than a mere denial would have.
“Ling Xiaoting, you really are something,” sneered Ling Chunxi disdainfully. “Why are all the men here so laughable and self-degrading? Do you feel unsettled about my dislike of you because I have become someone worthy of your acknowledgement? You’ve never liked me in the past but now you suddenly need to know if I had ever liked you because my present status would make any past affection I might have had for you something to be proud of, and you’d then be able to validate your laughable vanity. Isn’t that right?”
Ling Xiaoting’s jaw dropped as he stared wide-eyed at Ling Chunxi. Her sneer pierced into him like a thousand swords. He felt humiliated, as though he’d been stripped naked in the middle of the town square. Ling Chunxi’s words struck all the nails of thought stuck in the deepest, darkest parts of his heart.
“Yeah, it looks like I’ve got it right. How typical of you, Ling Xiaoting.” Ling Chunxi scoffed and walked past the vainest man she’d ever known, unbothered by the look of defeat he had on his face. She left him standing alone in the dark alley, rooted to the spot in shame.
Qin Xiruo had seen enough. She quickly stepped back from the mouth of the alleyway to avoid being seen. As she waited for Ling Chunxi to exit the alley, she decided she would take a few steps forward at the right time to create the impression that she had bumped into Ling Chunxi coincidentally.
Indeed Qin Xiruo’s little scheme played out exactly as she had hoped. “Oh, Chunxi. What are you doing here? This is such a coincidence. I was just about to buy some gifts and head over to your house to congratulate you on passing the assessment.” Once she saw Ling Chunxi, Qin Xiruo’s lips twisted into a pleasant smile and she spoke in a gentle, subdued tone.
However, two could play the same game. Ling Chunxi smiled radiantly back at Qin Xiruo. “That’s great, Sister Xiruo! I was looking for you to discuss a few matters anyhow.” Even as she said this, disdain and condemnation flooded Ling Chunxi’s heart. ‘You really are an outstanding actress, Qin Xiruo. Such a crafted smile and tone deserves an acting award. You can forget about it once we’re done with this movie you’ve cast us in though. I’ll win all the awards that come next.”