A Happy Ending with my Fiancée's Arch-enemy - Chapter 36

The next morning, Yu Ning slowly opened her eyes under the warm sunlight, then remembered it was Sunday and rolled over, intending to sleep a little longer.

A few seconds later, Yu Ning suddenly recalled something. Staring blankly at the desk facing her for two seconds, she abruptly sat up straight in bed, examined her hands, touched the clothes she was wearing, and then jumped out of bed.

Hadn’t she been tutoring Su Yien in her room last night? She remembered falling asleep just like that so when did she end up in her own bed?

As Yu Ning rushed out of her room, Su Yien happened to be making breakfast. Seeing her emerge, Su Yien remarked, “I thought a little sleepyhead like you would sleep in on a Sunday. Why are you up so early?”

Of course, Yu Ning knew the “little sleepyhead” comment was meant to tease her, but she was more concerned about other matters. Ignoring the sarcasm, she walked up to Su Yien and asked, “How did I end up in my own bed?”

Su Yien paused for a second, then chuckled. “If you’re not in your own bed, whose bed did you want to be in?”

Yu Ning: “…”

That wasn’t what she meant at all.

“Wasn’t I helping you with your studies last night? When did I go back to my room?”

After saying this, Yu Ning glanced down at her pajamas.

As if reading her mind, Su Yien gently tapped her on the head. “You’ve got some nerve saying that. You fell asleep almost as soon as you started tutoring me. What was I supposed to do? I had to wake you up, and then you went back to your own room to sleep.”

“Really?”

Is that how it happened? Yu Ning thought hard but couldn’t recall anything. Still, seeing how serious Su Yien looked, she probably wasn’t lying, right?

It seemed she had been so exhausted last night that she had no memory of it at all.

“Otherwise?” Su Yien tilted her head, watching Yu Ning’s thoughtful expression before suddenly understanding and teasing, “Don’t tell me you thought I carried you back to your room?”

Before Yu Ning could respond, she heard Su Yien’s playful voice again:

“Or maybe you were hoping I’d carry you back to your room?”

“No!” Yu Ning immediately retorted loudly upon hearing this. “I wasn’t hoping you’d carry me back! I just thought ”

Yu Ning’s voice trailed off, but Su Yien took it as a sign of guilt and pressed further, “You thought what?”

“I thought some heartless person dragged me from one room to another, that’s all!”

After saying this, Yu Ning shot her a glare, as if accusing her of talking nonsense.

Su Yien: “…”

After a moment, Su Yien ignored her and walked over to the oven, taking out the freshly baked bread. She then retrieved the warmed milk from the insulated container and served a bowl of porridge.

After washing up, Yu Ning sat down at the dining table.

Su Yien placed the warm milk and porridge in front of Yu Ning, muttering under her breath:

“I really want to crack open that little head of yours and see what’s inside.”

Yu Ning pouted, picked up a piece of bread from the table, took a bite, and replied, “It’s full of knowledge a world that someone will never have.”

She then flashed a triumphant smile at Su Yien.

Su Yien didn’t argue with her and instead sat down on the dining chair beside her, ready to have breakfast.

“Move over a bit. Why do you have to sit next to me?”

Yu Ning muttered under her breath. After all, the dining table was quite large. When she first moved in, Yu Ning had immediately noticed this big table, but for the past few days, she had been the only one living there, so the size of the table hadn’t mattered much.

With so many seats available, Su Yien chose not to sit anywhere else but right next to her, crowding her. It was just absurd.

“I like sitting here,” Su Yien replied nonchalantly, taking a bite of her bread.

Yu Ning let out a long “oh” and then shifted sideways, leaving an empty seat between her and Su Yien.

But as soon as she moved, Su Yien shifted closer again.

It seemed she was determined to stick right next to her.

Just yesterday during dinner, Su Yien had made sure to leave space between them.

“Don’t move,” Su Yien said calmly. “Let me absorb some knowledge, will you? Let me experience a world I can’t have.”

Yu Ning: “…”

So that was why Su Yien hadn’t argued back earlier she was setting a trap.

In the end, the two finished their breakfast, each lost in their own thoughts.

Originally, Yu Ning had planned to clear the table and wash the dishes herself.

But to her surprise, as soon as Su Yien finished eating, she stood up, cleared the table, and went into the kitchen.

Before entering the kitchen, Yu Ning overheard her say, “The dishwasher cleans better than some people’s handwashing.”

Yu Ning: “…”

What a petty, grudge-holding person.

Even though Su Yien had left her speechless earlier, Yu Ning felt she should still check on how Su Yien’s studies had gone yesterday.

After placing the dishes in the dishwasher, Su Yien came out of the kitchen. Yu Ning followed her and asked, “Did you finish the test papers I assigned you yesterday?”

Su Yien replied, “Yes, I did.”

“Those questions might be a bit challenging for you, but it’s good for you to tackle them now. After all, the college entrance exam is coming up, and you can’t keep doing problems from your first and second years, right?”

Su Yien looked at her with a faint, knowing smile, her eyes darting around as if she could read Yu Ning’s mischievous thoughts. She nodded as expected and said, “Yeah, they were really hard.”

“Good that they were hard. Then today, let’s do two more sets to build up your endurance,” Yu Ning said, inwardly praising herself for being such a dedicated “good teacher.”

Yu Ning followed Su Yien into her room. Su Yien handed her the completed test papers from the day before and said, “You can review them outside.”

Yu Ning had expected at least half of the answers to be left blank, given that the two papers she had chosen were quite difficult. But to her surprise, every question had been answered not a single one was left empty. At first, Yu Ning thought Su Yien had just filled them in randomly, but when she saw the answers, she was stunned.

Disbelieving, she flipped to the last page and checked the final question. The steps and the answer were completely correct.

Yu Ning looked up at Su Yien, then back at the test paper, then at Su Yien again, as if trying to confirm something in disbelief.

“Are you looking for the answers on my face?” Su Yien teased.

This test paper was one that Yu Ning had completed a long time ago. Because the questions were difficult and classic, Yu Ning remembered them clearly and was very familiar with the correct answers.

It was precisely because of this familiarity that Yu Ning knew every answer on Su Yien’s paper was correct.

Yu Ning fell silent for a moment, then looked at Su Yien very seriously and said, “Have I ever mentioned something to you?”

“Hmm?” Su Yien was puzzled.

“The exam hall blocks signals, so you can’t search for answers online. Whispering to others isn’t allowed either. In short, cheating is not permitted,” Yu Ning said with a straight face.

Isn’t that just the basic exam rule?

Su Yien was about to think that when she suddenly realized what Yu Ning meant. But then it occurred to her—if she blatantly told Yu Ning that she had solved all the problems herself, wouldn’t that mean Yu Ning would no longer tutor her in the future?

So she nodded and replied very perfunctorily, “You’re right.”

Yu Ning’s impression of Su Yien was still stuck on the rumors circulating at school. It wasn’t really Yu Ning’s fault, as she had personally heard the principal criticize Su Yien by name for being idle and unambitious, making it hard for her to forget.

People are often like this first impressions can heavily influence their perceptions.

Besides, if Su Yien was really that capable, why would she seek tutoring from her? Did she have nothing better to do?

Yu Ning stood there flipping through the test paper and noticed that the steps Su Yien had written were much more concise than those in the reference answers. She couldn’t help but inwardly admire how, even when copying answers, Su Yien managed to simplify the steps, and every step was precise. Impressive.

Just as she was about to turn to the next page, she noticed Su Yien staring at her. Yu Ning looked up and asked in confusion, “Why are you staring at me?”

“What do you think?”

What did she think? What was she supposed to think?

Su Yien sighed, reached out, and took off her pajamas to change.

Only then did Yu Ning see the clothes Su Yien had just taken out of the closet and realized she should leave. She hurried out, muttering under her breath about Su Yien being a pervert.

Su Yien chuckled softly and followed her to her room. She had given Yu Ning plenty of hints to leave, who was the real pervert here?

Although it was Sunday, as high school seniors and with yesterday’s originally planned picnic, most of the school assignments had to be completed on Sunday.

Su Yien had assumed Yu Ning had returned to her room to do her homework, but to her surprise, when she finished changing, she found Yu Ning sitting on the sofa watching TV.

“Aren’t you going to do your homework?”

At the mention of homework, Yu Ning rolled her eyes. “I’ll start after I finish this episode.”

Su Yien glanced at the TV. The episode was over 40 minutes long, and only about three minutes had passed. Very kindly, she picked up the remote control nearby and switched the playback to double speed for Yu Ning.

Then she said, “You’re welcome,” and sat down beside Yu Ning to watch with her.

Yu Ning: “…”

What was the point of watching at double speed? She just wanted to procrastinate and avoid doing her homework.

She picked up the remote and canceled the speed increase.

The show playing was a family drama. The episode Yu Ning was watching featured the original wife returning to her former family years later, hoping to reconnect with her daughter, but the daughter refused. Interspersed were scenes of the daughter repeatedly seeking out her mother, only to be turned away.

Yu Ning casually remarked, “Wow, what kind of mother is that?”

In an instant, she remembered something and glanced discreetly at Su Yien beside her, only to see her pulling out a plate of peanuts, melon seeds, and a few candies from under the coffee table.

Su Yien seemed completely unfazed by Yu Ning’s earlier comment. She pushed the fruit plate with peanuts, melon seeds, and candies toward Yu Ning. “It’s more enjoyable to watch dramas like this.”

It appeared she hadn’t noticed what Yu Ning had just said, Yu Ning thought to herself.

“This show is terrible. I’m switching channels,” Yu Ning declared, promptly changing the channel.

Su Yien, however, seemed puzzled by her action and asked, “I thought you liked this kind of drama?”

“Me? N-no, I don’t,” Yu Ning stammered in denial, then recalled a previous conversation where she had casually mentioned enjoying a popular family ethics drama. She had never expected Su Yien to remember it so clearly.

“Alright, maybe a little,” Yu Ning admitted. Her interest in such dramas stemmed largely from her curiosity about family dynamics like these. Did families like this truly exist? Were people really this complicated?

Of course, Yu Ning now knew the answer not only did they exist, but there were many. As the saying goes, you can know a person’s face but not their heart.

“I used to hope she would come home too, but eventually, I stopped expecting anything,” Su Yien said softly.

Yu Ning understood immediately that “she” referred to Su Yien’s Omega mother. This was the first time Su Yien had voluntarily brought up her mother.

In truth, Su Yien knew that Yu Ning was incredibly perceptive. Though Yu Ning sometimes teased her, she always avoided topics that might genuinely hurt Su Yien, steering clear of them entirely.

“Some things aren’t worth holding onto. Life should be about striving for what truly matters,” Su Yien remarked.

Her words cast a sudden silence over the living room, leaving only the sound from the television.

“Why so serious all of a sudden?” Yu Ning broke the silence after a moment. “So, what’s worth it and what’s not?”

“You can feel free to watch this kind of drama without worry,” Su Yien replied.

Yu Ning pouted. “As if I needed you to tell me that.”

With that, she switched the channel back to the family ethics drama she had been watching earlier.

Yu Ning became engrossed in the show, while Su Yien stared blankly at the screen, lost in thought.

She remembered a time long ago when she, too, had yearned for familial affection and had made countless efforts, only to be met with disappointment.

It was only later that she realized it wasn’t necessary. Everyone makes their own choices and must face the consequences.

“This mother is really awful,” Yu Ning complained as she peeled a candy and popped it into her mouth.

Su Yien froze for a second, suddenly recalling that she had heard Yu Ning say those exact words a long, long time ago.

It was during a summer when they had just gotten to know each other. Su Yien had briefly mentioned her family, and Yu Ning had criticized her Omega mother in the same way.

Su Yien often visited Yu Ning in the hospital after school or during holidays. She knew Yu Ning had few friends in the city and no family to speak of.

Although she had dropped out of college as a freshman, Yu Ning still loved reading and learning. So every time Su Yien came to visit, she would bring Yu Ning all kinds of books.

When Su Yien saw Yu Ning again, she was nothing like the lively and domineering person she is now. She seemed listless, often sitting in the yard lost in thought.

She would spend entire days like that. According to the hospital staff, Yu Ning had a peculiar temper she disliked talking and would sometimes cry for no apparent reason.

If Su Yien hadn’t known that Yu Ning recognized her, she might have thought she had mistaken her for someone else.

In high school, Yu Ning wasn’t called Yu Ning her name was Yu Xiangxiang.

Most people at school saw her as willful and unreasonable.

At first, Su Yien didn’t know what had happened during high school. She only occasionally learned about it through dreams. Later, she grew very fond of Yu Ning more so than when she had first seen Yu Ning in a dance competition as a child.

As for how deep that fondness ran, Su Yien still didn’t know. She only knew that the closer she got to Yu Ning now, the happier she felt, but it was always accompanied by an inexplicable sorrow.

Su Yien first dreamed of Yu Ning on the night she confronted Lin Yanqing on the school playground. In the dream, she was taken to the hospital by classmates for a minor injury, where she overheard nurses discussing a new patient who seemed difficult to get along with.

At the time, she dismissed it as a simple, random dream. But as she spent more time with Yu Ning, the dreams became clearer, as if she were reliving her own experiences. She had no choice but to face the reality of it all.

Some nights, she had pleasant dreams; other nights, she would wake up startled.

Once, she dreamed that Yu Ning was drowning but had no idea where it was happening. It wasn’t until Yu Ning’s friend handed her a birthday party invitation that Su Yien guessed it might be at this birthday celebration.

So she accompanied Yu Ning to the birthday party and later to the temple, watching as Yu Ning, feeling down, took a small path.

Although Su Yien had known Yu Ning for a long time, that fleeting glimpse in their youth wasn’t enough to make her feel that Yu Ning was the only one for her. She also knew Yu Ning had a fiancée, so her main wish was for Yu Ning to be happy.

She warned Yu Ning to be careful of the people around her, but she forgot that Yu Ning was still a sheltered princess inexperienced in the ways of the world, untouched by hardship, and doted on by her family.

Late on the night before Yu Ning’s birthday, Su Yien woke up from a dream in a panic. In the dream, the little princess was mistreated on the street by someone she thought she loved, with no one to confide in. The streets were filled with scornful gazes, and the school echoed with ridicule.

She thought, how could anyone treat the little princess like this?

In the early hours of the morning, Su Yien, half-asleep, sent a message: “Don’t go to Huichun Street with Lin Yanqing.” Later, she felt it was too naive and tried to retract it, but it was too late. So she sent a few “Happy Birthday” messages and used stickers to push the earlier message out of sight.

She knew Yu Ning had little patience and wouldn’t scroll up to check past messages.

Sure enough, Yu Ning didn’t scroll up.

“Why are you staring at me?” Yu Ning asked impatiently, looking at Su Yien. She had been staring for several minutes without even blinking wasn’t she tired?

Su Yien averted her gaze, picked a piece of candy from the fruit plate, and was about to unwrap it when Yu Ning reached out to snatch it, saying, “That’s the last piece of soft candy. Give it back to me.”

“Give it back to you?” Su Yien unwrapped the candy and held it out to her. “Here, open your mouth.”

Without suspecting a thing, Yu Ning opened her mouth, waiting to be fed, only for Su Yien to toss the candy into her own mouth instead.

“You!” Yu Ning retracted her head angrily, rummaged through the fruit tray again, and sighed in frustration upon realizing that the piece just now was indeed the last gummy candy. “Annoying.”

Su Yien found Yu Ning’s expression rather amusing. She sighed and pulled another pack of candy from the drawer under the coffee table. “I wanted to share the joy of candy with someone, but it turns out someone actually called me annoying?”

“Who?! Who said you’re annoying? That’s just too much.”

Right now, Yu Ning absolutely refused to admit it was her who had said it earlier.

After saying this, she snatched the candy, silently telling herself that bending for candy wasn’t a big deal.

Su Yien chuckled. This was the Yu Ning she knew a little princess who could get upset over a piece of candy and be cheered up just as easily by one.

“But why do you like eating candy so much? None of the Alphas I know like sweets.”

“The Alphas you know? Who? Lin Yanqing?”

Caught off guard by Su Yien suddenly mentioning Lin Yanqing, Yu Ning choked on the candy she hadn’t yet swallowed.

“Cough, cough… water.”

Seeing this, Su Yien poured her a glass of water, handed it to her, and then propped her chin in her hand, staring at Yu Ning as if waiting for an answer.

After catching her breath, Yu Ning patted her chest and gritted her teeth as she warned Su Yien, “Don’t mention that name in front of me again.”

Su Yien wanted to laugh but pretended to know nothing, asking, “Why?”

“Disgusting.” Whether Su Yien genuinely didn’t know or was just pretending, Yu Ning blurted out the two words without hesitation.

Hearing this, Su Yien was satisfied and even peeled another candy, offering it to her.

After the earlier “deception,” Yu Ning no longer trusted Su Yien.

She completely ignored the candy in Su Yien’s hand and retorted, “You still haven’t answered my question from before.”

“Maybe it’s because someone else likes eating them.” Su Yien thought about it in her dreams, it seemed Yu Ning loved candy and always complained about medicine being bitter, so she started carrying candies with her.

Why was she smiling so mysteriously while answering?

Yu Ning: ?

“What are you smiling at?” Yu Ning asked, puzzled.

“Was I smiling?”

“Yes, you were.”

“Then maybe it’s because someone is just too adorable,” Su Yien replied.

Someone is too adorable? Because someone likes eating candy?

So, does that mean Su Yien likes that person?

“What does it have to do with you if someone else likes eating candy? If they like it, you’ll eat it too? What if they like doing homework and ranking at the top of the class? Will you do the same? Why aren’t you copying that?”

Su Yien was completely baffled by Yu Ning’s outburst.

“Tastes awful. What kind of candy is this anyway?” The candy Yu Ning had been holding was tossed back into the fruit tray.

The TV screen went black.

Yu Ning stood up from the sofa and headed toward her room, casually reminding Su Yien, “Finish your homework, and do two extra test papers today.”

Su Yien: “…”

Wasn’t this her favorite candy? The very one she had specifically gone back to buy for Yu Ning yesterday.

She bought Yu Ning candy, and in return, Yu Ning gave her two sets of test papers.

Fine, great. What a bargain.