Hints at GL - Chapter 12

Chapter 12

At 12:30, Zhong Ning met Jing Yang at RY as per their usual routine.

“When were you planning on telling me about your date with Su Yuan the other night?” Jing Yang picked up her fork and knife, twirling them in circles over her pasta.

Zhong Ning’s reaction was visibly delayed. She feigned ignorance. “Tell you what?”

Jing Yang rolled her eyes at her. “Jing Han told me everything—Su Yuan took you to her department’s welcome party.” The speed of the fork-twirling slowed down. “I’ll let you off for snitching to my sister for now, but first, tell me: were you planning on never mentioning what happened after?”

Zhong Ning’s movements faltered. This relationship had withered before it even began, and she didn’t truly want to discuss it with anyone. But it sounded like… Jing Yang already knew.

Zhong Ning’s voice suddenly dropped. “It’s nothing. I saw Su Yuan kissing her ex-girlfriend…”

“What did you say?” Jing Yang nearly dropped her utensils onto the plate. She clearly hadn’t known this part. “Jing Han refused to say anything yesterday, I thought you just got the cold shoulder or something… Heavens, that’s way too much.”

“She invites you to a colleague gathering just to let you watch her kiss someone else?” It was unbelievable; Su Yuan’s image in Jing Yang’s mind plummeted instantly. “If she’s still that hung up on her ex, why was she flirting with you in the first place?”

Jing Yang’s indignation made Zhong Ning feel slightly better, but she didn’t know how to respond.

“Is the ex prettier than you?” Jing Yang asked, frowning.

“Yeah, her ex is mixed-race, and she used to be her boss…” Having to mention this made Zhong Ning feel even more stifled. “Your sister knows her too; apparently she was promoted to VP at the start of the year.”

Jing Yang didn’t know how to comfort her this time, so she tried a different angle. “Since they’ve already broken up, maybe things aren’t that great between them.”

Zhong Ning pressed her hand against her head, her brow furrowed deep. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore. These past few days, every time I think of that scene, I get irritated…” She didn’t even know how to describe her current state of restless gloom.

“Are you serious about her? Anna really charmed you that much?” Jing Yang looked at her with a frown. This wasn’t a good sign.

“No, I just…”

At the end of the day, even Zhong Ning wasn’t sure if she actually liked Su Yuan or not. But every time she thought of that scene, she couldn’t help feeling a pang of bitterness and frustration. Was it resentment? Awkwardness? She couldn’t explain it.

But perhaps those reasons didn’t matter. Faced with this situation, if it were just a matter of her heart being stirred without a response, she could let it go—but what about the prophetic dream?

As long as there was no sign of that dream ending, she couldn’t completely let go of Su Yuan.

Even if Su Yuan wasn’t serious, Zhong Ning had to look out for her own life.

Jing Yang shook her arm. “What are you dazing off for? Have you lost your mind?”

Zhong Ning gave her a listless look. “I’m fine. I haven’t reached that point yet.”

“So?” The topic wasn’t over. Jing Yang continued, “My sister dropped you off, but has Su Yuan contacted you these past few days?” “No.” Zhong Ning looked at her and shook her head, her emotions neither clearly good nor bad.

This time, even without Jing Yang saying it, she understood what Su Yuan meant.

“Forget it, let her do whatever she wants,” Zhong Ning rubbed her forehead and frowned. “I have to stay in the library for a while after my lecture, my essay isn’t finished yet.”

Old Building

The door to the first-floor lecture hall was ajar. Zhong Ning, clutching her newly printed materials, was about to hurry up the stairs. “Hi, Zhong Ning.” She suddenly heard someone greet her from behind. She turned around to see Leon, the boy who had come to her dorm that day.

Zhong Ning stopped, about to give him a smile.

But at the same time, another greeting came from behind her. She froze and turned, nearly colliding with someone. “Oh, sorry!” The tall boy apologized quickly, but then paused when he saw Zhong Ning’s face.

“Hey, what a coincidence.”

It turned out to be Kevin, a Taiwanese student from the same major. Zhong Ning looked at him helplessly. “You’re going to be late; there are only five minutes left.”

“It’s fine, it’s only the third floor.” Kevin’s speech was as soft and cutesy as always.

The two said goodbye to Leon.

Kevin suddenly asked, “Why have you looked so haggard these past few days?”

Zhong Ning touched her cheek in a minor panic. “…Is it that obvious? Bad skin?”

Kevin shook his head. “Did you go through a breakup? Wait, didn’t you break up with your boyfriend before coming abroad?” He held the door open for her as they chatted while walking down the long corridor. “No breakup, just in a bad mood.” Zhong Ning didn’t know how many times she’d have to explain herself today.

“Hey, do you want to come out tonight then?” He seemed to think this would cheer her up and extended an invitation. “Let’s go clubbing. Jing Yang helped me invite a few guys from the Media department.”

Zhong Ning was about to shake her head when she heard him repeat in a coaxing tone, “Come on, come on.”

She couldn’t help but laugh. “No, I’m not going to a gay party with you guys.”

Seeing her expression soften, Kevin continued, “Hey, with you and Jing Yang there, it’s not a ‘gay party.’ If you’re really unhappy, I can invite a few straight friends too.”

His kindness brought a bit of warmth to Zhong Ning’s heart, but her relaxed nerves were suddenly seized by a thought. “Kevin, that guy Leon just now—are you close with him?”

Kevin looked at her with surprise and nodded. “Of course. we were in the same group during the language program.”

“Then…” Zhong Ning didn’t know if she should ask, but she couldn’t help wanting to know. “Are you familiar with the people in Financial Mathematics?”

“There are only 20 people in Fin-Math total. Who are you referring to?” Kevin thought she was going to ask about Leon, so this confused him. “I don’t know, I’m only close with a few.”

“Anna… do you know her?”

Zhong Ning didn’t know what was wrong with her, acting like a detective prying into someone’s private life.

“Oh, we ate together once, only once,” Kevin remembered as they finally reached the door of the third-floor classroom. “I didn’t know many people that time, but I remember there was a really gorgeous girl from our Banking major named Cathy.”

“I was invited by a classmate from Kaohsiung—he’s straight, you see—but when I got there, the table was full of girls, all high-quality. He was happy, but I sat there feeling incredibly awkward.” As he spoke, Kevin prepared to push the door open.

Zhong Ning was clearly still dwelling on his words. She pulled him back and asked hesitantly, “What do you think of her? As a person?”

There was still a little time. Kevin looked at her. “You mean Anna?”

“Yeah.” Zhong Ning nodded awkwardly.

“Actually, I didn’t talk to her much that day. I remember near the end, a pretty mixed-race girl drove over to pick her up. They seemed to have another event to go to, so they left early.” Kevin thought back carefully. “I don’t know how she is as a person, but she felt very pretty and elegant. And she seems to only hang out with girls from wealthy families, like that ‘rich-beauty’ Cathy…”

“Oh, I think Anna is a lesbian,” Kevin didn’t control his volume well, and several people around them heard him. “What’s up? Are you interested in her?”

Zhong Ning’s gaze turned frantic. She pushed open the door and walked inside on her own. “Stop talking nonsense.”

Zhong Ning barely listened to the entire lecture.

She knew prying into Su Yuan like this was inappropriate, but she had a morbid psychological urge, hoping someone would tell her directly: Your previous perception was wrong; Su Yuan isn’t actually a good person.

She subconsciously wanted to hear something like that to make herself feel better.

But every time, it didn’t go her way. The more she heard… the deeper she fell.

Before it was too late, Zhong Ning suddenly felt she should do something.

Since Leon appeared there, Su Yuan should be having classes here too. Perhaps, even out of that shallow friendship, she should tell Su Yuan about the prophetic dream as soon as possible. If Su Yuan believed her, fine; if she thought she was a madwoman, it would be the perfect way to cut off these thoughts.

After much deliberation, she finally made a decision.

In front of the Old Theatre, a few people were already trickling out. Lecture times were mostly similar. Zhong Ning hurried downstairs and just caught the Econometrics professor leaving.

“Um… I’m waiting for someone. You guys go ahead.”

Zhong Ning was spotted by classmates from the Banking major coming down the stairs, and she could only use a smile to explain why she was standing there.

Before long, a familiar figure came into view.

The person kept her eyes lowered, wearing a simple knit sweater, skinny jeans, and Dr. Martens—a rare casual look. Standing beside her was a stranger with a good figure who kept talking to her. Su Yuan maintained a soft smile but rarely spoke in response.

As if sensing something, those clear eyes landed on Zhong Ning’s face, showing a slight startle. “Hmm?”

The two of them stopped right in front of Zhong Ning. The woman beside her curved her eyebrows and affectionately took Su Yuan’s arm, appearing quite guarded toward Zhong Ning. “Anna, what is it?”

“I have something to say to you.”

Zhong Ning smiled faintly at Su Yuan, trying her best not to look too aggressive. “Just for a few minutes.”

Su Yuan’s light-colored eyes flickered. After half a second of hesitation, she finally brushed off the person beside her. “Wait for me a moment. I’ll be right back.”

At the back door of the Old Building, there was a massive glass wall. Leading out from the door was a path with vibrant green lawns on both sides. They stood beside the path, quietly looking at each other.

Zhong Ning’s current emotions were probably even more anxious than when she first met Su Yuan.

She repeatedly adjusted the smile on her lips, but the words she had prepared were stuck in her throat.

Instead, it was Su Yuan who spoke first. Her thin lips moved. “I’m sorry. I haven’t quite sorted out my feelings these past two days…”