Hints at GL - Chapter 19

Chapter 19

“Jing Yang, do you want some ice cream?”

Zhong Ning approached with a beaming smile and grabbed Jing Yang’s arm.

“Huh?” Jing Yang was a bit bewildered. Shouldn’t they chat a few more words with the new acquaintances? Besides… “Didn’t you just say you wanted to watch your weight?”

“I do need to control it, but today I just suddenly really crave it…” Zhong Ning kept the smile on her face, but the grip of her hand tightened. “Why don’t you just come with me.”

Su Yuan’s pale eyes swept over the two of them. She raised her voice slightly and asked, “Shall I go with you?”

Zhong Ning stopped her, her entire smile looking a bit stiff. “You should stay here. Don’t follow us.”

Her overly obvious actions drew a meaningful look from Ruan Mu, though she didn’t expose anything. Jing Han, meanwhile, gave Jing Yang a brief glance and instructed in a flat tone, “Jing Yang, don’t eat too much cold food, it’s not good for your health.”

“Got it,” Jing Yang replied nonchalantly.

As the last sliver of sunlight vanished from the horizon, the crowd grew denser. They struggled through the revelers sitting and lying on the lawn, constantly muttering “sorry” along the way.

In the UK, roadside ice cream trucks are a common sight, as are hot dog and waffle vans. However, the two of them loved the ice cream trucks most. Near Bankside House where they lived, they could often hear a short burst of music when they opened their windows, it sounded like a carousel in an amusement park, strange yet inviting.

Later, they learned the music came from the ice cream truck, and every time they heard it, they would race downstairs.

There were quite a few people in front of the van. Zhong Ning had no intention of queuing; she pulled Jing Yang directly to the side, her expression somewhat grim. “Jing Yang, you better explain this to me properly. How do you know that woman?”

Jing Yang pulled up her thin sweater, which was slipping off her shoulder, and looked at her with a frown. “You mean Ruan Mu? Didn’t I just say we met by chance?”

Zhong Ning interrupted her crossly, “Stop with that trash excuse. Only a fool would believe you.”

Jing Yang had a history of lying. One day, out of nowhere, she had stood in the kitchen with a solemn expression and told everyone, “I’ll tell you a secret. Actually, the reason I came to study abroad is because I broke up with my ex… and I had an abortion for him.”

Accompanied by a tearful tone, the second those words left her mouth, the entire dorm went silent.

That wasn’t all, she had even told several close friends from her Media major… Later, everyone found out Jing Yang had just made it up. While they were letting out massive sighs of relief, Jing Yang just said with an innocent face, “Look at how fun it was to see you all so shocked.”

So Zhong Ning had a premonition that today would be no different.

“Fine,” Jing Yang said, seeing her persistence. “I’ll tell you, but don’t go blabbing, okay? If you tell my sister, I’m cutting ties with you.” She waited for Zhong Ning to nod before saying, “Ruan Mu told me to say that.”

“Ruan Mu… told you to say that?” Zhong Ning didn’t understand. When did Ruan Mu and Jing Yang even meet?

“It went like this: once when I went to see my sister, I ran into Ruan Mu and we chatted for a bit… Then later she approached me saying she hoped I could help with something regarding my sister.”

Even though there were no Chinese faces around, Jing Yang still lowered her voice. “Ruan Mu said that three years ago, she and my sister were actually very close, but because of some past friction, my sister moved back to China in a fit of rage.”

Zhong Ning felt more and more that something was off and was about to interrupt.

But Jing Yang pulled her closer and continued in a whisper, “Actually, three years ago I always found it very strange why she suddenly moved back, but she never told me. It was a total mystery.”

“You know my sister; she’s not used to the environment back home at all. There’s pressure from all sides, and since she’s a ‘solitary-ist,’ she doesn’t care about being lonely, so…”

Zhong Ning caught a keyword and asked in surprise, “A solitary-ist?”

Jing Yang nodded and explained patiently, “Don’t be so shocked. I know what you’re thinking. She hasn’t been hurt before, no emotional trauma; she just simply doesn’t like dating. She thinks it’s a hassle, annoying. She prefers being alone.”

Zhong Ning suddenly forgot to question Ruan Mu’s excuse and instead recalled Jing Han’s cold demeanor; one rarely saw much emotion in those eyes. Thinks dating is annoying? Actually, she could somewhat understand Jing Han’s perspective, but…

“Is that because she hasn’t met someone who makes her heart flutter yet?”

Jing Yang tilted her head, her expression a bit conflicted. “How should I put it? I think it’s hard to say. Actually, plenty of people chase her, and many of them are exceptionally outstanding. If you saw them, you’d understand. If those kinds of people don’t move her heart, then she really just prefers being alone.”

That’s not necessarily true…

Zhong Ning didn’t say it out loud, but suddenly asked, “So? You still haven’t answered my question.”

Jing Yang looked at her confusedly. “Haven’t I finished? Ruan Mu asked if I could help, saying it would be best if they could go back to being friends like before. But she said she can’t tell me what exactly happened yet. If things go well, she’ll tell me sooner or later.”

Jing Yang probably knew she was crossing a line, but she insisted on defending herself. “Aiya, I’m just curious! We grew up together; I can practically recite how many diary entries she’s written, but she insisted on keeping me in the dark about this. Don’t you think that’s frustrating?!”

Zhong Ning rolled her eyes at her. “What kind of mindset is that?”

Jing Yang gave her a light shove and complained unhappily, “What do you know? I’ve known everything she does and thinks since we were kids, and now she has to hide this one thing from me. Is she serious?!”

Zhong Ning obviously didn’t quite understand that kind of bond. She said helplessly, “If it weren’t for the fact that you still have a boyfriend back home, I’d basically suspect you were a ‘sister-con’.”

Jing Yang flushed with shame. “Zhong Ning, how can you be so vulgar!”

Zhong Ning quickly pulled the topic back. “Fine. So what did Ruan Mu ask you to do?”

“It’s simple. She said she wants to mend things with my sister, but since my sister won’t come out no matter how she asks, she thought it would be better if I were there too. So she asked me to tell her our itinerary. We pretend it’s a chance encounter, and then when Ruan Mu invites us, I just act like I really want to go. Anyway, if I say I want to go, Jing Han won’t refuse.”

Jing Yang thought for a moment, then added with a frown, “Oh, but it’s strange. Ruan Mu also asked me a lot of questions, like if anything happened with Jing Han over the past three years. She kept saying how guilty she feels, blah blah blah. It sounds like Ruan Mu stole my sister’s sweetheart or something?”

Zhong Ning took a deep breath. Having heard this much, she basically understood everything. Was Jing Yang really brainless or just pretending?

The queue had reached the end. The Black woman in the van suddenly interrupted them, “Are you two buying?”

Zhong Ning smiled. “Two chocolates, please.”

Afterward, she handed an ice cream to Jing Yang and finally couldn’t hold back the words she’d been suppressing. “Stole what sweetheart?! Jing Yang, you’re so dense. Ruan Mu is queer, okay? She’s the woman who was kissing Su Yuan that night!”

Jing Yang’s hand shook, nearly wiping ice cream on Zhong Ning. “…Why didn’t you say so earlier?! Ruan Mu is Su Yuan’s ex-girlfriend?”

Seeing that she was completely oblivious, Zhong Ning felt like she had wasted her breath. “It’s your own bad memory. I clearly told you a long time ago that her ex was mixed-race, and I also said your sister knew her.”

Jing Yang looked at her, her head in a muddle. “Wait, I don’t get it. So Ruan Mu is queer, she says she had friction with Jing Han, and now she wants to ‘mend’ things… what does that mean?”

Zhong Ning replied crossly, “It means she probably chased your sister for a while and ticked her off, so your sister moved back to China in a rage. Did you really think it was just pure friendship?”

Zhong Ning looked at her, feeling utterly helpless. “Right, not only did you think it was pure friendship, but you’re even helping her create opportunities to ‘turn’ your sister.”

Jing Yang was going a bit crazy; she pinched Zhong Ning’s arm. “Ahhh, it’s definitely not like that, right?!”

Zhong Ning couldn’t think of any more words to comfort her. However, seeing Jing Yang’s frazzled state did provide a bit of relief for the gloom she felt from seeing Ruan Mu.

“Wait…” Jing Yang suddenly asked. “Didn’t Ruan Mu and Su Yuan just kiss? Doesn’t she want to get back together?”

That question completely stopped Zhong Ning in her tracks. This topic simply couldn’t continue. In the end, they reached a conclusion: Ruan Mu either still had feelings for Su Yuan, or she had her sights set on Jing Han. Either way, it only added to their stress.

So frustrating.

On the other side.

With just the three of them left, Ruan Mu unashamedly sized up Su Yuan, her eyes filled with hidden meaning. “Anna, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you wear Dr. Martens.”

Su Yuan’s expression was visibly uncomfortable, but she still maintained a polite smile.

Seeing her silence, Ruan Mu laughed. “It’s fine. We’ve broken up; naturally, I won’t mind your business anymore.” She paused, her crimson lips curving. “Not bad. That little girl saw us kissing, and yet the two of you haven’t split. It’s quite touching.”

“What, are you serious this time?”

With a trace of a smile on her lips, Su Yuan replied neither heavily nor lightly, “I’ve always been quite serious when I’m in a relationship.”

“Is that so?” Ruan Mu smiled playfully. “Then she probably doesn’t know about those friends of yours yet.” She emphasized the letters D and S, as if they held some extra significance.

Su Yuan pursed her lips. “I don’t think it’s a big deal. Do you?”

Ruan Mu chuckled. “Since you’re asking me, naturally I think it’s irrelevant. But that little girl might not agree; she looks quite innocent.”

Their back-and-forth was clearly making Jing Han feel uneasy.

“Are you two finished yet?” she asked coldly.

“Almost,” Ruan Mu glanced at Jing Han and suddenly dropped her smile, turning serious. “Anna, you remember our agreement after the breakup, right?”

Su Yuan looked at her and gave a small sigh. “I won’t tell anyone your secret. Including Zhong Ning.”

“Good,” Ruan Mu looked at Su Yuan meaningfully, then spoke softly to Jing Han, “My dear, I’m done.” True to her word, she promptly shut her mouth.