Hints at GL - Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Zhong Ning’s original reasoning was this: if she refused, it would seem like she was desperate for private time with Barry. Regardless of the outcome, she didn’t want things to escalate to a level she couldn’t handle.

She had assumed that even if they sat together, the four of them would just mind their own business. To her surprise, Barry actually knew Olivia. Not only that, the two began chatting away in Cantonese without the slightest hint of awkwardness.

This left Zhong Ning profoundly stunned.

Listening from the side for a long while, Zhong Ning was completely in the dark. She could only gather from fragments of words that Olivia was originally a Malaysian Chinese, and it sounded like her family owned hotels…

Then Barry seemed to mention going to a club or something, clearly inviting Su Yuan and Olivia.

Are the three of them really this close?

Zhong Ning suddenly felt that her little schemes were entirely redundant. Even if she hadn’t agreed to let them sit there, Barry would have dragged them over anyway… So, in the end, was she the only outsider among them?

Su Yuan, having just finished ordering, glanced lightly at Zhong Ning and spoke up to remind the others, “From now on, the two of you speak English.”

Only then did the two of them remember that Zhong Ning couldn’t understand. Barry looked apologetic, feeling he had been quite inconsiderate.

Olivia, however, didn’t seem to mind. She sat next to Zhong Ning, turning sideways to look at the pair. “So, are you two on a date?” Before Zhong Ning could react, a meaningful smile played on Olivia’s lips as she added, “Oh, come to think of it, Zhong Ning, this isn’t the first time we’ve met.”

It was at this moment that Zhong Ning finally realized where she had miscalculated.

She had thought that having Su Yuan come over might make her own frustrated feelings easier to bear, but she hadn’t considered how this date looked in Olivia’s eyes.

Olivia had just witnessed her on a date with Su Yuan, and now she saw her on a date with Barry. What kind of image did she have in Olivia’s mind now…

Of course, that wasn’t the most important part. What if she deliberately told Barry about it?

Wouldn’t that result in her being forcibly “outed”? Would word eventually reach Zhong Nan?

At the thought, Zhong Ning’s entire body went rigid.

“Yeah,” Barry said, setting down his knife and fork and naturally coming to her rescue. “I’m pursuing her. She hasn’t agreed to be my girlfriend yet.”

What did he just say?

Zhong Ning felt her head buzz. Although she knew Barry felt that way, the actual request to be his girlfriend was news even to her, when had he ever said it?

“I…” She opened her mouth to explain.

Olivia spoke with a touch of double meaning, “Is that so?” She looked at Zhong Ning, her words pointed. “Then it seems you’ll have to work harder, Barry. Otherwise, she might be snatched away by someone else.”

Zhong Ning’s heart skipped a beat, and she swallowed her intended words.

Su Yuan leaned back against her chair, her gentle gaze constantly scanning Zhong Ning’s face. “Zhong Ning will say yes to you.” After a pause of several seconds, she added with a smile, “After all, she’s spending New Year’s Eve with you.”

Zhong Ning had wanted to question Barry about when she had ever heard about being his girlfriend, but hearing Su Yuan speak like that made her unhappy. When had she ever done so many things that warranted an “after all”? If it came down to “after alls,” she probably couldn’t even catch up to Su Yuan’s shadow.

“Of course,” Zhong Ning’s mouth curved. Instead of getting angry, she smiled. “Barry is an upright and serious person. I will definitely give the matter proper consideration.”

Her sarcasm didn’t seem to bother Su Yuan, but it made Barry unexpectedly shy. “No need to praise me like that in front of people,” he said, still retaining a bit of traditional Chinese introversion.

“Ah, right,” Barry said, seemingly finding a topic to dissolve the awkwardness. He asked Su Yuan, “Are you two going to watch the fireworks later?”

Su Yuan looked at Zhong Ning and didn’t answer. “…”

Olivia answered quickly, “Depends.” She naturally hooked Su Yuan’s finger across the table, her smile suggestive. “We’ll see how it goes. If we’re having a good time, we might… just skip straight to the final activity.”

Her eyes crinkled slightly, the hint couldn’t have been more obvious.

Barry laughed knowingly. “Right, I get it.”

It was truly like sitting on a bed of needles.

Regardless of whether it was a deliberate act for her benefit, Zhong Ning couldn’t stay for another second. She really didn’t understand why she had sought out this trouble for herself—was she out of her mind?

“Excuse me, I need to go to the restroom.”

Zhong Ning stood up, trying her best to make her smile look natural.

“Oh, the restroom is to the left of the entrance,” Barry offered to lead her, but Zhong Ning politely declined.

Zhong Ning stood before the large mirror in the restroom and let out a long breath, as if only in this solitude could she find peace.

For a moment, a strange thought even crossed her mind: maybe she should just head back home right now.

Honestly, even if Su Yuan wanted to discuss the prophetic dreams now, she didn’t want to hear it. Zhong Ning felt she couldn’t care about all that anymore; she just wanted to be alone.

But as much as she thought it, she felt it would be too unsatisfying to leave like that. Forget it, I’ll just drag Barry away early. If he really confesses tonight, I’ll just reject him, Zhong Ning thought, slowly pulling her lipstick out of her makeup bag.

Just then, someone pushed the door open.

Even from her peripheral vision, she recognized that familiar silhouette. Zhong Ning instinctively glanced to the right and then immediately looked away as if struck by an electric shock. “…” Su Yuan merely glanced at her and gently closed the door.

Neither spoke first.

Su Yuan stood beside her, leaning over to wash her hands. A familiar fragrance lingered in the air. Zhong Ning vaguely sensed that the other woman had been watching her through the mirror ever since she looked up to dry her hands.

Her nerves were taut; she didn’t dare tilt her gaze.

The situation was unexpectedly similar to the scene of their first meeting.

Su Yuan’s gentle gaze remained fixed on her. She didn’t speak, merely watching in silence as Zhong Ning touched up her makeup.

After what felt like a long time, the other woman finally parted her red lips. “Are you really going to say yes to him?”

At a time like this, why was Su Yuan still asking her this?

The irritability in Zhong Ning’s heart surged again. It wasn’t what she truly felt, but she couldn’t help but snap back, “Depends on his performance.”

“Is that so?” Su Yuan turned sideways to look at her directly. “So there’s actually a possibility you’ll say yes?”

Zhong Ning had no way to answer that. She opened her mouth, but all she could think of were angry retorts. She admitted she was indeed quite annoyed. “Why? If you can have ‘love’ with a casual partner, why can’t I say yes to Barry?”

Zhong Ning felt she was trying her best to remain calm, but for some reason, her heart felt more and more uncomfortable. “Sorry, I said it wrong. She probably isn’t even just a casual partner anymore, is she?”

Seeing the oversensitive reaction, a shallow smile inexplicably crossed Su Yuan’s lips.

What are you laughing at?

Zhong Ning grew even angrier and decided to blurt out everything she had been agonizing over. “Don’t worry, I’m certainly not so childish as to think there’s anything wrong with you going on a date right after confessing. We’re all adults; having some needs is nothing.”

“But don’t go too far by flirting with others while you’ve already got someone in your sights.”

“And don’t imagine that I’m some devoted lover of yours. I can be honest—even if I really do like you, it’s only because of that dream. It’s a subconscious thing, it has nothing to do with my own actual will.”

Perhaps because her resentment ran so deep, she spoke for a full minute without stopping.

The last time Zhong Ning felt her English was this fluent was when she called the police.

Su Yuan didn’t argue with her. It felt like hitting a soft persimmon, Zhong Ning had all this anger but nowhere for it to land.

Feeling she had lost her composure, Zhong Ning zipped up her makeup bag and finally forced a smile. “So that’s it. Let’s just leave it at that. I don’t care who you sleep with, and I have no objection if you want to get back together with Ruan Mu.”

Hearing those words, Su Yuan’s eyes narrowed slightly. “…” She pressed down on Zhong Ning’s hand and, resting a hand on Zhong Ning’s waist, pinned her against the sink. “Is that so?”

Su Yuan leaned in, their bodies almost pressing together. Her gaze deepened. “Do you really think it has nothing to do with you?”

Zhong Ning’s face flushed as she said stubbornly, “What does it have to do with me…”

But before she could finish, Su Yuan leaned down and kissed her without a word. Zhong Ning resisted at first, she hadn’t come here to kiss this person. She was filled with shame and annoyance, yet the moment their tongues intertwined, her movements faltered.

How can Su Yuan be so shameless?

Zhong Ning thought this, yet the kiss left her weak all over. A tingling sensation spread from her palms. The other woman clearly didn’t intend to stop at a shallow graze this time; warm fingertips rested against her heaving stomach, sliding beneath her lifted shirt.

“…Su Yuan.”

Ashamed, Zhong Ning quickly pushed for a bit of distance, her voice unsteady. “What are you doing? Who said you could… touch me?”

Su Yuan caressed the sensitive skin, her thin lips curving slightly, only inches away. “I’m sorry,” she said with a smile, showing no sign of actual self-reflection. “I just can’t quite help myself when I see you angry.”

Zhong Ning bit her lip, her heart racing. “Don’t think that just because you kiss me a few times, all this is forgotten.” She realized Su Yuan hadn’t cared about her rejection at all. “Did you hear what I just said?”

“Mhm, I heard everything.”

Su Yuan held her, the warmth of her breath brushing against Zhong Ning’s lips with every word. “Telling me to go sleep with Olivia, telling me to get back together with Ruan Mu.”

Zhong Ning’s face turned crimson from the warm breath. She hurriedly tried to push her away. “Good that you heard. Stop pestering me then. Anyway, you two already have ‘love’,” she couldn’t help but mention that comment again, unable to let go of the resentment it caused.

Su Yuan froze slightly and stopped her movements. “What are you talking about?”

Seeing her look so oblivious, Zhong Ning didn’t know if it was an act. “What am I talking about? Why don’t you ask your new girlfriend…” She felt Su Yuan was playing dumb.

Su Yuan’s gentle gaze rested on her face, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Isn’t that exactly what I’m doing? Asking my new girlfriend?”

Zhong Ning felt her head heating up. “You…” She couldn’t find words for a long while. How could Su Yuan be this annoying? Was she even listening to her…

“Alright, stop being temperamental.”

Seeing Zhong Ning getting angrier, Su Yuan couldn’t help but coax her softly. “Haven’t you been angry enough these past few days? I’ve been reflecting for days now.”

She gently kissed Zhong Ning’s cheek, her gaze softening. “I know you don’t really want to date Barry. I only asked Olivia out today to make you jealous. Can’t we just call it even?”

Zhong Ning’s face was beet red. Is she coaxing a child? “Who wants to be even with you…”

“This is the first time I’ve ever come back to pursue someone, you know?” Su Yuan looked at her directly and asked softly, “I really like you. Won’t you truly give me another chance?”

That gaze was too tender, leaving Zhong Ning speechless for a long moment. In an instant, she seemed to forget all her rehearsed lines, leaving only the word “unsatisfied.”

Is that it? Is it just over like that? Wouldn’t that be letting her off too easy?

“If you’re so conflicted, why don’t you consider it after a private date with me tonight?” Su Yuan’s eyes crinkled. She asked softly, “Well? Can we ditch them and go on a date just the two of us?”