Hints at GL - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

“Sorry, that’s my glass.”

At that moment, Zhong Ning’s lips had already brushed the rim of the glass. Hearing those words, her brain flared with heat, and her hand suddenly shook uncontrollably. Before Su Yuan could even tell her to be careful, Zhong Ning spilled the entire drink onto herself.

“Oh dear, Barry, hurry and get some tissues,” Mrs. Huang instructed.

But no matter how much they wiped, it seemed to be too late; the stain had already soaked into the surface of her light-colored blouse. “No use, I don’t think it’s coming out.” Barry stood up, looking at Zhong Ning and shaking his head.

“There’s laundry detergent in the upstairs bathroom, you could try that,” Mrs. Huang said, preparing to stand up. “I’ll take her,” Su Yuan offered, standing up first.

“You know where it is?” Barry looked at Su Yuan with a bit of surprise.

Su Yuan nodded and cast her eyes down toward Zhong Ning. “I’ll take you upstairs.”

Over the past three months, Zhong Ning had imagined many scenarios, but no matter what, she never could have anticipated meeting Su Yuan in this manner, nor could she have expected to be alone in a room with her now.

She stood before the sink, slowly rubbing the spot where the detergent had been applied.

Since Su Yuan hadn’t mentioned stepping out, Zhong Ning was too embarrassed to take the shirt off. She could only wash it awkwardly while wearing it, planning to dry it with a hairdryer afterward.

But that wasn’t the core of the problem. What made her most restless was… Su Yuan was standing directly behind her, watching her intently. That gaze was so blunt that Zhong Ning could feel it even without looking in the mirror.

“…”

What exactly did Su Yuan mean…

Zhong Ning kept her head down, scrubbing the clothes, feeling a heat that seemed ready to burn right through her.

Suddenly, she heard the crisp sound of footsteps behind her. It seemed Su Yuan was walking closer—she actually wrapped her arms around Zhong Ning’s waist from behind.

Wait, what’s the pace here? Zhong Ning’s body stiffened.

Those warm palms gathered her waist and pulled her back slightly, bringing her into contact with Su Yuan’s soft body. Zhong Ning took a deep breath, not daring to move an inch.

A soft chuckle came from by her ear. “Relax your body.”

A faint, subtle fragrance seeped toward her. She felt the area behind her ear go soft.

At a time like this, you’re telling me to relax…

Zhong Ning’s expression grew stiffer and stiffer. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go. She looked into the mirror anxiously. “…” She saw Su Yuan holding her, her face resting near Zhong Ning’s ear, her exquisite eyes cast downward.

What did she want to do?

“You…”

Just as Zhong Ning was so nervous her heart was about to leap out, Su Yuan slid the hand at her waist downward until she pulled the phone out of Zhong Ning’s pocket. “…”

As if teasing her for her wild imagination, Su Yuan glanced at Zhong Ning and released her. “Here.” Su Yuan held the phone out in front of her, her slender brows arching slightly. “Unlock it.”

“…”

The blush on Zhong Ning’s cheeks hadn’t yet faded. She took her phone back, thinking she had misheard. “What did you say?”

Su Yuan leaned lightly against the white sink beside her, the corners of her lips curling. “Weren’t you planning on giving me your number?”

…So I was just overthinking earlier?

Blushing like this before even knowing what the other person wanted to do in the bathroom… “…” Zhong Ning screamed internally. Su Yuan, would it kill you to just take the phone normally? Now she was suddenly asking for a number, and no matter how it sounded, it made it seem like Zhong Ning was the one trying to hit on her.

“I, actually…”

Zhong Ning pursed her lips and looked at Su Yuan. Her attempt to maintain a proper smile couldn’t make her words any smoother. Her cheeks grew hotter, but she still tried to hold her ground. “I… don’t have that kind of… preference…”

“Is that so?”

That meaningful gaze swept over her repeatedly.

“Then why do you keep looking at me?”

“…”

Zhong Ning was instantly speechless.

Why did she feel like the other woman’s logic was so sound that it was impossible to refute?

After trying several times to speak and failing, Zhong Ning could only let Su Yuan enter her number without resistance, her face flushed. Afterward, the phone was put back into her pocket in the same manner.

If she had to summarize it, Zhong Ning’s heart at that moment was probably filled with the tragic indignation of “my fate is in the hands of heaven.”

“…”

Finally, Su Yuan once again gently stroked her waist and whispered an instruction in her ear: “I think it would be better to take the clothes off to wash them.”

Zhong Ning trembled. What does she want to do now?

“Don’t be nervous. I’ll wait for you outside,” Su Yuan added with a low laugh.

Everything that happened afterward felt like a dream to Zhong Ning. She didn’t know how she managed to chat with Barry’s family for another hour; she forgot the contents of the conversation entirely.

Later, Su Yuan suddenly stood up, saying she had business and would take her leave.

After that, Zhong Ning was finally sent home. She stood in the long hallway of her flat, unable to line up her key with the lock for a long time.

What a mess. She had stared at Su Yuan for ages without saying a word; that meaningful gaze clearly indicated that Su Yuan had already labeled her as “deep in the closet” from head to toe.

Whose fault was it? She had asked herself that. It was just a dream, so why did she keep looking at Su Yuan… Now look, the woman saw everything.

Zhong Ning rushed into her room in frustration, burying herself directly into the bed and screaming muffledly into her pillow.

“…Zhong Ning, what are you doing?” After a while, she heard Jing Yang knock on her door, her voice full of confusion. “I just heard you going crazy as soon as you got back. Did the rich heir try to force himself on you?”

“You’re the one being forced!” Zhong Ning retorted in shame and anger.

Jing Yang giggled and knocked again. “Let me in to gossip. The pub was so boring today, I’ve been waiting for your report to entertain me.”

Zhong Ning’s mind was still unsettled, so she naturally refused. “It’s too late, I’m going to sleep. We’ll talk when we meet at the library (Library) tomorrow at noon.”

“…Oh.”

A regretful sigh came from the door, and Jing Yang left.

That night, Zhong Ning had the dream again, but this time it was different.

It was as if all of London had been paused by someone at a certain point in time. The streets were empty and gray; the whole world seemed to consist only of herself.

She walked briskly as usual, hoping to soothe the terror in her heart.

Finally, the bar with the lights on at the corner came into view. Zhong Ning took a deep breath and braced herself to go inside.

The bar was bustling and lively as usual. Everything seemed to have returned to the “normal” atmosphere she recognized, but vaguely, Zhong Ning felt as if everything were shrouded in mist.

The blonde server attending to her seemed exceptionally enthusiastic. “Welcome.” “What’s going on with this street? Why isn’t there a single person?” She intended to change her line of questioning today, and the anxious question slipped out.

But a warm smile played on the server’s lips, and the answer was always the same: “Miss, I don’t understand what you mean. Why don’t you sit down and have a drink first?”

“I… didn’t come here to drink…”

It was always like this; nothing she said mattered. The blonde server gave her a smiling look and walked away with the tray. Zhong Ning sighed and finally sat back at the bar.

Suddenly, her phone vibrated. It was coming—the same mysterious text she had seen countless times: “Pick up the camera by your side and look at your surroundings through the lens.”

Zhong Ning really didn’t want to look, but she knew that if she didn’t, the plot would never progress. With a heavy heart, she picked up the camera. Immediately, through the lens, she saw the scene of the “corpse party.” Everyone was sitting or lying in various poses, their faces pale-blue and corners of their mouths bleeding.

It was always like this.

The “Inner World” could only be seen through the camera; move it away, and everything returned to normal.

Her action of raising and lowering the camera drew attention. In the corner to her right, a man in a suit holding a glass of vodka was preparing to walk over. Zhong Ning couldn’t bear to see his head cracked open again.

Just then, a familiar voice rang in her ear.

“Why are you still here…?”

A gentle touch slid from her cheek to her neck. Between breaths, a cool fragrance invaded her lungs. “…” Zhong Ning opened her eyes slightly; her desire to see the other person had never been so strong.

This time, she actually got her wish.

The woman’s deep eyes were cast down, but they couldn’t hide the thin lips curved into a slight arc beneath the beautiful curve of her nose.

After a long moment, the woman touched the tip of her finger to Zhong Ning’s collarbone. An ambiguous aura approached. The exquisite face had never been so clear. The woman’s thin lips moved: “…Aren’t you afraid of dying?”

Those words were like the terminal station bell, instantly waking Zhong Ning up. It was exactly eight o’clock.

She sat on the bed, her entire mind filled with one thought.

It really… was Su Yuan.