Hints at GL - Chapter 9

Chapter 9

“By the way, Zhong Ning is roommates with your sister.”

Jing Han had been frowning, but hearing this, her expression suddenly softened with warmth. “Is that so? You’re roommates with Jing Yang.”

Hearing the woman speak to her, Zhong Ning suddenly felt a bit nervous. “Um… yes, she flew to London on the same flight as me. Jing Yang originally rented a house nearby, but she moved in after hearing someone in our flat was looking to sublet.”

Jing Han nodded.

Her affirmation acted as encouragement for Zhong Ning, who continued, “At the time, I met a few LSE classmates on the forums, but they all stood me up at the last minute…”

Mentioning this, Zhong Ning gave a heartfelt smile. “Only Jing Yang—from the moment we agreed months ago to buy tickets for the same flight, she never looked for anyone else. I was quite touched back then.”

Jing Han’s exquisite eyes curved, and a rare warm smile appeared on her lips. “Mhm, she’s been a stubborn child since she was little.”

Zhong Ning began to feel that this woman, who usually maintained a detached expression, was actually quite easy to get along with. She even plucked up the courage to chat further: “Are you and Jing Yang biological sisters?”

Jing Han nodded. “Yes, five years apart.”

Zhong Ning thought for a moment. “Jing Yang’s undergraduate degree was in Broadcasting and Hosting, but when she said you worked in investment banking, I was quite surprised.”

Jing Han leaned against the wall, chatting with her across Su Yuan. “Yes, our personalities are quite different. Our family is in media-related businesses; Jing Yang has liked that stuff since she was a child, but I’m not very interested.”

They were indeed different—almost like two extremes.

Zhong Ning didn’t say this out loud, instead obediently agreeing, “Jing Yang is very extroverted and knows many people. Every time I mention a name, she knows their major and who they share a dorm with.”

These words took on a different meaning in Jing Han’s ears. She narrowed her eyes slightly. “Does Jing Yang go out to play every night?”

Zhong Ning was startled and instinctively tried to smooth things over. “It’s okay… not every night.”

Before she could finish, Jing Han directly handed over a business card and said in a low voice, “Keep a good eye on her. If anything happens, call me.”

Zhong Ning accepted the card with a complicated mood, thinking to herself, Jing Yang, this isn’t my fault.

“You two seem to be having a very happy conversation?” At that moment, Su Yuan suddenly interjected in English.

Only then did Zhong Ning realize she had been talking to Jing Han for a long time without considering that Su Yuan couldn’t understand… She hurriedly leaned in to apologize, but unexpectedly got choked by the cigarette smoke.

“Oh, sorry.” Su Yuan smiled and stubbed out the cigarette, naturally resting her hand on Zhong Ning’s waist and pulling her to one side.

“I remember you didn’t have that habit before,” Jing Han said with a frown.

“I’m just not addicted,” Su Yuan tilted her head to look at her, the corners of her lips curling. “But lately, I get depressed whenever I think of you, so I picked up the habit…”

Is Su Yuan flirting with her? Zhong Ning’s body stiffened.

Jing Han looked at Su Yuan silently, her originally calm expression becoming somewhat complex.

Just then, Machal’s voice drifted in from the living room: “Aren’t you guys coming to eat something?”

“Alright, let’s go over and eat.” Su Yuan smiled at Jing Han and said nothing more.

The living room of the villa followed a traditional layout. In the clean and tidy kitchen, one could always smell the aroma drifting from the oven. Beside it were two rows of soft sofas and a dining table placed in the center.

Machal poured wine for everyone and said proudly, “Haggis and sheep’s trotters bought from Abutus, curry crab made by my wife at home, a salad made by Kayn, and the banana pie I made…”

As he was speaking, the faint sound of high heels treading on the wooden floor came from the entrance. The sound grew closer, and a familiar fragrance could even be smelled in the air.

Zhong Ning could clearly sense that Su Yuan’s expression had become unnatural. “Didn’t you say she wasn’t coming tonight?” Su Yuan wasn’t speaking to her.

Jing Han stood beside her, her brow furrowed. “I wasn’t sure.”

Finally, a tall figure appeared. The woman wore a black, form-fitting short skirt, and her long legs were perched on several-centimeter high heels, revealing her perfect figure.

“Ruan, didn’t you have something to do tonight?” one of the Black guests asked in confusion.

Ruan Mu familiarly hung her light-colored trench coat aside and walked over with a seductive grace. “On such an important day, how could I have other things to do?”

Those smiling eyes scanned the room, finally landing on Su Yuan’s soft features. Her red lips curved. “Long time no see, Anna.”

That short sentence made Zhong Ning’s entire body tense up. That exquisite face was too aggressive; she even began to suspect that even without doing anything, this woman could steal someone’s soul just with a look.

“How surprising. No matter how much I called these past few months, it didn’t work. How is it that as soon as Jing Han returns, you’re willing to see me?” Ruan Mu’s deep eyes stared straight at Su Yuan.

“Oh?” She suddenly fixed her gaze on Zhong Ning’s face, her thin eyebrows arching slightly. “You brought a little friend too?”

Being singled out at a time like this did not make Zhong Ning happy at all. she managed an awkward, shallow smile, but in an instant, she felt a stabbing pain in her head.

Zhong Ning didn’t know what was happening to her; a phantom image seemed to appear before her eyes.

She couldn’t see clearly where it was, but she could identify the image of two women kissing. The person pinned underneath was panting slightly, her profile looking very familiar… and the woman on top reached her hand into the other’s thin blouse, her ruby-red lips teasingly biting the lower lip before sinking back into a deep kiss.

Why… does the person pinned underneath look like Su Yuan?

That image startled even her. Not just because of the scene she saw, but more importantly, Zhong Ning hadn’t expected her precognitive ability to return under these circumstances. She had no choice but to lower her head to hide it. Fortunately, all of Su Yuan’s attention was diverted right now, and she didn’t notice Zhong Ning’s abnormality.

“I’m starving to death,” Machal hurriedly interrupted, seeing the atmosphere was a bit strange. “Won’t you try some? I made banana pie; I learned the topping from a chef.”

Ruan Mu gave Zhong Ning a deep look, a flicker of something strange passing through her eyes.

But in the next second, she raised her hand to push away the plate Machal offered, declining with a smile: “I don’t want that. Maybe I’ll try something your wife makes.” She glanced at the red wine on the table. “1982 Château Lafite Rothschild… I could have a glass of that.”

Someone turned on the music, and the awkward atmosphere finally eased under the slow, low jazz.

Ruan Mu picked up a wine glass and sat down next to Jing Han.

“Suet, are you still staying at a hotel?” someone nearby asked Jing Han. Jing Han took a sip of red wine and nodded. “I’ve only been back for a few days; I haven’t found a suitable place yet.”

“Speaking of which, isn’t this place empty? It seems Anna doesn’t live here either… you could ask her if she’d rent it to you.” That person, for some unknown reason, actually gave such a suggestion.

The moment the sentence was spoken, the area around them fell silent.

Ruan Mu leaned back in the corner of the sofa, her legs crossed as she looked at Su Yuan, the smile on her lips deepening.

“Sorry, I’m planning to sell it.” Su Yuan’s smile vanished, and she answered while looking away with her pale eyes. Afterward, she seemed to not want to say another word. “You guys chat; I’m going to the restroom.”

Ruan Mu didn’t stop her, but when the others resumed their conversation, she lightly set down her wine glass. “What were you all talking about while I wasn’t here?” She propped her hand behind Jing Han and asked with a raised eyebrow.

Her proximity made Jing Han stand up uncomfortably. “It’s none of your business.”

Jing Han walked away, leaving only Ruan Mu and Zhong Ning in the end.

Zhong Ning didn’t quite dare to look that way. She had already sensed Ruan Mu’s scrutinizing gaze, and her whole body was tense. She seemed to already foresee what the other woman was about to say.

“Anna is very charming, isn’t she?”

That soft, seductive voice sounded in her ear. Ruan Mu looked at her meaningfully. “Well, when I was dating her, there were plenty of young girls like you throwing themselves at her every day.”

Zhong Ning was slightly startled. So this woman was Su Yuan’s ex-girlfriend.

She looked tentatively into those alluring eyes, only to see Ruan Mu’s red lips curve. “If I may be blunt, you are not a good match.”

This felt terrible.

Zhong Ning, struggling under the pressure of sitting next to a perfect ex, felt it would be too cowardly not to defend herself. “Actually, I didn’t intend to do anything with her. You’ve misunderstood.”

Zhong Ning felt she had no need to explain herself, but the feeling of being scrutinized without saying anything wasn’t good. So after thinking it through, she ended up taking this long way around to respond.

But did she really not want anything to do with Su Yuan?

Ruan Mu, of course, didn’t believe words that even Zhong Ning herself was wavering on. “Oh, really?” She stared at Zhong Ning for a while, merely curled her lips meaningfully, stood up, and left.

The air pressure around her dropped instantly, and she let out a long sigh of relief.

In that situation, she couldn’t think of a better response. She wanted to refute the “throwing yourself at her” remark but was afraid of losing her composure. Therefore, she had no choice but to deny her feelings for Su Yuan.

Zhong Ning scanned the room; the others were discussing topics she couldn’t understand at all. For the first time, such a strong sense of loneliness washed over her.

In an instant, she suddenly felt that Ruan Mu made a lot of sense.

She and Su Yuan were from different worlds to begin with; it was hard to find common ground. Before this, if she still had fantasies because of Su Yuan’s ambiguous attitude, now, seeing Su Yuan’s ex-girlfriend… Zhong Ning simply didn’t know what to say.

Suddenly, her head throbbed, and the image from earlier appeared before her eyes again.

But this time, she seemed to see clearly where the scene was occurring… Behind the woman pinned underneath was a mirror. Was that the restroom?

Zhong Ning’s heart suddenly beat very fast, her breathing becoming rapid and uncontrollable. Her eyes frantically searched for Su Yuan—she hadn’t come back yet. The woman who had just been talking to her was also gone.

An ominous premonition surged up.

She stood up unconsciously and asked the person next to her somewhat unclearly, “Where is the restroom?”