Online Love, Based on the Real Object - Chapter 2

Of course, she couldn’t really consider her as a girlfriend their close relationship was more like the familial bond between childhood friends.

The two of them had grown up together, even born in the same hospital just five minutes apart. Even their parents thought it was fate. Later, the two families moved into the same neighborhood, living in the same building, frequently visiting each other to play with building blocks and games.

When it was time for kindergarten, their parents enrolled them in the same school for convenience, and they stayed together all the way until college graduation when they finally went their separate ways for work.

After starting their careers, they still ended up in the same city, the same district. Though they didn’t live together, they met often for meals, their lives intertwined for nearly half their existence.

Sometimes, Qi Ning found their connection almost magical. To outsiders, they seemed like polar opposites one like ice, the other like fire yet somehow, they fit together perfectly.

Chu YunJing was the quintessential “model child” studious, excelling in both academics and sports, and, to make matters worse, stunningly beautiful, turning many girls green with envy. Her only flaw was her cold demeanor, like an unattainable flower on a cliff.

Meanwhile, Qi Ning had been rebellious in her youth, skipping classes frequently in one semester and getting her parents called in multiple times. If not for last-minute cramming in high school and the help of a certain academic genius, they might not have ended up at the same university.

Fortunately, she settled down in college, graduating without incident and drifting into a job that matched her degree.

While Qi Ning was content to coast through life, Chu YunJing had already been planning to start her own business in college. Now, she ran a moderately successful skincare company, frequently traveling for market research and brand promotion, a career-driven woman with limitless potential.

Reading the message, Qi Ning smirked and replied without hesitation, “Sure.”

She went on to share about the client she’d just met, particularly his habit of raising his pinky finger. For some reason, it reminded her of the effeminate “bottom” characters often seen in TV shows and videos.

“Pfft.” She couldn’t help but laugh at her own imagination. Suppressing her amusement, she typed out another message.

Qi Ning: [Not sure if it’s just me, but he seems kinda gay and so picky too. Life is hard, sigh.jpg]

With the LGBT community growing more visible, she had a few gay friends in her social circle, though she wasn’t particularly knowledgeable about the topic. Her comment wasn’t meant to be judgmental just an observation about the client’s quirks. She often shared little life anecdotes like this with Chu YunJing.

She rarely vented about others openly, but with Chu YunJing, she could let her guard down completely, whether it was trivial daily updates or the occasional emotional purge.

Yet her best friend always seemed so composed, as if nothing could faze her. Her “comforting” words were often blunt and cutting rather than tender.

How could someone so aloof in public turn into such a different person around her?! Qi Ning couldn’t figure it out no matter how hard she tried.

At six o’clock, she grabbed her bag and left the café, stepping into the open-air parking lot in front.

She took out her car keys from her bag and pressed the unlock button. The nearest white sedan flashed its lights in response. She had bought the car last year—nothing too expensive, just a means of transportation for her.

The reason she bought it was that her apartment was too far from work. Taking the subway required transfers and took a full hour, whereas driving only took half an hour if there was no traffic.

Thinking about how Chu Yunjing had recently moved into a spacious three-bedroom apartment close to the business district made her green with envy. Now that her lease was about to expire, she wanted to find a place closer to the office to avoid the daily commute hassle and started considering moving.

“Over here!” As soon as she stepped out of the car, she saw her friend waving at her through the crowd.

“How’d you get here so fast?” Qi Ning walked over and instinctively checked the time, it was only 6:15.

“I just arrived and spotted you right away. I got a queue number online, but there are still dozens of tables ahead of us. Want to go shopping first?” Chen Churan smiled warmly, linking arms with her and steering her toward the mall.

Even on a weekday evening, that restaurant had a long line, but Qi Ning was used to it by now. She even added, “The salesperson at X store told me they just dropped their summer collection. Perfect timing to check it out.”

“Hey, Qi Ning, got any projects lined up lately? My brother’s thinking of buying a place. If he needs interior design, I’ll refer him to you, just remember to give him a discount, haha!”

“Hah, that’d be great!” Qi Ning laughed. She had a knack for turning connections into friendships. She and Chen Churan had first met as client and designer, but their easygoing personalities had kept them close ever since. Many in her social circle had started as clients, and though she hadn’t saved much over the years spending freely, she invested where it mattered, steadily expanding her network.

The moment they stepped into the store, a familiar sales associate greeted them with a bright smile. “Miss Qi! You’re just in time, we got some new arrivals today!”

For retail staff, polished urban professionals like her were prime customers and major contributors to their sales targets. A few well-placed compliments, and anything that caught their eye was as good as sold.

No woman could resist a bit of flattery.

After browsing the store, Qi Ning settled on a floral off-shoulder dress with sheer mesh and delicate embroidery, ethereal and perfect for the sweltering summer heat.

The fitting room door opened, and Qi Ning stepped out in the dress. Chen Churan, who had been sorting through clothes, looked up and froze mid-reach.

“Oh my god! You look stunning!” Chen Churan’s eyes sparkled with undisguised admiration as she hurried over, smoothing Qi Ning’s hair and showering her with praise.

Qi Ning stood before the full-length mirror, her tall, slender frame reflected back. The first thing anyone would notice was her sandy-blonde hair, a shade that made her fair skin glow. Paired with her warm-toned makeup, orange lip gloss accentuating her perfectly upturned lips, she radiated charm and vitality. The dress only amplified that ethereal aura.

Except… the fit wasn’t quite right.

She adjusted the straps at her chest and asked, “Do you have this in a smaller size?”

The sales assistant, sensing a likely sale, immediately replied, “Let me check for you!”

“Not to exaggerate, but if you wear this dress out, you’ll turn heads everywhere. If you go on a date with Zou Ruiming, men will definitely be green with envy!” Chen Churan began showering her with flattery.

“Don’t mention him to me. We’re breaking up soon,” Qi Ning said irritably. Zou Ruiming was her current boyfriend, though in her mind, he wouldn’t be for much longer.

At 26, Qi Ning had been pressured by her family for the past two years to find a partner. She wasn’t lacking in suitors, but her standards were sky-high, so she had remained single.

Her acceptance of Zou Ruiming’s advances had been a momentary lapse in judgment. Now, three months into the relationship, despite his attentiveness, they had only ever held hands there was no real progress.

Romantically, Qi Ning was far more conservative than she appeared. Or perhaps she just hadn’t met someone who could truly open her up.

At first, she had thought Zou Ruiming was handsome, but over time, she found him increasingly dull. Even after three lukewarm months together, she hadn’t grown to like him—if anything, she was growing tired.

Being single was better than this. Zou Ruiming was away on a business trip, and she planned to break up with him as soon as he returned. No point in dragging it out.

Chen Churan was stunned. After a pause, she asked, “Why?”

“I don’t like him,” Qi Ning stated matter-of-factly, her expression unreadable as she studied her reflection in the mirror and smoothed her hair.

“…” Chen Churan hesitated. “Then why did you accept his confession in the first place?”

Qi Ning fell silent.

It was a bit embarrassing to admit.

Women often fantasized about romantic gestures, and Qi Ning was no exception. Her ideal confession would involve a sky full of fireworks, with someone declaring their love beneath the dazzling display.

Zou Ruiming had been the first to strike a chord with her even if he had only set off a few fireworks. Those few had been enough to make her impulsively say yes.

By the time she came to her senses, it was too late to backtrack, so she decided to give it a try. Now, it was clear, nothing had changed.

After rejecting so many suitors, she might as well enjoy being single.

“Sorry, we don’t have a smaller size,” the sales assistant interjected, cutting their conversation short.

Ill-fitting clothes never looked good, but Qi Ning really loved this dress. The lack of her size was frustrating.

She stared at her reflection, imagining her face as Chu Yunjing’s that cool, striking beauty with the teardrop mole at the corner of her eye that added a hint of allure. If Chu Yunjing wore this dress, she would undoubtedly look even better than Qi Ning.

Especially since Chu Yunjing’s wardrobe was dominated by black, white, and gray eternal button-ups that made her look polished but distant, almost icy.

Chu Yunjing was a few centimeters taller, so the larger size would fit her perfectly.

Qi Ning could already picture her in the dress, ethereal yet seductive, paired with that face. As someone who valued looks above all, Qi Ning couldn’t help but feel a stirring excitement.

Aside from being a bit cold and sharp-tongued, her best friend had many admirable qualities especially that face of hers, which was already a huge plus.

If there was one thing Qi Ning loved most about Chu Yunjing, it was that face.

If she had been born a boy, their parents would have probably arranged a childhood betrothal for them long ago. Now, since they couldn’t be husband and wife, they could only be sisters.

What a shame, really.

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