Online Love, Based on the Real Object - Chapter 35

…Quite the “overbearing CEO” speech there.

The “girlfriend” persona had finally logged on.

Qi Ning reminded herself of her current role; she needed to be a professional “girlfriend” with high standards. She quickly flashed an overly enthusiastic smile, wrapped both arms around Chu Yunjing’s waist, and snuggled into her embrace. She smiled at the man and said, “My girlfriend is right.”

The man’s expression froze. The little boy tugged at his collar, blinking his big eyes as he asked, “Daddy, what’s a ‘girlfriend’?”

“…” The man gave them a dry laugh, turned around with the child in his arms, and walked away. They could still hear him saying, “A girlfriend is…”

Once the man was gone, Qi Ning pulled away from Chu Yunjing’s arms and patted her on the shoulder. “Not bad! If you were a guy, you’d be a textbook overbearing CEO!”

“Heh,” Chu Yunjing gave a cold laugh in response. “Always out here attracting bees and butterflies.”

“Who’s attracting butterflies! I’m just too good-looking. I feel quite helpless when people try to flirt with me.”

Chu Yunjing ignored her and turned to grab the unicorn; if she didn’t pull it back soon, the waves would wash it away.

“Say it, say it, say it!” Qi Ning was relentless. As Chu Yunjing leaned over to grab the inflatable handle, Qi Ning hopped onto her back like a koala, buzzing in her ear: “Take that back right now!”

“Get down.” Chu Yunjing straightened her back. This person had evolved from a sloth into an octopus.

“I’m not getting down!”

“Are you getting down or not?”

“No!”

Chu Yunjing yanked the unicorn in front of her, then flipped her back, tossing Qi Ning right onto the unicorn’s seat. It was just large enough for one person to lie down.

Before Qi Ning could process the situation, a powerful wave surged forward—

The unicorn flipped.

Qi Ning tumbled into the water with a splash, the tips of her hair getting soaked. Chu Yunjing nimbly stepped back two paces. Seeing the bedraggled state of her friend, she let out a snicker. “Serves you right. I told you it would flip.”

It seemed the towel was going to come in handy after all.

Qi Ning stood up, but sat right back down in the water; she was soaked from the waist down. Luckily she was wearing a swimsuit, otherwise, the fabric would have turned transparent.

“You’re still laughing!” Qi Ning glared at her, scooped up a handful of water, and splashed it directly at her.

Chu Yunjing was quick, using the towel to block it. The water splashed harmlessly against the fabric.

“You—you—you’re cheating!” Qi Ning’s mind raced, and she switched to a gentle tone. “Give me the towel, I need to dry my hair.”

Chu Yunjing arched an eyebrow. “Do you really think I’d believe you?”

“Really, I promise I won’t splash you! I swear on my future boyfriend!” Qi Ning held up four fingers in a solemn vow.

Half-doubting, Chu Yunjing handed her the towel. Seeing Qi Ning actually start drying her hair, her guard dropped. After Qi Ning finished, she calmly placed the towel on the unicorn, looking completely peaceful and non-combative. Chu Yunjing fell for the act.

Splash!

In the blink of an eye, Qi Ning yanked her down. It was a move that dealt 1,000 damage to the enemy but cost her 800; she ended up taking a gulp of seawater herself.

“Do you have to be this childish?” Having accidentally swallowed salty water, Chu Yunjing looked at the person practically sprawling over her and felt like throwing her into the deep ocean.

The waves washed over the sand and over them; this time, they were completely soaked.

“How can you come to the beach and not get in the water! The cool water feels so good!” Qi Ning argued her case, making Chu Yunjing want to roll her eyes.

Qi Ning wasn’t one to be reserved. Since her last attack failed to keep her dry, and they were now so close, she raised a hand and splashed water right into Chu Yunjing’s face.

Chu Yunjing, annoyed, stood up to counter-attack. The two adults were now acting like toddlers in a water fight.

By the time they stopped, night had fallen, and it was getting hard to see the surroundings. Only then did they realize the expensive unicorn was gone.

“Where’s my unicorn!” Qi Ning searched frantically for her mount. Fortunately, it hadn’t been swept out to sea. She spotted a silhouette on the sand dozens of meters away likely the missing beast.

Relieved, she turned and saw a bedraggled Chu Yunjing. Not just her body, but her hair was dripping wet. The “President Chu” who usually held a cold, professional aura in tailored suits now looked like a drowned rat.

Qi Ning couldn’t help but laugh, even though she didn’t look much better.

“Stop laughing,” Chu Yunjing shot her a look. “If we don’t go now, someone’s going to pick up your ‘horse’.”

“Hey, wait for me!” Qi Ning jogged to catch up and naturally hooked her arm around Chu Yunjing’s waist. “I’m so hungry. What are we eating?”

“Didn’t you just eat?”

“I didn’t eat nearly enough. That place was terrible; I’m blacklisting it!” She spoke with a rising tone, seeking her friend’s opinion: “Let’s go to the seafood market? Let’s ride the bikes this time!”

Chu Yunjing looked at Qi Ning’s excited little face, her red lips parted slightly as she uttered two words: “Beg me.”

“I beg you!”

…She answered remarkably fast this time.

“Where is your dignity?”

“Who needs dignity when there’s seafood!”

“…”

After soaking in seawater, Qi Ning felt sticky the moment the breeze hit her on shore.

Back at the hotel, she dashed straight for the bathroom, stripping as she walked. When Chu Yunjing arrived a moment later carrying the unicorn—

She saw a trail of familiar clothing stretching from the hallway to the living room, including that large towel.

Chu Yunjing: “…”

She set down the unicorn and picked up the clothes as she went, finally knocking on the bathroom door.

“You’ve already started showering? I need to wash my hands.”

“The door’s unlocked!” Qi Ning shouted from inside. Since there were two doors in between, her voice sounded muffled. “Just come in.”

The shower area was separated by a glass door—not frosted, but completely transparent. Chu Yunjing stood at the door for half a minute before pushing it open.

The shower room was filled with steam, coating the glass in a thin white mist that only allowed for a blurry silhouette. Qi Ning was likely washing her hair; the tilt of her neck was visible through the mist, and the sound of water hitting the floor was loud.

There was a separate faucet by the sink, convenient for guests to wash sand off their feet. Chu Yunjing leaned over to carefully rinse her feet, then ran water over her exposed skin to wash away the stickiness.

“It might take me a while to wash my hair. Do you want to shower together?” Qi Ning added, “I’m worried you’ll catch a cold.”

“No thanks.” Chu Yunjing finished rinsing her legs, stood up, and headed out. “I’ve rinsed off. I’m going to change clothes. Take your time.”

They had showered together years ago, but that was ages ago… it was better to avoid the awkwardness now. Qi Ning didn’t think much of it, gave an acknowledging hum, and started lathering her hair.

About half an hour later, a refreshed Qi Ning emerged. Chu Yunjing had already changed and was watching TV in the living room.

As soon as she saw her, she went into “lecture” mode: “What is this bad habit of yours, throwing clothes directly onto the floor?”

Qi Ning looked at the hallway; the clothes were gone. Feeling a bit guilty, she chuckled and leaned in. “That’s just how it is living alone~”

Chu Yunjing ignored her, grabbed her own clothes, and went to shower. Luckily, she had pulled the curtains shut earlier; otherwise, if the neighbors saw, it wouldn’t be a laughing matter.

By the time they headed out again, it was 8:00 PM.

There was a row of shared yellow bikes by the hotel. Up close, they even had phone mounts on the handlebars—very user-friendly. Before Chu Yunjing could even scan the code, a certain someone had already obediently sat on the back seat.

“…”

The seafood market was about three to four kilometers away, likely a thirty-minute ride. On the way, Qi Ning hummed a song from the back seat. The bike path was pitch black—either the lights were broken or there weren’t any—but luckily the bikes had their own headlights.

The road was quiet. She could smell the dew and hear the occasional chirp of cicadas.

“Summer is really here…” Qi Ning said, looking up at the bright moon with a touch of sentiment.

While the atmosphere was nice, the precise Chu Yunjing couldn’t help but correct her: “It’s almost autumn.”

“…” The mood shattered instantly. Qi Ning twitched her lips. “I want to cover your mouth.”

Chu Yunjing gave a cool laugh and continued being the chauffeur.

Qi Ning sighed and leaned against Chu Yunjing’s back. But she was thinking of someone else.

If the meeting went well, she wanted to come here again with Yun Yu. They could hold hands while watching the sea, see the fish underwater, or take a speedboat—it would be so pleasant. After all, a best friend and a girlfriend are different.

Thinking this, Qi Ning pulled out her phone and sent a message to Yun Yu.

—”I miss you so much.”

Just as she sent it, Chu Yunjing’s phone (currently being used for navigation) chimed, but the voice assistant happened to tell her to turn right at that exact moment, drowning out the sound.

Since it was late, the roads weren’t as crowded as during the day. They could pass through anywhere easily on the bikes—it was much more convenient than a car.

After twenty-five minutes, they finally saw the sign for the seafood market. The large red characters were lit up with colorful lights, looking very striking in the night. After parking the bikes, they saw a massive crowd. It seemed plenty of others had the same idea for a late-night meal.

Rows of seafood restaurants lined the entrance, each with servers calling out to attract customers. They looked around, planning to buy fresh seafood in the market and bring it to a restaurant for preparation.

Just then, a “beep beep beep” sounded behind them. Qi Ning turned to see a vendor pulling a cargo tricycle. Chu Yunjing grabbed her arm and pulled her aside to make way.

“Watch out, it’s crowded here.” Chu Yunjing didn’t let go, instead leading her by the hand into the market.

It was indeed crowded; one could easily get separated in the throng of holiday travelers.

“Qi Ning.” The two stopped at a stall. Chu Yunjing noticed the shrimp were quite large and nudged her arm slightly. “How about these shrimp?”

Qi Ning followed her gaze, then looked at Chu Yunjing’s profile.

She said solemnly, “We’re in public. Call me ‘Sweetheart’.”

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