The One I Love is Your Girlfriend - Chapter 11

Chapter 11: “It’s The First Time Mingwei Has Ever Called Me… Nanxing.”

Chen Linwan had been “melancholy and long-suffering” for quite a while, feeling that Zhuang Nanxing must have grasped the underlying meaning of his performance. Following the scenario he had rehearsed several times in his head, he slowly opened his eyes.

According to his plan, he would first show concern for Ge Mingwei to make Zhuang Nanxing jealous, then “accidentally” look at Zhuang Nanxing to let her see his lingering affection and reluctance to let her go—showing her that he was only with Ge Mingwei out of necessity due to his mother’s pressure.

As for Ge Mingwei, she knew nothing about his history with Zhuang Nanxing; she would just view her as a close friend of his. She might get a bit jealous, but he could easily soothe her later.

Chen Linwan thought—This plan is simply perfect!

He slowly turned his head to the right and spoke tenderly, “Mingwei…”

Looking at the empty seat: ??? Where was Ge Mingwei?

(Chen Linwan, who had been so deeply immersed in his own fantasy, had automatically filtered out all external sounds.)

He turned his head to the left and saw his “White Rose” and “Red Rose” standing together, chatting and laughing harmoniously.

Chen Linwan: Wait! This isn’t right! Shouldn’t their focus be on me?

Seeing the peaceful atmosphere between them, he couldn’t help but speak up, “Mingwei…”

Zhuang Nanxing was the first to look over. Whether it was Chen Linwan’s imagination or not, there was a flash of annoyance on her face for being interrupted.

Ge Mingwei slowly turned her head and looked at him. “You’re awake?”

Chen Linwan nodded. “Mm.” Then he immediately denied it, “Wait, no, I wasn’t sleeping.”

Zhuang Nanxing leaned against the window frame with her arms crossed. “I thought you were dead to the world.”

Ge Mingwei nodded in agreement.

Chen Linwan: ???

So, I spent all that time pretending, and they just thought I was napping?

Seeing that Zhuang Nanxing’s tone was somewhat sarcastic—likely out of jealousy, he thought—Chen Linwan felt a surge of secret satisfaction. He decided to add more fuel to the fire.

He cleared his throat. “Mingwei…”

Zhuang Qingyu let out a yawn and threw herself into Ge Mingwei’s arms. This immediately stole all of Ge Mingwei’s attention, making her miss Chen Linwan’s attempted speech.

Ge Mingwei held the little girl. “Are you sleepy?”

Zhuang Qingyu felt as if small stones were hanging from her eyelids, dragging them down. She murmured softly, “I want to sleep.”

Ge Mingwei had no defense against such cuteness. “Do you want Auntie to hold you?”

Zhuang Qingyu nodded. “I like Auntie. Auntie smells good. Auntie, hold me, okay?”

Ge Mingwei was completely charmed. She nodded repeatedly. “Okay, okay, Auntie will hold you.”

Zhuang Nanxing’s gaze moved to the two of them, her expression incredibly tender.

Chen Linwan felt something was off. Why does this look like a happy family of three for some reason?

He figured he’d had too much to drink and shook his head vigorously to dispel the strange thought. He stood up and walked toward the three of them. He tried to pat Zhuang Qingyu’s head. “Qingyu, are you going to bed?”

Zhuang Qingyu turned her head away, avoiding his touch.

Chen Linwan’s hand hovered awkwardly in the air for a second. He gave a dry cough to mask his embarrassment. Looking at the dark sky outside, he said to Zhuang Nanxing, “It’s so late. It’s not safe for you to take Qingyu home alone. How about I drive you?”

Zhuang Nanxing frowned. “Haven’t you been drinking?”

Zhuang Qingyu, who was almost asleep, forced her eyes open at this. “Uncle Chen, haven’t you heard? If you drink, don’t drive; if you drive, don’t drink. You’re being bad.”

Chen Linwan rubbed his nose. He had just been lectured by a child.

He slowly shifted his gaze to Ge Mingwei, intending to ask her to drive them. Meeting her gentle eyes, his long-dormant conscience suddenly pricked him. He felt a bit guilty, but he said it anyway.

“Mingwei, help me take Zhuang Nanxing and the kid home.”

Without waiting for her to agree, he added, “It’s settled then.” He turned and walked away.

He thought Ge Mingwei was oblivious to his little schemes. In reality, she saw right through him; she was just pretending not to. But even knowing his character, she couldn’t help but judge him in her heart—This man is truly shameless.

He was a far cry from the person she first met—or rather, this was his true self. Ge Mingwei had once genuinely liked him, which made his true face even more revolting now. But for now, she still needed him to deal with her mother.

Chen Linwan wasn’t a good person, and neither was she. She felt no guilt in using him.

However, “not a good person” Ge Mingwei acted very differently toward Zhuang Nanxing, whom she had judged to be a “good person.”

Zhuang Nanxing tried to refuse her. “It’s so late. You shouldn’t go through the trouble of driving me back. I can take Qingyu home myself.”

Ge Mingwei replied, “Aren’t you a girl too? And you have a child with you. Let me drive you.”

“No, really, it’s fine.”

“It’s okay. I’m taking you.”

Seeing her persistence, Zhuang Nanxing nodded. “Alright then. Sorry for the trouble, Mingwei.”

Ge Mingwei felt that Zhuang Nanxing was incredibly naturally familiar. Zhuang Nanxing seemed to completely ignore their status as “rivals” and sat down warmly beside her. “Mingwei, you’re so nice.”

Ge Mingwei looked at her, allowing the beautiful light radiating from Zhuang Nanxing to envelop her. She let herself be touched by a spark of that goodness. She felt like a moth, drawn to the brilliance of Zhuang Nanxing, yet fearing that this light would lead her to sink, to throw herself into the fire and face destruction.

I have to work harder, Ge Mingwei thought. I need to escape this cage. I am going to reach freedom eventually!

“Mingwei,” Zhuang Nanxing called.

“Hmm?” Ge Mingwei snapped back to reality.

Zhuang Nanxing reached out to take Zhuang Qingyu from her arms. “Let’s go home.”

“Okay.”

As they walked out the door, Ge Mingwei glanced back. Chen Linwan was tilting his head slightly, watching the doorway. It was unclear who he was looking at.

It didn’t matter who he was looking at anymore.

If he was looking at Ge Mingwei, she hadn’t included him in her plans for the future. If he was looking at Zhuang Nanxing, Ge Mingwei had just revised her future plans to include her—specifically, she vowed to make sure Zhuang Nanxing saw through Chen Linwan’s vile nature.

Outside, a strong wind rose, swirling fallen leaves and drowning out the cicadas, hiding the ambitions Ge Mingwei had never mentioned to anyone.

Ge Mingwei drove them home. Just as they neared Zhuang Nanxing’s place, heavy raindrops began to fall. Within moments, the windshield was covered. Ge Mingwei turned on the wipers and focused intently on the road.

The bad weather turned a five-minute drive into fifteen. Zhuang Nanxing lived in a villa area near the city center. When they were stopped at the security gate, Zhuang Nanxing leaned out the window and called to the guard. He recognized her and let them through.

Zhuang Nanxing told Ge Mingwei to park at her door. “The rain is too heavy. Stay the night at my place.”

Ge Mingwei wanted to refuse, but Zhuang Nanxing pouted, trying to look pitiful. “It’s so late and raining so hard. I won’t be able to rest if you drive back alone.”

Seeing Ge Mingwei hesitate, Zhuang Nanxing added, “If something happened to you, how could I face Chen Linwan? Since you drove me back in the middle of the night, I have to take responsibility for your safety.”

Ge Mingwei looked at the thick curtain of rain. It was pitch black, like the gaping maw of a monster ready to swallow anyone who entered. She shivered and nodded. “Then I’ll trouble you.”

“No trouble at all! I’m actually very happy you’re coming!”

Sensing that Zhuang Nanxing’s happiness was genuine, Ge Mingwei offered a puzzled “Hmm?”

Zhuang Nanxing realized her words might have sounded a bit off and quickly corrected herself. “I mean… Qingyu. Qingyu will be so happy when she sees you tomorrow morning. And when she’s happy, I’m happy.”

“I see,” Ge Mingwei said simply. It was unclear if she believed her.

Ge Mingwei grabbed an umbrella and helped Zhuang Nanxing, who was carrying the child, into the house. Because of the child, they walked carefully, but by the time they got inside, they were both half-soaked.

They laid Zhuang Qingyu on Zhuang Nanxing’s bed. The little girl stirred but didn’t wake. Zhuang Nanxing breathed a sigh of relief. She took a set of pajamas from the closet and handed them to Ge Mingwei, leading her to the guest room next door. It had an ensuite bathroom and a drawer stocked with a new toothbrush, toothpaste, towels, shampoo, and soap.

“Everything has been sanitized. These pajamas were washed and stored; I’ve never worn them. Feel free to use them.”

Ge Mingwei thanked her.

Back in her own home, Zhuang Nanxing seemed completely relaxed. She was like a sweet little cake, her voice dripping with warmth. “I should be thanking you. If you hadn’t driven us, it would have been so difficult for me to handle the rain with Qingyu.”

The light reflected in Zhuang Nanxing’s eyes, making them sparkle like stars. “I’m so glad you were here, Mingwei. I really…”

Really like you.

The unspoken words were hidden in her eyes. Ge Mingwei tilted her head, not quite understanding the meaning of that sparkling gaze, but she spoke her own heart anyway. “You’re welcome. I wanted to drive you back. You really are… a very good person.”

Zhuang Nanxing gasped and covered her mouth. “That’s the first time you’ve ever praised me. I’m so happy! But, Mingwei, I have one small request. Can you grant it?”

“What is it?”

“Can you say my name? I haven’t heard you call me by my name yet.”

Ge Mingwei didn’t understand why she was asking, but she complied. “Zhuang Nanxing.”

Zhuang Nanxing shook her head and corrected her. “Just call me ‘Nanxing’.”

Ge Mingwei remembered that in front of Chen Linwan and his brothers, Zhuang Nanxing had been very angry when they called her “Nanxing” and insisted on her full name. Perhaps because they were both girls, her attitude was different.

Ge Mingwei called out, “Nanxing.”

Zhuang Nanxing nodded with satisfaction. “Alright, go take your shower.”

She walked to the door but turned back once more. “Mingwei, goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Nanxing,” Ge Mingwei replied.

Zhuang Nanxing walked back to her room, closed the door, and pinched her reddening ears. She clutched her pounding heart and smiled widely.

“It’s the first time Weiwei has ever called me… Nanxing.”

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