Free Web NovelChapter 1046: Chapter 23: Don’t Be Silly! He Will Never Like You
Nie Xiaoxing took a deep breath, her lips turning pale as she pressed them tightly together. Before her heart was completely wrapped in icy threads, she resolutely took the phone from her ear, stuffed it back into her bag, and strode towards the apartment building entrance.
Maybe from the start, she shouldn’t have had expectations of him!
He had said that Mr. Gu would never marry an ugly woman as his wife...
Nie Xiaoxing, you even naively thought he liked you a little, huh?
Don’t be foolish! He’ll never like you! Because, you’re ugly!
...
Nie Xiaoxing was unfamiliar with Z City; she didn’t even know where to wander around for leisure, so she decided to go to the taekwondo company.
Her class was in the afternoon, and it was still not eleven in the morning. Nie Xiaoxing didn’t plan to take a bus and walked slowly on the street with her bag.
Halfway there, the phone in her bag suddenly rang.
Nie Xiaoxing stopped in her tracks, her face slightly tense.
The phone rang in the bag for twenty to thirty seconds, and Nie Xiaoxing, seeming to realize it late, hurriedly pulled the bag from her shoulder, her fingers trembling slightly as she unzipped it. She took out the phone without even looking at the caller ID, afraid that any delay would cause the caller to hang up.
Nie Xiaoxing put the phone to her ear, answered immediately, her breath constrained, "...Hello."
"...Is it Xiaoxing?"
A clear female voice drifted from the phone at the moment, and Nie Xiaoxing’s eyes suddenly brimmed with fierce crimson.
She reached out to cover the mouthpiece, took two deep breaths, ignoring her slowly sinking heart, removed her hand, and spoke to the phone, "It’s me, who is this?"
"Ha. Xiaoxing, it’s Mu Yan, remember me? We met yesterday." Mu Yan’s voice was cheerful, carefree like a child.
Nie Xiaoxing gently closed her eyes as her heart felt like it was falling, as if her entire being was plummeting to the bottom of a valley. "I remember. Is something up?"
"Do you have time?" Mu Yan’s voice was soft and sweet.
Nie Xiaoxing’s eyes held a trace of helplessness and weakness, "What is it?"
"Hee. Can I treat you to lunch?" Mu Yan said.
Nie Xiaoxing’s eyes flickered for a moment, "Okay."
"...Really?" Mu Yan was delighted, completely surprised by Nie Xiaoxing’s quick agreement.
"Someone is inviting me for lunch, why not?" Nie Xiaoxing’s voice was emotionless, cool.
"Haha. Where are you? I’ll come find you. I’m at the pedestrian street now." Mu Yan said.
Nie Xiaoxing glanced around and said, "I’m not familiar with here. But there’s a luxury shopping mall nearby."
"Okay. I know where that is, wait for me!"
"Mm."
...
Ten minutes later, Mu Yan found Nie Xiaoxing and took her directly to a hot pot restaurant.
Mu Yan generously ordered a big table full of dishes.
Seeing her order so happily, Nie Xiaoxing decided not to order anything for herself.
Among the dishes Mu Yan ordered, there were surely ones she would eat.
After ordering, Mu Yan propped her chin on her little white hand, gazing at Nie Xiaoxing with grape-like round eyes, "Great, now I have one more person to keep me company."
Nie Xiaoxing raised an eyebrow, looked at Mu Yan curiously, "How so?"
Mu Yan shrugged her shoulders, "Maybe I’m just naturally unlikable. Not many people want to be my friend? Those who do, well..."
Mu Yan spread her hands, her big eyes looking at Nie Xiaoxing, "That’s why I feel like those who like me and are willing to be genuine friends are angels! You are, Sister Jin is, Sister Xiao Yi and Sister Jian too. All great beauties!"
Great beauties?
Nie Xiaoxing lowered her eyes, "I’ll pass."
"You’re very pretty." Mu Yan stared at Nie Xiaoxing, her little face serious, "Not just me, Sister Jin and Sister Xiao Yi think so too. They say your eyes speak. But you’re just too thin."
Nie Xiaoxing gave no comment.
Mu Yan tilted her head, "Xiaoxing, are you unhappy today?"
"Am I?" Nie Xiaoxing looked up at Mu Yan.
Mu Yan gazed into her eyes, suddenly reached out to grab her hand resting on the table, "Do you feel uneasy because we just met? Or do you think I’m not good, and don’t want to be friends with me?"
"You’re good, very pure." Nie Xiaoxing calmly looked at her, even while saying such flattering words, her tone was very composed, "I’m happy to meet you and am very willing to be friends with you."
Mu Yan, "..." She was a little embarrassed for no reason.
Just need to get used to it, right?!
Mu Yan licked her lower lip, "I’m also happy to meet you, and very willing to be friends with you."
Nie Xiaoxing stared at her.
Mu Yan sheepishly retracted her hand, scratched her head, awkwardly sought a topic, "Sister Jin and Uncle Rong went to Indonesia, otherwise I’d have asked her to join us for lunch too."
Nie Xiaoxing also noticed Mu Yan’s embarrassment and pressed her lips lightly.
After a while, a trace of bitter smile appeared in Nie Xiaoxing’s eyes.
Clearly wanting to change the awkward atmosphere, but why, just not knowing what to do to change it.
When did this helplessness start?
Six years ago, or... even longer?
...
Mu Yan, after all, was young and lively, and this girl knew how to take care of others’ feelings, so she didn’t let the awkward atmosphere last too long.
Moreover, Mu Yan’s adaptability was also excellent.
She quickly got used to Nie Xiaoxing’s naturally cold and reticent personality.
When Nie Xiaoxing didn’t speak, she chirped away like a tireless little sparrow.
Thanks to this girl, by the end of the meal, Nie Xiaoxing had learned quite a bit.
After eating.
Nie Xiaoxing wanted to go to Taekwondo, and Mu Yan used the excuse of having no afternoon classes to follow along.
After witnessing Nie Xiaoxing’s dashing skills firsthand, Mu Yan instantly turned into a fangirl, admiring Nie Xiaoxing immensely.
At six in the evening, Nie Xiaoxing, along with this little tag-along, left the office with plans to take her to dinner.
Just then, a call from Yuan Xihuo came through.
Nie Xiaoxing held the phone, staring at the flashing phone screen, but didn’t answer.
Mu Yan, affectionately holding Nie Xiaoxing’s arm, glanced at the phone screen and looked at Nie Xiaoxing curiously, "It’s Aunt Gu, aren’t you going to answer?"
Nie Xiaoxing lowered her lashes, pulled her hand out from Mu Yan’s arm, walked to the side, and answered the call.
"Xiaoxing, have you finished work?" Yuan Xihuo’s voice carried a joyful tone.
"...Yeah, I’m done," Nie Xiaoxing replied.
"Hey, Gu Yan, are you two together?" Yuan Xihuo laughed warmly.
With just the first sentence from Yuan Xihuo, Nie Xiaoxing guessed that Yuan Xihuo probably didn’t know that Gu Yan... wasn’t going to the civil affairs bureau with her at all.
Nie Xiaoxing inhaled, "Aunt Yuan, I’m with my friend. I’ll call you back later."
On the other end, Yuan Xihuo fell silent.
Nie Xiaoxing waited quietly.
She trusted that with Yuan Xihuo’s sharpness, she wouldn’t fail to detect the hidden meaning behind her words.
If she was really with Gu Yan to register, she should be with Gu Yan now, not Mu Yan.
"Child, you’ve been wronged." Yuan Xihuo’s voice came through again, mingled with a clear fondness and guilt, and a hint of concealed anger.
"...Thank you, Aunt Yuan." For liking me so much!
When saying this, Nie Xiaoxing’s eyes felt a bit sore.
"You child, why do you make people so distressed?" Yuan Xihuo’s voice was hoarse.
Nie Xiaoxing reached up to wipe the corner of her eye, "Aunt Yuan, my friend is urging me, I’ll talk to you later."
"...Okay, okay. Aunt Yuan won’t disturb your gathering with friends," Yuan Xihuo said with a forced smile.
"Goodbye."
Nie Xiaoxing forced her mouth into a smile and hung up the phone.
As soon as Nie Xiaoxing took the phone away from her ear, her neck was suddenly hugged from the side.
"..." Nie Xiaoxing froze, looking down at Mu Yan, who was hugging her, "What are you doing?"
Mu Yan looked into her eyes.
Her eyes were filled with a watery sheen, glistening but refusing to spill over, clearly putting on a brave front.
Even though she had only spent a short time with Nie Xiaoxing.
But she could sense that Nie Xiaoxing was extremely sensitive and meticulous.
So Mu Yan didn’t say anything, she hugged her for a while then let go, winking at her normally and saying, "I suddenly want to go sing, you accompany me!"
It wasn’t an invitation, just informing Nie Xiaoxing.
After saying this, Mu Yan dragged Nie Xiaoxing’s hand, walked to the roadside, hailed a taxi, and headed straight for the KTV.
...
As soon as Mu Yan arrived at the KTV, she went wild, not only going crazy herself but insisting on pulling Nie Xiaoxing along.
Nie Xiaoxing resisted a few times, but couldn’t match Mu Yan’s persistence, and soon threw away her cold exterior, singing and having fun in the KTV with Mu Yan.
Singing until their voices were hoarse, they slumped on the sofa, looking at each other "weakly," and as they looked, they couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
In the end, Nie Xiaoxing laughed until tears came out.
...
Gu Yan’s call came four days later in the morning.
