Chapter 117

Zhong Ning: "You’re here?"

Xie Shiqing’s eyebrows drooped and her brow furrowed. That expression of hers really looked just like the pine mushroom. "I asked. Today’s team-building doesn’t involve any work, it’s just for fun."

"Ning Ning, I won’t disturb you if you’re busy with serious matters."

Zhong Ning rested the back of one hand on her waist, the other hand loosely curled, knuckles pressed against her brow. She sighed helplessly. "You..."

Xie Shiqing gave a well-behaved smile.

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The bandages on Xie Shiqing’s head and arm had already been removed. The wounds had scabbed over, though the scabs hadn't fallen off yet. So recently she’d gotten a new haircut with bangs, and wore long sleeves to cover her arms.

When the wind blew, her black hair and white dress fluttered together, like a pure and fragile lily swaying gently in the breeze.

Looks truly were a great gift one was born with—an intangible weapon made visible.

Just looking at the weak omega, who could guess how indifferent and obsessive she really was? Beneath that stunningly delicate exterior lay a toxic jealousy and lofty arrogance.

Zhong Ning had never thought of herself as someone who judged by appearances. She had an excellent face herself. But after meeting Xie Shiqing, she had to admit—some people really could get away with everything just by relying on their looks.

At the very least, when faced with that fragile appearance, no matter how angry you were, your temper would drop by thirty percent.

She sighed in resignation. "You’re not at home. What about pine mushroom?"

For the first time, Xie Shiqing found it so difficult to smile. She forced the corners of her mouth up with great effort. "The butler took it home for training."

Only then did Zhong Ning ask her, "When did you arrive?"

Why do I always have to come after that dog!

Xie Shiqing secretly ground her teeth and forced a smile. "I just got here, about ten minutes ago."

"Ning Ning, would you like a drink? I bought a mango slush. I tried messaging you to ask what you wanted, but you didn’t reply. I remembered you liked mango, so I picked this one."

"Full sugar. Try it and see if it’s okay?"

The bodyguard behind her reached out and handed over a bag.

Zhong Ning took it and opened it for a look. Inside the cylindrical plastic cup was a layer of pale yellow chilled slush, with a straw beside it. She fished out her phone and, sure enough, there were a few messages. But before getting in the car she had switched it to vibrate, and during the ride she’d been talking with her mother the whole time, so she hadn’t noticed.

Oh well. Today really was a leisure day anyway.

For the sake of the mango slush, she would forgive the self-assertion.

"You’re just like a sticky rice dumpling." Zhong Ning smiled as she complained. "Ay, do you really have to stick to me like this?"

Although it was a complaint, Xie Shiqing didn’t hear much real annoyance in it—more exasperated amusement. She immediately took advantage of it, clinging to the hem of her clothes, softening her voice as she said, "I can’t leave you, Ning Ning. I love you so much."

"Alright, alright, we’re in public." Zhong Ning quickly stopped her, inserting the straw while sneaking a glance around. Seeing that no one was paying attention, she shot Xie Shiqing a small glare. "Tone it down a little."

It wasn’t that she was thin-skinned or embarrassed by hearing sweet talk in front of others. The key was that when Xie Shiqing spoke, she truly had no filter. She had absolutely no sense of occasion or boundaries.

If she wasn’t stopped, it would never end with just a simple 'I love you.' She’d go off on long-winded declarations, and once she got into it, her emotions could easily get worked up—tears and all.

Zhong Ning had listened once. That was the first time she understood what it meant to die of social embarrassment, and since then, she never dared to let her speak like that again.

No matter how thick one’s skin was, it couldn’t withstand the damage caused by Xie Shiqing.

Sometimes she truly couldn’t help wondering—was it because this person couldn’t see other people’s strange looks that she acted so uninhibitedly?

But that thought was quickly overturned by her own reasoning. Precisely because she was blind, Xie Shiqing’s sensitivity to others’ attention was actually a level above that of someone with perfect vision.

She could feel it completely—she just didn’t care.

Thinking about it, from the car accident until now, it had been so many years. Even someone with the thinnest skin would’ve grown thicker than city walls by now—otherwise, how could one deal with all those stares?

The plaster on her foot had already been removed, but the doctor advised against too much movement, so she was still using a wheelchair. However, in Xie Shiqing’s mind, following medical advice was not even within her consideration. Her insistence on using a wheelchair had one sole purpose.

Zhong Ning hung the half-finished mango slush on the back of the wheelchair and naturally took the place of the bodyguard, slowly pushing it along. The bodyguard followed behind at a respectful distance.

—Just like this!

What a perfect little world of two!

So what if people saw her in this pitiful, disabled state? As long as she could have more contact with Zhong Ning, her dignity was something she could compromise.

All that talk about not wanting to go out—it was all an act. Just a ploy to earn Zhong Ning’s compassion.

She did have a strong sense of pride, but to achieve her goal, that pride could be wavered.

Luming Mountain was a well-known scenic spot in Fengcheng, a must-visit destination for tourists from out of town. It wasn’t just a trendy internet-famous location—it was officially recognized as a nationally ranked 5A attraction. Naturally, local residents had been coming here since childhood.

However, Luming Mountain covered an enormous area. Even though most people had visited several times in varying degrees, there were very few who could honestly say they’d explored every corner.

Moreover, the scenery here changed with the seasons, always offering something new.

The sound of the wind rustled in their ears. The bright sunlight was filtered through the trees, and the cool autumn breeze swept gently through the forest, making one feel utterly refreshed and not the least bit overheated.

Xie Shiqing’s soft voice rose amidst the flickering shadows of the trees. "Speaking of which, Ning Ning, do you know why this place is called Luming Mountain?"

Zhong Ning really didn’t know. "Why is that?"

The atmosphere for conversation today was truly wonderful. Xie Shiqing was overjoyed inside, secretly congratulating herself on making yet another excellent decision.

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