PANT - Chapter 14
Chapter 14
At the Su family’s old house, takeout they had ordered was laid out on an old, brown wooden table. The seller had been thoughtful, and the packaging was exquisite. Once unpacked and arranged, it almost felt like a banquet.
Only, to Shi Ning, this banquet was rather amusing.
“Have a seat,” Su Tianxue said, seeing that the other three were standing silently. She had to be the one to break the ice. “Let’s have a late-night snack.”
Su Tianxue sat down first. Su Wanxing’s next move was to take the seat beside her, but before she could, Shi Ning lightly hooked the back of a chair, pulled it out, and deftly took the very spot Su Wanxing had her eye on.
Su Wanxing glared angrily at Shi Ning, who simply crossed her arms and looked back at her innocently. “What’s wrong, little sister? Have a seat.”
The title made Su Wanxing’s hair stand on end. She said warily, “Don’t call me ‘little sister.’ You’re no sister of mine.”
Jiang Ningran observed everything without a change in expression. She was secretly speculating, wondering why Shi Ning was here. Still putting on her well-behaved act, she pulled out the chair opposite Shi Ning and Su Tianxue and said gently, “Wanxing, you can sit here.”
Su Wanxing wasn’t having it.
“I want to sit with my sister.”
Neither of these two women was safe!
Su Tianxue rested her forehead against her hand, exasperated. Just as she was about to speak, she felt a hand under the table gently squeeze her palm. She looked over. The hand’s owner, Shi Ning, was looking at her with excessive gentleness, her beautiful lips parted slightly as if about to mouth—Wife.
Su Tianxue knew it was a threat.
She had no choice. She glanced at Su Wanxing. “Be good and sit on the other side.”
Su Wanxing couldn’t believe her ears. She looked at Su Tianxue, then at Shi Ning. Right now, Shi Ning looked like a bored child who had successfully snatched someone else’s toy, smugly raising an eyebrow at her.
Su Wanxing sat down in a huff, then scooted her chair away to put some distance between herself and Jiang Ningran.
Because of Shi Ning’s appearance, Jiang Ningran’s hands, resting by the hem of her clothes, were clenched so tightly that her nails dug into her flesh, leaving faint bloody marks. But her face remained impassive as she asked politely, “Excuse me, Sister Su, who is this?”
Su Tianxue looked at Shi Ning, meaning that Shi Ning had to be the one to tell this lie.
After all, she hadn’t paid much mind to the fib Shi Ning had casually made up before, and the two of them hadn’t properly coordinated their stories.
Shi Ning, now the center of all three’s attention, wasn’t the least bit fazed. She opened a can of soda with one hand, took a sip, and said with a smile, “My name is Shi Ning.”
She paused for a moment before adding, “A pursuer of Miss Su.”
Hearing this, Su Wanxing let out a very loud hmph.
Su Tianxue remained expressionless, pretending nothing was happening, but her hand snuck under the table and pinched Shi Ning’s thigh. Shi Ning’s free hand clamped down on Su Tianxue’s, not letting her pull away.
Shi Ning had deliberately been vague, and she unsurprisingly caught the slight widening of Jiang Ningran’s pupils, and a fleeting moment of hatred.
The smile on her lips grew wider, and the amusement in her eyes deepened.
Interesting.
For Jiang Ningran to react this way, it could only mean she thought Shi Ning was Su Wanxing’s pursuer. Judging by Jiang Ningran’s abnormal behavior since she appeared, there was a fifty percent chance that the girl sitting opposite her was an outsider, just like her.
But there were other possibilities.
Lawyers were skilled at psychological games, as well as finding clues and spotting loopholes.
She made no effort to hide her delight, raising her can to Jiang Ningran across the table. “A pleasure to meet you.”
Jiang Ningran was about to lose her composure. She thought that by being reborn, she had prevented everything in advance. She had met Su Wanxing early, stayed by her side, and used every method possible to stop her from following the trajectory of her previous life, all for the sake of having her to herself.
But she never expected Shi Ning to be a fish that had slipped through the net.
She had actually appeared in Su Wanxing’s life again.
Jiang Ningran’s head was splitting. She forced herself to calm down, lowered her head slightly, and said in her usual gentle voice, “Thank you, but I don’t drink soda.”
Shi Ning said, “That’s fine, you have water. How about a toast?”
Suppressing her emotions, Jiang Ningran forced a smile and clinked her glass against Shi Ning’s can. With a soft clink, Shi Ning met her gaze, laughing heartily on the inside.
Jiang Ningran probably wished that the sound just now came not from their glasses, but from a bullet.
The person across from her hated her, harboring a pure, natural animosity toward her.
And yet, right now, she had to act meek and obedient in her presence.
Shi Ning was now seventy percent certain that Jiang Ningran had likely experienced the events of the book. Only that could explain her hatred. And her actions toward Su Wanxing proved she wanted something from her, be it love or sex. Shi Ning didn’t care. All she knew was that things were getting more and more fun.
“Let’s eat,” Su Tianxue said, pulling her hand free from Shi Ning’s grasp under the table. She picked up some food for Su Wanxing. “This is your favorite brain flower tofu.”
For once, Shi Ning refrained from her usual antics and ate her meal quietly. Her attention was now focused on observation.
Jiang Ningran was most likely not a transmigrator like her.
Over the course of the meal, although the relationship between her and Su Wanxing was awkward, a certain rapport still existed. This kind of rapport wasn’t built in a day or two. Either this girl had transmigrated a long time ago, or she was originally from this world.
When the meal was over, Shi Ning went to the bathroom to wash her hands. Jiang Ningran suddenly entered, shut the door behind her, and glared at her, confirming Shi Ning’s suspicions.
Jiang Ningran was as fierce as a young wolf. “I don’t care why you’re near Su Wanxing, but I want you to stay away from her.”
Shi Ning rubbed the foam from her fingertips, letting the warm water run over them. She asked in return, “I’m sorry, what are you talking about?”
The next second, Jiang Ningran grabbed her by the collar, hissing through gritted teeth, “Wasn’t it enough that you tortured Wanxing in our last life? Why do you have to show up now?”
Last life.
Shi Ning understood.
She casually raised her hand, grabbed Jiang Ningran’s in return, and easily pried it off.
“Junior Jiang, my clothes are very expensive,” she said coolly. “Be careful, hmm?”
Shi Ning, Su Wanxing, and Jiang Ningran had all graduated from the same university.
“Also, I don’t understand what you’re talking about.” Shi Ning flicked the water from her hands. “I should get going now.”
Jiang Ningran stood frozen in place, her brows tightly furrowed.
Could it be that Shi Ning really didn’t know anything? Was her appearance here just a coincidence?
When Shi Ning came out, Su Tianxue glanced at her.
Su Wanxing clung to Su Tianxue’s arm and glared at her defensively. “Why haven’t you left yet?”
She wanted this scumbag to stay far away from her and her sister!
“Why should I leave?” Shi Ning deliberately provoked her, walking over to Su Tianxue’s other side and hugging her arm. She mimicked Su Wanxing’s childish demeanor, leaning against Su Tianxue. “Su Wanxing, didn’t your sister tell you I’m staying over? Hmm?”
“What?” Two voices cried out in disbelief.
Su Wanxing’s eyes went wide, while Jiang Ningran could only hear the seductive undertone in Shi Ning’s voice, a sign of her impure intentions. She was staying here for the person she loved.
After all, in her heart, Jiang Ningran knew perfectly well how mesmerized the Shi Ning of her past life had been with Su Wanxing.
Her heart began to race, and fear started to set in.
Jiang Ningran steeled herself and stood obediently before them. “Sister Su, can I stay over tonight, too?”
She absolutely could not give Shi Ning and Su Wanxing an opportunity to be alone together.
Even if Shi Ning didn’t know anything, what if she still… just like in the last life? If that happened, she wouldn’t be able to hold onto her star.
Hearing her words, Shi Ning’s lips curled into a smile.
Yes, her plan had succeeded.
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