PANT - Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Three days later, Shi Ning stood at the entrance to the residential complex where Su Tianxue's old house was located.
The old security guard at the gate, though advanced in years, was extremely diligent and dedicated to his duty. Seeing Shi Ning's unfamiliar face, he stopped her at the entrance.
The complex was old and rundown, and the main gate wasn't exactly a high-security area. There was no electronic equipment; entry was granted purely by facial recognition—the guard's, that is.
The old guard eyed Shi Ning suspiciously. "Who did you say you're looking for?"
Shi Ning thought her luck was a bit off today, and that this old man might be a little hard of hearing.
Shi Ning: "Su Tianxue." She enunciated each syllable, repeating the name she had apparently misspoken once already.
The guard: "I know, I know. The Su family's older daughter, the one who studies stars all day. What do you want with her?"
Shi Ning really wanted to say, She's my wife, and I'm here to move in with her.
But then she remembered the contract she'd signed with Su Tianxue, which stipulated they couldn't casually disclose their relationship. Not wanting to breach the contract, she changed her tune. "I'm her friend."
The guard looked unconvinced. "A friend?"
"I've never seen that Su girl with any friends."
"Nope, nope. I can't let you in."
Shi Ning sighed in resignation. "Uncle, how about I call Su Tianxue and you can talk to her?"
The old man thought that was a viable solution.
With no other choice, Shi Ning called Su Tianxue.
Su Tianxue was probably busy; the WeChat call went unanswered.
Seeing this, the guard grew even more suspicious. "She's not even answering your call."
He looked her up and down. "I say, missy, something's not right here."
Shi Ning was out of options and decided to spin a tale. "Alright, Uncle, I'll tell you the truth. Here's what happened..."
That afternoon, when Su Tianxue left the lab, she retrieved her phone from her locker. Seeing a missed call from Shi Ning, she frowned in confusion and called back.
The call connected, and Shi Ning's lazy voice came through. "Hello? Who is this?"
Su Tianxue: "It's me, Su Tianxue. Is something wrong?"
"Pass. You guys go ahead."
Su Tianxue: "?"
Shi Ning: "Oh, just playing cards with the aunties. When are you coming back? I'm downstairs at your place." She added pitifully, "I've been waiting for a long time."
Only then did Su Tianxue remember: today was the day Shi Ning was moving in.
She had been so swamped these past few days, drained from handling her grandmother's affairs and pushing forward with her research on fast radio bursts at the institute. She hadn't slept properly and had even forgotten to eat, let alone remember that Shi Ning was moving.
She said quickly, "I'll be right back."
Shi Ning chuckled. "No rush. I'll play a few more hands and win us some living expenses. I'll treat you to dinner tonight."
"Jiejie has a little money. I can afford anything under two hundred."
"Don't be too greedy, being Jiejie's woman."
Su Tianxue was amused by her nonsensical tone. She agreed with a "Okay," forgetting to object to Shi Ning's use of "us."
Her junior, who was holding a file binder, saw her and asked curiously, "Senior sister, what happened? Why are you so happy?"
Su Tianxue paused, phone in hand.
The junior remarked, "I haven't seen you smile once since you came back, Senior sister. This is the first time. Did something good happen?"
Su Tianxue shook her head. "It's nothing."
The junior pried, "A... good friend, then?"
Su Tianxue thought for a moment, then replied softly, "Just a scoundrel."
She gathered the rest of her things. "I'm leaving. Clocking out."
Her junior quickly said, "Senior sister, the institute is having a group dinner tonight."
Su Tianxue had never liked such occasions. "I'm not going."
"You have fun."
The junior watched her walk away faster than usual, wondering suspiciously to herself, What kind of scoundrel can make her happy and also make her rush home in such a hurry?
When Su Tianxue arrived at the complex entrance, the old security guard glanced at her several times before he couldn't help but chase after her, trying his best to persuade her. "Xiao Su, I know there are some things I shouldn't meddle in..."
Su Tianxue frowned, not understanding.
The old guard said earnestly, "Xiao Su, I've always thought you were a sensible, good girl. You might seem a bit cold, but you have a good heart. I think, when it comes to relationships, you can't just break up with someone because you can't have children together, right? I can see that young woman truly loves you; she's been waiting here for you for half the day. All she wants is to see you."
"Sigh. This old grandpa knows the road is tough for two Alphas, but you can't just give up like this, can you? If you can't have biological children, you can always adopt!"
Su Tianxue's fists clenched as she listened. She forced a smile to bid the old man farewell, then walked into the complex with a cold expression. From a distance, she spotted Shi Ning sitting under a large tree, playing cards with a group of aunties.
She had never seen such a lively scene here before.
Shi Ning was beautiful and stood out in the crowd. The aunties clearly adored her. It was time for their square dancing, but they had abandoned it to gather around her, one moment patting her cheek, the next squeezing her arm. Some even stood behind her, offering strategic advice to guide her card-playing to victory.
As she got closer, she could hear the aunties' voices.
"Xiao Shi, look at you! So young and pretty, but how can you be so bad at cards?!"
"Hey, Xiao Shi, are you seeing anyone? I have a granddaughter, a Beta, very gentle-natured. I think she'd be perfect for you."
"Xiao Shi, your skin is so nice! How do you take care of it? Tell us aunties your secrets."
Su Tianxue realized this woman could truly charm anyone, from a ninety-nine-year-old to a toddler just learning to walk. No one was immune.
"Winning?" Su Tianxue asked, drawing near.
Shi Ning had caught the scent of her pheromones long before. On this scorching summer day, Su Tianxue's scent was like a cool, refreshing breeze, its arrival instantly soothing her spirits. Holding her cards, she looked up with a smile. "You're back."
Su Tianxue nodded.
Shi Ning said quickly, "Help me see what I should play."
Su Tianxue couldn't resist her eager gaze. She moved closer and leaned in. Her long, black hair brushed against Shi Ning's shoulder and settled on her collarbone, tickling like a feather. Shi Ning nonchalantly tucked Su Tianxue's hair back, just as that strand of hair had stirred her own heartbeat.
Su Tianxue was very serious. She glanced at the cards on the table, then at Shi Ning's hand. She played a pair, blocking her opponents' next move, and then in two more plays, she cleared Shi Ning's entire hand.
Su Tianxue stood up. "We won."
Shi Ning praised, "Our Ah Xue is the best, after all."
That ridiculous nickname instantly made the tips of Su Tianxue's ears burn. She quickly stood up. "Let's go. Home."
Shi Ning said goodbye to the aunties, who were reluctant to see her go. Someone asked, "Xiao Shi, what's your relationship with this one?"
Su Tianxue was the one who was a long-term resident here, having lived in the complex for over twenty years, yet she had never gotten close to the aunties.
The only person she was close to was the security guard.
Yet Shi Ning had just arrived and already become the aunties' darling.
Shi Ning nudged Su Tianxue's arm. "They're asking you. What's our relationship?"
Su Tianxue thought about the conversation she'd just overheard, about someone wanting to set Shi Ning up on a blind date. Then she thought about how popular Shi Ning had been among the aunties. She pursed her lips and turned her head. "Family."
After saying those two words, she walked away quickly.
A triumphant smile spread across Shi Ning's face behind her. She turned around and shouted to the dumbfounded aunties, "Aunties, my family is calling me home! I'm leaving now!"
She chased after Su Tianxue and was met with a sideways glance. In Shi Ning's eyes, that glance was a captivating ripple, full of charm.
She laughed. "Why are you glaring at me?"
Su Tianxue: "You did that on purpose."
Shi Ning feigned innocence. "What did I do?"
Su Tianxue: "That last hand. You clearly could have won, but you pretended you didn't know how to play. Were you losing all those previous hands on purpose too?"
Shi Ning rubbed her neck. "The aunties are just playing for fun. It wouldn't be right for a young person like me to be so competitive with them, would it?"
Su Tianxue: "Mm."
Shi Ning teased her, "Are you jealous?"
Su Tianxue shot her a look that clearly said, Are you dreaming?
Shi Ning: "Didn't you say you didn't want to go public? Why did you say I was your family?"
Su Tianxue: "Because for the next three months, I don't want aunties showing up at my door every day trying to set you up on blind dates." Her tone was flat. "And I don't want the security guard to think I'm heartless."
Shi Ning burst out laughing. "It's just a shame I didn't win any living expenses today. I can't take my family out for a big meal."
Su Tianxue: "I'm not hungry."
Shi Ning: "But I am."
Su Tianxue: "...Order takeout."
Shi Ning: "It's our first day moving in, our first day in our future love nest. How can we celebrate with takeout?"
Su Tianxue: "Then what do you want to do?"
Shi Ning darted forward, stepping onto the stair above Su Tianxue. She smiled and looked down at her. "Wife, cook for me?"
Su Tianxue ignored her, turning sideways to pass her on the stairs.
It was an old complex with only stairs. The apartment was on the third floor.
Shi Ning persisted, whining coquettishly, "Wife."
"Wife~~"
She pouted. "You've already sampled my skills. What's wrong with letting me sample yours?"
Su Tianxue rubbed the goosebumps on her arms. "Be normal."
Can you please not talk in that cutesy voice?
And also-
"When did I ever sample your skills?"
Shi Ning chuckled lightly, holding up a hand and wiggling her five fingers. "Oh?"
Su Tianxue's face flushed, and she immediately turned away.
Perhaps feeling that fleeing in such a fluster was a loss of face, she hurried up the stairs, then retreated back down to stand before Shi Ning. She said with cold pride, "So, you want to sample my skills too? Tonight is fine."
They were both Alphas; they both understood that competitive streak. Su Tianxue wanted to win this round and make Shi Ning beg for mercy.
Shi Ning's lips curved. "Su Tianxue, you can try."
She took a step forward, blocking Su Tianxue's path with an arm on the railing, and leaned close to her ear. "Let's see who begs for mercy first."
When Shi Ning got serious, her aura was formidable. Pheromones and pressure washed over Su Tianxue.
The ocean isn't always gentle. At night, it is terrifyingly still, possessing a power that seems capable of devouring everything. Su Tianxue took a small step back and tossed out two words before leaving: "Dinner."
Shi Ning tilted her head up and asked, "A proper dinner?"
Her words earned her another sideways glance from Su Tianxue. Shi Ning just smiled, shook her head, and followed her, ready to enter their home.
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