Are You Teasing Me (32)

Ning Moqing glanced at the petite figure hiding behind Lin Zixuan and let out an unimpressed "Oh."

Only after making sure the car's tank was nearly full did Lin Zixuan tighten the cap of the fuel canister and hand it to Ning Moqing.

An Xiaowei hurriedly got into the car, but the moment she settled in, she realized something was off.

Why was she afraid of Ning Moqing?

That made no sense.

With that thought, An Xiaowei stepped out of the car again and walked up to Ning Moqing’s vehicle. The window was down, and suddenly, a delicate face leaned in close.

Was she about to kiss her?

Ning Moqing froze for a second.

"By the way, if you're free, I’ll introduce you to a girlfriend. Consider it a bro move," An Xiaowei said, patting Ning Moqing’s shoulder before straightening up and climbing back into Lin Zixuan’s car.

Ning Moqing: "..."

Cheeky.

"What was that about?" Lin Zixuan didn’t understand An Xiaowei’s antics.

"Nothing. Just proving I’m tough—that I’m not scared of her at all."

Lin Zixuan: "..."

"Didn’t really work. And honestly, you just looked like you were trying to be cute," Lin Zixuan voiced his honest opinion.

"Shut up," An Xiaowei snapped.

Lin Zixuan obediently zipped his lips.

There was only one road leading to the city, and Ning Moqing’s car trailed behind Lin Zixuan’s the whole way. Worried his sister-in-law might feel uncomfortable, Lin Zixuan glanced back at her during a red light—only to find her gone.

She had curled up with a large cat-shaped pillow, fast asleep and looking utterly content.

So… was she really afraid of Ning Moqing?

Lin Zixuan couldn’t figure it out.

The moment An Xiaowei woke up, she was met with Si’s accusatory question.

"You don’t like Ning Moqing?"

"Who’s Ning Moqing?" Still groggy from sleep, An Xiaowei’s mind was a foggy mess.

Si: "..."

"Oh, her! Yeah, I remember. But I’ll be leaving soon anyway—why would I try to charm her?" An Xiaowei yawned widely, her tone disarmingly sincere.

Truthfully, An Xiaowei did have some feelings for Ning Moqing.

After spending so much time together, and with Ning Moqing being so pretty, it was impossible for An Xiaowei to claim she wasn’t at least a little smitten.

"She…" Si struggled to find the right words.

"Look, given how fast things are progressing between Lin Zixuan and An Wan, you won’t have much time left to talk to her. Why not leave her with some good memories?"

"Are you close with Ning Moqing or something?" An Xiaowei couldn’t shake the feeling that Si was constantly pushing her toward Ning Moqing.

This guy… was he secretly shipping them?

How terrifying.

"It’s not that. But after you leave, Ning Moqing isn’t stupid. When the real An Xiaowei returns, she’ll know it’s not you."

"Think of it as dating—don’t leave regrets behind. Worst case, I’ll erase Ning Moqing’s memories afterward."

Seeing An Xiaowei’s expression shift, Si thought the idea of leaving was upsetting her. Before he could offer comfort, she suddenly exploded.

"You just love shipping people, don’t you?!" An Xiaowei wailed dramatically.

Si: "..."

Sometimes, he really wanted to smack his host.

"Fine, fine, I’ll listen to you. I won’t avoid her anymore," An Xiaowei finally relented.

But she never expected Ning Moqing’s car to follow them all the way until they reached the villa district before finally disappearing.

Lin Zixuan dropped An Xiaowei off at her villa’s entrance.

"Xiaowei, message me if you need anything. I’ll head off now," Lin Zixuan said, waiting until she unlocked the door before getting back into his car.

"Alright, go on," An Xiaowei waved him off.

The moment Lin Zixuan drove away, An Xiaowei was about to step inside when someone grabbed her wrist.

"Xiaowei." Ning Moqing stood right in front of her.

Expecting An Xiaowei to bolt, Ning Moqing was surprised when she blurted out, "Holy crap, you scared the hell out of me!"

The woman had appeared like a ghost, giving her a real fright.

"Don’t swear," Ning Moqing frowned. Noticing An Xiaowei’s stare, she added, slightly displeased, "Do you like that guy?"

She meant Lin Zixuan.

Ning Moqing didn’t know about Lin Zixuan and An Wan’s relationship—she just felt irrationally bothered seeing Xiaowei hiding behind him.

"Nonsense. I was just about to go clean up. Haven’t been back in ages—my place is covered in dust." Remembering Si’s advice, An Xiaowei suddenly grabbed Ning Moqing’s hand.

"If you want to go somewhere, you’ll have to wait till I’m done tidying up."

Aside from that incident with the herbal medicine, this was the first time An Xiaowei had taken the initiative.

"You want to go out?" Ning Moqing asked softly.

An Xiaowei: "..."

Truthfully, she was lazy as hell. But being outside felt safer than staying home—indoors, things might escalate to cuddling.

"Like… a movie? Or shopping?"

"I’m not feeling well. I’d rather not go out," Ning Moqing actually declined—a rare occurrence.

0.01 seconds later, it clicked for An Xiaowei.

She’s on her period!

Perfect. That meant Ning Moqing would be low-energy.

"Then… wanna come in?" An Xiaowei shed her hesitation.

Life wasn’t just about surrendering—sometimes, surrender wasn’t even an option.

But why was she so happy? It wasn’t her period—it was Ning Moqing’s.

"Sure," Ning Moqing agreed immediately.

An Xiaowei led her inside. The villa had been empty for a while, and dust had settled everywhere. After wiping down the surfaces, An Xiaowei turned to see Ning Moqing sitting on the couch.

She wasn’t on her phone—just watching An Xiaowei intently.

She knew.

An Xiaowei was about to leave.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t be in such a rush. But given their past-life entanglement, Ning Moqing couldn’t possibly dislike An Xiaowei.

It’s just that back then, she couldn’t immediately accept her past-life partner suddenly becoming a girl—and a shorter one at that.

Standing next to her, An Xiaowei looked like a tiny pet.

"Why are you staring at me?" An Xiaowei fidgeted under her gaze.

"I missed you."

Her words were blunt, and even An Xiaowei’s ears turned red instantly. She nearly wiped her face with the dust cloth.

What was this "missed you" nonsense? It sounded like they were some couple. The atmosphere was way too weird, and for a second, An Xiaowei regretted letting Ning Moqing in.

Damn it. Did the system shop have a name-change card? She should just rename herself "Song Rentou" and be done with it.

"Stop teasing me. I can handle it," An Xiaowei said sternly.

But she couldn’t understand—why did Ning Moqing like her?

Had her face suddenly become universally attractive?

An Xiaowei turned to the mirror on the wall. Sure enough, her reflection looked adorably soft—just a little flushed.

Was she blushing?

How ridiculous.

"I’m not teasing you," Ning Moqing’s brows furrowed slightly.

"I don’t have a habit of teasing people. You’ve misunderstood me."

An Xiaowei: ???

Even a dog would shake its head at that.

"If it’s not you, then is it me?" An Xiaowei almost pointed an accusing finger at her.

Stay serious—this was her house.

"Then how would you tease me?" she challenged.