Paying a High Price for Keeping Up Appearances (33)

An Xiaowei just wanted to punch Ning Moqing.

Seriously, she was a pure-hearted young man—how could she possibly be good at teasing people?

"I'm not good at it," An Xiaowei said without blinking, wiping the table with a blank face.

"If you keep wiping that table, I feel like you're going to rub its skin off." Looking at An Wan's most treasured table, Ning Moqing couldn't help but speak up.

An Xiaowei: "…"

Whatever, she might as well go clean the bedroom.

Pushing open the bedroom door, An Xiaowei found that despite not having been back for days, there wasn’t much dust. It only took a few minutes to wipe everything down.

As she turned around, she didn’t expect Ning Moqing to be standing right at the doorway—and promptly crashed straight into her arms.

The floral scent from that night still lingered on Ning Moqing, and An Xiaowei’s hand, still clutching the rag, froze awkwardly mid-air before dropping.

An Xiaowei was beyond uncomfortable now. The worst part? Her face was buried right against the source of all sin.

This was absolutely mortifying.

She took a step back, but Ning Moqing didn’t seem the least bit bothered. Instead, she looked down at her.

Ning Moqing’s eyes were stunning, like those of a classical beauty from a period drama—long lashes casting delicate shadows over shimmering, liquid-like irises.

"What are you staring at me for?"

Ning Moqing: "…"

An Xiaowei’s question completely shattered the previously ambiguous atmosphere.

"Great question. Next time, don’t ask," Ning Moqing thought. She bet An Xiaowei’s mother regretted giving her a mouth when she was born.

An Xiaowei quickly wriggled out of Ning Moqing’s embrace.

Close call.

She almost gave herself away for free.

After disposing of the rag, An Xiaowei changed into a fresh outfit—specifically, a pair of jeans, the rarest item in her wardrobe.

She never used to wear stuff like this before—too tight, made her look… well, like that.

But now? Different story.

What she didn’t expect was Ning Moqing giving her a few extra glances the moment she stepped out.

What was that about?

An Xiaowei’s internal alarms blared. Was this pair of jeans secretly crotchless?!

Panicked, she immediately looked down to check.

But no, obviously not.

"Let’s go watch a movie. I already bought the tickets." Ning Moqing grabbed An Xiaowei’s hand.

An Xiaowei’s expression twisted slightly, but she still followed obediently.

However…

"Why a horror movie?" An Xiaowei glanced at the title, her face darkening.

Yeah, hard to believe, but for all her tough-guy bravado, she was terrified of ghosts.

But An Xiaowei could swear up and down that she used to be a 360-degree certified steel-hard man who loved reading horror novels late at night—even if she was scared out of her wits.

Then, one time in the factory dormitory bathroom, a hairy, long-haired figure suddenly popped out from the next stall, nearly giving her a heart attack.

Turned out it was just a coworker with a cross-dressing hobby. Since everyone was busy tightening screws during the day, he could only dress up in JK uniforms and wigs back in the dorm.

After that, An Xiaowei never dared touch horror novels or movies again.

Ning Moqing glanced at the ticket, then at An Xiaowei, whose legs were inexplicably trembling.

"Are you scared? I can switch it to something else," Ning Moqing offered, concerned.

"I’m not scared." An Xiaowei would rather suffer than admit weakness.

Ning Moqing: ┐(￣ヘ￣)┌

Sure, she believed that.

Who was she trying to fool with those shaking legs?

But since An Xiaowei insisted, Ning Moqing just bought an extra bucket of popcorn, hoping it would help calm her nerves later.

Clutching the ticket, An Xiaowei followed Ning Moqing into the theater, heart pounding.

The movie hadn’t even started yet, and she was already tense. Then she saw Ning Moqing pull out a pack of tissues from her bag.

No way.

She was going to… during a horror movie?!

Nope. Nope. Nope.

"Tissues and wet wipes—for cleaning your hands after the popcorn," Ning Moqing said, oblivious to An Xiaowei’s wild imagination.

An Xiaowei dumbly accepted them and nodded.

Wait, these were for her?

Huh. That made it even more suggestive.

She didn’t dare think any further.

"Sit down." Noticing An Xiaowei’s nerves, Ning Moqing suppressed a smile.

An Xiaowei plopped into her seat, immediately hugging the popcorn bucket and munching nervously.

The movie began soon after. An Xiaowei had planned to keep her eyes shut the whole time, but curiosity got the better of her.

Modern horror films weren’t as terrifying as the old ones, though.

Still, the jumpscares were effective.

When a shadowy figure drifted across the screen, An Xiaowei instinctively covered her eyes, only peeking through her fingers once the eerie soundtrack faded.

Watching her adorable reactions, Ning Moqing’s lips curled into a faint smile.

Some things never changed—like her fear of ghosts.

"Not scared anymore?" Ning Moqing asked softly.

"This one’s okay. Not as scary as the old ones," An Xiaowei muttered, still covering her face with both hands.

Though it was weird—Ning Moqing wasn’t scared at all.

Oh right. If she were afraid of ghosts, she wouldn’t have picked a horror movie.

So much for the delicate, clingy girl archetype.

Now it was just delicate, clingy boys.

Stepping out of the theater, An Xiaowei squinted at the blinding sunlight, finally shaking off the horror movie’s lingering dread.

It had been thrilling, but what about tonight?

She still had to use the bathroom eventually.

Just as she was considering where to spend the night to avoid being alone, Si spoke up.

"Yan Chen’s in trouble."

"What happened?" An Xiaowei blinked.

She thought this mess was over, but apparently not.

"Li Jiaojiao sent people to beat him up. And… well, he’s ‘disabled’ now."

An Xiaowei’s ears perked up at the gossip.

"You mean… that? Damn, women can be ruthless!" She hadn’t expected that.

"Imagine this—you marry a beautiful wife—no, wait, you fall for a gorgeous girl, bankrupt yourself for her, even get your family killed, only to find out she’s actually ugly and has a terrible temper…"

"Okay, okay, I get it. Makes sense," An Xiaowei waved him off.

"Actually, Li Jiaojiao’s grateful to you. Even if Yan Chen’s system hadn’t disappeared, she’d have seen through him soon enough," Si added hesitantly.

Lost in thought, An Xiaowei suddenly felt Ning Moqing press a piece of candy into her hand.

"What’s this for?" She stared at it, confused.

"We’ll always be together, right?" Ning Moqing asked abruptly.

An Xiaowei hadn’t expected those words.

She looked up at Ning Moqing—those beautiful, smiling eyes held endless depth.

"I…" An Xiaowei’s lips parted.

The words stuck in her throat, refusing to come out.