“I…”
Jiang Ling was left speechless by the question.
She realized, belatedly, that she had indeed acted rashly.
Because Mo Ran’s situation was never something that could be solved by mere encouragement.
Her instinct for self-defense made her hide her true feelings, for fear of being hurt wantonly again. This also explained why Jiang Ling always felt there was a barrier around Mo Ran.
Watching Jiang Ling’s flustered and helpless expression, Mo Ran gradually loosened her grip on Jiang Ling’s fingers, cutting off even the faint connection between them brought about by warmth.
Suddenly, Jiang Ling felt an overwhelming panic in her heart, as if she had lost something important. Her voice was hurried, “Xiao Ran—”
But aside from calling her name, Jiang Ling didn’t know what else to say.
Could it really be just as Mo Ran said… that all of this was meaningless?
“You didn’t throw a tantrum or break down crying with me, which means you’ve already thought things through, right?”
Mo Ran watched the changes in Jiang Ling’s expression, her voice tinged with a faint sense of relief.
Then, she took a step back. And another.
Only when the distance between her and Jiang Ling was as far as it could be did Mo Ran finally relax a little, her smile returning, clear and pleasant.
“So don’t cling to such a waste of time anymore. It’s better for both of us.”
Hearing this, Jiang Ling instinctively retorted, “This is not a waste of time at all, to us…”
“An important teammate?”
Mo Ran finished Jiang Ling’s sentence, her tone indifferent.
Jiang Ling nodded awkwardly, then saw Mo Ran’s gentle expression turn sharp again, a shadow floating in her gaze as she glanced over.
“Was I not clear enough?”
Mo Ran sighed, looking utterly helpless.
Even from a distance, Mo Ran’s voice carried over unhindered, each word clear in Jiang Ling’s ears.
“Do you think that just by putting on a pitiful face and saying some words meant to move yourself, I would forget everything that’s happened over the past ten-plus years and obediently do as you wish?”
Her words, as if barbed, destroyed the last bit of hope Jiang Ling held in her heart.
For a long time, Jiang Ling didn’t speak. Perhaps it was Mo Ran’s blunt words that left her stunned and at a loss, but more than that, she felt heartache.
She only now realized how little she truly knew about Mo Ran. She could only glimpse at Mo Ran’s broken heart through such intense conflict.
“I never thought that.”
She looked at Mo Ran, who bristled with self-protection like a hedgehog, and spoke softly and sincerely.
Jiang Ling didn’t think she could easily break through Mo Ran’s mental defenses, but not a word she spoke was false.
With that thought, she stepped forward half a pace.
Mo Ran watched Jiang Ling come closer without hesitation, something flickering in her eyes, but within two seconds, it sank back into dead stillness.
“Don’t come any closer.”
That cold voice forced Jiang Ling to stop, unable to take another step.
The distance between them wasn’t really that great, yet Jiang Ling felt Mo Ran’s figure was blurred and impossibly far away, completely out of reach.
“No matter what you say, nothing will change.”
Mo Ran withdrew her gaze. Under Jiang Ling’s silent stare, she turned and once again faced away from her, her voice light: “It’s late. Don’t waste any more time.”
Jiang Ling knew this was Mo Ran giving her a dismissal.
She didn’t want to talk anymore.
Jiang Ling was never the type to pursue relentlessly. Even now, it was only after much internal struggle, and with encouragement from Lin Xiaoyu, that she dared come to talk to Mo Ran.
So when she saw Mo Ran’s indifferent eyes and the faint estrangement, the urge to retreat rose almost immediately.
“Go back.”
Mo Ran repeated, this time more decisively than before, without the slightest hesitation.
Jiang Ling was still a little unwilling, but she didn’t want to go against Mo Ran’s wishes. She turned silently and gently closed the door.
The moment Jiang Ling left, Mo Ran’s legs buckled under her, and she collapsed, kneeling on the cold floor with a dull thud.
“Thud—”
She stared blankly at her slightly trembling fingers, a hint of self-mockery in her eyes.
Is this… enough?
When she returned to her room, Jiang Ling couldn’t help but sigh. She crawled dejectedly under her covers.
“It didn’t work out?”
Seeing this, Lin Xiaoyu guessed that things hadn’t gone well, and tucked the quilt tighter around her.
Jiang Ling recounted what had happened in a few words, her expression weary. “What should I do? Am I just terrible at talking?”
Looking at her downcast face, Lin Xiaoyu thought for a moment, but in the end, she didn’t say much. Her voice was calm as she spoke.
“Just get some sleep. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
Carried along by her frustration, Jiang Ling closed her eyes, only to see the shocking scars on Mo Ran’s back, and that heart-wrenching, worn-out figure.
Is this really all they could do?
The next day.
Because of her mood, Jiang Ling slept a long time, not waking up in a daze until noon…
But even awake, she felt listless. After a forced wash, she sprawled weakly on the bed.
Her phone buzzed at the worst possible time. Jiang Ling glanced at it and saw Song Meng was calling via video. She answered sluggishly, “Hello—”
Song Meng looked at Jiang Ling on the screen, who was like a robot out of power, and raised her eyebrows. “You’re so down. What happened?”
“Is it that obvious…”
Jiang Ling weakly replied.
“You might as well write ‘I’ve been broken’ on your face.”
Song Meng chuckled and showed her Xiao Ling, the kitten kneading her lap. Her voice was pleasant: “Wanna talk about it?”
Hearing this, Jiang Ling opened her mouth, hesitated several times, and finally could only mumble, “No, it involves my teammate’s privacy.”
She could tell Lin Xiaoyu because eventually, everyone would find out, but Song Meng was just a friend, so she couldn’t spill others’ affairs so easily.
“Mm… Then just tell me why you’re so out of it, no need for the details.”
Song Meng understood, but didn’t want Jiang Ling to stay gloomy, so she changed her approach.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Ling hesitated for a moment, then spoke with a complicated expression, “Recently, we’ve been preparing to launch NOVA’s new project, but one of my teammates is planning to leave. I don’t know all the details, but she’s suffered some trauma, so it’s hard for her to trust others. She said this is better for everyone.”
After saying this, her expression became even more downcast. “That feeling of helplessness is really hard to bear. Listening to her talk about the past, it felt like I was forcing her to rip open her own wounds for me to see—”
After Jiang Ling finished, Song Meng’s expression didn’t change. She paused a moment before speaking, “She’s very lonely, Jiang Ling.”
Jiang Ling froze, looking at Song Meng, who was gazing at her earnestly through the screen. Gently, Song Meng played with Xiao Ling, her gaze tender. “She must value you and NOVA a lot, which is why she made this decision.”
“Because if you’ve never had it, you don’t have to fear losing it.”