Jiang Ling couldn’t help but recall Song Meng’s earlier words, wanting to ignore them and just slump onto the table, pretending to be dead.
Her phone in her pocket, however, kept buzzing incessantly.
She pursed her lips and reluctantly lit up the screen.
[Not replying after reading isn’t what good kids do.]
[Or do you not care if that embarrassing moment gets seen by the school’s students? Oh… you should’ve said so earlier. My friend in the news club is desperate for something to write about.]
Seeing this, Jiang Ling had no choice but to drag her dizzy body up slowly.
Ugh! That infuriating, awful woman, always resorting to threats!
Mo Ran, sitting nearby, asked with concern, “What’s wrong?”
“I-I’m going to get a bottle of water.”
Making up a flimsy excuse, Jiang Ling wobbled her way to Song Meng’s desk.
At that moment, Song Meng was typing something on her phone with a faint smile, about to hit send when her hand was suddenly pinned down, unable to move.
Startled, she looked up and met Jiang Ling’s slightly resentful gaze.
Due to the alcohol, Jiang Ling’s eyes, nose, and entire face were flushed red.
A sweet yet spicy sensation lingered in her throat, causing her to frown unconsciously.
She tightened her grip on Song Meng’s hand, and in her drunken haze, she stumbled forward, collapsing right into Song Meng’s arms.
Song Meng quickly reached out to catch her light, swaying body.
Amused and about to say something, she noticed Jiang Ling poking her waist repeatedly, muttering something under her breath in a sulky tone.
“Hm?”
Unable to hear clearly, Song Meng pulled her up by the waist, effortlessly lifting her and settling her sideways across her lap.
Jiang Ling was indeed light, small, and frail, making one instinctively want to cherish her.
Well… teasing could be considered a form of cherishing, just in a rather opposite way.
“I said!” Jiang Ling suddenly raised her voice, nuzzling unconsciously against Song Meng’s chest, her words becoming muffled again.
“Is bullying me really that fun…?”
“I’m not bullying you.”
Song Meng flashed a charming smile, her amber eyes fixed on the girl’s flushed, drunken face.
Naturally, she pulled out her phone, framing both of them in the camera.
Perhaps out of an idol’s instinct, Jiang Ling squinted at the phone lens as a countdown for the photo began.
“Three, two, one.”
Click!
Song Meng gave a gentle smile, but then she felt a wet sensation on the left side of her neck, accompanied by a dull pain, as if she’d been bitten.
Surprised, she turned her head, her chin nearly bumping into Jiang Ling’s face.
“Phew, then I’ll bully you back…”
After mustering all her strength to leave a hickey on Song Meng’s neck, Jiang Ling muttered before passing out again in her arms.
Song Meng was left stunned, clutching the red mark on her neck, her eyes betraying a hint of flustered confusion.
What was that?
She stared blankly for a while, only belatedly realizing that she, of all people, had been forcibly kissed by a drunken, weak girl—and on her sensitive neck, leaving a strawberry mark no less.
At that thought, Song Meng let out an exasperated laugh, her gaze darkening as she looked at the unconscious Jiang Ling.
They’d settle the score later.
The morning after her hangover, Jiang Ling was woken by an unbearable headache.
It felt like her head had been abruptly stuffed with too much, her temples throbbing uncontrollably.
“Ugh… is my alcohol tolerance really that bad?”
Jiang Ling irritably rubbed her head, vaguely recalling that something had happened last night.
She got drunk, and then Song Meng called her over—wait!
Song Meng called her over?
Jiang Ling shot up from the bed, glancing at her side.
The blanket was empty.
Lin Xiaoyu must’ve gone out.
So what exactly happened last night?
All she could remember was being called over by Song Meng, and then… nothing.
Her memory of that moment was completely blank.
Scratching her head in frustration, Jiang Ling tried to recall but came up empty.
After washing up, she stepped out of the room and immediately spotted Mo Ran, full of energy as usual, cooking breakfast.
Seeing Jiang Ling, Mo Ran smiled and pointed to a glass of honey water on the table.
“Drink this, it’ll help.”
Jiang Ling picked up the warm honey water, and after drinking, her throat felt much better, and her mind cleared slightly.
She asked, “Did anything happen last night?”
“Huh?”
Mo Ran flipped an egg in the pan, then let out an “oh” as if remembering something.
“Right, you said you were going to get a bottle of water. You were gone for so long I was about to go look for you, but then a beautiful girl brought you back.”
“She had this refined, gentle vibe and was super polite, apologizing for causing us trouble. Wow, you’ve already made friends like that? Ouch, hot—”
Mo Ran yelped as hot oil splashed her arm, cutting the conversation short.
Jiang Ling, meanwhile, covered her face, looking ashen.
Refined?
Gentle?
Song Meng?!
Jiang Ling didn’t even know where to begin venting her frustration.
She shook her head, trying not to think about it.
But after breakfast, she received a message from Song Meng.
It was a video, about ten seconds long, showing Jiang Ling clutching a bottle, nestled in Song Meng’s arms, her face bright red as she rubbed her head against her, mumbling things like “jerk” and “I hate you” in a whiny, coquettish tone.
At the end of the video, she even heard Song Meng’s barely suppressed chuckle.
Jiang Ling’s hands trembled as she held her phone.
Oh no, she was done for!
As if to confirm her fears, Song Meng sent another message.
[You’ll have to take responsibility for your actions, you know.]
Responsibility?
Had she done something outrageous?
With her memory completely fragmented, Jiang Ling bit her lip, lost in thought.
“It’s about time to practice, right?”
Bai Xue glanced around at everyone, lightly tapping the table.
“Got it~”
Mo Ran, having just finished cleaning the dishes, shook the water off her hands and went to change.
Though Jiang Ling was still hung up on the Song Meng situation, she knew to prioritize.
Convincing herself to let it go, she shed her jacket and headed to the practice room.
Today’s practice focused on the group dance’s formation and details.
Since everyone had already memorized their parts and had them approved by Bai Xue, the priority now was the movement flow.
“Whoops, we’ll bump into each other like this.”
Fang Wannan’s arm accidentally grazed Mo Ran as they moved, and she raised her hand to pause.
The two began discussing how to avoid the collision.
During the brief break, Jiang Ling crouched nearby, feeling her heated breaths and racing heartbeat, a bright smile spreading across her face.
The street performance was this Saturday—time sure flew by.
As she thought about it, Bai Xue spoke up.
“By the way, about the street performance, we might head out a day early to hand out flyers near the venue.”
“Yeah, we should promote it a bit,” Mo Ran nodded in agreement, then suggested, “How about we also give out some handmade snacks, like chocolates? It feels more thoughtful. Our public performances are currently aimed at women, but the street performance doesn’t have that restriction, right?”
She looked at Bai Xue, who had made the suggestion.
Almost imperceptibly, a flicker of something—perhaps hesitation—passed through Bai Xue’s eyes.
After a moment, she nodded slowly.
“Then tomorrow, I’ll buy the ingredients, and we can all make them together. It’s not too hard.”
Mo Ran grinned, adding chocolate-making to her list.
The next day, everyone gathered in the kitchen to make chocolates.
Staring at the large bag of ingredients on the table, Jiang Ling exclaimed in awe, “Wow, you bought so much!”
“Well, we do have a real-deal rich girl in the house~”
Bai Xue teased, glancing at Fang Wannan with a playful smile.
“Ahem, stuff like this? I can get as much as we need.”
Fang Wannan coughed, a bit embarrassed, and turned her head away.
As the head chef for the chocolate-making plan, Mo Ran distributed equal portions of chocolate and began directing.
“First, we need to melt these ingredients.”
Jiang Ling followed her instructions, watching the chocolate turn into a gooey mess.
Curiously, she scooped some up with chopsticks and tasted it.
The sweet flavor spread across her mouth.
“This is so good!”
She bounced excitedly, setting down her chopsticks, savoring the chocolate’s sweetness.
Nearby, Mo Ran stepped closer, pointing at her lips with a smile.
“You got some there.”
“Huh? Where?”
Jiang Ling was about to turn and check a mirror, but Mo Ran grabbed her arm.
Startled, Jiang Ling watched as Mo Ran leaned in.
Her vision filled with Mo Ran’s light pink hair, carrying a subtle, captivating scent.
Mo Ran’s finger brushed just above Jiang Ling’s upper lip, instantly stained with chocolate, making her skin look even fairer and more alluring.
“Oh, I got your hand dirty, sorry!”
Jiang Ling fumbled for a tissue, her flustered state making Mo Ran chuckle softly.
Instead of pulling away, Mo Ran pressed her chocolate-stained finger closer to Jiang Ling’s lips, tilting her head.
“If you’re really sorry, lick it off.”