As Mo Ran’s voice trailed off, Jiang Ling felt a slight tremor run down her spine.
It was quite cold outside, so Jiang Ling was wearing several layers. Her khaki wool coat was likely lying on the sofa right now. Underneath was the garment she was currently wearing—a pure white, mock-neck base layer that barely shielded her from the scorching heat of Mo Ran’s hand.
As she stroked Jiang Ling’s skin, Mo Ran’s mood seemed to improve. “Nice material. Where did you buy it?”
Hearing Mo Ran’s casual, conversational tone, Jiang Ling desperately wanted to answer as if nothing were wrong…
…if only she weren’t being pinned down so tightly that she couldn’t move.
“Aren’t we going to cook anymore?”
Jiang Ling could only take as deep a breath as possible, attempting to reel back Mo Ran’s sanity, which seemed to have vanished at some point.
“We are. You can be my assistant.”
Mo Ran gave a soft reply and actually stood up slowly, no longer pressing against Jiang Ling.
Seeing this, Jiang Ling’s body slid slowly down the front of the refrigerator. She looked a bit disheveled, but her expression was one of relief.
She thought Mo Ran was letting her off the hook.
Jiang Ling forced herself to stand upright and immediately asked the beaming Mo Ran beside her, “What do I need to do?”
It never crossed her mind that with Mo Ran’s culinary skills, she didn’t need an assistant at all.
“Come here.”
Standing in front of the stove, Mo Ran skillfully brought out various seasonings, set down a cutting board, and picked up a kitchen knife. She instructed Jiang Ling, “Wash these vegetables thoroughly.”
Seeing things get back on track, Jiang Ling’s anxious heart finally settled. She obediently carried the vegetables to the sink to rinse them without a single complaint.
“Bring them to me for inspection when you’re done.”
Mo Ran turned her head, watching Jiang Ling’s focused expression. She put heavy emphasis on the words “inspection.”
However, Jiang Ling was so immersed in washing the vegetables that she didn’t notice at all.
“All done!”
When Jiang Ling carried a large bundle of washed greens over, Mo Ran immediately reached out to poke through the leaves. After a careful inspection, she flashed a gentle smile. “Unqualified.”
“Why?”
Jiang Ling looked confused by the evaluation. She tried to defend herself indignantly. “They’re quite clean! How are they unqualified?”
To this, Mo Ran replied instantly, “There is water on the vegetables.”
“Huh?!”
The confusion on Jiang Ling’s face turned into speechlessness. She puffed out her cheeks and raised her voice. “I just washed them! Isn’t it normal for there to be water on the vegetables?”
She reasonably suspected that Mo Ran was being difficult on purpose.
“Regardless, they are unqualified.”
Mo Ran didn’t listen to Jiang Ling’s rebuttal at all. In fact, she hadn’t planned on listening from the very beginning.
How could she possibly let the disobedient Jiang Ling off so easily?
Children wouldn’t learn their lesson without a little discipline.
With a faint smile, and under Jiang Ling’s bewildered gaze, Mo Ran stepped forward and hugged her petite body tightly. She used a bit of strength to lift her, easily placing her on the kitchen counter.
“W-what are you doing!”
Suddenly being picked up and tossed onto the counter, Jiang Ling immediately panicked. her legs kicked frantically as she tried to break free from Mo Ran’s grasp.
However, her strength was nothing compared to Mo Ran’s, and her so-called struggle was futile. After a few attempts, she gave up with a dejected expression.
Although Jiang Ling didn’t know why Mo Ran had put her up there, she instinctively felt that she was probably doomed.
With an anxious heart, Jiang Ling met the smiling gaze in Mo Ran’s eyes.
“These vegetables are for stir-frying. If there’s water on them, the oil will splatter. That’s why I said they were unqualified.”
Mo Ran suddenly began to explain in meticulous detail, which made Jiang Ling realize her mistake and feel a bit guilty. “Sorry, I’ll wipe them dry right now.”
As she spoke, Jiang Ling tentatively reached for the paper towels, but Mo Ran naturally pressed her back down.
“You don’t need to help with such a small matter.”
As Mo Ran spoke, she slowly pulled out a paper towel and spread the washed vegetables onto it.
Jiang Ling stared intently at the water droplets on the vegetables as they were slowly absorbed, completely failing to notice that Mo Ran’s other hand had slid between her legs at some point.
“Eh?!”
By the time Jiang Ling realized it, it was already too late. She finally understood why Mo Ran had put her on the counter. It was because…
“Wait, aren’t you supposed to be stir-frying? Aren’t you supposed to be wiping the water?!”
Jiang Ling pressed down hard on Mo Ran’s hand. Her voice was sharp with urgency, making it clear how panicked she was.
“Am I not wiping right now? I’m just letting you be the supervisor.”
Faced with this, Mo Ran continued preparing the ingredients with a perfectly innocent expression.
The vegetables were wiped dry by the highly absorbent kitchen paper.
Jiang Ling’s face was beet red, and her voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz, heavy with shame. “I asked you to wipe the water off the vegetables, not… mmm — “
“These leaves sure are holding a lot of moisture.”
Mo Ran muttered her evaluation while her hand didn’t stop moving. A satisfied smile curved her lips. “Weren’t you going to be my assistant? Don’t move around. Watch closely. If they aren’t wiped dry later, I’ll hold you responsible.”
The corners of Jiang Ling’s eyes were flush with red. Her forearms trembled as she gripped the edge of the counter, terrified that she might fall off if she lost focus for even a second. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of the vegetables lying quietly on the paper towel. For some reason, she turned her eyes away in shamed annoyance.
‘How am I any different from the food on the cutting board right now?’
—
“Dinner is served.”
Mo Ran carried out the feast, the smile in her eyes impossible to hide. Behind her, Jiang Ling forced herself to endure her trembling legs as she shakily carried a plate.
Behind them, in the kitchen trash can, was a pile of used paper towels.
Lin Xiaoyu was the first to notice that something was off with Jiang Ling. She blinked and asked with concern, “Are you feeling unwell? Why are you shaking so much?”
Hearing this, Jiang Ling was so startled she nearly flipped the plate. After managing to steady herself, she gave a vague answer. “Maybe I just didn’t sleep well.”
Shen Yue, who was nearby, immediately gave her an apologetic look. “Sorry, she stayed up late with me to compose the music, so that’s why she’s so tired.”
“If you’re sleepy, go get some rest. We’re mostly done talking here. She’ll head back after dinner anyway.”
Bai Xue also looked at Jiang Ling with a mix of worry and care, not forcing her to eat with everyone.
“Come on, should I take you back to your room?”
Fang Wannan had already walked over to her side. She took the plate and set it on the table, then supported Jiang Ling’s swaying body, ready to lead her away.
Amidst the chatter of the others, Mo Ran didn’t say a word. She just stared at Jiang Ling with a beaming smile, making no effort to hide her aggressive gaze.
Jiang Ling’s earlobes burned under that stare.
It felt like some hidden secret that only the two of them knew, making her feel both shy and restless.
“It’s fine, I still want to eat.”
Jiang Ling averted her gaze and shook her head to show she was okay.
She was afraid that if she wasn’t there, Shen Yue would feel awkward.
As it turned out, Shen Yue really wasn’t good at social interaction. It wasn’t intentional; she was just simple-minded to the point of being a bit dense, often giving answers that missed the point.
But no one cared about such minor things. The meal was cheerful and warm.
“It’s getting late. I should head back.”
Shen Yue glanced at the darkening sky outside the window and smiled at everyone. “Thank you for letting me stay for dinner. I had a lot of fun.”
“Don’t worry about such a small thing,” Bai Xue said, nudging Jiang Ling with her elbow. “Walk your friend out.”
The word “friend” clearly pleased Shen Yue. Her eyes curved into crescents as she looked at Jiang Ling with anticipation.
After resting during the meal, Jiang Ling no longer felt as uncomfortable. She immediately stood up to see her out.
—
As soon as she closed the door, Jiang Ling heard Shen Yue give a low chuckle.
She turned her head and saw the other girl stepping on the thin, powdery snow by the roadside, making a crunching sound. Jiang Ling cracked a smile and asked, “What are you laughing at?”
“Laughing at your low family status.”
Shen Yue always said whatever was on her mind. Especially with Jiang Ling, she didn’t intend to hide her true thoughts at all and spoke candidly.
“I actually have no way to refute that!”
Jiang Ling looked away indignantly, ashamed that Shen Yue had seen her pitiful state of being bullied by her sisters.
‘She makes me look like a plaything, hey!’
‘…Sigh, I guess there really isn’t much of a difference.’
Jiang Ling fell into deep thought with a pout. Shen Yue didn’t disturb her, walking with uneven steps through the snow. Before long, they arrived at the station entrance.
“We’re here.”
Shen Yue took two steps forward then turned around, waving to Jiang Ling. “Contact me anytime if you need anything.”
Looking at her bright and cute smile, Jiang Ling nodded instinctively. Shen Yue began to walk away slowly, but after a couple of paces, she stopped and turned around again.
“Even if you don’t need anything, you can still contact me.”
This time she really left, disappearing into the bustling crowd.
Jiang Ling stood dazed for a moment before suddenly realizing that Shen Yue meant it was okay to contact her even if there was nothing wrong. The smile on her face softened a bit, and she returned to the dormitory in a good mood.
What followed happened quite naturally.
The lyricist who received the song provided several versions of the first draft. Bai Xue moved quickly to call a team meeting so everyone could choose the best one.
But just like choosing the music, selecting the lyrics was no easy task—at least that was how it looked to Jiang Ling.
Three versions of the lyrics were laid out before her. The styles were different, but they all generally revolved around the keywords Bai Xue had suggested: “dreams,” “rising stars,” and “hard work.”
However, Jiang Ling didn’t like any of them.
Perhaps she really was just a vulgar person who couldn’t appreciate art.
But Jiang Ling felt that such a self-evaluation was too stupid, so she didn’t offer her opinion immediately. Instead, she planned to listen to what her sisters had to say first, then find an opportunity to express a few of her own thoughts.
“Tch, this reads like cheesy poetry.”
Fang Wannan flipped through the lyrics and then folded them up.
Out of sight, out of mind.
Jiang Ling was startled. Fearing that Fang Wannan’s blunt words would make the atmosphere awkward, she immediately wanted to explain, “What she probably means is — “
“They aren’t on the same level as the music.”
But Lin Xiaoyu interrupted Jiang Ling’s attempt to defend Fang Wannan, offering a similar critique.
“Maybe our expectations were a bit too high,” Mo Ran added from the side.
Similarly, Bai Xue’s expression looked as if she had expected this.
Jiang Ling looked back and forth and finally had an epiphany.
‘So it wasn’t just me who thought this stuff was written way too profoundly!’
Jiang Ling fully understood that beautiful lyrics could bring wonderful imagery and emotion to a song, but the ones in her hand felt more like they were being used to show off the writer’s talent and artistic sensibilities. There wasn’t a single part that felt moving.
Things seemed to have reached a stalemate.
Jiang Ling had thought that once the music was finally settled, progress would be smoother. She hadn’t expected everyone to still be so troubled.
“Ah… we might as well just write it ourselves.”
Jiang Ling slumped onto the table and sighed.
Hearing the words she had spoken so casually, a thoughtful look flashed in Bai Xue’s eyes.
“Hiss, that’s not a bad idea.”
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