“What?”
Jiang Ling didn’t catch what she said clearly and asked with a puzzled tone.
“It’s nothing.” Fang Wannan still stared out the window, feigning calm denial. “You must have misheard.”
Though still curious, Jiang Ling didn’t press further and instead changed the subject: “By the way, you know Bai Xue’s birthday is coming up, right?”
“Mm.”
Fang Wannan nodded in understanding, then looked at Jiang Ling, who was lost in thought, before suddenly realizing: “You’re planning to buy her a birthday gift?”
“She usually takes pretty good care of me.”
Jiang Ling shyly fiddled with her fingers and said softly, “Besides, I heard about what happened to her. I want her to have a birthday that’s a little happier.”
Hearing this, Fang Wannan furrowed her brows: “You mean that private dad of hers?”
…She really does have a honey-coated tongue.
Jiang Ling mentally scoffed but nodded in agreement: “She happened to advance my salary, so I thought I’d buy her something while I’m at it. Do you have any good suggestions?”
Fang Wannan looked a bit troubled.
“The things she usually uses, you probably can’t afford.”
Jiang Ling was suddenly choked by that, her face awkward: “Uh, surely there are things I can afford, right?”
“Not necessarily none,” Fang Wannan said, reaching out to ruffle Jiang Ling’s hair, pulling her out of her slump. “But I think she doesn’t really lack anything. Rather than forcing yourself to buy something expensive she doesn’t need, the thought behind it is more important, don’t you think?”
She withdrew her hand, her smile faint.
Jiang Ling stroked the hair Fang Wannan had touched, and her mind, cluttered with tangled thoughts, suddenly cleared.
Though she didn’t know the exact details of Bai Xue’s family situation, from what Jiang Ling had gathered, it was easy to guess it was a cold, unfeeling household.
Given that, indeed, a gift full of sincere feeling and emotion would be what truly made her happy.
With that thought, Jiang Ling’s eyes lit up with excitement as she leaned closer to Fang Wannan: “Oh! I never thought of that. It has to be you!”
Fang Wannan blushed slightly at the praise and coughed awkwardly. After her gaze flickered around for a moment, it settled back on Jiang Ling, covering her lips with a finger.
“Such a small thing is easy enough.”
Fang Wannan had brought her to a large shopping mall, filled everywhere with an atmosphere of upscale elegance. Jiang Ling cautiously tugged her sleeve: “Um, I really don’t have much money…”
“This place doesn’t only sell luxury goods.”
Fang Wannan withdrew her arm from Jiang Ling’s gentle pull and, seeing the increasingly dejected look in Jiang Ling’s eyes, took the initiative to interlace their fingers. Her voice was a bit annoyed: “Why are you pulling on my sleeve? It’s so annoying.”
“Hehe.”
Jiang Ling understood this was Fang Wannan’s way of hiding her shyness, so she chuckled and squeezed her hand back: “I can afford it, really.”
“I’ll say it again, buy whatever you want. Because this is my gift to you. If you pick something too cheap and embarrassing, it’s on me. Remember that…”
“Eh, Wannan, there’s ice cream over there!”
Before Fang Wannan could finish, Jiang Ling tugged her hand and pulled her toward the ice cream shop.
Jiang Ling’s excited expression froze the moment she saw the price list.
One scoop costs tens of yuan?!
Though Jiang Ling had those tens of yuan, but still!
Her face showed a conflicted expression as her gaze flickered between the ice cream and the price. Finally, she sighed ever so slightly and raised her hand cautiously: “Um, I’d like one…”
“Get one of every flavor.”
Fang Wannan cut off her barely audible words. The butler behind her immediately stepped forward respectfully, paid the price, and handed over a box full of ice cream to Jiang Ling.
“Miss Jiang, here you go.”
Seeing Jiang Ling stand dumbfounded in front of the ice cream, Fang Wannan wrinkled her brows and gently tapped her on the head: “Weren’t you the one who wanted to eat this? Why are you spacing out now?”
Jiang Ling first took the ice cream, then tightly held Fang Wannan’s hand. Only after they had walked far away from the shop did she whisper close to her ear: “But I still feel it’s not worth it!”
Her warm breath made Fang Wannan’s ear tingle. Subtly turning away, she rubbed her heated earlobe with her hand: “Isn’t being happy what matters?”
“That’s true.”
Jiang Ling tilted her head and easily accepted Fang Wannan’s words. She scooped a spoonful of the top strawberry flavor and immediately brought it to her lips: “Ah—”
Fang Wannan’s eyes flickered in panic for a moment before she immediately put on a stern face: “I don’t like things that sweet.”
“Aw, just one bite~”
Jiang Ling didn’t give up, holding the spoon brightly in front of her.
“I already said I don’t like it…”
“Are you really not going to eat it?”
Jiang Ling looked at Fang Wannan pitifully, gently shaking the ice cream in her hand. The scoop was already partly melting, about to fall off.
Fang Wannan was immediately flustered by her pitiful expression. After a moment of mental struggle, she gave in.
“Really, just this once.”
Saying that, she bit into the soft ice cream, then turned away, frowning as she chewed.
As expected, it was sickly sweet.
But maybe having it once in a while isn’t so bad?
“Yay!”
Seeing Fang Wannan eat it, Jiang Ling cheered and stuffed a big mouthful into her own mouth, her eyes immediately curving into happy crescents: “So delicious!”
“Don’t talk with your mouth full.”
Fang Wannan immediately scolded her. Her peripheral vision caught Jiang Ling biting the spoon between her lips, and her steps faltered.
She had just used that same spoon too.
So this really was an… indirect kiss…
“Ahem!”
Fang Wannan, lost in her own fantasies, immediately coughed several times and quickly averted Jiang Ling’s concerned gaze. Pointing toward a nearby shop, she spoke quickly: “Let’s go to that store.”
“Ah? Oh, slow down, okay!”
Inside the fitting room.
Jiang Ling looked at the half-length skirt in her hands, a bit on the mature side, and hesitated as she knocked on the door: “Um, maybe I should try something else…”
“Are you questioning my taste?”
Fang Wannan’s almost dissatisfied voice sounded immediately from outside. Jiang Ling quickly pulled back and didn’t dare to say another word.
This skirt was a big change from Jiang Ling’s usual style, not just a stark contrast but a large transformation.
After all, with her height, she rarely had this style of clothing in her wardrobe; most were T-shirts, shirts, hoodies—simple, casual, yet cute.
But since she was already here, Jiang Ling didn’t want to ruin the mood. After a quick look, she immediately understood how to wear it and slipped it on quickly.
The skirt was somewhere between loose and fitted, the size just right. But the problem was—
Feeling the coolness on her back, Jiang Ling struggled to reach behind and fumble for the zipper for quite a while, nearly cramping her hand.
She could only sigh and lean against the door, raising her hand to knock again:
“Wannan, I can’t pull up the zipper in the back, could you help me…?”