29. Banana
Even though it was her day off, Ling Ning woke up bright and early. After all, she had plans with Zhou Xiaoxiao, and it was better to get ready sooner rather than later. As for Ling Ye, Ling Ning had asked if she wanted to come along, but Ling Ye said she’d rather stay home and play games, so Ling Ning let her be.
Ling Ning noticed that ever since they got a computer at home, Ling Ye had been staying in more. But it was probably just the novelty—Ling Ning hadn’t really seen Ling Ye obsess over games. More often than not, she was watching anime, especially magical girl series.
After preparing breakfast, Ling Ning stood in front of her wardrobe, trying to decide what to wear. Since when did she struggle with outfits? Having too many clothes wasn’t a blessing—especially for someone with decision paralysis.
“Ugh! Why am I overthinking this? It’s not like I’m going on a date. Anything casual will do!”
After berating herself, she casually pulled out a pair of jeans and a plain white T-shirt. Once dressed, she looked at herself in the mirror and nodded in satisfaction. Indeed, if you had a good figure, anything looked good on you. Once everything was ready, she glanced at Ling Ye, who was still asleep, smiled helplessly, and then left the house.
The moment Ling Ning stepped out, Ling Ye opened her eyes and dashed to the window to peek downstairs. Once she confirmed Ling Ning had left, she sat down at the desk and powered on the computer before rushing into the bathroom to brush her teeth.
Truthfully, she had woken up not long after Ling Ning had gotten up but had been pretending to be asleep. Suddenly, she realized that having a small room was actually quite nice—Ling Ning would change clothes in the room, giving her a perfect, unobstructed view.
After washing up at lightning speed, Ling Ye pulled out a math textbook from her small school bag. Hidden inside was the infamous USB drive, which she had carefully carved a hole in the book to store. From the outside, no one could tell anything was amiss.
Quickly, she plugged the USB into the computer. Over the past few days, she had almost finished everything in the “Justice” folder. If she could get through the rest today, she could move on to “Fairness.” Just thinking about the eleven more folders ahead filled her with excitement.
“Alright, let’s get started with today’s studies!”
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Ling Ning arrived at the meeting spot—right outside the café. Being someone who always arrived ahead of schedule, she was a full half-hour early.
The café wasn’t open yet, but Chu Mengyao was already awake, busy preparing for opening. Upon seeing Ling Ning, she greeted her with a wide smile. “Well, if it isn’t Little Ling Ning! Here so early—don’t tell me you suddenly feel like giving up your day off to come help out? Just so you know, there’s no overtime pay!”
“You’re overthinking it. I’m just meeting Xiaoxiao here, that’s all~”
“Alright, alright. Since you’re technically my first customer today, I’ll give you a free glass of milk.” Chu Mengyao smiled as she poured a glass of milk from the bar and handed it to Ling Ning.
Naturally, Ling Ning didn’t hold back. Sipping on the milk, she and Chu Mengyao chatted away, and soon the time flew by.
Half an hour past the appointed time, Zhou Xiaoxiao finally showed up, looking apologetic. “Sorry, I stayed up playing games until four in the morning, and I slept right through my alarm. I rushed over as soon as I woke up.”
Ling Ning noticed the dark circles under Zhou Xiaoxiao’s eyes. It seemed she really had been up until the early hours. Smiling, Ling Ning said, “No worries. You haven’t had breakfast yet, have you? Why not sit down and have something to eat first? We’re not in any rush.”
“Bless you for understanding! Hey, maid over there, bring this lady a free cake and milk tea. Make it snappy!” Zhou Xiaoxiao said, directing her request to Chu Mengyao.
“Here’s your cake and milk tea,” Chu Mengyao said cheerfully as she placed the order in front of Zhou Xiaoxiao.
“Wait, seriously?” Zhou Xiaoxiao was stunned by how quickly Chu Mengyao complied. Was today some sort of miracle?
Before she could take a bite, Chu Mengyao smiled and said, “The cost of this cake and milk tea will be deducted from your paycheck, though.”
“You… never mind! I should’ve known you’d never be so generous, you stingy miser.” Zhou Xiaoxiao ate her cake begrudgingly, as if the dessert itself were Chu Mengyao.
Once Zhou Xiaoxiao finished her breakfast, they left the café and headed to their destination—the Tianwang Electronics Market.
Since it was a bit far, they decided to take the subway. Fortunately, rush hour had already passed, so the train wasn’t too crowded. They even managed to find two empty seats.
“Hey, isn’t your sister coming along? Weren’t you planning on buying her a phone too?” Zhou Xiaoxiao asked after they got on the subway.
“She said she didn’t feel like coming, so I let her be. I’ll just get her the same model as mine.”
“Wow, you really spoil your sister.”
Ling Ning smiled softly but didn’t say anything.
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The two of them soon arrived at their destination. The subway was far more reliable than buses—no risk of getting stuck in traffic.
“So many people…”
The moment they stepped out of the subway station, Ling Ning was overwhelmed by the crowd. She hadn’t expected this many people here, especially on a weekday.
“Yeah, make sure to watch your wallet. This place is crawling with pickpockets—blink, and your wallet might be gone.”
Ling Ning nodded, understanding the warning, and followed Zhou Xiaoxiao into the throng.
“The owner of this shop is pretty decent. I got my computer built there. But that store? Total scam. One of my classmates got ripped off there big time. And that one over there—definitely shady too…” Zhou Xiaoxiao explained as she led the way, pointing out the trustworthy and untrustworthy shops. It seemed she was quite familiar with this market—likely a regular here.
As they walked, they eventually arrived at the “Banana” phone store.
Speaking of “Banana,” in Ling Ning’s past life, it was very much like “Apple”—even the logo was a half-bitten banana.
The entrance to the “Banana” store was already packed with people. Ling Ning quickly put two and two together. With the recent release of the “Banana 7,” it was clear what these people were here for.
“There are so many people.”
“No worries. I don’t do lines. Follow me.” Zhou Xiaoxiao said confidently, leading Ling Ning into a small alley beside the store.
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Author’s Note:
Two chapters today for my lovely readers! How about a recommendation, a tip, or even a vote?