8. Why Am I So Impulsive? Another Chapter Done
Ling Ning suddenly realized a serious problem—it was getting dark, and she needed to pick up her daughter. But there was still some time left before her shift ended.
“What’s wrong?” Chu Mengyao asked, noticing that Ling Ning looked a bit distracted.
“Um, I have an urgent matter. Could I leave early? I know it’s bad to ask for early leave on my first day, but it’s really important.”
Ling Ning decided to explain her situation to Chu Mengyao. After all, compared to her job, her daughter was far more important. As a mother, since she had made a promise to her daughter, she had to keep it.
“I get it, go ahead,” Chu Mengyao said, understanding.
“Should I inform the boss?” Ling Ning asked, a little unsure.
“No need, just go. I’ll handle everything here,” Chu Mengyao responded confidently.
With permission granted, Ling Ning quickly changed out of her maid uniform and left the café. By now, night had completely fallen. She hurried along the road, knowing the apartment complex wasn’t far from the café. A brisk ten-minute walk would get her there.
It wasn’t long before Ling Ning arrived at the entrance of the complex. She explained her purpose to the security guard and was soon allowed into this extravagant neighborhood. Remembering what her daughter had said, “Right after you enter, third building.”
“One… two… three… this is it!”
Ling Ning looked at the opulent building before her and couldn’t help but think, “Damn rich people.” At that moment, she had completely forgotten that she herself used to be among the wealthy.
“233, 23rd floor, unit 3.”
She stepped into the elevator, enjoying the comfort of not having to climb stairs. It was practically heaven compared to the hell of climbing fourteen flights every day just to get home.
The twenty-third floor arrived in no time. Ling Ning casually rang the doorbell. Soon, the door opened, revealing an elegant woman. Looking at the beautiful woman in front of her, Ling Ning felt a sense of déjà vu.
“Hello, may I help you…? Oh!” Qin Qing looked at the young girl in front of her—it was the same girl who had helped her retrieve her bag yesterday. How had she found this place? She’d only given her a phone number.
“Aren’t you that… uh, who was it again?”
“Yesterday evening, you helped me get my bag back,” Qin Qing prompted.
Thanks to Qin Qing’s reminder, Ling Ning remembered. It really had happened yesterday. The note Qin Qing had given her was still in the pocket of the pants she’d worn that day, which she’d forgotten to take out when she changed clothes. By now, it was probably a mess.
“Didn’t think I’d run into you here—what a coincidence. Oh, by the way, my daugh—uh, sister, she’s inside, right?” Ling Ning said, nearly tripping over her own words.
“Your sister?” Qin Qing thought for a moment, then replied, “You mean Ye Ye, right? She’s in the living room watching TV with Sirou. Come on in.”
Ling Ning followed Qin Qing into the luxurious home. Immediately, she saw Ling Ye and another girl about the same age sitting in front of the TV, watching some magical girl anime. Ling Ning happened to catch a transformation scene.
Both girls were so engrossed in the show that they didn’t notice Ling Ning coming in. Qin Qing coughed lightly to get their attention, and only then did they look over.
Seeing Ling Ning, Ling Ye jumped up excitedly, bouncing over to her and throwing her arms around her. “Mom, you’re here!” she exclaimed.
That one word—”Mom”—left Ling Ning utterly dumbfounded. Wasn’t the deal that she would call her “sister” in public? Ling Ye quickly realized her mistake and corrected herself, “I mean, sister!”
Qin Qing didn’t think much of it—everyone slipped up sometimes.
“We’ll head home now,” Ling Ning said.
“Oh, stay for dinner! I still haven’t properly thanked you for yesterday,” Qin Qing offered.
Ling Ning was about to refuse when she felt Ling Ye tugging lightly at her shirt, her eyes glued to the TV screen. She was probably at an exciting part of the show and didn’t want to leave.
“In that case, we’ll be imposing,” Ling Ning said gently, patting Ling Ye’s head.
“Yay, long live… I mean, yay, sister!” Ling Ye cheered, running back to the TV. She sat down next to the other girl, chatting and watching the show in a wonderfully harmonious atmosphere.
“You really do spoil your sister,” Qin Qing said, smiling knowingly. It was obvious that Ling Ning was staying because of Ling Ye.
“Oh, not really~”
Ling Ning didn’t notice that her lips had curled into a faint smile.
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Dinner was a joint effort between Ling Ning and Qin Qing. When Ling Ning mentioned that she could cook, Qin Qing seemed a bit doubtful at first. After all, how many teenagers knew their way around a kitchen these days? But when she saw how skilled Ling Ning was at handling the ingredients, she realized Ling Ning had indeed been telling the truth.
“Alright! You two, come eat! But wash your hands first.”
“Okay!”
“Got it!”
The two girls reluctantly left the TV to wash up. At this moment, the allure of the delicious aroma coming from the kitchen had finally managed to outshine the television.
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“Would you consider being my model?” Qin Qing asked seriously, looking at Ling Ning.
The two of them were now resting in the living room after dinner. As for the two girls, they had disappeared right after eating—they were probably upstairs, up to who knows what.
During dinner, Qin Qing had asked a bit about Ling Ning’s current living situation. After learning that things were a bit tight financially, she made the suggestion.
“Uh, this… I…” Ling Ning stammered.
She had no experience as a model, plus she already had a job.
“Don’t say no so quickly. I’m not talking about the kind of modeling you’re thinking of. I mean for online catalogs. My online store is about to launch, but I still don’t have anyone to model the products.”
Hearing this, Ling Ning couldn’t help but wonder—didn’t someone as wealthy as Qin Qing have better things to do than run an online store?
As if reading Ling Ning’s mind, Qin Qing smiled and said, “I actually just quit my job recently, and I don’t feel like going back to work right away. So I thought I’d try running an online store. Everything’s ready—just need a model.”
“But I have a job right now,” Ling Ning replied.
“That’s fine. This job is really flexible. You can just come by when you’re free. Though it’s summer break now, school will eventually start up again, right?” Qin Qing explained.
Ling Ning lowered her head in thought. Qin Qing made a good point. She wasn’t sure if she could continue working at the maid café once school resumed, and from the way things were looking, she really needed the money.
“In that case, I’ll be in your care,” Ling Ning finally agreed.
“Likewise.”
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Author’s Note:
I can’t seem to control my impulse to write more chapters~