Chapter 145

When they had been on the brink of breaking up, her condition had already been exposed. Not only did Zhong Ning not leave, she even showed her pity and forgave her. So what was there left to fear?

Her confidence in confessing the truth came from Zhong Ning’s actions.

It gave her the sense that no matter what she said, or what part of herself she revealed, it would all be okay.

So this time, without much hesitation, she spoke from her heart.

To be honest, that answer had been well within Zhong Ning’s expectations—right at the very top of the list, in fact.

“Having thoughts like that is because you lack a sufficient sense of security.”

Her voice flowed like a gentle spring, “It’s partly the aftereffect of the last conflict we had, and partly due to your own personality. This is a completely normal response. To improve this kind of behavior, we need to work on it together.”

She explained the reasoning aloud so that Xie Shiqing could develop a rational understanding, allowing her to calmly face and accept some of her own personality flaws. Only then could they be gradually corrected.

If one didn’t face a mistake head-on, there would never be a chance to fix it.

“Have I done anything in our daily interactions that made you feel uncomfortable? That made you feel uncertain, or feel like I don’t love you?”

Xie Shiqing shook her head.

She knew that Zhong Ning had done extremely well—far beyond what a girlfriend could be expected to do. Everything she had given was deeper than family, more intense than love, and richer than friendship.

Her continued anxiety stemmed entirely from herself.

Zhong Ning chuckled softly and said, “Then up to now, I’ve done fairly well. But I’m not a perfect person, and I’ll have my oversights. If anything I do makes you feel uncomfortable, you must tell me. Or… you can use that mood octopus? Is it still around?”

“It is,” Xie Shiqing replied, “It’s at the villa. I’ll have the butler bring it over tomorrow.”

“Good.” Zhong Ning kissed her on the cheek and continued, “I’ve done what I can. Shiqing, you need to work hard too, okay?”

“Changing how you think is a difficult thing, don’t rush it—just let it happen naturally.”

“Look at yourself now compared to before. Haven’t you already changed a lot?”

Her gentle gaze was warmer than the sunset by the river. “I believe in you. You need to believe in yourself too.”

————————

Current Xie Shiqing: I want to be with you always. Not hearing from you makes me so anxious.

Zhong Ning (gently): That’s normal. I’ll give you enough sense of security.

Firepit-stage Xie Shiqing: I want to be with you always. Not hearing from you makes me so anxious.

Zhong Ning (dragging a suitcase): Goodbye.

Chapter 55

Winter in Fengcheng arrived without warning.

It seemed that after a single rainfall, the temperature had never risen again. The rain carried tiny bits of snowflakes, and when blown by the northern wind, they drilled straight into people's collars, making their very bones tremble from the cold.

Zhong Ning pulled her thick coat tighter, holding a small umbrella. Though her pants inevitably got wet, at least everything above her shoulders was still dry.

Today was the last exam. The moment she walked out of the exam room, it meant the winter break had officially begun.

She wrote quickly and turned in her paper early. The campus looked quiet, with hardly anyone walking around. Suddenly, a gust of mischievous wind struck from behind. The umbrella caught the wind and nearly flipped inside out, her hair plastered messily across her face, and the back of her coat—which she had managed to keep dry until now—was soaked in an instant.

Zhong Ning sighed, wiped her face, and considered whether she should cut her hair a bit shorter.

Having long hair made washing it a hassle, and it wasn’t easy to maintain.

Anyone who had tried short hair would know—it was clean and refreshing, and truly comfortable.

Her roommates had already packed their luggage. Some were leaving today, some tomorrow. Zhong Ning didn’t have to pack, so she headed to the car first. From the back seat, she pulled out a large suitcase and, while awkwardly juggling the umbrella, carried the box toward the dorm.

Inside were gifts she had prepared—one for each roommate, a few more for closer classmates, and some for friends she knew from the student council. They weren’t anything overly expensive.

They were all students, so gifting had to stay within a range that others could comfortably accept.

This box was filled with fitness trackers—like she had bought them wholesale. There were all kinds of colors. Priced in the low four figures, they weren’t particularly costly, and given her family background, this price range was perfectly suitable.

Though her roommates hadn’t finished the test as fast as she had, the difference wasn’t huge. By the time she returned after her trip to the car, someone had already come back.

Panting, Zhong Ning placed the box on the table and took a couple gulps of water. “Winter break gifts—come pick a color you like.”

The box wasn’t heavy, and the walk wasn’t far, but wrestling with the wind while trying to hold an umbrella was exhausting.

In summer, wind felt refreshing. In winter, when the wind still came just as strong—it became torture.

One roommate cried out, “Your back is completely soaked! Wait, I think I still have some ginger tea left—I'll make you a cup, so you don’t catch a cold.”

She crouched down, opened her suitcase, and pulled out a pack of instant honey ginger tea. Grabbing the electric kettle, she went to boil water.

Another roommate came back and, upon seeing Zhong Ning all wet, also made a fuss. “Little Ning, why don’t you wear my clothes for now? We’re both locals—just return them whenever you’ve got time.”

“It’s freezing out there. With the wind blowing like that, you’ll definitely catch a cold.”

Zhong Ning couldn’t win against the two of them. She had no choice but to take off her heavy coat and change into the roommate’s fleece-lined jacket. Then she drank a mouthful of the hot ginger tea that chased away the chill. Warmth spread through her immediately.

“I’ll go with you later,” one of them said. “Help hold the umbrella.”

“That’s too much trouble for you,” Zhong Ning said, a little embarrassed.

“What trouble? I can go home anytime. It’s not like this’ll delay me.” The roommate teased, “If you’re really that sorry, just treat me to a good meal over the break.”

Everyone got along well, and turning someone down too many times would make things feel awkward.

So Zhong Ning smiled and said, “I’ll treat you to Huicui Restaurant.”

The roommate laughed loudly. “Alright, alright! President Zhong, you need someone to hold an umbrella? I’m available every day.”

They joked and laughed for a while. When the last roommate came back and picked out a gift, Zhong Ning had finished her ginger tea, and the two of them headed out together.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.