Chapter 50

Sang Ning stood up, staring dreamily at the person approaching her under the sunlight. How had she suddenly appeared here?

Shen Tingwan was also surprised by her own impulsiveness. She had taken sudden leave and driven two hundred kilometers to a completely unfamiliar place. She always planned her schedules in advance and never acted on whims, but Sang Ning always made her an exception.

They faced each other without speaking for a long while, the sunlight falling silently on them.

Sang Ning was still dazed and asked a irrelevant question in a muddled voice. “Aren’t you working today?”

Shen Tingwan replied, “I took leave.”

Sang Ning said, “How so sudden…”

Shen Tingwan had indeed acted on her own initiative. She felt that Sang Ning was avoiding her, so she came directly without informing her. Staring at Sang Ning’s face, she said, “I have something to say to you.”

Did she really need to come all this way? Sang Ning had been wondering the night before what Shen Tingwan would say when they met. Learning that someone had secretly loved her for years must be quite heavy, right? She probably felt she should meet to formally reject her, then advise her to let go and continue as friends…

No matter what, seeing Shen Tingwan made the sadness in her heart lessen considerably. It showed that Shen Tingwan hadn’t reached the point of not wanting to see her and wasn’t disgusted by her because of this.

Back in university, Sang Ning had known that Shen Tingwan disliked being liked or confessed to, so she had hidden her feelings airtight, afraid of troubling her.

They hadn’t exchanged many words when Sang Mingjing’s voice came from behind. “Ningning, is this your friend?”

“Yeah.” Sang Ning introduced her in a daze, telling Shen Tingwan, “This is my Little Aunt.”

“Hello, Little Aunt.” Shen Tingwan smiled and greeted Sang Mingjing. Sang Ning resembled her a little, so she handed over the gift in her hand. “A small gift.”

Sang Mingjing wasn’t sure if she could accept it and glanced at Sang Ning.

Shen Tingwan smiled again. “Sang Ning and I are very close.”

“Then I won’t stand on ceremony.” Sang Mingjing finally accepted it with peace of mind. “Come inside and sit. Don’t stand out here.”

Once inside, Shen Tingwan saw another elegant middle-aged woman and guessed she was Sang Ning’s mother. She greeted her, “Hello, Aunt.”

Sang Mingjuan looked up, momentarily stunned. She was so beautiful, and her demeanor and clothes didn’t seem like they were from around here.

Sang Ning briefly explained to Sang Mingjuan, “My senior from school who took good care of me before.”

Sang Mingjuan immediately caught on and smiled warmly. “You’ve always taken care of Ningning. Thank you, Aunt appreciates it.”

Shen Tingwan smiled mildly and politely. “No need, Aunt. You’re too kind. It was only right.”

“How is it only right? Ningning has mentioned you several times.”

Shen Tingwan smiled and casually asked, “What did she say about me?”

Sang Mingjuan laughed. “She always said you’re especially great.”

Shen Tingwan glanced at Sang Ning again. “Really?”

Sang Ning stayed quiet. She watched as Shen Tingwan gave gifts to both Sang Mingjuan and Sang Mingjing, then whispered to her, “Why did you bring gifts?”

Shen Tingwan replied, “I couldn’t come empty-handed.”

Sang Mingjuan wasn’t good at polite hospitality and said with a simple smile, “Stay for lunch.”

Sang Ning looked at Shen Tingwan too. “Eat together.”

It was almost mealtime, so Shen Tingwan didn’t refuse.

Sang Ning didn’t help in the kitchen at noon; she accompanied Shen Tingwan instead. She showed her around the house. The ground floor had a noodle shop front, with a dining area and living room behind it, while the bedrooms were upstairs.

The house was kept neat but was quite old. Sang Ning felt that Shen Tingwan didn’t fit in here at all, just like the gap between herself and Shen Tingwan.

As they walked, Sang Ning said, “The house is pretty old. It’s been many years.”

Shen Tingwan strolled leisurely. “The pace of life here is so comfortable. No wonder you like coming back.”

Sang Ning smiled with pursed lips. Shen Tingwan was so good at easing awkwardness. She asked, “Want to see my room?”

Shen Tingwan said, “Sure.”

The stairwell was dimly lit, so Sang Ning turned on the light first. It was an old tungsten bulb, not very bright, with a yellowish glow.

As Sang Ning went up, she reminded her, “There’s a high step. Be careful.”

The warning came too late. Shen Tingwan still stumbled. Sang Ning’s heart tightened, and she swiftly moved close, wrapping an arm around her waist to steady her.

After Shen Tingwan stood firm, she was half-held in Sang Ning’s embrace.

The two squeezed together on the narrow, old staircase, their bodies pressed intimately against each other, face to face. Their breaths brushed lightly over each other’s cheeks and lips, their heartbeats racing.

Sang Ning felt like the light was swaying. Her mind went blank for a moment, but she quickly snapped back and pulled her arm away from Shen Tingwan’s waist like she’d been shocked. She created a proper distance, her face burning as she said, “Sorry.”

Shen Tingwan looked at the sudden distance, feeling empty both in body and heart. She smiled helplessly. “Do you like apologizing so much now?”

Her voice was clear in the small stairwell, as if whispered right by her ear. Sang Ning tried hard to suppress her racing heartbeat and breathing. She huffed, “Let’s go,” and avoided looking directly at Shen Tingwan. After her feelings were exposed, she felt even more guilty no matter what.

Blushing at even a slight closeness or prolonged eye contact—Shen Tingwan finally understood why Sang Ning always deliberately kept a cool distance from her, pretending not to notice. The affection in Sang Ning’s eyes was too obvious; she had just discovered it too late.

Sang Ning led Shen Tingwan to her bedroom. The second-floor bedrooms had been renovated a couple of years ago, designed by her herself.

Shen Tingwan’s eyes lit up upon entering. It was a completely different style from downstairs, neatly and warmly arranged. It showed that the owner took life seriously and loved it.

An open photo album lay on the desk. Sang Ning liked looking at old photos in her free time.

Shen Tingwan asked, “Can I look?”

Sang Ning said, “Sure.”

Shen Tingwan confirmed again before picking it up. “Really okay?”

“…” Sang Ning understood tacitly. Thinking of the last time Shen Tingwan had found her photos, her face flushed red again. She turned to tidy the room.

Shen Tingwan picked up the album and flipped through it. Lowering her head, she couldn’t help but smile. On the surface, she had acted uninterested, but privately printed and hid the photos, claiming she liked the style. To think she had believed it then…

They didn’t get a chance to talk much in the bedroom before they were called downstairs for lunch.

The midday meal was sumptuous. Sang Mingjuan had already prepared many dishes for her daughter’s return, and added two more upon seeing Shen Tingwan. The table was full.

Sang Mingjing smiled. “It’s more lavish than New Year’s.”

Sang Mingjuan smiled shyly. She knew Shen Tingwan was good to Sang Ning and wanted to show her appreciation. “Just casual cooking. Not sure if it’s to your taste.”

“I like it all. Aunt, your cooking is great. Sang Ning’s cooking is delicious too.” Shen Tingwan smiled. She really liked the atmosphere in the Sang home—no excessive politeness, just enjoying a good meal.

Sang Mingjuan beamed at the praise. She had thought girls from the big city would be picky, but Shen Tingwan wasn’t like that at all. She relaxed and stopped being reserved.

After lunch, Shen Tingwan called out to Sang Ning. “Accompany me for a walk.”

“Okay.” Sang Ning knew Shen Tingwan had something to say to her. She took her to a nearby square, a good place for chatting and relaxing.

They found a quiet corner and sat under a banyan tree in the sun.

Though it seemed leisurely, Sang Ning’s heart was on edge. She turned her head casually and found Shen Tingwan staring at her. She fell silent, completely unsure how to interact with her anymore.

Shen Tingwan said, “Don’t move.”

Sang Ning immediately froze.

Shen Tingwan leaned over and gently removed a fallen leaf from her hair.

Sang Ning watched her draw close, her heart thrown into chaos by Shen Tingwan’s perfume. She knew she had improper thoughts—didn’t she mind the lack of propriety?

Shen Tingwan asked her, “Am I different from what you imagined?”

Sang Ning thought for a moment and nodded. It was only after getting to know her that she realized Shen Tingwan was completely different from what she had thought.

The wind and sunlight were pleasant that day, warming them gently.

Shen Tingwan looked into her eyes again. “That day, I didn’t respond because I didn’t feel calm enough yet. I couldn’t…” This affection was truly so heavy that it took her a long time to process.

“Senior, it’s okay.” Sang Ning smiled immediately, looking relieved. Her feelings must be putting a lot of pressure on her; she didn’t want to burden Shen Tingwan at all.

Seeing her smile like that, Shen Tingwan’s heart ached a little.

“I didn’t mean to disturb you. You don’t need to feel pressured.” Sang Ning looked at her and, unusually, took the initiative to talk. It was the truth—though she had overstepped in her thoughts about Shen Tingwan, she never intended to make them reality.

Shen Tingwan gazed at Sang Ning’s earnest expression. If she hadn’t met her, she wouldn’t have believed someone could like her so purely, without wanting anything in return. She knew Sang Ning liked her humbly, but she hadn’t expected it to be herself. The more sincere Sang Ning’s gaze, the more her heart hurt.

Sang Ning poured it all out. “Besides, that was a long time ago. I don’t have any other thoughts…”

Shen Tingwan blurted out, “So you don’t like me anymore?”

“I…” Sang Ning’s mind went blank for a moment. She fumbled, “I only see you as a friend. Nothing else.”

Shen Tingwan cut her off. “What if I want something else?”

Sang Ning stared in stunned silence.

She needed time to process those words…

Shen Tingwan felt both heartbroken and helpless. “You think I took leave today and rushed over impatiently just to be friends with you?”

Sang Ning remained speechless, staring at Shen Tingwan’s face as her mind stayed in chaos.

Shen Tingwan softened her tone, gazing at her patiently. “There’s someone who makes my heart race. I like her, but she says she only sees me as a friend. What should I do?”

Sang Ning’s body stiffened, then trembled lightly. Hearing “I like her” felt like a hallucination…

“I don’t know why you liked me at first. I might not be as perfect as you imagined.” Shen Tingwan was equally serious, saying much of what she wanted to. She leaned closer, looking into her eyes gently. “Do you want to keep liking me?”