127 The Thoughtful Pei Ningle
This Monday, following the routine of the past few months, Wang Heng went off-campus to have lunch with Pei Ningle.
Compared to a few months ago, Pei Ningle was not so strapped for cash now. At her strong suggestion, the two went to a hot pot restaurant.
And just after ordering, Pei Ningle emphasized, “My treat today!”
Wang Heng: “You’ve only earned a little money, and you’re already rushing to treat?”
“After deducting rent, it should be about the same as your part-time job…” At this point, the girl rolled her eyes, as if reciting the answer to a reading comprehension question.
Wang Heng didn’t think much of it, just smiled. “You might have misunderstood my earning ability. The part-time coding job a while ago was about the same as your bar singing, but now I have a new job.”
Pei Ningle asked, “What part-time job is it?”
“Consultant for the investment department of Penguin Company. This part-time job is even better. No need to sit in the office, just chat with people on the phone when I’m free, or occasionally have a video call at most. But the money I get is no less than writing code.”
Wang Heng’s answer clearly exceeded Pei Ningle’s expectations. The girl blinked, stuck for a moment.
How should I ask next? This question is out of the syllabus!
After a few seconds of daze, Pei Ningle simply skipped the intermediate steps and said, “Yesterday when I went to the supermarket to buy things, passing by the school gate, I saw you with a girl…”
Wang Heng was instantly on alert.
Such an abrupt change of topic, does it signal something? Did this girl ask on purpose?
He asked back calmly, “Where did you see us?”
Pei Ningle blinked. “Right next to the martial arts gym next to the school, it seems to be the newly opened one…”
Wang Heng didn’t speak, just stared at her quietly. So soon, Pei Ningle’s tone became a little weak, and her eyes dodged a little.
Observing the girl’s expression, Wang Heng judged that the scene of her seeing him leaving the martial arts gym with Ye Xun should not be a coincidence. Not a coincidence, that meant… she was stalking him?
Throughout the first timeline, Pei Ningle should never have stalked him, but what was going on now? She had learned to stalk?
Who did she learn this from?
Was it because of the inspiration from the dream of the first timeline, or did she enlighten herself without inspiration?
If it was the inspiration from the dream, that was fine, but if she enlightened herself, then it needed to be treated with caution.
Wang Heng didn’t seriously consider the possibility that Pei Ningle learned from Han Yixuan. After all, during the first timeline, these two girls were mortal enemies, meeting like the tip of a needle against a wheat awn. He still remembered that after Han Yixuan joined the battlefield, she stalked Pei Ningle and was accidentally discovered by her, and then Pei Ningle simply called the police, making Han Yixuan so miserable… After that, until the final yandere death game, Wang Heng didn’t dare to let these two meet, otherwise there would be a risk of an accident as soon as they met, cursing each other as “bitch” and “mistress”, not to mention how fierce it was.
These two girls, from personality, values, educational background to hobbies, were completely incompatible. Thinking about how fiercely they argued back then, logically speaking, the most unlikely collusion was between Pei Ningle and Han Yixuan.
After a brief thought, Wang Heng decided it was better to be cautious. Knowing that Pei Ningle’s affection had exceeded the safety line and she had started to dream of the first timeline, then assume she was enlightened now and couldn’t be treated as the airhead during the first timeline.
That is to say, he had to be slightly more vigilant and couldn’t think of perfunctory lies that were easy to expose.
So he explained, “That was someone I met while tutoring, a client I guess. Yesterday we happened to meet at the martial arts gym, she got me a membership card and became my combat coach.”
Truth, all truth, this was the minimum risk.
Recalling the strategy given by Han Yixuan, Pei Ningle continued to ask, “Then is your relationship quite good?”
Regarding this question, Wang Heng thought for a moment.
Also telling the truth, but there were different strategies in between. Facts may have many sides, and a skilled scumbag would choose the side most beneficial to himself to state.
So for him, what was the most beneficial strategy?
Was it to clear the relationship with Ye Xun, or simply embellish it?
If he deliberately let Pei Ningle misunderstand and think he had an ambiguous relationship with Ye Xun, maybe it could make her retreat in the face of difficulties… But wait, he had already told her about having a girlfriend not long ago!
Making her think he was a scumbag, what effect would this have? It might dissuade her, but would it instead make her feel there was an opportunity? Since he was already a scumbag, he wouldn’t mind adding one more? Recalling the scene where relationships were exposed to each other in the first timeline, Wang Heng shuddered instantly.
Directly saying Ye Xun was that shield didn’t seem appropriate either—after all, when he told her he had a girlfriend, he made a virtual shield based on Han Yixuan’s template. So as long as she checked Ye Xun a little, it would be exposed immediately. With Pei Ningle’s performance today, he naturally couldn’t bring out such a clumsy lie.
So he said decisively, “No special relationship, just normal mutual benefit.”
Pei Ningle recalled the strategy and continued, “So that’s how it is, I thought she was your girlfriend…”
Wrong, very wrong!
Wang Heng keenly noticed that the words just spoken by Pei Ningle would be more appropriate if they came from Han Yixuan. This understated probing really didn’t sound like Pei Ningle’s lines.
He decided to probe too.
“If you’re curious about my girlfriend, do you want me to bring her to meet you?”
According to the memorized answer, Pei Ningle nodded immediately. “Okay, I’m really quite curious.”
Obviously, a shield was needed now.
At this time, the waiter on the side had already brought all the dishes over. The two paused their conversation with hidden thoughts and started putting things into the boiling red oil pot.
After pouring in a plate of tofu skin, Wang Heng quietly took out his phone and sent a text message to Han Yixuan:
【There is one thing, I might have to trouble you a little. You know, I don’t want to fall in love, so I told others I already have a girlfriend. But now there is a girl who might have a crush on me, she said she wants to meet my girlfriend, so can I trouble you this weekend? Sorry, very presumptuous interruption, but I’ll cover all expenses for the meeting, and you can also enjoy a big meal and afternoon tea or something, how about it?】
The text message was sent, and Wang Heng thought—Han Yixuan should agree, right?
The key was, anyway, he and Han Yixuan were not in the same school, and the usual distance was far enough. Occasionally letting her be a shield shouldn’t give her a chance to push her luck.
Hmm, if Han Yixuan’s school was right next door, then Wang Heng could only helplessly swallow his pride and ask Fengjia Miaomiao to act as a shield…
**
While Wang Heng and Pei Ningle were eating hot pot, Han Yixuan had already hurriedly finished lunch, walked to the entrance of the library, and prepared to go to the seat she had grabbed to continue self-study.
Just then, she received Wang Heng’s text message.
Glancing at it, the girl beamed with joy instantly.
“OK, the first operation is a great success!”
Thinking for a moment, she immediately replied to the text message:
【No problem, but no need for a big meal, save you some money.】
