Chapter 26: A Scene of Carnage? Ye Wanqing: Xiaoning’er Has Met Her Match
???
Gu Yifan and Su Qinghe were both stunned for a moment, then turned around to look behind them at the same time.
Not far away, a beautiful middle-aged woman in a high-end purple wool sweater was walking toward them with a smile.
While they were still dazed, Ye Wanqing and Han Ning had already approached.
"Aunt Qing, you’re here too? What a coincidence!"
Snapping back to his senses, Gu Yifan quickly stood up to greet Ye Wanqing.
"Yes, I am!"
"Yifan, I didn’t expect to run into you here either, hahaha..."
Ye Wanqing said with a smile.
Just then, Gu Yifan also noticed Han Ning pouting behind Ye Wanqing. However, he only gave her a fleeting glance before looking away.
He turned back to Ye Wanqing and asked with a smile, "Aunt Qing, are you... out shopping?"
"That’s right!"
"I’m out buying a few things with Xiaoning’er, hahaha..."
Ye Wanqing said with a laugh.
While the two were exchanging pleasantries, Han Ning recognized the girl standing next to Gu Yifan!
’Su Qinghe...?’
Mountain City First Middle School wasn’t that big. Of course Han Ning knew Su Qinghe, who was also known as the "commoner school beauty"!
’But... why is she with this guy, Gu Yifan?’
As she thought about it, Han Ning’s delicate eyebrows couldn’t help but furrow slightly.
’That’s right!’
’Yesterday afternoon on the roof of the academic building, Su Qinghe was there too!’
’And I think she was the first one standing on the edge of the rooftop!’
Suddenly, Han Ning remembered what had happened yesterday afternoon.
’Could it be... the two of them planned to commit suicide together today???’
For a moment, her imagination ran wild.
At this point, after exchanging a few more pleasantries with Gu Yifan, Ye Wanqing changed the subject. She pointed to the large pile of various snacks on the chair, then to Su Qinghe, and asked, "Yifan, what’s all this...?"
"Oh, I almost forgot to introduce you. This is my classmate, Su Qinghe. We came to the snack street to eat together!"
"Um... Xiao... er, Han Ning should know her too!"
Gu Yifan said, patting the back of his head.
As he made the introduction, he had subconsciously, out of habit, started to say "Xiaoning’er," but he caught himself and immediately corrected it.
Hearing Gu Yifan call her daughter by her full name, Ye Wanqing gave him a deep look.
’Others might not have noticed the change, but how could she miss it?’
’Gu Yifan always used to call her Xiaoning’er, but now he’s suddenly changed it. It’s most likely because his confession was rejected.’
’He’s trying to draw a clear line between himself and Xiaoning’er!’
’Sigh~’
’It seems Xiaoning’er rejecting him in front of so many people this time really hurt him!’
Ye Wanqing thought to herself.
"Hello, Auntie~"
Just then, Su Qinghe, who was standing to the side, greeted her in a soft voice.
"Ah~"
"Classmate Su, hello, hello~"
Hearing Su Qinghe greet her, Ye Wanqing pushed aside her thoughts and smiled at the girl.
As she spoke, she also took a good look at Su Qinghe. When she saw Su Qinghe’s face clearly, she was rather stunned.
’This female classmate of Yifan’s is on par with Xiaoning’er in terms of looks. And that gentle, quiet, and delicate aura about her just makes you want to protect her.’
’Going to a snack street to eat together...’
’It looks like her relationship with Gu Yifan isn’t so ordinary!’
’Looks like Xiaoning’er has met her match!’
’But maybe not a match, after all. My own Xiaoning’er doesn’t seem to like Gu Yifan anyway.’
’Besides, Gu Yifan seems to be in good spirits. He doesn’t look like someone who’s so distraught he’d jump off a building!’
’But Xiaoning’er said that Gu Yifan was so upset about her rejection yesterday that he tried to jump off the building?’
’Could there be some misunderstanding, or did Gu Yifan come to his senses after the whole rooftop incident?’
For a moment, Ye Wanqing’s mind was filled with doubt as she considered many possibilities.
"Aunt Qing? Aunt Qing...?"
Just then, Gu Yifan’s voice calling her name reached her ears.
"Ah?"
"Yifan, what did you just say?"
"I didn’t quite hear you."
Ye Wanqing said apologetically as she came back to her senses.
"Uh..."
Gu Yifan was a bit exasperated and had no choice but to repeat himself. "I said... Aunt Qing, if you have something to do, you should go ahead. Don’t worry about me."
"Oh, oh~"
"Alright then, I’ll take Xiaoning’er to the mall to buy a few things first."
Ye Wanqing said with a nod.
"Oh, right! Yifan, I haven’t been to your house in a long time. If you’re heading home later, tell your mom for me that I’ll be dropping by tonight to chat with her."
"Hahaha..."
After a moment’s thought, Ye Wanqing added.
"Er... okay!"
Hearing this, Gu Yifan was a bit confused but nodded in agreement anyway.
"Alright then, Xiaoning’er and I will get going!"
"You and Classmate Xiaosu have fun!"
Seeing this, Ye Wanqing didn’t linger any longer and spoke to Gu Yifan.
"Okay."
"Bye, Aunt Qing~"
Gu Yifan said with a nod.
"Alright, see you tonight!"
Ye Wanqing nodded, then turned and left with Han Ning.
Before leaving, however, Han Ning gave Su Qinghe a deep, meaningful look.
Seeing the hostility in Han Ning’s eyes, Su Qinghe first glanced at Gu Yifan, then at Han Ning’s departing back, her eyes flickering thoughtfully.
Gu Yifan retracted his gaze and turned to find Su Qinghe staring at him.
"Ahem~"
Feeling a little unnerved by her stare, Gu Yifan coughed and said, "Is... is there something on my face?"
"No."
Su Qinghe averted her gaze and replied softly.
Gu Yifan: "..."
’This girl is obviously lying!’
’So dishonest!’
He complained silently to himself.
But he could only mutter these words in his heart; he would never dare say them out loud!
"Anyway, let’s get back to eating!"
Gu Yifan said, changing the subject.
"Okay!"
Su Qinghe nodded lightly.
The two sat back down and began to tackle the pile of snacks before them!
...
「A dozen or so minutes later.」
"I can’t, I can’t!"
"I really can’t eat another bite!"
Gu Yifan said, waving his hand at Su Qinghe after swallowing his last takoyaki ball.
"Huh?"
"But..."
Su Qinghe furrowed her brow. "Then... then what do we do with all this leftover food?"
"I seriously can’t eat anymore!"
"If there’s no other choice, just throw it away!"
"It’s not like any of this cost much anyway!"
Gu Yifan said with a wave of his hand.
Hearing Gu Yifan say to throw it away, Su Qinghe’s delicate eyebrows furrowed even deeper.
Honestly, it wasn’t that she was stingy. But having grown up in poverty, she knew how precious food was and didn’t want to waste it.
But!
Right now, both she and Gu Yifan were genuinely stuffed.
Gu Yifan noticed Su Qinghe had suddenly gone quiet and glanced over at her.
Seeing her staring blankly at the remaining snacks, he understood that she couldn’t bear to let them go to waste.
"I’ve got it!"
"I’ve found a way to take care of all these snacks!"
Gu Yifan suddenly exclaimed.
Then, under Su Qinghe’s puzzled gaze, he took out his phone and dialed a number...