“Wu Ma’s cooking is still as good as ever.” Luo Yaling said with her mouth full.
“Slow down, Little Ya.” Wu Ma looked at her with joy.
After a while, Wu Ma said she was going to leave.
“Wu Ma, are you leaving already? Won’t you stay a bit longer?”
” Luo Yaling said reluctantly.
“It’s late, I’ll head back now. I’ll come see Little Ya another day,” Wu Ma said as she went downstairs.
“Then… okay! Goodbye, Wu Ma!” Luo Ya waved goodbye.
Luo Yaling watched Wu Ma get into her car and then returned inside.
Looking at the empty room, she sighed. Alone again. She never used to feel this way, but now her heart felt empty. Was it because of all the recent events?
Never mind. I’ll just go to sleep!
Sleeping is comfortable and can push messy thoughts aside. But can she sleep tonight? Maybe. Luo Yaling lay on the bed, thinking.
Soon, snoring filled the room.
The next day, Luo Yaling woke up very early and got dressed. She wasn’t dressing up for herself, but like an old spinster.
“OK! Done.” She put on some old-fashioned glasses.
At the company, Wang Qing was surprised to see Luo Yaling arrive.
“What wind blew you here so early and on time? You’re usually late. Did it rain red today?” Wang Qing looked outside. The weather was fine! This made her secretly happy.
“Sister Qing, can’t I be early occasionally?” Luo Yaling awkwardly touched her head. She’d never come this early before, but she couldn’t admit it.
“May I ask if Miss Xiao Ling is here?” A voice interrupted Wang Qing.
“I am.” Luo Yaling replied.
“Miss, these are for you. Please sign.” The postal worker handed her a form.
“Here.” Luo Yaling signed and took the flowers.
“Little Ling, who sent these roses?” Wang Qing asked.
Luo Yaling was confused, having no idea who sent her flowers. She opened the card with Wang Qing leaning in.
“Wow! ‘To my dear Ling Ling’? Who is it? Little Ling, is it your boyfriend? Why didn’t you introduce him to me?” Wang Qing pondered, wondering who would pursue her, considering that Luo Yaling might look pretty when dressed up, but not as pretty as herself.
“Sister Qing…” Luo Yaling was startled by Wang Qing’s closeness.
“Are you embarrassed?” Wang Qing asked.
“Sister Qing, don’t talk nonsense. I don’t have a boyfriend.” Luo Yaling replied.
“Really? So Miss Xiao doesn’t know who sent these?” Wang Qing looked sharply at her.
No boyfriend, but there was someone—though she hadn’t agreed to be his girlfriend yet. She was still observing. But she really didn’t know about these flowers!
“If I knew…” A ringtone interrupted Luo Yaling.
Who could it be?
Luo Yaling checked her phone and saw a name that surprised her.
Luo Yaling was surprised when she received a call from Wang Nie, just after thinking about him.
“Hello!” she answered, glancing at Wang Qing.
“Did you receive the flowers?” he asked.
“It was you who sent them?” Luo Yaling exclaimed, puzzled about who could have sent them.
“Yes! Do you like them? I picked them out for you,” Wang Nie’s excited voice came through.
“Why are you sending me flowers?” she inquired, feeling a mix of happiness and confusion at receiving flowers for the first time.
“Of course, it’s for my dear Ling!” he replied smoothly.
“When did I become your ‘dear’?” Luo Yaling asked, looking at Wang Qing with a strange expression.
“Girlfriend! You’re my dear! Right?” Wang Nie responded.
“When did I become your girlfriend?” Luo Yaling pressed, realizing she had never agreed to that.
“The moment I kissed you, I considered it your agreement,” he said casually.
“You…” she was left speechless, feeling frustrated. She had never consented to that kiss; it was her first!
“Okay, dear Ling, that’s how it is! I have something to handle. I’ll pick you up after work. Bye!”
Wang Nie hung up before Luo Yaling could respond, leaving her frustrated.
He had unilaterally decided to pick her up without waiting for her agreement. She put the phone back in her bag.
“Xiao Ling, you say you don’t have a boyfriend, but one has already come knocking. Why won’t you admit it?” Wang Qing asked.
“No, he claimed that himself. I didn’t agree,” Luo Yaling responded.
“Honestly, you should dress up. You’re always in such outdated clothes, scaring away men. For a woman, appearance is crucial. Now that a guy has come along, don’t give up easily, or you’ll regret it,” Wang Qing suggested.
Luo Yaling understood that Wang Qing was saying this out of concern.
“Thank you! I’ll consider your suggestion,” she thought, appreciating the good intentions behind Wang Qing’s words.
Chapter Fifty-One: What is Love?
After work, Luo Yaling saw Wang Nie waiting for her near the company in a secluded area. He waved at her, looking even more handsome and spirited. She was momentarily stunned but quickly walked toward him.
Wang Nie saw her moment of surprise and flashed a charming smile. He hugged Luo Yaling, kissed her forehead, and asked, “Ling, did you miss me?”
He removed her hairpin, letting her smooth hair cascade down like a waterfall, and took off her old-fashioned glasses, transforming her into a beauty. He had been shocked by her earlier appearance; how could she turn into an ugly duckling? She looked worse each time he saw her. He couldn’t understand why she didn’t care about her looks. He just wanted to avoid eye discomfort, and now she looked much more comfortable—what man doesn’t love a beautiful woman?
Luo Yaling touched her forehead, staring at him blankly. “You… kissed me again?”
“We’re boyfriend and girlfriend!” Wang Nie said in an overly sweet voice.
“Boy-friend…” Luo Yaling exclaimed before stopping herself, taking deep breaths to calm down; his kiss had confused her heart.
“Yes! You’re my girlfriend, so I gave you a greeting kiss! If you’re not satisfied, we can have a French kiss!” Wang Nie said, leaning in to kiss her lips and playfully winking at her. He guided her to the passenger seat, then took the driver’s seat and drove off happily.
His mood was great; he didn’t expect her to be so interesting.
He’d need to put in more effort. The current situation was promising—she was starting to have feelings for him. Her anger meant she was beginning to care about him. Soon! Wang Nie grew happier and started humming a song.
But Luo Yaling’s mood was not good. She wiped her lips, trying to remove his taste.
At this rate, wouldn’t he devour her completely soon? She had just added him to her list of candidates but didn’t expect him to move so fast! She wanted to give away her virginity but needed to consider the circumstances. Her first kiss was already gone, so she’d have to save her virginity for her husband. She originally planned to save her first kiss for her husband and then say goodbye to her virginity. Now she had to keep something in reserve!
She couldn’t be sure if he would be her husband in the future. She didn’t want to be scolded when she went back. Besides, she hadn’t found him yet. Even if she found him, it would be useless. So she could slowly drag this out! She would see if he was just momentarily excited or truly sincere, or if he had ulterior motives. She would make a decision based on the situation. Did finding a husband require love? She just wanted to choose someone better to go home with. If love was required, she completely didn’t understand it.
What is love?
She didn’t understand love at all; she only knew familial love. The love between men and women was something she had never experienced. With him, she was just playing around. However, the more they interacted, the more she felt something different. What was this feeling? Could it be love? No way! They had only known each other for such a short time! But what exactly was love? Luo Yaling furrowed her brow in confusion.
