Truth be told, Ning Ran did not want to add Ouyang Qing.
There was no particular reason, she simply did not want to.
But Ouyang Qing was very insistent and had even taken out her phone, just waiting for Ning Ran to add her. It would make her look bad if Ning Ran were to reject her.
If Ouyang Qing were a man, Ning Ran wouldn’t mind being blunt.
However, since the person standing across her was a pretty and stunning young girl that was speaking to her in such an adorable way, Ning Ran couldn’t bring herself to be harsh with her.
So in the end, she added Ouyang Qing on WeChat.
“Thank you, Ran. This way,” with a sweet tone, Ouyang Qing led Ning Ran to her car.
Ouyang Qing’s car was a very eye-catching red sports car.
Just like its owner, her car was the epitome of beauty and class.
Ouyang Qing opened the car door for Ning Ran personally, which made the latter felt a little overwhelmed.
Even though the two of them were acquaintances at best, Ouyang Qing had succeeded in making Ning Ran let her guard down.
It was said that some people were blessed with an inborn innocent look that could quickly win over others’ trust, and Ouyang Qing was one of them.
“Ran, could you please share our location with Chen so that he can follow us? I’m not sure if he knows the way to the restaurant,” Ouyang Qing said.
“Sure.”
Ning Ran shared their location with Nan Chen, but he did not reply.
“Ran, what kind of a person is Chen?”
Ouyang Qing continued chatting with Ning Ran as she drove.
It was a rare chance for her to interact directly with Ning Ran, so Ouyang Qing had to seize the opportunity to dig as much information from her as she could.
As the saying goes, one should always keep one’s friends close and one’s enemies closer. It was a principle that Ouyang Qing lived by.
It never occurred to Ning Ran that Ouyang Qing would bring up such a question and in an instant, she became wary again.
Why is she asking about this?
After all, she’s so close with the Nan family. How could she not know what kind of a person Nan Chen is?
If she knows everything but still asks me, does that mean that she’s trying to fish some information from me?
Maybe she has even placed a voice recorder in the car to record down how I’d complain about Poker Face so that she could accuse me of it…
At the thought of that, Ning Ran became even more vigilant.
But upon further pondering, she felt that she might have complicated things herself. I’m probably overthinking stuff, this isn’t a TV series, after all. I don’t think actual humans could be so treacherous in reality, right?
“Ran, what are you thinking about?” Ouyang Qing’s voice pulled Ning Ran back to reality.
“Oh, nothing.”
“You haven’t answered my question yet,” Ouyang Qing continued.
“What question?” Ning Ran feigned ignorance.
“I was asking, what do you think about Chen?” Ouyang Qing repeated her question.
“Mr. Chen? I don’t know much about him.”
Ning Ran tried her best to deflect her question. Trying to snoop about and get information from me? I won’t be fooled!
“Come on now, no way that’s true! You’re so close with Chen. How can you not know much about him?”
“No, we’re not close. we’re just colleagues,” replied Ning Ran.
“I’m sure that’s not true. Chen doesn’t really use WeChat and I’m not even his friend on WeChat, but you are! That proves how close the two of you are.”
Realization dawned on Ning Ran that the reason Ouyang Qing’s request for her to share their location with Nan Chen earlier was to find out if she and Nan Chen were friends on WeChat.
Ning Ran was totally oblivious of that fact until then.
This girl is really something, she’s definitely not as simple as she seems to be.
“As I said for the umpteenth time, we’re not close. Being friends on WeChat is only for working purposes, you’re really overthinking things,” Ning Ran muttered.
Ouyang Qing was a little disappointed because she knew she had failed to obtain the information she needed.
“You’re the prettiest girl I’ve ever met. There’re so many girls after Chen but none of them could beat you. You’re the only person that gives me the impression of being worthy of Chen.” Ouyang Qing decided to change her strategy.
Her words caused Ning Ran to be even more wary.
“Nonsense. Mr. Chen and I are strictly colleagues, and that’s it. It’s nothing like what you just said.”
“Then do you think you’re good enough for Chen?” asked Ouyang Qing again.
Ning Ran refused to answer this time.
She could sense the malicious intent behind the question, so she remained silent.
I’m straightforward but I’m not an idiot!
“Hahaha!” Ning Ran laughed out of the blue.
“What are you laughing at, Ran?”
“Nothing, I just realized something,” answered Ning Ran.
“What is it?”
“You like Nan Chen, don’t you?” Ning Ran asked as she chuckled.
Ouyang Qing was taken aback.
She thought she was good at disguising it but never had she expected that Ning Ran would see through her.
“You must be joking. Me and Chen, we’re childhood friends. We grew up together since young and I see Chen as my own brother.” Ouyang Qing tried to cover up for herself.
“Really? So I’ve overthinking then?”
“Yes, that’s right. You’re overthinking.”
“Well, if a girl is particularly concerned about a boy, especially in his affairs with other girls, there’s only one possibility. Which is, she likes him,” Ning Ran laughed as she said that.
“Indeed, I am concerned about Chen. But I’m only treating him as a brother,” Ouyang Qing muttered as a sense of guilt gnawed at her heart.
“Well, I guess I must have misunderstood then. Looks like we’ve both misunderstood each other. Neither of us is in a relationship with Nan Chen.”
“You called his name directly just now. Very few people addressed him that way in Flower City.” Ouyang Qing seemed to have found another “proof.”
Ning Ran knew she had slipped on that as well.
“Haha, that’s because people like us who’re working with him have been oppressed for too long so all of us call him by his name when he’s not around. My my, how careless of me to let that slipped. You must promise me not to tell him, or I’ll be in trouble.” Ning Ran pretended to be worried.
Do you think you’re the only one who knows how to act? Mind you, I’m the actual actress here.
Ouyang Qing found herself speechless all of a sudden.
She had also realized that Ning Ran was not as simple as she thought.
The two of them continued chatting, throwing shades at each other along the way, and after a few rounds of exchanges, they finally arrived at the restaurant.
This time, Ouyang Qing did not open the car door for Ning Ran. She was no longer in the mood.
Nan Chen still had not reached after a long while.
Logically speaking, both Nan Chen’s car and driving skills were no worse than Ouyang Qing’s, making her wonder what was taking Nan Chen so long.
Just then, Ning Ran’s phone rang. It was Nan Chen.
“Something came up in my company so you’ll have to keep my parents company,” Nan Chen said over the phone.
“What?”
Ning Ran was completely baffled. What is this about? You’re leaving me alone here just like that?
“No way! I don’t know them well,” Ning Ran lowered her voice and replied.
“Oh? I thought you were very close to them. Turns out you’re not?” Nan Chen was being sarcastic.
Poker Face is definitely taking revenge on me.
Previously, he had asked Ning Ran to help him turn it down but Ning Ran did not do as he asked, so he wanted Ning Ran to pay the price.
Bai Hua was obviously hostile toward Ning Ran. Now that Nan Chen was not around, she would definitely make it difficult for Ning Ran.
No way! I can’t let that happen!
“Mr. Chen, I’m sorry. Please don’t leave me here alone,” Ning Ran said with a hushed voice.
“What did you say?”
“It’s all my fault. I was wrong.”
“Wrong about what?”
“Wrong about everything. I should not have agreed to this meeting. I was a fool. I don’t deserve to be called a human…”
“If you’re not human, then what are you?”
Ning Ran was stunned. What a conversation killer.
Who would ever ask a question like that?
