After Flirting, She Runs Away, Chasing the White Moonlight to the Ends of the Earth - Chapter 6

After a brief dial tone, the call showed the other party was out of service range. Trying again, the call went through.

After two rings, the call was answered.

“Hello, may I ask who’s calling?” Lu Jin’an’s voice came through.

Being called proactively by a client, yet asked such a question. It seemed she hadn’t saved the number from the business card, which surprised Ning Nai a little.

“Professor Lu? It’s Ning Nai. Your cousin is locked out at the door,” Ning Nai said.

Lu Jin’an clearly hesitated for a moment. “Ah, Director Ning… I just changed the fingerprint lock and forgot to set a backup code. I’m really sorry to trouble you.” She seemed to have already accepted that she would have to inconvenience her.

“I’ll be back soon. Please look after Xiao Lang for me.”

The hallway was quiet, and the voice on the other end of the phone was clear.

Fang Lang could hear everything clearly and thought to himself, My sister is really giving me the perfect assist! He was practically jumping for joy on the side, afraid Ning Nai might object. From a meter away, he loudly replied:

“Got it, sis! I’ll wait for you at Sister Ning’s place. Hurry back!”

Ning Nai felt a vein twitch at her temple. These siblings really had no sense of social boundaries. The younger brother being immature was one thing, but how could the sister also…

Besides, were they even that close? As neighbors, they had only met once before.

But at least Fang Lang’s identity was confirmed. As a neighbor, it wasn’t unreasonable to let her cousin stay for a while.

Ning Nai opened the door to Unit 905 and let Fang Lang in for a glass of water, asking him to wait in the living room.

Ning Nai rarely had guests at home, and unfamiliar men had never visited before. With the summer heat and thin clothing, Fang Lang standing in her living room made her feel somewhat uneasy.

Fortunately, Fang Lang maintained a polite distance, which put her slightly at ease.

At this point, she began to find Fang Lang somewhat familiar, recalling the party at Unit 906 that night.

“Why didn’t I see your sister at that party?” Ning Nai asked deliberately.

Fang Lang’s eyes suddenly widened, as if he were about to cry. “Sister Ning, there’s something I need your help with. Please, whatever you do, don’t tell my sister about that party.”

His repeated use of “Sister Ning” made it seem like they were close, and Ning Nai thought this kid was way too socially bold.

Still, one thing was confirmed—that party likely had nothing to do with Lu Jin’an and was purely Fang Lang’s doing. She couldn’t help but glance at him sideways and say:

“It’s not impossible. But if you’re so afraid of your sister finding out, why did you do it?”

Fang Lang looked at the slender woman before him, her delicate features and faintly indifferent expression suddenly glistening with a captivating charm. His heart pounded wildly.

In an instant, he lost the composure he usually had around girls, his face flushing red as he stammered:

“Well… my sister prefers peace and quiet, and she’s a neat freak. If she found out I secretly invited friends over for a party at her place…”

So that was it. It seemed Ning Nai’s guess was correct—Lu Jin’an had decent taste, and there likely wouldn’t be any more party incidents in the future.

Ning Nai let out a small sigh of relief.

“So, Sister Ning, let’s keep this as our little secret, okay? There won’t be any more parties in the future. As repayment, I’ll agree to any request you make. Deal?” From Fang Lang’s expression, it was clear he was genuinely terrified of his sister.

Ning Nai nodded with an air of seasoned maturity, “Alright, I’ll keep your secret.” As she spoke, she handed Fang Lang a bottle of mineral water from the fridge.

Fang Lang took the water, finally relaxing enough to flash a grin as he plopped onto the sofa. He twisted the cap off and gulped down several mouthfuls, clearly parched.

Wiping his lips, he declared, “Then it’s settled! As thanks, I’ll treat Sister Ning to dinner today.”

His scheme had been carefully plotted—now that he’d successfully struck up a conversation, he couldn’t just leave. Since Sister Ning had helped him, it was only right to repay the favor.

This back-and-forth would help them get familiar, making it easier to ask for her WeChat later.

Noticing Ning Nai’s slightly puzzled look, Fang Lang pointed at two grocery bags.

“I bought a lot of ingredients. My sister’s cooking is out of this world,” he said with exaggerated enthusiasm, as if trying to convey just how delicious the food would be.

Hearing the key phrase—”my sister’s out-of-this-world cooking”—Ning Nai realized this kid was ready to throw his own sister under the bus just to return a favor.

Amused, she remarked, “Oh? I didn’t know Professor Lu could cook.”

Fang Lang immediately launched into lavish praise of Lu Jin’an’s culinary skills, as if worried Ning Nai might decline the invitation. “Then it’s decided, Sister Ning! Later, come to Room 906 and try it for yourself.”

“I’ll chill some champagne for you,” he added, already pulling out a bottle and shamelessly stashing it in Ning Nai’s fridge.

Ning Nai: “…”

The kid’s chatter seemed endless, and Ning Nai feared that if this continued, he’d end up planning her midnight snack too.

Fortunately, a knock soon interrupted them.

Tap tap tap.

Lu Jin’an stood at the door, barely able to look at Fang Lang lounging on Ning Nai’s sofa, animatedly gesturing.

“Sorry for the trouble, President Ning. My apologies.”

Fang Lang laughed. “Sis, come on! If we’ve inconvenienced someone, we should repay them right away. Tonight’s dinner is all on you!” He grabbed two large white plastic bags from the table.

Even from a glance, Lu Jin’an could tell they were packed with fresh ingredients.

Seeing the shift in Lu Jin’an’s expression, Ning Nai quickly played along, “I’ve heard Professor Lu’s skills are exceptional. Then I’ll gladly accept your hospitality.”

Her tone made it clear she had already agreed.

Lu Jin’an offered a polite smile.

Fang Lang, already on his feet with the bags, headed for the door eagerly. “Rest up for now, Sister Ning. I’ll come get you when dinner’s ready!”

Once the door to Room 906 closed behind them, Lu Jin’an turned on him.

“Explain. What’s going on? What did we agree on?”

They’d made a pact—during Ning Nai’s tenure as her client, Fang Lang was absolutely not to bother her. Yet, less than a week later, her little brother was already breaking that promise—dropping by unannounced, striking up conversations, and even arranging tonight’s dinner.

Suddenly, it dawned on Lu Jin’an. Maybe Ning Nai wasn’t averse to socializing—just to socializing with her. Otherwise, why had Fang Lang managed to improve their rapport so effortlessly?

“You’ve got some nerve!”

Fang Lang could tell her tone wasn’t exactly praise. Defensively, he muttered, “Well, you changed the passcode without telling me! Today was just a coincidence—I ran into Sister Ning by chance.”

Lu Jin’an gave him a sideways glance. “Don’t I know you? We used to go months without seeing each other, but now you’re at my place every single day. Whatever you’re after is written all over your face.”

Fang Lang, a muscular guy standing at 186cm, started tugging at his sister’s sleeve and whining like a child.

Lu Jin’an couldn’t bear to watch. “Alright, enough. Go wash all the vegetables here, then scram.”

Fang Lang immediately lit up with starry eyes. “Great! You’re the best sister ever.”

“I want pan-seared beef ribs, cream of mushroom soup, and pan-fried cod~”

Lu Jin’an’s cooking skills were naturally superb. In no time, three hot dishes, two cold dishes, and a soup were ready.

“Go on, call your Ning jiejie over.”