She’s Just Too Hard to Win Over [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 11

Fang Ningcheng went inside first, leaving Ning Xue and Jing Ling standing at the door.

“Tomorrow’s Saturday,” Ning Xue said. “I’m going with my mom to buy her a new phone.”

She blurted it out instinctively, like she was reporting her schedule to someone close. Feeling a little embarrassed, she waved and was about to head inside when Jing Ling softly asked,

“What’s your phone number?”

Ning Xue watched as Jing Ling took out her phone, so she obediently told her.

Right after she said it, her own phone began to ring—a gentle, soothing tune, like a cool breeze brushing past, calming the restless heart.

Ning Xue didn’t hang up right away. Instead, she smiled at Jing Ling before opening the door and stepping inside.

Jing Ling looked at the numbers blinking on her screen, her fingertip hovering for a moment before she typed in a note.

Warm Sun.

Because every time she saw her, that girl carried a smile on her face—bright and warm, like a little sun.

Ning Xue had barely walked through the door when her mother’s angry shouting echoed from the living room. She quickly ended the call and pressed herself against the wall, inching closer to Fang Ningcheng.

“They’re still arguing?”

He shook his head, lowering his voice. “Seems like they’re talking about moving. Dad’s job’s in Jiangcheng he probably wants us to live there with him.”

Ning Xue’s heart sank. What? Move now? Her mission had barely even started!

“What about Mom? Did she agree?”

“If she agreed, they wouldn’t still be yelling,” he muttered.

You gotta admit, Mom’s got stamina she’s been cussing nonstop without repeating a word.

“Then go calm her down!” Ning Xue whispered urgently.

Fang Ningcheng shook his head like a rattle. “Can’t. She’s fuming. I’d just end up in the crossfire. Let it be. Dad’s used to it by now. Just wash up and go to bed. If you can’t sleep, come play a couple rounds of games with me.”

Ning Xue wasn’t interested in games. She lay on her bed, scrolling through her phone, adding a note for Jing Ling’s number before searching it on WeChat.

A completely blank profile appeared white default avatar, a single dot for a username, and an empty Moments page. So minimal it didn’t even look like a young person’s account.

Yet, somehow, it fit Jing Ling perfectly.

She sent a friend request, and it was accepted almost immediately.

Ning Xue typed a message.

Her phone buzzed a moment later.

Guess who I am?

Ning Xue smiled and replied: Ning Xue.

After reading that, she sighed at how literal Jing Ling was, then sent a cute cat sticker.

There was no reply for a long time.

On the other end, Jing Ling scrolled through her phone, realizing she didn’t have any stickers beyond the default ones and none seemed appropriate.

Ning Xue liked cute things. But Jing Ling wasn’t cute, and she didn’t own anything that could be called cute either.

Her WeChat was empty. Her personality was plain. Would Ning Xue eventually find her boring and stop talking to her?

The more she thought about it, the more irritated she became. That cat sticker looked more and more annoying.

Then another message came.

Are you asleep?

Her thumb slipped, and a message went out before she even realized it.

I don’t like that sticker.

By the time she noticed, it was too late to take it back. The words looked cold and blunt on the screen.

Before she could decide whether to delete it, Ning Xue replied:

You don’t like cats? What about dogs?

A dog emoji followed.

For some reason, the irritation in Jing Ling’s chest eased a little. She took her finger off the screen and casually replied with a simple smile emoji.

Ning Xue stared at it.

“Seriously?”

Neither cats nor dogs worked? Tough crowd.

Who doesn’t like cats? she thought, silently judging, then wrapped up the conversation.

Good night. Sweet dreams!

Jing Ling replied with another polite Good night, then stared at their chat in silence.

After a while, she frowned slightly. That sounded too stiff. No wonder she thinks I’m boring.

Later that night, with the world quiet and still, she found herself searching the internet for WeChat tips. She learned quickly discovering she could install new keyboards that came with built-in sticker packs.

By the time she was done, it was already past midnight.

Looking at the collection of adorable stickers on her screen, Jing Ling couldn’t help but smile until she froze, groaned, and tossed her phone aside.

“What am I even doing? This is insane…”

Meanwhile, Ning Xue ran into a strange man.

She had only gone to the restroom, but when she came out, both her brother and mother were gone. Just as she was about to look for them, a man in a black suit looking every bit like a mafia bodyguard blocked her way.

“Miss Fang, my employer would like to see you.”

Her heart jumped. “And who’s your employer?” she asked warily.

She hadn’t offended anyone recently… right?

Then it hit her. Wait. Could it be because of Chen Caihui? She had taught her a lesson recently, and rumor had it that Chen’s family was loaded.

The man’s face was hard and expressionless. “Please don’t make this difficult for me, Miss Fang.”

You’re the one making it difficult for me! Ning Xue screamed internally.

If he knew her name, it meant they’d already looked into her and tracked her movements.

It was a crowded mall she could probably escape if she ran. But if she fled today, what about tomorrow? They knew everything about her, and she knew nothing about them. Worse, if they couldn’t get her, they might go after her family.

Grinding her teeth, she said, “Fine. I’ll go with you.”

At least in public, they wouldn’t dare do anything too reckless.

Behind the mall, a black Bentley idled quietly.

Inside, Gu Lan reclined in the backseat, a slender cigarette between her fingers. Smoke drifted lazily upward, softening the sharp lines of her face until she looked both unreal and untouchable.

The man led Ning Xue to the car, then bowed slightly. “Boss, she’s here.”

The tinted window slid down, revealing a strikingly beautiful yet severe face. Her gaze was sharp as a blade—so cold that Ning Xue instinctively bristled.

Gu Lan seemed to be waiting for her to speak, but Ning Xue clenched her jaw and stayed silent. In a standoff, the first to speak lost.

“You’re close with Jing Ling?” The woman’s voice was unexpectedly pleasant—low and smooth, like cool water over glass.

Ning Xue blinked. She hadn’t expected that. For someone who dressed and looked so androgynous, she’d assumed the voice would be deeper.

“Well,” Ning Xue said carefully, “I’m her only friend.”

She put special emphasis on the word only.

“So she’s actually willing to make friends,” Gu Lan murmured, almost to herself. Then she looked up again, eyes razor-sharp. “Aside from your face, I can’t see what else stands out about you. Were you perhaps… bewitched by her looks?”

Ning Xue’s lips twitched. I have plenty of good qualities, thank you very much.

“Since you’re close to her,” Gu Lan continued, stubbing out her cigarette, “that makes things easier.”

She handed over a check, her every motion dripping with condescension like a noblewoman tossing alms to a beggar.

Ning Xue’s impression of her worsened immediately.

“Every day, you’ll report to me about Jing Ling’s situation at school,” Gu Lan said. “What she eats, who she talks to, her grades, when she goes home everything.”

Then Ning Xue caught sight of the number on the check one million yuan and her entire worldview shifted.

Well… alms are alms. Pride doesn’t pay bills, but this? This could change lives.

With that money, her mom would never have to bow and scrape again. She wouldn’t have to worry about affording school.

Heaven-sent meat pie, right into her hands.

Still, she hesitated. To be safe, she asked the system in her mind,

Does this… count as getting paid for doing nothing.