She’s Just Too Hard to Win Over [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 17

Ning Xue was caught off guard by the question, unable to come up with a good excuse.

Jing Ling saw her hesitation, her eyes drooping like a little dog that had just been abandoned by its owner.

“Do you hate me?”

Ning Xue immediately shook her head. “Of course not! Why would you think that?”

“But you left me behind… and didn’t even reply to my messages.” Jing Ling’s long lashes trembled, her voice soft and pitiful, as if she were about to cry.

Ning Xue’s heart ached. She wanted to pull her into her arms like before and comfort her, but now that Jing Ling’s feelings for her were unclear, she didn’t dare cross that line.

“I just…” Ning Xue bit her tongue, searching for the right words. “Something came up at home. Fang Ningchen called me back it wasn’t on purpose.”

Jing Ling lifted her gaze, eyes bright with hope. “Then can we go back to how we were before? Going to and from school together? You’re not allowed to avoid me anymore.”

What else could Ning Xue say?

From the look on Jing Ling’s face, it seemed she didn’t remember anything from the night before. If she brought it up herself and it turned out to be a misunderstanding, things would only get awkward.

She decided it was better to act like nothing had happened. From now on, they would just be friends.

“Sure,” Ning Xue said, smiling warmly. “Let’s go.”

They walked side by side, their shoulders brushing from time to time, sparking a strange restlessness in Jing Ling’s heart.

She turned slightly, glancing at Ning Xue from the corner of her eye. A faint, unreadable look flickered deep in her gaze.

Since you want to play, then I’ll play with you. Even if you were sent here by them, I’ll make sure you stay by my side.

Ning Xue… you’re not going anywhere.

“By the way,” Ning Xue asked, “how’s your fever? Has it gone down?”

Jing Ling pressed a hand to her lips and coughed lightly. “Yeah, it’s gone down. My head still hurts a bit, but I’ll manage.” She coughed again, cheeks flushing red.

Ning Xue felt a pang of concern. She reached out to touch her forehead. “You really don’t have a fever anymore, but you should still take care of yourself. The cold medicine you bought for me last week is still at school take a few tablets later.”

After a pause, she added gently, “When you’re sick, you should get treatment instead of trying to tough it out. You’re not alone anymore you have a friend to rely on now.”

She put extra emphasis on the word friend, hoping Jing Ling would understand.

Jing Ling’s eyes flickered. “Okay,” she said softly. “I’ll make sure to rely on you more in the future.”

But not as a friend.

Ning Xue smiled. “Good girl.”

Instinctively, she started to reach out and pat Jing Ling’s head, but halfway there, she awkwardly drew her hand back. Just then, the bus arrived, and she quickly stepped forward.

“The bus is here, let’s go.”

Jing Ling followed her on board. Instead of grabbing the handrail, she wrapped her arms around Ning Xue’s waist.

“It’s too crowded… and my head feels dizzy.”

Ning Xue froze for a moment, but didn’t push her away.

From Jing Ling’s angle, Ning Xue’s features were clear and delicate. Her gaze drifted down landing on her lips and refused to move away.

Those lips looked soft, carrying a sweetness that no candy could match.

Jing Ling’s throat moved as she swallowed hard, forcing herself to look away.

There was no rush. They still had plenty of time.

School life returned to its usual dull rhythm, but once Ning Xue calmed her heart, she realized the lessons weren’t that difficult. Whenever she didn’t understand something, she’d jot it down to ask Jing Ling later.

Jing Ling was still the same at school expressionless and quiet but with Ning Xue, she was gentler, her voice unconsciously softer.

Days went by, the weather warming. Students started changing into their summer uniforms. As teachers constantly reminded them, the second-years preparing to move up to their final year began to feel the pressure.

Fang Ningchen’s lottery luck was still terrible he’d tried several more times and lost every single one. Under Ning Xue’s subtle persuasion and Chen Jing’s teasing, he finally gave up and started focusing on his studies.

But lately, Jing Ling had been acting strange. She was colder than usual, skipped classes often, came home late or not at all.

For two weeks straight, Ning Xue had gone home alone. Sometimes Fang Ningchen gave her a ride, but most of the time, she just walked by herself, not knowing when or if Jing Ling would show up.

At some point, she realized she had grown used to Jing Ling’s presence. When she didn’t see her for a while, her heart felt oddly empty.

She told herself it was just the kind of attachment one felt toward a close friend.

Then, one night, Jing Ling showed up covered in wounds.

Ning Xue froze in shock. She wanted to take her to the hospital, but Jing Ling stopped her.

“There’s a first-aid kit at home,” she said weakly. “Help me take care of it.”

“I don’t know how,” Ning Xue stammered, her voice trembling as she saw how pale Jing Ling was. “Please, let’s just go to the hospital.”

“No. They’re looking for me,” Jing Ling murmured, too weak to explain who “they” were.

Seeing she barely had the strength to stand, Ning Xue hoisted her up and hurried back to her place.

The house looked the same as always bare, quiet, more like an empty shell than a home. Dust had settled over everything.

Ning Xue gently laid Jing Ling down on the sofa, then took off her coat to examine the wounds. Her arms, chest, and back were covered in long, uneven cuts like they’d been made by blades.

Taking a deep breath, Ning Xue forced herself to stay calm. She opened the first-aid kit and arranged the supplies neatly, treating the wounds step by step.

She might not have tended to someone else before, but she’d patched herself up more times than she could count.

In her old missions, scrapes and injuries were common, and without proper conditions, she’d had no choice but to handle them on her own.

At first, the bl00d had shocked her, but after inspecting the injuries, she realized most weren’t deep. They just looked terrifying.

Once she finished cleaning and bandaging the wounds, she helped Jing Ling take a painkiller and finally slumped onto the sofa, exhausted.

She hadn’t felt tired while concentrating, but now that it was over, even her legs felt weak.

“How did you get hurt like this?” she asked, frowning. Then her expression changed sharply. “Don’t tell me that person the one from before came after you?”

“That person?” Jing Ling’s lips were so pale they almost blended into her skin.

Ning Xue hesitated, then said simply, “The day I met you at the mall, someone who looked just like her stopped me. She offered me a million yuan to spy on you. I turned her down, of course. I thought she meant no harm and maybe you knew each other but… could she actually be your enemy or something?”

“You refused her?”

Jing Ling’s eyes darkened. She slowly pushed herself upright.

“Hey, don’t move!” Ning Xue said quickly. “You’ll reopen the wounds.”

She grabbed a cushion and tucked it behind Jing Ling’s back to support her.

Jing Ling thought back to what Gu Lan had told her before, and the pressure she’d been facing recently. She didn’t know how much of Ning Xue’s story was true.
but she chose to believe her.

“Ning Xue,” she said softly, eyes glinting with something unreadable, “kiss me. It hurts.”