She’s Just Too Hard to Win Over [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 28
The air between them grew quiet. Ning Xue could still feel the warmth of Jing Ling’s hand on her arm. It wasn’t uncomfortable it was grounding, steady, and gentle in a way that made her heart ache.
Jing Ling draped a towel around her shoulders and guided her toward the bed. “You should rest a little. You almost fainted earlier.”
Ning Xue nodded obediently, sitting down. Her damp hair clung to her neck, and Jing Ling, after a moment’s hesitation, went to fetch a blow-dryer.
“You don’t have to,” Ning Xue murmured.
“I want to,” Jing Ling said simply.
The low hum of the dryer filled the room. Warm air brushed against Ning Xue’s skin, and her lashes fluttered. Now and then, Jing Ling’s fingers grazed her hair as she carefully separated the strands. Neither of them spoke.
When the noise stopped, the silence that followed felt heavier, yet strangely peaceful.
Jing Ling sat beside her and handed her a glass of warm water. “Here.”
Ning Xue took it and smiled faintly. “You’re really good at taking care of people.”
“I’m not,” Jing Ling replied, her eyes lowered. “Just of you.”
Ning Xue froze for a moment, then looked away quickly. Her heart felt like a tangled ball of thread warm, messy, impossible to unravel.
“Why me?” she asked quietly.
Jing Ling didn’t answer right away. She turned her head, eyes calm but firm. “Because when you smile,” she said, “I forget what sadness feels like.”
The words hit Ning Xue harder than she expected. She stared down at her hands, unsure of what to say.
“I’m not that great,” she whispered. “Sometimes I just… pretend to be.”
“I know,” Jing Ling said softly. “But even when you pretend, you still shine.”
Ning Xue laughed under her breath. “That sounds like something out of a drama.”
“Maybe,” Jing Ling replied. “But it’s true.”
For a while, the only sound was the quiet ticking of the wall clock. Jing Ling leaned back against the headboard, her gaze still fixed on Ning Xue.
“You should sleep for a bit,” she said. “I’ll stay here.”
Ning Xue hesitated. “You’re not leaving?”
Jing Ling shook her head. “Not tonight.”
Something unspoken passed between them comfort, promise, and a touch of something neither dared to name.
Ning Xue lay down, her eyes slowly closing. Before she drifted off, she felt Jing Ling gently pull the blanket up to her shoulders.
“Good night,” Jing Ling whispered.
Ning Xue smiled in half-sleep. “Good night, Jing Ling.”
The room dimmed, and only the faint rhythm of their breathing filled the quiet space. Outside, the wind brushed softly against the window, like a secret shared between two people who finally understood each other without needing any more words.