The Green Tea Supporting Girl Is Still Playing Her Role Today (GL) - Chapter 78

Chapter 78

“Xiaojing, do you still not get it?” Xie Zhifei asked with a helpless expression.

“I get it! You keep saying you like Fang Ningshu, but then you go behind her back to kiss Wen Pinghan. Shame on you!” Zhao Xiaojing scolded.

“Keep saying? Think back carefully. When did I ever say I liked Fang Ningshu?” Xie Zhifei asked.

“Well—uh… when?” Zhao Xiaojing racked her brain but couldn’t recall a single moment when Xie Zhifei had explicitly said she liked Fang Ningshu. “That’s weird. Why am I so convinced you like her?”

“I’ve practically spoon-fed you the answer multiple times, but you insist on figuring it out yourself with that convoluted brain of yours, coming up with answers that are a million miles off. I’m helpless here,” Xie Zhifei said, giving Zhao Xiaojing’s shoulder a sympathetic pat.

“Emmmm…” Zhao Xiaojing fell into deep thought, then suddenly looked up. “I got it! You actually like Wen Pinghan!”

“Did it really take you that long to figure it out?” Xie Zhifei asked, surprised.

“You’ve got to give me some time to sort it out! On New Year’s Eve, there were six of us. Rule out the two guys, and you denied me and Fang Ningshu, so that leaves Wen Pinghan!” Zhao Xiaojing pointed at Wen Pinghan triumphantly.

The two of them: “…”

Xie Zhifei turned to Wen Pinghan. “So, our kiss earlier was for nothing? Let’s do it again.”

Zhao Xiaojing watched, wide-eyed, as they kissed again, only then snapping out of it and pointing at them. “You—you two! It’s really you two!”

Xie Zhifei looked at her calmly. “Anything else you want to say?”

“…It’s fine. She’s not as pretty as me, not as sexy, and definitely not as considerate, but since she’s decent enough, I’ll approve this match!” Zhao Xiaojing said, staring at Wen Pinghan.

Wen Pinghan smiled. “You processed that pretty quickly.”

“Well, the first two shocks already cleared my meridians. Each one’s less surprising than the last. I’m a bit surprised it’s you, but better you than me!” Zhao Xiaojing said, patting her chest with lingering fear.

“Alright, now that you know, get out. We’ve got things to do,” Xie Zhifei said, turning Zhao Xiaojing around and pushing her toward the door.

“Wait, you haven’t told me when you two got together—er, I mean, started dating! You said you had a crush on someone, but you never said they liked you back. I missed the most crucial part! How could you let me suffer like this?” Zhao Xiaojing gossiped.

Xie Zhifei opened the door, and Wang Wan happened to appear at the doorway.

Wang Wan glanced inside curiously. “What are you three whispering about behind closed doors?”

Zhao Xiaojing leaned in and whispered, “Does she know?”

“No.”

“Does anyone else know besides me?”

“Fang Ningshu and Aunt.”

“Damn, I found out even later than them!” But seeing someone still clueless, Zhao Xiaojing puffed out her chest proudly, strutted out, and threw an arm around Wang Wan’s shoulder with a grin. “Nothing much, just chatting. Did you come looking for me?”

“Yeah, I wanted to talk more about work.”

“Let’s go downstairs, sit, and chat slowly,” Zhao Xiaojing said, pulling her along.

Xie Zhifei quickly shut the door. “Sis, let’s steal a quick kiss.”

Before she finished speaking, Wen Pinghan kissed her and then walked off.

“Huh? That quick?” Xie Zhifei touched her lips, unsatisfied.

“Gotta use the bathroom,” Wen Pinghan said, heading to the restroom before going downstairs to join the others. Passing the sofa, she noticed the book in Zhang Changsheng’s hand and paused. “I love that book too.”

“Really?” Zhang Changsheng looked up at her. “You’ve read it?”

“Yeah, a while ago. It left a big impression.”

The two sat on the sofa, chatting about the book.

Xie Zhifei brought them some fruit, then checked on Zhao Xiaojing’s business talk, only to find herself alone.

No way, I need to find someone to keep me company.

Half an hour later, Fang Ningshu showed up at the house.

“Sis Shu, you’re here! Come sit, we’re discussing work. Help me out with some advice!” Wang Wan eagerly pulled Fang Ningshu into their group.

“No, I invited her!” Xie Zhifei protested.

Wang Wan: “Well, thanks for that.”

Xie Zhifei huffed, plopped down next to Wen Pinghan, leaned on her shoulder, and listened to their book talk. She dozed off while listening.

When she woke up, it was dusk, and a blanket had somehow appeared over her. The living room was empty.

Confused, she stood up, looked around, and felt oddly lonely. She hurried to ask Aunt, “Where is everyone?”

“They didn’t want to disturb you, so they went to the second-floor balcony for a barbecue,” Aunt said.

Xie Zhifei ran to the balcony and saw Wen Pinghan grilling skewers, Zhang Changsheng fanning the flames with her book, Wang Wan squatting by the grill as the taste-tester, and Zhao Xiaojing consulting Fang Ningshu about managing work.

Seeing this warm, lively scene, Xie Zhifei’s lips curled into a smile.

“Here, try this. Is it cooked?” Wen Pinghan handed her a lamb skewer.

Xie Zhifei took a couple of bites. “So good!”

“Have you lost your sense of taste?” Wang Wan stood up, pointing at the skewer. “It’s clearly not cooked!”

“I like it medium-rare, so what?” Xie Zhifei retorted.

“Lamb? Medium-rare?”

“Yup.”

“You’re something else,” Wang Wan said, giving a thumbs-up.

“Don’t eat it if it’s not cooked. Let me grill it more,” Wen Pinghan said with a laugh.

“Fine, but it still tastes great!”

Wang Wan: “I bet you think everything Wen Pinghan makes is delicious, huh?”

“Of course.”

Zhao Xiaojing, noticing the commotion, switched from work talk to gossip mode. “Tonight, I want to sleep with Wen Pinghan. Sleeping alone is so lonely~”

Xie Zhifei: “?”

“Why you? I want to sleep with her too!” Wang Wan jumped in.

Zhang Changsheng: “I… never mind, I’ll sleep alone. You guys probably won’t sleep or wake up early.”

“You’re all dreaming! This is my house. Sis sleeps with me!” Xie Zhifei declared.

Zhao Xiaojing: “Easy fix. After the New Year, come to my place, and Wen Pinghan can sleep with me.”

“Sure,” Wen Pinghan suddenly agreed, catching both of them off guard. She smiled slightly. “When exactly are we going to your place? Don’t back out.”

Zhao Xiaojing froze, noticing Xie Zhifei’s increasingly fierce glare. She backed off. “Just kidding, haha! I’m practically a runaway right now. Another time, we’ll hang at my place, but you and Zhifei sleep together.”

Wang Wan grumbled, “Why am I left out? When’s my turn to—”

“Eat, it’s getting cold,” Fang Ningshu stuffed a piece of grilled corn in her mouth.

“Oh, okay,” Wang Wan mumbled, chomping down.

Just then, Zhao Xiaojing got a call from Li Feng, saying he went to her place but found no one. He asked where she was and invited her to his place for the New Year.

“Too late. I’m with my girls. Maybe next time. Bye,” Zhao Xiaojing shut him down.

“Where are you now?”

“At Zhifei’s.”

“Alright, Gu Zhizhang’s at my place too. I’ll call you later.”

“Hang up already. So clingy!” Zhao Xiaojing ended the call.

Wang Wan asked, “Cousin’s at his place?”

“That’s what he said.”

“Is Cousin going back for the New Year?”

“How would I know? He’s got nothing to do with me. What, you worried about your aunt being lonely and want to go back?”

Wang Wan thought about it and shook her head. “Nah, I already promised to spend it with you guys. I’ve never celebrated with friends before.”

“Me neither,” Zhang Changsheng said with a smile.

After dinner, they played cards together before getting ready for bed.

“Does your dad know about you two?” Zhao Xiaojing pulled Xie Zhifei aside and whispered.

“No.”

“Does he know you’re… you know, bent?”

“Nope.”

“Tomorrow we’re all going to your place. What if you can’t hold back and kiss Wen Pinghan, and your dad sees?” Zhao Xiaojing asked.

“Hmm, that’s a problem.”

“Control yourself!” Zhao Xiaojing patted her shoulder again. “But don’t worry, I’ve got your back.”

“Thanks a lot.”

Zhao Xiaojing: “No need for thanks. How about you spill the details on how far you two have gone? Like, have you—”

“Hey, don’t walk away!”

Back in the room, Xie Zhifei saw Wen Pinghan lying down, staring blankly at the ceiling, deep in thought. She slid onto the bed, teasing, “Sis, what’s on your mind?”

“Your dad.”

“Tch, why’re you thinking about that old widower in the middle of the night?” Xie Zhifei pouted. “How about you look at the stunning beauty in front of you? We could discuss the mysteries of the universe and life~”

“Does your dad like to drink? What kind of liquor? I should bring a gift. What’s a good choice?” Wen Pinghan asked.

Xie Zhifei sighed, deflated. “He drinks expensive stuff, and he’s got a mountain of liquor gifted by others. If you want to bring a gift, get him a scarf.”

“A scarf?”

“Yeah. Back when he and my mom got together, it was because of a scarf. When my mom, with her injured hand trembling, gave him a handmade scarf, he said that’s when he knew she was the one,” Xie Zhifei said.

“Wow.”

Xie Zhifei: “But he got it wrong. My mom bought that scarf, and the injury was from a fight. He still doesn’t know. She told me secretly.”

“Pfft.”

“Anyway, since then, he’s been obsessed with scarves. I still give him one every year. Don’t pick anything too pricey. Get a handmade one and say you made it. He won’t know,” Xie Zhifei said slyly.

“No way. If it’s not expensive, the sentiment has to be genuine.” Wen Pinghan grabbed her phone, ordered yarn from a delivery app, and soon enough, the delivery guy brought it to her.

Xie Zhifei: “…”

So frustrating, tonight’s just too frustrating.

Xie Zhifei had showered and was lying in bed, all fresh and ready, but her girlfriend was staying up knitting. She should’ve never mentioned the scarf!

The next morning, Zhao Xiaojing saw their tired faces and smirked. “How’d you sleep last night?”

Zhang Changsheng: “Pretty good.”

Wang Wan: “Had a nightmare.”

Fang Ningshu: “Weird, why’d I stay over again?”

Xie Zhifei: “An unforgettable night!”

Zhao Xiaojing grinned mischievously and looked at Wen Pinghan, who seemed soulless. “Like my body’s been hollowed out.”

Zhao Xiaojing: “Yo, yo, yo~”

After breakfast, they all set off for the Xie residence. Zhang Changsheng was the only one who hadn’t been there, so everyone filled her in on stories about Xie Hongxu to ease her nerves.

Little did they know, the most nervous person was someone else.

Xie Zhifei held Wen Pinghan’s hand and whispered, “Don’t be scared. You’ve met my dad before.”

Wen Pinghan thought: ‘It’s not the same as before, is it?’

The car stopped, and everyone got out, following Xie Zhifei toward the living room door.

Zhao Xiaojing’s sharp eyes noticed the two holding hands. She stepped forward, grabbed Xie Zhifei’s other hand, and whispered, “Can’t let Uncle Xie see you two holding hands alone. He might figure it out!”

Xie Zhifei thought an old straight guy probably wouldn’t notice such tricks.

But Zhao Xiaojing had already grabbed Fang Ningshu’s hand too.

Fang Ningshu: “?”

“As long as we’re all holding hands, we’re just good friends, and Uncle Xie won’t suspect a thing,” Zhao Xiaojing whispered, then called out, “Wang Wan, grab Fang Ningshu and Zhang Changsheng’s hands.”

“Huh?” Wang Wan glanced over, saw the three holding hands, and assumed it was some planned greeting ritual. She nodded and linked hands with the others on both sides.

“Master, the young miss is back,” a servant reported to Xie Hongxu.

“Finally. Did her friends come too?”

“Yes, a lot of them.”

“A lot? Wasn’t it just Wen Pinghan?” Xie Hongxu muttered, walking to the door. He saw a neat row of people holding hands, approaching him.

The scene was as grand as it was childish.

“Happy New Year, Uncle!” they said in unison.

Xie Hongxu was dumbfounded. “…Wow, that’s a lot of people.”