Twist of Fate (GL) - Chapter 10

“I didn’t mean to do that just now,” Xie Jing suddenly blurted out of nowhere.

Qin Ning blinked. “Hm?”

Xie Jing glanced at her with a guilty look, then lowered her head and mumbled, “I accidentally licked my finger earlier… then fed you a chip with it.”

Qin Ning paused for two seconds before replying, “Oh. It’s fine.”

Xie Jing let out a sigh of relief and added softly, “I thought someone as cool and distant as you would have a bit of a germaphobe streak.”

Most people would, honestly. Even Xie Jing herself wasn’t fond of eating something touched by someone else’s saliva.

Especially when the two of them weren’t even that close.

Qin Ning said simply, “Depends on the person.”

Xie Jing was caught off guard by that. She looked down, trying to decipher what Qin Ning meant.

Depends on the person? So, if it’s her, Qin Ning doesn’t mind?

No no no—she was definitely overthinking it. Qin Ning probably just said that to make her feel better.

After all, it was already eaten. Even if she did mind, it was too late now.

Xie Jing opened her mouth. “You—”

“Hi, excuse me, could I add you on WeChat?”

Before she could finish, someone interrupted her. She looked up and saw a boy standing in front of Qin Ning, holding his phone nervously.

A few meters behind him, a group of boys were roughhousing and sneaking glances in their direction. Looked like they were friends with the guy.

Xie Jing frowned instinctively as she looked him over.

Flushed cheeks, fair skin, black-framed glasses perched on his nose…

That face… it looked familiar.

Suddenly, her eyes widened.

Wait a second—wasn’t this the guy who had confessed to her a while back?

She looked from the boy to Qin Ning, and her lips twitched involuntarily.

If this guy actually ended up with Qin Ning, it’d be beyond awkward.

“I don’t use WeChat,” Qin Ning said flatly.

Everyone could tell that was a gentle rejection, but the guy didn’t seem to take the hint. He stepped forward eagerly.

“Then could we add each other on ___?”

“I don’t use that either,” Qin Ning replied coolly.

The boy’s face turned bright red. “Then…”

Xie Jing almost laughed out loud. Qin Ning was lying with a straight face—how did she do it so naturally?

But her amusement didn’t last long, because the next thing she knew, Qin Ning had draped an arm around her shoulder.

Xie Jing stumbled slightly and was pulled into Qin Ning’s side. The jacket draped over her head slipped back like a veil, revealing her face.

The boy finally saw her clearly.

“You’re… Xie Jing?” His expression morphed into shock.

Xie Jing gave a tight smile. “That’s me.”

“You two…” He pointed at them.

“I like girls,” Qin Ning said bluntly.

The boy turned pale. Maybe it was the embarrassment of getting rejected in front of his buddies, but his face contorted with frustration and wounded pride.

His eyes darted between them, and then he snapped, “You two are seriously messed up!”

“You’re the messed up one,” Xie Jing shot back without hesitation. “You confessed to me a while ago, and now you’re hitting on my roommate? Your affection’s cheaper than toilet paper. Take it and go—bye~”

Though Xie Jing was usually friendly and easy-going, she wasn’t the type to just sit there and take insults. The moment she was scolded, she gave it right back.

“Don’t flatter yourself, average chick,” the boy sneered.

Xie Jing was about to snap back when Qin Ning calmly placed a hand on her arm.

“Throwing a tantrum because your confession failed—who’s the average one here?” Qin Ning scoffed. “What, just because someone confesses, we’re obligated to say yes? What are you, a divine treasure from some sacred temple?”

Xie Jing applauded her silently: Perfect burn.

The boy huffed angrily and stormed off.

The encounter left Xie Jing a bit rattled. She glanced at Qin Ning’s impassive face and said carefully, “Don’t let him get to you. He’s the one with the real problem.”

Qin Ning nodded. “Mm.”

“It’s the 21st century. The Qing Dynasty’s long gone. What’s his problem with lesbians? It’s not like we’re eating his rice,” Xie Jing grumbled.

That finally made Qin Ning crack a smile. She nodded. “Exactly. Narrow-minded and overly nosy.”

“Right? I think he only approached you because of your looks. Totally superficial,” Xie Jing rolled her eyes. “And has she seen herself in a mirror? Or at least in a puddle?”

Qin Ning: “…”

Clearly, she had underestimated Xie Jing’s firepower. Even without her help, the girl wouldn’t have lost the argument.

“Besides, she’s so shallow. Relationships can’t be based on looks alone,” Xie Jing muttered.

Qin Ning asked, “Then what should they be based on?”

“Character, personality, shared interests, family background…” Xie Jing began ticking them off on her fingers. “Good morals, compatible temperaments, common hobbies for conversation. As for family background, I don’t really care—if they’re better off than me, great; if they’re not, I’ll do my best to support them.”

She spoke with such conviction that Qin Ning stared at her, slightly taken aback.

“You’ve dated before?” she asked, curious.

“Nope,” Xie Jing replied. “This is all stuff I picked up from gossip posts online.”

When she was bored, she’d scroll through her favorite game forum, which was full of drama-filled breakup stories. Plus, one of her friends loved gossip and always shared the juiciest bits. Over time, Xie Jing developed her own unique take on romance.

She didn’t need a perfect partner—but she knew exactly what to avoid.

“If you want, I can send you some of those posts,” she offered.

“Sure. Thanks,” Qin Ning said.

Xie Jing waved her off. “But still, I knew you liked girls, I just didn’t expect you to come out like that. In front of everyone too—so bold.”

Qin Ning turned to look at her, eyes full of meaning. “Didn’t you do the same?”

Xie Jing looked deadpan. “That’s different.”

Qin Ning raised an eyebrow. “How?”

Xie Jing sighed, trying not to sound too smug. “I had no choice. I didn’t feel like rejecting people over and over. Too annoying.”

Qin Ning’s reply was nonchalant: “Same here.”

Xie Jing choked on her words.

Yeah right, she thought. As if I’d believe that.

The mood turned quiet for a moment.

“Let’s go, Zhou Yan’s done running,” Qin Ning said suddenly, standing up and offering her hand.

Xie Jing took it, used it for support, and quickly let go after standing up.

Her palm was a little sweaty. It had only been a quick touch, but her heart was racing again.

If this kept up, she’d start thinking she had a medical condition.

A heart condition.

________________________________________

“How much did the snacks cost?” Xie Jing asked, glancing at Qin Ning. “Let me transfer you the money.”

“No need,” Qin Ning replied. “Consider it a thank-you.”

“Huh?”

“For helping me out earlier.”

Only then did Xie Jing recall Qin Ning had slung her arm around her to get rid of that guy.

“Oh… alright then.” Xie Jing popped a lollipop into her mouth. “No need to thank me. Just lending a hand.”

She turned her head and started scanning the field for Zhou Yan.

Qin Ning glanced at her puffy cheek, her expression softening just slightly.

By the time they found Zhou Yan, she had already finished recording her time. Xie Jing handed her a water bottle and reminded her, “Wait a bit before drinking.”

“Got it.” Zhou Yan was still catching her breath, but she immediately grabbed Xie Jing’s hand. “Hey, when I was running, I think I saw a guy talking to you and Qin Ning. Spill! Who was that? Another one

harassing you?”

“You noticed that while running? Were you even taking the race seriously?”

“What can I say? I trained in athletics during high school, but it was our PE teacher who taught us literature too,” Zhou Yan grinned.

Xie Jing: “Then never mind.”

Zhou Yan wasn’t done gossiping, and even turned to Qin Ning. “Qin Ning, tell me—was another sleazy guy trying to hit on our little Jing?”

Qin Ning lifted her eyes, glanced at Zhou Yan, and calmly nodded. “Mm.”

Xie Jing: “???”

Excuse me?! She was totally being thrown under the bus.

That guy was clearly there for Qin Ning!

How could she lie so easily?!

“I knew it!” Zhou Yan said dramatically, scanning Xie Jing like she was a prized possession. “You’re just too cute. Like a tiny Southern potato tossed into a pack of wolves. They all want to snatch you up.”

The “tiny potato” glanced at the sky and held back a sigh.

“My metaphor was spot on, huh?” Zhou Yan looked proud.

Xie Jing: “…”

You could’ve just not made a metaphor at all.

Finally, Zhou Yan let go after a while when Xie Jing’s phone rang. It was a senior from the broadcasting club—someone on the commentary team had an issue and couldn’t go on. They needed someone to fill in.

Xie Jing had practiced mic work for a month but had never gone live. She explained this to the senior, who reassured her that it was just cheering messages—like reading aloud in class.

With no way out, Xie Jing accepted, waved goodbye to her friends, and headed to the booth.

“You have a race today?” the senior asked when she saw her arrive so quickly.

“Yeah, but it’s over,” Xie Jing said, settling into the chair. “What do I need to read?”

The senior slid a stack of A4 papers over to her apologetically. “These are the ones we haven’t gotten to yet.”

Xie Jing calmly unscrewed her water bottle, took two sips, and started adjusting the mic.

“One drop after another, sweat falls on the track… each one carrying a dream beneath the blue sky…”

“This is a new beginning…”

…

“Damn, if I’d had her reading this when I was running, I could’ve done ten more laps,” Zhou Yan grumbled, still lingering nearby. “Should’ve had Xie Jing read to me while I ran—I’d have flown!”

Qin Ning also glanced toward the commentary booth, where two figures sat side by side—faces too far to see clearly.