Willing to Be for Her - Chapter 10

The wind and snow whipped across the distant lake, creating ripples that danced across its surface. Outside the curved floor-to-ceiling windows, the waterfall-shaped porch lights swayed violently, their crystal-clear glass colliding with a delicate, bell-like chime.

Ning Yiqing’s soft, ethereal “good” made Luo Xuan’s heart clench, so fleeting she almost dismissed it as a hallucination.

Seven o’clock in the evening.

The meticulously set dining table was adorned with fresh flowers still glistening with dew.

Candlelight cast a hazy glow, while the melodious strains of a solo violin filled the air.

The dinnerware had been cleared, replaced by wide-mouthed, flat-bottomed glasses with metal straws. Each glass held a ruby-red liquid, its fragrant aroma filling the air.

The drink was called Ruby Chocolate, a rum-based cocktail infused with rosebuds, rose hips, and rose petals, creating a milkshake-like texture with a frothy layer just above the rim.

Their table was the only one occupied in the restaurant. Ning Yiqing had personally crafted this cocktail for Luo Xuan.

“I rarely drink, and my bartending skills are amateur at best. Just take a sip,” Ning Yiqing said casually, adjusting her suit cufflinks with an air of relaxed nonchalance.

Luo Xuan detected a hint of genuine pleasure beneath the woman’s nonchalant demeanor.

It seemed Ning Yiqing truly enjoyed mixing cocktails, viewing it as a kind of chemical experiment—an adventure that culminated in a wondrous feast for the palate.

“It’s delicious, like fruit juice.”

“Mm, drink slowly.”

Frustrated by his sudden loss for words, Luo Xuan felt he was failing to appreciate the woman’s thoughtfulness.

“Ning Yiqing, why don’t you have some wine? It’s really good,” Luo Xuan said, his eyes shining like newborn sunlight and tranquil lake water awakening simultaneously in one’s heart.

“Alcohol impairs physical reflexes,” Ning Yiqing said, her slender hand lifting a Suzhou embroidered handkerchief to wipe a wine stain from Luo Xuan’s lips. Her every movement exuded an air of refined restraint. “I need to stay sharp.”

“But if you enjoy mixing drinks so much, why not try being a bartender?”

The candlelight flickered as Ning Yiqing breathed softly, replying with a faint smile, “I’m not used to indulging my whims.”

Luo Xuan was about to say more when Lan Leren’s voice carried over.

“President Ning, the car’s here. Should we head to the airport now?”

Ning Yiqing nodded slightly. “Let’s go.”

She added in a low voice, “I’ve arranged a car to take you back to the estate. You can stay there for a few days, and then Le Ran will book your flight home.”

“Ning Yiqing, how much longer will you be away on business?”

The woman paused, considering carefully. “The timeline is uncertain. But I’ll make sure to spend time with you when I get back.”

Luo Xuan decided to return to Capital City the next day. Her graduation defense was just a month away, and her thesis was nearly complete.

She and Chi Li were in the same major, but due to their different genders, Luo Xuan lived in the Alpha dormitory while Chi Li resided in the Omega dormitory. They usually met at the school library or a bubble tea shop to study together.

“Do you have enough money for wood lately? Should you try auditioning as a model at Sister Xia Zhiwan’s company?” Chi Li asked, digging into the whipped cream topping of her bubble tea as she ate.

“I don’t think I’m cut out to be a model,” Luo Xuan said, pursing her lips and glancing at the carving scars on her hands. “I’ll have to think about it.”

“Has Sister Zhiwan messaged you recently?”

“Occasionally. She shares photos of sculptures and oil paintings she sees at exhibitions,” Luo Xuan replied, noticing people walking by glancing at her and whispering.

“That’s Luo Xuan, the sick one who’s always missing school.”

“What’s wrong with her? It’s a shame she’s so pretty. Do you think it’s contagious?”

Hearing these remarks, Chi Li instinctively wanted to confront them, but Luo Xuan held her back, shaking her head with a faint smile. “Let it go. Haven’t we fought enough already?”

“Then I’ll have another Cheese Peach…” Chi Li’s words were cut short by a chorus of screams from nearby tables.

“Ahhh, it’s President Ning! President Ning is finally being interviewed on the business channel!”

“Oh my god, she’s just too perfect! Seriously, why does someone with so much money and power also have to be so beautiful? Why does God favor her so much?”

“I wish President Ning would favor me…”

The screams abruptly ceased as everyone turned to glare at the speaker, rolling their eyes in unison. “Dream on.”

On the milk tea shop’s television screen, the aloof and elegant woman remained in her tailored suit. Silver buttons adorned the black fabric, exuding dignity and natural authority.

Despite her ethereal beauty, no one dared harbor even a hint of irreverent thoughts.

The interview had moved past its formal first half, and the host’s smile widened as the questions shifted to more personal topics.

“President Ning, I’ve heard that the Buddhist prayer beads you always wear are engraved with intricate scriptures on the sides. They were chanted over for 108 days by the Abbot High Monk of Jade Mountain Temple, who also gifted you with a Buddhist saying…”

“Purity lies in the absence of thought,” Ning Yiqing said, leaning back against the sofa. Her stillness and movement were like snow on a high mountain or the moon in the sky. “I am naturally dull-witted and don’t grasp such profound mysteries. The master simply told me to avoid stirring my mind and heart.”

“Maintaining a pure heart, cultivating refined elegance, and burning incense with sincere devotion—these are indeed difficult practices to uphold. This string of Buddhist prayer beads must be very important to you,” the host remarked, refraining from pressing further. “President Ning, our viewers have submitted some questions for you during this live Q&A session.”

Ning Yiqing nodded in agreement.

“Viewer A asks: Has a divine immortal like President Ning, as pure as snow on a high mountain, ever had a rebellious childhood?”

“A rebellious childhood?” Ning Yiqing closed her eyes slightly, as if recalling something distant, and a faint smile curved her lips.

“For example, skipping class, dyeing your hair, or getting an eyebrow piercing?”

Ning Yiqing shook her head. “I’ve never done any of those things, and it’s unlikely I ever will. Perhaps that’s a regret.”

The host nodded in agreement. No one could imagine the meticulous and self-restrained head of a prestigious family suddenly deciding to dye her hair, get an eyebrow piercing, or engage in such shocking and undignified behavior.

Unless she had completely lost her mind.

“One final personal question: Is it true that President Ning has been waiting for her childhood sweetheart all these years?”