Transmigrated as the Betrothed of the Yandere Villain

Chapter 94

She only gave a slight smile and sat in the chair, waiting for the others to dress her up. Her fingers subconsciously tapped open WeChat again, opening the chat screen where no messages had been replied to.

As long as she thought of Xie Shiqing, her previously bright mood would be cast over by a layer of gloom, like a perfectly sunny day suddenly overtaken by a dark cloud that blocked out the sun.

Zhong Ning wanted to sigh again but held it back.

She couldn't keep sighing—sighing would chase away good luck.

She hadn’t deliberately dressed up, only wore the everyday outfit she usually wore when going out. People at the top of the Twin Spiral Towers neither gave her strange looks nor commented that her attire was inappropriate for dining.

Once a person reached a certain status, the rules would bend to accommodate them.

Zhong Ning herself had little influence, but the Zhong family did.

Strictly speaking, the clothes she wore weren't cheap either. Even if it was off-the-rack, the price still started in five figures—it just wasn't formalwear.

Thinking of that made Zhong Ning feel a bit sad again, because this outfit had been bought by Xie Shiqing—or to be more precise, Xie Shiqing had instructed the butler to pick it out.

She walked across the glass bridge toward the opposite side. Below was the Xie Corporation’s headquarters. The bright daylight illuminated the building, and the glass reflected golden light, dyeing the path ahead in dazzling gold, white and shimmering like the reflection of shattered mirrors.

It looked so beautiful, so dreamlike, as if walking across it would lead one to a road toward heavenly happiness.

Xie Shiqing.

The more she reminded herself not to think about her, the harder it became for Zhong Ning to control her thoughts—everything that surfaced in her mind was about her.

Seeing the color blue reminded her of the cheongsam Xie Shiqing wore; seeing white reminded her of the pearls dangling from her earlobes; seeing purple brought to mind the rose bushes under the sunset, and the scene of the two of them walking hand in hand.

A wine glass reminded Zhong Ning of her. Even the cutlery reminded Zhong Ning of her. Floor-length gowns, sleek black hair—objects completely unrelated somehow pieced together to form the image of Xie Shiqing.

Even the dishes on the plate made her think about whether Xie Shiqing would like or dislike them.

Was this lovesickness?

Or had she been poisoned by something called Xie Shiqing?

Zhong Ning had never actually been to this place before. Her roommates all kept proper postures, glancing politely yet inconspicuously around. When they spotted someone famous, they whipped out their phones and began frantically tapping the screens.

They didn’t take photos, but the exclamation marks could’ve circled Fengcheng a full round.

It was supposed to be a top-tier, delicious meal, but Zhong Ning ate without really tasting anything. When it came time to swipe her card, she didn’t even glance at the bill.

While taking the elevator downstairs, the three girls were still chattering excitedly about the meal. Compared to the food, it was the people they saw that left a stronger impression.

Zhong Ning had an excellent memory. Among the diners, there were people who had attended the engagement banquet—she remembered exactly who they were. But there were also some who hadn’t attended, and those she didn’t recognize.

When her roommates discussed the people they had seen, Zhong Ning would chime in with the names of those she recognized, which earned her a fresh round of exclamations.

After leaving the Twin Spiral Towers and getting into the car to return, the excitement among them was still hard to contain.

Passing by a milk tea shop, Zhong Ning got out to buy four cups of iced fruit tea. One of the girls said, “Sitting in a car like this, even traffic jams don’t feel annoying anymore.”

After being stuck at three red lights, she quietly changed her tune, “I take that back. Traffic jams really are annoying.”

The group burst into laughter at the same time.

Another girl rubbed her stomach, “The food was good, but it still feels like I didn’t eat enough.”

The other two nodded in agreement.

Zhong Ning also touched her stomach. She had eaten even less. With her mind full of thoughts of Xie Shiqing, everything had tasted bland—she couldn’t even remember what she had eaten.

“Wanna go to the food street?” she suggested. “Today’s a day to relax, so let’s enjoy it fully.”

All three responded in unison, “Yes, yes!”

Zhong Ning added, “Let’s go back and change clothes first.”

The group returned to campus. There was no need to redo their makeup. They simply took off their formal dresses and changed into everyday outfits, switching into sneakers and sandals. The whole atmosphere became more relaxed.

Zhong Ning still wore the same outfit but borrowed a hair tie to gather the upper part of her hair into a small ponytail at the back of her head.

The driver, ever patient and dutiful, waited for them in the parking lot and then drove them to the snack street.

Zhong Ning had made up her mind to be the one paying today. The best part of treating others was the immediate feedback—laughter, chatter, friendly teasing among girls. It truly was the best way to unwind.

Even the ever-present thoughts of Xie Shiqing could fade for a while.

She was simply too tired. Overthinking and worrying drained her spirit more than anything. She truly wanted just a bit of space to breathe.

Even if only for a moment, she wanted to re-enter a world free from troubles.

All three of her roommates were the talkative type. Once the conversation started, it became an endless back-and-forth, filled with stories from their daily lives—there was never a shortage of things to say. As Zhong Ning joined in, she felt a long-lost sense of happiness surround her once again.

One benefit of being in a group was being able to share food. With each snack, they only needed one portion, and everyone could have a taste without filling up too fast, allowing them to try a wide variety.

They ate their way from one end of the street to the other, then stopped midway at a cat café to pet cats and help digest the food. Once they felt a bit better, they ate their way back from the far end to where they started.

Each of them had eaten so much their bellies were round and tight, and no one could take another bite.

Zhong Ning bought a bunch of fruit before they headed back to the dorm together, carrying the bags as a group.

Shopping and eating—these were always the easiest ways to find happiness.

Zhong Ning lay on her bed, rubbing her overstuffed stomach along with the others. Everyone was sprawled out, not a single one of them wanting to move.

“Today was really awesome. Ning Ning, you’re amazing!”

“This might be the happiest day of my entire four years in college, sigh…”

“You’re only a freshman, sis. School just started.”

“Exactly, but I’ll never get another chance to go to the top of the Twin Spiral Towers. Really, it’s all thanks to Ning Ning for taking us to experience something like that.”

Listening to them, Zhong Ning turned her head to glance at her phone. The chat screen still had no replies.

She couldn’t quite say what she was feeling in that moment.

So be it, she thought. So be it.