Chapter 28 : The Tasteless Honey (1)

“Jiang Yanlin.”

“Is it because you can always get what you want so easily that you’re so smug?”

When Péi Wanyi’s voice fell on her ear, Jiang Yanlin actually wanted to laugh.

But her overdrawn brain had no strength left to support any reaction.

Her consciousness and body were like two completely separate substances, one light and airy, the other heavy and sluggish. Yet they pulled at each other, refusing to let go.

In that moment, Jiang Yanlin really thought she was going to die here.

But from beginning to end, she never called for a stop.

As for the word “smug,” Jiang Yanlin had never thought of refuting it.

She would take what she wanted, and she would often get it.

But was it really “easy”?

The answer, perhaps, was a matter of personal conviction.

From the age of sixteen until now, Jiang Yanlin had never been the “pursuer” in a relationship.

But that didn’t mean she was passive.

Perhaps it was an innate talent, allowing her to naturally understand how to guide the other person to walk in the direction she wanted, without showing any emotion.

And she only needed to sit in the main seat, give her approval, and decide what kind of relationship this would be.

Most of the time, her ex-girlfriends always thought she was the one being pursued.

Of course, Jiang Yanlin would not tell them—
“You were able to walk up to me and offer me your sincerity.”

“Because I wanted that sincerity.”

But not every development was within Jiang Yanlin’s control.

The first time was when she was sixteen.

The only other time was in the autumn of the year after she and Xiao You separated.

Meeting Qining by chance at the game exhibition was the last time Jiang Yanlin had gone out for an event that year.

She had used up her vacation time in advance, pushing all her work back, just for this rare international exhibition.

Early autumn was still hot. Jiang Yanlin didn’t even bring many clothes, just a small suitcase on the plane.

Before boarding, she rarely posted a status update. Many of her friends wanted to come to the exhibition, but they were all tied up with work.

This move of Jiang Yanlin’s drew a lot of resentment. She was satisfied and disconnected from the internet, not even wanting to buy the in-flight WiFi, to avoid being bombarded.

So she only saw Qining’s message after she got off the plane.

Coincidentally, their flight arrival times were not far apart, so they met at the terminal.

Qining was sensitive to the cold. Even in this season, she wore a black trench coat, very thin, but compared to the tank tops and shorts around her, it was really too eye-catching.

So Jiang Yanlin saw her at a glance.

The tall and thin person was carrying a small brown leather suitcase, wearing a trench coat and trousers, and khaki short boots. Her slightly curled long hair was also dyed a reddish-brown, her usual English style.

On the way to the hotel, Qining opened the small brown leather suitcase and showed Jiang Yanlin what was inside.

“From design to printing and production, it took three months.”

Inside the box lay a handmade “book,” with a leather cover, wrapped in branches and green leaves. The cover was also engraved with handwritten calligraphy.

Jiang Yanlin recognized it at a glance. “The Grimoire of Deep Thought?”

This was a weapon from their favorite game, but Qining was able to replicate the real thing one-to-one, just like the in-game model.

Qining smiled. “It was selected for the finals, so I took a leave of absence to come.”

Such production and craftsmanship, such a level of dedication, there was no doubt it could be selected for the exhibition’s finals.

Jiang Yanlin understood why she had flown all the way here. After all, besides music, Qining also had many other hobbies.

She liked the magic and epic of the Western fantasy world, liked to collect all kinds of old objects from medieval Europe, just like her love for Celtic-style music, full of wild and imaginative melody.

So she had taught herself modeling, painting, and had also studied 3D printing and hand-sewing, researching all her hobbies to an impressive degree.

On the day of the exhibition, Qining unsurprisingly won a trophy.

Although it wasn’t the top prize, for a passionate player, it was already a great reward.

When she went on stage to receive the award, some people recognized her and asked for her autograph.

Qining walked down, handed the trophy to Jiang Yanlin, and smiled.
“Help me keep this for a while.”

Jiang Yanlin took the heavy trophy. It was clearly a cold and smooth touch, but for some reason, she felt it was a bit hot.

In the latter half of the day, the two of them finished visiting all their favorite games and brands and bought a lot of things.

Until they couldn’t carry anymore and had to pack them up and send them to the hotel by express delivery.

“I feel like we’re here for a shopping spree.”

Jiang Yanlin, a homebody who rarely went out, was so tired that she couldn’t walk anymore after a whole day.

Qining was used to high-intensity tours and was already accustomed to it. Instead, she accommodated her and asked,
“Do you want to go back to the hotel?”

Jiang Yanlin shook her head and replied,
“It’s a rare occasion to be here.”

Qining suddenly said,
“You don’t have to force yourself in front of me.”

After saying that, she took out her phone and called a car to the hotel.

Until they got in the car, Jiang Yanlin was still a bit surprised.

She had known Qining for more than a year. Although their relationship was just friends who could chat, Jiang Yanlin actually knew Qining better than an average friend.

She was not a very considerate type.

On the contrary, the gentleness and politeness that Qining often showed were just to avoid appearing too out of place.

In essence, this was also a kind of indifference.

But very quickly, Jiang Yanlin stopped thinking about these self-troubling things.

Perhaps she just didn’t know Qining well enough and didn’t know how many other sides she had.

After all, everyone is a polyhedron, capable of being indifferent, and also of being gentle.

So for the next month or so, Jiang Yanlin continued to deceive herself, playing dumb.

Because from her subconscious, Jiang Yanlin had never felt that there could be any other possibility between her and Qining.

The first meeting was a name that had only appeared online and in albums, suddenly becoming a living person with a clear outline.

The second meeting was in a lively and noisy crowd, two unfamiliar souls gathering together to pass the unbearable time.

And every contact after that was also clearly defined, without any romance.

So Jiang Yanlin would not think about it, and she could not think about it.

But the reason playing dumb is called playing dumb is because the meaning of some things is straightforward to the point of being obvious.