“This… this can’t be!”
Wang Yan stared in shock at Ling Ning’s performance. She had thought her own showing would secure her the cover, but she hadn’t anticipated the terrifying skill of this newcor, who hadn’t even been in the industry for a year. It was now clear that her chances of landing the cover were slim.
Even He Miaomiao, watching from the sidelines, was dumbfounded. Ling Ning had improved drastically since she’d last seen her, down to every precise movent and nuanced expression. Ling Ning’s performance rivaled that of top professional models.
For soone who hadn’t even been in the industry a year—and wasn’t a full-ti professional—it was astonishing. Sure, she had a good teacher, but this level of progress was sothing else. He Miaomiao began to feel that recruiting Ling Ning might have been the best decision of her entire career.
The editor-in-chief watched Ling Ning, initially doubtful that soone so young could outshine seasoned models like Wang Yan. But the results spoke for themselves: the photos taken during this shoot could easily serve as the magazine’s cover with minimal editing, saving them the trouble of reshooting.
“The next issue’s cover will be Ling Ning’s. He Miaomiao, have the photos retouched and sent to the printers imdiately,” the editor-in-chief instructed.
“Understood, Editor-in-Chief.” He Miaomiao cast a smug look at the other editors, proud of her eye for talent.
“Huh? We’re done already?” Ling Ning blinked, surprised when He Miaomiao told her the shoot was finished. She wondered if she hadn’t made the cut, which didn’t make sense—she’d felt like she was in top form today.
Seeing her confusion, He Miaomiao chuckled. “No, it’s just that the photos you just took are perfect as they are. There’s no need for a reshoot.”
Ling Ning shot her a playful glare. He Miaomiao’s roundabout way of talking had made her think she’d been rejected. Ling Ning thought to herself that soone like He Miaomiao would probably be beaten up for cliffhangers if she were a novelist.
After removing her makeup and changing back into her clothes, Ling Ning checked the ti. She still had over an hour to spare, so she wasn’t sure where to go next.
At that mont, Wang Yan walked past her. She no longer had her haughty deanor; she simply gave Ling Ning a silent look and walked away. She had lost, and unlike the previous fashion show where external factors played a role, this ti she’d been outperford under equal conditions.
Ling Ning watched Wang Yan’s retreating figure with mild curiosity, half-expecting a parting jab. But Wang Yan said nothing, which surprised her.
Just as Ling Ning was about to leave, her phone rang. She saw it was Xiao Xiao calling and picked up, curious about what she could want.
“Um, Ling Ning, do you have a mont?” Xiao Xiao’s slightly embarrassed voice ca over the line.
“ow, ow, ow?”
“Well… I… I’m lost…”
Xiao Xiao admitted, sounding sheepish. She’d been on her way to et the illustrator, but despite having the address, she couldn’t find it. She’d tried calling the illustrator for directions, but the directions had only confused her further. Having no other options, she called the one person she knew in the city.
Ling Ning raised an eyebrow, picturing the petite figure of Chen Ruo. How did people still get lost in the age of GPS?
“Where are you right now?”
“I… I don’t know.”
“Can you look around and tell if there are any landmarks or shops nearby?”
After a quick glance around, Xiao Xiao spotted a KTV sign. “There’s a KTV here called ‘Lucio’s Music Club.’”
“Got it. Just wait by the entrance, and I’ll co find you.”
“Thank you so much!”
After hanging up, Xiao Xiao sighed in relief, wondering how she’d ended up so helplessly lost when she wasn’t usually this bad with directions.
⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱
“So, tell —how did you manage to get lost?” Ling Ning asked, watching Xiao Xiao’s relieved expression when she arrived.
Xiao Xiao explained how she’d gotten lost following the illustrator’s directions, and Ling Ning couldn’t shake a sense of familiarity with the story.
“Wait… this illustrator’s online na wouldn’t happen to be ‘Moe-Lost-Kitty,’ would it?”
“Eh?! How did you know, Ling Ning?” Xiao Xiao stared at her in surprise. She hadn’t ntioned the illustrator’s identity, so how had Ling Ning guessed?
“So it is Chen Ruo,” Ling Ning muttered under her breath. “Guess being directionally challenged is contagious…”
“ow, ow, ow?”
“It’s nothing. I know this illustrator personally. I’ll take you to her place,” Ling Ning said, leading Xiao Xiao to Chen Ruo’s apartnt.
Ding-dong.
Chen Ruo, who’d been absorbed in her ga, jumped at the sound of the doorbell. She rembered her daughter’s warning not to open the door for strangers, lest so “unscrupulous individual” barge in.
Chen Ruo’s thoughts drifted to a recent “research material” she’d co across: a lonely housewife confronted by an intruder, leading to all kinds of mature situations. Her face flushed at the thought.
“Oh no… Is this where I get ruined?” Chen Ruo clutched her cheeks, wondering if she needed to stop consuming so much dubious content. Then again, she thought, without it, she’d run out of “research materials.”
It took her a while to get a grip, and the doorbell rang again, reminding her to check the visitor.
Unfortunately, she was too short to see through the peephole, even on her tiptoes. After several failed attempts, she sighed, grabbed a chair, and stood on it to finally catch a glimpse of her visitor.
⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱
Author’s Note:
King Hassan is seriously amazing~
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