Chapter 241 Ning Xi, the Self-Deceiving Person
[You're up. Why did you wake up so early today?]
After replying to the message, a few seconds later, the notification sound rang again.
[I went to bed before eleven last night. By the way, come a bit earlier later. We have to go to Teacher Gu's place today.]
Seeing the message being replied to so quickly, Ye Fan imagined the girl lying on her bed, holding her phone with both hands, her delicate feet gently kicking in the air. A faint smile appeared on his lips.
His slender fingers danced swiftly across the screen.
[Okay.]
Clicking send.
Ye Fan put away his phone, changed his shoes, and set off immediately.
At this hour, it happened to be rush hour. The road was congested for over half an hour. It wasn't until nearly eight o'clock that he finally arrived at Haihuang Residential Complex.
Ye Fan raised his visitor pass towards the security guard and was just about to enter when the guard stopped him.
"Sorry, your visitor pass has expired. You can't enter."
What?
There's even an expiration date?
That's a first!
But thinking about it, since this was the most upscale residential complex in the Imperial Capital, Ye Fan could accept it.
After all, the people who lived here were either wealthy or noble.
Having a few extra rules was normal.
Since he couldn't enter, Ye Fan had no choice but to call Ning Xi. As soon as the call connected, Ning Xi's sweet, slightly complaining voice came through.
"Big Brother, you've killed me!"
"Huh?"
A look of surprise flashed across Ye Fan's face, but he quickly understood what she meant. "Did Sister Lan find out, or was it Uncle?"
In the living room.
Ning Xi curled up on the sofa, glanced across from her, and said helplessly, "Both my parents are here. You've killed me!"
"Sorry, my visitor pass expired, so I couldn't get into the complex. Since we have to go to Teacher Gu's place later anyway, I thought I'd call to let you know. I'm waiting for you at the entrance."
"Beep… beep beep…"
Hearing the sound of the call being hung up, Ning Xi bit her lip and nervously looked up, meeting her father's scrutinizing gaze. "Dad, can we discuss something?"
"Anything except keeping your phone."
Ning Xiangtian propped his left hand on the coffee table, extended his right hand toward his daughter, and raised an eyebrow slightly. "No need to hide it behind your back. Hand over the phone."
"..."
Ning Xi looked dejected and reluctantly handed over her phone.
Seeing this, Lan Xi rolled her eyes at her husband and said, "Xiao Xi is about to be an adult. Having a phone is completely normal. Why are you confiscating it? Give it back to her!"
Hearing this, Ning Xi was incredibly touched.
At critical moments, Mom is still the best!
Ning Xiangtian placed the phone on the coffee table and frowned. "Wife, with the college entrance exam coming up, a phone will only do more harm than good to Xiao Xi. After the exam, forget just one phone—even if she wants a truckload of them, I'll buy them for her."
Lan Xi thought for a moment and didn't say anything more.
Ning Xi pouted, looking pitiful.
Mom, Mommy, couldn't you have insisted a little longer?
Since it's like this, I can only rely on myself!
"Dad, a phone can help me study."
Ning Xiangtian's expression remained indifferent. "Any information you can find on a phone, you can find on a computer just as easily. So a phone is unnecessary for you."
Ning Xi shook her head repeatedly and said, "That's not true, that's not true! With a phone, I can contact Ye Fan at any time. If there's anything I don't understand, I can ask him right away, whenever it's convenient."
This was her last stand!
But Ning Xiangtian remained unmoved. His eyes narrowed slightly. "From Monday to Saturday, you and Ye Fan go to school together. On weekends, he comes to our house to tutor you. You two see each other every day. Isn't that convenient enough?"
Ning Xi opened her mouth but was at a loss for words.
Alright!
When it came to debating skills, she really had no talent.
But when she thought about the phone that the principal had rewarded her with yesterday, she no longer felt so conflicted.
Confiscated?
No problem, I… still have another one!!!
"Here, take it, take it. I don't want it anymore, okay?"
Ning Xi huffed, then changed the subject: "Last night, Teacher Gu called me. There's a match between top-tier chess players that he wants me to watch. Ye Fan is already waiting for me at the entrance of the complex. I'll go upstairs to change and head out now. I probably won't be back until noon."
"Go ahead."
Ning Xiangtian nodded and agreed readily.
However, Lan Xi, who knew her daughter all too well, seemed to sense something and smiled faintly.
She knew her daughter's personality too well!
Under normal circumstances, at this moment, her daughter should be hugging her husband's arm and acting spoiled…
Back in her bedroom, Ning Xi took out the phone from her schoolbag, unwrapped the packaging, and looked at the brand-new device in front of her. The corners of her lips curved into a smile.
But when she realized it didn't have a SIM card, she drooped her head helplessly.
She hid the phone under her pillow, then walked over to the wardrobe to pick out something to wear for the day. When her eyes passed over the short skirt she had worn last time, they lit up.
Just as she was about to reach for it, she suddenly remembered Ye Fan telling her to wrap herself up tightly when going out. Acting on impulse, she grabbed the black long skirt next to it instead.
"I'm not considering his feelings! I just think this skirt… looks nice! Yes, that's right!"
The girl started deceiving herself.
The entire process was smooth and natural.
Under the willow tree.
Ye Fan leaned against the tree trunk, staring at the passing cars and the towering buildings around him, lost in thought.
In his previous life, he had visited the Imperial Capital a few times, but he didn't have a deep impression of this city.
He only thought of it as a paradise for businessmen—too difficult for ordinary people to endure!
However, Ye Fan had an inexplicable fondness for this city.
The Imperial Capital was where he and Ning Xi first met.
At that time, his company had just been established and was in desperate need of people. He had come here to meet a client, and after finishing his business, he went to a job fair, where he saw Ning Xi.
After that, Ning Xi followed him to Linhai, and their story began.
Thinking back to the conversation when he hired Ning Xi, Ye Fan couldn't help but smile.
"What can you do?"
"I can do a lot of things, and I'm really good at them."
"How much salary do you want?"
"As long as you provide food and housing, I… don't need money."
"No money? Then what are you after?"
"Nothing at all. I just… want to apply."
The way the girl blushed and fidgeted with the hem of her clothes—Ye Fan could still remember it clearly.
At the time, he had only thought Ning Xi was very beautiful and hadn't thought much of it. He had hired her without much consideration.
Now, looking back, Ye Fan finally understood everything. From the moment he saw Ning Xi, he had liked this pure, beautiful, and easily embarrassed girl.
Because of his personality, he had subconsciously denied this thought.
And because of that, in the years he and Ning Xi spent together, he had always told himself that he only saw her as a younger sister.
Even until the very last moment, he had never said the words "I like you."
"Hey, what are you thinking about?"
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