Chapter 97 - 94: Topics Between Women

Chapter 97: Chapter 94: Topics Between Women

Zhou Manlin smiled brightly. "Gossip is human nature. Besides, when women chat in private, what else would we talk about if not men? Don’t tell me you think people actually sit around discussing clothes, bags, and makeup?"

If men’s private conversations were filled with treasonous topics that could get them beheaded, then women’s chats were full of dirty jokes and explicit banter—the kind that would immediately get censored online.

For reference, one only needed to look at the leaked chat logs of a certain study-abroad group in France.

Li Beixing snorted softly. "Even if I was seeing someone, wouldn’t it be perfectly normal not to tell you? You know the saying: guard against fire, guard against theft, and guard against your bestie."

Zhou Manlin bristled. "Bullshit! Would I steal your man? Besides, aren’t you underestimating my standards a bit? Do I look like the type to just eat whatever’s put in front of me?"

Li Beixing looked her up and down. With her wavy chestnut hair, elegant and striking features, and a curvy, voluptuous figure, she was exactly the type of woman men went crazy for. She wondered why Manlin always dressed up so gorgeously for no particular reason.

As for whether her best friend would "eat whatever was put in front of her," that remained to be seen until she actually met Chen Jingle. Being stubborn right now was pointless.

Zhou Manlin kept wheedling, "Oh, come on, just tell me! I promise I won’t breathe a word to anyone!"

"There’s nothing to tell!"

"You! You don’t even trust me?!"

"I said, there’s nothing!"

At the second denial, Zhou Manlin finally understood. She stared in disbelief. "...No way. Is he dead? Or is he gay? How could anyone not be interested in our little Beixing?"

She gestured wildly. Just look at this face! This figure! This aura! Not to mention the added bonus of her family background! Even if the guy were a Buddhist monk, she’d bet good money he’d feel tempted.

Though, if he was gay... well, then there was nothing they could do.

Li Beixing couldn’t help but sigh again. "Everyone has different thoughts and pursuits. Don’t force your own mindset onto others."

God only knew what Chen Jingle was thinking. Over their past few interactions, he had been courteous and well-mannered, yet there was always an intangible sense of distance between them. He wasn’t giving her the cold shoulder, but he wasn’t overly enthusiastic either. It was as if he lacked any real interest in her and was strictly keeping things businesslike. It was incredibly baffling.

Was he kidding? He didn’t have a girlfriend, yet he remained completely unmoved when faced with a beautiful, single woman? Or was she, Li Beixing, considered ugly in his eyes? For a moment, it made her start doubting herself.

Moreover, to be honest, she did have a bit of a crush on Chen Jingle, but she wouldn’t say she liked him that much just yet. At the very least, she wasn’t completely dead set on him. After all, they had only met a few times and were still in the casual friend stage. They weren’t even close friends; at best, they were acquaintances with some shared hobbies. The so-called "love at first sight" was usually just lust taking over, and it was never reliable. If people really wanted to go the distance, build a life together, and support each other until old age, it all came down to character.

If, during their upcoming interactions, she found that he still had no romantic intentions, she wouldn’t shamelessly pester him. She wasn’t that kind of desperate woman. It would just be a little regrettable, that was all.

"What does he like then?" Zhou Manlin asked curiously.

Hearing this question, Li Beixing zoned out for a moment.

What did Chen Jingle like? Calligraphy? Painting? Cooking? What else? Honestly, she didn’t know. These were things he was good at, but that didn’t necessarily mean they were his passions. Perhaps he had other, more important hobbies that she was unaware of? Her knowledge of him was too limited to draw any conclusions.

Growing frustrated with her own thoughts, Li Beixing decided to change the subject. "Stop talking about me. What about you?"

Zhou Manlin said in all seriousness, "Me? I don’t care! One day, when I’ve saved up enough money and I’m tired of working, I’ll just dump my shops on someone else to manage and travel everywhere. When I get exhausted, I’ll settle down in a nice city and act as a sugar mommy for a muscular, handsome college athlete. When I get bored, I’ll just swap him out for a new one every so often. I’ll be a bride every single night!"

Li Beixing wanted to laugh. "You’d better stick to that plan."

Tch, anyone could talk a big game! She then asked, "So, how much money do you think is enough?"

Zhou Manlin pondered for a moment. "At the very least, enough to buy a standalone villa in a tier-one city and drive a supercar!"

"Then you’re definitely still a bit short," Li Beixing said, shaking her head.

Buying a standalone villa in a major tier-one city solely with her own abilities was something she didn’t even dare dream of. Even in Mie City, which ranked dead last among the top four tier-one cities, any decent villa—excluding those out in the absolute middle of nowhere—would start at tens of millions. The ones in the city center could easily exceed a hundred million. And throwing in a supercar? Tsk. Manlin would probably have to grind for a few more years.

Now, if it were buying a villa in Jiangbei, Zhou Manlin’s current net worth was actually enough. Besides, she didn’t seem like she wanted to move to another city to develop her career anyway.

Zhou Manlin beamed. "Why don’t you just forget about him? I’ll sponsor a muscular college athlete for you too. Wouldn’t that be much better than some scrawny guy? Hell, I can even get you two."

"Get out of here, stop grossing me out," Li Beixing replied in annoyance.

Besides, how did she know a slim guy wouldn’t be as strong as an athlete? It would be hilarious if those big muscles turned out to be all for show—like a pewter spearhead that looked like silver but folded on impact.

Of course, she only thought these words and didn’t dare say them out loud. She still had her dignity to maintain.

Zhou Manlin curled her lip. "Fine, fine. You’re the romantic one. You’re so noble."

Li Beixing gave her a look of disdain. "You say that as if you have a ton of experience. Have you ever even had a boyfriend? Why haven’t I heard about it? Stop pretending."

Zhou Manlin instantly flushed bright red. "W-what do you know? I can at least claim to have rich theoretical knowledge! Unlike you, who covered your eyes the first time we watched an adult video..."

Now it was Li Beixing’s turn to blush furiously. "Hey, hey, hey! Stop acting crazy and look at your surroundings, will you!"

Although they talked about explicit things in private, they were currently in a public place. If someone overheard them, how could they ever show their faces again? Even if Zhou Manlin didn’t care about her pride, Li Beixing definitely cared about hers!

Zhou Manlin gave a sleazy grin. "The bespectacled female teacher? Hehehe!"

Li Beixing smirked disdainfully. "The domineering female CEO? Heh."

They were two of a kind; neither had the right to mock the other.

Li Beixing wasn’t drinking, but Zhou Manlin was downing glass after glass. Naturally, she ate just as much to make sure her stomach could handle the alcohol.

"When you get married, I’ll be your bridesmaid, okay?" Zhou Manlin propped her elbows on the table and rested her chin in her hands. Her face was a bit flushed, but her eyes were still clear, not yet glazed over.

Li Beixing kept her head down, drinking her congee. "Isn’t it a bit early to talk about that? There’s not even a shadow of a groom yet! Besides, being a bridesmaid is exhausting."

"It’s fine. Just prepare a huge red envelope for me when the time comes."

"That can be arranged."

"And give birth to two kids so you can give me one."

Li Beixing rolled her eyes. "Get lost!"

Zhou Manlin giggled. "Aw, don’t be so stingy. How about you just have a few extra and hand one over to me at the end?"

"Why don’t you have your own?" Li Beixing wanted to punch her. Did Manlin think she was a breeding sow? Having one or two kids was tiring enough, let alone "a few extra." She was a firm believer in the concept of quality over quantity when it came to raising children!

Zhou Manlin spoke with absolute self-righteousness. "I’m afraid of the pain."

"And I won’t feel pain, right?" Li Beixing was genuinely amused by her audacity.

Zhou Manlin chuckled. "You’re definitely going to have kids anyway, so you might as well have one for me while you’re at it. If the first one is a natural birth, the rest will pop out super easily."

"You’re out of your mind!"

Li Beixing seriously thought there was something wrong with this woman’s brain sometimes. Who asked someone else to give birth to a child for them to raise? What, was her child going to inherit Manlin’s fortune in the future too? Even then, it was a no-go—the Li family wasn’t exactly short on money!

The two of them drank and chatted until about eleven-thirty. Having nearly finished all the food they ordered, they got ready to leave.

In the end, Zhou Manlin didn’t get drunk; she hadn’t even drank all that much. Though she had been knocking back glass after glass, the alcohol content of the beer was low, and they had spent most of the time talking. When it was time to pay the bill, she was completely sober.

"Should I take you home?" Li Beixing asked her.

Zhou Manlin was curious. "You drove here?"

"Yup!"

Li Beixing pulled out her keys and pressed the electronic unlock button. Beside them, her little electric scooter let out a loud BEEP BEEP.

Zhou Manlin burst into laughter. "Sure!"

Truthfully, her own car was parked just down the street, and she could have easily called a designated driver, but it had been a long time since she rode on Li Beixing’s little scooter. It was a good thing neither of them was overweight, or they definitely wouldn’t have both fit on the seat.