Zhao Anan was also a teacher from University of X. More specifically speaking, she was an associate professor at University of X. She worked at the same Department - Department of Foreign Languages, as Shangguan Ning. Anan was in charge of oral English education whilst Shangguan Ning taught the discipline of British and American Literature.
They had entered University of X on the same day and their birthdays were just one day apart. The two of them got on very well with each other. Everytime when one of them was forced to run an urgent errand, the other would help take over that person's lessons. The two of them hung out on weekends for shopping in the mall or training at the gym. As a result, their friendship developed rapidly.
However, they had come to a tacit agreement that private matters were never to be discussed between them. They agreed to help each other in troublesome situations and leave private space for each other at the same time.
Zhao Anan could be considered as Shangguan Ning's best friend for the past four years.
The same went for Zhao Anan.
Zhao Anan had a boyish personality. She was easy-going, careless and stayed fascinated by something for no more than three days. It came as a surprise to Ning that she had opened her own restaurant.
Keeping aside her surprise, Shangguan Ning was actually very happy for her good friend.
She smiled lightly at Anan and said, "It's great that you opened this Victorian restaurant. Seems like that I would be able to save a good deal of food money in the future."
The overhead shining light landed upon her undecorated face. Her smooth, black long hair fell all over her back in a casual way and clearly reflected her pure white skin. Everything was perfect about her face and that bright smile simply blew Anan's mind away.
"What is it?" Shangguan Ning asked as she noticed Anan staring at her.
She thought that she might have some rice stuck on the face. She pulled up some tissue papers from the table and tried to wipe the food away.
Anan let out a smile. "You, Shangguan Beauty, your smile has bedazzled me! You better hold back that smile for important occasions, otherwise people will be killed by your extreme beauty!"
Shangguan Ning was aware that she was not ugly but she had never considered herself a beauty.
She had been compared with Shangguan Rouxue since childhood and always remained the ugly duckling under the shadow of the white swan.
"Oh, isn't this Xue? You are getting really pretty. You are definitely going to be a real beauty in the future! Eh… Ning, you are quite tall indeed, yes, very tall… haha…"
"Xue scored the first position again! You must have received many scholarship by now. And Ning, oh yes, you have progressed by two steps. It is good too, but try learning from Xue and get into the top 10. It would be a shame if the elder sister lost to the younger, wouldn't it?"
"Hey, did you hear that? Shangguan Rouxue is in relationship with Song Zixuan, the best-looking boy in the school. She is just so lucky. Song is handsome, excellent in studies and rich too. I do envy Xue…"
"News, biggest news! Shangguan Rouxue's elder sister Shangguan Ning is engaged to a vegetative man. She must be interested in his money, even if it means being a living widow. What a shame for Shangguan Rouxue to have a sister like that. I feel so sorry for her…"
"Shangguan Ning! Who I, Xie Zhuojun, love the most is Shangguan Rouxue, not you. She is the girl I am destined to protect in this world. You should stop badgering me and behave like an elder sister is supposed to!"
For some reason, the old stories just popped into her brain all of a sudden and the cruel words were still clear as crystal.
Anan noticed a change in Shangguan Ning's expression, so she said immediately, "What is it? Did I say something wrong?"
Shangguan Ning brought herself back to Earth. She shook her head slightly, trying to wipe away the unpleasant memories from her brain.
She looked at Anan's sunny face and lips which were shaped like a hook.
She replied in a soft voice, "Of course not, Boss Zhao, you have great taste. Do remember to compliment me every day. I will never get too full of that."
Anan burst into laughter as she saw Ning's serious face. "Haha, you are really thick-cheeked, aren't you?"
Anan's emotion apparently affected Shangguan Ning, who could not help but laugh alongside with her.
After a cheerful moment, Anan suddenly approached her and whispered in a mysterious tone, "Seriously, Ning, you are my best friend, why not be my sister-in-law? Benefits should always be kept for our own people, you know."
Shangguan Ning jerked back for a second. She understood that Anan must have seen what happened between her and Guo Shuai.
Therefore, Shangguan Ning waved that away immediately, "You are always joking around. I won't talk to you any more if you continue to do so."
"No way. I am only telling you this because you are so close to me. I wouldn't want others to know about him."
"Anan, I know you mean well, but…"
Anan was a stubborn woman.
She refused to hear what Shangguan Ning had to say and interrupted her by starting to talk, "No buts. You have never met my brother before. As his little sister, I just can't help but brag about him. Ordinary girls are not suitable for him. He has an attractive charisma and is super good-looking. His EQ and IQ that are so high that the indices can exceed the current Guinness Record. His body shape is so perfect that women from eight to eighty years old would all become obsessed. Most importantly, he never fools around with anyone!"
In Shangguan Ning's opinion, Anan was praising her brother in an endlessly exaggerating way. It was a normal thing that a younger sister would worship her older brother. She could not say anything, so listened quietly.
"…You know, he has attracted numerous girls since he was young, even boys! But he always exercises self-control and is never willing to speak with others. He has focussed upon nothing but studies. He has always been the straight-A student at school."
Exercises self-control ? He sounds like he is a man with autistic issues.
"He is particular about his food. He doesn't eat food with green leaves, food with tough textures, food with bad looks…"
Oh girl, please! He was not particular about food, he was critical about food.
"If his dog bites somebody else, he would never blame it for that. Instead, he would feed the dog better food, just to ensure that it can run faster and not be caught next time it bites someone. My brother is just so kind-hearted…"
"Kindhearted"… didn't seem like the right word in this case.
For the first time in six months of knowing her, Shangguan Ning heard Anan, who was more tomboyish than womanly, speak so highly of a boy in such a fascinated tone.
Shangguan Ning could not help but shake her head.
Anan grasped her arm all of a sudden, "Alright, it's a deal then. My brother returned to China last month and he is currently available at home all the time. It is Saturday tomorrow and we both are also free. So, you must come and meet him."
"Well, I don't… think that is necessary. Your brother is so amazing… I'm sure that many people would fight for him. I will skip getting into that mess."
"Stop hesitating. You really have a bad judgement about people. Trust me, please. I won't hurt you in anyway."
Yes, Anan was totally right. She really had a bad judgement about people. She had thought that Xie Zhuojun would be her Mr. Destiny yet the result turned out to be the opposite. She had thought that Guo Shuai was a nice man, but the fact was that he totally wasn't…
But, Anan's judgment was also… very suspicious.
She was about to say something, when Anan looked at her rather maliciously, "What is it, my Beauty? You don't believe me? Or my brother? If you don't agree with this proposal, then you are not allowed to leave this sinister restaurant tonight."
Her voice was getting louder and louder, drawing the attention of a couple on the table closeby.
She didn't even care about scaring off her guests with her fierce words.
Shangguan Ning was worried that messier words would come out of her mouth, so she immediately nodded in agreement, "Okay, okay, okay! I will meet your brother. Don't scare your guests away. You just opened the restaurant."
Zhao Anan was finally happy again. Her face was filled up with excitement, "Okay! That's final then. Tomorrow night, 7 o'clock. Come to my Victorian restaurant for a sell, oh, sorry, for a meeting!"
Shangguan Ning felt a terrible hunch rising from her heart as she saw Anan's eagerness.
Why did it feel as if she had just been sold away?