Love in the Fast Lane - Novelbike

Mo Zihan wasn’t quite sure what she felt at the moment. It seemed like a mix of emptiness and blurriness, with only a trace of sourness as the tangible emotion.

Tang Ning was being honest with her, but in her ears, it somehow sounded different. Her first reaction was, “He chose me because it’s free,” and without thinking more, she blurted it out.

Tang Ning didn’t explain, seemingly at a loss for words. After a moment of silence, he sighed and said, “Actually, I wanted to tell you the night before last… If you have plans for New Year’s Day, I’ll figure something else out.”

Mo Zihan sniffled and forced a smile, even though it felt stiff. “It’s fine, the company has a dinner tonight. You got the call too, right? Then for the next three days, I was planning to find something to do anyway. Now that you’ve asked for my help, I can’t just leave you hanging, can I? We’re friends, right?”

Tang Ning grinned, and the two started walking shoulder to shoulder. The company dinner was at eight, so it was still early. It wouldn’t make sense not to find something to eat beforehand, especially since it was so cold outside. Besides, going home from here, waiting for some time, and then heading back to the company would neither be economical nor practical.

“So, what made you think of getting a girlfriend like this?” They found a small tea house and chose a spot in the main hall. The two sat facing each other in silence for quite a while, the atmosphere heavy. Seizing the moment a server brought a teapot, Mo Zihan broke the silence first.

Tang Ning sighed, seemingly relieved. He busied himself with pouring tea, eyes downcast. “I was backed into a corner. Called some experienced friends, and after trying everything, this was the only way left. I posted an ad on a local dating site and met a few people this afternoon.”

Mo Zihan smiled and said, “Your standards must be sky-high. You didn’t find anyone decent among the few people you met? Weren’t you desperate? I can’t believe if you really met someone nice, you’d argue over a little money.”

Tang Ning argued, “Do you think earning money is easy? That’s future money for a wife and baby formula. Seriously, I’m really thankful you’re helping me out. Otherwise, I’d probably be wandering around the streets, and things would be even more complicated.”

Mo Zihan thought of the stack of money in her bag, took it out, and tossed it to him. “You’re pretty carefree, huh? Sleeping in at home while someone else collects your paycheck. Anyone who didn’t know you might think you’re a second-generation rich.”

Tang Ning stuffed the money into his pants pocket without even counting it, skipping any formalities, or even a thank you. “Can’t help it. By the way, I don’t really want to go to the dinner tonight.”

Mo Zihan quickly interjected, “Don’t skip it. You can miss other times, but you have to go tonight. If you don’t, people who know your situation might hold it against you. The company is going through some big changes next year, and this extra income isn’t easy to come by. If you lose it because of some petty person’s interference, won’t we be on the losing end?”

Tang Ning waved his hand, “That’s not what I meant. My family is coming over the day after tomorrow. I need to find a decent place and move in tomorrow. No one would believe us living together if they saw my place.”

Oh, right. He had said that the girl was living with him. If his family came and nobody was there, wouldn’t they figure out he was lying? Obviously, they would.

Are we really going to live together? Mo Zihan felt her cheeks heat up. Despite knowing that living together didn’t necessarily mean anything, it was still a few days under the same roof. And if she was going to help Tang Ning keep up the pretense, she would have to get into the role of his girlfriend.

“It’s definitely a hassle. That’s why I was hesitant to ask for your help in the first place. I was worried you might be busy, and I didn’t want to impact your life too much.” Tang Ning took a deep breath and reached into his pocket, intending to smoke, but quickly stopped when he noticed the “No Smoking” sign on the nearby wall.

Mo Zihan only half-listened to Tang Ning’s explanation. “It’s fine. We shouldn’t come off as too stiff or deliberate. The older generation has way more life experience than we do. If we act too forced, they might see through the ruse, and that wouldn’t be good. So, we should just live as we normally do. I’ll keep working, and in the evenings…”

Tang Ning nodded. “Yeah, my parents have a sharp eye. If we act too contrived, they’ll definitely notice something’s up. How about this? I’ll rent a one-bedroom apartment, put them up in a hotel nearby, and that way…”

“No.” Mo Zihan interrupted Tang Ning, not thinking twice. “You haven’t been home in a long time, have you? They say they’re coming to check on how you’re doing, but in reality, they just want to spend some time with you. Putting them in a hotel is almost the same as being in a different city. I don’t mind, you can sleep on the floor, and I’ll just enjoy the show.”

Tang Ning gave a sheepish smile but had to admit she made a good point.

“Thank you so much, then. And afterward…”

“Afterward, I might just need your help too. You think this kind of thing only happens to you?” Mo Zihan felt a bit devious inside. She had been worrying about how to deal with going home for New Year’s, and now the solution was coming to her. If she didn’t seize the opportunity, when would she?

Tang Ning quickly nodded. “No problem. They’ll be here the day after tomorrow, and I won’t have to go home for New Year’s. Plus, it’s time to find a new place anyway. I’ll just rent it for a few more months.”

Mo Zihan secretly chuckled to herself. Should I tell him it’s pointless to rent here?

“We still have to go to the dinner tonight. Finding a place is simple. You’re pretty well-off now, aren’t you? A few months’ rent should be no issue for you. Leave it to Qi Xiaomeng; she’ll have it sorted in two hours!”

Tang Ning said, “I should find it myself. Hey, I didn’t know Qi Xiaomeng was your friend. Lucky for me, I didn’t have any bad intentions; otherwise, you’d both probably clobber me and toss me out with the trash.”

Mo Zihan rolled her eyes. Do you think it’s that easy?

“That works too. There will be a lot of people at the dinner. Just make an appearance, eat something, and leave; no one will notice. By the way, have you told your parents about your job situation?”

Tang Ning smiled. “That’s not a problem. My family initially insisted I get a stable job, but they’ve come around. As long as it’s legal and makes money, they’re fine with it.”

At the dinner party that night, Mo Zihan was always distracted. Before nine o’clock, she saw Tang Ning wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and hurriedly leaving the restaurant.

The next morning, while Mo Zihan was still at work, Tang Ning called to inform her that he had found a place: a two-bedroom apartment rented for six months. He asked her to come over at noon to help check what else needed to be set up.

At the same time, Tang Ning told her, “When we pick up my parents tomorrow, we need to say we just moved into this place a couple of days ago. Otherwise, they’ll wonder why there are two bedrooms.”

Mo Zihan snorted a “Got it” through her nose, but her heart was racing. Does this mean they’re going to live together?

No, no, it’s not like that, absolutely not. She’s just helping out a friend, nothing more, definitely nothing more! Living together implies having a proper relationship, right? This…

After finding countless reasons and excuses for herself, Mo Zihan finally felt relieved. However, the inexplicable fluttering in her heart left her restless, both eager for the time to pass quickly and anxious for it to slow down.

The entire morning passed with Mo Zihan accomplishing nothing. She didn’t know much else, only that she was incredibly nervous-nervous to the point of distraction.