Love in the Fast Lane - Novelbike

In this world, there are always some people who, without experiencing any major ups and downs, know exactly how to live their lives. Though they haven’t witnessed the joys and sorrows of life, they have a clear understanding of what they want.

Throughout her more than twenty years of life, Mo Zihan’s journey has been relatively stable. Wealth and hardship rarely touched her; whatever significant experiences she had weren’t closely related to her.

But she knew very well what kind of person she was and what kind of life she needed.

Living an ordinary life is true happiness — it’s something she vaguely thought about but didn’t fully comprehend. However, she knew that a life of luxury wasn’t for her. She didn’t want it. What she needed was just a cozy little place, somewhere she could curl up in during the winter and hide in during the summer. A place that could shelter her from the storms and sorrows of life.

In general, Qi Xiaomeng was also such a person. Both of them strived and persisted for the life they envisioned.

When she received Mo Zihan’s call, Qi Xiaomeng was stunned for a while. She could sense the dejection and helplessness on the other end of the line, so she replied in a lighthearted tone, “Oh dear, since when did you become so melodramatic? I never noticed that before, and I certainly didn’t teach you that!”

Mo Zihan retorted with a hint of frustration, “I’m being serious here, be sincere.”

Qi Xiaomeng rolled her eyes, “Do you really think I’m omnipotent? Let me tell you, right now, don’t overthink it. Just sit tight and continue being his stand-in. There’s a long road ahead. And Tang Ning, well, I don’t know him that well. Do you really understand him so much? How you live your future life is entirely in your hands. In my opinion, you’ve already helped him a lot, so use that to your advantage. Drag him home for the New Year and check him out more thoroughly. If you find out he’s really to your liking, are you afraid you can’t pursue him? Let me tell you, when it comes to relationships, it’s said that a man chasing a woman is like crossing a mountain, but a woman chasing a man is like piercing a veil. When the time comes, and if you really need to go after him, it’s never too late to take aggressive action.”

Goodness, you really are strong-willed!

Mo Zihan replied hesitantly, “That… seems a bit challenging.”

Qi Xiaomeng chuckled mischievously, “Just go ahead and pretend in front of me. You’re a pristine, natural woman, and you think he’d miss out on that opportunity? Get along well enough, let your relationship warm up a bit, and then move in to secure your marriage license. Since he values family so much, what are you afraid of? Pull the trigger, and it’s likely going to be for life. If you play your cards right after the wedding, it’s happily ever after-till death do you part. Envy and jealousy are all you’ll get from others!”

Mo Zihan asked curiously, “What do you mean?”

Qi Xiaomeng sighed, “A genuine, original man is rare. You found one, and you’ve already got a head start. I was thinking of poaching him myself, but now, sorry, too late for that.”

Mo Zihan spat but this time, she felt unsure if Qi Xiaomeng was being serious or joking.

“That… seems a bit unfair to him.”

Qi Xiaomeng said, “Are you honestly unaware or just pretending? Tang Ning is totally into you, can’t you see? If not, why would he bother looking for other women to stand in for you? Why would he feel too shy to tell you directly? This guy’s emotional intelligence is almost zero now. Do you think someone that smart could be so dumb? Relax, give it your best shot, and I’m waiting to attend your wedding.”

Mo Zihan was finally swayed by her words and asked more casually, “And how are you doing now?”

When this came up, Qi Xiaomeng had a bellyful of complaints, venting out, “What else? This afternoon, my unique mom went out on the streets to find men for me. Who knows what she’ll come up with? She hasn’t come back yet. Hey, I’m telling you, tomorrow you have to come help me. The two of us dealing with her, I have a bit of confidence, but if you dare abandon me, my life really will be ruined.”

Mo Zihan cackled and threatened Qi Xiaomeng for a meal, then hung up the phone.

Staring at herself in the bathroom mirror, she gave herself a good pep talk, splashed her face with cold water, and walked out of the restroom.

After wandering around for an entire afternoon, by nightfall, Mo Zihan’s hands were filled with several shopping bags, all bought by Tang Ning’s mother. It’s worth mentioning that Tang Ning’s mother had even opened the wardrobe in the sleeper compartment to check, and finding it empty, she concluded that her son hadn’t taken good enough care of the girl.

According to Tang Ning’s mother, for such a good girl to disregard their family’s financial situation and stay with her son in these times demonstrated her high character. A girl like that deserves to be treated well, doesn’t she?

So, Mo Zihan was both happy and a little awkward about receiving these gifts from Tang Ning’s mother. A few nice pieces of clothing really made her wholeheartedly agree with Qi Xiaomeng’s mischievous advice.

As for Tang Ning, he was mumbling something that Mo Zihan speculated was jealousy or envy. After all, he was the one benefitting here – they were just a few outfits. They had schemed so meticulously against him, what more could he want?

By the time they finished shopping, it was past eight in the evening. Tang Ning’s hometown was much colder than here, and although the older folks were adapting to the new environment, the overnight train ride, even in the sleeper compartment, had taken a toll.

Tang Ning had booked a hotel right across from the residential community. After settling his grandparents and uncle and aunt at the hotel, Mo Zihan suddenly confronted a long-standing but now urgent issue: where was she going to sleep tonight?

Would she really have to sleep in the same room as Tang Ning?

Mo Zihan’s face was a picture of conflicted emotions. She realized that given the circumstances, it was unavoidable. She had no choice but to accept it. But in all her twenty-some years, she had never shared a room with a man before. Although it seemed Tang Ning wasn’t “that kind of person,” still, the thought of it didn’t sit well with her.

At this point, worrying about it wouldn’t change anything.

With a resigned sigh, she decided to push all concerns out of her mind. Then it dawned on her that Tang Ning would be sleeping on the floor, and she couldn’t help but feel amused. That’s just her personality – if something wasn’t fundamentally harmful, she would try to look on the bright side. Not sure if this counts as the “A Q spirit.”

In reality, Tang Ning’s parents didn’t approve of cohabitation before marriage either, but there was nothing they could do now that it had already happened. What could they do? All they could do was accept it and let it be. After all, their son wasn’t at a disadvantage, was he?

Of course, if Tang Ning and Mo Zihan suggested sleeping separately at night now, they would agree without hesitation. But neither Tang Ning nor Mo Zihan had considered it, given that their relationship was a sham. They feared any slip-up that might reveal their charade. Plus, these couple of days, they would both be very tense, and who knew what might slip out of their mouths in their sleep?

For safety, given the impossibility of having separate rooms, it was actually safer for two people with secrets to share a room. As long as things didn’t get out of hand and they didn’t blurt out the truth, there would be less risk of exposure, right?

Tang Ning’s parents were exhausted. Even though Tang Ning had sent a considerable amount of money back home twice, and the cost of a soft sleeper for the six of them wasn’t much, they still bought themselves hard sleeper tickets. An overnight journey followed by another morning, nearly twenty hours on the train-it wasn’t easy. So, once they reached the hotel, they took a quick shower and, within twenty minutes, drifted off to sleep despite the noise outside.

Tang Ning was squatting in the living room watching TV, while Mo Zihan was in the room surfing the internet. Mo Zihan’s heart felt like popcorn in a hot pan, racing uncontrollably. She sneaked a peek into the living room; Tang Ning’s posture was stiff, suggesting he was equally anxious.

Neither of them could truly focus on anything else. They were both preoccupied with the awkward situation they had to face that night.

Around eleven, Tang Ning’s father got up to drink some water. Seeing the living room light still on, he came out to check. Finding Tang Ning still watching TV, he frowned and whispered, “What are you doing up so late? You don’t have to go to work, but Xiao Mo still has to get up early. Go to bed.”

Mo Zihan, overhearing this from the room, felt her heart start to race again. Sharing the room at this hour… how awkward!