Chapter 151: The Lonely Fox

Upon arriving at the private room on the second floor, Bai Zhiya sat down opposite Ding Heng, glancing at the Mercedes-Benz car keys every now and then.

Ding Heng pushed the menu over: "Order whatever you want."

"Then I won't be polite!"

Bai Zhiya took the menu, flipped through a couple of pages, and casually asked, "Are you familiar with this restaurant, Ding Heng? I've heard it recommended before, but I've never had a chance to come."

"It's a friend's house, so I come here often."

Ding Heng spoke calmly, and casually poured Baima a cup of hot tea.

Bai Zhiya ordered several signature dishes, handed the menu back to the waiter, and then turned to Ding Heng: "By the way, I heard you're into photography, right, Ding Heng?"

How did you know?

"The school organized an event last time and needed a photographer, which would also earn you academic credits. Your roommate Liu Chiwang recommended you, but the student council president had connections at the time, so we didn't consider it."

"Really? That's a pity..."

Ding Heng was just being polite, but Bai Zhiya seemed to take it seriously and quickly responded attentively.

"There will be another chance next time. I'll put in a good word for you. I've seen the photos on your WeChat Moments; your photography skills are really amazing!"

Bai Zhiya had certainly seen it.

Just three minutes ago, she quickly opened Ding Heng's WeChat Moments and browsed through it. Apart from a few landscape photos, there was nothing else.

In the past, Bai Zhiya would have immediately rejected this kind of guy's posts on social media, but today she inexplicably found them quite charming...

She continued, "I actually like photography too, but isn't professional equipment very expensive? It's really costly to get into photography!"

"It's alright, it's enough."

Ding Heng gave a perfunctory reply, his attention remaining fixed on Baima.

The little girl was peering out the window, her short legs dangling in mid-air: "Wow, so many people! If we have to wait in line, we'll be waiting until dawn!"

The windows on the second floor of the food stall were old-fashioned windows without railings. Ding Heng quickly reached out and grabbed Bai Ma by the back of her collar, pulling her back onto the chair.

"Sit still, don't fall."

Baima sat obediently, but her eyes were still glancing out the window.

Bai Zhiya watched the interaction between the brother and sister and chuckled, "Your sister is so cute."

"It's alright, just a bit skinny."

As soon as Ding Heng finished speaking, the door to the private room was pushed open, and Lin Man rushed in.

She wasn't wearing makeup today; her face was clean and tidy, yet she still retained her allure, revealing a natural innocence.

Wearing a black turtleneck sweater, dark gray wide-leg pants, and canvas shoes, she exuded a relaxed and casual vibe.

Even with such a simple outfit, the moment she stood there, the atmosphere in the private room immediately changed.

Baima jumped up from her chair: "Sister Man! Over here, over here!"

Lin Man glanced at the people at the table and naturally pulled out the chair next to Ding Heng and sat down.

"I'm late, there was a traffic jam on the way."

Her voice was languid as she leaned close to Ding Heng, asking affectionately, "Want something to drink?"

Ding Heng glanced at her car keys: "We both drive, so let's forget it."

"Oh……"

Seeing the intimate interaction between the two, Bai Zhiya couldn't help but feel a little puzzled.

Wasn't Ding Heng's girlfriend at school that busty girl? Who is this one?

Lin Man completely ignored Bai Zhiya's presence, picked up a pair of chopsticks from the table, slowly broke them apart, and twirled them in her hand.

"Bai Ma, have you ordered yet?"

"We've ordered! Sister Man, please add whatever you'd like to eat!"

"Let's have another soft-shelled turtle, I heard this place is particularly good."

"Can you finish it?"

"It's okay, it's on me!"

Lin Man decisively took charge and asked the waiter to add more dishes.

Bai Zhiya realized she was being ignored, and her smile grew increasingly awkward: "Ding Heng, aren't you going to introduce him?"

Ding Heng raised his chin: "Lin Man, a senior from Hunan Normal University."

Then he turned to Lin Man: "Bai Zhiya, my college classmate."

"Hello there."

Bai Zhiya took the initiative to extend her hand.

"Hello there."

Lin Man chuckled lightly, ultimately giving Ding Heng face, but her handshake was unmistakably perfunctory.

Bai Zhiya withdrew her hand, her smile unchanged, but she felt increasingly uncomfortable inside.

She believes she has a strong presence and will never be easily suppressed by others.

At school, the boys who pursued her could line up from the teaching building to the cafeteria, and the student council members had been fighting over her for quite some time.

But the woman named Lin Man in front of her, just sitting there without doing anything, made her feel inferior.

It's not about looks, but something that comes from within...

Bai Zhiya couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she just felt uneasy and uncomfortable all over!

The dishes were served one after another.

Baima was the first to pick up her chopsticks, grabbing a piece of pork rib and stuffing it into her mouth. She mumbled a comment, "This is food fit for humans! My mom's cooking is so bad even dogs would turn up their noses!"

Ding Heng placed a piece of green vegetable on her plate: "Don't just eat meat."

Baima frowned, but still obediently stuffed the vegetables into her mouth.

Bai Zhiya praised, "Ding Heng, you are so good to your sister."

"Of course."

Ding Heng didn't even look up, continuing to serve food to Bai Ma.

Bai Zhiya didn't give up and continued talking about photography: "By the way, what equipment do you usually use to take pictures? I'm thinking of learning photography recently and I plan to use my New Year's money to buy a camera."

Before Ding Heng could speak, Lin Man spoke first.

"When it comes to equipment, it depends on your budget and needs. For beginners, the Sony A7M4 offers good value for money, and a 24-70mm and a 70-200mm lens should be sufficient. If you want to work with film, that's a different story. The Hasselblad 503CW is currently ridiculously overpriced, so you might as well go for the ALPA. However, it has a high learning curve and you won't be able to handle it without some experience."

Bai Zhiya's smile froze completely.

Bai Zhiya's smile froze completely.

She understands Sony and lenses, but she's never even heard of brands like Hasselblad or ALPA.

But right now, he couldn't show weakness in front of Ding Heng: "I'm also torn, so I'm thinking of choosing Hasselblad. Ding Heng, what do you think?"

Lin Man raised an eyebrow: "Really? Which one?"

"Well... that..."

Bai Zhiya got stuck.

Lin Man didn't press further, picked up her teacup, took a small sip, and said casually, "By the way, I overheard you say at the door that you also like photography?"

"Um……"

"Then you must have heard of Helena von Richthofen, right?"

Bai Zhiya was dumbfounded; she had no idea what this long string of foreign names meant.

"I think... I vaguely remember it."

She tried to sound natural: "Was it that...landscape photographer? I remember her work was very powerful."

Lin Man put down her teacup: "She only takes portraits."

"Really...then maybe I remembered it wrong."

Bai Zhiya chuckled dryly twice: "Maybe I confused her with that...that person."

Lin Man didn't delve into it further, and continued to guide the conversation: "She has an exhibition in Shanghai after the New Year, would you like to go check it out?"

"I'll be quite busy after the New Year, so I might not have time. What about you, senior? Will you be going?"

"Me? I'm not going either."

"Why? Don't you have time either?"

"no."

Lin Man's lips curved into a smile.

"Because I made that up."

Bai Zhiya was stunned into silence.

one second.

two seconds.

The expression on his face went from bewilderment to shock, then from shock to shame and anger, and finally settled on embarrassment.

Bai Ma chewed on some sand turtle meat, looked at Lin Man and then at Bai Zhiya, and almost couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Ding Heng remained expressionless, seemingly oblivious to the undercurrents on the table, focusing solely on serving food to Bai Ma.

"Eat yours."

He tapped the rim of Baima's bowl with his chopsticks.

Baima quickly lowered her head, suppressing her laughter, but her shoulders were still shaking.

Bai Zhiya gripped the chopsticks tightly in her hand, her knuckles turning white.

She took a deep breath and tried her best to maintain her composure.

"I suddenly remembered I have something to do, so I'll be going now."

She stood up, dragging her chair back with a screeching sound.

"Wu Lan, let's go."

Bai Zhiya didn't look at Ding Heng or Lin Man again, picked up her bag and walked out.

Wu Lan followed behind, her steps hurried.

The door closed.

The private room was silent for a few seconds.

Baima finally couldn't hold it in any longer and burst out laughing, laughing so hard she almost fell over.

"Sister Man, you're so mean!"

She laughed until tears almost streamed down her face: "Look at her, hahahaha..."

Lin Man ignored her and turned to observe Ding Heng, who remained expressionless.

"What's wrong? Are you angry?"

She tilted her head slightly, her tone coquettish and ingratiating, as if she were genuinely afraid that Ding Heng would be angry about it.

Ding Heng poured water for Baima, and without even looking up, asked, "What's wrong?"

"I drove your classmate away."

Lin Man continued to probe, "You won't blame me, will you?"

Ding Heng spoke frankly: "It's alright, but I just feel it's quite unnecessary..."

There was no romantic relationship between him and Bai Zhiya, and his help was only out of consideration for their friendship. Lin Man was such a shrewd person that she couldn't possibly not see through it.

If she wants to show off, let her. Why make her feel embarrassed?

Now it was Lin Man's turn to be dumbfounded, and she couldn't say a word for a moment.

Ding Heng continued to serve food to Bai Ma: "Don't eat too much, or you won't be able to sleep tonight."

"Sister Man, try this pig's trotter, it's incredibly delicious!"

"Oh……"

Lin Man came to her senses and tried to cover up her emotions by eating.

She didn't know what was wrong with her.

Whether Bai Zhiya is showing off or trying to curry favor with Ding Heng, what does it have to do with her?

She also disliked Ding Heng.

She just... just couldn't stand those pretentious women.

Yes, that's it.

Lin Man tried to find a reason for herself, but she couldn't even convince herself.

After all, when it comes to putting on an act, who can outdo her?

When she entered the room, she saw Bai Zhiya sitting opposite Ding Heng, smiling sweetly and speaking intimately, as if she were very familiar with Ding Heng.

She felt uncomfortable at the time.

It's not because I'm jealous.

It's because I feel... it's beneath me.

Among the women around Ding Heng, both Hua Qing and Zhao Yanxi are ten times better looking than Bai Zhiya.

How dare someone like this get close to Ding Heng?

Lin Man took another sip of tea to suppress the jumbled thoughts in her mind.

Baima's tongue lolled out from the spiciness. She picked up her cup, gulped down a large mouthful of water, and changed the subject, asking, "Sister Man, aren't you going home for the New Year?"

Lin Man put down her teacup: "I won't go back."

Ding Heng then asked, "Lin Man, are you spending the New Year alone in Changsha?"

Lin Man turned her head to look at him, her tone becoming charming and languid again: "What, want to keep me company?"

Ding Heng didn't respond and continued to serve food to Bai Ma.

Seeing that Ding Heng didn't react, Lin Man added, "I'm fine on my own, it's peaceful."

She regretted it as soon as she said it.

That's a statement that sounds like he's burying his head in the sand, implying something...

Feeling embarrassed, she quickly changed the subject.

"Pema, when are you going to Tibet?"

"It's the second day of the Lunar New Year. My mom said I should go back home and stay for a few days."

Is there a difference between the Tibetan New Year and the Lunar New Year?

"It's all the same, just pointless fun! Staying at high altitudes is uncomfortable, and you have to eat a bunch of random stuff..."

Pema frowned, clearly not thinking that returning to Tibet was a good thing.

The two started chatting, and the topic quickly turned to games.

Baima enthusiastically told Lin Man what she had been playing lately, and Lin Man responded with a few words every now and then.

Ding Heng didn't say much throughout the meal, only occasionally putting food on Bai Ma's plate or reminding her to eat slowly.

The wind was cold at the door, and Bai Ma hunched her neck and hid behind Ding Heng.

Lin Man stood at the bottom of the steps and looked back at him.

"Then I'll be leaving first."

"Um."

Ding Heng nodded, his tone indifferent.

Lin Man waited a second, and seeing that Ding Heng had no intention of saying anything more, she turned around and walked towards her car.

She took two steps, then turned back.

Ding Heng was tying a scarf around Baima's neck and didn't even look at her.

Lin Man looked away, opened the car door, and got in.

The car started, and she took one last look through the window.

Ding Heng led Baima by the hand, his tall figure moving at a steady pace.

Lin Man looked away and stepped on the gas.

The car drove out of the alley and merged into the traffic.

She gripped the steering wheel, her thoughts a jumbled mess.

What am I even doing?!

Her reason told her to stay away from Ding Heng.

This man is too dangerous. If you get involved, you'll definitely come to a bad end.

But she just couldn't help it.

Seeing Bai Zhiya sitting opposite Ding Heng and fawning over him, she wanted to embarrass her.

Seeing that Ding Heng was ignoring her, she wanted to tease him and get him to look at her more.

Seeing him tie the scarf around Baima's neck and walk away without looking back, she felt a sense of emptiness in her heart.

It felt like something was blocking my way, I couldn't go up or down.

Lin Man gripped the steering wheel tightly, took a deep breath, and tried to regain her composure.

Back to the upscale apartment where I lived.

As the elevator ascends, the numbers on it jump one by one.

Lin Man leaned against the elevator wall, staring at her reflection in the mirror.

She was wearing no makeup, a black sweater, wide-leg pants, and canvas shoes.

He looked listless and lacked energy.

She tugged at the corners of her mouth, wanting to smile to cheer herself up, but then felt it was unnecessary.

The elevator stopped on the sixteenth floor and the doors opened.

The corridor was quiet, with only the sound of her footsteps.

The entryway light sensed her movement and turned on automatically.

Entering the house by fingerprint unlocking, there are several pairs of high heels neatly arranged on a shoe cabinet, next to which is a crystal tray containing a key, lipstick, and an unopened tube of hand cream.

She changed into slippers, tossed her car keys into the tray, and went into the living room.

The living room is large, and the floor-to-ceiling windows offer a view of the city's nightscape, with its myriad lights twinkling in the night.

The sofa was off-white, and a tea set was placed on the coffee table, next to which was a fashion magazine with a few pages flipped through.

Lin Man slumped onto the sofa, sinking into it completely. All she could hear was the hum of the air conditioner running, and the atmosphere was cold and desolate.

So she picked up the remote, turned on the TV, randomly changed to a channel, and let the sound fill the whole room.

No matter how loud the sound, it was difficult to dispel the loneliness in my heart.

She unlocked her phone, ready to chat with someone; the screen displayed her earlier conversation with Baima.

【White Horse is Not a Horse】: Sister Man, are you in Changsha?

[Linhu Leads the Way]: Yes, what's up?

[White Horse is Not a Horse]: Are you busy?

[Lin Hu leads the way]: Not in a hurry.

[White Horse is Not a Horse]: Shall we go out for a late-night snack?

[White Horse is Not a Horse]: [Address]

[White Horse is Not a Horse]: My brother said this restaurant is especially delicious.

[Lin Hu Leads the Way]: Okay, I'll be right there.

Lin Man hovered her finger above the screen, beginning to think.

Why did she readily agree to go out for a late-night snack with Baima?

Is he the biggest financial backer of the gaming companion store?

I'm just too lonely and want to talk to someone...

Lin Man tossed her phone aside, continued to blank out her thoughts, and stared blankly at the ceiling.

She didn't know what was playing on the TV; the sound was a buzzing noise, like background noise.

She suddenly remembered the way Ding Heng looked at Bai Zhiya at the dinner table earlier.

Calm, indifferent, without the slightest ripple.

It's like looking at something insignificant.

A strange feeling welled up inside her.

Did Ding Heng look at her with the same gaze?

She tried to recall it carefully, but couldn't remember.

It seems that... Ding Heng's attitude towards her changed at some point.

Unlike before, he wouldn't cooperate with her acting or play those ambiguous little games with her.

His gaze towards her grew increasingly indifferent, his words became more and more perfunctory, and he couldn't even be bothered to get angry.

Just like today.

She drove Bai Zhiya away in anger, and he didn't even utter a word of blame.

It's not magnanimity, it's simply indifference.

He didn't care what she did.

Lin Man suddenly felt a little cold.

She curled up her legs and huddled into a ball.

There were several unopened boxes of skincare products on the coffee table; they were samples given to me by a friend.

Next to it is a bottle of red wine, also a New Year's gift from a friend, a 12 vintage, worth over ten thousand yuan.

Unlike Baima, Lin Man has many, many friends, and her social circle is basically centered around her.

Whenever she has an idea, she posts it on her WeChat Moments, and countless people immediately agree and follow suit!

But now that the year is drawing to a close, I can only face the New Year alone.

Lin Man picked up her phone again and opened the family group chat.

The message count is already 99+.

She scrolled up and saw that her cousins ​​were sending out red envelopes, and everyone was having a great time grabbing them.

Some people are posting pictures of their New Year's Eve dinner menus, some are sharing videos of their homes putting up Spring Festival couplets, and several younger relatives are sending New Year's greetings in group chats, their words as sweet as honey.

Lin Man, are you coming back for Chinese New Year this year?

She scrolled down and saw that someone had tagged her.

I'm not replying, something's come up.

She typed, her tone polite yet distant.

It's so lonely being out alone. Come back home; it's lively there.

It was sent by her second aunt. It looked very affectionate, but Lin Man knew it was all just empty politeness.

As a parasite that the entire family cannot get rid of, she will immediately be met with countless scornful looks and criticisms as soon as she returns.

I have other things to do.

After posting this, she added a smiley face emoji.

There was no further reply.

She left the family group chat and aimlessly scrolled through her WeChat Moments.

The first post is Hua Qing's update.

In the photo, Hua Qing is not wearing Hanfu, which is rare for her. She is wearing a bright red sweater, which looks particularly festive.

She stood in front of a table full of dishes, with Hua Yue and several elders beside her, all of them smiling happily.

The caption reads: "Going home for the Chinese New Year."

Below are a bunch of likes and comments.

Lin Man stared at the photo for several seconds.

Hua Qing smiled naturally, unlike her usual cold demeanor, and seemed to be in a good mood.

The whole family was reunited, and it was a lively and joyous occasion.

But Lin Man only felt that it was dazzling.

She turned off the TV, put down her phone, and pulled the blanket over her head.

In the darkness, she could hear her own breathing.

It was very light and quiet.

Like this apartment.

Like this year.