Chapter 74 Stellar Pretending

"If it makes my house feel more like a home to you, just bring it." Jingwei said, staring firmly into her eyes. "I want you to be comfortable when living with me."

Sensing Xue Ning's disbelief, he added. "You can bring stuff like your shoes or even your graffiti table. I may need convincing on your mouldy toaster though."

"My toaster isn't mouldy, it's well-loved," Xue Ning retorted instinctively, ignoring the fact that her mother said the exact same thing when Xue Ning had taken a photo of it to show her family the newest addition to her kitchen. Meanwhile, her father had called it a fire hazard, and her brother had called it a source of radiation.

Ridiculous, all of them.

"Yeah, by the racoons in the park," Jingwei said flatly. "I think if you toasted bread in it, it might just give you indigestion."

"What if I insist on bringing it?" Xue Ning said, tilting her head up challengingly to stare him down. "What if I need it to feel at home?"

Let's see if Sun Jingwei meant what he said earlier. Everyone could spout words promising things, but fewer could commit to their words.

Come on Sun Jingwei, prove me right. Prove that you're a snobby rich man that wants to treat me well just to feel good about yourself. Prove to me that you're terrible, so that my heart can stop beating in double time when you are near.

"Then bring it," Jingwei said, shattering all her doubts. "You can even display it at your bedside if you wish. Just don't use it! It's an issue of your health! Besides, aren't you always trying to save money? Wouldn't falling ill and seeing a doctor waste more money?"

Xue Ning could only stare at him, speechless in surprise. Sun Jingwei was speaking sense! He was using her logic against her!

"Not that I can't afford a doctor for you," Jingwei added, "but why go through the trouble?"

Xue Ning stared out the window, looking for the sign of the apocalypse. There were no flying pigs, earthquakes or alien invasions.

? "Oi! I can be sensible!" Jingwei protested. "Don't underestimate me - I saw that look on your face!"

"That's just my default face when I look at you." She replied, hurriedly brushing the dust off her clothes. "Anyway, more importantly, you're going to help me carry that box of your gifts to your car. I can carry the rest."

Jingwei stood up and had the gall to reach for a hand to drop a kiss on the back of it, as though he was some fine gentleman. "Yes dear. I am here at your service."

She rolled her eyes. "You know, you don't need to act like this when it's just the two of us."

"Act?" He blinked in confusion.

"Yes - but good job on the stairwell just now. I didn't realise my neighbours might be eavesdropping."

"Good job on the stairwell?" Jingwei echoed dumbly.

"Guess you do have sense after all." Xue Ning patted his arm, oblivious to the way Jingwei's brain was frantically trying to make sense of her words. "Now let's go before everyone and their mother spies on us from the lift lobby."

=

Too late.

Everyone and their mothers, fathers, as well as second-cousins-twice-removed were all there waiting at the lift lobby, when they got out of the rickety lift that was one trip away from the junkyard.

Was this how celebrities felt? Xue Ning twitched at the way greedy eyes peered at them, looking for scandal to record with their phones. She should have carried the box instead - it would have offered some protection against their eyes. She clutched at her suitcase tightly, trying to keep calm by taking deep breaths.

This wasn't going to be like when she was back in school.

She forced herself to look up, steeling her spine. She took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders, preparing to bulldoze over all of them if they didn't make way. Her suitcase could stand to roll over a few exposed toes.

"Smile, don't look murderous," Jingwei hurriedly whispered in her ear, before taking the lead.

"Excuse me, let us through, thank you very much!" Xue Ning watched as he easily slipped on a winning smile that had more than one person stumbling back from how handsome he was. He adjusted his hold on the box so that he could grip it with one arm (and wasn't that a sight that did an interesting thing to Xue Ning's intestines), and his other free hand easily reached out to hold Xue Ning's hand, squeezing slightly as he led her through the crowd.

"Excuse me, excuse me, stand back, thank you…"

Xue Ning followed him, trying her best to give a friendly non-threatening smile. Judging by the way several people recoiled away in fear, she wasn't succeeding.

Either way, both of them managed to make it to Jingwei's car in one piece, without tripping over people. They hurriedly put her luggage in the back seat and Jingwei even helped to open the car door for her, giving her a quick wink that only she could see.

Acting. She reminded herself. They were acting as a couple, so of course she shouldn't be scowling at this gentlemanly action. Normally she would, because she was perfectly capable of opening a car door!

But well. Acting. She pasted a pleased smile on her face. Jingwei took one look at it and began snickering, and he didn't stop until her apartment complex faded from the rearview mirror.

"Oh good, we're finally away," Xue Ning said, relieved. "Your acting skills are great. Unparalleled."

"My acting skills. Right. Acting," Jingwei laughed helplessly to himself. It was so ironic.

He spent years pretending to be sincere and gentlemanly to random girls, only for the girls around him to fall for his actions, treating them as proof that he loved them, that they were meant to be the next Mrs Sun.

Now, he truly meant every action and gesture, and Xue Ning was out there thinking he's faking all of it!

Was this his bad karma catching up to him?