221: Generalized anxiety disorder

Lin Ran's explanation sounded a bit weak to Shang Wan Ning, but she couldn't say much more; after all, it had already happened.

Meng Jiang patted Lin Ran's shoulder and comforted her, "It's fine, A Ning isn't that petty."

"Who knows, she might even be dreaming of sharing a bed with us."

"This servant has often complained to the Secretary-General in private that A Ning must have been a pure boy in her past life."

"And a very innocent little boy at that."

Shang Wan Ning gritted her teeth, about to say something.

But then Sister Meng rattled off a few more sentences, nearly exposing all of her secrets.

And so, she swallowed the "rebuttal" that was on the tip of her tongue.

Then, her lips twitched uncontrollably as she plopped down on a round stool in the shop.

Something's up!!!

How did these two become so familiar with each other?

A few days ago, Sister Meng still felt a bit sour toward Assistant Lin, even going as far as to scare her with the 'Resentful Puppet incident' out of a wicked sense of humor.

Time seemed to freeze, and the air grew heavy.

After a long silence, Lin Ran finally couldn't suppress her curiosity and stole a cautious glance toward Meng Jiang.

With that accidental glance, their eyes met in mid-air.

Lin Ran's gaze happened to collide with Meng Jiang's light red eyes.

*Sizzle~*

In an instant, Lin Ran's heart tightened.

It felt as if an invisible hand was gripping it tightly, making it hard for her to breathe.

Her face flushed red in a "whoosh," and even the tips of her ears were tinged with a faint blush.

She was caught red-handed by Meng Jiang.

She couldn't help but blink, conveying some sort of secret code.

"You first, or me first~"

"You first~"

"Okay, okay~ I'll go first~"

After a brief hesitation, Lin Ran seemed to suddenly make up her mind.

She took a deep breath and suddenly turned around to face Shang Wan Ning, saying in an unusually flat tone, "Your Majesty, in my opinion, if women want to get along well, it's actually quite simple—all it takes is shopping, shopping, and more shopping."

Lin Ran's words were like a mind-reader, hitting the nail right on the head regarding Shang Wan Ning's thoughts.

Hearing this, Shang Wan Ning couldn't help but be stunned.

The words she wanted to say for the second time were like a fishbone stuck in her throat, forced back down.

Heartbroken (´-ωก`)

She subconsciously bit her lip and somewhat unnaturally shifted her gaze elsewhere, muttering, "Am I really that easy to read? I am a deity, after all..."

That said, Shang Wan Ning felt something wasn't quite right.

She faintly felt a hint of "green tea" behavior in Lin Ran's words.

After not seeing her for a few days, Lin Ran's change was truly immense.

Not only had her relationship with Sister Meng become intimate (negative distance communication), but even when speaking to her, she was no longer as trembling as before; instead, she had become much more talkative.

Just then, a hand reached out from the side and gently grasped Shang Wan Ning's slender wrist.

In an instant, a smile spread across her face.

Doggy Shang is very easy to coax!

"Sister Meng, being so proactive? You're the one who came to me." She turned sideways and pulled the arm touching her into her embrace.

A faint, imperceptible smile appeared in Meng Jiang's eyes as she deliberately changed the subject.

"You two are practically glued together; naturally, Lin Ran has gained a certain understanding of you."

"Besides, she often stays at the Bridge of Helplessness brewing soup and working, so she has naturally long since considered herself a person of the Underworld."

"Don't overthink it; being suspicious is a bad habit."

Shang Wan Ning pursed her lips and stubbornly replied, "How could I possibly be paranoid?"

She thought that perhaps, as a transmigrator, she could appropriately give some trust to those around her.

After all, being overly suspicious sometimes wasn't good for her old ailment, "GAD."

In just three years, she had grown from a mortal to a deity, her strength increasing rapidly. However, her state of mind didn't seem to have grown much in sync with it.

[Forget it, forget it. In the future, I must cultivate a calm temperament. It's just the harem members hitting it off with each other. It's not like they're swinging both ways; that would be a true cuckold.]

Shang Wan Ning looked down with a bitter smile, deciding to be more composed in the future.

Just like that, a few casual words from Meng Jiang successfully coaxed the ruffled Shang Wan Ning.

As she picked up a teacup from the table and poured a cup of Kuding tea for Shang Wan Ning, she said, "Try it. It's different from the one on the Bridge of Helplessness; this is a special edition."

"This servant doesn't have much stock either, so don't be like Zhu Bajie eating Ginseng Fruit."

Hearing this, Lin Ran couldn't stop her lips from curling up, but she bit her lip and tried hard to suppress it.

[Lady Meng Jiang's level is truly high. It seems I really have a lot to learn.]

Hearing this, Shang Wan Ning couldn't help but pull Lin Ran into her arms and rub the stray hairs on her forehead.

"Alright, alright, I'm just a lecherous person."

"I have no tea skills at all. I see Sister Meng is truly a master of the tea ceremony."

"Once the steps of warming the cup, adding tea, rinsing tea, brewing tea, and pouring are finished, naturally all resentment fades away."

"It's just a pity I didn't see the whole process of making tea, though Lin Ran saw it all."

Meng Jiang reached out and tugged on her earring. "There's nothing to be sorry about. If A Ning wants to see, just come back next time."

"However, This servant guesses A Ning wouldn't visit without a reason. What's the matter?"

Shang Wan Ning moved her hand down and gently squeezed Lin Ran's energy center, as if signaling her to give some reaction.

Lin Ran snapped out of it and guessed, "Looking at Your Majesty's expression, it should be something good."

"And coming specifically to Meng Pos Shop is probably about Lady Meng Jiang's advancement to the 'Seventh Rank'."

Shang Wan Ning clapped and laughed. "Clever. I like subordinates who are 'capable' and catch on quickly."

Meng Jiang raised her eyebrows slightly, a flash of surprise in her eyes.

"A Ning, you mean This servant has an opportunity to advance to the Seventh Rank?"

Shang Wan Ning nodded with a smile. "Exactly."

She spread her right palm, and spiritual power flickered in her palm for a moment. When the spiritual light dissipated, an exquisite jade bottle had appeared in her hand.

Shang Wan Ning handed the jade bottle to Meng Jiang and said, "Inside is Divine Blood that can help Sister Meng advance to the Seventh Rank. I went to some trouble to ask for it."

Doubt flashed in Meng Jiang's eyes. "Olexia... was she really that generous?"

"How could I be such a stingy person? She was sensible enough to give it herself."

Shang Wan Ning wasn't annoyed and defended herself without much conviction.

Meng Jiang smiled without answering and took the jade bottle.

For the sake of an outside god, she naturally wouldn't expose her own person.

Even if their plastic sisterhood had been developing very well lately.

Anyway, now that the good stuff was in her hands, there was no way she'd be a saint and return it.

Meng Jiang carefully placed the jade bottle into her storage space and looked up at Shang Wan Ning.

"A Ning, you have more than one bottle of Divine Blood, don't you?"

Shang Wan Ning smiled and replied, "Two and a half bottles in total. I've already made plans."