Chapter 49: Older Sisters Smell the Best

Who would have thought that Sun Qian, that hopeless romantic, could actually resist the temptation of six-pack abs?

She outright rejected a love confession in the form of a letter.

This was something Luo Shanshan just couldn’t understand.

She spent the entire day staring at Sun Qian whenever she had the chance, hoping to get an explanation.

Jiang Ning wasn’t particularly interested at first.

But after hearing Luo Shanshan list all of Li Haoyang’s merits, she got curious and turned her attention to Sun Qian.

And in the end, the explanation was just one sentence:

“Li Haoyang’s grades aren’t good.”

Sun Qian didn’t want a romance that would only last through high school.

Damn, talk about clarity.

Jiang Ning couldn’t help but give Sun Qian a thumbs-up.

—

PE Class.

Long-distance running.

When their burly PE teacher announced this, the whole class groaned in despair.

Even Jiang Ning, who usually enjoyed exercise, mumbled complaints under her breath.

But the teacher had his authority.

Since long-distance running was decided, the entire lesson revolved around it.

There was a lecture on running techniques.

Posture corrections for better endurance.

To be fair, their teacher was actually quite good.

From Jiang Ning’s two lifetimes of experience, she could tell these were very useful techniques.

Too bad no one cared.

Some were whispering, some were giggling, and even Qi Wen—the class’s model student—was busy discussing which restaurant had the best skewers.

And how did Jiang Ning know?

Well… she was the one who started that topic.

—

When the second half of the lesson began, it was time for the brutal reality check.

1000 meters for the boys, 800 meters for the girls.

No finishing, no dismissal.

The moment their teacher added that condition, the entire class, like bears waking from hibernation, reluctantly shuffled onto the rubber track.

As one of the city’s top high schools, their track was top-tier—smooth, with no bumps or dips.

Which was a bummer for Jiang Ning.

She had been considering faking a fall.

She hadn’t expected this.

In her past life, she could easily complete a 1000-meter run.

Yet in this life, she was barely halfway through 800 meters before her legs felt like they were filled with lead.

Every step was torture.

“Hu… hu… hu…”

Her breathing was so labored that she started questioning why humans even ran upright.

If possible, she would rather crawl to the finish line on all fours.

In the end, Jiang Ning finally stumbled across the finish line.

With a plop, she collapsed onto the grass, gulping in fresh air.

And as if that wasn’t enough, she sprawled out completely, arms and legs spread wide.

That was when a bottle of mineral water suddenly appeared in her field of vision, blocking out part of the bright sunlight.

At first, she thought it was Luo Shanshan or Qi Wen.

But when she frowned and looked carefully—

The next second, Jiang Ning abruptly sat up and looked up in surprise at the person offering her water.

“Well, well, Tao the Warrior, your foot’s healed?”

“Walking normally is no problem now.” Tao Tao lifted his leg slightly as if to prove his point.

Jiang Ning just chuckled, glanced at the extra bottles of water in his hands, and then turned to call out to her friends:

“Ladies, a generous benefactor has arrived! Come get your share!”

With that one sentence—

Luo Shanshan, Sun Qian, Qi Wen, Tian Yawen, and even Zhu Hui, who had just flopped onto the grass, all crawled over.

Each girl took a bottle.

And in no time, Tao the Landlord’s “property” was completely divided, leaving nothing for himself.

But Tao the Landlord didn’t seem to mind.

After joking around with the girls for a while, he sat down on the grass.

“You free this Saturday?”

“For what?”

“My old man wants to play chess with you.”

Old man?

Immediately, an image of a grumpy, smug old guy popped into Jiang Ning’s mind.

She smacked her lips in distaste.

“Nope.”

“Oh.”

Tao Tao nodded, not pushing the matter.

Just then, the whistle for Class 9’s gathering sounded.

Tao Tao stood up, brushing grass off his pants.

“Last time, we ended our match at 2-2. Once my foot’s completely healed, let’s settle it?”

“No problem.”

Since he brought water, Jiang Ning happily accepted the challenge.

Might as well relive the past a little.

If it weren’t for her gender, she would probably still be just as passionate about basketball.

As she was thinking, Jiang Ning lazily lay back down again.

And unexpectedly—

She landed on something soft.

Turning her head, she found that Zhu Hui had collapsed behind her, panting.

And what she was lying on—

Was Zhu Hui’s lap.

Well, well.

This does feel different.

So soft and plush.

Seizing the opportunity while Zhu Hui was too exhausted to resist, Jiang Ning rolled around on her lap.

Zhu Hui shrieked in protest.

Jiang Ning cackled.

However—

Her joy lasted less than two minutes.

Once Zhu Hui called Luo Shanshan and the others over—

The scene changed to Jiang Ning rolling on the ground, begging for mercy, while three or four girls playfully “attacked” her.

They only let her go when the whistle blew for roll call.

Jiang Ning lay on the grass, thoroughly disheveled, and grumbled with deep resentment:

“You little brats… One day, I’ll make you call me Daddy!!”

—

In the following days, the song’s production progressed smoothly, with various instrumental layers added.

When the final version was completed—

For a moment, Jiang Ning felt like she was back in her past life.

Back on that night when she first heard this song.

Almost instinctively, she returned to the recording booth.

Turning off the lights, she sat alone in front of the mic.

In the control room, Liao Liao and Sun Ming exchanged glances.

Liao nodded, and Sun Ming pressed the play button.

The next second—

As the music began, Jiang Ning closed her eyes.

Her voice wove through the melody, as if telling a story.

When the song ended, Jiang Ning opened her eyes, took a short break, and stepped out of the booth.

In the room, Sun Ming was smoking, while Liao Liao sat in a daze.

But when she saw Jiang Ning enter, her eyes lit up with eager anticipation.

“Jiang Ning, are you sure you don’t want to be a signed artist?”

“If you agree, I can personally arrange for you to sing this song.”

As expected, Jiang Ning refused again.

Liao Liao could only sigh with deep regret as she prepared to return to Haicheng.

Before leaving, she gently cupped Jiang Ning’s face.

“Promise me, if you ever have new songs in the future, you’ll let me hear them first?”

“No problem.”

Hearing a direct promise, Liao Liao was unexpectedly delighted.

She couldn’t help herself—

She leaned in and gave Jiang Ning a kiss on the cheek.

The faint scent of cigarettes lingered in the air, leaving a lipstick mark on Jiang Ning’s face.

Satisfied, Liao Liao left.

Jiang Ning, however, remained frozen in place, savoring the indescribable fragrance.

Tsk tsk.

Older sisters really do smell the best.

—