Chapter 17

As Lingling opened her eyes, anger and frustration coursed through her veins.

The events of the previous day played through her mind like a broken record, fueling her irritation even further.

She sat up abruptly, her hands immediately reaching for her phone to check for any messages.

She tossed her phone aside in frustration, the realization sinking in that she had kicked Orm out without thinking.

Normally, Orm would be in the kitchen making breakfast by now.

"Damn it," she muttered under her breath, running a hand through her messy hair. "Now I don't have anyone to make me breakfast."

Fuming, Lingling huffed and rose from the bed. She muttered under her breath as she padded into the kitchen to make her own breakfast.

"There are plenty of women in the world," she grumbled, grabbing a carton of eggs from the fridge.

"I don't need Orm to make me breakfast. I can do it myself."

As she began scrambling the eggs, Lingling continued to mutter to herself, her irritation still fresh.

"I've always been fine on my own. I don't need Orm's damn breakfast," she grumbled, cracking the eggs violently into the pan. "This is perfectly fine. I don't need her... or anyone."

Lingling slammed a plate onto the countertop and dumped a scoop of the scrambled eggs onto it with a bit more force than necessary.

"Damn it, the audacity!" she muttered angrily. "She had the nerve to go behind my back like that... and with Ying, of all people. Who does she think she is? Fooling around with someone else while pretending to be my lover."

********

Meanwhile, Orm woke up on the couch of Ying's apartment. She stretched and sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

Ying padded into the room, a steaming mug of coffee in her hand.

"Good morning," she greeted. "Sleep well?"

Orm nodded, accepting the offered mug and taking a small sip.

The warm liquid and the familiar taste of caffeine helped to ease her slightly foggy morning mind.

"Thanks," she said appreciatively. "I slept pretty well."

Ying sat down on the armrest of the couch, watching Orm with a contemplative expression.

"Well, looks like we have ourselves a sleepyhead here," she teased affectionately.

"But you know what? You look kind of adorable with that just-woke-up look. It suits you."

"Oh, please," Orm shot back, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"Your attempts at making me smile are downright awful, you know that?"

Ying feigned offense, placing a hand over her heart.

"Rude," she retorted, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Here I am, trying to brighten your morning, and all I get is criticism."

The lighthearted atmosphere shifted slightly as Ying's tone turned serious.

"So, have you decided what you're going to do? Are you planning to stay here, or are you thinking about returning to your 'dear girlfriend'?"

Orm, trying to recapture some lightheartedness, responded with a playful tone.

"Last night was... intense, to say the least. Seeing how Lingling was acting, it's probably not a good idea to talk to her anytime soon. I guess I'll just have to crash on your couch a bit longer, if you don't mind."

Ying, a smirk playing on her lips, quipped,

"Oh, don't worry, you're more than welcome to stay as long as you want. And I am definitely better at keeping your company than grumpy Lingling, don't you think?"

Orm cracked a small smile at Ying's comment, genuinely appreciating her laid-back nature.

"Alright, maybe that was a bit harsh. But seriously... I am sorry for involving you in this messy situation."

"Don't be.." Ying began with a hint of mischief in her voice, "I've always wanted to get under Lingling's skin a bit..."

"High school was a blast back then. She had a reputation for always snatching girls from me. It's only fair that she gets to feel the sting now, even if it's just pretend."

Orm couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, a playful smile on her lips.

"Looks like you've been saving up that grudge for quite some time," she teased in return.

"Using me as a pawn in your little revenge scheme? That's pretty cold, Ying," she added, her tone laced with feigned disapproval.

Ying, with a casual shrug, responded playfully,

"Hey, you came to me for help. And I couldn't resist a good payback chance, could I?"

"I did warn you, though, didn't I? I told you that there might be some serious consequences from this plan of yours and that you were stirring up a hornet's nest. But you were so damn sure it wasn't going to go south, remember?"

Orm, contemplating the previous day's events, said thoughtfully.

"I never expected her to react so strongly... I thought she didn't care." she murmured before adding with a devilish grin.

"But it seems like she might have more feelings than she lets on. Who knew she had such a possessive side?"

Ying mused aloud, her tone a blend of thoughtfulness and speculation.

"Who knows," she replied, a hint of skepticism in her voice, "Maybe she was just acting out of ego and pride, not really based on real feelings. That woman has always had a bit of an ego, after all."

Orm, feigning exaggerated disappointment, huffed dramatically.

"Wow, way to crash my wishful thinking there," she joked. "And here I was getting my hopes up."

Ying, trying to downplay the seriousness of the situation, chimed in with a light chuckle.

"But hey, who knows, maybe she was just so jealous that she nearly choked me out," she quipped, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Maybe she does harbor some deeper feelings, after all."

As the conversation continued, it suddenly dawned on Ying.

"Hang on a sec," she interjected, her voice filled with curiosity.

"Why did you and Lingling suddenly decide to pretend to date, anyway? It can't just be for the sake of stirring up some media attention for her upcoming project, can it?"

Orm's expression turned a bit more serious, and she admitted the truth, "No," she confessed.

"It wasn't for media attention. Lingling wanted Prigkhing to be jealous. She actually has some deep, pent-up feelings for her, and she thought that faking a relationship with me would get Prigkhing's attention."

Ying, genuinely impressed, couldn't help but quip,

"Damn... That's like straight out of some crazy Kdrama!"

She shook her head, still trying to process the ridiculousness of the situation.

Orm nodded in agreement.

"I know, right? But she's serious. She genuinely thinks that making Prigkhing jealous will give her a chance to finally express her feelings and win her over."

Ying leaned in a little, her tone taking on a serious note.

"Hey, Orm," she began, her voice quieter now. "There's something I want to share with you."

Orm tilted her head, curious about whatever it was that Ying wanted to share.

"Sure, go ahead," she said, her tone curious. "What is it?"

Ying dropped the bomb on Orm, her voice calm and nonchalant.

"Here's something you don't know...me and Prigkhing used to date," she revealed, casually throwing the information out there.