Chapter 5

Lingling had finally succumbed to sleep, her phone forgotten on the nightstand.

A few hours later, Lingling was jerked out of her sleep by a sudden insistent knocking on her hotel room door.

Rubbing her sleep-heavy eyelids, she squinted disorientedly toward the door.

As the knocking persisted, Lingling groaned softly, her head still fuzzy from sleep.

"Coming, coming. Give me a second," she murmured, her voice thick with sleep, as she pushed herself up from the bed.

Reaching the door, she fumbled with the locks and swung it open, revealing her friend Ying.

As Ying stepped in, her cheerful and talkative nature caught Lingling off guard.

It was the evening, and Ying's vivaciousness seemed somewhat unusual and out of character.

Lingling blinked, her head still groggy from sleep. "You're in a good mood," she remarked.

Ying beamed, her enthusiasm infectious as she entered the room.

With a wide grin, she responded, "Why wouldn't I be in a good mood? I've had one of the most interesting days," she chirped.

Still slightly groggy from sleep, Lingling's curiosity piqued at Ying's sudden burst of enthusiasm.

She blinked, still half-awake, and asked, "Care to share what happened to make your day so interesting? It's been ages since you were this cheerful and talkative."

Ying couldn't hide her excitement, her eyes shining as she began sharing.

"I met this Thai girl today," she gushed.

"She was so cheerful and cute, my heart nearly skipped a beat!" She paused, her expression dreamy and enchanted.

Lingling, gradually waking up and shaking off the sleep, couldn't hide the cheeky glimmer in her eyes.

She smiled softly, teasing her friend, "Sounds like someone has a new crush, since when did you get so smitten?"

Ying quickly became defensive, her cheeks flushed.

"Hey, let's not exaggerate here," she protested, her tone slightly sheepish.

"I didn't say I had a crush or anything." She crossed her arms, trying to play it cool, yet the sparkle in her eyes betrayed her words.

Sensing Ying's slight defensiveness, Lingling changed gears, shifting the topic to a neutral one.

"How's work?" Lingling inquired, her curiosity about Ying's busy lifestyle peeking through.

"Managing both restaurants and your clothing brand, surely, you've got a lot on your plate."

Ying sighed, a glimmer of contemplation in her eyes.

"Doing just fine here," she answered. "But, I'm thinking about heading back to Thailand." She ran a hand through her hair, her expression thoughtful.

Lingling nodded, "Any particular reason why you're considering returning to Thailand so suddenly?"

A mischievous smirk tugged at the corner of Lingling's lips, her teasing nature unable to resist.

"Let me guess," she began, a hint of amusement in her voice, "is it because of a cute Thai girl?"

Ying's face was flushed, her expression a mix of annoyance and embarrassment.

She crossed her arms, letting out a huff, her displeasure evident in her tone. "Don't start messing with me!" she replied, a hint of amusement mixed with indignation.

Ying straightened, composing her expression as she offered a logical response.

"It's because my father asked for my help with his business. Nothing else." She shook her head for emphasis.

"Might stay there definitively since I have loyal people managing my work here," she added, her tone matter-of-fact, a hint of conviction in her words.

Lingling found her friend's adamant denial amusing, sparking more teasing.

"Are you sure it's not about that cute Thai girl?" she probed, her smirk growing wider. "It's okay to admit you found someone."

Feeling the need to deflect, Ying retorted, "How about you? Did you find someone?"

She crossed her arms, the playful tone masking a genuine curiosity about her friend's romantic life.

A shadow of sadness flashed across Lingling's face, her expression softening.

"You know me," she murmured, her guard lowering momentarily, her words tinged with vulnerability.

She couldn't deny the truth, and Ying knew exactly who she was talking about – Prigkhing, their childhood friend, the only one she had genuine feelings for.

Lingling's usual carefree facade slipped, revealing the pain hidden beneath, as she continued, her tone quieter.

"I'm not one to back down, especially when someone I'm interested in is so clueless about my feelings..."

Ying's expression turned softer, her voice tinged with a hint of concern.

She gently advised, "You should consider forgetting your feelings. It may be better." But then, she saw the weight Lingling was carrying.

"Unless you're prepared to be frank about your feelings."

The truth was, she knew this was eating Lingling alive and sleeping around was only a temporary coping mechanism to mask her emotions.

Lingling shook her head, closing herself off, her tone tinged with a hint of finality.

"It's fine. Forget it," she said abruptly, her shoulders tensing up, unwilling to delve deeper. She wasn't ready to open up further, her usual walls building back up.

"It's nothing deep," she lied, her tone cool and dismissive.