Chapter 8

Lingling sat in the passenger seat of the car, her manager Namtan driving them through the traffic.

She looked out the window, lost in thought, as the city lights passed by.

Namtan glanced over at Lingling, a teasing smile on her face.

"So, are you happy to be back in Thailand?" she asked, a hint of playful mockery in her tone.

She then continued, mentioning the incident with the reporter at their recent event in SK.

"Did you know that when they asked you about the importance of showing cultural values in movies, since well, your last one was historical, you just said 불고기 너무 맛있어요???? I barely kept myself from laughing."

Lingling chuckled sheepishly, her cheeks tinged with a hint of embarrassment.

"I know, right? In that moment, Bulgogi was the only thing that seemed to come to mind," she explained, her voice laced with a hint of amusement.

She let out a small laugh, shaking her head. "It's a good thing the reporter didn't ask me about anything else."

Namtan chuckled, her tone still playful.

"Damn, you must have been hungry, huh?" she teased, a smirk on her face.

"Take me to Prigkhing's shop," Lingling said firmly, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Namtan raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. She had assumed she would be dropping Lingling off at her newfound house, not Prigkhing's shop.

She glanced at her, a sly smile on her face. "Returning to her shop right after getting back? Damn, you really have it bad. If only she knew," she teased, her tone laced with playful mockery.

Lingling snapped back at Namtan, her voice tinged with irritation.

"It's none of your business, I just want to meet my friend, and I need a new dress design. That's all!"

Namtan, sensing Lingling's defensiveness, decides to let the matter drop.

She chuckled, shaking her head. "Alright, alright. No more teasing," she acquiesced, putting an end to their banter.

In the next few minutes, they reach Prigkhing's shop, and Namtan pulls over, parking the car.

"Hey, don't bother me today. I'm going out on a date with my girlfriend," she announced, a playful smirk on her face.

Lingling rolled her eyes, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"Thanks for the unnecessary information," she said dryly, her tone laced with playful annoyance.

Nevertheless, her heart rate picked up, a big smile spreading across her face as she entered the shop, her excitement mounting.

Prigkhing, who was busy with some fabric samples and sketches, looked up as she heard the familiar sound of the doorbell.

Her eyes widened in surprise as she saw Lingling, a smile immediately forming on her lips.

"Lingling, you're back!" Prigkhing exclaimed, her voice filled with genuine surprise and happiness.

She quickly set down the samples and sketches, moving closer to Lingling, her smile widening even more.

Prigkhing wrapped her arms around Lingling's waist, pulling her into a tight hug, and planted a quick kiss on her cheek.

Lingling was taken aback, her eyes widening slightly at the unexpected display of affection.

Prigkhing let go of the hug, her hands lingering on Lingling's hips as she looked at her with a warm smile.

"You're finally back, and you look as great as ever!" she exclaimed, her eyes scanning Lingling with appreciation.

Lingling's blush deepened slightly at the compliment, her heart fluttering with a mix of excitement and nervousness.

"I've been keeping up with your activities in Korea, and I have to say, you looked so cool!" she gushed, her smile widening.

"Enough about me," Lingling said, her voice a little flustered. "What about you? How have things been here?"

Prigkhing sat down on the sofa, gesturing for Lingling to take a seat beside her.

"Well, things have been the usual here," she replied, her tone casual. "Running the shop, designing dresses, the usual. But it felt lonely without you around."

A hint of surprise flickered across Lingling's features, and she couldn't help but feel a subtle sense of satisfaction.

"Really?" she asked, her voice a little softer. "You missed me?"

Prigkhing's voice turned a little dreamy, and a soft smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

"Of course, I missed you," she replied, her voice a touch softer. "And I missed Ying too. So, so much."

Lingling's heart dropped a little, a pang of jealousy and suspicion tugged at her. She tried to maintain her composure, but a hint of wariness crept into her expression.

Prigkhing shifted on the sofa, her expression slightly concerned.

"Say, did Ying happen to meet you in Seoul?" she asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

"We usually call and text every day, but she's been distant this week. Was she okay when you saw her?"

A flicker of annoyance crossed Lingling's face as she observed the awestruck expression on Prigkhing's features.

"Ying's returning back to Thailand soon," Lingling stated, trying to keep her tone casual, though a hint of sharpness tinged her words.

Prigkhing practically leaped out of the sofa, excitement radiating from every inch of her being.

"Really? Soon? That's amazing!"

Despite the pang of jealousy that still lingered within her, Lingling managed to keep her voice steady and invited Prigkhing out.

"There's this new restaurant that opened," she said casually. "I was thinking of checking it out. Would you like to join me tomorrow? Just the two of us."

Prigkhing was so caught up in her thoughts about Ying that she barely registered Lingling's invitation.

"Hmm?" Prigkhing hummed, her gaze distant. It took a moment for her to realize that Lingling had said something.

"Oh...a new restaurant? Sure," she responded, her voice absent-minded, her thoughts clearly elsewhere.

Prigkhing's phone suddenly rang, breaking the momentary silence between them.

She quickly fished her phone out of her pocket and checked the caller ID. Her eyes widened when she saw the name "Ying" on the screen.

"It's Ying!" she exclaimed, her voice tinged with excitement, and immediately answered the call.

Ying's voice came through the line, soft and sweet.

"Guess who's back?" she teased, a hint of playful mischief in her tone.

Prigkhing's voice trembled a little with excitement, her heart fluttering at the sound of Ying's voice.

"Don't tell me you're here already?" she exclaimed, her words filled with disbelief and joy.

Ying said, her voice brimming with excitement. "We have so much to catch up on. How about we grab a meal together?"

Prigkhing quickly glanced over at Lingling, who sat quietly beside her, feeling a pang of guilt for how absent-minded she had been earlier.

"Sure!" she replied, her eyes flickering towards Lingling.

"We can have a triple meetup tomorrow. I have some customer work to finish first; they've been pestering me about it."

Before hanging up, Ying's sweet voice echoed through the line one last time.

"I'm counting down the minutes till I see you."

Lingling forced a casual smile onto her face, though her frustration was evident in her eyes.

She wanted to speak her mind, to express her jealousy, but something held her back.

"I have some business to take care of," she said with feigned nonchalance, rising from her seat. "I'll catch you later, Prigkhing."

As her car pulled out of the parking lot, Lingling's mind swirled at the image of Prigkhing's excited and giddy expression.

Gripping the steering wheel a bit harder, Lingling directed the car towards her new house. It was time to rest. Or she thought so.