199 The Pieces 22 (1/2)
Qing Qing's voice was shaking with righteous fury and vindication, one would think she was taken over by the Holy Spirit itself. This was an argument plied by the deeply religious against homosexuality. Validity of the claim aside, it did seem like Qing Qing believed in every words that left her lips. It was as if she embodied the spirit and soul of a religious zealot.
Xiu Ling looked at the young woman without giving any comment. Like Joann, she too was impressed by Qing Qing's acting ability, not anyone would be able to enter the character as quick and as natural as she did. If she put her skill to good use, it would only be a matter of time until she caught her big break. Alas, like most people these days, hard work was deemed overrated and everyone just wanted to go searching for shortcuts.
”You're lying to me,” Xiu Ling began in a straightforward manner. Just as she said so, Qing Qing started to retort but Xiu Ling did not give her the opportunity because she continued without missing a beat, ”God teaches us to love and not to hate. Furthermore, you don't come across as a particularly religious person to me because you have done plenty of things that God wouldn't have approved either.”
Xiu Ling paused to allow the weight of her accusation fall on the young woman's shoulders. However, Xiu Ling knew that wouldn't be enough to make the girl reflect on her mistakes so she picked up the thread of conversation, ”If you only intend to warn them from the life of perceived sin, then why would you coerce them into doing your bidding? It's obvious that you have your own agenda that you were trying to pursue.”
Qing Qing was quiet because she had no further explanation.
By then, she had realized Xiu Ling was not someone she could easily fool. In a case like this, Qing Qing knew the best solution was to keep her mouth shut. The more she talked, the easier the opponent would be able exploit her words. Silence was indeed golden.
Xiu Ling waited for Qing Qing to offer her counter-argument. When she realized the young woman was not going to defend her stance, Xiu Ling realized she had underestimated Qing Qing.
Admittedly, she was quite flustered at the beginning but now that she had found her footing, Qing Qing selected the most efficient way to deal with the conundrum that she was facing. Her brain worked fast and she could come up with the most suitable solution based on the situation post-haste.
Qing Qing had allowed Xiu Ling to run the conservation because she did not expect Xiu Ling would have so much dirt on her. It unsettled the young woman. However, given enough time, Qing Qing managed to recover and she knew she had to be on her very best around Xiu Ling. This wasn't someone that she could brush off willy-nilly. In terms of brilliance and guile, this woman who sat before her was her equal.
In other words, initially, Qing Qing thought she could delude Xiu Ling with her words so the conversation went back and forth but now that she knew better, Qing Qing had a new appreciation for reticence as a virtue.
As a sign of respect for Xiu Ling's capability, Qing Qing put up her best guard.