Rapid Collapse (GL) - Chapter 12

At that moment, Han Ning inexplicably felt a strong aversion to the way she was being manipulated. This was one of the main reasons she disliked her.

However, Shen Xi did not give her that feeling. Shen Xi wasn’t dependent on nicotine; she just treated it like a toy—something to pass the time when she was bored. If she didn’t need it, she would toss it aside.

Han Ning couldn’t help but think deeper. If she imagined their future relationship, Shen Xi was likely to be the dominant one. She raised an eyebrow and murmured to herself, “She’s an S…”

Just as she was lost in thought, the bathroom door opened. Shen Xi walked out, turning off the light inside. Han Ning quickly closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep. Shen Xi picked up the cat, looked at Han Ning’s face, and asked, “Are you asleep?”

There was no response.

Shen Xi tucked her in, then turned around with the cat in her arms and went back to her bedroom, closing the door behind her.

Hearing the door shut, Han Ning quietly opened her eyes. She stretched her arms and placed them behind her head, gazing out the window at the night sky.

The night was deep and silent. Outside, the rain still hadn’t stopped, though it had become much lighter. The faint sound of raindrops was soothing. Han Ning stayed in that position for a few minutes until her arms started feeling numb, forcing her to turn onto her side.

She couldn’t sleep. Her mind was filled with countless thoughts, reflecting on the past from far to near.

Two years ago, she never imagined her life would be like this. If she had never come to Lingchao and had stayed in Anhua, what would her life be like now?

She reached for her phone beside her pillow. When the screen lit up, she stared at the date, feeling a wave of sadness. In just a few days, it would be the second anniversary of her mother Jiang Sujie’s passing.

She pulled the blanket over her head, her eyes welling up, her nose stinging. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, hoping desperately to dream of Jiang Sujie.

Before coming to Lingchao, Han Ning was a native of Anhua. Not long after graduating from university, she got a job and started a stable nine-to-five life. Everything seemed to be going smoothly.

Until one day, Jiang Sujie, with a solemn expression, called her over and delivered shocking news: “Mom is sick. It’s late-stage uterine cancer… I don’t have much time left.”

Han Ning’s tears fell instantly. She threw herself into Jiang Sujie’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably. Jiang Sujie gently stroked Han Ning’s hair, her own eyes reddening. She wiped away Han Ning’s tears and, with a trembling voice, began to tell her about the past.

“Our family is a blended one.”

This one sentence was like a bombshell. Shocking revelations followed one after another.

When Jiang Sujie divorced Han Ning’s father, Han Cheng, Han Ning was still a baby, not even two years old. Jiang Sujie couldn’t stand Han Cheng’s weak-willed, mama’s boy nature, nor could she endure the endless battles with her mother-in-law. She decided to divorce him and returned to her parents’ home with Han Ning.

Coincidentally, three months later, Jiang Sujie’s sister-in-law introduced her to another man—also surnamed Han. His conditions were decent, and since she was a divorced woman with a child, she decided to settle for a practical marriage. Love wasn’t a consideration. Han Ning was still young, and as a single mother, frail and alone, providing her daughter with a good life seemed impossible.

With no better options, Jiang Sujie gave in to marriage and survival. She never spoke about it again, and the man always treated Han Ning as his own. Only then did she feel some relief.

It wasn’t until the summer of Han Ning’s second year in college that everything changed.

That afternoon, she had been out playing and came home sweaty, heading straight to the bathroom for a shower. Jiang Sujie, feeling at ease since it was just the two of them at home, was cooking in the kitchen. But out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Han Ning’s stepfather had come back without her realizing it. He was staring intently at the undergarments drying on the rack in the bathroom.

Jiang Sujie’s heart skipped a beat, and a wave of nausea washed over her. From that day on, Han Ning’s stepfather would pause outside her room, peeking inside or finding excuses to go in.

Jiang Sujie was both terrified and disgusted. She quickly found an excuse to send Han Ning to live at school, telling her not to come home unless necessary.

She buried this secret deep inside, but as her health deteriorated, she went for a check-up. When she received the grim diagnosis, her biggest concern was Han Ning’s safety.

So, she had to make Han Ning leave Anhua. She feared that once she was gone, her stepfather would take advantage of Han Ning.

“Your biological father, Han Cheng, went to work in Lingchao. I want you to go there too.

Not to find him, but to get away from here.”

On the day of Jiang Sujie’s funeral, Han Ning stood before the grave, her face pale, lips bloodless. Her eyes were swollen and dry from crying. The day after the funeral, she left Anhua and moved to Lingchao.

Standing in the heart of this unfamiliar city, she had no family, no friends—only one thought in her mind. One day, she would stand in front of Han Cheng and tell him: I am the daughter you abandoned. Your ex-wife died from illness. Do you regret it? You preserved your image as a filial son, but are you happy? How is your life now?

She had to find Han Cheng and make him feel guilty!

Clenching her fists, Han Ning gritted her teeth. That night, her anger and resentment seeped into her dreams. When her alarm rang, she woke up feeling exhausted. Shen Xi was already up, crouched nearby, feeding Thunderstorm its cat food.

Shen Xi turned around and was startled by Han Ning’s pale face and blank expression.

“What’s wrong? Nightmare?”

“Yeah, I dreamed I was running, chasing someone,” Han Ning muttered. She rested her forehead on her hands, sighing heavily. Her voice was weak, lacking her usual energy.

“Dreaming of chasing someone? Maybe you’re under too much stress?” Shen Xi sat beside her and gently smoothed her messy hair, looking at her with concern.

Han Ning shook her head. “I’m fine.” Then, she lay back on the couch. “Let me nap for fifteen more minutes.”

“Okay, I’ll wake you up in fifteen minutes. We’re going to the film studio together.”

“Mm.”

Shen Xi went to the kitchen to make breakfast. Fifteen minutes later, she woke Han Ning up. After freshening up, they sat across from each other, eating breakfast.

Even though she had only napped for fifteen minutes, Han Ning felt much better. She took big bites of her sandwich, sipped her black coffee, and squinted in satisfaction with a smile.

Shen Xi took a sip of her coffee, watching the revived Han Ning. She lowered her head and smiled quietly.

Half an hour later, they arrived at the parking garage and set off for the film studio.

The air after the rain was fresh and moist. The roads and trees, washed clean, sparkled under the golden morning light, lifting their moods.

Han Ning was in a great mood. She even whistled, resting her head on her hand as she gazed out the window. Grinning, she turned to Shen Xi and said, “Nan Yan is finally starting filming! You must be excited too, right?”

The car stopped at a red light. Shen Xi thought for a moment, then blinked. “Not really.

Actually, I feel a lot of pressure.”

Han Ning nodded, giving her a sympathetic look. “Yeah… makes sense.”