Rapid Collapse (GL) - Chapter 15

Han Ning was struck hard, leaving her speechless. She looked at Shen Xi with a hint of grievance. Shen Xi stood to the side, head lowered, looking helpless. “What should we do…?The recording starts in ten minutes…”

“Makeup remover…” Han Ning sighed in resignation, closing her eyes and reaching out for the makeup remover. After wiping it off, Shen Xi hesitantly raised her hand and said, “Should I try again? This time I’ll be more careful…”

Han Ning rolled her eyes. “Try it on your own face.”

Five minutes later, Han Ning was already applying lipstick—a soft milk-tea brown shade, topped with a layer of clear lip gloss, making her lips look full and glossy.

Maybe it was because of her naturally good skin. After removing her makeup, she applied just a light touch of it again, even skipping mascara. Her lashes were naturally long and curled, and adding mascara would only make them look excessive. Instead, she lightly dusted some brown-black eyeshadow at the corners of her eyes, making her gaze appear deeper.

Her eyebrows required even less effort. Since she had a nice natural shape, she only needed a bit of brow powder to even out the color. No contouring or highlighter was needed—she already looked great.

“You look beautiful,” Shen Xi complimented as she carefully examined Han Ning’s makeup.

“You—an unqualified makeup artist!” Han Ning pretended to be angry and turned to leave for the recording.

“Han Ning, wait.” Shen Xi called after her. Han Ning turned back, and Shen Xi raised her phone with a soft smile. “Click.” She took a photo. “I’ll send it to you later.”

Han Ning gave her an “OK” sign before hurrying off.

Now, Shen Xi was alone in the lounge, waiting for her to finish recording.

It was quiet here, perfect for writing. Shen Xi opened her document, stared at the screen for a while, and eventually closed it, her mind drifting to Han Ning’s face.

Feeling bored, she left the lounge and found the studio, watching Han Ning from a quiet corner.

During a break, Han Ning sat in place, zoning out. By chance, she saw Shen Xi outside the studio, gazing at her with soft curiosity.

She tilted her head and smiled at Shen Xi, waving for her to come over. But Shen Xi shook her head and turned back to the lounge.

Taking out her phone, she looked at the photo she had just taken of Han Ning. She zoomed in, focusing on her eyes, her nose, her lips… Her gaze lingered on Han Ning’s lips.

Without thinking, she lowered her head, pressing her lips against the screen. A few seconds later, she pulled away, her heart pounding wildly as she stared at the image.

Just then, the door opened. Han Ning peeked inside, glancing around. Seeing Shen Xi sitting with her back turned, she walked in. “Bored being alone?”

The sudden voice startled Shen Xi. She quickly switched screens and turned around, looking flustered. “What did you say?”

Her nervousness didn’t escape Han Ning’s sharp eyes. She walked over. “What’s wrong? Why are you so jumpy?”

“I… It’s nothing.” Shen Xi struggled to compose herself and changed the subject. “Why are you here?”

“Oh… They’re setting up for the next segment. I’m not very close with the other artists, so I came to find you.” Han Ning sat down and grabbed a bottle of yogurt from the table, handing it to Shen Xi. “Want some?”

Shen Xi shook her head. “No, thanks.”

Han Ning took a sip before asking, “You looked really flustered just now. What were you doing?”

“Uh… nothing…” Shen Xi stammered, unable to come up with an excuse. She kept her head down, avoiding eye contact.

Han Ning thought for a moment, then suddenly smirked mischievously. “Wait… were you looking at something… inappropriate?”

Shen Xi instinctively wanted to deny it. After all, in her mind, nothing she could watch would be as intense as the things she wrote herself… But to go along with Han Ning’s assumption, she hesitated and then nodded. “You caught me.”

Han Ning’s eyes lit up. She was about to say something when the studio announcement interrupted her. “The recording is about to start. All guests, please take your positions.”

Shen Xi secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Han Ning stood up and walked to the door.

Before leaving, she turned back and said, “We’ll finish in about an hour. After this, I’ll take you for a late-night snack.” Then she left.

Shen Xi nodded, staying in the lounge to wait for her. She calmed herself down, pushing away the chaotic thoughts.

Watching Han Ning from the studio corner earlier, she had seemed a little different from usual—yet also the same.

Her habits, her smile, her words—those were all familiar.

But her aura, her star-like presence, her effortless charm—those were foreign to Shen Xi.

Maybe they had a future together. Maybe they were just two people whose paths crossed once before going their separate ways, gradually fading from each other’s memory. If they met again, they might only exchange polite, distant greetings, their past reduced to nothing more than a fleeting story in each other’s minds.

Shen Xi didn’t know where her relationship with Han Ning would lead. It wasn’t her story to write. She couldn’t plan the outline, set the plot points, or script a perfect ending.

That sense of helplessness… that feeling of being at fate’s mercy…

[Fate will naturally guide you and me…]

Shen Xi posted this on Weibo.

After wrapping up the recording, Han Ning returned to the lounge. Pushing the door open with a bright smile, she said, “Let’s go! Time for food!”

A black car sped through the streets toward a villa district. Nie Lan parked in the garage, stepping out with lingering frustration from earlier in the day.

She walked into the living room, grabbed a bottle of red wine from the cabinet, and poured herself a glass. Tilting her head back, she drank it in one go. The more she thought about what had happened, the angrier she got. Slamming the crystal glass onto the table, she pulled out her phone and dialed a number.

After two rings, the call connected. A man’s voice came through. “Lan Jie.”

Nie Lan, still irritated, asked, “I told you to follow Han Ning. Did you find anything?

Anything scandalous? Maybe something illegal?”

The paparazzo, Ah Tian, hesitated. “I… I did follow her, but all I got was pictures of her talking to a tall, skinny woman in a garage. That woman is a rookie screenwriter. I even tried leaking it to gossip sites, but… nothing happened.”

Ah Tian had been tailing Han Ning for nearly half a month, and he was starting to doubt his own eyes.

Han Ning was undeniably stunning, a radiant beauty. He had assumed she’d be involved in juicy scandals, but instead, she seemed to repel romance entirely.

Not only did she show no interest in anyone, but people around her also didn’t seem interested in her either.

“She just goes home after work. Even when she picks up deliveries or eats out, she never wears a mask. She’s not afraid of being recognized… She even greets people warmly. Her private life is unbelievably clean,” Ah Tian reported.

Nie Lan rubbed her forehead and gritted her teeth. “What about personal outings? Has she met with anyone?”

“Not really… Oh, wait. There is one person.”

Nie Lan’s eyes gleamed. “Who? A man or a woman?”

“That same female screenwriter. They spend a lot of time together. Besides her, no one else.”

Nie Lan recalled seeing that screenwriter with Han Ning before. Could there be something between them…?

Shaking off the thought, she said, “Find out everything about that screenwriter. If you notice anything suspicious, tell me immediately.”

Ah Tian frowned. “Lan Jie… I trust you, but… can you settle my payment for the past two weeks first?”

Nie Lan exhaled impatiently. “Relax. I’ll send part of it now. Once you bring me more information, I’ll pay the rest—with a big bonus.”

Though not satisfied, Ah Tian had no choice but to agree.

After hanging up, Nie Lan leaned back, placing her feet on the coffee table, coldly staring at Shen Xi’s profile picture on her phone, her eyes filled with a venomous glint.