Rapid Collapse (GL) - Chapter 2

Han Ning’s eyes sparkled as she looked at him, gripping his arms tightly. “No need to say more, I’m taking this role!”

After saying that, she rushed to get her makeup done and followed the utterly confused Liang Xun to the company to discuss and sign the contract. With that, it was settled.

Han Ning agreed so suddenly that Liang Xun was completely baffled. After she left, Zhou Heyang watched her disappearing figure and quietly asked Liang Xun, “Didn’t you say she firmly rejected the offer? Why does she look so happy now? Her hands were even shaking when she signed…”

“Who knows… maybe she’s a fan of the book? This girl is even harder to deal with than Cheng Nian…” Liang Xun muttered while organizing his documents.

At that moment, a girl in a light purple lantern-sleeved dress quietly walked into the office, carrying a cup of milk tea with a bright smile. She placed a hand on Liang Xun’s shoulder and spoke softly in a sweet voice, “Liang Dabao, how am I difficult to please?”
Hearing that familiar nickname, Liang Xun got goosebumps all over. He turned his head in exaggerated surprise, his voice cracking, “Nian Nian! My money tree!!!”

On the way home, Han Ning was bursting with joy. If it weren’t broad daylight, she might have danced in the neighborhood to express her excitement.

She stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for her floor. As the elevator steadily ascended, her heart raced with a mix of nervousness and excitement. She was going to act in her favorite novel—what could be more thrilling than that?!

A month passed in a blur of excitement and anticipation for Han Ning.

On the last night of the month, after wrapping up work, Keke got into the car, pulled out the schedule from her bag, and glanced at Han Ning, who was exhausted and resting with her eyes closed. Unsure if she was asleep, Keke cautiously called out, “Ning Jie.”

Han Ning hummed sleepily, slowly opening her eyes and yawning. “What’s up?”

Keke handed her the schedule while organizing her bag. “Tomorrow at ten in the morning, there’s a script reading session for the new drama Nan Yan. All the actors and the screenwriter will be there, so don’t oversleep…”

As soon as Keke finished speaking, Han Ning sat up straight and grabbed her tablet to check the details. Her sudden movement startled Keke, making her shudder slightly.

Unlike before, Han Ning wasn’t focused on the cast lineup—her main concern was whether Shen Xi was the screenwriter.

A few seconds later, her gaze locked onto Shen Xi’s name in the list of screenwriters. She lowered her head and smiled, her eyes curving with admiration—an expression Keke had never seen before. Han Ning murmured to herself, “I wonder if the author looks good~”

Shen Xi had always been a mystery to her. Back when the book was a hit, Shen Xi had indulged her fans by promising to reveal a photo.

The fans had eagerly awaited a glimpse of the author’s face, only for Shen Xi to post a silhouette photo taken against the sunset.

Even so, some fans used various methods to deduce that Shen Xi was likely a tall, slender girl. When Shen Xi found out, she openly expressed her dislike for such behavior and stopped updating for a month.

Since Shen Xi valued her privacy, the fans from back then respectfully stopped digging any further.

Thinking of this, Han Ning couldn’t hide her joy. She nodded at Keke and said, “Don’t worry, even if I pull an all-nighter, I definitely won’t be late tomorrow!”

True to her word, Han Ning stayed up all night out of nervous excitement. The next morning, she sat in front of the mirror with two huge dark circles under her eyes, desperately applying a face mask.

“I’m doomed… How can I meet my goddess looking like this…” Han Ning muttered miserably at her reflection.

At nine o’clock sharp, Keke arrived to pick her up and headed for the film studio. As they got out of the car, Han Ning adjusted her clothes. When she looked up, she saw a car parked across from them. The door opened, and a woman dressed entirely in white stepped out gracefully. She was wearing a mask and briefly made eye contact with Han Ning before pausing for a moment, then turning away.

Han Ning stood still, watching her leave, silently guessing that this woman must be stunning. Though only her eyes were visible, Han Ning’s intuition was rarely wrong.

Inside the venue, Shen Xi quietly found a seat, removed her mask, and sat there like a picturesque scene, drawing the attention of many.

As most of the participants arrived, Keke waited outside, holding Han Ning’s phone for safekeeping.

The door opened, and Han Ning greeted the director and familiar actors with a smile before taking her seat. That’s when she realized—the woman sitting across from her was the same one she had seen in the parking lot.

Could it be… Shen Xi?

But… she might also be an actress…

While Han Ning was still guessing, the woman in white spoke up, “Hello, everyone. I’m Xi Rufen, the original author of Nan Yan and one of the screenwriters. My name is Shen Xi.”

As soon as Shen Xi finished speaking, Han Ning felt like she had been struck by lightning.

She stared at her in a daze. Shen Xi glanced at her for a second before lowering her gaze.

Han Ning tried to remain calm, flipping through the script, but inside, she was overjoyed.

She had finally seen her idol’s true face. And Shen Xi was beyond beautiful—like a celestial being descended to earth.

The entertainment industry was filled with gorgeous people, and Han Ning had seen her fair share of them, but Shen Xi had a unique aura. Despite wearing all white, she didn’t feel pure and holy, but rather mysterious and intense. Her piercing eyes were particularly captivating.

At 12:30 PM, people started leaving for lunch. Han Ning kept an eye on Shen Xi, who remained seated. Carefully, she approached her. “Aren’t you hungry? Let’s get something to eat.”

Shen Xi looked up at her, shook her head without speaking, and continued typing on her laptop.

Han Ning hesitated, feeling a rare moment of shyness. She bit her lip and sat across from Shen Xi, eyes sparkling as she introduced herself. “What a coincidence! I wonder if you remember me—I even wrote a fanfiction for Nan Yan…”

Without looking up, Shen Xi nodded. “I remember.”

Han Ning gasped, covering her mouth. “Really?! You remember me???”

Shen Xi finally glanced at her, pausing for a few seconds before replying, “Really.”

Han Ning was overjoyed, even happier than getting her paycheck. Just as she was about to say more, Shen Xi pointed at her screen and waved her hand dismissively.

“Oh…” Han Ning realized she was interrupting and quickly apologized. “Sorry, sorry… You work, I’ll go eat…” She left the room, looking back at Shen Xi every few steps before finally closing the door behind her.

Once the door shut, Shen Xi stopped typing. Her document was filled with gibberish. She let out a soft sigh. “Still as talkative as ever…”

Downstairs, a woman’s excited screams rang out. Shen Xi turned to the window and saw Han Ning spinning in circles, pulling her assistant along while squealing in excitement.

Looking back at her screen full of nonsense, Shen Xi found the situation quite amusing.

She had recognized Han Ning at first glance that morning—the same reader who, six years ago, had pestered her relentlessly for a happy ending.