Rapid Collapse (GL) - Chapter 24

Shen Xi thought for a few seconds, gazing at her gently, and said in a soft voice, “You should be the one person I tell everything to, the one I no longer want to hide anything from.”

Han Ning’s mood brightened instantly. Her eyes curved into crescent moons as she leaned in and raised her eyebrows to confirm her status. “Really? The only one?”

“Yes! The only one!” Shen Xi also smiled. Unable to resist, she reached out and pinched Han Ning’s cheek before urging her, “The light is green, hurry up and go.”

The car sped through the intersection and drove smoothly all the way to the parking garage of Yuhe Xingyuan. They got out of the car after parking.

Han Ning originally planned to go home and rest, but Shen Xi insisted on making her a meal to apologize. Naturally, Han Ning didn’t hesitate and happily followed her home.

Lightning and Thunder, the two cats, met for the first time and got along peacefully. They lay side by side on the soft cushion on the balcony, basking in the last bit of sunlight for the day. Occasionally, they licked each other’s fur. Han Ning rested her chin in her hand, watching this harmonious scene with a fond smile.

After watching the cats, it was time to check on the one in the kitchen. Thinking this, Han Ning got up from the sofa and walked to the kitchen.

In the kitchen, Shen Xi wore a white apron, her long black hair casually tied up. From behind, she looked quite domestic and gentle. Han Ning stepped closer, but the smile on her face froze, her mouth slowly forming an “O.”

Shen Xi was fully armed—holding a spoon in her left hand and a spatula in her right—yet she stood there, tense, unable to handle the fish that was still flopping around in the pan.

The image of a perfect wife shattered. Han Ning looked up at the ceiling with a helpless smile…

“It’s already gutted… why isn’t it completely dead?” Shen Xi bit her lip and muttered to herself, unaware that Han Ning was behind her.

Han Ning walked over, glanced at the messy countertop, and said, “Forget it. Let’s just order takeout.”

Shen Xi looked at her, then at the fish, hesitated for a moment, and stubbornly said, “No way, I have to cook this fish today.” After thinking for a moment, she added, “But you can still order a few extra dishes, just in case.”

“Alright…” Han Ning helped her tidy up the table, then walked into the living room, picked up her phone, and ordered some food. After some thought, she also ordered rice—while cleaning the table earlier, she noticed that Shen Xi had forgotten to make any.

Just as the takeout arrived, Shen Xi finished cooking the fish and brought it to the table. She looked very pleased with herself, her eyes shining with joy. “See? I knew I could cook this fish!” She placed the dish on the table and looked at Han Ning expectantly, as if waiting for praise.

Han Ning clapped for her. “Amazing, amazing!”

The two cats ran over, jumped onto the chairs, and sniffed at the food. A few seconds later, they hopped down and lined up to eat their cat food instead.

“They…” Shen Xi watched the cats’ reaction, starting to doubt her cooking skills.

“Ignore them! Cats are picky eaters…” Han Ning pulled her to sit down, scooped up a bowl of fish soup, and took a sip. She immediately put on her expert face and praised, “It’s really good! Just a tiny bit salty.”

“Really?” Shen Xi believed her without question, completely dismissing her earlier doubts.

“Of course! Would I lie to you?” Han Ning, ever the professional, lifted the bowl of overly salty soup and downed it in one go.

She secretly felt relieved—it was just salty. If it had tasted fishy, it would have been truly inedible.

Seeing Han Ning enjoying the food, Shen Xi wanted to try her own cooking. She picked up a small bowl and spoon to get some soup, but Han Ning panicked. Quickly, she reached out to stop her and smiled sweetly. “This is a dish you made just for me~ No sharing~”

Her act of affection worked. Shen Xi put down the bowl and spoon. “Then you can’t just drink the soup! You need something solid too. Here, look at all these other dishes.” She picked up a shrimp and placed it in Han Ning’s bowl, then turned to grab a few bottles of beer from the fridge.

Shen Xi finished an entire can of beer in one go. Han Ning teased her, “What’s on your mind?”

“Nothing…” Shen Xi shook her head. “I just need to organize my thoughts.” Saying that, she opened another can and was about to drink, but Han Ning reached over and took it away.

“Don’t drink so much, aren’t you cold?”

Shen Xi’s head felt heavy and dizzy. She lowered her face into her hands and murmured, “That day in the restaurant, when I heard you say you gave my mom money, I got so mad because…” She looked up at Han Ning, her eyes calm yet filled with helplessness. “My mom… she’s a gambler.”

Hearing this, Han Ning pressed her lips together. So, she had unknowingly helped the wrong person…

Now she fully understood why Shen Xi avoided Shen Fengmei.

“It really does feel better to say it out loud…” Shen Xi sighed, took a sip of beer, and pulled out her phone. She showed Han Ning years of remittance records. Han Ning scrolled for a long time and still hadn’t reached the end. She was shocked by the total amount.

“All of this… she lost it gambling?”

Shen Xi nodded. “Not just gambling. She also got scammed trying to invest like other people…” She rested her head on one hand and let out a bitter laugh. “What a great mother I have…”

“This amount…” Han Ning handed the phone back and estimated, “You could’ve bought a small apartment in a decent area with that.”

Shen Xi took the phone and turned it off. She opened another can of beer and muttered, “My mom has aged a lot over the years. I buy her supplements and expensive skincare, but when her gambling addiction kicks in, she sells them for money to gamble.”

Han Ning didn’t say anything, just quietly listened.

“When I was little, my mom loved me so much. Not like now. I loved eating chestnuts, and she would buy them for me. In the freezing winter, she’d ride her squeaky old bicycle to get them… Then she changed. She stopped caring about my studies, all she did was gamble.

If she lost, she refused to accept it. If she won, she wanted to win more. There were more debt collectors than I could count, yet she never repented!” Shen Xi crushed the empty beer can in her hand. Han Ning, worried about her cutting herself, took it from her and threw it away.

“When she’s normal, she’s still like a mother. But when she starts gambling… I just want to report her to the police!” Shen Xi covered her face in frustration, her voice muffled. “But I can’t.”

“That’s normal. No one could.” Han Ning comforted her. “Alright, I understand now. If Auntie ever needs help, I’ll make sure to help her in ways that don’t involve money. Or… I’ll call the police for you.” She winked at Shen Xi, who was momentarily stunned before breaking into a small smile.

Han Ning opened a can of beer, sighed, and softly said, “Actually… if you have time, maybe you could go see her.”

She didn’t look Shen Xi in the eye after saying that, choosing instead to take a sip of her beer. Shen Xi watched her, understanding that Han Ning meant well. But because of their past misunderstandings, Han Ning seemed hesitant, as if she had retreated to a safe distance.

Han Ning felt uneasy, worried that Shen Xi would say she was overstepping again.

Shen Xi thought about how Han Ning had cried so heartbreakingly over the phone that day.

Guilt crept into her heart.

“Mm… I will go.” Shen Xi nodded and, after thinking for a moment, added, “Will you go with me?”