Rapid Collapse (GL) - Chapter 31

That kiss made Han Ning’s breath freeze, her heart pounding wildly. She was sure—even riding the pirate ship at the temple fair with her friends as a child hadn’t made her heart race this fast.

Before her brain could even react, Shen Xi abruptly stepped back like lightning. Panic flashed in her eyes as she instinctively bit her lip and frowned slightly. In a low voice, she murmured, “S-Sorry…” Then, without waiting for Han Ning to recover from her daze, she turned around in her school uniform and quickly walked away.

Han Ning’s eyes followed Shen Xi’s retreating figure. Slowly, she raised her hand to touch the lips that had just been kissed. It took her about two minutes to snap out of it, regret creeping into her mind. Why didn’t I just pull her back and go with the flow?

From a distance, Keke walked over and noticed Han Ning’s slightly flushed face. She asked in surprise, “Ning-jie, why is your face so red?” As she spoke, she reached out to touch Han Ning’s forehead. “Did Xu Lier pass her fever to you? Let me check…”

Han Ning swatted her hand away and simply said, “No.” Then she turned and walked off.

Keke stood there, dumbfounded. “She seems… kinda weird,” she mumbled to herself.

After work, Han Ning went to the parking lot, ready to head home. When she arrived, she let out a sigh, looking at the now-empty parking spot. She couldn’t help but find it amusing. She left by herself… again. And left me behind.

With no other choice, she hailed a cab home. Along the way, she called Shen Xi several times, but there was no answer. Not only that, but Shen Xi hadn’t returned to Yuhe Xingyuan. Instead, she was staying in a hotel about two kilometers from the film studio.

Right now, Shen Xi had no idea how to face Han Ning. Rather than dealing with the awkwardness, she decided to hide for now and talk about it another day.

By the time Han Ning got back to Yuhe Xingyuan, night had fallen. A cool breeze blew past, making her shiver slightly. She pulled her jacket tighter, jogged into her building, and took the elevator up.

When the doors opened, she stood in front of Shen Xi’s apartment and knocked twice. No one answered. After a moment of hesitation, she recalled Shen Xi’s door code. Her eyes lit up as she keyed it in and stormed inside—only to be met with disappointment.

She searched every room in the house but couldn’t find any trace of Shen Xi.

Frustrated, she slumped onto the sofa. Two cats jumped onto her lap, curling up obediently. Frowning, she felt restless, her mind swirling with questions. Why did she apologize? Why is she avoiding me?

Does she not like me?

But if she didn’t like me, why did she kiss me?

And then run away…

Han Ning propped her head up with her hand, pouting in frustration. In a low voice, she muttered, “You heartless jerk…”

Meanwhile, the so-called “heartless jerk” spent the entire night in the hotel, unable to sleep. By 5 AM, completely exhausted, Shen Xi glanced at her reflection in the mirror. She looked like she could drop dead at any moment.

She grabbed her phone and texted Chen Rong, saying she wasn’t feeling well and needed to take the day off. After sending the message, she tossed her phone aside and passed out in bed.

That day, Han Ning was completely out of it at the film set. The moment she saw Chen Rong, she rushed over and asked if she knew where Shen Xi was. Chen Rong told her that Shen Xi had taken the day off and wouldn’t be coming.

Hearing this, Han Ning frowned and sighed.

Her excitement from last evening had now transformed into irritation… and helplessness.

With Xu Lier gone, filming the lead’s scenes had already been difficult. Director Zhou Heyang had counted on Han Ning’s solid acting skills to push through.

But Han Ning wasn’t in the right headspace either. She kept forgetting her lines and struggling to get into character. Zhou Heyang couldn’t help but scold her a little, but instead of her usual feisty retorts, she just nodded slowly and mumbled, “Oh…” Her unusual behavior made everyone on set wonder if she was possessed—they almost called in an exorcist.

In the end, Zhou Heyang gave up and told her to go home while they shot other scenes.

Since she wasn’t in a good state to drive, Keke took her home.

After staying with her for a while, Keke started feeling uneasy but didn’t want to leave Han Ning alone. “Ning-jie, you can’t just not eat. If your immune system weakens, you’ll get sick! You haven’t eaten all day…”

“I don’t have an appetite…” Han Ning mumbled lifelessly from her bed.

“You still have to eat! What if you get too weak?” Keke tugged her up. “I know a new restaurant near the studio. You’ll love it—” She paused, trying to recall the exact location. “It’s right next to that hot pot place. The atmosphere is really nice. Let’s go!”

Hot pot place…

Han Ning’s eyes suddenly brightened. She sat up straight and repeated, “Hot pot place?”

“Wow, Ning-jie, your core strength is amazing!” Keke raised an eyebrow, impressed by how quickly she sat up.

Han Ning’s mind was racing, analyzing the situation.

She knew Shen Xi had only taken one day off, so she couldn’t have gone far. Her house was empty, and knowing Shen Xi’s personality, she was probably hiding somewhere near the film studio.

But she has to eat, right?

Her reasoning wasn’t entirely baseless. Turning to Keke, she said, “I’m heading out. Go home and watch your dramas.”

Then, without another word, she grabbed her car keys and phone and dashed out like the wind.

Keke stood there, stunned, watching her leave.

On the way, Han Ning thought to herself, Even if she’s not at the hot pot place, I’ll check every hotel near the studio. I don’t care if I have to turn over every stone—I’m dragging her back!

As it turned out, Han Ning knew Shen Xi pretty well.

At around 4 PM, Shen Xi finally woke up, starving. She hesitated in front of her hotel room door, debating whether to go downstairs for food. But then a thought struck her—What if I run into Han Ning?

Then again, She’s probably forgotten about it by now, she reasoned. Shen Xi chuckled to herself, thinking she was overreacting.

Just as she was about to step out, her phone vibrated. She glanced at the screen—it was a message from A-Tian.

First, there was a file. Then, dozens of text messages followed. Shen Xi let go of the door handle, sat back on the bed, and started reading.

The file name: About Nie Lan.

She opened it and was immediately shocked by the photos and documents inside.

After reading everything, she found it hard to believe. It felt like A-Tian had written an entire crime novel about a mafia boss.

Nie Lan’s father, Nie He, had no negative news online. The few reports about him were all positive—mainly about charity work. But the file completely overturned Shen Xi’s previous impression of him. It described how Nie He had fought his way through criminal organizations overseas, using ruthless tactics to climb the ranks. Bloodshed and death followed him everywhere until he finally “washed his hands” and returned to China to start a company and engage in charity.

As for Nie Lan herself, compared to her father, she was nothing. At worst, she was just a spoiled brat in the industry—arrogant, reckless, and full of scandals. But Nie He? He was the real underworld kingpin.

Shen Xi found it hard to believe.

She called A-Tian to confirm. He swore up and down that it was true.

By the time she ended the call, it was nearly 8 PM.

Feeling reassured, she finally stepped out in search of food.

But the moment she walked out of the hotel, she froze in place—like Sun Wukong had cast a spell on her.

Right in front of the hotel entrance, she saw Han Ning’s car.

Han Ning parked, looked up, and locked eyes with Shen Xi.

“Gotcha,” Han Ning smirked, stepping closer.