Rapid Collapse (GL) - Chapter 34

Han Ning looked up at her for a few seconds, then lowered her head again, adjusting the small bell on Lightning’s neck. She neither agreed nor refused, but instead asked, “You’re so free? Don’t you need to write?”

In fact, Han Ning had hit Shen Xi’s sore spot. Lately, she had been busy adapting Nan Yan’s work, and her novel on the website had been left unfinished for a long time. Readers were furious, bombarding her inbox with endless messages that felt like curses chasing her down. She didn’t dare to read them twice, so she had to turn off private messages, steady her mind, and focus on finishing this current task before dealing with anything else.

But plans never keep up with changes. The website updates, the readers’ complaints—none of them were as important as regaining Han Ning’s favor!

She shook her head, looked straight at Han Ning, and said firmly, “It’s fine, I’m not busy.”

Han Ning glanced at Shen Xi and smiled slightly. “I’m busy, so let’s meet tonight instead.”

Disappointment flashed across Shen Xi’s face. She pressed her lips together and said softly, “Alright… let me know when you’re free, I’ll come to find you.”

“Okay.” Han Ning nodded and walked away, carrying Lightning.

Shen Xi’s disappointed expression kept replaying in Han Ning’s mind. She bit her lip and warned herself not to soften her heart toward Shen Xi at this moment. Quickening her steps, she entered the apartment building.

After returning home, Han Ning put down her cat and walked to the balcony, looking down at the flowerbed where she and Shen Xi had just been. Shen Xi was still sitting there, not leaving. At the same time, she turned her head and looked up at the floor where Han Ning lived.

Han Ning quickly moved away from the window, patted her chest, and muttered, “That was close… almost got caught.”

When she returned to the balcony after freshening up for half an hour, Shen Xi was already gone.

Regarding Shen Xi’s invitation, Han Ning had declined, saying she had something to do. It wasn’t just an excuse—she really did have plans.

Twenty minutes later, Han Ning was sitting in her car, waiting in front of Zhou Heyang’s company.

She had only found out about this matter that very morning.

Originally, she planned to sleep until noon, but around six in the morning, Liang Xun called. At first, he just wanted to remind her about renewing her endorsement contract in a few days. However, he seemed exhausted from overwork and confused. Just as she was about to go back to sleep, he called again.

Han Ning was about to tease him when he suddenly dropped a shocking piece of news.

“Nian Nian, the company signed you up for a dual-female-lead military drama.”

Han Ning blinked, thinking that Liang Xun had called the wrong person and mistaken her for Cheng Nian.

Realizing his mistake, Liang Xun quickly added, “Forget what you just heard! I didn’t say anything! Get some rest!”

Han Ning stared at her phone, which had returned to the home screen, and smiled. “How could I possibly forget~?”

She didn’t care much about dual-female-lead dramas. As long as the other lead wasn’t Nie Lan, she didn’t mind working with anyone.

What truly attracted her was the military theme.

That kind of brave, sharp, and heroic female soldier image was something every girl dreamed of becoming.

Han Ning had always been someone who took action, seizing opportunities whenever she could. If no opportunity came her way, she would create one to get what she wanted!
A military drama without her? She had to get an explanation from Zhou Heyang.

When Zhou Heyang returned to his office and saw Han Ning, his hand froze on the door handle. He immediately suspected that Liang Xun had blabbed something he shouldn’t have.

“Good morning, my esteemed leader, Mr. Zhou~! You look even more handsome since we last met…” Han Ning squinted her eyes with a sweet smile, flattering him.

Zhou Heyang didn’t buy it. He snorted coldly. “Now you remember I’m your boss? I recall you yelling at me on set, complaining that I eat too slowly…” He took the tea Han Ning handed him, took a sip, and continued, “If I remember correctly, the last time we met was just last night at ten.”

Han Ning’s face remained unchanged, showing no embarrassment. She kept her bright smile.

“I was only thinking about progress. The sooner we finish shooting, the sooner we can wrap up, right?” She pretended to reflect on her actions, then looked up with a regretful face.

“But no matter what, I shouldn’t have yelled at my handsome and brave boss! I’m sorry—mianhae, sumimasen, sorry~ I apologized in four languages! Sincere enough, right?”

Zhou Heyang was dumbfounded by her response. He closed the lid of his teacup, placed it on the table, and said, “One of the two female leads in this drama has a personality similar to yours—always causing trouble, rebellious but righteous, and full of charm. When Chen Rong came to me, we both felt the role was practically made for you.”

Han Ning’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

Zhou Heyang nodded. Noticing the dark circles under her eyes, he said with genuine concern, “It’s not that I don’t want you to take the role, but you haven’t had a break in a long time. Even if you’re young, you need to take care of yourself.”

Han Ning barely registered his words. One thing stuck out to her—Chen Rong.

Now she realized that Shen Xi had been so busy lately because she had been working on this script with Chen Rong. And the script had ended up with Zhou Heyang. Back then, she had thought Shen Xi and Chen Rong were going their separate ways, which had made her feel down for a while. But after all this, fate had led them back together again.

Zhou Heyang thought she was considering the pros and cons, but the next second, Han Ning’s eyes sparkled as she said, “I’m fine! I can fight for another three years without resting!”

Seeing her determination and knowing how well she fit the role, Zhou Heyang realized that if he didn’t let her take it, she would make trouble. After weighing the pros and cons, he nodded in agreement.

On her way home, Liang Xun sent her the script. Her involvement in the drama remained a secret—only three people knew.

Shen Xi, as one of the screenwriters, had no idea at all.

After returning home, Shen Xi took a nap and didn’t wake up until the afternoon. After wandering around the house a few times, she sat down to finish the task Chen Rong assigned her—writing the first draft of five episodes. Once she finished, Chen Rong would review and finalize them.

Chen Rong trusted Shen Xi. Out of the 30 episodes, each of the three screenwriters was responsible for ten. Shen Xi’s first five episodes only needed minor adjustments before being finalized.

Despite receiving praise from Chen Rong and another writer, Zhang, Shen Xi only smiled faintly. She knew the real reason behind her inspiration—the person she had in mind while writing was Han Ning.

People say that screenwriters draw inspiration from their love for actors. Shen Xi deeply understood this while writing.

As the sky darkened, she glanced out the window, turned on the lights, and saved her document before calling Han Ning. The phone rang twice before being answered. Han Ning, still drowsy from her nap, saw “Xi Xi” on the screen and instinctively answered without remembering their argument. “Hello, Xi Xi…”

Her voice was soft, lazy, and slightly nasal, as if she had just woken up.

Shen Xi chuckled. Han Ning suddenly realized her mistake and wanted to slap herself. She quickly adjusted her tone and asked indifferently, “What do you want?”

Shen Xi’s heart sank, thinking Han Ning wanted to back out. She quickly said, “Dinner! You promised me this morning—did you forget?”

Han Ning yawned, covering her mouth. “No, I remember. Meet me at the apartment entrance in half an hour.”

As she was about to hang up, Shen Xi smirked and teased, “What did you just call me? Was it ‘Xi Xi’? Or was it ‘Ning Ning’?”