Rapid Collapse (GL) - Chapter 46

“…Huh?” Coco was stunned. “Pay off a debt? And to… your mother-in-law? Ning, are you crazy?” she tried to persuade her earnestly.

“You kid, how can you say that… If Ning gets upset, I’m telling you…” Han Ning reached out and poked her forehead.

Coco sighed, got into the car behind her, started the engine, and said, “I’m just worried about you… Shen Xi’s mom is like a bottomless pit!”

The car drove smoothly down the road. Han Ning sat in the back seat, closed her eyes, and rested, saying nothing. Realizing she had been talking too much, Coco also fell silent and focused on driving.

Han Ning wasn’t actually upset with Coco. The girl was young, outspoken, and truly looking out for her, afraid she would suffer a loss. She had also wondered if she was being too impulsive.

Over 800,000 wasn’t a small amount. Although she was currently popular and had acted in a few dramas, she hadn’t yet established a stable footing. Luckily, she wasn’t someone who spent money recklessly. The only major purchase she had made was a house in Yuhe Xingyuan.

Other than that, she rarely wasted money, making her an anomaly in the extravagant entertainment industry.

Because her foundation was still unstable and she had no lifelong career-defining work, she knew the entertainment industry was unpredictable—where the strong survive and the weak fade away. It was common for someone to shine today and disappear tomorrow. Many had come and gone before her. Taking out her savings like this was undoubtedly a huge risk.

No one stays at the top forever. Take Cheng Nian from Zhou Heyang’s company, for example—she had already made her comeback. If resources became scarce and scripts stopped coming her way, she might end up sitting at home with nothing to do.

She had thought about these risks, but compared to Shen Xi, they seemed insignificant.

The car came to a steady stop in front of Nie Lan’s house. Han Ning sat in the car and called her, speaking coldly: “Come out. I’m returning your money.”

Before long, Nie Lan staggered out, holding a bottle of alcohol. She had a lazy smile on her face, looking at Han Ning in a drunken daze.

Han Ning stared at her coldly, took a suitcase out of the car, and placed a cash-counting machine beside it. “Take it inside and count it yourself. I won’t keep you company.” She opened the car door, just about to step in when Nie Lan suddenly shouted from behind.

“Where’s Shen Xi?” Nie Lan glanced into the car. “She didn’t come?”

Han Ning turned around, frowned, and her gaze darkened. “What does that have to do with you?”

Nie Lan’s smile grew sly. She leaned in close and whispered, “It’ll have something to do with me very soon… Ning, just wait and see~”

“You lunatic!” Han Ning pushed her away, cursed, and got into the car. Coco rolled her eyes at Nie Lan, then stepped on the gas, speeding out of the villa area.

“Ning, don’t bother with that crazy woman…” Coco glanced at Han Ning’s gloomy face and carefully tried to comfort her.

“Mm…” Han Ning only hummed in response. She didn’t go on a rant about Nie Lan like she used to, making Coco unsure what to say. She focused on driving instead.

Han Ning looked out the window, feeling restless. She had a bad feeling.

Nie Lan’s words echoed in her ears, and she couldn’t ignore them. If Nie Lan really set her sights on Shen Xi, she would stop at nothing to get what she wanted—even if it meant destroying Shen Xi.

Half an hour later, Han Ning returned home. When she opened the door, she saw Shen Xi sitting on the sofa in the living room. She pursed her lips and smiled at her.

Before, if Han Ning saw Shen Xi at her home, she would be overjoyed, and all her exhaustion would disappear. But today, with so much on her mind, she only paused for a moment before forcing a smile. “You’re here…”

Shen Xi noticed her reaction. She lowered her head and softly replied, “Mm.”

She thought to herself—Han Ning really was becoming distant. She didn’t use to be like this…

After all, she came with baggage—an irresponsible mother who was like a black hole. Anyone who stayed with her would suffer. Han Ning was a public figure, too. If she wanted to leave her, Shen Xi wouldn’t blame her.

Sitting on the sofa, Shen Xi was lost in her sad thoughts. She didn’t even notice when Han Ning sat down beside her.

“What did you eat for dinner?” Han Ning asked, picking up the cat on Shen Xi’s lap.

Shen Xi snapped out of her daze, glanced at her, and shook her head. “…Nothing. I couldn’t eat.”

“All day?” Han Ning frowned.

“Mm… I slept for ages. When I woke up, it was already afternoon. I wasn’t hungry…” Shen Xi sighed.

“That’s not good. Skipping meals is bad for your health. You’re already too thin…” Han Ning opened a food delivery app but then hesitated and pulled Shen Xi up. “I’ll take you out to eat. Your little face looks so down—I can tell you’re upset. Let’s go out and take a walk, okay?”

Shen Xi bit her lip. Hearing Han Ning’s soft, caring voice and the way she asked for her opinion instead of deciding for her, she felt a warmth in her heart. But at the same time, she felt an aching sadness.

Han Ning always respected her, always listened to her thoughts. Even for something as simple as a meal, she rarely made decisions on her behalf.

How could she be so good?

Shen Xi’s nose stung. She fought back her emotions, stood up, and nodded. “Okay, let’s go out to eat.”

They left the house, each carrying their own worries but trying not to let them affect the other. Over dinner, they even had a few drinks. After eating, they walked home hand in hand.

As they strolled, Shen Xi leaned close and whispered in Han Ning’s ear, “I love you so much.”

Her voice was soft and sweet. Under the warm glow of the streetlights, Han Ning looked at her, seeing the twinkle in her eyes. She smiled slightly. “Who doesn’t?” Then, Shen Xi leaned in and kissed her deeply.

“I want to love you forever,” Shen Xi murmured.

“You will. We will always love each other.” Han Ning kissed her forehead gently.

Back home, Han Ning brushed her teeth and put on a face mask in the bathroom. After rinsing her mouth, she walked out and saw Shen Xi feeding the cat.

Han Ning casually patted the cat’s head. Her face mask muffled her words. “You’re still feeding it? It’s going to turn into a ball…”

“Cats are meant to be spoiled! What’s wrong with giving it some canned food?” Shen Xi pinched the cat’s chubby cheeks with affection.

“Where’s Auntie Shen? Will she be staying with you from now on?” Han Ning asked, standing beside her and petting the cat.

“Mm… I can’t just leave her alone. I wouldn’t feel at ease. At least with me, she won’t gamble so much…” Shen Xi sighed, her eyes filled with worry. She turned to look at Han Ning and asked hesitantly, “Han Ning… will you mind?”

“Mind what?” Han Ning stopped petting the cat and looked at Shen Xi.

Shen Xi’s eyes were full of emotion—reluctance, fear, love…

“My mom… she’ll be a burden. Being with me… does that bother you?”