Rapid Collapse (GL) - Chapter 57

Nie Lan watched Shen Xi’s reaction, her smile deepening. She raised an eyebrow at Shen Xi, her proud and condescending expression making Shen Xi uncomfortable. Her instincts told her that Nie Lan was scheming something against her.

“Alright.” Shen Xi hesitated for a few seconds before smiling and agreeing. She leaned on Nie Lan’s shoulder, wrapped her arms around her neck, and whispered in her ear, “I used to be too conservative. I thought being with someone required deep understanding… But you saw what happened with Han Ning, right?” She sighed and continued, “I admit I don’t fully understand you yet, but haven’t you heard of this saying?” She looked into Nie Lan’s eyes and said, “Marriage first, love later.”

Nie Lan squinted her eyes and smiled without answering. She showed her signature media smile. When Shen Xi first heard her mention marriage, she suspected it was a trick. Now, looking at her expression, she was sure—her guess was right.

Since it was fake, there was no need for her to take the risk of logging into the game to leave Han Ning a message.

From that day on, Shen Xi clung to Nie Lan even more. She followed her everywhere, even bringing up when they should get engaged. Nie Lan seemed absent-minded but still responded casually.

“A-Lan,” Shen Xi called. Nie Lan was texting and looked up at her with a smile. “What’s wrong?”

“You just said you were sleepy, right? Go take a nap. When you wake up, we’ll go pick out wedding jewelry. Didn’t you choose the Ruidian brand?” Shen Xi sat beside her and playfully pinched her cheek.

“Oh right, I’ve been so busy these past few days that I forgot about our plan. Sorry, baby~” Nie Lan thought for a moment and said, “Hmm… let’s go at six. That way, we can have dinner too.”

“Sounds good! Now go sleep for a bit. Look at those dark circles under your eyes.” Shen Xi pulled her up and gently pushed her towards the bedroom.

After Nie Lan fell asleep, Shen Xi sat by the window, lost in thought. She gazed into the distance, taking in the beautiful view. The river shimmered under the sunlight, its sparkling waves making it impossible to look away.

She wondered what Han Ning was doing on the other side of the river…

She wasn’t actually going to pick out jewelry. Instead, she had seen a post from Han Ning’s fan site saying that at 6:30 PM, Han Ning would be attending the Ruidian Jewelry brand’s evening banquet. There was a chance they might “accidentally” run into each other, and she didn’t want to miss that opportunity.

Lately, Han Ning had been quite busy—except for missing her wife.

She had to attend an audition, check on Tian He, who was recovering in a hotel, and take care of her two cats at home. On top of that, Shen Fengmei contacted her once or twice, saying that Shen Xi had deleted her. She was worried that Shen Xi had walked into the lion’s den and wouldn’t return.

Han Ning could only comfort her, assuring her that Shen Xi was fine. She didn’t dare tell her the truth, afraid of any leaks. After all, this old lady’s trustworthiness in her eyes was basically zero…

“Auntie Shen, Shen Xi and I… we’re in the past now. She’s doing well, she has better options, and I wish her the best. Please take care of yourself. As for her, I don’t have anything else to say. You should leave now.”

As she spoke, Han Ning glanced at Koko beside her. Koko immediately picked up on the signal and quickly said, “Let’s go, Ning! We’re running late…”

“Be careful on your way back,” Han Ning added before walking past her and leaving in a hurry.

Shen Fengmei looked heartbroken, her face filled with helplessness as she watched Han Ning walk away. But at this point, she had no choice but to leave.

“That was terrifying…” Koko glanced back at Shen Fengmei’s disappearing figure, worried.

“I was afraid she’d start crying and making a scene, wasting our time. You have such a busy afternoon—an audition, then hair and makeup at four, and the Ruidian brand banquet tonight…”

“I have nothing to do with Shen Xi anymore. She has no reason to ask me about Shen Xi’s situation. There’s nothing to worry about.” Han Ning pursed her lips, glanced back once more, feeling a little uneasy, but she still quickened her pace. “Let’s go.”

They kept walking. Koko stole a glance at Han Ning, feeling nervous about the question she wanted to ask. But knowing Han Ning, even if she got annoyed, she wouldn’t be truly mad—at most, she’d just say, “Mind your own business!”

So, feeling a bit bold, Koko went for it…

“Ning, I’ve been wanting to ask you something…” Koko cautiously looked up at her. Han Ning was watching her audition clips and didn’t look up. “What do you want to ask?”

“About you and Shen Xi…”

The moment the words left her mouth, Han Ning snapped the script shut and gave her a sharp glare—one that clearly said, “Say one more word, and you’re dead!”

“Uh…” Koko immediately shrank back, nervously rubbing her nose. “I was just curious… Everyone loves gossip…” she muttered, picking at her fingers.

“Maybe you should switch careers and become a paparazzi? You’d make a great apprentice to Tian He,” Han Ning shot back, flipping the script open again, her words dripping with sarcasm.

“How’s the script going?” Liang Xun pushed the door open and sat across from Han Ning, looking at his cash cow with a doting expression. He spoke earnestly, “This film has deep emotional scenes, unlike your previous action roles. You have to put your heart into it.”

“I know,” Han Ning replied simply, still focused on the script.

Liang Xun assumed she was in a bad mood, so he sighed, giving her a knowing look. “Our Ning is really growing up…”

Han Ning slowly lifted her gaze, her smile not reaching her eyes. “What do you mean by that?”

In the corner, Koko’s scalp tightened. She perked up her ears to listen.

“Emotional growth is also growth!” Liang Xun slapped his thigh, his eyes shining as he analyzed, “Think about it—before you dated Shen Xi, aside from looking beautiful, you were basically a tomboy. Your mannerisms and actions—total tomboy vibes!”

Han Ning’s mouth twitched. “Tomboy…” She exhaled slowly, chuckling. “That’s a first.”

Koko’s scalp tingled even more, but she couldn’t help feeling a little excited…

“Exactly! But look at you now—you have this melancholic vibe! You look like someone who’s been through heartbreak! You’re finally becoming a layered, complex… actress!”

Under Han Ning’s ice-cold death stare, Liang Xun suddenly realized—he was talking to Han Ning, someone with a fiery temper, who never hesitated to throw punches!

Han Ning slammed the script shut and tossed it onto the chair beside her. She grabbed Liang Xun’s tie, gritting her teeth. “You have a story! Your whole family has a story!”

The next second, she stood up and swung a sweeping kick at the chair beneath Liang Xun.

The chair flew far away, and Liang Xun, still in shock, landed on the ground with a thud.

In the corner, Koko clutched her chest, watching the swaying glass door, feeling like she had just survived a disaster. “Looks like Ning still likes me more…”