Rapid Collapse (GL) - Chapter 67

Shen Xi heard the news and immediately stood up, quickly following Keke to the set.

Fortunately, there was a hospital nearby. Within about ten minutes, the ambulance arrived, and they carried Han Ning onto it. Shen Xi went along with her.

Liang Xun reported this to Zhou Heyang. Zhou Heyang paced back and forth anxiously, already having a good idea of why Han Ning had fainted.

Her nausea today was just one reason, but the main issue was the prolonged period of stress and exhaustion. She hadn’t had a proper break in the past year.

She treated herself as if she were invincible, ignoring Zhou Heyang’s advice and failing to balance work and rest…

“This girl…” Zhou Heyang stood by the window, gazing outside, deep in thought. He was both worried and frustrated. Exhaling a puff of smoke, he stubbed out his cigarette, put on a coat, and headed to the hospital with Liang Xun to visit Han Ning.

By the time they arrived, Han Ning was still unconscious. The doctors had run several tests and concluded that her sudden collapse was caused by low bl00d sugar, malnutrition, and sleep deprivation. If it had been any more severe, it could have been life-threatening.

Hearing this, Shen Xi felt a chill spread through her body, and cold sweat broke out on her palms. She looked at Han Ning on the hospital bed, her heart aching terribly.

“How is she?” Zhou Heyang and Liang Xun entered the room.

“She hasn’t woken up yet…” Shen Xi wiped away her tears. Her nose was slightly red, and her voice carried a nasal tone. She continued, “Mr. Zhou, Han Ning is not a machine. I know you value her, but you can’t keep pushing her like this, right?”

Zhou Heyang was momentarily speechless. Liang Xun quickly stepped in to mediate. “Shen Xi, you’ve misunderstood Mr. Zhou. He’s always been telling Han Ning to rest, but she keeps refusing. There’s nothing he can do about it, right?”

After hearing this, Shen Xi realized she had wronged Zhou Heyang and immediately apologized. “I’m sorry, Mr. Zhou. I misunderstood you…”

“It’s fine, no worries.” Zhou Heyang waved it off, not taking it to heart. He walked over to the bed, looked at Han Ning, and said softly, “I really admire Han Ning. Although our relationship is based on a contract, in my heart, I’ve always seen her as a little sister.

Don’t worry, I’ve decided—no matter how much she protests when she wakes up, I will force her to rest for three months.”

Then, he turned to Shen Xi and said, “You should take care of yourself too. I’ll be leaving now.”

“Alright. Thank you, Mr. Zhou,” Shen Xi replied.

After Zhou Heyang and Liang Xun left, Liang Xun scratched his head and said, “Old Zhou… wait a minute…”

“What’s wrong?” Zhou Heyang stopped and looked at him.

“The variety show Han Ning signed up for… the recording is in a month. If you make her rest for three months, won’t she breach the contract?”

“…Why didn’t you say this earlier?” Zhou Heyang felt a flash of irritation.

“I thought you knew. Besides, you already announced that she would rest for three months.

I couldn’t exactly cover your mouth, could I?” Liang Xun stuffed his hands into his pockets and rolled his eyes.

After thinking for a moment, Zhou Heyang came up with a solution. “Then she can go record a few episodes first, then come back to rest. We’ll have Cheng Nian step in for the rest.

That way, she won’t feel too secure in her position… That lazy girl has been slacking off way too much!” he grumbled.

Liang Xun didn’t dare to argue and simply followed his orders.

Inside the hospital room, Shen Xi gently held Han Ning’s hand. An IV was attached to the back of her cold hand. Even after the IV was finished, she still hadn’t woken up. No one knew how much time had passed before Han Ning finally opened her eyes, looking utterly exhausted.

The moment she woke up, Shen Xi’s eyes lit up. She exclaimed with joy, “Ning Ning! You’re awake! You slept for so long…”

“What happened to me? And… why are you crying?” Han Ning reached out to wipe her tears.

“What do you think? You suddenly collapsed! You nearly scared me to death,” Shen Xi said with a mix of concern and annoyance.

“I just felt a little nauseous… How did I end up fainting?” Han Ning tried to sit up but immediately felt her whole body heavy and drained. Frowning, she murmured, “I feel awful… I have no strength at all…”

“The doctor said you’re overworked, have low bl00d sugar, and malnutrition. You haven’t been eating properly because of magazine shoots and endorsements. On top of that, you’ve only been sleeping five hours a night…” Shen Xi reported honestly. She helped Han Ning sit up and continued, “Mr. Zhou and Liang Xun came to see you earlier. Mr. Zhou said you have to take a mandatory three-month break.”

“Three months?!” Han Ning was shocked, her voice rising. She waved her hands. “No way! Absolutely not! I can’t rest for that long—I’ll fade into irrelevance!”

Three months was enough time for the entertainment industry to completely reshuffle. Han Ning was afraid that by the time she returned, there would be no place left for her. In her mind, being told to take a break wasn’t a good thing—it meant she was replaceable.

For the first time, Shen Xi truly understood how ambitious Han Ning was.

Han Ning refused to fall behind, refused to be replaced, and refused to live passively. In her world, only staying busy made life meaningful and fulfilling.

But Han Ning wasn’t a machine. She was human.

Humans can’t keep running at full speed forever. No matter how much energy they have, there will come a day when it runs out. And when that day comes, it could lead to total collapse—or even worse.

Shen Xi had seen too many cases like this.

She spoke to Han Ning seriously. “Back when I first started writing web novels, I used to write over ten thousand words a day. I joined an author’s group, and we competed daily.

There was one guy who worked on multiple novels at the same time just to make money. One night, after pulling an all-nighter to write twenty thousand words, he went to work without resting… and suddenly died on the way.”

Han Ning’s pupils dilated in shock. “Just like that?”

“Yes. Just like that. Can you imagine? One day, you’re discussing plot ideas with someone, and the next day, they’re gone. Do you know how hard that is to accept?” Shen Xi held Han Ning’s hand gently and softened her tone. “I know how you feel. But you don’t need to worry. I’m your girlfriend, and I’ll always be on your side. Even if Zhou Heyang gives all the best opportunities to Cheng Nian, once you return, she’d probably just run back home to her wife anyway. Then everything will be yours again.”

Han Ning blinked, her tense expression easing. She thought about it—Cheng Nian really was like that, a total homebody who prioritized her wife above everything else.

“So, be good and rest. Your health is the foundation of everything. Besides…” Shen Xi held Han Ning’s hand, kissed the back of it, and gazed at her with affection. “We haven’t had a vacation together in so long. Don’t you want to just stay at home with me or go somewhere nice?”

“Of course I do!” Han Ning’s eyes crinkled with a smile, and her face looked a little brighter.

Thinking about it, ever since they started dating, Han Ning had been constantly busy. Shen Xi wasn’t as busy as her, but she wasn’t exactly free either. Even though they went to and returned from the same place every day, they rarely got to spend uninterrupted time together.

Realizing this, Han Ning actually started looking forward to the break.

She felt re-energized, and if Shen Xi hadn’t stopped her, she might have jumped out of bed to get her discharge papers.

“The doctor said you need two more days of IV treatment and observation. Don’t move around. Get back under the blanket,” Shen Xi gently but firmly held her down.

“But I want to go home! I want to be discharged! I’m fine now!” Han Ning pouted and whined.

Shen Xi, unfazed, remained stoic like a sage immune to temptations.

Seeing that her whining didn’t work, Han Ning huffed, pulled up the blanket, and went to sleep.