Rapid Collapse (GL) - Chapter 69

Just as Shen Xi expected, the ghostly face suddenly appeared on the screen, zoomed in repeatedly by the director, accompanied by startling sound effects.

Han Ning let out a yelp and jumped up from her seat, immediately diving into Shen Xi’s arms, trembling. Her reaction was so dramatic that the audience in the front rows turned to look at them.

Shen Xi smiled awkwardly, patted Han Ning gently, and reassured her, “It’s okay, it’s okay~”

“I don’t want to watch anymore…” Han Ning mumbled.

“Alright, alright, we won’t watch anymore. Let’s go.” Shen Xi took her out of the cinema.

Han Ning was truly scared. She seemed distracted on the way back, and even after ten minutes, her face was still pale.

“Silly, it’s not real…” Shen Xi bought her a giant lollipop and handed it to her as if comforting a child. “Here, take this and eat.”

“Hmph… I don’t really watch horror movies, and honestly, it’s just the sound effects making it scary. If they changed the background music to Pigsy Carrying His Wife, I’d probably find it funny instead…” Han Ning muttered stubbornly.

“Ah, yes, yes, you’re absolutely right…” Shen Xi hooked her arm around Han Ning’s and continued walking into the mall.

They had one major thing in common—they were both homebodies.

Before they met, they spent their free time at home after work—Han Ning binge-watching dramas and variety shows, while Shen Xi read novels.

After getting together, working together made their days fulfilling and fun. However, Shen Xi had this persistent idea that couples had to go through the classic date routine—eating out, shopping, and watching movies.

But after wandering around for a while, they felt out of place.

Leaving aside the fact that Han Ning was a public figure, both of them were stunningly attractive. Walking through the mall, they inevitably attracted glances and whispers from passersby. Shen Xi disliked the attention but didn’t want to affect Han Ning’s mood.

“Should we just head back? This is kinda boring,” Han Ning said, putting on her sunglasses and turning to Shen Xi.

“Exactly what I was thinking!” Shen Xi’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

“Are you hungry?” Han Ning asked. “Should we eat out or order takeout at home?”

“Takeout at home!” Shen Xi grabbed her arm and started walking back. “Hurry, hurry, if we stay any longer, I feel like my battery is gonna run out…”

“Same…” Han Ning raised her lollipop in agreement.

They ordered takeout on the way home. Not long after they arrived, the food was delivered.

After removing their makeup, they dove into their meal. Once full, they sprawled lazily on the couch.

“Ahh~ so comfortable, so relaxing~” Han Ning sighed in satisfaction.

Shen Xi sat beside her, cuddling their two cats—one in each arm. She lowered her head and kissed the one named Thunderstorm, who responded by rolling around playfully.

“Aww…” Han Ning, smiling like a doting mother, imitated her and tried to kiss Lightning, the other cat. But Lightning, as if predicting her move, calmly raised a paw and blocked her face with precise timing.

“Hahaha…” Shen Xi burst into laughter at the scene.

“How dare you reject your mommy’s kisses?” Han Ning playfully pinned down Lightning’s paws and stole several kisses. The cat lay on her lap with an expression of pure resignation.

“It’s always the best at home~” Shen Xi leaned over, still holding the cats, and rested against Han Ning. “Honestly, I didn’t really feel like going out today either. But I thought, well, we’re a couple, so we should at least follow the classic dating routine.

Turns out… it’s just not for us.”

“Yeah, I’d rather just stay home, cuddle with you, sleep, wake up, eat, and then sleep again…” Han Ning spoke dreamily.

“Wouldn’t that turn you into a little pig?” Shen Xi teased, squeezing her cheeks.

“Oh, by the way, since we’re not staying in Lingchao, why don’t we go on a trip? Somewhere no one knows us.” Han Ning suddenly got an idea and started searching on her phone.

Shen Xi glanced at the screen and her eyes lit up. “This one looks good! It has islands, the ocean, and mountains.”

“This place? Bunnyla? Why do these small country names sound like snack brands…” Han Ning clicked on a travel blogger’s guide and saved it.

They decided to take a vacation in this small country.

After informing Shen Fengmei, Shen Xi quickly packed their bags.

The next day, Shen Fengmei came over to take care of their two cats. She looked at them with concern. “Is that little country safe? The world is such a mess—scams, wars—it’s terrifying. Why don’t you two explore our own beautiful country first?”

Han Ning, after locking her suitcase and scrambling the code, walked over to Shen Fengmei and said, “Auntie, we would love to travel within the country, but look at me—who am I? I’m Han Ning! And your daughter, a literal goddess! No matter where we go, we attract attention. It’s exhausting…”

“Mom, don’t worry. The people there are very friendly. We’ve done our research online,” Shen Xi reassured her, stuffing her laptop into her suitcase. Then, as if remembering something, she added, “Oh, and since I’ll be on vacation, stop calling me every day to nag me about updates. I’ll write when I get back.”

“Hmph… You have zero dedication as a full-time writer,” Shen Fengmei scoffed as the two finished packing.

“Come on, let’s go stay with Grandma.” Shen Fengmei carried the cats home first, while Shen Xi and Han Ning followed behind, smiling.

“Don’t overfeed them. Too much food isn’t good for them…” Shen Xi reminded her.

“I know.”

At the airport, their flight was set to depart in twenty minutes. They were both quietly handling work on their phones.

The flight lasted ten hours. Han Ning brought plenty of supplies to make sure they were comfortable. As soon as they got on the plane, they curled up under a blanket and fell into a peaceful sleep.

When Shen Xi woke up, she glanced out the window, expecting to see blue skies and white clouds. Instead, all she saw was darkness, speckled with distant stars.

She turned to look at Han Ning, who was still fast asleep, gently stroked her hair, then opened her laptop and pondered for a moment.

Her fingers danced over the keyboard, typing a title:
“A Love Letter to Ning Ning”

“I wrote this letter on our flight to Bunnyla. I’ve written countless stories and created intricate plots for my characters—stories filled with ups and downs, where every couple experiences a breathtaking romance.

Before I met you, I never imagined my life could be this exciting. We haven’t been together long, but it feels like fate has bound us deeply.

You are stunning. To the me who first met you, you were an unattainable woman. I never expected we would connect beyond work.

But fate is funny like that…”

Half an hour later, Han Ning woke up, rubbing her eyes. She glanced at Shen Xi, who was focused on her laptop, and chuckled. She assumed it was Shen Fengmei sending another nagging text about writing updates.

“Writing another bedtime story for Auntie?” Han Ning asked, her just-woken-up voice soft and slightly hoarse.

“Ah… no…” Shen Xi, startled, instinctively tilted her screen to hide the contents.

She wanted to keep this letter a secret until their first anniversary.

Han Ning, amused by her reaction, teased, “What, are you writing something inappropriate? If Auntie saw it, she’d scold you.”

“Of course not,” Shen Xi denied. “Besides, even if I wanted to post it, it wouldn’t get past the censorship…” Taking the opportunity to change the topic, she quickly saved the document and closed her laptop.

They chatted for a while before Han Ning, unable to resist, dozed off again. By the time she woke up, they had arrived at their destination.

Shen Xi, having stayed awake the entire flight, was full of energy. As they exited the plane, a local Chinese-speaking tour guide greeted them.

The guide was a young woman with tan skin, striking eyes, and a slightly mixed-race appearance.

“Hello, I’m your tour guide. My last name is Chen—you can just call me Xiao Chen.”

The moment she started talking, Shen Xi had a feeling—something about her wasn’t quite right.