The Ice-Queen Actress Used Her Acting Skills to Reel Me In! - Chapter 18

In the end, Shen Niannian was taken away by the secretary, with the reason being that Zhao Medical Engineering had its own hospital, which was safer and more professional.

 

Qin Zhaoman had no grounds to stop them. After they left, she went back to look at the broken violin. There was no obvious logo on the body of the instrument, but upon closer inspection, she spotted a cursive signature along the edge.

 

She took a photo of the signature and sent it to a knowledgeable friend.

 

Zelmer: Can this violin still be bought now?

 

Aldrid: It’s a handmade violin. The luthier passed away over ten years ago. Finding one for sale is tough, let alone buying it outright. A violin like this would easily cost over a million now. You really went all out smashing it.

 

Zelmer: Try to find me a similar one, if possible.

 

Aldrid: That’s difficult, but I’ll do my best. If I can’t find one, I’ll let you know in advance.

 

Zelmer: Okay.

 

With this incident, continuing the blind date was out of the question. Qin Zhaoman had Secretary Li send Phoebe home while she drove back herself.

 

When she got home, her phone vibrated—a message from Shen Niannian.

 

Neve: The doctor said the injury isn’t serious. They prescribed some medicine, so don’t worry. (Image)

 

Qin Zhaoman zoomed in on the image. The hand had been freshly wrapped in gauze.

 

Shen Niannian’s fingers were slender and delicate, the tips peeking out from the bandages. Her nails were neatly trimmed, clean and pale, with a faint sheen—likely from a coat of clear polish.

 

Qin Zhaoman held down the image, only realizing what she’d done when the menu popped up. She quickly tapped a blank area to dismiss it.

 

What the hell? Why would she even think of saving it?!

 

She ran her fingers through her hair, pushing it back, then sat down on the wicker chair on the balcony, as if the sunlight could purify her thoughts.

 

She typed: Since your hand is inconvenient now, I’ll have my housekeeper take care of you. She’s discreet and very considerate.

 

Shen Niannian: No need, it’s not that bad. If you really feel guilty, could you treat me to a meal?

 

Qin Zhaoman hadn’t expected the request to be so simple. She’d been prepared to compensate much more, but this… felt almost embarrassingly modest.

 

She replied: What do you want to eat? I’ll have it delivered to your place.

 

Neve: I’d like something you make. Even just the ingredients we bought last time would be fine.

 

Qin Zhaoman could cook, but her skills were mediocre at best, so she never cooked for others.

 

She typed slowly, evasively: How do you know I can cook?

 

Neve: We went grocery shopping together.

 

Qin Zhaoman tried to argue: Does going to the supermarket mean I can cook?

 

Neve: Yes.

 

Qin Zhaoman chuckled, thinking Shen Niannian was being unusually bold now. Before she could reply, another message popped up.

 

Neve: Why did you go to the sanatorium today?

 

Qin Zhaoman’s breathing slowed. The word “blind date” wasn’t something she struggled to say anymore, but for some reason, it felt difficult to admit now.

 

Her fingers betrayed her with a lie: Investment.

 

At the same time, Shen Niannian sent: Was it a blind date?

 

Qin Zhaoman stared at the two messages appearing simultaneously on the screen. Hiding the truth from Shen Niannian did feel strange, so she admitted: Yeah, sort of a blind date.

 

Meanwhile, Shen Niannian sent: Oh, so it was an investment.

 

The two messages appeared side by side again.A faint sense of awkwardness lingered in the air. She didn’t continue speaking, but neither did she put her phone down.

 

Shen Niannian broke the silence.

 

Neve: I’ll probably be back in about an hour.

 

Qin Zhaoman cooperated seamlessly.

 

Qin Zhaoman: Okay.

 

—

 

On her way back, Shen Niannian encountered no traffic jams and barely any red lights. Though she had said she’d return in an hour, she actually arrived about twenty minutes early.

 

As soon as she stepped out of the car, she saw the door next door open, and Qin Zhaoman walked out.

 

Qin Zhaoman had changed into a new outfit—her voluminous black waves tied into a low ponytail, her lips painted red, wearing a wine-red silk shirt with pointed collars and wide-leg pants with a uniquely designed waistline.

 

The look suited her domineering beauty so well that even Shen Niannian, accustomed to seeing stunning women, was momentarily dazzled.

 

She didn’t think Qin Zhaoman looked like she was here to cook, and indeed, Qin Zhaoman hadn’t brought any ingredients. Instead, she carried two small leather cases in each hand, complete with combination locks, as if they had just been retrieved from a vault.

 

It was cold outside, and Qin Zhaoman was dressed lightly. Shen Niannian opened the door first to let her in before asking, “Where are the ingredients?”

 

Qin Zhaoman stepped over the threshold. “Someone will deliver them later.”

 

Shen Niannian reached out to take one of the cases, but Qin Zhaoman slightly raised her hand to refuse. Shen Niannian then handed her a new pair of slippers instead.

 

As she crouched down, she inevitably caught sight of the scattered scars on Qin Zhaoman’s ankles again.

 

Shen Niannian asked, “Have you considered getting cosmetic treatment to remove the scars?”

 

Qin Zhaoman paused briefly while taking off her high heels. “Do you think they’re ugly?”

 

Shen Niannian straightened up. “No, I think they’re sexy.”

 

She continued praising, “Your outfit today is also stunning—it suits you perfectly. If you had dressed like this for your blind date this morning, no one could have refused you.”

 

The corners of Qin Zhaoman’s lips curled slightly. “It was never about them refusing me.”

 

Shen Niannian asked, “So you don’t want to get married?”

 

Qin Zhaoman hummed in agreement, only to hear Shen Niannian follow up with another question: “Why?”

 

Qin Zhaoman countered, “Then why don’t you want to get married?”

 

Shen Niannian distilled her complicated reasons into a simple answer. “Because there’s no need.”

 

Qin Zhaoman sat down on the sofa, her eyes fixed on Shen Niannian as if waiting for her to elaborate. When no further explanation came, she even prompted, “That’s it?”

 

Shen Niannian took a seat across from her. “What else did you want to hear?”

 

Her tone was almost tantalizing, as if she would say whatever answer Qin Zhaoman wished to hear.

 

But Qin Zhaoman let the topic go without responding.

 

She placed the two cases on the table and opened them one by one.

 

The larger case held a pair of blue-and-white porcelain vases, while the smaller one contained a ruby necklace—a pigeon’s-egg-sized gem called “Rose Lover,” the showstopper from an auction Shen Niannian had once attended.

 

A coffee table worth a few thousand now bore items worth tens of millions, yet neither woman in the room found it the least bit unusual.

 

Qin Zhaoman gestured to the left. “A housewarming gift for my first visit.” Then she pointed to the right. “A thank-you gift. Phoebe mentioned you like rubies.”

 

Shen Niannian leaned down to examine the so-called housewarming gift—the blue-and-white vase. “So formal. Should I prepare a housewarming gift for you too?”

 

Under normal circumstances, Qin Zhaoman would have said it wasn’t necessary, and the matter would have been dropped.Qin Zhaoman leaned back on the sofa and said, “Hmm, what are you planning to prepare for me?”

 

Shen Niannian was momentarily stunned, unable to respond right away.

 

Qin Zhaoman looked into her eyes and asked, “Don’t tell me you were just being polite?”

 

“No,” Shen Niannian smiled. “I need to think about it properly.”

 

She lifted her head, and the hair behind her ear slipped loose with the movement. She instinctively raised her right hand to tuck it back, but the bandage hindered her motion.

 

Qin Zhaoman noticed and offered, “Want me to help?”

 

Shen Niannian asked, “Help with what?”

 

Qin Zhaoman leaned forward and reached out, but Shen Niannian reflexively turned her head away. “No need!”

 

Her reaction was too quick, too obvious. Qin Zhaoman’s hand paused mid-air, and an awkward silence fell between them.

 

Shen Niannian felt a pang of regret and was about to explain when the doorbell rang—the groceries had arrived.

 

Qin Zhaoman smoothly withdrew her hand and went to retrieve the bags. Returning, she asked, “Where’s the kitchen?”

 

Shen Niannian pointed in the direction, and Qin Zhaoman walked in, placing the bags down before realizing she had crumpled the paper handles in her grip.

 

Without changing her expression, she unpacked the groceries, then crumpled the paper bag into a ball, effectively erasing the evidence.

 

Unsure how to address the earlier moment, Shen Niannian asked, “Do you need any help?”

 

“No.”

 

Qin Zhaoman didn’t even glance at her, her tone sharp. “Could you at least care a little about your hand? Do you not want to play the violin again?”

 

Shen Niannian’s mood dipped. “I’m not playing right now anyway. If you don’t need help, I’ll just review some documents in the living room to keep you company.”

 

Qin Zhaoman suggested she could work in the study and call her when the food was ready. Shen Niannian acknowledged but didn’t follow through, instead bringing the files to the sofa.

 

The sound of chopping came from the kitchen. Shen Niannian laid out the compiled candidate profiles on the table, but the black-and-white words refused to register in her mind.

 

She lifted her bandaged right hand, recalling Qin Zhaoman’s words, and unwelcome memories surged forward.

 

A cold sweat broke out on her forehead. Only when her breathing steadied did she realize her right hand had clenched unconsciously, the pain belatedly reaching her awareness.

 

She relaxed her grip, and bl00d seeped through the bandage.

 

Qin Zhaoman emerged from the kitchen, took one look at her pale face, and strode over, kneeling beside her. “What’s wrong? Is your hand bothering you?”

 

Shen Niannian hesitated before nodding.

 

Qin Zhaoman asked where the medicine was, fetched it, and sat beside her. She carefully unwrapped the bl00d-stained bandages layer by layer, revealing the reopened wound, still bleeding slightly.

 

The bandage stuck to the wound, making the removal painful. Shen Niannian stayed silent, but her fingertips trembled uncontrollably.

 

Qin Zhaoman asked, “Does it hurt?”

 

Shen Niannian’s voice was weak. “A little.”

 

Seeing her pitiful state, Qin Zhaoman cradled her hand and gently blew on it, then glanced up to gauge her reaction. When Shen Niannian didn’t pull away, she continued unwrapping the bandage even more carefully.

 

Throughout the process, whenever Shen Niannian winced, Qin Zhaoman seemed to read her mind, softly blowing on the wound each time.

 

Whether it was scientifically proven or not, the gentle breaths did seem to ease the pain.

 

Shen Niannian wanted to break the silence. “How are you so good at this?”Qin Zhaoman didn’t ignore her, but her tone wasn’t enthusiastic either—just flat and indifferent: “I got injured a lot when I was little.”

 

Shen Niannian thought Qin Zhaoman must have lived in a castle as a child—how could she have gotten injured so often? “Why?”

 

Qin Zhaoman didn’t explain, simply tossing out: “Because I fought a lot. That’s it.”

 

Shen Niannian raised her hand and noticed Qin Zhaoman had tied a neat bow for her.

 

She didn’t hold back her praise, saying, “This is worthy of a Weibo post.”

 

Qin Zhaoman was somewhat pleased by this. Spotting the documents on Shen Niannian’s desk, she asked, “What are you looking at?”

 

Shen Niannian brought them over and said, “Reviewing materials for potential collaboration partners.”

 

Qin Zhaoman gave an indifferent “Oh,” then picked up the first file from the top. After a glance, she tossed it aside, then picked up the second, the third…

 

Not finding herself in any of them, she asked, “Where am I?”

 

Shen Niannian pulled out the very last file and handed it to her: “Here.”

 

Qin Zhaoman was displeased and didn’t take it. “I’ve never been at the bottom of anyone’s list in my life.”

 

Shen Niannian straightened the disordered files and placed Qin Zhaoman’s on top, then turned to look at her. “Now you’re at the very top.”

 

Qin Zhaoman still wasn’t satisfied. “In your heart, I’m still at the bottom.”

 

Shen Niannian felt as though Qin Zhaoman wasn’t sitting on the sofa but on a resplendent throne.

 

Amused and helpless, she asked, “Then what do you want?”