The Ice-Queen Actress Used Her Acting Skills to Reel Me In! - Chapter 23

Qin Zhaoman remembered that Shen Niannian was afraid of people suddenly touching her face, but Shen Niannian’s reaction now went far beyond ordinary fear—it looked more like a trauma-induced stress response.

What had she been through? How could she have such a reaction?

Qin Zhaoman withdrew her hand and touched Shen Niannian’s forehead—it was a little warm.

She found a thermometer in the bedside drawer. With a beep, it read 38.8°C. Not high enough to cause delirium, likely just exhaustion.

Had Yahe Group fallen so low that they could only exploit their heir, with no competent executives left to handle affairs?

Shen Niannian was actually awake, but she wasn’t in good shape and didn’t want to get up.

This nap had been counterproductive—she felt even worse now. It was as if glue were flowing through her veins, slowing down her movements and thoughts.

Her fingers hooked onto Qin Zhaoman’s hand, but Qin Zhaoman placed it back on the bed, then pulled the blanket—which had been kicked to the foot of the bed—over her again, making another attempt to remove her gold-rimmed glasses.

Shen Niannian’s eyes flew open instantly, as if triggered by a switch—the slightest touch would wake her.

Qin Zhaoman sighed helplessly. “Awake now?”

Shen Niannian’s voice was slightly nasal. “Not sleepy, just feeling terrible. Can’t open my eyes.”

Qin Zhaoman gave up and pushed her glasses back into place. “Have you taken any medicine? Do you need me to call a doctor?”

Shen Niannian forced herself to sit up, trying to shake off the grogginess. “Not yet. I haven’t eaten breakfast. The doctor saw me yesterday. Junyu said people like me, who rarely get sick, tend to have severe symptoms when they do. I just have to endure it out.”

“That doesn’t sound very scientific.”

Qin Zhaoman found the air conditioner remote and turned the temperature down slightly. “I brought you some pumpkin porridge—it’s still warm. Have some and then take your medicine?”

Shen Niannian fought the urge to close her eyes, focusing her gaze on Qin Zhaoman’s eyes instead.

Her cat-like eyes curved slightly. “How did you know I wanted something sweet?”

Because you said so yourself yesterday.

Qin Zhaoman realized Shen Niannian’s fever had genuinely dulled her wits and shamelessly took advantage of the situation. “Because I’m smart. I guessed it right away.”

Shen Niannian’s brain was indeed on strike. “You’re amazing.”

She got out of bed, her shirt dress even more disheveled now, her thighs fully exposed. A faint flush colored the corners of her eyes and cheeks, her glasses perched precariously on her face, and red marks from earlier still visible on her neck and chin.

She looked like a mess.

Qin Zhaoman averted her gaze, her steps unconsciously quickening as she turned to leave. “The porridge’s on the table. Go down and eat it. There’s also a package for you—I left it on the coffee table.”

The word “package” seemed to activate Shen Niannian like a passcode.

“That must be from my sister. I need to check it.”

Shen Sui Sui’s package was a medium-sized rectangular box. Inside there were three boxes of chocolates.

Two were in Créme Chocolate packaging, while the third was an elegant Christmas-themed box in gold and green, adorned with a cute reindeer sticky note. Shen Sui Sui had written a long message, the gist being that this was her favorite among the many boxes she’d tried.Qin Zhaoman brought over the porridge and placed it directly beside Shen Niannian. Noticing the packaging, she remarked, “Didn’t they discontinue Keli chocolates?”

Shen Niannian caught the skepticism in her tone and defended almost unconditionally, “My sister has always been incredibly lucky since childhood. Whatever she wants to find, she always gets it. Maybe Keli chocolates have resumed production.”

After saying this, she placed the chocolate on her lap and asked, “Zelmer, how did you know Keli chocolates were discontinued? Did you try to buy them for me too?”

Shen Niannian wouldn’t usually ask so bluntly, but her mind was moving slowly now.

She only remembered how Qin Zhaoman had acted when giving her the chocolates—as if she’d just casually asked someone to make them, not at all like she’d gone out of her way to research it.

Qin Zhaoman also knew she wasn’t thinking clearly and calmly lied, “Qiao Qiao wanted to buy them for you but couldn’t find any. She pestered me about it for days.”

It was a plausible enough explanation.

Sick Shen Niannian was easy to fool. Whenever she tried to focus on something, she grew drowsy. She let the topic drop and set the chocolate aside, arranging it next to the crushed ice blue roses for a photo.

After taking the picture, she posted a private update visible only to herself.

She liked documenting her life but disliked being watched in private.

Only then did Qin Zhaoman notice the crushed ice blue roses in the vase.

Why were they in a vase? Didn’t Shen Niannian usually toss roses sent from outsiders straight into the laundry basket?

Was it because she liked the color… or because she knew they were from her?

Shen Niannian had been watching her out of the corner of her eye. Seeing her gaze at the roses, she asked, “So, do they look nice?”

Qin Zhaoman countered, “Did you put them in a vase because they’re pretty?”

“No.”

Shen Niannian smiled faintly. “They’re from someone I care about, so they deserve a place in the vase.”

Qin Zhaoman felt as if she’d heard the click of a lighter, a sparkler igniting in her chest. It crackled for a few seconds before she ruthlessly snuffed it out.

Only a fool would believe Shen Niannian’s sweet talk.

After applying medicine to Shen Niannian’s wounds, Qin Zhaoman prepared to leave. Shen Niannian saw her all the way to the door.

“I want sweeter porridge tomorrow.”

Qin Zhaoman didn’t even glance at her. “Ask your secretary to bring it.”

Shen Niannian grabbed her hand. “My secretary only buys sandwiches and milk. I don’t like those.”

Qin Zhaoman finally looked at her and said mercilessly, “If I buy it, I’ll also get you the sandwiches and milk you hate—since you’re so annoying.”

Shen Niannian released her hand, eyes crinkling with amusement. “Then it’s settled. You’ll come tomorrow with sandwiches and milk.”

The sparkler, already smoldering with tension, threatened to reignite.

Qin Zhaoman didn’t know how to respond. Stepping out, she tossed over her shoulder, “We’ll see.”

The winter wind in F-country was biting. Qin Zhaoman coughed as the cold air hit her, her mind wandering back to Shen Niannian’s hypersensitivity.

Though Shen Niannian wasn’t favored by Shen Changhe, she was still his eldest daughter. The fact that she’d thrived so smoothly in the entertainment industry showed that both the Shen and Zhao families had been looking for her.

Why was she so afraid of being touched? Who had hurt her?

Qin Zhaoman pulled out her phone, about to instruct Secretary Li to investigate, but after typing a few words, she deleted them one by one.

She turned back to glance at Shen Niannian’s villa. Shen Niannian was still at the window, watching her. When their eyes met, she waved in farewell.Qin Zhaoman turned her head again, holding her phone for a while before finally closing it.

Time passed day by day, and Shen Niannian’s hand gradually recovered, but her cold grew worse. Every night, she would suffer from recurring fevers.

Neither medicine nor doctor visits seemed to help—the fever that subsided in the morning would flare up again by evening.

These past few days, Shen Niannian’s throat had become so hoarse that she could barely speak. Every word felt like sandpaper grating against her throat, so she avoided speaking whenever possible. This had caused delays in some meetings, adding to her stress and worsening her illness.

Secretary Li looked at her with concern and said, “Should I try switching you to a different hospital?”

She knew the suggestion was futile—the hospitals under Zhao Medical Group were more than capable of treating Shen Niannian’s cold. But seeing her suffer like this was unbearable, and she couldn’t help but worry.

Shen Niannian, seated on the sofa reviewing documents, merely shook her head in response.

Secretary Li hesitated, recalling the purpose of her visit. Seeing Shen Niannian in such a state made it difficult to broach the subject.

Shen Niannian lifted her gaze from the documents and rasped, “Go ahead.”

Secretary Li said, “Recently, everyone on our contact list has rejected us outright. Before, they were at least ambiguous, but now they’re all giving clear refusals—including Mr. Byron, who had previously agreed to meet with you. He no longer has any intention of collaborating.”

Knowing she would need to speak, Shen Niannian picked up the thermos on the table and poured herself a cup of hot water to soothe her throat.

Secretary Li continued, “I did some digging and heard some rumors. Qin Zhaoman made it clear she didn’t want anyone disturbing you recently. With that statement, those beneath her wouldn’t dare, and those above her grew wary. I understand Qin Zhaoman might be trying to protect you, but outsiders are interpreting it as hostility between us and her.”

She finished in one breath before adding softly, “What exactly is Qin Zhaoman’s stance now?”

Shen Niannian didn’t answer directly. “I’ll handle it. You can go back first.”

Secretary Li couldn’t bring herself to press further. “If we can collaborate with Qin Zhaoman, that’s great. If not, at least make sure she doesn’t target us.”

Shen Niannian nodded in acknowledgment.

Secretary Li didn’t say more. Piling all the pressure onto Shen Niannian was unfair, but with Chairman Shen still unconscious, they had no other choice. Fortunately, Shen Niannian never made things difficult for others.

The moment Secretary Li left, Shen Niannian broke into a coughing fit.

She glanced outside—the sky had darkened completely. Finishing the remaining hot water in her cup, she returned to her bedroom, set an alarm, and rested for two hours.

Soon, the alarm rang. Gathering what little strength and energy she had, Shen Niannian got up and walked to the walk-in closet.

She applied a thin layer of lipstick and drew subtly winged eyeliner to accentuate the allure of her cat-like eyes. The rest of her face remained bare—she didn’t overdo it.

Shen Niannian examined herself in the mirror, satisfied. She looked pitiful yet beautiful—perfect for pleading with someone.

Oh, right. Qin Zhaoman seemed to like that shirt dress. The white one was at the cleaners, but she remembered there was a black one of the same style.

She had long noticed that Qin Zhaoman liked her face. When asking for a favor, dressing to the other person’s taste was also a gesture of sincerity.

At eleven o’clock in the evening, Qin Zhaoman’s doorbell rang.In bed, Qin Zhaoman pulled the blanket over her head upon hearing the doorbell. After a few seconds, she got up with visible irritation.

Her face cold, she walked toward the door, thinking that whoever was knocking had better have a truly urgent matter—otherwise, they wouldn’t get off lightly.

When she opened the door, Qin Zhaoman froze.

Shen Niannian stood at the doorstep in a thin shirt dress, her face flushed, her voice hoarse and pitiful as she asked, “Do you have any fever medicine at your place?”