Chapter 130

"It's me." Zhong Ning walked over, placed the fruit on the bedside table, sat down on the edge of the bed, and took her hand to wrap it around the water cup. "It has a straw."

"Do you feel alright now? Anywhere uncomfortable?"

Xie Shiqing happily tossed the tablet aside. The report on the screen flickered and turned black. "Ning Ning, when did you come? Why didn’t you tell me?"

"I just came not long ago. I saw you were in a meeting, so I didn’t disturb you. Is there another problem at the company?"

Zhong Ning’s tone was unbelievably gentle. Hearing it, Xie Shiqing’s hand holding the straw trembled slightly, and her eyes instantly grew moist.

She was moved.

It had been far, far too long since Zhong Ning had spoken to her in this tone. Once upon a time, she had spoken like this every day, every word filled with love, and she herself had dismissed it, thinking it was fake.

Sometimes, people only regret after losing something. When they have it, they don’t even realize it is a rare and priceless treasure.

Was her bitter scheme finally showing results?

Suppressing the excitement in her heart, Xie Shiqing muttered softly, "It’s still Eden Entertainment. Behind it, the Le family holds the controlling stake, always eyeing the Xie family like a tiger stalking prey, always wanting to take a bite of our flesh."

"Recently, the company invested in a costume drama with revenge as the main storyline. Her family immediately brought out another drama of the same type to compete, and they hired one of the currently most popular young starlets."

"They even bought trending topics and issued press releases to suppress our female lead. She’s a newcomer, just graduated from school."

Zhong Ning let out a surprised 'Oh'. "Then this female lead must be very talented?"

Xie Shiqing pressed her lips into a smile. Of course she was talented — this was someone who, in the future, would sweep all the major awards and win a grand slam with a single film.

But her path had been bitter. She had been shelved by Eden Entertainment for years, stuck playing small supporting roles. Because she refused to accept unspoken rules, she was constantly excluded.

Later, when her contract expired, she terminated with Eden Entertainment. The movie she joined after that was a tiny low-budget art film shot by a down-and-out director, telling the story of a schizophrenic serial killer.

A complete tragedy, carried entirely by the excellence of the lead actress.

When Xie Shiqing had just been reborn, she signed this talented actress to her own company, guarding her like a hen that lays golden eggs, carefully arranging her place and helping her resolve her family difficulties.

Although she was a natural-born talent, without those years of being shelved and learning the coldness of the world, her acting still had some shortcomings.

Xie Shiqing had already tailored a development plan for her future. The current upbeat drama was meant to be her springboard to winning over audiences.

With two dramas of nearly the same type, the one with the better acting would of course be the more successful.

The lead might be a newcomer, but all the supporting roles were major established actresses. In her previous life, this drama had already taken the nation by storm with another lead — with her instead, it would only be better.

The original lead actress, Xie Shiqing had arranged another film for her — also an award-worthy project — and it would depend on whether she could seize the opportunity.

As she spoke, she retrieved the tablet, found the video from the girl’s audition, and showed it to Zhong Ning. "She’s an unpolished gem I discovered."

The pride between her brows was impossible to hide.

Zhong Ning tapped the video. A young girl in a short-sleeved shirt and long pants stood in an empty room and began, "Teachers, I am Ji Chengxin. The audition segment I prepared is ‘Awakening in the Cold Palace’."

She bowed, and when she straightened again, her gaze suddenly changed.

It was hard to describe the feeling — Zhong Ning instinctively felt that although this person was still wearing modern clothes, her core belonged to the ancient past. The bright, spacious indoor setting around her seemed to transform into a dilapidated and cold palace chamber.

Her gaze shifted from despair to unwillingness, from hatred to resolve, each layer building upon the last, making it impossible to look away.

Zhong Ning said, "Wow… she’s amazing. This is my first time watching this kind of audition video. She’s really outstanding."

The proud smile on Xie Shiqing’s face froze.

Yes, she had been showing off, but her real goal was to get Zhong Ning to praise her for having a discerning eye — not to praise the gem itself!

Wasn’t this putting the cart before the horse?

Just a little girl, what was there to look at?

Xie Shiqing couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sour jealousy. She quickly changed the subject. "I think I smell lychees. Did you buy fruit, Ning Ning?"

Sure enough, Zhong Ning’s attention shifted. She moved her gaze from the tablet and turned toward the bedside table. "Yes, I stopped by the supermarket on my way back. Do you want to eat lychees, Shiqing? I can peel them for you. There’s also blueberries, strawberries, and durian — is there anything you want?"

While she was turned away, Xie Shiqing quickly snapped the tablet shut, cutting off Ji Chengxin’s voice mid-line.

She was afraid that if Zhong Ning praised her a couple more times, she herself might not be able to resist ruining her own plan and shelving the girl instead.

That would never do.

Tossing the tablet aside, Xie Shiqing softened her voice. "I want to eat lychees, Ning Ning."

"Alright," Zhong Ning replied.

She picked a red one, peeled off half of the skin, and placed two tissues beneath her hand. "Shiqing, open your mouth. Ah—"

Xie Shiqing’s face turned even redder — the kind of red that came from blood rushing up.

She lowered her head as she opened her mouth, her lips brushing the cool, soft lychee flesh. She bit it off and heard Zhong Ning say, "You can just spit out the pit, I’ll catch it."

Xie Shiqing felt as though she were drunk, walking on cotton, her soul about to float away. "Ning Ning, why are you treating me so well today?"

Zhong Ning simply smiled and kissed her on the forehead. "I like you. Isn’t it natural to treat you well?"

The soft touch lingered for a moment before leaving. Xie Shiqing was completely stunned. The round lychee pit slipped from her lips with a soft plop. "W-what?"

She stammered, "Ning Ning, you… you’ve forgiven me?"

A hand reached out cautiously, clutching at Zhong Ning’s sleeve. The unease and anticipation seemed to pour from every pore. "You don’t blame me anymore?"

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