CHAPTER 14

Guan Han took out her phone, her jaw slightly tense, and asked seriously, "What should I send?"

As the ever-resourceful assistant, countless options flashed through Guan Han's mind, each corresponding to Qin Yinong's known personality traits.

Qin Yinong's eyes showed a hint of displeasure, her eyelids narrowing slightly as she said, "Whoever hit her, let her hit back. I'm busy and don't have time to deal with such trivial matters. Tell her not to beg for sympathy like that again."

Guan Han was slightly taken aback, too preoccupied to carefully analyze the situation. She quickly lowered her head and began typing.

Her fingers danced across the keyboard, and Qin Yinong stared at her actions, furrowing her brow. "Wait, remove the 'I'm busy' part and change it to..."

Guan Han waited for her to continue.

"I'll take responsibility for the consequences. Even if she pokes a hole in the sky, I can patch it up for her."

Guan Han pressed the backspace key and typed in the new words, this time at a much slower pace.

As expected, halfway through typing, she heard Qin Yinong say, "Wait again."

Guan Han immediately complied and stopped typing.

Qin Yinong rubbed her brow, feeling conflicted. "Is it better to remove the last sentence?"

Guan Han hesitated, "Um... I'm not sure." She didn't dare to offer her opinion recklessly.

Qin Yinong made the decision herself. "Remove the last sentence."

"Okay."

In just two lines of text, Qin Yinong repeatedly revised the wording.

After Guan Han finished typing, she cautiously confirmed it with Qin Yinong. Qin Yinong nodded, and she pressed the send button. Then she asked, "Is there anything else you want to say?"

Qin Yinong shook her head, stood up from the sofa, even though she was wearing slippers and hadn't been sitting for long, her figure swayed unsteadily. Guan Han reached out her hand in mid-air, but Qin Yinong steadied herself against the back of the sofa.

"Do you want to eat some fruit?" Qin Yinong asked calmly, as if she had already moved on from Tang Ruoyao's matter.

"I'll just have some water." Guan Han quickly picked up a glass of water and took a sip.

The thought of Qin Yinong or her mother personally cutting fruit for her sent shivers down Guan Han's spine.

"That's fine then." Qin Yinong didn't insist. She lowered her eyelids, the initial joy of returning home completely gone. She walked unenthusiastically upstairs and said, "I'll go change my clothes. If you need anything, find Aunt Fang."

On the other side, Tang Ruoyao grabbed her phone the moment the screen lit up.

[Qin Jie is busy at the moment and can't attend to you. She said whoever hit you, you should hit back, and she'll take responsibility for the consequences.]

Tang Ruoyao was silent for a moment, then she curled her lips and chuckled self-deprecatingly.

Her cheeks flushed, and the feeling of embarrassment and humiliation surged belatedly.

What had she done just a few minutes ago? She had posted a photo of herself being slapped in a WeChat app that only Guan Han could see, hoping to gain some attention. Even if it's just a pet, the owner should at least care about the pet's injuries when it's being mistreated, right? Maybe... Qin Yinong, as her owner, would come to see her? At the very least, she might ask Guan Han to check on her, right?

She had lowered herself so much, down to the dust, just to beg for a sympathetic look from Qin Yinong.

Even if she casually asked how her injuries were, if her face had healed, Tang Ruoyao wouldn't find it ironic.

The smile on the corner of Tang Ruoyao's lips grew bigger and colder. She closed her eyes, opened her WeChat app, and deleted that post.

The message in the chat box was glaring, as if every word was sharply reminding her of her self-inflicted infatuation and self-indulgence. Her heart throbbed with a faint ache, more painful than the slap Ruan Qin had given her.

Tang Ruoyao long-pressed the message, and the delete option appeared. Her fingertip hovered over it, struggling internally, but in the end, she couldn't bring herself to delete it. She replied with a simple "Hmm."

Tang Ruoyao did have the urge to strike back, but only in that moment. Now that everything had passed, she didn't really care about Ruan Qin.

Tang Ruoyao's mother had passed away early, and her father remarried. She matured quickly, with a calm temperament, not paying much attention to others' words. Her father loved her, and initially, her stepmother treated her decently out of respect for her father. But later, when they had another child together, Tang Ruoyao's position in the family became awkward. Her father still loved her, but he also showered the same love on the other child. Her stepmother changed drastically, not openly targeting Tang Ruoyao, but inevitably saying some hurtful words behind her back.

Tang Ruoyao came from an ordinary background, not impoverished, but certainly not well-off. However, she had a passion for acting, and attending an art school meant significant expenses, especially in terms of upfront investment. Tang's father was the sole breadwinner, supporting four mouths to feed, one of them being a baby who needed constant care. As a result, there was less money allocated for Tang Rouyao's needs, and more was spent on her stepmother and younger brother. Taking advantage of her father's absence, the stepmother would loudly gossip about whose daughter was a burden, making sure the neighbors could hear. She would then sob while holding her baby, apologizing for not being able to afford formula milk. And when she caught sight of Tang silently doing household chores, she would sighed and lament, blaming herself for marrying into such a family.

In reality, Tang Ruoyao had started working part-time at an early age. During school breaks, she would take up jobs that could cover her own tuition fees and sometimes even leave some money leftover, all of which she would contribute to the household.

She had grown accustomed to the rumors and gossip, having developed the ability to ignore what she didn't want to hear. When Ruan Qin mocked and taunted her, Tang Ruoyao appeared focused, but most of the time, she was in a state of detachment. Even if the words entered her ears, they wouldn't reach her mind. She knew why Ruan Qin behaved that way, and she could even understand her. Tang was willing to let her vent and say a few words; it wouldn't cost her anything. She also knew that Ruan Qin, under the intimidation of Qin Yinong, wouldn't be able to cause any real trouble. That's why she let it be.

Tang Ruoyao used her hand to support her forehead, her mind filled with chaotic thoughts. She forcefully pinched the space between her eyebrows to free herself from the memories.

Tang Ruoyao went to the kitchen and prepared a simple low-calorie lunch for herself. She turned on the television and tuned in to the documentary channel, a habit influenced by Qin Yinong. Qin Yinong, who had taken an unconventional path, had never received formal training. She had unique insights and methods in her acting that couldn't be taught in any academy.

The curtains in the living room were drawn, leaving only the illuminated television screen. Tang Ruoyao's gaze was focused, her face illuminated at times and swallowed by darkness.

.....

Upon hearing footsteps on the stairs, Guan Han raised her head. Qin Yinong had changed into a casual home outfit, with her long hair loosely draped behind her. She wore a loose, long T-shirt and white shorts, with flip-flops on her feet. Because of her tall stature, the shorts only reached the top of her legs, revealing a dazzling expanse of white.

Guan Han glanced at the long legs for a moment before averting her gaze, instinctively checking the time on her left wristwatch.

It hadn't been five minutes since she went upstairs.

Guan Han squinted her eyes discreetly, feeling that Qin Yinong might have something to discuss with her. She sat up straight.

"Do we still have that ointment I used last time?" Qin Yinong approached her and abruptly asked without any preamble.

Guan Han's mind quickly grasped the situation and she asked, "Is it the one we used during the filming of 'Crossing the River'?" In that movie, there was a scene where Qin Yinong was slapped. She acted alongside an experienced senior actor, and they genuinely slapped each other during the scene. Qin Yinong's face was swollen from the slaps. Guan Han managed to find an effective ointment, and it quickly reduced the swelling.

Qin Yinong nodded. "Yes, that one."

"We do have it." Guan Han furrowed her brows slightly, "but I didn't bring it with me."

Even if she was meticulous and had a strategic mind, it didn't mean she would carry around a cream for reducing swelling. In the past, it might have been hard to say, but now, anyone who dared to slap Qin Yinong was probably just seeking death.

Qin Yinong subtly furrowed her brows and asked, "Where is it?"

Guan Han honestly replied, "It's at my place."

After saying those words, an uneasy feeling suddenly surged within Guan Han.

Qin Yinong silently looked at her without saying a word.

The astute assistant, Guan Han, already understood her unspoken thoughts and quietly shed a tear of bitterness.

"I'll go get it now." Guan Han said. She hadn't even had lunch yet.

"You haven't had lunch yet." Qin Yinong said as if she had heard Guan Han's thoughts.

Guan Han's eyes inevitably lit up.

She had been sitting in the living room for a while and had already smelled the tantalizing aroma coming from the kitchen. Ji Shulan was a skilled cook, and the aroma of her braised black chicken soup had stirred up the hunger in Guan Han's stomach.

Then she saw Qin Yinong bend down and take a large, red apple from the fruit tray on the coffee table, stuffing it into her hand.

Guan Han: "..."

What happened to treating her as a guest?

Qin Yinong, aware of her guilt, a faint suspicion blush appeared on her fair cheeks. She uncomfortably lifted her hand to tuck her long hair behind her ear, avoiding Guan Han's gaze, and said lightly, "Make good use of your time."

Guan Han left with the apple in her hand.

Ji Shulan came out of the kitchen and saw only Qin Yinong sitting on the couch, watching a BBC documentary on the television. Surprised, she asked, "Where's Xiao Guan?"

Qin Yinong calmly replied, "She had something to take care of and left."

Ji Shulan didn't think much of it and went back with the things she was carrying, muttering under her breath, "She hasn't even had lunch. What could be so urgent that she had to go home at this time?"

Qin Yinong heard Ji Shulan's words loud and clear. Her eyelids drooped slightly, and her ears inexplicably grew warm.

She coughed, took a sip of water, and forced herself to focus on the television in front of her.

The Qin family was small, and during mealtime, it was only Ji Shulan and Qin Yinong. Qin Yinong went outside and pulled Aunt Fang in, despite her numerous protests. She struggled, but Qin Yinong firmly held her shoulders, locking her into her seat.

Aunt Fang was still resisting.

It was Ji Shulan who finally said, "Just join us."

Aunt Fang moved her lips, wanting to say something. She looked deeply into Ji Shulan's eyes, and Ji Shulan gave her a reassuring look.

Aunt Fang finally sat down quietly.

Aunt Fang used to be Ji Shulan's neighbor. Her husband had passed away, and her daughter was married, so she lived alone. They had regular interactions before. After Qin Yinong arranged for Ji Shulan to stay here, she hired Aunt Fang as a nanny to keep Ji Shulan company.

Before Aunt Fang could fully react, Qin Yinong swiftly served the meals for the three of them, smiling proudly with satisfaction.

Silence fell upon the table.

For female artists who strictly manage their figures, there is no concept of being full—only degrees of hunger. Qin Yinong felt about 50% full and put down her chopsticks. She asked Ji Shulan with concern, "Is Ningning still adjusting well at the kindergarten?"

Author's note:

Small theater:

Guan Han (trembling, holding the apple): I didn't even get to eat lunch at the Qin family's house. My chicken soup...

Tang Ruoyao (sighs): I've never even had the chance to eat there. At least you used to eat there before.

Guan Han (rolls her eyes): But you have your sister to eat with.

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