CHAPTER 15

Qin Yinong asked, "Is Ningning still adjusting well at the kindergarten?"

Ji Shulan couldn't stop smiling when she heard Ningning's name. She replied enthusiastically, "She's doing great! The teacher even called us to praise her. They said Ningning is exceptionally intelligent and learns faster than the other children."

The elder lady forgot to eat and poured out words like pouring beans from a bamboo tube, "Last time, the school sent a book home to teach some simple characters. The teacher urged parents to help their children review. Ningning is very conscientious. As soon as she finishes eating, she immediately starts reading and practicing writing. She doesn't even need me to remind her. I'm just worried that her love for learning might affect her eyesight..."

Qin Yinong smiled and said, "Just make sure she doesn't sit too close to the books. It should be fine."

Ji Shulan added, "That's why I pay close attention to correcting her. By the way, she's also learning English. They have bilingual education at the kindergarten. She can count from one to ten and can say apple and orange."

Qin Yinong propped up her chin and smiled, "Really? I'll test her later."

Aunt Fang, who had been quietly eating, silently put a piece of meat into Ji Shulan's bowl, avoiding Qin Yinong's gaze and only looking at Ji Shulan. She softly suggested, "Why don't you eat first?"

Ji Shulan's mouth was halfway open, as if she wanted to continue speaking, but her eyes were fixed on the meat in her bowl. She seemed a bit embarrassed. Qin Yinong chuckled and added, "You should eat first. We can continue talking after you finish. I should be staying at home for a while this time."

Ji Shulan finally relaxed and started eating her lunch.

After the meal, Aunt Fang tidied up the dishes. They had a dishwasher at home, but Aunt Fang was used to washing them by hand. Qin Yinong didn't say anything about it. People of their age found it difficult to adapt to new things. Most of the automated appliances had become decorations, and they couldn't find the same interest as young people in finding ways to pass the time. Doing household chores actually gave them a sense of security.

Ji Shulan went back to her room and brought Ningning's workbooks. She handed them to Qin Yinong to look at. The handwriting of the child was clumsy, with big and round letters, which had a unique cuteness to them. After Qin Yinong finished looking at them, she smiled and said, "She writes very seriously."

Ji Shulan showed a relieved expression.

Mother and daughter fell silent for a while.

In reality, they didn't have much to say to each other. The generation gap was like a mountain between them. Firstly, Ji Shulan had to work hard to support the family, leaving her with little energy to bond with her children. Secondly, Qin Yinong's life was too far away from hers. Sometimes, when Ji Shulan looked at the glamorous star on the screen, she couldn't help but question if that Qin Yinong was really her daughter standing in front of her. It seemed like she hadn't really looked at her daughter properly, and yet she had grown up, becoming a stranger yet strong, capable of shouldering the entire family and keeping the storms at bay.

Ji Shulan felt guilty towards her daughter. Her older sister had experienced brief moments of family affection, but by the time Qin Yinong was born, their home was filled with endless arguments and indifference. She had been close to her older sister since childhood, almost relying on each other for survival, but her older sister eventually...

Ji Shulan vaguely felt that Qin Yinong's chaotic personal life and notorious reputation were mostly due to the negative influence of her and her older sister.

But Ji Shulan also thought that being promiscuous was better than suffering physical injuries. At least she wouldn't follow in her older sister's footsteps.

"Ningning..." Qin Yinong's fingers hanging by her side twitched slightly. After a moment of silence, she decided to talk about a topic they could relate to.

As the temperature rose day by day and their stomachs were full and warm, Ji Shulan couldn't help but yawn and tears welled up in her eyes. Qin Yinong discreetly sighed and timely suggested, "Mom, why don't you take a nap? I'll wake you up later, and we can go pick up Ningning together."

Ji Shulan felt a sense of relief.

She went along with the suggestion and went back to her room to rest.

As Ji Shulan had grown older and had difficulty walking, her bedroom was arranged on the ground floor. Qin Yinong watched her mother's figure disappear behind the bedroom door and sat still for a while. Suddenly, her fingers twitched uncontrollably, and she felt an instinctive surge of anxiety.

Qin Yinong had been acting in films for many years, constantly going from one production to another. Without the camera rolling and the sound of the clapperboard signaling "action," she often felt lost and unsure of what to do. To put it bluntly, she had acted so much that she didn't know how to live her own life. She wasn't particularly interested in living her own life; she would rather immerse herself in the world of acting forever.

During her visit to the Cannes Film Festival this time, she met director Han Yuping, who had brought a film nominated for an award. Han Yuping was her mentor and had played a significant role in her career. If her father was a derogatory term to her, then Han Yuping was like her second father. Han Yuping was a perceptive and sensitive person, and upon seeing her, he immediately knew she was at her wits' end. He sternly reprimanded her, raising his eyebrows and saying, "You better go back to China and rest!"

Qin Yinong was taken aback but poured him a glass of wine and smiled gracefully, "The market is just opening up for me here. Many directors are looking for me. It would be a pity to go back to China now."

Han Yuping didn't buy her excuses, brushing off her hand and turning pale with anger. "What kind of nonsense is this? Get out of here! If you continue filming, I'll have someone tie you up and take you away from the set!"

Qin Yinong: "..."

Han Yuping, with a stern tone and a mix of gentleness and authority, advised her, "Actors need to be rooted in real life. Life is vast, and no matter how talented you are, if you keep going like this, you'll eventually drain yourself of all your accumulated experiences. Then what will you do when you can't act anymore?"

Qin Yinong smiled lightly as she took a sip of champagne, seemingly agreeing with his words. However, deep down, she had made up her mind to do the opposite of what he said. After all, Han Yuping wouldn't actually have someone tie her up.

Han Yuping saw through her at a glance, his sternness fading away, replaced by the face of an ordinary elder. He earnestly said, "I know you don't want to return to reality and have been escaping all this time, but you should give yourself a chance. Take some time off, and perhaps you'll discover something more interesting in life than acting."

Qin Yinong's smile gradually faded, and she looked at him expressionlessly.

Han Yuping stared at her intently and said with emotion, "Consider it a plea from your uncle."

Qin Yinong remained silent for a long time, and her eyes gradually became moist. She averted her gaze and said in a hoarse voice, "I'll give it a try."

Qin Yinong stood up and started to move around, intending to find something to occupy herself with. In the end, she brought the stack of scripts she had moved from An Ling's office and placed them in front of her. Looking at the thick scripts, Qin Yinong couldn't help but laugh, thinking that if Han Yuping knew she wasn't filming but reading scripts, he would probably be furious.

Just as she was about to flip open the first page...

The phone on the coffee table vibrated.

Guan Han: [The medicine has arrived.]

Qin Yinong's numb brain seemed to inject a trace of vitality. The name Tang Ruoyao turned and churned in her mind and heart, instantly igniting her cold blood.

Qin Yinong couldn't help but feel a pang of irritation. She set the script aside and let out a sigh before typing, [How did you deliver it?]

Guan Han: [I had Ruan Qin deliver it. I didn't personally intervene. I'm currently waiting at Miss Yao's residential complex.]

Guan Han sat in the car, typing with her head down, unaware that the phone had jumped directly to the call interface.

"How is her face?" Stripping away the pretense, Qin Yinong's voice sounded cold and distant over the phone, rejecting any closeness.

"Ruan Qin said it has healed."

"Are you sure she's telling the truth?"

"Even if she wanted to lie, she wouldn't dare." Guan Han said, "Miss Yao has a magazine shoot tomorrow, and she has to accompany her. If there was anything wrong with her face, she'd be terrified."

"Did Yaoyao say anything to her? Any warnings or threats?"

Guan Han hesitated for a moment and said, "No."

Qin Yinong let out a weary sigh.

Guan Han moved her lips but didn't say anything.

A long silence followed.

Qin Yinong said, "Forget it. Just give Ruan Qin a little warning. If she raises a hand against her again, I'll have someone disable that same hand."

Guan Han hesitated, "But what about her cold and harsh words? Ruan Qin reaching the point of physical violence isn't something that happens overnight."

Qin Yinong coldly replied, "If she keeps enduring it silently, can I stop her?"

Guan Han fell silent.

Qin Yinong rubbed her temples wearily and said, "Let's leave it at that for now. As long as she's okay."

She ended the call.

Han Yuping had misspoken. She had long discovered something more interesting in life. She had found her Neverland.

Tang Ruoyao was her Neverland, but she wasn't Peter Pan. She couldn't reside here forever.

Her biggest concern now was that once she left Tang Ruoyao, her protected Neverland, she wouldn't be able to withstand the harsh realities of the outside world.

.....

Ruan Qin left nervously. She had intended to have a few more words with Tang Ruoyao, hoping that she could help plead with Qin Yinong on her behalf. However, Tang Ruoyao's cold and icy expression froze her in her tracks, scaring her away before she could step forward.

Tang Ruoyao generally had a good temper, but there were times when she became irritable and impatient. Ruan Qin felt that not telling her to leave immediately was already pushing the limits. Ruan Qin stood at the door for a minute, handed over the ointment, glanced at Tang Ruoyao's face, and then disappeared from her sight.

Tang Ruoyao didn't even spare a glance. She casually tossed the ointment onto the coffee table and continued watching her documentary.

Whether it was due to the interruption that broke her concentration or some other reason, Tang Ruoyao found it difficult to focus. The melodious male voice on the TV spoke the next line, but she had already forgotten the previous one.

Tang Ruoyao pressed the pause button, leaned back on the sofa, and let out a heavy sigh. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the box of ointment on the coffee table and inexplicably picked it up again.

This box of ointment was peculiar.

It had no packaging, not even a brand name.

Tang Ruoyao unscrewed the lid and brought it to her nose for a sniff. It had a faint fragrance, completely different from the usual scent of medicinal ointments.

She dabbed a little on the back of her hand, spreading it out. The texture ointment was transparent and had a cool touch.

Tang Ruoyao recalled the nervous and anxious look on Ruan Qin's face when she stood at the door, and something quickly flashed through her mind, catching her attention. Where did Ruan Qin get the ointment from? It was common for actors to get injured during theater filming, so why had she never seen Ruan Qin give her any before?

Was she hiding something and had no choice but to give it to her today? Or... was someone instructing her to do so?

Tang Ruoyao didn't believe that Ruan Qin was the type of person to have such thoughts. The moment she considered the possibility of the latter hypothesis, her heart began to race uncontrollably.

Guan Han was a competent person, and her competence was reflected in the fact that she wouldn't take any action without instructions from Qin Yinong.

Tang Ruoyao's palms grew sweaty from anxiety. She reached for her phone nearby, her fingertips trembling. After several failed attempts, she finally managed to send a complete and accurate message.

Guan Han was on her way home when her phone vibrated. She opened it and her breath hitched.

Tang Ruoyao: [Did my sister instruct you to give me the ointment?]

Author's Note:

Small theater:

Guan Han (with trembling hands holding a big red apple she hadn't had a chance to eat): I've been exposed, wuwuwu

Qin Yinong: It's okay, I haven't been exposed yet.

Guan Han (in a chilling tone): You're getting close, too.

Qin Yinong: Wow, does that mean I can be devoured? I've been practicing abstinence for so many years QAQ.

Guan Han: ...

Author's aside: Big sister is turning thirty soon~

BACK | TABLE OF CONTENTS | NEXT