CHAPTER 158

"I'm going to wash the fruit."

Blushing, Tang Ruoyao turned around and quickly entered the bathroom.

Qin Yinong watched her hurried departure and silently chuckled.

Tang Ruoyao placed her hands under the faucet and rinsed them. The water was icy cold. She pressed her wet hands against her face, cooling her cheeks. She took a deep breath and asked through the wall, "What do you want to eat?"

Qin Yinong, feeling delighted and losing control, without thinking, used sweet words and said, "I want to eat you."

Tang Ruoyao raised an eyebrow, leaving her hands wet, and walked out directly, looking at Qin Yinong with a smile that could be interpreted in various ways.

Qin Yinong's heart skipped a beat. She pulled the blanket up and immediately covered her face.

The two bantered back and forth, each having their own victories.

Tang Ruoyao's expression turned joyful. She curled her lips and returned to the bathroom. After a while, she came out with a plate of fruit.

She set the fruit aside, and Qin Yinong had already emerged from under the blanket. Tang Ruoyao reached out and pinched Qin Yinong's earlobe easily.

The freshly touched fingertips were cold, causing Qin Yinong to shiver for a moment. However, Tang Ruoyao didn't let go. Her touch gradually warmed, and Qin Yinong began to feel an unusual tickling sensation, feeling uncomfortable as she tilted her head, trying to avoid it.

Tang Ruoyao had mischievous intentions, sticking to her like a shadow, making it impossible for her to avoid it.

Qin Yinong became annoyed and blurted out discontentedly.

Tang Ruoyao, emboldened, withdrew her hand, but her lips approached Qin Yinong's ear, imitating the way she used to speak to herself when they were intimate. She softly spoke a few vulgar words.

Qin Yinong: "You..." She hesitated for a while, then squeezed out a few words through her teeth, "Wait for me."

"Okay, I'll wait." Tang Ruoyao had a big smile on her face, a hint of arrogance.

Qin Yinong snorted but didn't feel particularly angry.

Tang Ruoyao lowered her head and kissed the tip of her nose, slowly moving downward until their lips met.

Qin Yinong couldn't handle anything else, but she could handle a kiss. From a warm and silent kiss to a passionate one.

Qin Yinong gradually became emotionally stirred. She wrapped her arms around Tang Ruoyao, wanting to exert force and turn them over, but no matter how hard she tried, they remained motionless, maintaining their original position.

Qin Yinong: "..."

Her enthusiasm ended up in vain.

An Ling said she was half paralyzed, but she insisted she was fine. Now, what's the difference between her current state and being half paralyzed?

Qin Yinong pushed the shoulder of the young woman. Tang Ruoyao didn't even notice her attempt to turn over. She looked quite puzzled. Was she satisfied with just a brief kiss?

Qin Yinong asked, "Did the doctor say when I can be discharged?"

Tang Ruoyao asked, "Can you move now? For example, can you walk on your own?"

Qin Yinong frowned, "Should I give it a try?"

Tang Ruoyao helped her up, and Qin Yinong tried to walk a few steps while leaning on the wall. She was exhausted and sweating profusely. If her legs hadn't been able to move, if she hadn't felt the sensation and experienced the soreness, she would have thought she was disabled.

Tang Ruoyao sighed, "And you still want to be discharged like this?"

Disappointed, Qin Yinong sat in the wheelchair.

Tang Ruoyao asked, "Are you tired of staying in the hospital?"

"Not really." Qin Yinong looked somewhat melancholic and spoke in a low voice, "I'm just worried if I can fully recover."

Tang Ruoyao wanted to scold her: When you were mistreating your own body, did you ever think it would lead to this? Now you regret it?

But seeing Qin Yinong so upset, she softly comforted her, "It's okay. The doctor said you need rest. Just calm down and take some time to recuperate, and you'll get better."

"Do you think... I might... have a short life?" Qin Yinong worriedly whispered.

"Hmm?" Tang Ruoyao bent down, leaning closer to her lips.

"In the future, will I... have a short life?" Qin Yinong quietly expressed her concerns.

Before she could finish speaking, she felt a sharp pain on her cheek as Tang Ruoyao bit her.

Qin Yinong refrained from crying out in pain and immediately responded, "No! We both will live long and healthy lives!"

Tang Ruoyao released her bite, feeling indignant.

This woman, she never has a kind word to say.

Once her body recovers, she will make sure to only say nice things to her, and if she doesn't listen, she'll... be a bit more forceful.

Qin Yinong gently shook Tang Ruoyao's hand and tried to appease her in a soft voice, "I was wrong."

Tang Ruoyao didn't let her off easily and said coldly, "What did you do wrong?"

Qin Yinong didn't expect there to be more, hesitated for a moment, and then stumbled to complete the rest of her sentence under Tang Ruoyao's questioning gaze, "I shouldn't have talked nonsense or said unlucky things that made you... made you angry."

"Who am I?" Tang Ruoyao's face turned serious.

"Girlfriend."

"Say it again."

"I shouldn't make my girlfriend angry." Qin Yinong obediently responded.

When she said these words, she looked directly into Tang Ruoyao's eyes, her pupils clear and bright.

"Good girl." Tang Ruoyao was satisfied and rewarded her with a kiss.

Qin Yinong sat comfortably by the sunlit window, squinting her eyes. She enjoyed the affectionate kiss from her loved one while feeling incredulous: Is this still me?

Love changes a person completely.

The night before their brief separation, Qin Yinong's mood visibly plummeted, while Tang Ruoyao was busy typing on her phone, only occasionally initiating a conversation with her.

This made Qin Yinong even more unhappy.

She knew she was being unreasonable, but she couldn't control her irrational behavior. The irrational behavior between lovers can generally be replaced by one term: acting spoiled.

"Who are you chatting with?" Qin Yinong asked casually.

"Teacher Lin."

"Who?"

"Lin Ruohan."

"When did you have contact with her again?" Qin Yinong, feeling jealous out of the blue, asked with a sour tone.

Tang Ruoyao smiled and said, "After wrapping up the filming of 'True Colors,' she contacted me a few times, asking when I would return to Beijing and inviting both of us for a meal. I informed you about it, don't you remember?"

Qin Yinong thought for a moment and realized it was true, but it didn't have much to do with her feeling jealous.

"So, what are you chatting with her about now?"

"I'm asking if she's free tomorrow."

"Weren't you going for a shoot?"

"Yes, that's why I want to ask if she's free to come and accompany you." Tang Ruoyao held Qin Yinong's hand resting on the edge of the bed, looked at her seriously, and asked softly, "But I haven't told her about your hospitalization. Do you want to tell her?"

"I..." Qin Yinong's eyes revealed a sense of confusion and helplessness.

She hadn't thought about this before. In the past, when she got sick or faced problems, she dealt with them alone. Now she had Tang Ruoyao, and they were bound by fate. But Lin Ruohan was just her friend.

Tang Ruoyao discovered this during Qin Yinong's hospitalization, while also interrogating Guan Han, who had switched sides. She realized that Qin Yinong had flaws in dealing with many emotions. Not to mention love, even she herself had experienced how difficult it was to truly enter Qin Yinong's heart. As for her friendship with Lin Ruohan, it followed her consistent philosophy: they could share joy and help each other in their careers, but they shouldn't share hardships. They should swallow their own bitterness.

The boundaries in the adult world are clear. It's not like in school days, where everything is shared openly. Tang Ruoyao didn't want Qin Yinong to treat Lin Ruohan without reservations, but she also didn't want Qin Yinong to keep everything to herself.

Her heart and eyes were filled with thoughts of being alone, which was good in its own way. But it was also like drawing a prison and building herself as Qin Yinong's "second sister." She hoped Qin Yinong could have healthy friendships, a close confidante with whom she could be truly vulnerable in front of her friends, just like Tang Ruoyao and her roommates in the 405 dorm.

All the precious emotions in the world, all the beautiful things, Tang Ruoyao wanted to present them to Qin Yinong with both hands, letting her have them. How could she selfishly become Qin Yinong's entire world by herself? It was not right.

But Tang Ruoyao would never make choices for her, never force her to accept her goodwill, never dominate her life in the name of love, even if Qin Yinong's admiration reached an unconditional level.

She would only silently prepare herself and gently ask her, "Do you need it?"

Qin Yinong thought for a long time and nodded.Being an actor, especially a dedicated one, rarely goes without experiencing exhaustion and illness. Lin Ruohan had been filming in Australia before, suffering from high fever for a month straight. She returned to China during the production team's break and was hospitalized after an examination. Qin Yinong had visited her in the hospital, and they talked for a long time, with Lin Ruohan stopping only when she yawned continuously. The more a person is sick, the more they need companionship, whether it's from a lover or a friend.

Visiting someone in the hospital was secondary, what mattered was the step she had taken back, which a perceptive person would understand.

Lin Ruohan was that perceptive person.

At 8 a.m., a mysterious figure appeared in front of a certain room in the hospital ward. She wore a wide fisherman's hat, and her face was completely covered by sunglasses and a mask.

She raised her hand to knock on the door, and the door of the neighboring room opened. Another young woman with a mask waved at her, lowering her voice and saying, "Over here."

Lin Ruohan glanced at the room number on the door for a while, hesitated, and then followed the young woman into the room behind her.

Qin Yinong, wearing a blue and white striped hospital gown, lay on the bed with a pillow behind her, greeting her, "Good morning."

Tang Ruoyao took off her mask.

Lin Ruohan quickly took off her disguise and threw it aside, then pointed at the two of them and said, "I knew you two got together. Was it fun acting on set?!"

Tang Ruoyao was more restrained in front of outsiders and smiled lightly.

Qin Yinong didn't change her sarcastic nature and said, "It's okay. Seeing you, Master Lin, being fooled after becoming a big-shot actress is quite interesting."

Lin Ruohan snorted, "Hmph!"

Then she sat firmly on a chair, looking sulky.

Tang Ruoyao picked up her bag from the chair, slung it over her shoulder, and said, "I'm going to the company. You two can chat."

Lin Ruohan was surprised and asked, "Are you leaving just like that?"

Tang Ruoyao made a sound of agreement and said, "There's a notice."

Lin Ruohan murmured, "I thought I could witness some lovey-dovey moments in person, but I missed the opportunity."

Qin Yinong, who was close to her, caught her words and said, "You'll have your chance in the future."

Considering Lin Ruohan's feelings, Tang Ruoyao didn't say much to Qin Yinong and just exchanged a glance with her, smiled, and opened the door to leave.

With a belly full of gossip, as soon as Tang Ruoyao left, Lin Ruohan started blurting out, "What's going on with the child? What's going on between you and Tang Ruoyao? When did you get together? Why was your phone switched off all the time? I almost stormed into the An Ling office, you know? And why were you hospitalized? Luckily, you told me while in the hospital, otherwise, I would have cut off ties with you!"

Qin Yinong calmly replied, "The child is my sister's. It's a long story, and I'll tell you all about it when I have the time."

Lin Ruohan temporarily swallowed the phrase "in short," and said, "Go on, next one. Tang Ruoyao."

"Not for long, it's just been six days today." Qin Yinong cleverly extracted the key point.

"What were you two doing on the set then...?" Lin Ruohan asked, puzzled.

"Just..." Qin Yinong organized her words a bit and smiled, "Flirting?"

Lin Ruohan gave her a thumbs-up and said, "Brilliant!"

A hint of shyness appeared in Qin Yinong's eyes.

Lin Ruohan moved closer to her, bringing the chair along, and stared unwaveringly into her dark eyes.

Qin Yinong met her gaze and asked, "What are you doing?"

Lin Ruohan said, "Just looking at you." The legs of the chair made a scraping sound on the floor of the ward as she moved back to a normal distance, smiling, "I've noticed you look even better than before."

Qin Yinong: "..."

Lin Ruohan said, "Don't doubt it, I'm serious. Maybe it's the nourishment of love."

Qin Yinong raised an eyebrow, a hint of a smile in her eyes, "Is that so?"

Lin Ruohan sighed and said, "That's how it is. Previously, when I teased you, you would either call me boring or ignore me. But now, you're joking with me."

Qin Yinong: "..."

Why did she sound like she was accusing herself of being heartless?

"To be honest, I was surprised when I received your call last night. In my impression, you're the kind of person who wouldn't make a sound even if the sky collapsed. Remember that year when you had an accident on the set and fell from a great height, fracturing two bones? You had to stop working, and the news was tightly sealed. I didn't find out until much later, and it made me cry with anger."

"Shouldn't you be heartbroken to the point of tears?"

"Who would feel sorry for you?" Lin Ruohan's eyes reddened slightly, accusingly saying, "You heartless woman! When I asked you later, you were evasive. If I hadn't thrown the director's interview video in your face, you probably wouldn't have admitted it."

Qin Yinong: "..."

She felt even more like she was the heartless one.

Qin Yinong sighed and said, "It's not something good anyway."

Lin Ruohan sniffed, fiercely saying, "Can't I just want to know?"

Lin Ruohan said, "This time too, as soon as I saw the news, I called you to see if I could help in any way. But you, you kept shutting off your phone. Every time I heard that sound, I wanted to smash my phone. I finally managed to contact busybody An Ling, and guess what she said? She said she had no comment. Hmph, my temper got the better of me!"

Qin Yinong fell silent, leaned over, and used her only functional hand to pick up the glass of water on the bedside table. "Calm down."

Lin Ruohan took it, drank it all in one gulp, and continued to rant at her incessantly. When she reached the point of anger, her cheeks puffed up, gritting her teeth as if she wanted to take a bite out of her to vent her frustration.

From the first year they met till today, this very moment.

In that instant, Qin Yinong seemed to see Tang Ruoyao's shadow.

She suddenly understood that the meaning of friendship was not about family background, social status, or the value you could provide to each other. It wasn't about the facade of strength or a transaction of interests.

It was about liking each other, enjoying each other's company, being there for each other willingly, without expecting anything in return.That's what true friends were.

"You really made me angry!" Lin Ruohan said, her mouth dry from talking, drinking the third glass of water, and making her final summary.

Qin Yinong calmly looked at her, a faint casual smile appearing on her lips.

Lin Ruohan immediately became furious and said, "You're still laughing?! Have you no humanity?!"

Qin Yinong said, "Do you want to see my daughter?" She paused and added, "On video."

Lin Ruohan was speechless for a full ten seconds, completely forgetting her previous complaint. She screamed, covered her face, rushed into the bathroom, and came out moments later with her bag, in a hurry. "Let me touch up my makeup, I'll be ready in no time!"

Qin Yinong was taken aback, hesitated for a moment, and blinked in confusion.

Why was everyone so nervous when they saw Ningning? Tang Ruoyao was like that, and Lin Ruohan was the same. Ningning was just a child, after all.

Lin Ruohan reapplied her lipstick and makeup, radiating beauty, gracefully stepping out.

"When meeting the little baby for the first time, I want to leave a good impression," she explained to Qin Yinong, pursing her freshly applied red lips and asked her solemnly, "Do I look good?"

Qin Yinong: "...You look good."

While Lin Ruohan was fixing her makeup, Qin Yinong informed Ji Shulan in advance, saying that she would have a video call with Ningning and they were ready on the other side, waiting.

Qin Yinong opened WeChat and was about to press the "video call" button when Lin Ruohan grabbed her hand and pulled her back. Lin Ruohan stared at her, and Qin Yinong met her gaze, asking, "What's wrong?"

Lin Ruohan opened her mouth but was so nervous that she couldn't speak clearly, "Wouldn't it be too casual like this? I haven't prepared any gifts yet. What if she thinks I'm stingy?"

"..." Qin Yinong impatiently said, "Are you going to watch or not?"

Lin Ruohan's momentum weakened, and she reluctantly said, "...I'll watch." She sheepishly released Qin Yinong's fingers.

Lin Ruohan had seen Ningning's photos online. Unlike Tang Ruoyao, she carefully examined the appearance. The little girl perfectly fit her preferences—a beautiful little princess.

The video call connected.

Qin Yinong greeted Ningning gently, "Baby."

Ningning happily responded, "Mom." Then in her sweet voice, she asked, "Is Mom feeling a little better today?"

Lin Ruohan's heart melted as she couldn't help but smile as an aunt.

She really liked children. She had even planned to have her own little princess. If she hadn't broken up with her ex, their child would be able to speak by now.

Lin Ruohan lowered her long eyelashes, concealing the fleeting sadness in her eyes.

"Much better," Qin Yinong said. "Mom wants to introduce someone to you, okay?"

"Okay." Ningning replied.

Qin Yinong glanced at Lin Ruohan, who was fixing her hair in a hurry, and gave her a look. The camera shifted accordingly, and Qin Yinong introduced, "This is Auntie Lin, Mommy's colleague."

Lin Ruohan waved at the camera and warmly said, "Hello, Ningning."

Ningning's expression turned strange. After a few seconds, she said, "Hello, Auntie Lin." She pursed her little mouth, not looking very happy.

Lin Ruohan looked embarrassed.

Qin Yinong clearly didn't expect this turn of events. Ningning had always been well-behaved, and even if she encountered someone she didn't like, she wouldn't show obvious resistance. Moreover, Qin Yinong couldn't think of any reason why Ningning would dislike Lin Ruohan.

Sensing the situation, Lin Ruohan tactfully left the camera's view.

Qin Yinong held her wrist, and Lin Ruohan smiled and mouthed, "It's okay, you two can talk."

Without waiting for Qin Yinong to stop her, she went out to get some fresh air.

When she reached the door, she looked up at the sky and let out a long sigh. She was deeply affected.

Qin Yinong: "..."

She couldn't help but wonder: Is Qin Jianing an aunt killer? Tang Ruoyao, who was smart and knowledgeable, and Lin Ruohan, who was experienced, both encountered setbacks here. Could it be that the "ruo" in their names is unlucky?

Qin Yinong took a deep breath and earnestly asked, "Qin Jianing, why don't you like Auntie Lin? Can you tell Mom?"

Qin Jianing lowered her head, pursed her lips, and remained silent.

Qin Yinong gently said, "Mom is asking you a question. If you don't answer, does that mean you don't like Mom anymore?"

Ningning suddenly raised her head and spoke with a strong tone in her sweet voice, questioning her, "Then what about Auntie Tang?"

Qin Yinong was momentarily speechless and asked in confusion, "What about Auntie Tang?"

Ningning's eyes turned red instantly, and she suppressed her crying voice as she said, "Did you break up with Auntie Tang?"

Qin Yinong: "..."

What a mess.

Realizing the child's thought process, Qin Yinong laughed helplessly, "Why would I break up? Auntie Tang is Mom's girlfriend, while Auntie Lin is just Mommy's colleague."

Ningning, with teary eyes, said, "You're lying. You said Auntie Tang was your colleague before."

Qin Yinong: "..." Did she say that? After thinking for a moment, she realized that she did say it.

Qin Yinong smiled helplessly, "Listen to my explanation."

At that moment, tears rolled down Ningning's eyes, big drops that couldn't be supported by her curly, long eyelashes, and fell with a splash.

Qin Yinong was a bit surprised.

Because Ningning wasn't a crybaby, except for a few times when she fell ill and fainted, she rarely cried.

Ningning suddenly burst into tears and said while crying, "I'm sorry, Mom. I didn't mean to control your life, but Auntie Tang is really nice. She likes you a lot. Please don't push her away."

Ji Shulan heard the commotion and ran over. Ningning turned her head and threw herself into her grandmother's arms, crying heavily, struggling to catch her breath.

Qin Yinong met Ji Shulan's gaze on the video call. Ji Shulan opened her mouth, wanting to ask why Ningning was crying, but she was afraid that Qin Yinong would misunderstand and think she only cared about the child. After a silent pause, she awkwardly said, "What soup do you want for lunch?"

Qin Yinong replied stiffly, "The same as yesterday is fine."

Ji Shulan said, "Alright."

Qin Yinong continued, "She's not listening to me right now. Can you please tell Ningning for me that I haven't broken up with Tang Ruoyao? It was a misunderstanding on her part."

Ji Shulan agreed and held Ningning, gently patting her back to comfort her.

Qin Yinong raised her finger and pinched her brow.One moment she worried about the child, and the next moment she felt happy for Tang Ruoyao.The child didn't say anything on the surface, but in secret, she had already been won over. If Tang Ruoyao knew this news, she would be thrilled. As for those research papers, there was no need to write them anymore. Stop immediately. Kids wouldn't even recognize all the characters, how could they understand what a research paper is? Tang Ruoyao was the same, she took a casual remark seriously.

After Ji Shulan finished explaining, Ningning still had doubts. She asked, "Then why isn't Auntie Tang in your room?"

Qin Yinong whispered, "She went out to work. Mom is sick and in the hospital now. Auntie Tang doesn't earn money, so how can she afford the medical expenses? Don't you think so?"

Ningning hesitated and nodded, then asked, "What about Auntie Lin?"

Qin Yinong replied, "She... went out too."

Ningning immediately said, "Did she also go out to earn money for your medical expenses?" Her little face tensed up.

Qin Yinong: "..."

What a logical genius!

Qin Yinong felt exhausted and said, "No, she just went out for a walk, to get some fresh air."

Ningning's eyes welled up with tears, and she choked, "Mom, no matter what you do, I will respect you."

Qin Yinong closed her eyes and said, "Mom has to hang up now, I'll call you later."

Tang Ruoyao sat in the car on the way to the airport, while Mu Qingwu held the materials given by the organizers and briefed her on tonight's event schedule. Tang Ruoyao had a faint expression, nodding occasionally in acknowledgment. Suddenly, her phone in her bag vibrated.

She took it out and saw a message from Qin Yinong.

[Can we video chat?]

Tang Ruoyao secretly glanced at Mu Qingwu and replied, [I'm with my manager right now, it's not very convenient. What's wrong?]

Qin Yinong: [Ningning wants to see you.]

Tang Ruoyao: "!!!"

Tang Ruoyao's gaze sharpened, and she immediately typed, [I'm available.]

She frantically rummaged through her bag for her earphones.

Qin Yinong: "..."

So, it's not convenient to video chat with her, but it's convenient to video chat with her daughter?

BACK | TABLE OF CONTENTS | NEXT