However, Ning Qiuxiu found it both amusing and exasperating.

Although her fans and Fang Jinran’s fans had stopped fighting due to a recent incident, they weren’t exactly on friendly terms.

Pairing her with Fang Jinran might make his girlfriend fans furious.

Moreover, she and Fang Jinran were good friends now.

Going on a love show to fake a relationship would be so awkward!

And besides, she was now a “married woman.”

How could she possibly go on a love reality show?

“No, I won’t do it,” Ning Qiuxiu said decisively. “I won’t participate in any love or CP-stirring shows.”

“Why not?” Qu Hua didn’t understand. “You don’t seem like you’re in a relationship recently. But Xiao Chi told me you often go to the hospital. I usually give my artists enough private space, but are you visiting a family member?”

“Sort of,” Ning Qiuxiu couldn’t explain the truth, so she gave a more convincing reason, “I like someone and I’m pursuing them. If I go on a love show and get involved in fake romantic news, it would be insincere.”

“You’re…” Qu Hua looked at her with sympathy.

This sounded too tragic.

When Ning Qiuxiu pursued Zhan Qingyuan, she loved him intensely, and it took her a lot to get over it.

Now she was chasing someone else and hadn’t succeeded yet.

He thought about how his artist was among the top five in terms of looks in the industry.

Her personality had improved significantly since she stopped chasing Zhan Qingyuan; she was much easier to get along with and had clearly grown.

How difficult and high-profile was this person she was pursuing?

The president of the U.S.?

Ning Qiuxiu could tell from Qu Hua’s eyes that he misunderstood, but she didn’t bother to explain and said, “Yes, yes, so Brother Qu, please spare me. Don’t book me for these shows. If I can’t win him over, I might as well die.”

Qu Hua: “…”

#WhatItFeelsLikeToHaveAnArtistWhoThreatensSuicideToAvoidShows#

“Alright,” Qu Hua said regretfully, “I’ll see if there are other good variety shows to get you some exposure and build momentum for your new drama.”

Ning Qiuxiu’s first new drama could be secured through connections, but the second and third ones wouldn’t be so easy.

Since “Piao Yao” wasn’t going to be aired anytime soon, this “vacuum period” would be awkward.

They needed to increase her visibility and popularity in other ways to land good roles.

…

The person Ning Qiuxiu claimed she would die for if she couldn’t win over was currently lying on a deck chair, receiving guests.

Due to a prolonged bed rest, Zhan Qingyue began to feel discomfort in his body.

The doctor suggested adding an ergonomic reclining chair to alternate positions, which made him feel much better.

The person Zhan Qingyue saw was Zhou Yang, his former assistant.

After Zhan Qingyue’s brother, Zhan Qingyuan, took a higher position, Zhou Yang resigned due to disagreements with Zhan Qingyuan’s views and his handling of matters.

Zhou Yang then joined a publicly listed company.

Zhan Qingyue had worked with Zhou Yang for several years and found him useful.

He decided to call him back to see if he had signed a non-compete agreement and if he would be interested in becoming his personal assistant again.

Although Zhan Qingyue had no intention of seizing power and was in a state of full-body paralysis, having an assistant was still very convenient for many tasks.

Zhou Yang was surprised and delighted to find out that his old boss was awake.

He immediately agreed to resign from his current position and report back to Zhan Qingyue.

During his notice period, he assured Zhan Qingyue that he could contact him for any matters.

“There is something,” Zhan Qingyue said slowly and not very fluently. “Look into Ning He’s current situation.”

Ning He was the company run by Ning Qiuxui’s father.

“Ning He? I’ve heard there are significant problems there—do you want to acquire Ning He?”

“… No.” It would be too risky.

“Got it,” Zhou Yang said, understanding the situation without asking further. “I might not be able to visit you frequently now. Is it more convenient to contact you by phone or email?”

Given Zhan Qingyue’s current condition, answering the phone might be difficult for him.

“Urgent, phone. Other matters by email.”

“Understood.”

Zhou Yang also updated Zhan Qingyue on some issues he might be concerned about.

Having worked closely with Zhan Qingyue for a long time, Zhou Yang knew his work habits and preferences well.

He could understand what Zhan Qingyue wanted to express with just a glance, so there was no need for much additional explanation.

This understanding was limited to work matters, though.

Zhou Yang never pried into his boss’s private life, which was one of the reasons Zhan Qingyue liked him—he did his job well without overstepping boundaries.

Zhou Yang was knowledgeable about workplace rules and avoided the kind of people who flattered others and pried into personal matters under the guise of being helpful.

After Zhou Yang left, Jingjing came in.

She had been warned by Ning Qiuxui about the man being deceitful and to watch out for him trying to get information.

Ning Qiuxui might have exaggerated to make him seem more intimidating, but to Jingjing, Zhan Qingyue now seemed like a malevolent character from a Western drama, with sharp fangs, ready to bite her when she wasn’t paying attention.

“Mr. Zhan,” Jingjing said as she adjusted the blanket that had slipped off him. “Would you like to rest for a while, watch the news, or go out for a walk?”

“Phone,” Zhan Qingyue replied.

Jingjing quickly set up his phone for him. “There you go, Mr. Zhan. Is the height and distance okay?”

Zhan Qingyue lifted his hand to test it and nodded in approval.

He couldn’t use his phone as freely as others, but it met his basic needs—unlike Ning Qiuxiu, who could entertain herself for hours on Weibo.

“Anything else, Mr. Zhan?” Jingjing asked.

Zhan Qingyue looked at her, causing her heart to skip a beat.

Scared.jpg.

“Who pays your salary?”

“Huh?” Jingjing didn’t expect this question. She thought about it and said, “The housekeeper handles it for me.”

“And hers?” Zhan Qingyue asked.

Jingjing immediately understood that “hers” referred to Ning Qiuxiu.

Under the pressure of Zhan Qingyue’s gaze, she said, “No, she doesn’t pay me.”

Actually, there had been bonuses, but they were deducted.

She couldn’t admit this—it was an obvious trap!

Unexpectedly, Zhan Qingyue’s calm tone turned cold. “Then, you’re technically a Zhan family employee. Why are you siding with her?”

Jingjing: !!!

“I’m not, I didn’t, it’s a misunderstanding!” Jingjing almost raised her hands to prove her innocence. “I just informed Miss Ning about your daily routine, nothing else. I’ve been dedicated to taking care of you, without any neglect. May lightning strike me if I lie!”

Zhan Qingyue didn’t expect such a strong reaction from her.

He frowned slightly.

“Mr. Zhan, believe me, please!” Jingjing pleaded, on the verge of tears.

“If you want me to believe you, it depends on your performance. If you do well, there will be a raise. Otherwise…” Zhan Qingyue trailed off.

“I’ll definitely do well!” Faced with the threat to her job and money, Jingjing immediately betrayed her ally, Ning Qiuxiu. “If you don’t want me to tell Miss Ning about your daily routine, I promise I won’t say a word!”

“You can tell her, just don’t mention today’s events.”

“Okay!” Jingjing agreed without hesitation. “What do you want me to do?”

“For now, there’s no need.”

Ning Qiuxui was unaware that while she was away on a magazine shoot, one of her allies had switched sides.

She had brought a gift for Zhan Qingyue—a traditional Chinese puzzle called the Nine-Link Ring.

It was not only a fun distraction but also a way to exercise his injured brain and improve the dexterity of his fingers—practically a two-in-one solution.

Ning Qiuxui felt she was being very thoughtful!

When she arrived, Zhan Qingyue was practicing the flexibility of his hand, focusing on writing.

Writing, something that seems simple to most people, was quite challenging for him due to severe brain damage and having been bedridden for two years.

He needed to rehabilitate slowly.

The hospital’s rehabilitation equipment was advanced and used smart technology.

For example, he practiced finger flexibility with a system that included sensors and a robotic hand holding a pen.

By manipulating the pen with his fingers, the movements were transmitted to the robotic hand, allowing him to write without needing to lift his hand.

This method saved him from the fatigue of lifting his hand and was very convenient for someone with partial paralysis—he only needed to move his fingers and wrist.

Ning Qiuxui looked at the projection screen where Zhan Qingyue had written a Tang dynasty poem, “Quiet Night Thoughts.”

The characters were uneven and not particularly beautiful, but it was clear that his writing had a strong foundation, with sharp strokes and a firm structure.

Ning Qiuxui imagined that his handwriting must be impressive and commanding.

Just as she entered, Zhan Qingyue finished writing the last character.

He had put in a lot of effort, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

As he was about to put down his pen, he noticed Ning Qiuxui and started moving his fingers again.

Ning Qiuzhi watched as he drew a face resembling “—w—” and wrote the character.

“???” What is this?!

It was so childish and not at all like a domineering CEO!

The doctor thought he was just playing around and laughed while saying a few more words.

The nurse came in to collect the equipment and asked, “Mr. Zhan, would you like to keep this as a memento?”

Zhan Qingyue took the paper.

Once the doctor and nurse left, the room became awkwardly quiet with just the two of them.

Ning Qiuxui cleared her throat, set the gift aside, and then took out the Nine-Link Ring she had bought for him, handing it over and saying, “This is for you, a distraction.”

Zhan Qingyue looked surprised at the thoughtful gift, accepted it gratefully, and handed over the paper he had written on, saying, “A return gift.”

… The return was rather lacking in sincerity, Ning Qiuxui thought to herself, but she dared not complain.

Trying to make conversation, she said, “You’re recovering really fast. You should be back to normal in less than six months.”

Among patients with brain injuries, Zhan Qingyue was doing exceptionally well.

He could speak, handle objects, and his body was gradually regaining movement.

Unfortunately, there were no magical herbs to speed up his recovery.

She was reluctant to keep herbs; she was actually a bit afraid of Zhan Qingyue.

In her life, she was most afraid of two types of people: those with a twisted personality and those who are scheming.

Zhan Qingyue said, “You, are largely responsible.”

“You weren’t complaining that I didn’t know how to take care of people,” Ning Qiuxui recalled.

“Taking care and credit are different,” Zhan Qingyue replied.

Ning Qiuzhi asked, “How are they different?”

“For example, feeding me some random, messy things like water,” Zhan Qingyue said casually, dropping a bombshell.

Ning Qiuxui: “???”