Ning Qiuxiu took the paper from him and saw that it was the poem he had given her.

It read: “So, the question arises, I’m very curious, who is the creator of this crooked and messy handwriting that caused the conflict?”

Ning Qiuxiu: “……”

Which media outlet is so heartless?!

Don’t they know how to talk?

This is the tragedy of being a small-time artist—when even the media dares to spread nonsense.

If it were a popular star, they would have been bombarded with criticism and slapped with a lawyer’s letter by now.

“I can explain!” Ning Qiuxiu felt wronged. Zhan Qingyue didn’t pay attention to entertainment news, so how did he see this and even print it out?

Zhan Qingyue lifted his chin, signaling her to speak.

“My manager asked me to post something on Weibo, and I didn’t think of what to post at the time. I happened to come across the poem you gave me and thought it was something so meaningful that I had to celebrate it by posting it. I didn’t expect it would cause such a big reaction.”

She was also a victim, really.

She had just wanted to show off a little, and it led to all this trouble.

“Let me have the poem,” Zhan Qingyue said.

“……” Faced with the request for something he had given her, Ning Qiuxiu was too intimidated to protest.

She rummaged through her bag and handed over the paper.

Zhan Qingyue slowly tore the paper in front of her.

Just as Ning Qiuxiu felt heartbroken, he pulled out another piece of paper: “Use this one to post.”

The paper Zhan Qingyue handed her was still “Quiet Night Thoughts,” with the same expressions and “Qiu” on it.

However, the handwriting was no longer crooked and messy but strong and graceful, flowing like a river.

“This is… your new version?” Ning Qiuqiu couldn’t believe it.

Was he being so particular?

Given his current physical condition, it wasn’t easy to write like this; he must have used up a lot of effort.

Zhan Qingyue neither confirmed nor denied it, effectively acknowledging it.

“……” Mr. Zhan, I didn’t expect you to be so obsessed with your image!

That day, Ning Qiuxiu updated her Weibo again.

She reposted her previous Weibo with the new caption: “This piece of writing was given to me by someone important. He had an injury that affected his brain, and this was the first piece of writing he produced during his recovery. To me, it is more majestic than vast mountains and rivers, and more beautiful than charming peaks. (Image)”

This time, the comments were filled with blessings and compliments on the new calligraphy, not arguments.

Seeing that Zhan Qingyue was finally satisfied, Ning Qiuxiu shed tears.

Being married to someone with a strong sense of vanity, a grudge, and an image to maintain was no easy feat.

It wasn’t easy!

She had to deal with his tricks and flatter him skillfully.

If it weren’t for Zhan Qingyue’s willingness to help the Ning family, she would have had to seriously consider if living in the intricate and fiery world of a scheming person was worth it for beauty and a golden finger.

That night, Ning Qiuxiu told her father about Zhan Qingyue’s offer to help the Ning family.

Her father didn’t mention his company’s troubles to Ning Qiuxiu because he thought she couldn’t help and would only add to the pressure.

But since Zhan Qingyue, as her son-in-law, was willing to get involved, he was very pleased and immediately agreed.

Thus, Zhan Qingyue, in the role of a “consultant,” remotely took charge and forcefully entered the Ning He’s internal affairs.

Ning Qiuxui wasn’t knowledgeable about business matters, but she initially planned to wait until Zhan Qingyue fully recovered to discuss the possibility of starting an entertainment company with him.

However, with him now involved in the company’s affairs, he likely wouldn’t have the time or energy.

Ning Qiuxui decided to hold off on bothering him for now.

……

After more than three months of filming, the drama Wandering was finally wrapping up, and Ning Qiuxui’s role was about to finish.

Her final scene was where the male lead rescues her from the prison she had been in for years, after he recaptured the Western Capital and captured its king.

“Today’s scene echoes the scene of Yun Yao’s wedding,” Director Sun told them, “but after years of living in the borderlands, Yun Yao has experienced many hardships. She no longer has the youthful cheerfulness and shyness. She should now reflect a mature and calm demeanor when facing someone she loves. Do you understand?”

Ning Qiuxui nodded, indicating she understood.

Director Sun gave a few more instructions before calling for the start of the scene.

As he shouted “Action,” Yun Yao stepped out of the luxurious carriage that had brought her back from the borderlands.

She met the male lead at the city gate.

At this point, she was covered in the dust of her long journey and had lost the refined elegance of her youth.

The male lead, on the other hand, was in his prime, brimming with vitality.

Yun Yao looked at the person she had kept in her heart for years with mixed emotions.

She performed a respectful bow, while the male lead, despite his high status, deeply admired and appreciated her.

He returned the gesture with a grand salute.

Both of them performed their gestures almost simultaneously, as if years of tacit understanding had led to this moment.

They exchanged a smile, and the male lead’s simple words, “Welcome home,” encapsulated all the unspoken sentiments.

Ning Qiuxui’s scene concluded.

After the director called “Cut,” everyone came up to congratulate Ning Qiuxui.

She had gotten along well with the crew, and many prepared small gifts for her.

Even Jiang Jie, who played her “husband” in the drama, came over with a prop chain and playfully said, “Congratulations on finishing, Princess. I will miss you.”

Since Ning Qiuxui had mostly performed scenes with him, they were quite familiar with each other.

She replied, “It’s better if you don’t miss me. I’m scared.”

“I’m more scared,” Jiang Jie said with a sad face, “After the drama airs, I’ll be the villain everyone hates. Please protect me, Princess!”

“Forget it, I can’t protect a scumbag like you. But since we played a couple, I’ll tread lightly.”

Everyone laughed at this exchange.

At that moment, Fang Jinran also approached.

Due to recent fan conflicts, their relationship had become a bit awkward.

Fang Jinran, looking serious, patted her shoulder and said, “Congratulations on finishing. I wish you a smooth path ahead and good companions along the way.”

Ning Qiuxui was amused by his earnest demeanor and said, “Thank you. I’ll accept your blessing. Once you finish, let’s go to Haidilao together.”

Haidilao had become an inside joke among the crew.

During their challenging shoot in a remote mountain location, the director promised to treat everyone to Haidilao once they finished, which became a source of encouragement and jest among them.

Fang Jinran, who had initially thought they would only exchange New Year greetings, brightened up and said, “It’s a deal.”

Ning Qiuxui smiled and replied, “Of course, it’s a deal.”

Since other main actors still had a few days of filming left, the crew prepared a cake for Ning Qiuxiu’s wrap party.

After cutting the cake and sharing it with everyone, her driver, Qu Hua, arrived to pick her up.

Qu Hua, following her instructions, had prepared small gifts for everyone in the crew, full of heartfelt appreciation.

“I never imagined you’d be so well-liked on set~” Qu Hua remarked as they waved goodbye and got into the car, seeing the pile of gifts she had received.

When Ning Qiuxiu first joined the crew, Qu Hua had expected her to be as unpopular as she was in her girl group days, where none of the other seven members got along with her.

“Well, who can resist my charm?” Ning Qiuxiu said shamelessly.

“Yes, yes, our Qiuxiu is the most lovable,” Qu Hua said with a grin. “By the way, do you want to experience country life, little Qiuxiu~”

“…What country life?” Ning Qiuqiu felt a strong sense of foreboding and looked at Qu Hua warily. “I’m telling you, I’m not good with hard manual labor or farming. If it’s too hardcore, I’ll definitely be in trouble.”

Recently, Qu Hua had been eager to sign her up for reality TV shows, and Ning Qiuxiu strongly suspected Qu Hua wanted to put her on a show like “The Transforming Diary,” where she, as a self-proclaimed rich heiress, would be thrown into a rural setting for others’ amusement.

“Where are you thinking? Am I that kind of person? Ugh, little Qiuxiu, it makes me so sad to see you looking at me like that~”

“…Get lost!” Ning Qiuxiu said with a straight face.

“Alright, you’re so fierce~” Qu Hua said, seeing the look Ning Qiuxiu shot him, and quickly raised his hands in surrender.

He continued seriously, “This year’s trend is all about bamboo rats. You know, there’s a reality show about raising bamboo rats in the countryside called ‘Daily Life with Beautiful Bamboo Rats.’ It’s a small production, but I think the theme is interesting, and it will definitely be popular~”

“……”

Ning Qiuxiu was amazed at how people could capitalize on any trend these days.

Raising bamboo rats for a show was a new low, and she could already imagine the ridiculous topics like “This bamboo rat has a heat stroke,” “This bamboo rat is really beautiful,” or “This bamboo rat got into a fight and got injured.”

Under Qu Hua’s eager gaze, Ning Qiuxiu reluctantly said, “Fine, I guess.”

Reality TV shows, unlike TV dramas, didn’t require a massive investment of time and effort.

As long as the show wasn’t critically panned, even small-time artists like her would take opportunities for more exposure.

Although this show was a small production with no chance of airing on a major network, only available online, at her current level of fame, having a reality show as a regular guest was still a good opportunity.

There was no room to be picky.

“Great,” Qu Hua said with a seductive clap of his hands, “The show’s schedule is tight, starting next week, in City G. I know it’ll be tough for you, so I won’t schedule any other work for you during that time. You can rest while filming, alright?”

“……” It was more like a notification than a consultation, considering he had already arranged the schedule.

Ning Qiuxiu looked disdainfully, almost wanting to give him the middle finger as a gesture of protest.

Ning Qiuxiu first went to the company with Qu Hua to sign some contracts that had accumulated over time and to hand over the upcoming work schedule.

After finishing up, she dragged her aching body to the hospital, where Zhan Qingyue was asleep.

Recently, his daily routine had become almost normal.

With treatment and careful care, not only could he speak and move his hands to write, but his body had also started to recover.

With assistance, he could sit up in bed for a while and had gradually progressed from a state of complete paralysis to partial paralysis.

Zhan Laoye, his grandfather, was preparing to leave and saw her exhausted face.

He suggested she stop staying at the hospital and come home with him to rest.

He also had something to discuss with her.

Ning Qiuxiu, mentally and physically drained, followed Zhan Laoye home, leaving Zhan Qingyue alone in the hospital.

“Qiuxiu, you’ve been working hard lately,” Zhan Laoye said with concern, noticing her tired expression.

“It’s not hard, Grandpa,” Ning Qiuxiu smiled at him. “My filming is done, and I’ll be resting for the next week.”

“Good. You don’t need to push yourself too hard. The Zhan family can manage to support you,” Zhan Laoye said, increasingly satisfied with his granddaughter-in-law. Knowing Zhan Qingyue’s approval of their relationship only made him more content.

Ning Qiuxiu linked her arm with his. “Thank you, Grandpa.”

“Qingyue has been recovering well lately. The doctor says his treatment needs are minimal now. I’m planning to transfer him to a rehabilitation center.”

“Hmm? That’s fine,” Ning Qiuxiu said, knowing Zhan Laoye’s arrangements were always the most appropriate. “You can make the arrangements.”

“I plan to send him to a rehabilitation center run by an old friend of mine. It’s not in this city; the environment in City A is too poor,” Zhan Laoye continued.