Ning Qiuxiu realized that while Zhan Qingyue might have a black heart, he couldn’t compare to her in terms of shamelessness, given her experience in three different worlds.

Of course, this was excluding the time he was teased about being called “daddy” while driving.

So, if he was going to set her up, she would be just as shameless and fearless!

Zhan Qingyue indeed stiffened for a moment, his words stuck in his throat, not knowing how to respond to Ning Qiuxiu’s remark.

Ning Qiuxiu blinked: “Speak up, Mr. Zhan.”

“Quixiu, the recording has started,” Zhan Qingyue was still trying to think of a reply when the door suddenly burst open, and Song Chu’s impatient voice came in, “The director wants you to come…”

“Go.” The last word was said in a daze, as Song Chu had just witnessed the intimate scene between the two and his brain had momentarily short-circuited.

Everything happened too quickly and suddenly.

Ning Qiuxiu quickly got off Zhan Qingyue’s lap and glared at him, blaming him for setting her up and causing this mess.

Zhan Qingyue, who was being stared at for no reason: “……”

“I-I-I,” After a moment, Song Chu came back to his senses and stammered an explanation, “I didn’t do it on purpose. The door, it… it just opened with a single push!”

The door in the rented house was like an ancient double door.

If not locked inside, it wouldn’t auto-lock when closed.

Because it was old and the hinges were loose, it would open easily with a slight push…

“Has the recording started? Then I’ll go!”

Despite her years of experience in the entertainment industry, Ning Qiuxiu managed to maintain a calm exterior while her mind was filled with frustration.

Just when she finally managed to win one over Zhan Qingyue, this happened…

Recalling her recent position on Zhan Qingyue’s lap, Ning Qiuxiu covered her face, feeling utterly embarrassed.

Her luck today was just terrible.

Song Chu was also in a tough spot.

The more he thought about it, the more it didn’t add up.

Was it really a coincidence that Ning Qiuxiu knew the sponsor in this industry full of hidden rules?

Especially since the director had asked everyone to leave to catch up, he couldn’t help but think that their relationship was more than just friends!

And when he saw the two people Zhan Qingyue brought with him also leave, he immediately thought about what might happen when a man and woman were alone together…

Although Song Chu often bickered with Ning Qiuxiu, he genuinely considered her a friend.

The sponsor, despite looking wealthy and handsome, was a… well, Song Chu didn’t mean to disrespect disabled people, but what if Ning Qiuxiu was being forced into something by him?

Thinking about the shady side of the entertainment industry, Song Chu felt uneasy.

He couldn’t let Ning Qiuxiu be manipulated by someone who couldn’t even walk properly!

With this thought in mind, Song Chu impulsively decided to sneak in when no one was paying attention.

He originally intended to use the excuse that the director had called for the start of the show to give Ning Qiuxiu a valid reason to leave.

However, the door opened too easily, and he ended up witnessing the scene.

He was a bit shaken, or more precisely, his perception of Ning Qiuxiu was shaken.

“Go ahead,” Zhang Qingyue was the calmest among them.

He spoke gently and even patted Ning Qiuxiu on the back. “I’ll leave now so I won’t delay your work.”

“Oh, be careful then. I’m leaving now.”

Zhang Qingyue smiled. “Okay.”

Song Chu was left dumbfounded.

Zhang Qingyue’s visit was brief, almost like a routine inspection by a boss.

It lasted less than half an hour and didn’t delay their recording.

But it had successfully stirred up the calm waters.

Especially for Ning Qiuxiu, who was usually thick-skinned.

She was deeply embarrassed by the situation and felt like hitting her head against a wall whenever she thought about it.

She had to turn her frustration into determination and practiced her song and dance diligently, hoping she wouldn’t embarrass herself further that evening.

Ning Qiuxiu’s performance was scheduled first.

Although she had performed on various stages before and was used to such events, she felt incredibly nervous, as if it were her first performance.

Before going on stage, the bamboo rat brothers encouraged her.

“Quixiu, you look amazing!” Bai Ying said. Ning Qiuxiu was dressed in a costume with a light opera makeup, and her hair was styled in an ancient fashion.

She looked like a stunning opera heroine, unforgettable and impressive.

Bai Ying clenched her fist and said, “I’m sure your performance will be fantastic. Go for it, Quixiu! Show us the strength you had when you were carrying bamboo!”

“And then collapse the stage pillar?” Lin Jin added with a joke, making everyone laugh and easing the tense atmosphere. Lin Jin continued, “Just kidding. Good luck, Quixiu.”

Fang Jinran also smiled and said, “I believe in you. You always manage to surprise us.”

Everyone took turns encouraging Ning Qiuxiu, but Song Chu remained very quiet, not even looking at her.

“Hey,” Bai Ying patted him, “You’ve been off since this afternoon. Could it be that the milk-pumping left a shadow on you?”

“Not at all!” Song Chu became defensive at the mention of milk-pumping. “I-I’m just… worrying about Quixui, okay?”

Everyone looked at him skeptically.

“I just… didn’t want to put pressure on her!” In his haste, Song Chu came up with a somewhat plausible excuse.

Ning Qiuxiu knew the real reason and felt a bit awkward facing Song Chu.

Just then, the host called her for the program, so she quickly said to everyone, “I’ve received all your blessings. They’re more effective than energy drinks. Here I go!”

With a determined expression, Ning Qiuxiu took the stage.

The audience was composed of villagers sitting on benches, and the chatter and disarray quickly quieted down the moment Ning Qiuxiu stepped onto the stage.

The stage’s simple lighting illuminated Ning Qiuxiu, making her look like a flower blooming under the starry moonlight—brilliant, dazzling, and otherworldly, capturing everyone’s gaze.

Many of the villagers had never seen such an exquisite beauty in person.

Some couldn’t help but rub their eyes, wondering if she was an angel descended to earth.

As the music slowly started, Ning Qiuxiu moved in rhythm, and after a brief melody, she began to sing: “To save Li Lang, I left my homeland, who would have thought I would top the imperial examination…”

“Wow, this song,” Bai Ying said, her scalp tingling from the melody, “Is this Huangmei Opera? She’s actually singing Huangmei Opera!”

Due to time constraints, Ning Qiuxiu chose a ready-made opera piece, making slight adjustments.

Her rendition had a unique charm.

Her voice was melodious, and as a trained singer with a wide vocal range, the first line she sang gave everyone goosebumps.

Hearing a familiar song sung in this way was so impressive that it left people speechless.

It was beautiful—so beautiful.

The clear, melodious singing was captivating, making people lose themselves in it.

Even though rural people might not understand popular music well, they are familiar with Huangmei opera, which is well-known everywhere.

Many people recognize the tunes and can hum along, perfectly meeting the program’s requirements.

Ning Qiuxiu had successfully completed her task!

Before going to bed, Ning Qiuxiu was still excited—she had been listening to Huangmei opera all day, and now that it was quiet, her mind was filled with the lyrics: “I don’t strive to be the top scholar to show off my fame, I don’t strive to be the top scholar to become a high official”…

It was persistent and inescapable.

It was painful.

【Kid: Is your relationship with him… legitimate?】

As Ning Qiuxiu was about to find another song to distract herself, she received a message from Song Chu.

“…” Was it too late to explain that things weren’t as they seemed?

Ning Qiuxiu had made a mistake, achieving a revolutionary victory by finally getting the upper hand over Zhan Qingyue, but she ended up trapping herself.

And Song Chu’s question…

How should she answer?

Her relationship with Zhan Qingyue was indeed complicated and not straightforward, making her want to cry.

【Ning Qiuxiu: Kids shouldn’t worry about that!】

【Kid: …】

【Ning Qiuxiu: My relationship with him is complicated. It’s definitely not like what you think. Don’t worry. I’m from a wealthy family, so of course, it’s not like the clichéd story of a female star and her sugar daddy!】

After sending this long message, Ning Qiuxiu noticed a big red exclamation mark in front of the WeChat message.

“……” That brat blocked her!

Unable to do anything else, Ning Qiuxiu found Song Chu’s phone number and called him, but the call was immediately disconnected.

Ning Qiuxiu was furious.

This kid had become too arrogant!

In the middle of the night, she couldn’t go knocking on someone’s door, especially a male’s, or she might face unwanted gossip.

Zhan Qingyue had told her he didn’t like being embarrassed.

If word got out, Zhan Qingyue would end up with a glaringly green hat on his head.

She would try to explain things again tomorrow.

However, during the next three days of the recording, Ning Qiuxiu clearly felt that Song Chu was avoiding her, as if she had the plague.

This made Ning Qiuxiu even more annoyed.

She hadn’t done anything wrong—she wasn’t a mistress or cheating. It was excessive for Song Chu to act this way.

Even if she were really Zhan Qingyue’s mistress, it shouldn’t be this bad.

It was infuriating!

Ning Qiuxiu was so angry that she didn’t care about him anymore.

Let things be. Once the recording was over, she packed her bags and went home.

With the cold front dropping in these days, it was noticeably chilly on the last day of recording.

Ning Qiuxiu didn’t pay much attention, but when she got home that evening, she felt lightheaded.

Zhan Qingyue wasn’t home.

The housekeeper said he went out for dinner with friends, Chen Yi was also out, and Jingjing was on leave due to illness.

With the owner and the lively one both absent, the house felt suddenly empty.

Ning Qiuxiu had a bland dinner alone and, feeling very tired, went to bed.

She slept very heavily, feeling like a boat floating on water, swaying and making her dizzy and nauseous.

She wanted the swaying to stop, but the sea was soft and she couldn’t hold on.

“Hmm.”

Like a boat finally reaching the shore, Ning Qiuxiu woke from her nightmare, staring at the ceiling, confused about what time it was.

“Awake?”

She heard a voice from beside the bed.

Turning her head slowly, she saw an extremely handsome face illuminated by the warm light from the bedside lamp, which made him look even more elegant and refined.

The beautiful man reached out and touched her head: “You’re still burning up. Didn’t even realize you were sick. How silly.”

Ning Qiuxiu blinked.

After a second, she became alert, realizing Zhan Qingyue knew she had a fever.

Wait, how did he get into her room?

“It’s raining outside. I was worried your window might be open, so I came to check.” Zhan Qingyue seemed to read her mind and, noticing her obvious relief, laughed, “Mrs. Zhan, you used to sneak into my room while I was unconscious. Me coming in once isn’t too much, is it?”

“……” She didn’t sneak; she was just being straightforward.

Because she was sick, Ning Qiuxiu’s face was flushed and her reactions were slow.

Zhan Qingyue didn’t bother teasing her much and instead brought over the medicine: “Get up and take your medicine.”

Due to his own health issues, Zhan Qingyue couldn’t be like the gentle male leads on TV who would tenderly help her sit up.

Ning Qiuxiu had to struggle to get out of bed by herself.

As she moved, Ning Qiuxiu noticed an IV drip in her hand—Zhan Qingyue wasn’t the only one who had entered her room; a doctor had come in and given her an IV while she slept soundly, completely unaware.

If this had happened elsewhere, she wouldn’t have known she was being taken advantage of.

“The doctor said you were exhausted and finally relaxed, but then caught a cold, which is why you slept so deeply,” Zhan Qingyue explained, noticing her doubtful expression.

He carefully placed each medicine on a tissue, moving slowly and patiently. Probably because of her fever, Ning Qiuxiu found his actions pleasing to the eye, and she couldn’t help but feel a bit captivated.

He was so good-looking, she thought…

Maybe her gaze was too obvious.

Without even looking at her, Zhan Qingyue said, “Miss Ning, although I have thicker skin than most, if you keep looking at me like that, I might not be able to handle it.”