Chapter 3: Night snack

Returning to her room, Ning Ke was so exhausted she collapsed directly onto the bed.

She opened Weibo and, unsurprisingly, saw several trending topics from today’s red carpet: [#FashionGala#], [#BeautiesAreEyeCandy#], [#XuYiFairyDressSoEthereal#], [#ZhaoRanWaist#].

Amidst the trending topics, she saw her own name: [#NingKeIDontLookForwardToIt#]

A few days ago, the role she had negotiated was snatched by Tang Xi, causing fans from both sides to clash irreconcilably.

Today’s mockery on the red carpet, plus the minor conflict with reporters outside the venue, all appeared under this hashtag.

[“Just a passerby, Ning Ke’s manners are truly awful, speaking so disrespectfully.”]

[“Upstairs Tang Xi fan, stop pretending to be a passerby, just as pretentious as your idol [Cute][Cute]”]

[“I still think Ning Ke’s personality is more annoying.”]

Ning Ke casually scrolled through a few comments; they were utterly unoriginal.

Previously, seeing comments criticizing her would make her angry, but today, perhaps because she was too tired, she felt devoid of emotion.

Closing Weibo, she stared blankly at the ceiling for a while, then suddenly felt hungry.

The evening at the Yan family home wasn’t pleasant, and she hadn’t eaten much.

Changing into loungewear, she went downstairs, intending to find something to eat.

Yan Yunzhi was also in the living room, wearing a white sweater, her long hair tied up, with loose strands falling naturally.

A faint aroma wafted from the kitchen, instantly hitting her taste buds.

Ning Ke couldn’t move her feet.

Yan Yunzhi asked, “Are you hungry?”

Ning Ke retorted, “Are you hungry?”

Yan Yunzhi nodded, “I’m making a late-night snack. Let’s eat together.”

Ning Ke eyed Yan Yunzhi’s tall, slender figure, then secretly pinched her own flesh.

Steeling her resolve, she turned to go upstairs, “I’m not eating.”

‘Yan Yunzhi eats without restraint, while she gains weight just by eating.’

‘Really, it’s enough to make her furious.’

Yan Yunzhi watched her retreating back and couldn’t help but smile.

Back in her room, Ning Ke flopped onto the bed again.

Working non-stop for the past few days, coupled with the consecutive loss of negotiated collaborations, left her feeling physically and mentally exhausted.

She lay there for another twenty minutes before finally dragging herself up to remove her makeup.

Just then, her stomach let out two defiant rumbles.

‘Starving…’

‘She couldn’t take it anymore.’

Ning Ke faced the mirror, poked the flesh on her cheek, sighed in disappointment as if scolding iron for not becoming steel, picked up a cup, and went downstairs again.

Yan Yunzhi heard the movement and looked out from the kitchen.

Before Yan Yunzhi could ask, Ning Ke preemptively said, “I came down to pour a glass of water.”

Yan Yunzhi asked with a smile, “I accidentally cooked too much. Could you sit down and eat some with me?”

Her tone was gentle and light, her expression relaxed and natural, inviting her to ‘accompany’ her in eating, so as not to waste food.

Ning Ke poured a glass of water, adopting a condescending tone, “Oh. Fine then.”

Yan Yunzhi had cooked two bowls of noodles, adding chicken, shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and seaweed.

The color was rich, and the aroma was just right.

With her makeup removed, Ning Ke had an oval face, her skin fair, tender, and smooth, much softer than the bright, rich look on camera.

She puffed her cheeks, her eyes fixed unblinkingly on the noodles.

Yan Yunzhi pushed a bowl towards her.

Ning Ke controlled her appetite, picked up a strand of noodles with her chopsticks, her movements almost demure, eating half a bowl in small bites.

Halfway through, she received a call from her friend Lin Yun.

They chatted for a bit, still discussing the show.

After a brief chat, she hung up.

Yan Yunzhi had also just finished eating and casually asked, “Are you going on a new show?”

Ning Ke hummed, “I probably will.”

“How long will it take, roughly?” Yan Yunzhi noticed beads of sweat on the tip of Ning Ke’s nose and handed her a tissue. “It’s almost Chinese New Year.”

Ning Ke took the tissue, said thanks, “Don’t know how long. Anyway, my work schedule isn’t packed recently, might as well do something.”

Yan Yunzhi: “Don’t work too hard.”

Ning Ke: “Got it.”

The gentle atmosphere felt a bit awkward.

They barely saw each other a few times a year, and rarely spoke so softly.

Perhaps it was the effect of eating someone else’s food; Ning Ke, usually prone to nitpicking, felt inexplicably better.

When Yan Yunzhi asked a question, she answered.

After finishing the noodles, Yan Yunzhi said, “You go up first, I’ll clean up.”

Ning Ke glanced at her, “Just you? Can you, this invalid, handle it? It’s late, I’ll do it.”

The words were clearly meant as concern, but coming from her mouth, they carried a hint of disdain.

Yan Yunzhi wasn’t annoyed upon hearing this; she smiled at her and nodded.

Ning Ke gathered the bowls and chopsticks and carried them into the kitchen.

Once inside, the pampered Miss Ning, who had never lifted a finger for housework, was stumped.

She didn’t know which cloth was for washing dishes, couldn’t find gloves, and muttered to herself for a long time.

Just as she was about to finish washing, her hand slipped, and a bowl crashed to the floor.

It was quiet at night, making the loud noise even more jarring.

Ning Ke had an ominous feeling.

Turning around, she immediately saw Yan Yunzhi standing by the door, leaning against it, watching her with a smile.

She had no idea when she had arrived.

Ning Ke was so embarrassed she wanted to retract the boastful nonsense she had just spouted.

She puffed her cheeks, glaring fiercely at Yan Yunzhi, “My hand just slipped, what are you laughing at!”

The statement was somewhat unreasonable, not even allowing someone to laugh, but it held a faint hint of petulance.

Yan Yunzhi wasn’t annoyed at all; instead, she nodded, “Mm.”

Ning Ke roughly gathered the broken porcelain pieces.

Yan Yunzhi stopped her, “Don’t touch it, lest you cut your finger.”

She tore off a sticky note, wrote two lines reminding Sister Lu to clean up the broken porcelain tomorrow morning, and stuck it near the kitchen entrance, reminding Sister Lu to be careful not to step on it.

Her handwriting suited her personality—neat, elegant, and enduring.

Ning Ke watched her write from the side and suddenly asked, “Yan Yunzhi, aren’t you tired?”

‘Always doing things meticulously and thoughtfully, being nice to everyone, always considering others…’

‘Putting herself in those shoes, she felt utterly exhausted just thinking about it.’

Yan Yunzhi was puzzled, “What?”

Ning Ke shook her head, “Nothing.”

Having eaten half a bowl of noodles, Ning Ke’s guilt surged.

She went to the fitness room and did some squats before returning to her room.

The second floor housed guest rooms, a fitness room, and a swimming pool.

Both Ning Ke’s and Yan Yunzhi’s rooms were on the third floor.

Her room was near the stairs, while Yan Yunzhi’s was further inside.

This was a tacit understanding they reached naturally after marriage.

Neither mentioned it, but both defaulted to sleeping in separate rooms.

After all, they were just in a family alliance, with no real feelings involved.

Reaching her room door, Ning Ke was about to open it when she heard two low coughs from the next room.

It was Yan Yunzhi’s voice.

‘Could it be because she walked in the wind on the way back?’

Ning Ke didn’t dwell on it and went into her room.

She filled the bathtub with water, soaked for a while, almost dozing off in the tub.

By the time she dried her hair and lay down, it was almost 11 PM.

Faintly, she seemed to hear coughing from the next room again.

She turned over impatiently, “This darn house, the soundproofing is terrible.”

She tossed and turned many times, finally pulling the covers over her head.

She didn’t know what time she finally fell asleep.

She woke up early the next day.

Ning Ke shuffled downstairs in her slippers and saw Sister Lu cleaning up the broken porcelain pieces.

“Miss Ning, did you two make a late-night snack last night? Really, why didn’t you wake me up? Did you cut your fingers?”

Ning Ke said it was fine.

She wandered around the living room and noticed only one breakfast setting on the table.

She asked somewhat awkwardly, “Where is she?”

Not even mentioning the name, Sister Lu was genuinely taken aback for a moment, “Oh? Azhi? I heard her coughing this morning, knocked and asked. She said she didn’t sleep all night. I made her some medicine; she’s catching up on sleep in her room now.”

Ning Ke murmured an “oh” and lowered her head to eat breakfast.

Sister Lu said, “Go up and see her.”

She knew these two spent little time together.

Marriages like this, lacking an emotional foundation, were often like this—detached, mutually respectful like guests, certainly not involving love.

But since they were making a life together, not just for a day or two, but for a lifetime, it was best if there were feelings involved.

Ning Ke shook her head, “I’m not going.”

Sister Lu sighed, unable to persuade further, “Alright, you eat first then. I’ll go check on the kitchen.”

Ning Ke finished breakfast alone.

As she prepared to put on her coat to go out, she paused after taking down the coat and said to the busy Sister Lu in the kitchen, “I left my bag in my room. Tell Lao Tang to wait a bit longer for me.”

Sister Lu poked her head out, “Oh, okay.”

Ning Ke lightened her steps going upstairs.

Reaching her own room door, she happened to see that Yan Yunzhi’s room door wasn’t fully closed, just slightly ajar.

She walked over, intending to casually close the door.

In the instant before closing it, she peeked through the crack.

Yan Yunzhi was sleeping facing the door, her sleeping face serene and quiet, but her brow was slightly furrowed.

Just then, a voice suddenly came from behind, “Miss Ning?”

Ning Ke jumped, immediately pulling the door shut, feeling inexplicably guilty, “I saw a mouse run in there.”

Sister Lu: “A mouse?!”

Ning Ke: “Mhmm, check around the house when you have time.”

After saying that, she quickly went downstairs, her back view hurried.

Sister Lu: “Huh?”

She had been doing this job for decades; the house was kept impeccably clean and bright. How could there be a mouse?

It shouldn’t be possible!

Delayed at home for a while, Ning Ke arrived late at the company.

The office door pushed open.

A woman wearing a short white woolen coat and a plaid skirt turned her head and smiled at her, “Finally waited for you, big star.”

This person was Ning Ke’s good friend, Lin Yun.

After graduating from university, she signed with a scriptwriting company, worked for a few years, then transitioned to being a variety show director, though mostly for online shows, not very famous.

Ning Ke scanned Lin Yun’s outfit, “Not bad today, you look like you’re only eighteen.”

Lin Yun: “Go away, dissing me again.”

Ning Ke: “…You really can’t keep up the act for more than three seconds.”

She and Lin Yun were childhood friends.

Lin Yun looked gentle, fresh, like a little white rabbit, and was slightly socially anxious, but she spoke quite bluntly and boldly to Ning Ke, whom she grew up with.

Lin Yun waved her hand, “Alright, why would I pretend with you. Let’s talk business. I’m really having trouble inviting people for this variety show.”

Ning Ke said venomously, “What else did you expect? Me joining your show is purely out of sisterly charity, helping the poor.”

Lin Yun sighed, “Will it kill you to speak nicely?”

But despite her words, she knew Ning Ke was telling the truth.

“Perfect Partner” was a common travel and leisure slow-life variety show on the market, making it hard to stand out.

While writing the proposal, Lin Yun added some elements like grouping, competition, confrontation, and CP promotion for the paired partners.

Same-s*x marriage registration had only been piloted in some cities two years ago, and higher authorities still strictly controlled same-s*x themes in entertainment and film.

Therefore, “Perfect Partner” didn’t explicitly label CPs like romance shows did; same-s*x and opposite-s*x pairings were mixed, letting the audience ship whomever they pleased.

Lin Yun fretted, “If this kind of show could invite a few more big names, it would create buzz and generate hot topics.”

Ning Ke: “Don’t look at me. I can’t bring myself to beg people. Besides, with my temper, I don’t have many good connections in the industry.”

Lin Yun sighed and nagged her, “Look at that awful temper of yours, why can’t you change it?”

Ning Ke couldn’t be bothered with her, “Keep dreaming.”

Lin Yun: “It’s just that your family’s Yan… Hey? Right, didn’t Yan Yunzhi finish her world tour and come home?”

Ning Ke looked at her quite warily, “What are you planning?”

Lin Yun: “How about we invite your family’s Yan Yunzhi too!”

“Invite her for what?” Ning Ke asked subconsciously, then added, “And watch your phrasing, she’s not ‘my family’s’.”

Lin Yun was speechless, “You’re already married, and she’s still not ‘your family’s’? Inviting her would be great! She just finished her tour, she’s a hot topic, has tons of loyal fans. Do you know how many girls call her ‘wife’ looking at her photos?”

Ning Ke: “Who calls her wife?”

Lin Yun: “…”

‘So, after that long speech, this ancestor only cared about who wanted to steal her wife?!’

Being stared at by Lin Yun, Ning Ke turned her head away, “That invalid, her health is poor, she can’t handle the stress. And she’s not suited to the current online public opinion environment. This kind of show isn’t suitable for her.”

Lin Yun had known Ning Ke for so many years, this was the first time she saw her rambling with so much nonsense.

Her mind turned, and she suddenly asked, “I was just asking casually, why don’t you just ask her! Could it be… you feel sorry for her?”

“Who feels sorry for her?!” Ning Ke, who had been lounging on the sofa, instantly sat up straight upon meeting Lin Yun’s gossipy expression, blurting out, “Asking is asking!”