Li Chu didn’t really want to believe what Ning Yuxi had said. After all, Ning Manqing had just told her she only had a cold.
Yet, she felt it was highly possible. Whether in the original plot or from her own observations, the malicious male supporting character wasn’t very bright. There was no need for him to specifically call and ask about Ning Manqing.
His actions were undoubtedly meant to fish for information about Ning Manqing’s injury, or perhaps he was certain she was injured and was simply calling to gloat, unable to reach Ning Manqing herself.
Li Chu gripped her phone, a jumble of thoughts flashing through her mind. Finally, she decided to confirm with Ning Manqing directly.
Opening WeChat, she sent a text message, a cautious, noncommittal pleasantry filled with an ambiguous emotion.
【Xiao Chu】: Teacher Ning, are you there?
The reply came swiftly, almost instantaneously.
【Ning Manqing】: Yes, what’s up?
Li Chu’s fingertips hovered over the keyboard, eventually sending a line of text laced with hesitation.
【Xiao Chu】: Teacher Ning, did you really just have a cold?
The moment the message sent, Li Chu suddenly understood the subtle and unspoken nature of their relationship.
Initially, she felt their relationship was no different from a romantic one. They did everything couples did, understood each other’s thoughts, and maintained a comfortable distance without excessive interference.
Now, Li Chu realized that this lack of interference had another meaning, one that robbed her of the courage to directly inquire or question.
She distinctly felt the difference between ambiguity and a relationship.
If she were Ning Manqing’s girlfriend, upon receiving that call, she would have immediately contacted Ning Manqing to ask about her condition, or even flown directly to her city to see for herself.
Instead, here she was, hesitantly messaging Ning Manqing, cautiously typing “are you there?”, then anxiously awaiting a reply.
While Li Chu was anxious, Ning Manqing, on the other end, practically stopped breathing. Her expression stiffened; even the moment she’d fallen unconscious from her injury hadn’t brought such a strong sense of heart palpitations.
Why would Tao Tao suddenly ask this? Does she know something? Who leaked the information?
Ning Manqing carefully replied, thinking about the scrapes on her face. She wondered if Tao Tao initiated a video call, could she use the ridiculous excuse of a high fever causing her to fall and injure herself?
Just thinking about it made it seem improbable.
【Ning Manqing】: Why such a strange question all of a sudden?
【Ning Manqing】: I’m better now.
Seeing these two messages, Li Chu knew that what Ning Yuxi said was most likely true. Ning Manqing was unlikely to lie to her; she was too clever and spoke too tactfully.
She hadn’t denied the question, only stated that she was better now.
Li Chu’s nose stung, a mixture of anger, sadness, and worry welling up inside her.
How should she respond? Should she follow her initial emotions and ask Ning Manqing, with a mixture of panic, anger, and sadness, why she hadn’t told her about such an important matter?
Did she have the right to do so? She knew the reason Ning Manqing hadn’t told her was to avoid worrying her.
Playing along and feigning ignorance would be the best course of action, wouldn’t it?
Yet, Li Chu’s fingers tapped the keyboard repeatedly, unable to bring herself to type “That’s good.”
Li Chu was a straightforward person, and this extended to her emotional responses.
She told Ning Manqing everything, leaving no room for guesswork.
【Tao Tao】: I just got a call.
【Tao Tao】: From your brother. He asked about you, said he heard you fell down a mountain, and asked if you were okay.
【Tao Tao】: He sounded very gleeful.
Seeing these three lines, Ning Manqing’s temple throbbed. She looked at her agent, Ran Yanru, sitting on the sofa in the hospital room.
“Didn’t you say the information was blocked? How did Ning Yuxi find out?” Ning Manqing’s face was grim. Ran Yanru’s heart sank. This is bad.
If Ning Yuxi knew, it meant many others in the industry would soon know as well. Ning Yuxi was a blabbermouth and held a deep animosity towards Ning Manqing. He would relish the chance to broadcast any negative news about her to the world.
“There must have been a leak somewhere. But the public won’t find out.”
Such on-set accidents could be good publicity, especially one as dramatic as Ning Manqing’s. However, Ran Yanru knew her friend preferred to keep a low profile and disliked using such incidents for hype.
Ning Manqing thought, Rest assured my ass. The person she most wanted to keep this from already knew. Whether others knew or not was irrelevant.
Ning Manqing was truly anxious, so much so that she disregarded her usual composure and started cursing internally. As she mentally berated Ning Yuxi while contemplating how to respond to Li Chu, her phone vibrated again.
【Tao Tao】: So I came to confirm with you.
【Tao Tao】: I don’t believe anything bad said about you by anyone who bears you ill will.
【Tao Tao】: Teacher Ning, I want to hear it from you.
Ning Manqing’s heart melted. How could this girl be so sweet?
Looking at the screen, she could almost picture the girl’s earnest expression as she typed, perhaps with a glimmer of tears in her eyes.
Li Chu was indeed on the verge of tears. She didn’t know why she was so upset or why her emotions were so out of control. She wasn’t usually someone prone to tears, but she fought back the urge, staring intently at the screen, waiting for a response.
A sudden incoming video call startled her. She hastily wiped her unshed tears and answered.
After shooing Ran Yanru out, Ning Manqing quickly started the video call.
Seeing Li Chu on the other end, fighting back tears, her eyes reddened yet maintaining her composure, Ning Manqing wished she could be by her side, holding her close.
How could Tao Tao be so adorable?
“Teacher Ning, are your injuries serious? Did it hurt a lot? Let me see the rest of you!” Li Chu’s concern was immediate upon seeing the scrapes on Ning Manqing’s face. She anxiously asked, wanting to assess the extent of the other injuries. She fell down a mountain! Even with her protagonist’s luck, it must have hurt.
“It’s not serious. I was lucky. The heavy rain had softened the soil. I only suffered a head injury and some internal bruising. No serious external wounds.”
Ning Manqing switched the camera to show Li Chu her overall condition. Fortunately, few people knew the truth. Only a handful were aware it was attempted murder, not an accident. The implications of the two scenarios were vastly different, and the director and producer, having quietly handed the perpetrator over to the police, didn’t want the truth revealed.
Ning Manqing didn’t want Li Chu to know the details. Such sordid matters shouldn’t taint the pure Tao Tao. She didn’t need to know how Yu Feiming had been dealt with; she only needed to happily pursue her passions.
“A head injury isn’t serious? That’s the most serious part!” Li Chu snapped, unable to contain her frustration at Ning Manqing’s attempts to downplay the situation. Her raised voice, however, was tinged with a slight cry, betraying her distress.
Ning Manqing panicked. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have kept it from you. Tao Tao, don’t cry. I just…”
“You were just afraid I’d worry. I know!” Li Chu interrupted, not wanting to hear Ning Manqing’s excuses.
“I’m not crying!” Li Chu instinctively denied, roughly wiping her eyes, her cheeks flushing. Her voice softened. “My eyes are just uncomfortable.”
“I’m not that fragile.”
She muttered to herself, unsure whether she was justifying her tears or refuting Ning Manqing’s concern. Feeling embarrassed by her state, she switched the camera from front-facing to rear-facing, hiding her face from Ning Manqing.
Unable to see Li Chu’s reaction, Ning Manqing felt her own emotions stabilize somewhat.
“You didn’t reply to my messages for two days not because you were sleeping off a cold, but because you were unconscious from your injuries, right?”
“…Yes.”
Li Chu wanted to cry again. She dug her nails into her palm, forcing herself to stay composed.
Her voice was soft. “I’m not afraid of worrying about you. I’m afraid of you not letting me worry.”
Li Chu was truly terrified. She’d never been so scared before. She feared that Ning Manqing might face future dangers and not tell her, that she might be left in the dark again, anxiously waiting for news while Ning Manqing was unconscious.
Compared to the pain of knowing the unfortunate truth, ignorance was far more cruel.
These whispered words landed heavily on Ning Manqing’s heart. She realized that gentleness could also possess such force. At this moment, she would rather Li Chu unleash her sadness than speak so weakly, so listlessly, that it made her heart ache.
Her throat dry, Ning Manqing controlled her surging emotions, only to hear Li Chu ask, “Teacher Ning, can I visit you?”
As if fearing rejection, she quickly added, “I’ll come secretly. No one will find out.”
“I promise I won’t be a bother. If you’ve recovered and are ready to film, I’ll leave immediately!”
She was so gentle, so cautious, afraid of overstepping and ruining things.
Ning Manqing realized she’d been wrong. She’d always thought Li Chu didn’t like her enough, so she’d waited patiently. Perhaps Li Chu liked her more than she’d realized.
It was just that she was like a passive, gentle herbivore, cautiously extending its feelers towards the world.
The overflowing affection in her heart surged forth. Looking at the background on Li Chu’s screen, Ning Manqing said, “Tao Tao, turn the camera around.”
Li Chu complied, her gaze meeting Ning Manqing’s.
“Tao Tao, you know I like you, right?”
Li Chu’s heart skipped a beat. She felt both the joy of anticipating what Ning Manqing was about to say and the confusion of not knowing for sure.
“So, if you want to visit me, come. Whenever, for however long, it’s all up to you.”
“With my affection, you can be bolder. I’m happy for you to be spoiled.”
“I want you to know that you can do whatever you want when it comes to me.”
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