Chapter 113

Like performing a magic trick, she pulled out a snack biscuit from her bag—a heart-shaped one, about the size of half a palm. “Ning Ning, do you want to feed it a little? Maybe then it’ll calm down?”

Zhong Ning cast her a grateful glance and took the biscuit. Just then, the elevator arrived, so she had to tuck the biscuit into her pocket first and carry the items out.

This was a one-unit-per-floor layout, so after stepping out, she didn’t rush to unlock the door. Instead, she put the things down, took the biscuit back out of her pocket, tore open the wrapper, squatted down, and grinned at Pine Mushroom.

“Pine Mushroom baby, come eat a biscuit. Come on, come on.”

Pine Mushroom shot her a sideways glance, remaining unmoved.

Left with no choice, Zhong Ning scooted over while squatting and held the biscuit near the puppy’s mouth. It sniffed at it and finally deigned to eat it. No sooner had it finished than she scooped it up in her arms, kissing it over and over with loud smooches. Only then did Pine Mushroom break into a small doggy grin.

“Good baby! Good baby!” Zhong Ning showered the puppy’s head with kisses, laughing like a fool.

Xie Shiqing had a smile on her lips. Though she couldn’t see, she could more or less guess what was happening just from the sounds. Jealousy and bitterness swirled in her heart, along with an indescribable twinge of envy.

If only Zhong Ning were as easy to coax as Pine Mushroom.

But sadly, that was just wishful thinking.

People often said that the one who fell in love first was the loser, but Xie Shiqing believed otherwise. It didn’t matter who fell in love first—the one who loved deeper was the true loser.

Just look at how she used to view love—so detached, so arrogant. She scorned the emotion, thinking anyone caught up in it was either crazy or a fool.

Now, she had become that crazy fool herself, and what’s more, she found it sweet and willingly embraced it. If anyone dared to mock her, she wouldn’t even care.

They were just being too ignorant to understand how beautiful love could be—just frogs at the bottom of a well.

Just like now, watching Zhong Ning fawn all over Pine Mushroom, cooing sweet words in a softened voice. Though jealousy and sourness surged in her chest, Xie Shiqing couldn’t help but feel a trace of honeyed joy—because at least they were still interacting. It was far better than those hopeless romantics who could only watch from afar, unable to put feelings into words.

Her method of spiritual self-victory wasn’t something she could share with others—probably no one would care to hear it anyway.

Still, her self-hypnosis and brainwashing were proving quite effective. At the very least, her mood had improved significantly, and she now had more energy to plan how to win Zhong Ning back.

As long as everything went according to plan and there were no accidents, the chances of success were still very high.

Zhong Ning carried the items into the house, with help from the bodyguard. Before long, the fridge was fully stocked, and the place looked much more lived-in.

“Let’s go, time to head out!”

At some point, Pine Mushroom’s leash had magically ended up in her hand. There weren’t many people around the neighborhood, so the leash was extended longer.

Pine Mushroom needed a lot of daily exercise. Doing those agility obstacle courses was more than enough to burn off its energy. So this walk was truly a walk—more of an interaction between human and pet.

It trotted joyfully around Zhong Ning, its tail wagging uncontrollably, clearly in an excellent mood.

And Zhong Ning’s attention was fully focused on it. One person, one dog—neither of them acknowledged the one sitting in the wheelchair.

Xie Shiqing, caught between jealousy, heartache, and joy, still managed to keep a smile on her face.

At the same time, she forced her brain to work at full speed—collecting Zhong Ning’s laughter drifting in the breeze, while simultaneously and frantically analyzing the future direction of the Xie Corporation and formulating strategies against the Zhong and Le families.

The former was something she couldn’t control, instinctively and willingly drawn to; the latter was a counterbalance she forced upon herself with astonishing self-discipline, splitting her focus to keep thinking rationally. Otherwise, if she allowed herself to fully indulge in her longing for Zhong Ning, she feared it wouldn’t be long before she completely lost her mind—clinging to her regardless of time, place, or reason.

That would do nothing to help her win Zhong Ning back. It would only make her look like a deranged lunatic.

After spending an hour outside playing with Pine Mushroom—or rather, Pine Mushroom playing with Zhong Ning—they returned home when night had fully fallen. They said goodbye in the elevator, one getting out, the other needing to go up one more floor.

For a full week, Zhong Ning led a very simple and regular life.

She went to school, visited the Zhong Corporation, had dinner with Xie Shiqing, then the two of them would go downstairs to walk the dog, and afterward, they would part ways and return to their own homes.

Their conversations gradually became more ordinary. Xie Shiqing began telling her about her day—just like how couples report their daily routines to each other, no matter how big or small the event, she would share it all.

Sometimes, the topics were about the company. The Xie Corporation was in the entertainment industry, the very place where gossip and truths were in endless supply.

Xie Shiqing would share stories about films and actors with her. Of course, it wasn’t all scheming and backstage drama—most of it was actually quite positive.

Like how a certain Best Actress, in order to better understand her role, ate at street stalls for three days straight and ended up adopting two kittens from the stall owner's newly born litter.

Or how a particular actor was terribly afraid of horses but still insisted on riding one for a scene, and would sob uncontrollably every time she dismounted.

Mixed in with these stories were topics that related to the two of them—like the kinds of films Xie Shiqing liked, and asking what Zhong Ning preferred. Then she'd mention an upcoming premiere, asking if they should go watch it together.

This back-and-forth conversation was a rhythm Zhong Ning was very familiar with—and fond of. So, that evening during their walk, she didn’t hesitate to show her appreciation for Xie Shiqing’s change and affirm the current state of their relationship. While sitting on a bench, she took the initiative to hold the other’s hand, letting her fingertips brush over the bruised needle mark on the back of her hand and asked, “How long do you think your leg will take to recover? Are you still getting daily injections?”

Xie Shiqing’s skin was as pale as snow. Any variation in color stood out starkly against it, let alone those bluish-purple marks.

Zhong Ning had noticed them long ago but had never asked. With a private family doctor caring for her, there was no doubt the injury would eventually heal.

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