Chapter 23
Did she think that by putting on this act, she could shake her, move her? Like those villains in dramas who get swayed, mumbling nonsense like “the only warmth” or “a real light,” then baring their hearts to her, discarding everything else?
Did she really believe she could capture her with something as absurd as love?
Did she think Xie Shiqing looked like some pitiful creature starved of affection? That she could accept anything filthy or rotten? Even this kind of hypocritical concern drenched in self-interest?
What a joke.
Besides, love was nothing more than a pastime, a tool for physical indulgence. Since the other wanted to put on a show, she would play along.
After all, people always needed a little entertainment in life.
Xie Shiqing let out a chuckle and slowly replied, “You're really kind.”
Zhong Ning: “Hahaha, not really, I'm just doing it for my own happiness.”
The test results came back: the cat had a bit of ascites and needed to be hospitalized. It wasn't a very serious condition, but not exactly minor either—treatment would be somewhat troublesome.
Zhong Ning paid the fees without hesitation, gently patted the kitten’s head, and told it to rest well in the hospital and recover quickly.
On the way back, she began editing a video on her phone.
Zhong Ning was already an experienced editor. In the early days, without anyone helping or managing her channel, she used to edit and subtitle all her videos herself.
A short three-to-five-minute video was quickly done. She uploaded it across major apps and even paid for traffic promotion. At the end of the video, she said, “Is there a kind-hearted person willing to adopt this little calico? Only open to Fengcheng locals. After it's cured, I can deliver it to your doorstep, along with a bag of cat food, a box of canned food, two bags of cat litter, and a litter box.”
All the items she mentioned could be bought at the hospital. Delivering it personally was just an excuse to check the environment in person.
Speaking of which, did she even have a car?
Lately, Zhong Ning had been diligently going through her chat logs. Her memory was quite good—she could recall most things, and for anything forgotten or unknown, she’d just say she forgot. After all, forgetting was normal for any human.
She opened her chat with Fu Nanshuang and searched—sure enough, there were mentions of not just one, but several supercars, all parked in the Zhong family villa garage.
Her friends list included the Zhong family’s butler. She messaged him to have the silver one sent to the Xie house.
She didn’t like the purple or red ones.
Having a car makes going out much more convenient. Earlier, she had been in a rush, and there was only one driver in the Xie family, who had gone with Xie Shiqing. So she had to call a cab.
Or rather, she just completely forgot that rich people usually had drivers.
Back home, with the afternoon only halfway over, Zhong Ning rubbed her hands excitedly and sat down at her brand-new computer desk, caressing the giant screen with a few gleeful chuckles.
Power on!
She had already picked out the game—it was a newly released, very popular open-world, gacha game called “Stellar Core.” She had watched a few gameplay videos: the combat was smooth, the graphics detailed, and most importantly, the characters were gorgeous!
When Xie Shiqing came home that evening, she heard faint laughter and talking coming from Zhong Ning’s room. The sound insulation in the villa was excellent—under normal circumstances, she wouldn't hear a thing. That was why she had agreed to Zhong Ning’s livestream request in the first place.
This kind of minor favor meant nothing to her. Giving it away effortlessly and still gaining gratitude while boosting her image—Xie Shiqing had long been accustomed to this while running her company.
Why was it so noisy? Why was Zhong Ning’s voice so loud?
She walked upstairs, planning to change out of her work clothes, but then heard another woman’s voice inside Zhong Ning’s room.
Xie Shiqing’s expression hardened. She walked step by step to the door, it wasn’t locked, and there was a narrow space where voices were coming out.
“What are you doing?”
Zhong Ning turned her head at the sound, casually turning off the mic, and said with pleasant surprise, “Shiqing, you're off work already!”
“I’m livestreaming a gacha draw. I already have over four thousand followers.”
Another voice spoke from beside her, “Miss.”
It was one of the household maids.
Although Xie Shiqing had asked them to keep their volume down and to avoid idle chatter during work, she still recognized their voices.
Xie Shiqing said calmly, “What are you doing here?”
Zhong Ning replied with a relaxed smile, “Oh! Xiaolin plays this game too, and she’s helping me out. My own account is new and doesn’t have any Stellar Stones, so I can’t draw any characters. She let me pull on her account.”
Xiaolin… first name basic already? So familiar. I was asking the maid, and she rushed to explain—why?
Trying to provoke me on purpose?
Such a cheap trick.
Xie Shiqing turned around and left.
Zhong Ning blinked. Why did she leave so suddenly? Oh, she must have gone to change clothes. She remembered that at home, Xie Shiqing usually wore more comfortable loungewear, something like a robe.
The fitted cheongsam she was wearing now was clearly for going out.
It seemed she had come straight to see her after returning home. Zhong Ning didn’t even know when she got back—she had missed the chance to welcome her. Such a dereliction of duty!
Zhong Ning puffed her cheeks in frustration. Next time, she must remember.
She turned to Xiaolin and said, “Let’s finish the gacha quickly. We’ve got to eat dinner soon.”
The fans in the livestream were flooding the chat with question marks, asking where the host went, or if the stream was lagging.
But Xiaolin quickly shook her head. “No more draws, Miss Zhong. I need to go prepare right away.”
With that, she gave a bow and ran off with her phone, faster than a rabbit.
Zhong Ning: “Eh…?”
Xiaolin had left, but the account was still logged in. Zhong Ning hesitated for a moment, then voluntarily exited the game.
Since Xiaolin had said she wouldn’t draw, it would be impolite for her to continue alone.
Zhong Ning reopened the mic and said in a light, slightly regretful tone, “The account owner won’t be drawing anymore. Also, one of my family members just got back, and I need to go eat dinner too. That’s it for today’s stream. The fan group number is in my profile, feel free to join. Tomorrow’s livestream time will be announced there.”
“Bye-bye, see you tomorrow.”
She ended the stream, washed her face, and just as she stepped out, she saw Xie Shiqing coming out too. Her face lit up with a smile, “Thanks for your hard work today!”