**32**

Grandma fell ill very suddenly. When Ning Zhi received the news, she was recording a travel variety show.

She immediately bought a plane ticket and rushed back.

When she arrived at the hospital, the only ones by Grandma’s side were Shen Yizhi’s parents. Their two families had lived across the street from each other for decades and had close neighborly relations.

Only after Ning Zhi returned, accompanied by two assistants running errands for her, did Shen Yizhi's parents leave.

As people age, their health can deteriorate quickly. Perhaps in the morning they were still cooking, doing laundry, and visiting neighbors, but by the afternoon they felt dizzy and were rushed straight to the hospital.

The last time Ning Zhi contacted her grandmother was three days ago. Her grandmother was perfectly fine then, asking if she would come home for the New Year, saying she wanted to make dumplings for her. She mentioned the recent drop in temperature and advised her to dress warmly. She also said she watched the program last night and that Ning Ning was getting more and more beautiful and sang very well. Now, whenever her grandmother goes out, she feels proud; Old Zhang and Old Li are both envious of her.

She never imagined that in just three short days, her grandmother would be lying in the hospital bed, barely breathing.

Ning Zhi stayed by the bedside, talking to Grandma. Grandma could hear her, but speaking was a bit difficult. All she could do was say a few words, then smile with effort to show she was listening. She loved hearing it.

Ning Zhi never expected Shen Yizhi to come, especially to show up right when she was confronting her father.

Her father arrived even later than she did, saying he had been on a business trip, bringing along his second wife and son.

Ning Zhi wouldn’t stop them from visiting Grandma, but when she heard her father say he wanted to have more contact with her, she couldn’t hold back her temper and retorted sarcastically.

It was at that moment that Shen Yizhi appeared; the mockery in her eyes hadn’t faded. Ning Zhi was completely stunned upon seeing Shen Yizhi, and before she could react, a nurse inside called for a doctor.

She couldn’t think about anything else and hurried back to the ward, followed by a tense and thrilling rescue.

Ning Zhi stayed by the ward all night, and Shen Yizhi was there too. They didn’t speak; at a time like this, Ning Zhi couldn’t even spare a glance for her.

Her dad’s whole family got tired as soon as night fell, arriving in an orderly fashion and leaving just as neatly.

Ning Zhi thought it was fine; after all, their presence was more of a hindrance. She just worried that grandma would be disappointed if she woke up and didn’t see her son.

She sat on the edge of the bed, occasionally talking to Grandma. The doctor said this could stimulate the elderly person's will to live.

Around midnight, Grandma woke up. Ning Zhi was overjoyed and quickly called the doctor. The doctor checked all the data and issued a critical condition notice. The situation was very bad, and the family was advised to prepare themselves mentally.

Ning Zhi held back tears and returned to the ward to tell Grandma that the doctor said she was recovering well and encouraged her to keep fighting.

"I want to go home for the New Year to eat Grandma's dumplings."

Grandma just smiled. She understood everything. She was afraid that if she slipped into unconsciousness again, she might not make it. She gathered her strength and advised Ning Zhi to take good care of herself, not to push so hard, and to rest when needed because health is the most important thing.

She said she was going to rest for a long time soon and fell into a deep sleep several times.

Shen Yizhi went out to answer the phone. Grandma sighed and said, "My only regret now is that I didn't get to see you find someone to spend your life with. You're so stubborn, and you definitely won't go to your dad and mom's place. After I'm gone, what will you do during the holidays all alone and quiet?"

Her cloudy eyes were full of regret and worry, and Ning Zhi felt as if her heart was being cut with a knife.

After her grandmother fell asleep, she took a water jug to fetch water. Passing by the stairwell, she overheard Shen Yizhi’s phone conversation.

She was being entangled by a big shot, who declared that as long as she remained single, he would not give up pursuing her. Shen Yizhi couldn’t afford to offend the person too much, so she could only deal with it patiently.

Ning Zhi hadn’t thought much at first, but upon hearing this, her mind suddenly became active. She waited outside until Shen Yizhi finished the call and came out, then made a request to her.

She needed a marriage to reassure her grandmother, and Shen Yizhi needed to get rid of trouble; it just so happened that they could make a match.

Shen Yizhi was very surprised and did not speak immediately; she began to think it over.

Ning Zhi's mind was full of thoughts about making grandma happy, hoping she might get better.

Don't worry, I haven't liked her for a long time. I brought up this suggestion to reassure grandma. If she becomes happy, she might very well get better. We both get what we want; once grandma recovers, your troubles will be over, and then you can get the divorce certificate.

Shen Yizhi hesitated for a moment, then agreed under Ning Zhi's pleading gaze.

Early the next morning, they went together to their hometown's small county town.

The staff at the Civil Affairs Bureau were very excited, saying they were fans, but Ning Zhi didn’t catch whose fans they were; her mind was still at the hospital.

When the staff handed the certificate to them, they smiled and said, "You are the first couple."

Ning Zhi didn’t feel much at the time.

On the way back, holding the red certificate, for a moment she felt disbelief—she had actually married Shen Yizhi—but these emotions were quickly replaced by worry about her grandmother’s condition.

Outside the ward, Shen Yizhi grabbed her, looked at her complexion, and reminded her, "Since you've decided to do this, you have to act convincingly. We'll stick to the same story: we reunited after you debuted, and naturally ended up together. We originally planned to register our marriage when we went home for the Spring Festival, but now we've just moved the date forward. If grandma asks for details, let me handle it."

Ning Zhi knew this was crucial and memorized the story carefully.

Grandma was really happy; she felt much better that day, and the doctor said she was doing well.

But Ning Zhi didn't have time to be happy. In less than a week, Grandma's condition took a turn for the worse, and during an unsuccessful rescue, she never opened her eyes again.

Heatstroke caused a headache.

Ning Zhi lay with her eyes closed for a long time but couldn't fall asleep, so she simply took out her phone to chat with a mysterious online friend.

However, the mysterious online friend either deleted her after not contacting her for too long or was busy, as she didn’t reply for quite a while.

Ning Zhi had no choice but to calm down.

During that time, Shen Yizhi stayed with her, helping to handle various matters.

It wasn’t until after the funeral ended that Shen Yizhi took her home.

It rained heavily that day, from daytime until night, and the weather was bone-chillingly cold.

Ning Zhi was dazed and confused, and Shen Yizhi settled her in the guest room.

Shen Yizhi also looked unwell; she stayed up with her for several nights, deeply fatigued.

Watching her lie down in the warm bed, Shen Yizhi reminded her, "I'm right next door. If you need anything, just come find me."

After saying that, he turned off the light for her and left.

Ning Zhi lay in this unfamiliar place, staring into the pitch-black darkness before her, but her mind was becoming increasingly clear.

Only then did she calm down from the grief of her grandmother's departure.

She suddenly realized that the matter of getting the marriage certificate was something she had morally coerced and forced; it was she who needed the marriage, while Shen Yizhi had plenty of ways to avoid the trouble.

Thinking about this, she lay awake for a long time without falling asleep, so she got out of bed, opened the door, and went out.

There was a faint fragrance in the house, fresh and pleasant, and the lights in the stairwell corridor outside were all on.

She walked to the next door; the door was open, the light was on, but Shen Yizhi was not there.

Ning Zhi stood stunned at the door for a moment before looking away and noticing the study with its door wide open.

Shen Yizhi was on a video call with her agent handling some work matters. Her voice was softer than usual, but her tone remained steady, hitting the key points when discussing important issues.

Ning Zhi didn’t interrupt her, just leaned against the wall by the door and listened to her voice.

Only at this moment did she begin to truly feel the reality of reuniting with Shen Yizhi, and really sense that she was indeed in Shen Yizhi’s home.

The matter of registering their marriage made her feel both guilty and uneasy. After a few seconds, she belatedly felt a selfish flicker of joy.

She knew it was wrong, but she couldn't control her heart; she blamed herself while unable to hide her happiness.

Just then, Shen Yizhi came out. Seeing her by the door, he was startled, then smiled and asked, "You're not sleeping? How did you end up here?"

Her tone was very natural, just like before.

Ning Zhi stared at her, his numb heart gradually regaining sensation, beating wildly.

"Are you hungry? There's not much to eat at home, should I order takeout for you?" Shen Yizhi asked again.

Ning Zhi nodded involuntarily.

Shen Yizhi smiled and asked her what she wanted to eat, telling her that there was a private kitchen in the neighborhood that made very good food, and if she ordered some simple dishes, they could be delivered in half an hour.

Ning Zhi felt hungry; she hadn't eaten properly for many days.

When the takeout arrived, Ning Zhi went downstairs with her and walked to the front door together.

The delivery person was probably used to seeing celebrities by now. Seeing her, he didn't show any surprise but smiled at her and greeted her openly.

After Shen Yizhi closed the door, she brought up the fingerprint lock registration system and had Ning Zhi register her fingerprint.

"You can come anytime you want," she said.

Incredible good things kept happening one after another.

Ning Zhi was still grieving the loss of her grandmother, but she was no longer so desperate.

She asked, "Why?"

Why could she come to Shen Yizhi’s house whenever she wanted?

Shen Yizhi said, “Hasn’t it always been like this? Didn’t you used to be able to come to my house anytime you wanted?”

Ning Zhi immediately understood; Shen Yizhi missed the way their relationship used to be.

She didn’t speak, silently eating the takeout, but her tongue couldn’t taste anything at all.

After she finished eating, Shen Yizhi said again, “And the marriage certificate…”

Ning Zhi immediately became extremely nervous, as if her whole body was covered in spikes, and blurted out, “We each take what we need from the marriage certificate; neither owes the other anything.”

She didn’t want to end this pragmatic marriage, fearing that Shen Yizhi would notice her feelings, notice that she still liked her. The words hadn’t even fully left her mouth before she regretted them.

Shen Yizhi was silent for a long moment before saying, "You're right, each gets what they need, no debts between us."

Ning Zhi replied stiffly, "Good that you understand."

Clearly, she was in the wrong, but Shen Yizhi still went along with her wishes and didn’t bring it up again.

The next morning, Ning Zhi ran away. It was as if two personalities had split within her: one cursed her shamelessness, accusing her of moral coercion and still trying to maintain this false relationship; the other comforted her, thinking that maybe Shen Yizhi’s trouble hadn’t been resolved yet. After all, the certificate was already obtained, so a few more days or less didn’t matter. They could wait until Shen Yizhi suggested ending it and then go through the divorce together.

She fled in such a split manner, like an ostrich burying her head in the sand, constantly on guard, afraid that Shen Yizhi would call her at any moment, almost neurotically trying to maintain this marriage that didn’t even exist.

Until now, she had been pretending quite well, not mentioning the certificate at all, even deliberately downplaying its existence. Instead, she clearly drew the boundary with Shen Yizhi, pretending on the surface not to care at all, while inside feeling completely the opposite.

Ning Zhi thought about these things, her headache growing worse.

She didn’t know how the filming was going on set, whether it was going smoothly. She knew which scene was being shot today, and felt increasingly stifled.

0929 still hadn't replied to her.

Ning Zhi was full of thoughts and sent a few more messages, hoping 0929 would listen to her.

This time, 0929 finally responded to her.

"You go ahead and speak," she said.

Ning Zhi was delighted, but when it came to actually speaking, she didn't know where to start. The situation was so complicated, and she had been complaining about Shen Yizhi every day recently. Now to say she liked her, the plot was just too abrupt.

She thought carefully several times and finally typed cautiously: "I realized, my colleague isn't that annoying after all."

"Why?"

0929 asked.

Ning Zhi typed slowly: "Sometimes she's quite nice."

"What kind of times?"

0929 was especially probing today.

Ning Zhi thought for a moment; when has Shen Yizhi ever been anything but good? She's always been good.

But answering like this would seem abrupt, Ning Zhi needed to take it slowly.

Speak patiently, and she rarely gets angry.

0929's replies slowed down.

Shen Yizhi's assistant came in, saw her holding the phone, and disapproved: "Why not take a proper rest?"

She first handed the warm water in her hand to Ning Zhi, then took her temperature—no drop, no rise.

"I can't sleep,"

Ning Zhi said, being somewhat considerate by putting down his phone and drinking half a glass of water.

Her tongue tasted a bit bitter. She set the cup aside and waited for the assistant to leave before checking if 0929 had replied.

Not yet.

Another ten minutes passed before the message from 0929 finally arrived.

Do you want to consider spending a bit more time with her? Maybe you'll find she's not as bad as you think.

Ning Zhi was momentarily stunned, feeling something was off; 0929's tone sounded like a plea.

"It's better to get along well with colleagues; work goes more smoothly that way. It's always better to be friends than enemies, right?"

0929 added, this time sending the message quite quickly.

The strange feeling just now disappeared; 0929 was not pleading, but rather thought that this would make her work go more smoothly.

Ning Zhi quickly clicked on the screen: "You're right."

It wasn't long before Shen Yizhi arrived, bringing some sweet syrup.

Ning Zhi was just feeling a bitter taste on her tongue and gladly took it.

It wasn't until she opened the lid that she realized she had taken it for granted.

She glanced at Shen Yizhi, who looked natural and said, "You used to like eating something sweet when you had a fever."

Ning Zhi uttered an "oh,"

then lowered his head to taste a spoonful; the sweetness was just right.

Just after saying "She’s not as bad as you think,"

she once again experienced Shen Yizhi’s thoughtfulness.

Ning Zhi drank spoonful by spoonful; the amount of syrup was small, and soon only the bottom remained.

She put down the spoon, and Shen Yizhi came over to clear the bowl away.

She went outside.

Ning Zhi's gaze followed her back until she was out of sight.

Yang Yang came in from outside, lowering her voice to murmur, "Is Teacher Shen and her assistant competing with me for work?"

When she said this, Ning Zhicai realized that, from an outsider's perspective, Shen Yizhi taking care of her like this was seen as a condescending act.

Yangyang brought over the pills.

"Teacher Shen said the shoot didn't go well tonight, and they have to shoot another day tomorrow, so she got you a day off. You can rest for another day,"

Yangyang said as she watched her swallow the medicine.

After hearing this, Ning Zhicai's first reaction was, had Shen Yizhi left?

Her mood instantly sank, and she covered her head, saying, "I have a headache."

As soon as she finished speaking, Shen Yizhi came in, and Ning Zhi immediately pressed her lips tightly.

"Not letting you rest properly," she said bluntly.

So cold. Ning Zhi cursed silently to herself.

Yangyang quickly went out, even closing the door behind her.

The space became enclosed. Ning Zhi suddenly felt uncomfortable.

She looked at Shen Yizhi, wanting to ask why he hadn’t left, but was afraid that if she said it, he really would leave.

Shen Yizhi sat on the edge of the bed. Ning Zhi was so nervous that she didn’t know how to react. Whenever it was just the two of them, she always felt especially uneasy.

Shen Yizhi waited for a while, but she didn’t speak up, nor did she glance at him. He couldn’t help but sigh, thinking to himself how this person didn’t keep her word, even though she had just agreed to spend more time together.

She stood up and said, “Get a good night's sleep, don’t play on your phone anymore.”

Ning Zhi clutched the quilt: "Mm."

Shen Yizhi didn’t stay any longer and opened the door to leave. Ning Zhi felt her whole body drenched, unable to tell if it was sweat from a fever or from nervousness.

She pulled the quilt over her head to cover her face, wrapping herself under the blanket.

When would she be able to remain as calm and composed as Shen Yizhi?