Chapter 19

She had tried everything to prevent Shen Yibai from coming into contact with Ning Xi, but her plans were unexpectedly disrupted by Wei Xuan.

Fortunately, those two did not rekindle any old feelings.

And after Shen Yibai learned that she wasn’t feeling well, he really did end his date with Ning Xi early to come see her…

A trace of sweetness welled up in Ning Mingyue’s heart.

She would never doubt Shen Yibai’s feelings for her again. Shen Yibai’s choice today had already given her confidence.

At the hospital entrance.

Ning Xi had just gotten out of the car when she was recognized by a few students who had just returned home for the holidays.

Ning Xi tossed her hair: “Xiao Xi, you’re really popular now. You have to pay attention to your words and actions. Who knows how many eyes are watching me, waiting for me to slip up. I’m just a very genuine kid…”

She forgot the rest and stopped.

Because there weren’t many fans, Ning Xi signed autographs and took photos with each of the girls, even chatting with them for a bit.

It took more than ten minutes before Ning Xi could get away.

Just as she hurried inside, she realized…

Shen Yibai had actually been quietly waiting for her behind the whole time!

Not only did he show no impatience, but he had also thoughtfully prepared drinks for her fans.

“These are drinks from Ning Xi. The weather’s a bit hot, so please be careful on your way home.”

Shen Yibai handed out milk tea to the group of kids one by one.

“Thank you, Baby Xi! You’re so beautiful and kind!”

“I’ll go home and vote for Xiao Xi all night without sleeping!”

“Me too!”

After showering her with compliments, the fans finally noticed that the young man handing out drinks was unexpectedly handsome.

Is this Xiao Xi’s new Assistant?

They were dying of curiosity, but seeing that Ning Xi seemed to have more filming to do, they didn’t ask further and reluctantly said goodbye.

After the fans left, Ning Xi politely said “thank you” to Shen Yibai.

She had been in such a rush just now that she hadn’t even thought to buy drinks for those kids.

Shen Yibai really was more attentive than her in many things.

After she entered the entertainment industry, Shen Yibai-who had only ever watched financial news growing up-also started to get involved in the entertainment circle.

And whenever they ran into fans together, Shen Yibai would always take on the role of Assistant, helping her carry bags and comforting the fans.

All just to make the fans like her even more.

Fu Zhi had once said sourly, “I really can’t tell whether you or Shen Yibai is the one who grew up pampered. You actually make Shen Yibai do all the serving and fetching.”

But Shen Yibai seemed to enjoy it.

When Shen Yibai heard Ning Xi’s “thank you,” he paused for a moment, then replied with a soft “mm.”

The two were so familiar with each other that they didn’t think much of this ordinary little thing.

But the fact that Shen Yibai bought drinks for Ning Xi’s fans and even reminded them to be safe on her behalf caused a huge stir in the livestream comments, and his reputation quickly reversed.

[Wow, Shen Yibai’s emotions are really stable, and he’s so considerate. I actually get a bit of a husband vibe from him…]

[I was just ranting about how he insisted on coming to the hospital for no reason, but now I can’t say a word.]

[He really did a great job with this.]

[But isn’t this what an Assistant does? I didn’t expect Shen Yibai to be so skilled, like he’s done it many times before.]

[Hahaha, no way. With Shen Yibai’s outfit and aura, he’s obviously a rich young master on a variety show chasing after his wife.]

[Maybe Shen Yibai has been an Assistant for Ning Mingyue before. After all, little couples just love sticking together.]

Netizens speculated in all sorts of ways.

Only one Fan Account Admin of Ning Xi’s felt that Shen Yibai looked a bit familiar.

She had followed Ning Xi to countless events and had even been lucky enough to run into Ning Xi during her time off, so she knew every staff member around Ning Xi like the back of her hand.
Shen Yibai had just handed something to one of Ning Xi’s student fans, and that action suddenly reminded her of a former bodyguard of Ning Xi’s.

That bodyguard was very mysterious – he always wore a mask whenever he showed up, and kept a few steps away from Ning Xi.

But his build and presence were both exceptional, and when he stood beside Ning Xi in a protective pose, people couldn’t help but sense a bit of CP chemistry between them.

On top of that, this bodyguard was unlike others who would stop Ning Xi from interacting with fans.

He would help Ning Xi buy drinks and small cakes for the fans, and even help fans take photos with her.

So, he left a deep impression on Ning Xi’s longtime fans.

“Ning Xi’s bodyguard can’t possibly have anything to do with Shen Yibai, right? I’m probably just making the connection because they have such similar builds,” the fan muttered, quickly dismissing this outlandish idea.

*

Ning Xi and Shen Yibai soon found Ning Mingyue’s hospital room.

Before they could knock, they heard voices from inside.

“Mingyue, the doctor told you to get more rest. Maybe you shouldn’t be reading the script right now.”

“Don’t worry, I know my own body. The movie’s about to start filming, so I want to learn a little more about the character.”

Standing outside, Ning Xi couldn’t hold back anymore after hearing this.

She pushed the door open.

Inside, Wei Xuan and Ning Mingyue looked up.

When Ning Mingyue saw Ning Xi, the smile at the corner of her mouth froze for a moment, but soon returned to her usual affectionate expression:

“Xiao Xi, why are you here? I’m really sorry to interrupt your date.”

But Ning Xi looked disapproving: “Mingyue, I know you’re very strong-willed.”

“Well, that’s enough. You don’t have to be strong anymore, because-”

“Your ‘strength’ has arrived.”

(Note: This is a pun in Chinese, as “strong/strength” is a play on words in the original; the joke is lost in English.)

Ning Mingyue: ?

Wei Xuan and Shen Yibai’s mouths twitched.

[Hahaha, are you crazy?]

[Ning Mingyue: I’ve never been this speechless in my life.]

[This is the first time I’ve seen Ning Mingyue with this petrified, crumbling expression.]

Ning Xi walked over to Ning Mingyue, took her hand, and looked at her with deep concern.

Ning Mingyue tried to pull away, but found that Ning Xi’s grip was truly strong – she couldn’t break free at all.

She forced a smile: “Xiao Xi, are you tired? Why don’t you sit down and rest for a while?”

“I am a little tired, but I think you’re even more tired.”

Ning Xi immediately started with a cheesy pickup line: “After all, you’ve been running through my mind all day.”

“…”

Ning Mingyue’s smile vanished completely.

She felt that hearing this from Ning Xi was even worse than being scolded outright.

Ning Xi kept going, using lines even older than herself: “On the way to see you, I kept listening to music. What song? The one about how my heart feels like it’s being cut by a knife when you’re not by my side.”

“I just took a bottle of medicine. Guess which kind? The ‘you’re-important’ kind.”

(Note: This is a pun in Chinese – the words for ‘important’ and ‘medicine’ sound similar, but the joke is lost in English.)

“…”

Ning Mingyue’s face all but screamed, “Just let me die.”

And just before Ning Mingyue’s composure completely collapsed, Shen Yibai finally broke in and interrupted Ning Xi’s stream of cheesy lines:

“What did the doctor say?”

“It’s nothing serious. I just pulled a few all-nighters filming recently. I’ll be fine with some rest.”

Ning Mingyue gave a faint smile.

Shen Yibai’s expression softened: “Your body isn’t suited for staying up late. If you ever get offered roles that require all-nighters again, just don’t take them. Anyway-”

“Alright, alright, I’ll listen to whatever our President Shen says.”

Ning Mingyue’s tone became a little coquettish. “But we’re still livestreaming right now. Give me a little face in front of my fans, okay?”

Shen Yibai couldn’t help but laugh.

This whole scene, to CP fans (shipper fans), was a total sweet overload.

-If you ignore Ning Xi, who was still tightly holding both of Ning Mingyue’s hands.

[Wow, even our ‘With You’ has its own ‘Burning Winter’ moment.]