Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Public opinion was in an uproar, yet Ning Yichu, the focal point of the incident, remained fast asleep.

He had a weak constitution; whenever he got sick, it took him much longer than most people to recover and come around.

That afternoon, medical staff came again to give him another IV drip and prescribed some oral meds. After the IV was finished, they instructed He Shixia that if Ning Yichu hadn't woken up by that evening, it would be best to call them back for another check-up.

Fortunately, around dusk, Ning Yichu, whose fever had finally broken, slowly woke up.

He opened his eyes, his mind still somewhat foggy, and stared at the brick-red ceiling above for a while before coming to his senses. He then slightly turned his head to look at He Shixia, who was sitting by the bedside.

Seeing him look over, He Shixia softened his voice: "Ah Ning, you had a fever last night and slept the whole day. Your temp's back to normal now, but do you still feel uncomfortable anywhere?"

Ning Yichu's voice was a bit hoarse: "Everything hurts. I've been lying down all day; my back and waist are sore. What kind of pointless question is that... Help me to the bathroom. I want to give myself a quick wipe-down and change clothes. I feel awful."

He Shixia stroked Ning Yichu's head and chuckled softly: "If you have the energy to complain about me, then I'm relieved."

Then, instead of helping Ning Yichu up, he simply picked him up in a princess carry and carried him into the bathroom.

Ning Yichu couldn't be bothered to struggle, just glanced at the camera in the bedroom: "Has this camera been blocked all day?"

He Shixia nodded: "You were sick, and there wasn't much worth broadcasting. Although the production crew came and asked if we could remove the jacket blocking the camera, saying the audience was also quite worried about your condition, I refused."

"Um, hello! Although the video is blocked, we can still hear the audio!"

"Film Emperor He, you're being too blunt. It's fine to be direct when debunking rumors and spilling the tea, but I don't like your attitude now. You're treating us too much like outsiders, ahhhh!"

"Ning Yichu is finally awake. He was quite seriously ill, sleeping all day without waking up once, right?"

"My driving desires are fighting with my morals... Knowing the whole story of how Ning Yichu and He Shixia got married, I feel I shouldn't say what comes next, but... He Shixia is going to help Ning Yichu wipe his body, right? Hehehe."

"That's the sound of the bathroom door closing now, right? And I didn't hear Ning Yichu getting out of bed or walking. Looks like He Shixia carried him into the bathroom =w="

Having just woken up from illness, Ning Yichu couldn't even be bothered to lift a finger. Since He Shixia was willing to serve him, he accepted it calmly. It wasn't like he hadn't been seen naked before. Not to go too far back, just when he first fell ill after being reborn, He Shixia had taken care of him then too. There was nothing to be shy about.

After He Shixia helped him wipe down and change clothes, Ning Yichu regained a bit of strength and prepared to walk out on his own. But as soon as he lifted his foot, He Shixia picked him up again.

He Shixia didn't put Ning Yichu back on the bed but first placed him on his own floor bedding: "Ah Ning, sit here for a bit. You must have sweated a lot with the fever. I couldn't disturb you earlier since you were asleep, but now I'll change your sheets and quilt first so you won't be uncomfortable."

Ning Yichu nodded lazily.

Before changing the bedding, He Shixia went to pour a cup of warm water. After handing it to Ning Yichu, he didn't let go immediately but confirmed: "Can you hold the cup yourself?"

Hearing this, Ning Yichu felt like throwing the entire cup of water in He Shixia's face.

He retorted weakly: "What, do I look like a completely helpless person with no hands right now?"

He Shixia smiled: "You do look very weak right now. I am indeed a bit overly worried. Then hold it steady, drink some water to soothe your throat. I'll go change the quilt now."

The bedroom wasn't big. He Shixia's so-called "going" was just a matter of turning around.

Sitting on He Shixia's floor bedding, Ning Yichu slowly sipped his water, his eyes fixed ahead as he watched He Shixia take out the replacement bedding prepared by the production crew from the wardrobe.

Only then did Ning Yichu notice the dark circles under He Shixia's eyes, caused by lack of sleep.

"You look even uglier now." Although he knew He Shixia's lack of sleep was due to taking care of him, Ning Yichu still chose to tease him.

Ning Yichu tilted his head: "This is a congenital deficiency. Plastic surgery won't help. Just get a new head."

"Shocking! A certain film emperor personally admits to planning plastic surgery!"

"LMAO, how is your conversation so hilarious?"

"Sigh, no video is fine, let's treat it like a radio drama."

"You know what, even with the bullet comments, it really has that radio drama feel."

"Better than a radio drama experience! Ours is live, real-time listening, real-time interaction!"

"Audiences nowadays have to comfort themselves like this, poor us."

"Curious, does Ning Yichu really think He Shixia is ugly, or is he just saying it on purpose?"

"Probably on purpose... Regardless, since Ning Yichu can paint well, his aesthetic sense should be fine..."

"Not necessarily. Aesthetics are subjective, feelings are subjective. Maybe Ning Yichu's subjective liking or disliking of He Shixia affects his aesthetic judgment of He Shixia's appearance. It's possible he genuinely finds him ugly..."

"That's so tragic. From Ning Yichu's perspective, isn't that like being married to an unlikeable ugly monster..."

"Wait, hold on, do you guys really think Ning Yichu dislikes He Shixia's face? Isn't it obvious he's just deliberately mocking He Shixia?"

"Listening to Ning Yichu's tone, it sounds like a joke. From the past couple of days, it seems this is just his style of talking to Film Emperor He... How is that not a kind of special treatment? Film Emperor He, what do you say?"

The "ugly" He Shixia couldn't help but laugh: "By the way, Ah Ning, a lot happened while you were asleep today. Want me to tell you about it now?"

Ning Yichu showed little interest: "If no one died, no need to tell me."

He Shixia thought for a moment: "Kangning's stock price 'died' for a bit. Does that count?"

Ning Yichu paused slightly, interested now: "Tell me about it."

"Teasing a cat, the cat ignores you, keep teasing, the cat reacts, happy."

"Hahahaha Film Emperor He, you really know how to phrase things. Kangning's stock price 'died' for a bit hahaha."

"A drop limit is a kind of death, of course. But I'd prefer Kangning to bid farewell to the social circle, and the Ning family to bid farewell to the biological circle..."

"Uh, so is He Shixia now going to tell Ning Yichu that he publicly admitted to their one-night stand... right?"

"Please, please take away whatever's blocking the camera! Let me see Ning Yichu's expression when he hears this! It must be amazing! I'll regret missing it for the rest of my life ahhh!"

Hearing that the Ning family had taken advantage of his illness to spread "black material" about him, Ning Yichu felt calm and unsurprised. He had previously guessed whether Ning Zeshu was planning a tactic of suppression before praise. Now it was just the Ning family acting accordingly. The Ning family doing such things was completely unremarkable.

"A classmate from my elementary, middle, and high school?" Ning Yichu raised an eyebrow and said slowly, "They couldn't even think of a different story. Such a specific identity is too easy to expose. Apart from Ning Zeshu and Ning Andong, I don't have any classmates who were with me from elementary through high school."

He Shixia nodded: "I used to hear my mom at home scold the Ning family for being stupid, but I'd never witnessed it myself. However, the hotel accident design a few months ago and today's incident have shown me that the Ning family really is stupid."

"Speaking so directly hahaha."

"Actually, Brother He usually speaks quite tactfully. This is the first time he's been so direct in calling someone stupid. It really shows how despicable the Ning family is."

"Film Emperor He's mom: Thank you, my good son, for publicizing that I privately scolded the Ning family."

Ning Yichu curled his lips slightly: "The most fatal thing about the Ning family isn't their stupidity, but their arrogance."

He Shixia: "Indeed. Otherwise, they wouldn't be so confident, thinking they could control public opinion."

"Isn't it just foolish arrogance? That's why they think such full-of-holes rhetoric can convince netizens."

"Do they really think netizens don't have brains?"

"To be fair, Kangning Grand Hotel was indeed a leader in the domestic hotel industry for many years. It's only in recent years, after the current patriarch took over, that it has clearly started to decline. But with the family fortune accumulated by previous generations, as long as the successors aren't foolish and meddlesome, it should be enough to sustain several generations. So in the past, the Ning family must have received a lot of flattery in their circles. Even if people gossiped behind their backs, it rarely reached their ears, giving them an illusion of invincibility. They never expected that the same tactics would be completely ineffective when scaled up."

"Who is the current head of Kangning?"

"He's easy to look up. The current head is quite fond of attending public events. His name is Ning Shaoren, and you can also find him mentioning that his successor will be his eldest son, Ning Zeqi... So that's Ning Zeshu's biological father and Ning Yichu's adoptive father, right?"

"Ugh, some people were trying to argue that maybe in a wealthy family with many members, Ning Yichu's adoptive parents didn't have much say and were also bullied by other family members, which is why they couldn't stop the abuse. But it turns out the adoptive parents are the heads of the family. Ridiculous and despicable."

"Even without this detail, there's no way to whitewash them. Ning Zeshu, the youngest son, is so doted on in the Ning family—how could his parents have low status? And given the suffering Ning Yichu endured, it's clear his adoptive parents were the primary instigators."

【Those who use 'the adoptive parents had their own difficulties' to whitewash things are either fools who haven't bothered to understand the full story and just want to show off how different they are, or garbage deliberately spreading malice.】

"Just thinking about how they deliberately brought Little Yichu home despite the mismatched information, yet kept telling outsiders that Little Yichu deceived them, makes me furious at this vicious couple."

"In a way, everyone in their circle is enabling them..."

"After all, if they're all in the same circle, even if there are some differences, it's not like the gap is so huge they wouldn't dare question things or speak up for justice. It's just that, like the Ning family, they think a child from a welfare home isn't worth sympathizing with."

"Wait..." Having finished lambasting the Ning family's arrogance, Ning Yichu suddenly caught on. "So, by saying 'hotel incident' just now, you mean..."

He Shixia paused slightly, then answered honestly, "Sorry, I took it upon myself to admit during the clarification that the important turning point in our relationship was due to a 'one-night stand'..."

Ning Yichu's face was expressionless. "Oh, go on."

"Hahaha, that tone."

【Ah Ning must also be 'impressed' by Film Emperor He's 'honesty'! Hmm!】

"Ning Yichu: Who would've thought? I get sick, and my legally wedded partner spreads the news of our one-night stand!"

He Shixia smiled apologetically. Having finished changing the bedsheets, he first carried Ning Yichu back to bed before continuing.

Ning Yichu hadn't felt much sitting on the floor earlier, but now back on the bed, he raised an eyebrow at the difference. "The floor you're sleeping on is quite hard."

He Shixia couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, that's why it's called the floor. Where were we... You must be hungry, you haven't eaten all day. The crew sent over some food. I heated it up earlier when I went to the kitchen to get you water. It should be about ready now. Let me bring it to you first, and then we can talk slowly, okay?"

Ning Yichu glanced around the bedroom and thought for a moment. "Let's eat outside. Bringing it here is a hassle. I'm much more awake now, not that fragile."

Without a convenient bedside table, bringing the food over would indeed be inconvenient. Seeing Ning Yichu's complexion was okay—though still pale as usual, it was at least normal—He Shixia didn't insist on treating him like fragile glass.

"Alright, let me get you a jacket to wear," He Shixia said.

"Great, great! If we go outside, we'll get to see the footage!"

"Thank you, Ah Ning, for your generosity. I knew you wouldn't treat us viewers as outsiders."

"I can't wait to see Ning Yichu's expression when he hears the rumor about him being pregnant has been debunked, hehehe."

The "living room" outside was cluttered with red bricks, so it wasn't very convenient either. He Shixia simply brought stools, and they sat directly in the kitchen to eat.

He Shixia ate slowly, spending most of the time telling Ning Yichu about the day's events, while Ning Yichu listened as he ate.

When he heard the part where He Shixia denied the pregnancy rumor, Ning Yichu raised an eyebrow. "Good thing you denied it."

If He Shixia had been truthful about this as well, it wouldn't have been a major worry, but it's always better to have one less thing to deal with.

He Shixia understood his real meaning but played along for the audience's sake. "Such an absurd thing—even if I wanted to irresponsibly admit it, the audience wouldn't believe it, and you'd kill me after waking up anyway. Ah Ning, don't you think the food from the crew isn't as good as what I cooked last night?"

Ning Yichu didn't spare his feelings. "Not really. As long as there's food, it's fine."

"The production team's chef: Am I also part of your peacock display to your partner, Mr. He?"

"Film Emperor He, why did you have to ask that extra question? Hahaha."

By the time Ning Yichu finished eating, He Shixia had told him everything that happened that day.

As Ning Yichu was about to return to the bedroom, He Shixia stopped him. "Wait, Ah Ning. Even though your fever has subsided, the doctor prescribed oral medication. It's better to take some more to consolidate your recovery. They should be taken after meals. Let me get them for you..."

Ning Yichu took the medicine and went back to the bedroom, while He Shixia continued eating and then cleaned up the kitchen.

The medication had a slight sedative effect. Although Ning Yichu had slept all day, he was still somewhat tired. After taking the medicine, drowsiness quickly set in again. By the time He Shixia returned to the bedroom, Ning Yichu was already asleep again.

Looking at Ning Yichu's peaceful sleeping face, He Shixia's heart, which had been on edge all day, finally relaxed.

He hadn't slept since midnight the previous night and was quite tired himself. He quietly washed up and went to bed early.

In the middle of the night, He Shixia woke up abruptly again. This time, he woke up without any obvious reason. As soon as he opened his eyes, he instinctively looked toward the bed, holding his breath to listen carefully. Only after not hearing any coughing did he let out his first sigh of relief.

Then, He Shixia carefully got up, felt his way to the bedside, and reached out to check Ning Yichu's forehead temperature. After confirming everything was normal, he let out his second sigh of relief, returned to his floor bedding, and went back to sleep.

The next morning, Ning Yichu woke up feeling much more relaxed all over.

He took a shower, changed into casual clothes for going out, ate the breakfast specially delivered by the crew for the patient, took his medicine again, put on a mask, and prepared to continue recording the show.

He Shixia wanted Ning Yichu to rest more, but Ning Yichu felt that every day was precious now. Understanding his own physical condition, he didn't want to spend a new day solely on recuperation.

Going out, even if it was just to argue with someone, would count as getting something done.

Moreover, with memories from their past lives, they both knew that today's program arrangement was an indoor Werewolf game. They wouldn't be walking outside catching a chill, nor would it require much physical exertion.

The production team was overjoyed that Ning Yichu was willing to resume participation so quickly. They didn't even make Ning Yichu and He Shixia find their own way with a map; instead, they had staff drive them directly to today's game location.

Although, given the island's road conditions, the car ride wasn't much more comfortable.

Today, the production team set the Werewolf game in an abandoned hospital—same story as before: the hospital was built because a tourist island was planned and basic infrastructure needed to be complete; it was left as an empty shell because the tourist island plan was canceled.

Now, using it for Werewolf added a unique atmosphere.

Since the other guests needed to make their own breakfast at the dining point after waking up, eat, and then find the game location using the map provided by the production team and walk there, Ning Yichu and He Shixia were actually the earliest to arrive at the game location that day.

They sat in the abandoned hospital's lobby for a while before the other guests arrived together. Seeing He Shixia and Ning Yichu, who was wearing a mask, sitting inside, the other guests were somewhat surprised.

Ning Zeshu took a few steps forward. "Xiao Chu, are you feeling better? I heard you were sick yesterday and wanted to visit, but the production staff stopped me, saying you were asleep and wouldn't know even if someone came, so I didn't disturb you. How did you get sick..."

Ning Yichu found his voice annoying and couldn't be bothered to respond, so he simply didn't answer.

Ning Zeshu didn't seem to mind, as if just saying his piece and ensuring Ning Yichu heard it was enough. Since Ning Yichu ignored him, he found a seat and sat down.

"Gotta say, I admire Ning Zeshu's mentality..."

"It's as if he has no idea about yesterday's events—how the Ning family tried to smear Ning Yichu but ended up suffering the consequences and taking a big hit. His greeting tone is even more affectionate..."

【If I had Ning Zeshu's 'great mentality,' I'd definitely excel in all sorts of shameless competitions.】

"To be honest, I'm even more curious about what Ning Zeshu is actually thinking."

"Ning Zeshu is just a guest for the first episode, right? He's leaving tomorrow morning. Cheers to that, cheers to that."

"Speaking of which, the three members of Alien left early yesterday morning. I wonder if He Shixia and Ning Yichu even know about this yet?"

Ning Yichu and He Shixia indeed didn't know. After all, Ning Yichu was sick yesterday, and He Shixia was busy taking care of him. He refused to leave his side, making the crew feel awkward about bringing up the day's schedule. They simply assumed that He Shixia would temporarily stop filming to stay with the patient.

Thus, the production team didn't specifically inform He Shixia about the departure of the three Alien members—Ji Tianfeng, Zheng Gu, and Shen Zhou—who had left the island and pulled out of the show early.

With three participants leaving, the production team scrambled to line up replacement guests overnight. As the three Alien members left yesterday, the replacements showed up at the same time. Coincidentally, they were also a boy band.

However, unlike Alien, which only sent three members, this new boy band brought all five members, bringing the total number of participants to twelve.

At the moment, the five members of the new boy band followed the popular celebrity couple, Ren Shi and Qin Muyun, into the room. Seeing Ning Yichu and He Shixia there, Fang Shanyou, the leader and most popular member who had transitioned from an idol to an "actor," was quick on the uptake. He warmly introduced himself.

"Hello, Mr. He and Mr. Ning. We are members of the boy band Tomato. I'm the leader, Fang Shanyou. The three members of Alien chose to withdraw from the program early the night before last, so the crew contacted us overnight. You could say we're here to save the day, haha. But even without this incident, our group was originally scheduled to meet with you all, as we were planned to be the guest stars for the second episode."

Ning Yichu and He Shixia, of course, knew that in their past life, there was no such "unexpected situation." Alien and Make completed the first three days, and then the five members of Tomato joined as guest stars for the second episode.

However, "Alien chose to withdraw from the program early" was clearly the production team's attempt to maintain a semblance of harmony. Judging by the three members' behavior at the end of the first day, it was unlikely they would have willingly withdrawn that night.

The truth was that the scandals exposed about Ji Tianfeng, Zheng Gu, and Shen Zhou were too severe. The production team was concerned that allowing them to continue as planned would turn viewers against the show. However, during the first day, even the crew hadn't had time to react.

After all, discussing whether to let the three Alien members withdraw early, how to handle the vacant spots, and urgently contacting replacement guests all required time. Moreover, as a live broadcast, the crew couldn't very well kick the Alien members off right in the middle of the stream.

Thus, it wasn't until after the day's recording ended that the production team reached an agreement with Alien's management for them to withdraw early and confirmed that the second-episode guest stars would arrive ahead of time.

The director was relieved that the boy band Tomato was set to disband in less than half a month. Their appearance on this program was promoted as their "final group variety show." Before this, the group had no other commitments, so asking them to come early didn't conflict with their schedules.

The five members of Tomato had already filmed with the other guests for a full day yesterday. The other guests thought they were alright, and the audience found them quite harmonious. In particular, Fang Shanyou, as the leader and most popular rising star, came across as pretty thoughtful in his interactions so far.

However, to everyone's surprise, this seemingly considerate rising star, after his friendly-sounding introduction, suddenly shifted his tone and said, "Mr. Ning was sick yesterday. We were afraid of disturbing you, so we didn't visit. Seeing you back for filming today puts our minds at ease."

"I heard Mr. Ning suffered a lot in the Ning family, often being scolded and physically punished... Sigh, I don't even know how to comfort you. I can only say, look on the bright side. At least the Ning family's actions seem to have toughened you up physically, which is why you recovered so quickly and could return to the program."

Amidst the shock and frowns from those around, Ning Yichu looked at Fang Shanyou, whose face was full of sincerity, and raised an eyebrow meaningfully. "What, Mr. Fang liked how things ended for Alien so much that you couldn't wait to come to me for help?"