Ji Qinglin felt that there was another person whose brain had gone haywire.
When she first met Ni Zijing abroad, she was amazed by her exceptional combat skills. Once Ni Zijing stepped onto the sparring mat, no one could possibly resist the brilliance she exuded.
At that time, Ni Zijing was following her family’s arrangements to pursue a master’s and doctorate degree in Finance. Ji Qinglin had assumed that someone born with a silver spoon in their mouth would only frequent underground boxing rings out of a sense of rebellion.
After all, even those who won every match could not avoid injury. Punches delivered to the body caused genuine pain and left real bruises.
But Ni Zijing was different.
She had grown up in a harmonious family environment and possessed a gentle, humble character.
She simply loved the exhilaration and excitement of boxing, and she was passionate about it.
Without any negative motivations, Ni Zijing was completely focused on boxing, which was why she was so outstanding.
However, Ni Zijing was certainly not the type of woman to become so invested in a stranger she had only met a few times.
She didn’t chase celebrities, either.
Ji Qinglin watched the two silent figures in the back seat through the rearview mirror, lost in thought.
After Ni Zijing finished speaking, Qiao Qiao remained silent, watching her with a curious, half-smiling expression.
Ni Zijing was not in a hurry; she just sat beside Qiao Qiao and waited. Her jawline was clean and delicate, and the corners of her eyes were slightly downturned.
Her bone structure was excellent. She possessed a sharp, striking beauty that was incredibly aggressive, yet it was mysteriously tempered by the gentle expression in her eyes.
Qiao Qiao stared at Ni Zijing, her eyes flickering.
Her rosy lips parted, and she said slowly, “Why do you treat such a major responsibility like it’s a game? Sister Cancan, I am a female celebrity who has to film tomorrow. Please, stop joking.”
Hearing this, Ni Zijing raised an eyebrow and said softly, “You cannot walk on that foot.”
“Did I say I wanted to walk? There is an interview tomorrow, and I can sit down.” Qiao Qiao rubbed her forehead in exhaustion. “Thank you for today, but please send me back to the hotel. My manager will take care of me.”
Ni Zijing heard the cold, dismissive tone in Qiao Qiao’s voice and fell silent.
Ji Qinglin played some soothing music. The nerves that Qiao Qiao had kept tightly wound for hours finally began to relax, and she unexpectedly drifted off to sleep.
Only after Ni Zijing was certain that Qiao Qiao was sound asleep did she pick up her phone and make a call.
Have the reports been taken down? Remove all the negative ones, but keep the positive ones.
Tell the director to change all the scenes requiring her to stand for the reshoots.
Screen the media outlets that requested interviews. Mm, I am here right now; it is nothing urgent.
Who said to take down the trending search? Keep that buzz for her. Me? I am fine, just half a face.
Train the ski resort’s rescue team for me. If they cannot improve, replace them. They were too slow.
After Ni Zijing finished the call, Ji Qinglin quietly added, “When are you going to tell her that you are her direct superior?”
Ni Zijing looked at Qiao Qiao, whose head had lolled to the side while sleeping. She moved closer, allowing Qiao Qiao to lean against her shoulder, and whispered, “Let it happen naturally.”
“What is wrong with you? Have you fallen for a female celebrity?” Ji Qinglin clicked her tongue, unable to watch the syrupy, affectionate display from Ni Zijing.
She looked into the rearview mirror for a long moment and drawled, “You like her?”
Ni Zijing only smiled and did not speak.
“Oh.” Ji Qinglin understood. “Unrequited love, then.”
Ni Zijing’s smile gradually faded, and she shot Ji Qinglin a cold look. “You are very noisy.”
Qiao Qiao slept sweetly, completely unaware that Ni Zijing had already resolved everything behind the scenes.
While Qiao Qiao was asleep, a call she had set to silent came through. Ni Zijing glanced at the screen; the name displayed was “Mom.”
Ni Zijing did not answer it for her.
After Qiao Qiao was woken up, she was still drowsy. Fortunately, with Ni Zijing there, Qiao Qiao gave her room number with confidence. Ni Zijing sat her in a wheelchair and pushed her accurately to her door.
With a beep of the keycard, Qiao Qiao saw Sister Zou and her assistant pacing inside the room, and she immediately became alert.
“Sister Zou,” Qiao Qiao called out.
“My dear girl! You are finally back!” Sister Zou hurried over and immediately saw Ni Zijing behind her. “Isn’t this the person from the photos?”
“Sister Cancan, you should go back now.” Qiao Qiao turned to Ni Zijing. “Thank you so much for today.”
“Get some good rest.” Ni Zijing nodded to Sister Zou as a greeting, then bent down and turned her face toward Qiao Qiao, smiling. “Consider my suggestion.”
The voice was very soft, audible only to the two of them.
To Sister Zou, this display of intimacy meant something entirely different.
Once Ni Zijing stepped into the elevator, Sister Zou quickly pushed Qiao Qiao inside. “What is going on? Is she really the girlfriend you have been hiding? Which company is she with?”
Zou Jingzhi had no impression of Ni Zijing. Someone with that level of beauty and presence should be excellent in the entertainment industry, so was she an outsider?
The assistant whispered from the side, “Sister Qiao, your girlfriend is really beautiful.”
Qiao Qiao was left speechless, pointing to her right foot, which was in a splint. “Why are you all not concerned about me?”
Sister Zou took Qiao Qiao’s X-ray results to look at, frowning as she muttered, “A bone fracture.”
“It takes a hundred days for bones and muscles to heal!” the assistant exclaimed. “Sister Qiao, does that mean tomorrow’s shoot has to be cancelled?”
“I was just about to say that.” Qiao Qiao looked up at Sister Zou. “Sister Zou, I am fine. I do not want to slow down the production schedule. I will still show up for the reshoots tomorrow.”
There was a complex look in Zou Jingzhi’s eyes; she did not know whether to feel pained by Qiao Qiao’s stubbornness or happy that she was so serious about her work.
“The director has changed the scenes you need to stand in for tomorrow; you will only need to film from the waist up.” Sister Zou folded her arms, deep in thought. “Not only that, the negative reports about you online are gone. However, you are trending on Weibo, with people praising your dedication for arriving early to adapt to the environment.”
Qiao Qiao: “?” She was here to vacation; what dedication?
“Who authorized this?”
“President Ni’s.” Sister Zou sighed, placing a hand lightly on Qiao Qiao’s slender shoulder. “It seems your new boss values you highly. Xiao Qiao, you have to work harder and seize this momentum.”
“President Ni?” Qiao Qiao was certain she did not know that high-and-mighty figure. To think that she would use her connections to suppress public opinion for a small artist in her company.
Who exactly was this President Ni?
“On that note, who exactly is the person who brought you back?” Sister Zou could not suppress her curiosity. “Qiao Qiao, do you have any idea how much attention this scandal has brought you? It is my fault for never having considered this path for you. Why not try? You are twenty-six this year, is she your girlfriend?”
“Try what? Start a scandalous rumor about me?” Qiao Qiao frowned, and her first thought was that this kind of mess must never affect Sister Cancan.
“It is just a way to stabilize your popularity. You have no idea how high the public’s support for you and that person is.” Sister Zou analyzed the situation logically. “I have already reported to the higher-ups, and they said President Ni has no objection.”
Qiao Qiao: “…” She had just thanked President Ni in her heart, and now she wanted to hang her up and beat her.
“Yes, yes, Sister Qiao! Let me read the comments to you!” The assistant excitedly opened the app and began to read.
“Ahhh, this is a god-tier beauty! Two god-tier beauties, okay? You can tell how good-looking they are just from a profile view!”
“Two goddesses! I want all of this person’s contact information within five minutes!”
“This affectionate gaze. I have locked this pairing in.”
“Please go public! Please announce it!”
Qiao Qiao: Is the imagination of netizens these days really this strong?
She looked at the assistant’s sparkling eyes and sighed helplessly. “We will talk about this later. I am tired.”
Qiao Qiao had always been used to sleeping alone, so even with an injured foot, the assistant and Sister Zou left for their own rooms after helping her get settled.
After the lights were off, Qiao Qiao reached for her phone, which she had not looked at all day, and only then discovered the missed call.
Rubbing her dry eyes, Qiao Qiao debated for a long time whether or not to return the call, but eventually gave up.
Tossing and turning, unable to sleep, she simply opened Weibo and checked the search results. Her name was ranked second.
Clicking on it, the most popular topic was the photo of Sister Cancan holding her in the snow.
It captured the side profile of a woman in black, with clear, sharp features. One could see her thick, long eyelashes. The worry and anxiety in those eyes were clearly visible, and her gaze was fixed squarely on her.
Her hands were carefully shielding Qiao Qiao’s waist and legs. The snow-wind whipped her hair about, yet her slightly stooped figure cared only about shielding Qiao Qiao from the biting wind.
A single photo was enough to show the worry and tenderness Sister Cancan had for her.
The comments under this photo, captured by someone unknown, had already exceeded 20,000. Qiao Qiao curiously scrolled through them, the corners of her mouth curling up involuntarily.
Qiao Qiao did not know how long she had been smiling as she watched, until drowsiness struck and her phone slipped from her hand.
Luckily, she had tilted her head, so the phone did not hit her face.
Even a second before she fell asleep, she was still thinking: Was she thinking about Sister Cancan?
Early the next morning, Qiao Qiao was woken up by a knock at the door.
She took out her phone and checked the time: it was only seven o’clock.
“Sister Zou, didn’t we agree on seven-thirty for makeup yesterday?” Qiao Qiao was still not fully awake, her voice tinged with laziness. “You have a keycard; just come right in.”
“It is me.”
When Qiao Qiao heard that familiar voice, she instinctively wanted to jump up, but the movement tugged at her foot, and she gasped in pain.
Why would Sister Cancan be here?
“I asked the front desk for your room card; may I come in?” Ni Zijing’s voice sounded muffled through the door. “I know your foot is inconvenient, so I brought you breakfast.”
“Come in.”
Ni Zijing opened the door, carrying a tray with breakfast and a small folding table.
It was clearly not the hotel’s buffet breakfast: a vegetable and meat sandwich, hot milk, and peeled grapes and grapefruit.
She set up the small table in front of Qiao Qiao. Qiao Qiao picked up the sandwich and saw that the meat inside was beef.
It was all her favorite food.
Ni Zijing had changed her clothes; a simple white denim jacket and black pants, yet they looked exceptionally good and sharp on her.
Her hair was tied back casually, looking a bit messy, but it only served to highlight her fair skin. Ni Zijing looked at Qiao Qiao and said, “I did not know what you liked, so these are things I searched for online last night. Your fans said you liked them.”
The corners of Qiao Qiao’s eyes lifted slightly. “You made this yourself?”
It was only seven o’clock; she had no idea what time Sister Cancan must have woken up to prepare it.
“My cooking should be passable.” Ni Zijing smiled faintly. “Come, have a taste.”
“I have not brushed my teeth yet.” Qiao Qiao covered her mouth. Ni Zijing realized what she meant and moved the table and breakfast to the side.
She scooped her up with both hands, effortlessly preparing to carry Qiao Qiao to the bathroom to wash up.
They had only taken two steps when they heard a beep—the door opened.
Sister Zou was coming to wake Qiao Qiao up.
But…
“You two slept together last night?!”
Sister Zou saw Qiao Qiao naturally hooked around Ni Zijing’s neck and her heart sank. So, she really was her girlfriend.
She decided to carry out President Ni’s instructions,
Promote the couple!