Chapter 29

　Ancheng couldn't do without people. Shi Shuangxia took the early morning flight back, leaving before Zuo Mingran woke up.

　　After making sure she was fine, Shi Shuangxia called Mao Mao and asked her to find a familiar doctor to come over. She also personally called Director Wang to ask for leave.

　　After dealing with things on this side, she finally felt at ease and went out.

　　Yan Yunyang hadn't left yet. They met in the living room, and Yan Yunyang glanced upstairs and asked, "How is she?"

　　Shi Shuangxia replied, "She's fine now. I'll ask the assistant to come and watch over her later."

　　Seeing Yan Yunyang, Shi Shuangxia couldn't help but think of what happened a few hours ago. Curiosity overwhelmed her, and she couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Yan, what is the current situation between you and Mingran?"

　　Yan Yunyang turned his head to look at her, a hidden emotion brewing in his light-colored eyes. He pressed the button on the coffee machine and said, "Would you like a cup?"

　　He said it as if he wanted to drink with her. Shi Shuangxia silently mocked him, but she really hadn't slept well. Although she had gotten up, she still couldn't gather her spirits. She casually replied, "Sure, thank you."

　　It was still early, and the sun was just beginning to rise on the horizon. The two of them finished their coffee in the living room, and then Yan Yunyang spoke, "I and..." He paused, seeming unsure of how to address Zuo Mingran, but soon, he had an answer.

　　"I get along very well with Ranran. I think this is also what Miss Shi wants to see."

　　Shi Shuangxia thought to herself, what use is it for me to want to see that? It's useless if she doesn't wake up.

　　She smiled at Yan Yunyang and said, "Mingran's career is on the rise. As her agent, of course, I hope she can achieve a broader future."

　　Yan Yunyang didn't say anything. Shi Shuangxia put down her cup. "Thank you for the coffee."

　　Yan Yunyang smiled, "You're welcome."

　　Shi Shuangxia turned and left. After taking two steps, she suddenly turned back and said, "Thank you for helping with this matter."

　　She didn't mention what matter it was, whether it was the sudden incident last night or something else. Yan Yunyang nodded at her, indicating that he accepted her gratitude. Neither of them explicitly stated it, like solving a riddle, everything was said without words.

Mao Mao and Anqi arrived soon after receiving the message from Shi Shuangxia, bringing the doctor with them. They arrived early and happened to meet Yan Yunyang, who was preparing to leave.

The three of them had met a few times on the set before, so they weren't very familiar with each other, but they weren't strangers either. They had exchanged a few words.

Anqi was still young, so she felt a little uncomfortable when she saw Yan Yunyang. After a hurried greeting, she took the doctor upstairs, leaving Mao Mao alone in the living room.

Mao Mao was holding a bag of fruits in her hands. At this time, it should have been bought early in the morning at the fruit market. Yan Yunyang picked up the watch on the table and fastened it to his wrist. Seeing her holding the fruits and intending to put them in the refrigerator, he immediately turned around and said, "Don't give her anything cold."

"Huh?"

Mao Mao was startled. Although she had seen Yan Yunyang many times, they had hardly spoken to each other, mostly just exchanging polite greetings. This was the first time he spoke to her so seriously.

Yan Yunyang fastened the watch strap and pointed to the fruits in her hands, instructing, "If they're for her to eat, don't put them in the refrigerator for now. And when she wakes up later, don't give her ice water, even if she asks for it."

Mao Mao nodded dumbfoundedly. It wasn't until Yan Yunyang pushed the door open and left that she realized something.

The "she" that Yan Yunyang mentioned just now seemed to be Zuo Mingran, who was still lying in bed and hadn't woken up yet.

Mao Mao, who had rushed over early in the morning without drinking even a sip of water, but had first eaten the dog food, expressionlessly took out a portion of the fruits prepared for Zuo Mingran and set them aside before putting the rest into the refrigerator compartment.

Zuo Mingran, who had finally regained consciousness, completely fell into a state of despondency when she realized what she had done. Anqi didn't know what had happened and thought she was behaving like this because she was sick, so she brought a thermometer to check her body temperature every now and then.

Zuo Mingran let her fuss around, sluggishly got up to wash up. Her foot injury was still not healed, and the bathroom floor was slippery. If she wanted to take a shower, someone had to be there to support her. After careful consideration, Zuo Mingran ultimately gave up on the idea.

Mao Mao made breakfast, but Zuo Mingran unusually had no appetite and only ate a few bites before putting down her chopsticks.

Illness comes like a mountain, and disappears like a thread. Zuo Mingran bounced back to her bedroom, with Anqi following behind, bringing the washed fruit. As soon as she entered, she saw Zuo Mingran hugging her computer, typing away.

Rarely having a day off, Zuo Mingran didn't want to read scripts. Instead, she opened her computer and looked at the comments under her novel.

Because she never replied to comments, had never signed a contract with any website since she started writing, and even her chapters were scheduled to be published at regular intervals, many readers suspected that she was not a new account created by a famous writer.

Just like before, as a celebrity, she casually glanced at the comments before putting the drafts she had written during this period in. Anqi, who was playing with her phone in a corner, found it boring and after a while, approached her and asked, "Ran, what are you doing?"

Zuo Mingran was setting up the draft box time and showed her screen to Anqi. Anqi didn't pay attention and thought she was reading a novel, so she exclaimed, "Ran sister, you read novels too?"

Zuo Mingran casually replied, "Of course, novels are so fascinating, why not?"

"What genres of novels do you usually read, Ran sister?"

After setting the time, Zuo Mingran leaned on her chin and thought for a moment before earnestly saying, "Anything, I'm an omnivore, with no taboos."

"I am too!" Encountering a like-minded person, Anqi couldn't help but recommend, raising her phone and saying, "I've been following a novel by an author recently, but it seems like she's very busy. She only updates one chapter a day, and even if I urge her for more, it's useless."

Zuo Mingran's eyelids twitched as she listened, and she had a daring guess in her mind. Anqi's phone interface happened to be on the novel's details page, and Zuo Mingran immediately saw her pen name and the title of her book shining brightly there.

Zuo Mingran: "..."

Anqi continued to recommend, but Zuo Mingran rolled her eyes mischievously and said, "I know a good way to urge for more updates."

Saying that, she rotated her computer at an angle. "What do you see here?"

Anqi took a sharp breath, and Zuo Mingran quickly covered her ears. Sure enough, the next second, Anqi's scream almost blew through the roof.

"What happened? What happened?"

Anqi's scream immediately brought Maomao from downstairs to come up. Seeing Zuo Mingran clearly trying to hold back a laugh and Anqi with a face of "Who am I, where am I?", Maomao helplessly said, "Ran sister, are you teasing Anqi again?"

Zuo Mingran laughed heartily and turned the computer back around. "I wasn't teasing her, I just told her a fact."

Anqi snapped out of her shock, jumped up from the bed, first looked at Zuo Mingran, then looked at Maomao leaning against the door, and stuttered, "Ran... Ran sister, she... she is..."

Maomao curiously walked in and also leaned over to look at Zuo Mingran's computer, asking, "What's wrong?"

Anqi was stunned, pointing at the computer and asking, "Maomao, do you know about this?"

Maomao chuckled, "I knew it when we were on set. Ran sister always has her phone with her all the time, and if she's not filming, she's always holding it. She neither plays games nor surfs the internet for gossip. Haven't you noticed?"

Anqi embarrassedly ran her fingers through her hair, "I didn't pay attention."

Zuo Mingran and Maomao exchanged glances, and when Anqi wasn't paying attention, Zuo Mingran opened her mouth and silently said, "I remember it all!"

Maomao's face turned red, and he quickly put his index finger to his lips, making a shushing gesture.

Zuo Mingran stifled her laughter and whispered, "A hotpot dinner."

Maomao reluctantly nodded.

Maomao didn't know about Zuo Mingran writing novels for long either. If it wasn't for Zuo Mingran reacting quickly and stopping her, not only Anqi, but probably all the crew members would have known about it.

Afraid that Zuo Mingran would extort something from her again, Maomao quickly found an excuse to go downstairs.

In the room, after hesitating for a while, Anqi couldn't help but come over and ask, "Ran sister, do you still have any drafts now? What happens next in the plot? Does the female lead know that the male lead likes her?"

Zuo Mingran looked at her mysteriously and said, "Of course, I have drafts, but are you sure you want me to spoil it?"

Anqi was torn for a moment and gritted her teeth, "Forget it, I'll wait for the updates!"

Zuo Mingran burst into laughter and collapsed onto the bed. Anqi blushed like a burning cloud and ran out, but then ran back in, clinging to the doorframe and said, "Ran sister, don't forget to call Xia sister. Her flight is about to arrive."

Zuo Mingran picked up her phone and glanced at the time. It was a little after 9 in the morning, so according to the schedule, Shi Shuangxia should have just gotten off the plane.

Taking a deep breath, Zuo Mingran opened her contact list, found Shi Shuangxia's number, and dialed it.

On the other end, Shi Shuangxia had just come out of the airport, and her assistant was coming to pick her up by car. Seeing the incoming call, Shi Shuangxia made a gesture to her assistant and found a quiet place to answer the phone.

"Xia sister," Zuo Mingran spoke in a sweet voice, "It must have been hard work!"

Shi Shuangxia replied coldly, "Don't try to act cute with me. Come clean, what's going on between you and Yan Yunyang?"

Zuo Mingran scratched her face while lying on the bed, pretending to be clueless. "What's going on? We're just fine, minding our own business. We have a harmonious relationship, isn't that great?"

"Cut the act. Seeing is believing, and I clearly saw everything last night."

Zuo Mingran let out a mournful cry. She knew that Shi Shuangxia must have seen that incident, and in the end, she was the one who got unlucky.

"He was just trying to help, there's really nothing going on."

Shi Shuangxia mimicked her and elongated her voice, "Fine, I believe you... like hell."

Zuo Mingran: "..."

Shi Shuangxia sighed, realizing that matters of the heart are something only the individuals involved truly understand. Zuo Mingran was clearly playing dumb, and even if she held a knife to her throat, she wouldn't be able to extract any information. Shi Shuangxia had to change her tone and said, "If you don't want to tell me, then forget it. However, Mingran, I am your manager. Apart from our friendship, we also have a business relationship, and I hope that if anything happens, you can inform me in advance so that I can be prepared."

Zuo Mingran was stunned for a moment, involuntarily looking towards the locked cabinet in the corner of the room.

Shi Shuangxia said, "I have something to attend to, so I won't talk to you for now. Take care and rest well."

"Shixia." Zuo Mingran called out to her, hesitated for a moment, and then changed his words, "Take care of yourself and don't push yourself too hard."

After hanging up the phone, Zuo Mingran climbed out of bed and hopped on one foot to the side of the room, taking out the divorce agreement that he had put away in the locked cabinet.

Although it was called an agreement, it was actually just a single piece of paper. Zuo Mingran and Yan Yunyang's marriage had always been a business partnership, and the divorce did not involve any property or other issues, making it relatively easy to resolve.

Zuo Mingran's name had already been signed on it, but the space next to the other party's signature had only a long pen stroke, almost tearing the paper.

Zuo Mingran sat on the floor, staring at it for a while, and suddenly tore the paper in half.