Chapter 59: Could It Be That I'm Pregnant?

Back in her own lounge, Ning Lan’s assistant nervously set the meal in front of her. “Lan, please eat.”

Having endured Bai Yu’s scolding all morning, Ning Lan was both exhausted and famished. She opened the lunchbox, and her stomach churned again.

She retched a few times, startling her assistant.

Just as the assistant reached out to steady her, Ning Lan slapped her hand away. “What kind of food did you buy? You can’t do anything right—can’t even buy lunch properly. Pack your things and get out!”

Now that she’d fallen out with Du Xingyuan, Liu Jue would still provide her with resources, but she remained under the umbrella of Starry Company. Assistants and all such matters were arranged by Starry before. She couldn’t replace them—how irritating!

Just as Yun Fu was about to lose her temper again, the assistant timidly asked, “Lan, has your cycle... been overdue for quite a while?”

“Are you crazy? I’m talking about lunch and you—”

Suddenly, something occurred to her and she froze.

Ning Lan looked at the assistant, searching her eyes for an answer, but the assistant didn’t pick up on her meaning.

“Lan, it’s the start of the month. Your cycle... seems to be two weeks overdue now, you—”

“Shut up!” Ning Lan cut off the assistant sharply.

She shot her a vicious glare and unconsciously placed a hand over her lower abdomen, her heart racing.

“Go buy me something.”

“Yes.”

The assistant left, and Ning Lan slumped into her chair, her eyes flickering.

She didn’t dare imagine—if it was true... If it was true, the child must be Liu Jue’s.

But Liu Jue already had a wife. If anyone found out about this... she would be finished.

No, she couldn’t just sit here and wait for disaster!

Meanwhile, when Qiao An returned with Yun Fu’s lunch, she muttered, “I just ran into Ning Lan’s assistant—she looked frantic and pale. Did something happen to Ning Lan?”

Yun Fu paused her game, frowned briefly, then quickly returned to normal.

During lunch, Yun Fu reopened that website and contacted someone.

[Help me investigate someone.]

[!!!] The person replied with several exclamation marks. [The legend? Is it really you?]

[…]

[Legend, tell me, who do you want investigated?]

[Ning Lan. Look into any recent anomalies.]

[Understood.]

At the same time, in a tower hidden atop a lonely island, a boy with a cherubic face stared excitedly at a computer screen, his large eyes shining.

Two minutes later, he scampered to the innermost room and knocked on the door.

“Boss, do you know who just contacted me?”

A deep, seductive male voice responded from within. “Who?”

“Fu! He actually reached out to me, asked me to investigate someone. The legend initiated contact!”

There was no reply for a long while—so long the boy assumed he wouldn’t get an answer—until finally, the voice spoke again. “Mm. From now on, follow him.”

It wasn’t hard to hear the sorrow coloring the man’s voice.

The boy seemed to recall something as well, quietly murmured assent, and left.

Inside the room, a blond man in a black shirt sat with a smoldering cigarette between his fingers, letting the smoke drift.

His arm rested on the chair, eyes closed, surrounded by haze, dreamlike.

Yet such an ethereal figure was enveloped in an air of sadness.

The cigarette burned quietly at his fingertips, the only sound in the room the faint crackle of its ember.

Like an illusion, he seemed to murmur a name—perhaps he did, perhaps he didn’t.

If the cigarette could hear, it would hear him utter a name laden with pain—Yun Fu.

Ning Lan’s assistant rushed back with a pregnancy test, and the two waited anxiously for the result.

While they waited, Ning Lan’s thoughts spun wildly; she’d already decided—regardless of the outcome, she would not let Yun Fu go.

The time came.

The assistant stared at the two stark lines on the test, her hands trembling. “Lan… this… you…”

She didn’t finish, frightened off by Ning Lan’s fierce glare.

“I’m telling you—if you dare utter one word about this, you’ll never speak again!”

Her glare was so fierce the assistant felt she might be killed then and there.

Eyes reddening, she hurried to promise, “Lan, please don’t worry—I won’t say anything!”

Ning Lan glanced at her, lips curling slightly, emotions surging in her eyes, plotting something unknown.

By noon, Yun Fu’s scenes were nearly complete, and the crew was on edge once more.

Whenever Bai Yu filmed scenes without Yun Fu, he would erupt in rage, and the rest of them suffered for it.

They only hoped Ning Lan wouldn’t drag everyone down this time, or they’d be doomed.

Fortunately, though Bai Yu wasn’t truly satisfied, he at least gave his approval.

When mealtime arrived, Ning Lan’s assistant led a group over.

“Lan is treating everyone to lunch today. Sorry for the trouble this morning—please forgive her.”

People are less critical when fed, and the food looked expensive.

The crew’s attitude softened.

“Thank you, Ms. Ning. You’re too kind.”

“Ms. Ning, that’s so generous—guess we’ll enjoy the feast!”

The actors were included as well.

Yun Fu remained seated on her little stool, engrossed in her game, phone in hand.

Qiao An exclaimed, surprised—Yun Fu had just told her not to fetch lunch from Boss Song outside.

Now Ning Lan was bringing it over—did Yun Fu already know Ning Lan would treat everyone?

She glanced over; Yun Fu was still gaming, the phone repeatedly emitting the sound of her character dying.

“Stop playing—eat first.”

“Mm.”

Yun Fu lazily set her phone aside, gazing at the dishes on the table, a peculiar emotion flickering in her eyes.

She picked up her chopsticks, ate, and drank her beverage. From afar, Ning Lan watched her and unconsciously began to smile.

Her smile grew wider.

Just then, Yun Fu’s phone vibrated with a message.

[Is someone else’s food tasty?] The message came from Lian Hanqi.

[No.]

[Then why eat what others give you?]

[It’s hard to refuse such earnestness.]

Lian Hanqi stared at these words, sensing a meaning beneath the surface.

And indeed, he wasn’t wrong.

After dinner, everyone gradually wrapped up for the day.

Yun Fu walked carelessly beside Qiao An, playing on her phone as she walked, the image of an internet-addicted youth, as though nothing could penetrate her world.

Lazy, yet distant.

Behind her, Ning Lan glanced at her phone, the malicious smile in her eyes growing ever brighter.