Chapter 51

At around 1 a.m. in the hospital, the white corridor was quiet and still. Ni Kailun was in Jiangxi, accompanying Lin Xinhui for a reality show shoot, so she couldn’t come to Beijing right away. The production team sent a colleague to offer some comfort before leaving, and now only hear assistant, Xiao Ning, was staying in the hospital room.

Zhao Pingjin entered and first went to find the doctor. The on-call doctor handed him a new medical report. “The X-rays have been done. The wound was stitched up with a few stitches. There was quite a bit of blood loss, so she needs to focus on replenishing nutrients. Other than that, there are no significant issues.”

Zhao Pingjin felt a sense of relief and walked back to the hospital room. The VIP room was still lit, and Huang Xitang had not fallen asleep.

When she saw Zhao Pingjin walk in, her eyes were moist, and she looked a bit timid.

Zhao Pingjin pulled a chair next to her bed and sat down. His tone was flat as he asked, “Still awake?”

Xitang quietly lifted her gaze to glance at him.

Chapter 51

It was a little past 1 a.m. in the hospital, and the white corridor was quiet and still. Ni Kailun was in Jiangxi, accompanying Lin Xinhui for a reality show shoot and couldn’t come to Beijing immediately. The production team sent a colleague to offer some comfort before leaving, leaving only her assistant Xiao Ning to stay in her hospital room.

Zhao Pingjin arrived and first went to find the doctor. The on-call doctor handed him a new medical report. “The X-rays are done. The wound was stitched up with a few stitches. There was a significant blood loss, so she needs to focus on replenishing nutrients. Other than that, there are no major issues.”

Zhao Pingjin was relieved and walked back to the hospital room. The VIP room was still lit, and Huang Xitang was not asleep.

When she saw Zhao Pingjin enter, her eyes were moist, and she seemed a little timid.

Zhao Pingjin pulled a chair to sit by her bed and asked in a flat tone, “Still awake?”

Xitang quietly lifted her gaze to glance at him.

Zhao Pingjin pretended not to see and said, “I just asked the doctor. It’s just a little external injury, nothing serious.”

Xitang nodded and hesitated before saying, “You...”

Zhao Pingjin gave her a stern look, and Xitang was immediately scared into stopping her sentence.

Zhao Pingjin didn’t respond to her words but continued, “The room is stocked with nutritional meals. If you can’t eat them, I’ve already asked my secretary to arrange for the hotel to send something. Just have your assistant make the call.”

Finally, Xitang mustered up the courage to ask, “Is there something going on with the company?”

A mocking smile appeared on Zhao Pingjin’s fair face. He leaned forward and said, “Nothing important. Thanks to you two, I even signed a big business deal.”

Xitang widened her eyes.

Zhao Pingjin reached out and gently touched her left arm, which was wrapped in thick bandages. The light made his face seem even paler, but his mouth still had its usual light, teasing smile. “Now, there’s not even one good arm left.”

Xitang’s eyes were filled with confusion, but she didn’t dare to ask or respond.

Zhao Pingjin’s smile slowly faded, and a hint of exhaustion appeared in his eyes. “Huang Xitang, you’re really ruthless. Old Gao is finished because of you.”

He stood up and left.

The next morning, Xitang was discharged from the hospital. She returned to the set to finish shooting the remaining scenes. The following day, The Last Princess wrapped after 127 days of intense shooting.

The crew scattered from the hotel where they had been staying, each heading back to their respective places. Ni Kailun returned in the afternoon and accompanied Xitang to move into a hotel arranged by the company in Anhui.

Since it was her first time working on such a big production, Xitang was feeling a bit dazed, no longer distinguishing between the roles of actor and person. Ni Kailun didn’t push her too hard, allowing her to rest her injured arm while choosing a script for her next project.

That evening, Xitang was resting in her room when her phone kept flashing with incoming calls. Ni Kailun walked over, glanced at the screen, and answered the phone impatiently, “Alright, alright, stop calling, she’s sleeping.”

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line before Zhao Pingjin spoke, “Ni Kailun?”

Ni Kailun replied, “It’s me.”

Zhao Pingjin put down the document in his hand and signaled his secretary to leave. “Where is she?”

Ni Kailun responded without courtesy, “She’s asleep.”

Zhao Pingjin glanced at the clock on the wall. It was just after 6 p.m. “What happened to her?”

Ni Kailun replied, “The wound got a bit infected. She had a slight fever yesterday, but she’s better today.”

Around 9 p.m., Zhao Pingjin arrived. Ni Kailun opened the door for him. He seemed to have just finished a social engagement, his tie loosened and the scent of cigarettes and alcohol still clinging to him. He was holding two takeout boxes. Ni Kailun shot him a glance, clearly not in the mood to deal with him, and gestured toward the inside. “She’s awake.”

Ni Kailun left after opening the door.

Xitang, dressed in pajamas, was sitting on the sofa. When she saw him enter, she stood up. “What are you doing here?”

Zhao Pingjin smirked. “How is she still so fierce?”

Xitang smiled awkwardly.

Zhao Pingjin touched her forehead and still felt some warmth. “I brought you some chicken soup and some rice. It’s pretty light. Want to eat a little?”

Xitang nodded.

Zhao Pingjin opened the boxes and handed her a spoon.

“Aren’t you eating?”

“I just came from a drinking session. I need to catch my breath.”

“Does your arm still hurt?”

Xitang shook her head.

Zhao Pingjin removed his tie and casually tossed it aside. “I’ve been running around so much these past few days that my legs feel like they’re going to break. I’ve called Old Gao countless times, but he hasn’t picked up once. I even asked Langxi to act as a mediator and invite him for a meal, but he refused to meet. Do you know how hard it is for me? You and Xiao Min caused this mess, and now I have to clean up this mess.”

Xitang looked up at him, her eyes red.

Seeing this, Zhao Pingjin felt guilty and lowered his voice. “I didn’t yell at you... I... can’t I just stop talking?”

Xitang said softly, “Zhao Pingjin, I’m sorry.”

Zhao Pingjin replied irritably, “Enough with the apologies. Old Gao’s done for, and you’re secretly happy about it.”

Xitang pouted, showing a strained smile.

Zhao Pingjin grimaced. “That’s really ugly.”

The last two weeks of December passed.

Shen Min was demoted and sent to the grassroots level in Guizhou to manage a project. Before he left, he called her.

Xitang insisted on going to the airport to see him off.

The luggage had already been checked in, and Shen Min and she stood by the glass railing on the second floor of the Capital Airport’s T3 terminal. Shen Min had visited her at the hotel once before, when Ni Kailun was present. He had shown some concern and then left.

Xitang was wearing a gray sweater and a black skirt, looking like an ordinary traveler. Her beautiful face was partly hidden behind a large scarf. She smiled and said, “How long will you be gone?”

Shen Min appeared much more relaxed. “At least until this project is finished.”

Xitang apologized, “I’ve caused you trouble.”

Shen Min didn’t mind. “I’m on my own. It doesn’t matter where I go. But as for Zhou Zhou, his position is vacant, and they haven’t promoted anyone to fill it. He’ll probably have it even harder than me.”

Xitang was silent for a moment before looking up at Shen Min. Ever since she found out it was him, she had been full of questions.

Shen Min looked at her and said, “Xitang, I know. You’re wondering why.”

Xitang gazed at him, and Shen Min knew that she had always wanted to know.

Shen Min suddenly spoke softly, “The day she left, I might have been the last person to see her.”

Xitang’s eyes widened in shock, and for a moment, she was speechless.

Perhaps lost in memory, Shen Min’s expression shifted slightly. “That afternoon, she came to see me. Actually, a long time ago, when you and Zhou Zhou were together, sometimes she would be around, and we would hang out often. You couldn’t tell, but I really liked her. I even pursued her before she got together with Gao Zi. But she turned me down.”

Xitang murmured, “She never told me...”

All these years, Shen Min had kept these things buried, never mentioning them to anyone. “She was always mingling among the rich young men in Beijing. She said she wasn’t right for me. After you and Zhou Zi broke up, we didn’t meet for a long time. That day at noon, she suddenly came to find me. We had lunch, and talked happily. She had some drinks, and told me she broke up with Gao Jiyi, then—she suggested we go to a hotel.”

A tremor surged through Shen Min’s heart. “She said she was going to Ningxia for a shoot but couldn’t find you. She missed you so much, so she wrote you a letter at the hotel and asked me to deliver it. At that time, we had lost contact. Qiao’er told me to give it to your university classmate, and she said she regretted not being my girlfriend. She always smiled, still so beautiful. At the time, I didn’t notice anything unusual about her...”

Shen Min’s voice suddenly choked with emotion. “Xitang, before she left, she gave it to me. She was my first woman.”

Xitang stared wide-eyed at the vast vaulted ceiling of the airport, holding back the tears that threatened to shine in her eyes.

Down below, the terminal was crowded with passengers coming and going. Shen Min silently gazed at the gray sky outside the terminal, spotting a figure on the first floor in the distance. “Zhou Zi is here.”

Following his gaze, Xitang saw Zhao Pingjin outside through the glass windows. He was wearing a black coat, tall and slim, maneuvering through the crowd of passengers with ease, making his way toward the elevator.

Seeing Zhao Pingjin suddenly, Shen Min immediately calmed down. “He may love you, but there are too many real issues between you two. Xitang, don’t be so reckless. Always leave yourself an escape route.”

Xitang nodded.

Shen Min said, “I can’t face him. You go back with him for me. Take care.”

Without turning back, Shen Min entered the security gate.

Zhao Pingjin arrived on the second floor and saw Xitang standing alone. “Did he go in?”

Xitang nodded.

Zhao Pingjin squinted and looked through the crowd, muttering, “That brat.”

He then turned to her with a sarcastic smile. “When did you two become so close? You’re even crying now?”

Xitang snapped angrily, “How can you be so heartless?”

Zhao Pingjin retorted, “You two teamed up to mess with me. Shouldn’t I be the one crying?”

He directly took her hand. “Let’s go, back home.”

The car drove onto the airport expressway, and Zhao Pingjin didn’t speak the entire way. He furrowed his brows, focused on driving. Xitang noticed that although he still had his usual arrogant attitude, today he seemed particularly preoccupied. When the car reached Wenyu Bridge, he spoke quietly, “My family’s in a mess lately. I’ll take you back to your hotel apartment.”

Xitang glanced at him. He kept his brows furrowed, his expression not looking very good. “What happened?”

Zhao Pingjin hesitated for a few seconds before replying, “My grandmother isn’t well... It’s nothing, really. I’ll just take you back.”