Chapter 10: Madam Lin

As soon as Ning Chu answered the phone, Zhou Erqin launched into a rapid-fire monologue. Ning Chu did not interrupt; she simply set the phone on speaker and placed it aside, turning her attention to her tablet to scroll through entertainment news.

"Are you listening? Hello? Hello? Ning Chu?"

Ning Chu finally snapped back to reality and replied, "Mm."

Zhou Erqin continued, "If you have time, come home, or call your father. You could even have your husband call him. Tell your father not to be a fool! If those two wretches dare to ask for money now, won't they be asking for shares next?"

Ning Chu: "Mm."

No matter what Zhou Erqin said next, Ning Chu just hummed in response. In truth, she barely heard a word, offering only perfunctory replies.

Finally, Ning Chu said to her, "Mother, I’ll be sending you a grand gift in a few days. I hope you’ll be able to smile when the time comes."

Thinking this referred to her previous request for Ning Chu to whisper in Tantai Chao’s ear about investing in the Ning family's project, Zhou Erqin replied delightedly, "Good, good, good! I’ll prepare a gift for you then, too. Do you want a bag or some jewelry?"

Ning Chu: "Either is fine." *If you can still manage to smile by then.*

Ning Chu’s feelings toward her parents, Ning Xingxian and Zhou Erqin, were complex. They had indeed raised her, but... that was all they had done. There might have been love, but if it were a scale of one hundred, it was perhaps only five points; the remaining ninety-five were likely pure self-interest.

Ning Chu looked at her soft, pink fingernails. She always kept them filed round, devoid of any aggression or traces of polish. She had seen the beautiful manicures other young women sported online; perhaps she would have someone come over tomorrow to do hers.

Zhou Erqin hung up, and Ning Chu returned to her tablet.

On the other side, Tantai Chao had finally received the latest dossier on Ning Chu. He had long been aware of the situation regarding the Ning family’s illegitimate daughter, but recently, his father-in-law seemed to be wavering, perhaps considering grooming the girl.

As for Ning Chu, she had rarely left the house since returning from the hospital. However, there had been one visitor to the Chaoyang Villa. Tantai Chao reviewed the person's profile: Zhou Ran, a divorce lawyer.

It seemed Ning Chu had enlisted her to draft a divorce agreement. Yet, Tantai Chao had never heard of this Zhou Ran. When had Ning Chu even met someone like that?

Tantai Chao ordered further investigation, then reviewed Ning Chu’s recent activities. She had spent most of her time in her room, though for what purpose, he did not know. She had even had the chef prepare hot pot; she had eaten spicy food, only to suffer a stomachache that same night.

Once she recovered, she began asking the chef to include one spicy dish in every meal—only slightly spicy at first. At the start, she had to drink water to cope with the heat, but she gradually adapted until she no longer needed to.

Ning Chu had canceled all her engagements, rarely leaving her room. From all this, Tantai Chao could not fathom why she wanted a divorce. The changes seemed to have begun only after she woke from her coma and left the hospital.

Zhou Ran’s background report arrived on his computer shortly after. Tantai Chao discovered that Zhou Ran had been Ning Chu’s high school classmate, and that Ning Chu had even sponsored her through university. However, they had rarely interacted, as Zhou Erqin had forbidden Ning Chu from associating with "poor children."

They had been distant, yet Ning Chu had turned to Zhou Ran for her divorce? Why her? Tantai Chao could not figure it out.

Of course, he could not know; in the original story, Zhou Ran was the only person who had come to pay respects at Ning Chu’s grave.

As Ning Chu stopped attending social gatherings for the wealthy elite, those who usually socialized with her grew curious. Soon enough, the calls began.

"Mrs. Tantai, why haven't you been attending the recent gatherings in the circle? Is there something at home keeping you busy?" It was Mrs. Lin, wife of Lin Zhong, the heir to the Lin Pharmaceutical empire.

Ning Chu replied, "Yes, I have some matters to attend to."

"Do you need any help? If so, just say the word. By the way, Mrs. Cen seems to be spreading some unpleasant rumors about your family—something about an illegitimate daughter. You might want to look into that."

Ning Chu had known this would inevitably reach the social circles. "I am aware. Thank you."

Thinking of Mrs. Lin’s fate in the book, Ning Chu offered a gentle warning. "By the way, Mrs. Lin, please look after your health. If your doctor cannot identify any issues, I can introduce you to mine. My doctor’s skills are perhaps a bit more adept than those you are currently seeing."

Mrs. Lin paused, surprised. "Oh, I see. Thank you, Mrs. Tantai."

Ning Chu: "You can call me Ning Chu from now on." She did not want to bear another’s surname. She was Ning Chu, not Tantai Ning Chu.

"Oh, right. Tantai... Ning Chu, you can call me Ruan Shiman. Actually, I am a bit older than you, so you could call me Sister Shiman, if you don't mind."

Ning Chu smiled. "Of course, I don't mind, Sister Shiman."

Ruan Shiman felt their relationship had suddenly bridged a gap. The previous Ning Chu had always felt somewhat distant; having her use her given name made the connection feel much more intimate.

Ruan Shiman had only been making polite inquiries, so she hung up shortly after.

Recalling Ning Chu’s words, she realized she hadn't had a check-up in a while. She decided to have the butler call for her doctor.

Ruan Shiman had been married to Lin Zhong for five years, but she had yet to conceive. Every doctor she saw told her she needed to focus on "nourishing her constitution," yet even after years of care, there was still no child.

She felt a deep sense of loss and guilt toward Lin Zhong. Yet, Lin Zhong was always comforting her, telling her not to worry. He had no affairs, treated her well, and often shielded her from his parents' pressure. Because of this, Ruan Shiman felt truly wretched.

The doctor arrived quickly. Upon examination, he offered the same advice as always: focus on her health and nourishment. "If you run out of medicine, just let me know."

Ruan Shiman replied, "I will." She was used to it, but she suddenly recalled Ning Chu’s words—that her own doctor was better than the ones she had.

Ruan Shiman pondered this. But the Lin family was in the pharmaceutical business. While the Tantai family had interests in many industries, were they really superior to the Lins when it came to medicine?

Ruan Shiman brushed the thought aside, assuming Ning Chu had merely been making idle conversation.

As for Ning Chu, since Tantai Chao had yet to respond, she approached him herself. That evening, as they were dining, she waited until she had finished her meal before asking, fearing that if she brought it up while hungry, she might be provoked into leaving early.

"You’ve been considering it for quite some time. Have you reached a decision?" Ning Chu asked.

Tantai Chao lifted his gaze, set down his chopsticks, and wiped his mouth. "Have *you* decided?"

Ning Chu: "I have decided quite firmly."

Tantai Chao: "If this is what you want, I will grant your wish. I have looked over the agreement, and I will have someone draft a new one."

Ning Chu nodded. "No problem. Just notify me when it’s ready, and I’ll sign it."

Ning Chu rose from the table and headed upstairs. These days, mealtime was the only time she and Tantai Chao ever crossed paths.