Chapter 7: Gastrointestinal Discomfort

Ning Chu, realizing it was quite late, reined in her impulses and put down her phone to sleep. Shortly after, she felt a dull ache in her stomach that rapidly intensified.

Before long, a doctor arrived, and the grand mansion was ablaze with lights. After examining her, the doctor asked, "Madam, what did you eat this evening?"

"Hot pot," Ning Chu replied. "It was spicy. It’s my first time eating anything spicy."

The doctor sighed, "It seems your stomach couldn't handle the spice, especially since you ate quite a bit. It would be best to stick to a bland diet for a while. If you want to eat spicy food, introduce it slowly so your system can adapt."

"I understand," Ning Chu said. Calling a doctor over her first spicy meal—truly, one must learn to control their cravings.

Being hooked up to an IV late into the night meant it was nearly four in the morning by the time she was settled. It felt as though she had pulled an all-nighter.

The next day, it was expected that Ning Chu wouldn't rise at her usual hour, considering her illness. In truth, she had been awake for a long time, but she simply had no desire to get up; she wanted to savor the luxury of sleeping in.

That luxury was short-lived, however, as Zhang Yan arrived to discuss her daily schedule, which had been set long in advance.

"I fell ill last night," Ning Chu stated. "Cancel all of today's engagements."

"Does that include the scheduled call to Mr. Tantai?" Zhang Yan asked.

Ning Chu paused. She had almost forgotten. Every time Tantai Chao went on a business trip, she was expected to call him at a fixed time to show her concern. "Cancel that as well. It won't be necessary anymore."

"Understood."

Ning Chu suddenly looked at Zhang Yan. "You are my person, aren't you? Who pays your salary?"

"Steward Gu distributes the salaries uniformly," Zhang Yan replied.

Ning Chu rested her chin on her hand and studied her. "Then you aren't my person. You are a person of the Tantai family. I’m offering you a choice: I will pay your salary from now on, and you will serve as my personal assistant. I can even offer you a raise. How does that sound?"

"You must decide if you want to belong to the Tantai family or to me. If you belong to me, you must do exactly as I say."

Ning Chu valued Zhang Yan’s competence and had grown accustomed to her presence. If she were to divorce Tantai Chao, she didn't know if Zhang Yan would be allowed to stay, given that Tantai Chao had been the one to hire her.

Zhang Yan looked stunned. "Wh-what?"

"Never mind," Ning Chu said. "We’ll talk about it later."

***

Ning Chu had no intention of leaving the house that day, but Zhou Ran had spent the entire night working on her behalf and had the agreement ready. She called Ning Chu, "The divorce agreement is finished. Shall I send it to you to look over, or should I print it out and bring it to you?"

"Send it to me first. If there are no issues, I'll print it myself." She remembered there was a printer in Tantai Chao's study.

"Very well, I'll send it via WeChat."

Shortly after, Ning Chu received the file. After reading it twice and finding no issues, she went to Tantai Chao's study to print it out. She would keep it in her drawer, and as soon as Tantai Chao returned, she would present it to him. If he wasn't satisfied, they could negotiate.

After the agreement was tucked away, Ning Chu moved her belongings to the guest room once the servants had finished preparing it. Lying on the pink-and-white sheets and looking out at the blue curtains, she felt a profound sense of relief.

The household staff found the mistress’s recent behavior quite strange. Once she recovered, she ordered the chefs to prepare spicy dishes, which was unheard of in the Tantai residence, where both masters preferred bland, refined meals. Furthermore, she stopped going out, canceling every appointment Zhang Yan presented to her.

Even her attire had changed; she had abandoned her elegant gowns. The maid, A-Hua, noticed that Ning Chu would come downstairs in the morning with a bare face. She was still beautiful, but without makeup, she seemed less like a goddess on a pedestal and more like someone approachable.

Ning Chu had missed the last two social gatherings for noblewomen, leading to much speculation.

Mrs. Cen, who lived near the Ning family, whispered, "I saw a mother and daughter visiting the Ning residence earlier. I wonder who they were."

"Could they be related to the Tantai family?" the others murmured.

"No," Mrs. Cen said. "One of them looked older, perhaps in her forties or fifties."

"Then could they be from the Ning side?"

"Hard to say. Zhou Erqin used to brag about what a good marriage she had and how her husband was clean and had no illegitimate children. If this turns out to be true, we’re in for quite a show."

"Is that why she hasn't been coming out lately?"

"Who knows? It’s all just speculation, so let's not spread it around once we leave."

"Of course, of course."

Ning Chu, however, cared nothing for her suddenly appearing half-sister—the so-called "female lead." She was busy auditing her assets.

***

She owned three apartments and one villa in her own name, along with five percent of the Ning family shares, given to her by Ning Xingxian upon her marriage to the Tantai family. For all their talk of how much they loved her, she hadn't held a single share in the company before that marriage.

Neither of her parents had ever shown interest in training her as an heir, even though she was their only daughter at the time. They claimed they weren't biased against daughters, yet they hadn't groomed her for the business, pushing her into a strategic marriage instead.

The shares and dowry were hers, and she had no intention of returning them. Beyond those, she had two cars and over fifty million in cash across her bank accounts. There was more, of course—dividends from the Tantai Group were deposited directly into her account—but those, she knew, would have to be returned.

As for her jewelry, she hadn't bought much in the past year, so she would keep what she had.

That was about it. She realized that after the divorce, her standard of living would certainly drop; she wouldn't be able to buy whatever she wanted on a whim. The social circles would be in an uproar, but who cared? She was almost free.

A free soul was worth more than anything. She was Ning Chu—herself—not a puppet for others. A puppet might possess many things, but nothing truly belonged to it. From now on, she would no longer be a puppet.

She spent the next few days happily at home, staying up late to watch television dramas. It was a time-consuming activity, but it brought her a sense of ease and joy. For the first time in her life, Ning Chu felt truly relaxed.

Meanwhile, Tantai Chao hadn't received a call from Ning Chu for several days. He found it unusual, as she had always been consistent in checking on him. He assumed it had to do with the mother and daughter who had appeared at the Ning estate, and that his wife was busy helping her parents manage the situation.

Tantai Chao didn't give the mother and daughter a second thought. Although their existence challenged his impression of his father-in-law, he had come to understand the man somewhat over the past year. Fortunately, his wife was nothing like her parents, though she was perhaps a bit too obedient to them. Still, it was a minor flaw he could tolerate, as Ning Chu had been quite docile since their marriage.

"Call home and tell them I will return tomorrow," he instructed.

"Yes, Master."

"Are the gifts prepared?"

"They are ready."

"Good."