Chapter 8: Sharing a Bed Part 1

Ning Ke froze for two seconds, then asked back, “What? Did I say something?”

Yan Yunzhi didn’t speak. She just watched her quietly.

Those misty, rain-laden eyes were clear and calm, the corners curving up gently. After a moment, she gave a slight nod.

Ning Ke felt uneasy under her gaze, turned away, and touched her ear.

She looked at the traffic outside and exited Weibo to avoid any further embarrassment by accidental taps.

The rest of the drive was silent.

They arrived home just after dark. As Ning Ke was changing shoes at the entrance, she answered a call from her uncle, Ning Hui. “Uncle, are you busy these days?”

Ning Hui was a serious, upright man and spoke matter-of-factly. “Never busier than you. How long has it been since you came home? You haven’t even had a meal here.”

“I’ve been busy lately,” Ning Ke said, taking off her coat. “I’ll come back tomorrow.”

Ning Hui: “Is Azhi home too?”

Ning Ke: “Mm, she’s here.”

Yan Yunzhi had already guessed who she was talking to. After unwinding her scarf, she said softly, “I’ll come with you.”

Ning Ke mouthed a silent “thank you” before answering her uncle. “We’ll both come tomorrow.”

Ning Hui said, “Good. I’ll have your aunt prepare dinner.”

Ning Ke held the phone without hanging up, heading upstairs as she talked, with a trace of petulance in her voice. “You’re always busy with work. You haven’t talked to me in ages.”

She was so focused on the call that she didn’t notice Yan Yunzhi still standing in the living room, watching her retreating figure.

…

The next day, they arrived at the Ning residence at exactly 4 PM.

Ning Ke had done a livestream in the morning and came straight from the company. Yan Yunzhi had texted beforehand that she’d come from home with tonic gifts for the elders.

They rang the doorbell together, and her aunt, Meng Yuejiao, answered in person, beaming as she took Ning Ke’s arm. “Why did you bring so many things?”

Ning Ke always acted like a spoiled child with family. She clung to her aunt’s arm, swaying it. “Auntie, if Uncle scolds me later, you have to protect me.”

The online drama had been loud these past few days; Ning Hui had certainly seen it.

Sure enough, as soon as she entered the living room, she saw Ning Hui sitting by the window reading, his face set in displeasure. “The New Year is almost here. Why are you still going out to film a show?”

Ning Ke was fearless by nature, but she’d lost her parents at a young age, and toward the uncle who raised her, her tone softened somewhat. “I’m just doing something I like. Is that not allowed?”

Ning Hui: “Keke, I’m not trying to scold you. With our family’s standing, do you, a girl, need to be out in the public eye like that? It’s not about having enough money—we could support ten of you!”

He grew more agitated as he spoke. Ning Ke’s career had never been smooth: scandals, rumors, and a blacklisting two years ago. Ning Hui knew all of it, but he never used his power to fix things. Instead, he wished Ning Ke would come home and simply be the eldest miss—or more accurately now, Mrs. Yan.

Ning Ke: “But I love doing this.”

Ning Hui: “You’re a grown woman. Can ‘love’ fill your stomach?”

Ning Ke said nothing.

Ning Hui felt his blood pressure spike from the outburst. His wife, half worried and half wanting to ease the tension, patted his back. “Alright, both of you, enough. Keke, hurry and get your uncle’s blood pressure medicine!”

Ning Ke pressed her lips together hard and went upstairs to get it.

Yan Yunzhi poured a glass of water and handed it to Ning Hui, her voice warm. “Uncle, please calm down. Little Ning is still young. It’s not a bad thing to do what she enjoys.”

Ning Hui took a sip, his rapid breathing gradually slowing, then asked, “Azhi, this time Keke dragged you into this show, didn’t she? That girl—she can’t just go crazy herself, she has to drag you along with her.”

Yan Yunzhi shook her head. “I’m happy to do something she enjoys with her. There’s nothing wrong with it.”

Meng Yuejiao chimed in. “Exactly. Azhi has always spoiled Keke. I’m not at all surprised they’re doing a show together. Alright, Old Ning, stop worrying about the young couple. If Grandpa Yan does take offense, we can apologize later.”

Ning Ke happened to hear that as she came down the stairs.

The Nings and Yans had been family friends for generations, but the Ning family had declined over the years. Her marriage to Yan Yunzhi could be considered marrying up, and the family was always deferential to Yan Yunzhi, terrified of offending Grandpa Yan.

Her aunt looked up and saw her. “Oh, Keke, why are you just standing there? Bring the medicine down!”

Ning Ke called back an acknowledgment and walked down to Ning Hui’s side. “Uncle, take your medicine.”

Ning Hui grunted, took the pills, and said nothing more.

That little episode was finally put to rest.

That evening after dinner, Meng Yuejiao said, “You two finally aren’t busy lately, and it’s snowing outside. Stay the night. Keke’s room is cleaned every day.”

Ning Ke instinctively looked at Yan Yunzhi, who nodded. “Alright.”

Meng Yuejiao: “I’ll have Sister Zhao make chicken soup. We’ll have chicken noodle soup in the morning.”

After dinner, Yan Yunzhi played chess with Ning Hui. Ning Ke stood nearby, watching her uncle’s obvious delight, and couldn’t help saying, “Uncle, if someone walked in, they’d think she was the Ning family’s daughter, not me.”

Ning Hui roared with laughter. “You! Are you jealous of your own wife?”

Yan Yunzhi’s eyes curved too.

This shyly demanding side of Ning Ke was rare. Usually, she either ignored Yan Yunzhi or spoke to her with spoiled arrogance.

Ning Hui clapped his hands. “Alright, alright. This old man doesn’t need you two to keep him company. Go to your room and rest.”

Ning Ke: “Okay. Good night, Uncle.”

She led Yan Yunzhi to her room.

This wasn’t Yan Yunzhi’s first time here—she’d been before… but because of her poor health, how easily she was disturbed at night, and how she couldn’t sleep well away from home, the elders had never asked her to stay overnight. Today only happened because of the snow.

Ning Ke pushed the door open. “Come in.”

A room was a person’s private territory; of course she didn’t like others stepping into it. But no matter how much she disliked it, she couldn’t send Yan Yunzhi to the guest room.

There was only one bed, and it wasn’t fair to make anyone sleep on the sofa.

After all, Yan Yunzhi was her legal wife.

Yan Yunzhi stood at the door, waiting for Ning Ke to speak before she entered.

The villa she and Ning Ke shared had been renovated before they moved in, with a cold, minimalist overall style.

Ning Ke’s room was different. To the right of the entrance was a separate walk-in closet holding rows of dresses, haute couture gowns, designer bags, and sunglasses. The left side featured a full set of pure white furniture and pink-blue wallpaper. A pumpkin-carriage-shaped shelf held numerous fluffy teddy bears. These decorations didn’t match Ning Ke’s temperament at all—they were quite adorable.

Ning Ke removed her earrings first, then found two sets of new pajamas. “I’ll shower first.”

Yan Yunzhi: “You go first.”

Ning Ke didn’t stand on ceremony. She showered quickly and emerged steamy, hair wet, water dripping from the tips.

Before entering the bathroom, Yan Yunzhi said, “Dry your hair soon.”

Ning Ke: “Oh.”

When she heard the water running in the bathroom, Ning Ke finally let out a breath.

So weird… This was the first time she’d ever spent a night in a room with Yan Yunzhi.

Marriage was such a hassle.

On the room’s table sat a wooden photo frame—a wedding photo of her and Yan Yunzhi.

Ning Ke looked at it while drying her hair, unable to remember when she’d put it there. She figured her aunt must have placed it.

Time really flew. It had been two years since she married Yan Yunzhi.

Staring at the photo for a long time, Ning Ke recalled the first time she’d ever seen Yan Yunzhi—when Yan Yunzhi was twenty-four.

A strange coincidence: two years ago, she married Yan Yunzhi. Ning Ke was exactly twenty-four then, and Yan Yunzhi was thirty-four.

In the photo, Ning Ke was scowling, looking like Yan Yunzhi was her mortal enemy.

Vaguely, she remembered the photographer pleading with her to smile many times that day. But she genuinely couldn’t.

In the end, Yan Yunzhi had asked softly, “Ning Ke, smile. Will you?”

The bathroom water stopped.

“Ning Ke,” Yan Yunzhi emerged in a hazy-blue nightgown, walking over gracefully. “I need to dry my hair.”

Ning Ke gave up the spot. As she stood, she remembered she’d forgotten to put the wedding photo away and quickly said, “My aunt set that out.”

Then she regretted it. It was her room; having a wedding photo on display wasn’t strange. Mentioning it made it worse.

Yan Yunzhi: “It’s a nice photo.”

She looked at it and curved her lips.

She remembered Ning Ke’s bad mood that day. When she’d asked her to smile, Ning Ke had coldly refused. In the end, Yan Yunzhi had no choice but to put her arm around Ning Ke’s shoulder.

The girl still didn’t smile, but her red ears betrayed her discomfort.

The photo had captured that moment—fluttering, beautiful.

Ning Ke dried her hair, applied skincare, turned back a corner of the quilt, and lay down.

The quilt was soft, fluffy, and cozy.

It was late, but she wasn’t sleepy.

The sound of the hairdryer stopped.

Faintly, she could hear the north wind howling outside, and the sound of snow clumping off the pine trees in the yard.

Suddenly, it was quiet.

Ning Ke felt uneasy.

Only the bedside wall lamp was left on. Soon, the space beside her dipped as someone got in. A cool, faint fragrance reached her nose.

She took a deep breath. The unease grew stronger.

She refused to look at the person beside her. She wanted to turn over but held back. She put her phone aside without even playing with it.

Yan Yunzhi said nothing either and turned off the light.

Ning Ke couldn’t sleep, eyes wide in the darkness. Some time later, she heard movement beside her.

Yan Yunzhi turned over, her back trembling faintly.

It sounded like she was suppressing a cough.

Was it… because of the wind on the way back that day?

Ning Ke couldn’t just lie there. She sat up, turned on the light, and got out of bed to pour water for Yan Yunzhi.

“Thank you,” Yan Yunzhi said softly. “Did I wake you?”

Ning Ke: “I wasn’t asleep.”

Yan Yunzhi put down the cup. “Go to sleep. I’ll read in the study for a bit.”

“No. You’re staying here,” Ning Ke said. “I wasn’t sleepy anyway. I can’t sleep.”

Yan Yunzhi: “I’ll disturb you.”

She turned her head, her profile thin and fragile. Her thick lashes trembled from the coughing, her slender brows drawn together. There was a cold, delicate brokenness about her. She pressed a hand lightly to her chest and said quietly, “I’m really fine.”