Chapter 47

Zhong Ning tried her best to hypnotize herself into forgetting those nights when they had slept in each other’s arms.

Sleeping normally and falling asleep from exhaustion were, of course, very different.

She understood this very well.

Zhong Ning secretly bit the corner of the quilt. She understood it very well.

Zhong Ning turned over in bed. She could not understand it more clearly.

She also did not want to sleep together at all. She liked sleeping alone the most.

Zhong Ning hugged the pillow a little tighter and mumbled as she drifted off to sleep.

On the day of the engagement banquet.

Zhong Ning had been pulled out of bed early and fussed over all morning. Her mind had not yet been “tainted” by business matters, nor did she understand all the intricate subtleties and unspoken rules.

She simply regarded this banquet as a pure engagement party, a witness to the deepening of her relationship with Xie Shiqing.

The two of them had not yet registered their marriage. Although the wedding was a certainty, Zhong Ning really did not want it to happen too soon.

She wanted to wait for the right atmosphere and a natural moment to propose.

Though the result would remain the same, the process and the sense of ceremony were also very important. She liked Xie Shiqing and did not want any regrets between them.

A proposal was a ritual, a process, and it had to exist.

However, Zhong Ning did not have the energy to think about this for now. She was like a spinning top, dizzy and moving from one chair to another, passed from one pair of hands to the next. Just for her hair, there were three people bustling around, spraying various small bottles and combing with different combs of all shapes and sizes.

It was the first time she realized that combs could have so many different shapes and seemingly different uses.

After a series of dazzling operations, her hairstyle looked… more or less the same as before.

But also not the same. Zhong Ning could not tell exactly what had changed. It seemed to be just a slight adjustment in the curve, but it looked better.

Just like her face now—clearly the makeup artist had spent a long time applying makeup, but when she looked in the mirror, she could hardly detect any makeup at all.

It was as if a filter had been added. The features were still her features, just more beautiful.

This fee was truly well deserved.

She had no skill in makeup and would rank only slightly below average among ordinary people. However, as Zhong Ning tilted her face slightly, the reflection in the mirror looked about seventy percent like herself.

Like her past self from her previous life.

Could this be considered the soul bringing about a change in the body?

This fleeting thought passed quickly. Zhong Ning could not dwell on it, for she had to change into her gown.

That day, she had only seen Xie Shiqing once in the morning. After that, they had separated, each going to their respective makeup artists.

All the preparations were completed forty minutes before the banquet was set to begin. Zhong Ning had spent the whole morning sitting idly and was truly unwilling to stay in the room any longer. She grabbed her phone, pushed open the door, and decided to go next door to chat with Xie Shiqing.

Xie Shiqing’s room was just across the corridor. The hallway was carpeted with a dark blue plaid pattern, with tall, wide-bellied flower pots on both sides. The slender-leaved plants grew lush and vigorous, and the air carried a faint, light fragrance.

She counted the room numbers and knocked on the door of the temporary makeup room.

No one responded.

Had they all left?

That was quick.

She had finished much earlier than Zhong Ning had expected.

Could it be that she had already gone downstairs to greet the guests? This was Zhong Ning’s first thought. The phrase ‘handling ten thousand affairs daily’ perfectly described Xie Shiqing’s life. Unlike Zhong Ning herself, Xie Shiqing was extremely busy.

She took out her phone and sent a message. “Shiqing, I’m done here. Where are you?”

She did not expect much of a reply and decided to head downstairs to have a look.

She had only taken a few steps when the elevator chimed. Several familiar figures walked out—it was Fu Nanshuang and her group.

All of them were smiling, part teasing, part genuinely happy.

Though they often talked about upholding the honor of their “no marriage alliance,” seeing their friends living happily brought sincere blessings from Fu Nanshuang’s heart.

As long as life was good and true happiness was found, whether one got married or not hardly mattered.

“Not bad! You look absolutely radiant today, glowing with happiness! Look at you, your smile is about to reach your ears!”

Zhong Ning instinctively touched her face. “Really? Is my smile that obvious?”

Zheng Xuan could not help but laugh as well. “It’s a happy occasion. What’s wrong with smiling?”

All of them had only gained the freedom to love and marry after breaking away from their families or giving up their rights as heirs. Someone like Zhong Ning, though entering into a marriage alliance, had happened to meet the right person—this was truly rare.

The last such ideal couple had been Zhong Lin and her supposed spouse.

But as it turned out, even that had not been real.

Today was a joyful day, yet Zheng Xuan still carried a faint worry she could not easily voice.

Zhong Ning had inherited her mother’s personality. She took relationships extremely seriously and could not tolerate any form of betrayal. Because of the tragic misfortunes in her family, her worldview had been completely reshaped. She had said more than once that she never wanted to form any emotional attachments or intimate relationships in this lifetime.

But this time, her feelings had come too swiftly and too fiercely, like a raging fire that consumed her entirely, leaving no room for retreat. Zheng Xuan could only hope that Zhong Ning was truly happy and that this marriage would proceed smoothly without troubles.

Otherwise, when it came to tactics and abilities, even a hundred Zhong Nings together would not match Xie Shiqing.

This floor was supposed to be off-limits to other guests, but given that Fu Nanshuang and the others were well known to be Zhong Ning’s friends, they were allowed in.

They all returned to the room together. The makeup artists had already packed up their things and cleared the room.

After some lighthearted chatting, Fu Nanshuang raised an eyebrow and suddenly said, “Xie Shiqing moves fast. Have you all heard about Zhang Min?”

Everyone nodded, while Zhong Ning looked confused.

Fu Nanshuang had come specifically to share this news with her. “It happened late last night. You probably don’t know yet. Zhang Min had recently been locked up by her mother, but that girl is hardly the type to stay put. She couldn’t last two days before calling a bunch of people over to the villa to throw a party.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep