Chapter 202: She Refused

Chapter 202: Chapter 202: She Refused

Nan Zhi managed to be humble for a mere two seconds.

In the end, she inevitably started bragging about her son.

But that was fine.

Compared to everyone else, her little bit of self-satisfaction was nothing!

[That’s right! That’s the spirit! Puff out your chest with pride!]

[Our Yiyi is an invincible little genius!]

[Yiyi is so smart and kind, and he knows how to be considerate of his mom. He’s the perfect baby!]

[I just remembered Yiyi’s super memory from before. It’s just some elementary school homework, he’ll crush it!]

[Hehe, I’m not married and don’t have kids, but I’m getting to experience the satisfaction of being a parent!]

[If getting married meant having a kid like our precious Yiyi, I wouldn’t be scared of marriage anymore!]

...

The audience was showering Nan Yi with wild, chaotic praise in the live comments.

They had practically become Nan Yi’s "internet parents," unable to tolerate a single bad word about him from anyone.

Compared to them, Nan Zhi was practically the voice of reason.

Waving goodbye to a star-struck Teacher Xiao Lin, Nan Zhi held Nan Yi’s hand while Qi Pei’er led Qi Zhang, and they all walked back together.

The cameraman and a follow-cam director trailed behind them.

Maybe they had just picked the wrong time for filming, because the weather in Guisheng Province had been incredibly fickle lately.

Halfway there, the sky, which had been clear and bright just moments before, was suddenly blanketed by a vast stretch of dark clouds that had been blown in, hanging ominously overhead.

With her experience, Nan Zhi only needed a single glance to make a firm judgment.

"It’s going to rain."

Qi Pei’er let out a soft "Ah?"

"Really? That fast?"

But out of her unconditional trust in Nan Zhi, Qi Pei’er grabbed Qi Zhang and quickened her pace anyway.

Nan Yi pressed himself even closer to Nan Zhi, his eyes fixed warily on the surrounding trees as they thrashed about in the violent wind.

"Don’t be scared."

Nan Zhi put her arm around Nan Yi, as if sheltering him under her wing.

Nan Yi’s anxiety eased a little.

However, the rain came even faster than they had anticipated.

With no warning at all, raindrops the size of soybeans began to hammer down from the heavens.

In the blink of an eye, it became a downpour. Unable to move forward or back, Nan Zhi and the others had no choice but to take temporary shelter under a thicket of trees.

The dense, leafy canopy formed a large umbrella over their heads, temporarily shielding them from the wind and rain.

Nan Zhi protected Nan Yi so well that not even the hem of his clothes got wet.

Nan Zhi, on the other hand, was soaked through from her shoulders down her back.

Fortunately, she was wearing a camisole underneath, so her wet, white shirt clinging to her body wasn’t too revealing.

Still, the feeling of damp clothes clinging to her skin was far from pleasant.

Whenever the wind blew, the cold, wet fabric stuck to her skin.

Nan Zhi couldn’t help but shiver.

Nan Yi, who was closest to her, noticed immediately.

He looked up with a worried expression on his little face.

"Mom, are you cold?"

"I’m okay."

Nan Zhi reassured him.

But that wasn’t enough to ease Nan Yi’s concern.

He stared out at the dense curtain of rain, feeling utterly helpless.

In the end, all he could do was wrap his arms tightly around Nan Zhi, trying to warm her with his own small, frail body.

It didn’t really help, but that didn’t stop Nan Zhi from smiling.

Because of Nan Yi’s gesture, the howling wind and driving rain no longer seemed so daunting.

"We can’t just stay here."

Qi Pei’er wasn’t much better off than Nan Zhi; her hair and clothes were almost completely soaked.

But since she exercised regularly, she was in much better shape than Nan Zhi and didn’t seem fazed at all.

Nan Zhi, in contrast, already had lips that were turning a little pale.

Her frail, slender body looked like a delicate flower stem, unable to withstand the storm.

Qi Pei’er was very worried. She took out her phone, intending to call the production team for a pickup.

But when she looked at it, there was no signal at all!

"What do we do?"

"The live stream is still on. The crew in the control room can see us, so don’t worry."

Nan Zhi said, pointing to the camera on the cameraman’s shoulder to reassure Qi Pei’er.

Qi Pei’er slapped her forehead in frustration.

"Oh, right! How could I forget!"

Everyone felt a lot more relieved.

They waited for about ten minutes before someone finally arrived—

running at the forefront, holding umbrellas, were none other than Fu Chao and Xie Yu.

Nan Zhi watched in surprise as they ran closer.

"What are you two doing here?"

Fu Chao was breathing heavily, his bangs damp with sweat.

"You’re in trouble, of course we had to come! Are you okay? Gosh, your clothes are soaked! Good thing I brought a jacket! Quick, put it on! Don’t catch a cold! What about Yiyi? Are his clothes wet...?"

Fu Chao was like a nagging parent, fussing and circling anxiously around Nan Zhi and Nan Yi.

Xie Yu stood quietly behind them, holding an umbrella.

Once Fu Chao had talked himself tired, Xie Yu found an opening and handed her a thermos.

"It’s ginger tea. Have some."

Fu Chao was baffled.

"We left in such a hurry. When did you have time to prepare that?"

Xie Yu answered calmly.

"I just grabbed it on the way."

’As if anyone would believe that!’

Even someone as oblivious as Qi Pei’er could sense that something was up.

To say nothing of the eagle-eyed audience watching from behind their screens!

[Something’s fishy! Something is definitely fishy here!]

[You’re just noticing now? I picked up on it ages ago!]

[So those old romance rumors...]

[The rumors were probably fake, but the way Xie Yu looks at Nan Zhi is real! I’m shipping this couple!]

[I’m on board! I call dibs on the head table at the wedding!]

[Doesn’t anyone else think Fu Chao’s attitude toward Nan Zhi is special, too? I’ve never seen him nag like this!]

[It’s weird. I don’t get any romantic vibes from Fu Chao’s actions. It’s more like my mom nagging me to wear long underwear.]

[Hahaha, what a bizarre comparison!]

...

However, Xie Yu quickly produced a second thermos and handed it to Qi Pei’er.

"There’s one for you, too."

Qi Pei’er let out a knowing "Oh..."

"I get it, I get it. Thanks."

’Just a convenient extra, huh? I totally get it!’

Xie Yu’s expression remained cool and distant; Qi Pei’er’s teasing look didn’t seem to faze him in the slightest.

He was looking at Nan Zhi.

Nan Zhi was crouched down, holding the cup of ginger tea to Nan Yi’s lips.

"Have a little."

Nan Yi’s lips were sealed tight, and it took all his effort not to glare at Xie Yu.

"I don’t like it."

Nan Zhi didn’t insist. She took a couple of sips of the ginger tea herself.

The comforting warmth chased away the damp chill.

Nan Zhi stood up and gave Xie Yu a polite nod.

"I’ll wash the thermos and return it to you when we get back."

No one else found her attitude strange.

But Xie Yu did.

He noticed the shift in her tone almost instantly.

It was a deliberate distance, meant to draw a line between them—

’She knows.’

’And she’s rejecting me.’

Even someone as calm as Xie Yu couldn’t help but feel a flicker of panic.

He was frustrated with himself.

In his concern for her, he’d gotten flustered and forgotten how obvious the gesture of bringing ginger tea was.

And knowing Nan Zhi’s personality, she wouldn’t accept his advances; she would only pull away.

Fortunately, Xie Yu had already figured out Nan Zhi’s personality and knew that some things couldn’t be rushed.

Since Nan Zhi hadn’t made it explicit, he could also pretend nothing had happened, simply nodding in agreement.

Seeing the atmosphere grow increasingly awkward, Fu Chao quickly stepped in to smooth things over and suggested they head home.

No one objected.

The rain showed no sign of letting up, and who knew if thunder would suddenly start to boom.