Who Needs a CEO? I Choose Stardom

Chapter 41: Chapter 37: Myriad Lanterns, a Long Story

To free up time for that refrigerator-themed variety show, Ni Bingyan had been burning the candle at both ends on set. Her assistant, Duanmu Li, was right there with her, running around nonstop. They’d barely had a decent night’s sleep, and Ni Bingyan felt terrible about it.

They wrapped up early that day, while it was still light out. Ni Bingyan decided to treat Duanmu Li to a nice meal as a small reward for her diligent assistant, who worked harder than Old Huang’s ox.

An assistant’s meals and lodging during work hours were the boss’s responsibility anyway. Duanmu Li just figured Ni Bingyan was sick of the boxed lunches on set and wanted a change of pace. The moment she was called, she was ready to go.

Ni Bingyan gave her the destination, but Duanmu Li didn’t even need to use the GPS. She drove straight to the building, clearly familiar with the place.

’She was Mr. Wei’s assistant for years, so she probably came here often,’ Ni Bingyan thought, not making a big deal out of it.

The two went upstairs and entered the restaurant, where a waiter immediately led them to a private room.

This high-end private restaurant was a favorite among celebrities. The main draw was the excellent soundproofing in the private rooms, which offered plenty of privacy. Plus, with numerous photo studios, recording studios, and production bases nearby, it was a frequent haunt for artists.

After they were seated, Ni Bingyan ordered her favorites and casually handed the menu to Duanmu Li. "Order whatever you like. Don’t be shy."

Duanmu Li took the menu, ordered a moderately priced dish, and sent the waiter to get it started.

The food arrived quickly. By the time they finished their meal and left the private room, it was not even nine o’clock.

Ni Bingyan wasn’t one for staying out late. Besides, she had to head to Xiang Province the next day to film a variety show, so she just wanted to go home. Thinking it would be tiring for Duanmu Li to make another trip so late, she gave her the rest of the night off.

"You’re free for the rest of the night. I’ll drive myself home. See you at the airport tomorrow morning."

This meant Duanmu Li didn’t have to drive her home tonight or pick her up in the morning. She could go straight to the airport from her own place, which would let her sleep in for over an hour.

Knowing this was her boss being considerate, Duanmu Li certainly had no objections.

Before paying the bill, the two went to the restroom. They never expected that a simple bathroom break would lead to trouble.

Not far from the restroom was a fire escape. Duanmu Li, who was walking ahead, heard a strange commotion coming from inside. She gave Ni Bingyan a "be careful" gesture and, brimming with a sense of justice, hunched over and crept toward the door.

Ni Bingyan wasn’t the type to just play it safe, so seeing Duanmu Li’s solemn expression, she followed her.

Peeking through the doorway, they saw a man and a woman arguing at the bottom of the stairwell. Their voices were hushed and indistinct, but their movements were large and frantic. As they pushed and shoved, the metal clasp on the woman’s handbag struck the stainless steel railing with a loud CLANG.

It looked like the man was trying to grab the woman, but she was resisting, struggling with all her might.

How could they just stand by and watch?

They immediately opened the door, intending to go down and intervene.

But as the door opened and light flooded the stairwell, they got a clear look. The man, dressed in a gray casual suit and in his fifties but still in great shape, was none other than the award-winning actor Mr. Wei Hang. The woman, in a red dress and black stilettos and carrying a black handbag, was the powerhouse actress Liu Yi.

The two were a legitimate married couple. His public persona was that of a doting husband, and hers was of a gentle, virtuous wife. They’d been married for over a decade and were known for being deeply in love. Liu Yi had only recently announced her comeback after their child started middle school.

It was normal for couples to argue. An outsider who didn’t know the full story could easily get caught in the middle and end up pleasing no one. Besides, the two were known for having a solid relationship, so Ni Bingyan was hesitant to get involved.

She was about to leave, but then she remembered that Duanmu Li had been Mr. Wei’s assistant for several years. She gave Duanmu Li a look, letting her decide whether they should stay or go.

Duanmu Li didn’t respond.

Not only was she not leaving, she seemed determined to enter the stairwell.

Ni Bingyan sighed, took a couple of steps back to wait, and said nothing more.

She didn’t know the couple well. If they were close friends, she would have done the same as Duanmu Li. But if she went over now, it would only make things more awkward for everyone involved.

Hearing the noise, the arguing couple below immediately stopped.

Mr. Wei was panting, leaning on the railing for support. Liu Yi, her eyes blazing with anger, was fixing her hair. Seemingly unable to contain her rage, she lunged forward to kick him again.

But the ill-advised kick missed its mark. Instead, the heel of her other shoe couldn’t take the strain and broke with a sharp SNAP. Caught off guard, Liu Yi lost her balance and tumbled to the ground.

She was a woman in her forties who maintained a vegetarian diet to keep her slender figure. The fall was a hard one. A sickening CRACK echoed from her lower leg—so loud that Ni Bingyan heard it from a dozen steps away, to say nothing of Duanmu Li, who was already heading down.

"Sister Liu! Are you alright?"

Seeing this, Duanmu Li bounded down the stairs in two strides, shoved the stunned Wei Hang aside, and pulled a thin promotional brochure and a silk scarf from her bag. She quickly fashioned a makeshift splint to immobilize Liu Yi’s fractured leg.

"Sister Liu, I’ll take you to the hospital."

Duanmu Li said urgently, bending down to help her up.

Liu Yi was sweating from the pain. A moment ago she’d been terrified of her privacy being exposed, but upon seeing who it was, she held back her tears, reached out, and grabbed onto Duanmu Li’s shoulder.

"It’s you! Xiao Li... please... take me... to the hospital! Just don’t... call... an ambulance!"

An ambulance showing up to carry someone out would cause too big of a scene. As a public figure, she had her image to maintain.

Besides, it wasn’t a critical emergency. Aside from the intense pain, her life wasn’t in danger, so there was no need for unnecessary complications.

"Hold on tight, I’ll carry you up!"

As an experienced celebrity assistant, Duanmu Li understood all this. She scooped Liu Yi up, carried her up the stairs in a few quick steps, and sheepishly asked Ni Bingyan if she could borrow her car.

Of course, Ni Bingyan wasn’t going to refuse. She was about to go with them when she noticed a waitress, alerted by the commotion, staring intently at her.

Her family was in the restaurant business, so she knew how hard it was for people in the industry. Besides, she didn’t want to be mistaken for someone trying to dine and dash. Ni Bingyan had no choice but to go pay the bill first.

"You two go on to the hospital. I’ll pay the bill and grab a taxi over."

With her car gone, it would be inconvenient for her to get home anyway. On top of that, after what had happened, she was worried Duanmu Li might not be able to handle it alone. So, even though she didn’t know Liu Yi well, she decided to follow them.

Liu Yi was nearly fainting from the pain. She had bitten her bright red lipstick-covered lips until they bled, so she was in no condition to speak.

Seeing this, Duanmu Li grabbed the keys and left.

Wei Hang, who came upstairs moments later, found himself in the same predicament. Seeing that his wife was being taken care of, and not wanting a scandal to break out about him dining and dashing—or worse, breaking his wife’s leg—he had no choice but to follow and pay the bill.

And so, the two of them left after paying the bill, one right after the other, and headed downstairs.

The private restaurant was located on an upper floor of a five-star hotel. With her car gone, Ni Bingyan had to stand on the hotel’s entrance steps to hail a cab. Unfortunately, taxis were scarce in this area. She waited for a long time, but none came by, and no one was accepting her ride request on the app either.

Wei Hang came up from the underground garage with his car. Seeing she was still there, he pulled up in front of her. "Miss Ni, would you like a ride?"

His wife had been helped by them, after all. Wei Hang wasn’t completely oblivious to social etiquette; it wouldn’t be right to see her waiting and not offer a ride.

Besides, Duanmu Li was with his wife, and that woman could pack a mean punch. He was a little afraid of going over there by himself.

He figured if Ni Bingyan was with him, Duanmu Li might show some restraint for the sake of an outsider and not try to aggressively stick up for Liu Yi.

Ni Bingyan had only recently learned what kind of man he really was, so there was no way she was getting in his car. She gave an awkward smile and politely refused, "My ride will be here any second. You should go on to the hospital and check on Sister Liu. They might need you to sign something."

Seeing her expression, Wei Hang immediately realized that it wouldn’t look good for an unmarried woman and a married man to be traveling together late at night. "I’ll head over first then. Thanks for all your trouble," he said, before driving off toward the nearest hospital.

Ni Bingyan waited a while longer before a taxi finally arrived.

Meanwhile, Duanmu Li had already gotten Liu Yi to the emergency room and sent Ni Bingyan her location. This saved Ni Bingyan a pointless trip, and she told the driver to head straight for that hospital.

Little did they know, there was more than one hospital in the area. Wei Hang only realized this after he was already on the road. When he contacted Duanmu Li, she, still angry with him, deliberately took her time responding. Only when he started to sound desperate did she tell him which hospital they were at.

And so, once again, Ni Bingyan and Wei Hang arrived at the hospital one after the other.

Their only thought was for the injured Liu Yi. They ran into each other in the emergency department lobby, exchanged a quick greeting, and headed toward the operating rooms together.

But unbeknownst to them, as they hurried along, someone had been following them the entire time.

From the moment they were trying to get a ride outside the hotel all the way to the operating room, this person had been filming. You could say they were quite dedicated.

Liu Yi was incredibly unlucky. The ER doctor’s examination revealed that she had broken both her tibia and fibula. She needed surgery immediately.

With her husband present, there was no issue proceeding with the surgery.

Liu Yi was in so much pain she looked like she wanted to claw at the walls. She managed a weak thank you to them before biting down on the corner of her blanket and sobbing, her makeup streaking down her tear-stained face.

Seeing Wei Hang follow the medical staff as they wheeled Liu Yi toward the orthopedics department, Ni Bingyan breathed a sigh of relief. "I hope there are no lasting complications!"

The tibia and fibula in the lower leg are prone to breaking, and the blood flow to that area isn’t great, making recovery difficult. She was probably going to be bedridden for a long time.

Worst of all, Liu Yi was an actress. A scar on her leg would severely affect her ability to wear skirts and similar attire, limiting her wardrobe choices for public events.

Seeing Ni Bingyan running around to help without a single complaint, Duanmu Li felt very embarrassed and insisted on driving her home.

The woman was earnestly stubborn. Ni Bingyan couldn’t talk her out of it, so she had to agree.

She had wanted to let her assistant rest, but now, if she didn’t let her drive her, Duanmu Li would just feel guilty.

The two of them left the hospital and got on the road.

It was not yet ten o’clock, a time when a sea of lights from countless homes seemed to welcome people back.

Their drab Volkswagen merged into the endless stream of traffic. Road signs receded behind them. Ahead, on a gentle slope, the red taillights of the cars looked like a flowing river of stars.

A gentle night breeze tickled the loose strands of hair by her ears. They were full from a good meal and had even done a good deed. All in all, it was a wonderful day.

Perhaps the atmosphere was just right for storytelling, because the usually taciturn Duanmu Li unexpectedly began to talk about her past with Wei Hang and his wife.

Ni Bingyan wasn’t one to pry into people’s private lives, but that didn’t mean she didn’t enjoy a bit of gossip.

"Go on," she said. "I’m all ears."