As dawn just started to break, Ruan Xingwen gradually came to his senses.
He felt deeply regretful now, wondering why he hadn't heeded Yun Jing's advice to quietly recuperate his Divine Sense in the Void Realm, but had instead run around everywhere with the growing Little Qilin...
Now, his limbs seemed no longer his own, painfully sore, so he raised his voice to shout toward the living room, "Little Qilin, are you awake? Can you come to the bedroom for a moment..."
Hearing his weak voice, Little Qilin hurriedly ran in, even slipping a bit in the process. Not caring about the little bump on his chin, he anxiously asked, "Xingxing, what's wrong? Is it because of me that you fell ill?"
Watching Little Qilin rush in anxiously yet stop at the lazy couch far from him, afraid to come nearer, and hearing his self-blaming words, Ruan Xingwen's heart softened entirely.
In a gentle voice, he said, "Don't overthink it. It's not because of you; it's the negative effect of overusing Spiritual Energy yesterday. You're so adorable and so good, how could you make me ill!"
He patted the bed beneath him, "Come up quickly, just let me hold you for a bit, and I'll feel better~"
Little Qilin cautiously jumped onto the bed but hesitated to get close to him. So he had to reach out, pull him into his arms, cuddle him a bit, and comfort him, "Don't overthink it. I've had bad luck for such a long time; could a few strokes of luck make it up? I'm not even happy about it."
After comforting him for a while, Little Qilin finally regained his lively demeanor, but its exuberance still brought some trouble to Ruan Xingwen, with its particular penchant for jumping around on his chest, for instance.
The sky was fully bright now; it was time for breakfast.
His body was honestly very sore and thanks to his gluttonous spree of eating a few more pieces of fruit, otherwise, he really wouldn't be able to get up.
Ruan Xingwen thought for a while, took out his phone, and dialed a number.
"Hello, Sister Xiao Yuan, I might need to trouble you to bring breakfast today."
Without saying much, Sister Xiao Yuan directly prepared to come over.
After more than half an hour, Sister Xiao Yuan arrived, opened the door with a spare key, asking while changing her shoes,
"Xingxing, why do you need me to bring you breakfast again today?"
She casually placed the breakfast on the dining table, and seeing Ruan Xingwen wasn't in the living room, turned to walk toward the bedroom.
Sister Xiao Yuan intended to knock before entering, worrying about the awkwardness if Ruan Xingwen was changing clothes.
Just as her hand touched the bedroom door, without even exerting force, the door swung open. Upon entering, she saw a person and a dog having fun tumultuously on the bed.
At this moment, Ruan Xingwen wasn't actually having fun; he was just slow to react and couldn't catch Little Qilin!
Enduring the soreness in his body, painstakingly comforting him, yet this Little Qilin 'ungrateful', thoughtlessly 'taking advantage'! Jumping up and down on him, he couldn't help but want to catch it.
How had he not noticed how agile this Little Qilin was before?!
It's a tale of tears, and giving up on catching Little Qilin, Ruan Xingwen feebly greeted Sister Xiao Yuan, preparing to get up for breakfast.
"You go wash up first, while I get breakfast ready for you; once you're done washing, come to the living room to eat." Sister Xiao Yuan turned and left the bedroom to prepare breakfast.
Treading difficult steps, he made his way to the bathroom. Simply washing up exhausted all his strength, leaving him slumped in the chair, slowly and leisurely eating his breakfast.
"Why do you need my help to bring breakfast today? I thought you had grown up and didn't need your sister's care anymore." After saying this, Sister Xiao Yuan secretly covered her mouth with her hand, afraid of laughing too loudly and having her pay docked.
Ruan Xingwen rolled his eyes at her helplessly but had to explain, "Maybe I caught a cold last night, now feeling incredibly weak, and unable to go out for breakfast, so I had to trouble Sister Xiao Yuan to bring me breakfast today!"
"Pfft hahaha..." Sister Xiao Yuan couldn't hold it anymore.
Listening to normally obedient Xingxing, with an aggrieved yet forced gentle tone, expressing gratitude, even calling her sister, she couldn't help laughing.
Ruan Xingwen let her ridicule him, just eating his breakfast quietly.
Once Sister Xiao Yuan calmed down, he spoke again, "About tonight's gathering, you don't have to come; head home early. I'm not sure when it will end either."
Sister Xiao Yuan looked puzzled, "There's a gathering today? Sister Li didn't mention it to me!"
Hearing this, Ruan Xingwen fell silent.
Sister Xiao Yuan suddenly recalled something from before and angrily asked, "Did she arrange another shady collaboration for you again? Didn't she learn her lesson last time? Does she really not want to work in this industry anymore?"
He didn't actually know how to respond to Sister Xiao Yuan's question because he himself didn't know why Sister Li was still insisting on him attending such gatherings.
Though it wasn't explicitly stated, from Sister Li's evasive eyes, he was sure this gathering involved more than just script discussions.
Back then, was it about a year and a half ago? More or less.
That was the first time Sister Li set him up on a dinner invitation with a director with impure intentions. Before reaching the restaurant, Sister Li hadn't told him anything, just arranged for him to sit beside that director.
As they arrived and dishes were served, the director's hands became indiscreet, touching his hand and trying to hold him. In a moment, Ruan Xingwen understood everything.
It wasn't about the director being impressed with his acting and thinking he suited a role in the script; it was about the director wanting him! Trying to barter a role with ill-tinted intentions!
Furious, he shook off the director's hand and left immediately.
Behind him echoed the director's angry shouts: "Who do you think you are? You're lucky I took a liking to you! If not for your decent face, with your luck, who would dare let you act in their show? Ungrateful!"
Needless to say, Ruan Xingwen's acting career became even more difficult afterward.
Yet he never regretted it, never giving up his principles, and instead, he continued to live contentedly, even if his earnings were meager.
He thought, at the time, Sister Li was unaware. Later on, Sister Li explained it that way, and he was willing to believe her words.
From the time Sister Li started cutting off his resources, she had changed; but he couldn't blame her, since she saw no hope in him, giving resources to others—he understood.
But Sister Li's evasive eyes yesterday finally made him admit that she actually knew a year ago. She had changed from that time, maybe even earlier when he was unaware.
He could understand her choice, but Sister Xiao Yuan couldn't comprehend it.
Since Xingxing debuted, she had always been his assistant. More than three years had passed; even an animal could develop feelings—so why push Xingxing into the fire pit?
"Xingxing, don't go tonight; you're sick now—it's an impeccable excuse!"
Ruan Xingwen shook his head, "If I don't go, Sister Li can't explain to them. Besides, what if it's truly just an ordinary gathering?"
So he comforted Sister Xiao Yuan, while also comforting himself.
In his heart, he truly hoped tonight would merely be an ordinary gathering.