Hidden Marriage
Summary of Chapter 186 – 236
Lu Tingxiao saves Ning Xi from the attackersNing Yaohua arrives on the scene and a.s.sumes that Lu Tingxiao isn’t rich because of the cheap family carNing Yaohua scolds Ning Xi for having a kept man and leavesLittle Treasure wants to grow up faster so he can protect herNing Xi opens the package, a birthday gift from her female cousin, Ning Tianxin: a perfume bottleNing Tianxin was the only one who treated her well in the Ning FamilyThe second package has no sender written on it, so Lu Tingxiao offers to open the package for herThe car continues driving itself on autopilotThe package turns out to be a diamond glitter bomb from YS
A car has been following them, it’s Ning YaohuaThey return to Platinum Palace and Ning Yaohua gets blocked at the entranceNing Xi, Lu Tingxiao and Little Treasure change into ap.r.o.nsNing Xi melts from Little Treasure’s cuteness and takes more photosAfter cooking up a storm, Lu Tingxiao asks if she dreamt of being a cookNing Xi reveals that her dream was to be someone’s wifeThey forgot to buy vegetablesLu Tingxiao mentions that they can go to Lu Jingli’s place to pick someNing Xi and Little Treasure head over to Lu Jingli’s vegetable garden and trigger a burglar alarm after picking some vegetables, calling Lu Jingli outLu Jingli joins them for dinner and posts a photo on his Weibo, showing off his future sister-in-law’s cooking, earning the praise of his parents
Lu Tingxiao reveals Ning Xi’s manager: Lin Zhizhi, who created an international movie star, Leng ManyunNing Xi needs to pa.s.s her test before Lin Zhizhi will accept training herNing Xi puts Little Treasure to sleep and offers to cook more for Little TreasureLu Tingxiao refuses, asking her how he’ll be able to cope after she leavesShe sleeps badly and dreams of the night that she was drugged and dreams that she lost control and threw herself into Lu Tingxiao’s arms
The next day, she heads to Golden Age Entertainment to meet Lin ZhizhiLin Zhizhi tells her that she is to replace Leng Manyun and has to meet her standards for half a yearShe introduces her to her new a.s.sistant: Hu Tao, nicknamed TaoziLin Zhizhi issues her an apartment in Pearl River Apartments, the most expensive apartments in BeijingNing Xueluo lives there tooThe previous artist she had nurtured for years, Leng Manyun, retired because of a man, so Lin Zhizhi gives a condition: Ning Xi can’t date anyone
Ning Xi checks online news, Lu Jingli tweeted that Ning Xi has joined Golden AgeLu Tingxiao retweeted it, causing netizens to think that Ning Xi is innocent and there’s something more to the storyNing Xi returns to Platinum Palace and is given the go-ahead to tweet about the upcoming press conferenceShe takes a call from Jiang Muye in her room, he scolds her for joining Golden Age, and nags at her to open the email againThe email contains two recordings: one of Lu Tingxiao mentioning a girl he likes to his parentsThe second recording is the one where Lu Tingxiao was talking to Jiang Muye and kissed Ning XiJiang Muye reveals that Lu Tingxiao kissed herNing Xi tells him that she trusts Lu Tingxiao and that company and private matters are kept separateAfter hanging up, she imagines the scene where Lu Tingxiao kissed herNing Xi stays in bed and tells them that she’s not going to have dinnerHer mind is blank as she thinks about what happened
Lu Tingxiao is trying to put Little Treasure to bed but he’s not cooperatingNing Xi reads a story and Little Treasure sleepsShe reveals that she used to hate children and would dodge them, but she unexpectedly feels close to Little TreasureShe goes to bed and dreams in a daze that Lu Tingxiao kissed her and said ‘Good night, I love you’
Ning Xueluo, Chang Li and Cui Caijing are worried about the upcoming press conferenceNing Xi appears at the press conference with Lin Zhizhi, Lu Jingli, the great lawyer Chen Jing and the head of PR, Liang FeixingThe reporters are stunned that so many bigshots appeared at a newcomer’s press conferenceLawyer Chen plays an audio recording of the prop director, Zhang Qiang, confessing that someone hired him to frame Ning Xi and reveals the IP address traced back to Ning Xueluo’s apartment, as well as the bank account that was traced to Ning Xueluo’s a.s.sistantThe lawyer also reveals Ning Xueluo’s injury report and the doctor’s diagnosis detailing that Ning Xi held back to Ning Xueluo only suffered superficial wounds and could be discharged on the same dayLawyer Chen then shows a doc.u.ment for a lawsuit against Ning Xueluo’s defamation of Ning XiLu Jingli answers a reporter’s question: Golden Age took on Ning Xi because of her great potentialHe then demands for all the reporters to apologise to Ning XiAfter the press conference, he requests a reward: Ning Xi’s cooking
Su Yan and Ning Xueluo watch the press conference live in Xueluo’s apartmentWhen the truth is revealed, Ning Xueluo turns the blame on Cui Caijing, but Su Yan no longer believes her and runs out, thinking about Ning Xi
Ning Xi and Jiang Muye meet in a bar to discuss Lu TingxiaoNing Xi reveals that Lu Tingxiao proposed to her when they first metNing Xi asks Muye: “If you walk into a room and the person you love has been dosed with aphrodisiac and is wearing a transparent nightgown, lying on a king size bed with rose petals scattered around, what would you do?”Muye: “Of course I’ll just get on the bed and do her! Otherwise I wouldn’t be considered a man! Or I probably don’t even love that woman!”Ning Xi reveals that Lu Tingxiao didn’t do anything at all when he was in the same situationJiang Muye tries to convince her that there’s another side to Lu Tingxiao she hasn’t seen, but Ning Xi states that he has only ever treated her wellJiang Muye asks if she wants to get together with himNing Xi says, “Of course not! I’m clear on what my status is like, compared to his!”Her heart is moved, but she still holds on to her rationality
Back at the Lu Residence, Lu Jingli manages to connect to a listening device at Ning Xi and Jiang Muye’s tableLu Tingxiao orders him to delete it without listeningNing Xi returns with Jiang MuyeShe gets a call from the hospital saying that her boyfriend was in a car accident, but she doesn’t have a boyfriendLu Tingxiao, Lu Jingli and Jiang Muye stare at herShe doesn’t know who it is, but in case it’s a friend, she goes to the hospital with Lu Jingli as companyLu Jingli tries to convince her to leave when they see it’s Su Yan, but Ning Xi pets Su Yan and calls him Yan-gegeLu Tingxiao, Jiang Muye and Little Treasure arrive at this moment and stand outside the wardSu Yan wakes up and apologise to Ning XiShe refuses his apology and reminisces about good memories from the pastLittle Treasure rushes in and cries, causing Ning Xi to panicSu Yan asks who the child is but Ning Xi just leavesOutside the ward, Lu Jingli asks what she’s pulling and Jiang Muye reveals that she’s just acting innocent to play Su YanNing Xi calls Ning Xueluo to inform her about Su Yan, and records Ning Xueluo swearing and scolding at her, and sends it to Su Yan
At 3am at night, Ning Xi can’t sleepLu Tingxiao ‘sleepwalks’ to her room, lies in her bed and cuddles herShe stares at his face and is conflicted about whether to kiss him, since he won’t remember anything in his ‘sleepwalking’She doesn’t kiss him and Lu Tingxiao relaxes, but suddenly, she french kisses himNing Xi still can’t sleep so she looks at entertainment newsJiang Muye calls her and realises there’s someone beside her, suspects that it’s Lu TingxiaoNing Xi claims that it’s Little Treasure and then invites Jiang Muye out the next day
When Ning Xi wakes up, Lu Tingxiao is no longer thereShe brings Little Treasure and Jiang Muye out to the supermarket and cooks for themJiang Muye takes a picture of her back and shows it off on his Weibo, and Lu Tingxiao messages him: Don’t let Little Treasure eat too much, he’s been getting heavierNing Xi reveals that Lin Zhizhi is her new manager, and it turns out that Lin Zhizhi is Jiang Muye’s ex-girlfriend
Another day, Ning Xi brings Little Treasure out shopping with some bodyguardsThey b.u.mp into Su Yan and Ning Xueluo out shopping for a giftNing Xueluo tries to act as if Ning Xi would never forgive her and tears upNing Xi forgives her on the spot, and Little Treasure comes out of the changing roomNing Xi buys a bunch of kids’ clothing at onceNing Xueluo states that Ning Xi must have become a kept mistress and given birth to a childSu Yan refuses to hear any of it
Ning Xi has been avoiding Lu Tingxiao for 2 days but he comes to pick her and Little Treasure upWhen they reach home, she hides in her roomLu Tingxiao comes to find herLu Tingxiao: I miss youHe hugs her and rests his head on her shoulders
Ning Xi tries to dodge him the next morning but he’s at homeHe gives her a kiss on the forehead before he leavesNing Xi realises that he’s getting more active in chasing herLittle Treasure draws the three of them together as a familyAt dinner, Lu Jingli points out that Ning XI is dodging Lu Tingxiao
At 12 midnight, Ning Xi goes out in heavy makeup and s.e.xy clothing, she meets Lu Tingxiao on the way out, then goes to a barA guy who is clearly married hits on her and they go out to an alleyLu Tingxiao and Lu Jingli followed her out, and watchThe guy gets beaten upNing Xi video calls his wife (about to be divorced) and shows her the beaten up husbandLu Jingli speculates that Ning Xi’s long list of ex-boyfriends was due to her complex about men who cheat and she executes justice on them
Ning Xi goes to the riverside and lies on the bank, waiting for mosquitoes to bite herShe falls asleep and Lu Tingxiao hugs her to keep her warmWhen she wakes up, she has a few mosquito bitesShe returns home and shows off the mosquito bites, thinking that Lu Tingxiao would a.s.sume that they are hickiesLu Tingxiao sees through her ploy and applies ointment on the bites for her insteadShe continues going to bars every night and abusing cheating menHowever, Lu Tingxiao isn’t turned off by it at all, so she just accompanies Little Treasure in the day insteadLittle Treasure becomes less depressed and introverted and becomes more like a normal child