What Do You Need (20)

"So you want An Wan to witness it in person?" An Xiaowei wasn't sure if An Wan's mind had returned to normal after being away filming for so long.

But An Xiaowei soon found out.

An Wan finished shooting in just a month and a half. As she boarded the plane, she glanced at the handsome man on her phone's lock screen, her heart restless.

It had been so long since she'd seen her husband—she missed him terribly.

Last time, she had gotten angry. It was all her fault; she shouldn’t have lost her temper with him. He was such a good man—surely he wouldn’t hold a grudge against her, right?

An Wan felt uneasy.

Taking advantage of the moment after boarding, she quickly called Xiaowei.

"Xiaowei, how are things at Sister Ning's place?" An Wan's voice was full of concern.

What she didn’t expect was for Ning Moqing to be the one answering the phone.

"Hmm, she's doing fine." Ning Moqing's expression darkened.

She glanced at the empty bedroom—that girl had disappeared again.

This time, she hadn’t even taken her phone. Who knew how terrified she was of having her location tracked?

An Wan finally relaxed, letting out a soft sigh. "Sister Ning, filming wrapped up here. Remember to have the company send someone to pick me up later."

"It’s already arranged. Just head straight home. I’ll bring Xiaowei back to you later."

Ning Moqing kept her patience, her tone still gentle.

So An Wan didn’t notice anything amiss.

After hanging up, Ning Moqing looked at the clock on the living room wall—exactly midnight.

The room suddenly plunged into darkness, as if night had fallen. Pale blue light panels rose from the floor at her feet.

"Locate her position."

Her voice was cool yet tender in the air.

When Ning Moqing caught up with An Xiaowei, she was playing at an amusement park with Xu Ya.

"Xiaowei! Go, go! Aim for the biggest plushie—oh my god! You actually hit it! Xiaowei, you’re amazing!" Xu Ya cheered beside her, waving a bread roll in excitement.

When she turned around, she saw Ning Moqing standing behind her with a frosty expression.

Xu Ya nearly fainted from shock.

An Xiaowei, clutching her prize, looked smug—until she noticed Ning Moqing dragging Xu Ya by the ear, scolding her.

"Oh? Feeling bold now? Did you forget everything I told you before?"

An Xiaowei froze mid-step.

She tried to run, but her short legs were no match for Ning Moqing’s assistant.

A burly man in a black suit blocked her escape.

"Miss An, please come back. Our young mistress is very worried about you," the bodyguard said dutifully.

An Xiaowei glanced at the giant bear in her arms before reluctantly shuffling over to Ning Moqing.

She held out the plushie.

"Here."

Her face showed no reluctance—she definitely wasn’t afraid of Ning Moqing.

It was almost supernatural. Every time she sneaked out to play with Xu Ya, Ning Moqing caught her red-handed. This time, they’d even picked a crowded place.

And yet—still caught.

"You keep it. An Wan is coming back soon. You need to go home and get ready. And you—pack your things and get lost too."

Ning Moqing’s gentle tone shifted halfway into stern severity.

"Wahhh! You’re so mean to me, but you never scold Xiaowei like this!" Xu Ya whined, her collar still gripped in Ning Moqing’s hand, looking utterly disheveled.

If not for Ning Moqing’s ability to keep Xu Ya in line, her family would never have entrusted her to Ning Moqing’s care.

"You’re different from her." Ning Moqing released her grip.

An Xiaowei hugged the bear, nearly as big as herself, watching as Ning Moqing approached. She took a step back—only for Ning Moqing to pull a handkerchief from her pocket and gently wipe the sweat from her forehead.

"You’ve had your fun. Let’s go." Her voice carried a trace of resignation.

The three returned home. The moment they arrived, Xu Ya clutched her stomach in pain and rushed to the bathroom. Ning Moqing thought for a moment, then took a carton of milk from the fridge, heated it, and set it on the coffee table.

"Drink this, rest for a bit, then pack up. I’ll send you home after dinner this evening."

An Xiaowei set the bear aside and took a few small sips of the milk.

It tasted odd—not as sweet as before.

After half a glass, she lost interest. Tilting her head back, she gulped the rest down in one go.

Xu Ya emerged from the bedroom, yawning, and headed straight for the fridge. The moment she opened it, she froze.

"Sister Ning… where’s the other half of my milk?"

She turned and saw the glass on the table, still faintly coated with milk.

Oh shit.

Xu Ya’s hand trembled, nearly ripping the fridge door off its hinges.

"What’s wrong?" Ning Moqing asked.

Xu Ya bit her lower lip and shook her head.

"Nothing."

Ning Moqing felt an inexplicable unease. Once An Xiaowei went into the bedroom, she turned to Xu Ya.

"Don’t even think about taking her out to play again. Her priority right now is finishing her graduation thesis."

Xu Ya wasn’t paying attention, nodding absently.

Meanwhile, less than ten minutes after lying down, An Xiaowei began feeling strange.

Hot.

Heat surged through her body. Her eyes glazed with a misty haze as she parted her lips, hearing the rapid, heavy pounding of her own heart.

Thump-thump—

Like a drum.

Her mind grew hazy, her clarity slipping away. She bit her lower lip, the sharp pain giving her just enough focus to call out to her system.

"A-Si~"

Her voice was a wreck—sticky and feverish. The sound alone sent a flush spreading down her neck, her delicate collarbones dotted with beads of sweat.

A-Si seemed to arrive in a hurry, pausing at the sight of her.

"Did you… take something?"

"I don’t have a boyfriend—what would I take?" An Xiaowei felt like she was burning alive.

She’d never endured anything this unbearable. Her fingers clenched the white sheets, her remaining rationality slowly devoured by the scorching heat.

"The shop’s not open yet," A-Si said, genuinely caught off guard.

Was there really no other way?

In a milky-white void, a woman in an emerald-green dress stared at the screen radiating heat. She nibbled her index finger, her ears tinged pink.

It seemed there was only one solution.

Moments later.

An Xiaowei heard the door open. She cracked her eyes open—only to nearly tear the sheets apart at the sight of Ning Moqing.

The woman locked the door behind her, sitting gracefully on a nearby chair, her posture poised as she gazed down at her.

Those calm, water-like eyes brought a sliver of clarity to An Xiaowei.

Then, those red lips parted.

"What do you need?"

"Should I find you a man?"

What kind of nonsense was that?

An Xiaowei was stunned. But with salvation finally within reach, her hand moved on its own—reaching out to grasp Ning Moqing’s cool, slender wrist.

So refreshing.