Chapter 326: Chapter 326: Let Me Help You
Sang Ning felt something was off and shook her head slightly.
Shen Yi had also been subjected to online harassment recently, so his abnormal mental state was understandable.
"Let’s get to the point—"
"I have something to say—"
Sang Ning and Shen Yi spoke at the same time.
Stunned for a second, Sang Ning raised her hand in an inviting gesture: "What is it? You go first."
After all, asking Shen Yi to use his looks to influence Chu Xi still felt a bit unethical, and Sang Ning wasn’t thick-skinned enough to casually bring it up. She figured it might be better to let Shen Yi start the conversation first and seize the right moment to ask for his help.
Sang Ning had thought Shen Yi might politely insist that she speak first, but to her surprise, he didn’t hold back and naturally picked up the conversation.
"I want to ask—did Qingyue tell the truth? Did you really stand up for me?"
"Yes." Sang Ning didn’t hide it.
Even though she hadn’t actively mentioned beating Qingyue to Shen Yi, she wasn’t the kind of person who would do a good deed and remain nameless either. Since Shen Yi had asked directly, she didn’t see any need to keep it secret.
Still, she didn’t want to put too much pressure on Shen Yi. After admitting to it, she casually added, "Standing up for you was just incidental. I’ve disliked that bastard for a long time, so you don’t need to feel burdened by it."
On the surface, Shen Yi seemed calm, but the hand hidden beneath the table was slightly trembling.
He could feel his heartbeat suddenly quicken, and even his breathing became somewhat erratic. Forcing himself to stay composed, he asked, "Can I ask why you decided to stand up for me?"
Shen Yi had seen Qingyue lying in a hospital bed in photos online.
To be honest, Qingyue had definitely exaggerated things, but he really had been beaten quite badly.
Shen Yi was curious about the reason Sang Ning had gone so far as to beat him up.
"Nothing much. That bastard was using naked photos of you to threaten me. If I didn’t follow his arrangements, he said he’d post the photos online." Sang Ning said it straightforwardly.
Since the photos Qingyue held were fake, there was no fear they’d cause Shen Yi any psychological damage.
While waiting for Sang Ning’s answer, Shen Yi took a sip of coffee to ease the awkwardness.
But the moment he heard her words, he lost all composure—the coffee he had just taken in instantly sprayed out, and he started coughing uncontrollably.
Out of kindness, Sang Ning handed him a few tissues and cursed under her breath: "Damn! Your reaction’s so big—don’t tell me Qingyue’s claims were all true?"
Shen Yi, his face flushed red from choking, turned an even deeper shade of crimson when Sang Ning finished speaking. It wasn’t clear whether it was from choking or sheer embarrassment.
What devil was Sang Ning? Talking about these things in front of him without the slightest hesitation or pressure.
"No... Don’t talk nonsense..." Shen Yi coughed as he used all his strength to rebut her.
Sang Ning handed him tissues and a glass of water repeatedly before his coughing finally began to settle after a half-minute ordeal. "I always thought you weren’t impulsive," he said.
Sang Ning raised her eyelids slightly: "You’ve really misunderstood me then. When I get impulsive, I’m not even human."
She might seem calm and indifferent, but that didn’t mean she lacked normal human emotions. When pushed far enough, she could act without thinking about the consequences simply to vent her anger.
Shen Yi was thoroughly floored yet again. Hearing Qingyue’s version was one thing, but hearing it directly from Sang Ning carried an entirely different weight. He truly hadn’t expected Sang Ning to impulsively go this far for him.
"I feel really ashamed," Shen Yi suddenly said, his eyes lowering as he dropped this cryptic statement.
Sang Ning frowned. "Ashamed of what? Stop playing riddles with me. I’ve been upfront while talking to you, haven’t I?"
"It’s nothing," Shen Yi shook his head. "I just feel like I haven’t done enough for you."
Compared to Sang Ning’s earnestness, he had been holding something back.
He’d originally held evidence that was enough to ruin Qingyue entirely. However, using it would also drag him into the storm of public opinion, and his hesitation had led to the situation spiraling into what it was now.
Sang Ning didn’t think too deeply. She simply assumed her earlier words might have caused Shen Yi some degree of psychological stress.
Tilting her chin at him with a carefree tone, she said, "Don’t worry, I’ll give you a chance to make it up to me now. Help me arrange a meeting with Chu Xi under your name, how about that?"
Sang Ning aimed for efficiency when dealing with Shen Yi. She figured that since they were at least friends, there was really no need to hold back.
Shen Yi lowered his head and remained silent, as though he’d lost his soul.
"What’s wrong? Is this too difficult for you?" Sang Ning asked.
"No, I’m just wondering... If I quit the industry, what would you do?" Shen Yi abruptly changed the topic, almost catching Sang Ning off-guard.
"What would I do? Of course, I’d respect your choice. It’s not like the entertainment industry is your only path forward," Sang Ning said, trying to comfort him, though deep down she suspected his battle against online harassment was really taking a toll. Depression was clearly mounting.
Damn! She’d forgotten Shen Yi seemed somewhat depressive already—this situation had just made it worse.
"If it’s inconvenient, then forget it. I was just asking casually." Sang Ning tried to cut the topic short, already worried he might do something extreme right in front of her.
"You’re right. Anyway, the money I’ve earned so far is enough for an ordinary person to live several lifetimes. Retiring now wouldn’t have much of an impact—I could just treat it as early retirement." Shen Yi finally let out a small smile.
Sang Ning’s mouth twitched. Was this what being rich and carefree looked like?
"Don’t worry, I’ll definitely help you with this," Shen Yi reassured her. "I can guess about 70-80% of what you want to do with Chu Xi, but I feel like you probably won’t get anything useful out of her."
Shen Yi had spent this period consuming every online scandal and was naturally aware of Sang Ning’s ongoing dynamics with Chu Xi.
However, based on their previous shared experiences recording a show together, Chu Xi clearly held animosity toward Sang Ning. Trying to get any valuable information out of her seemed unlikely.
"Doesn’t matter, just help me arrange the meeting," Sang Ning said, feeling the approach might seem despicable. After some thought, she decided to discuss it with Shen Yi: "Chu Xi has feelings for you—you can probably sense that. If you’re uncomfortable..."
"No need to worry—I’ll make sure she agrees to meet." Shen Yi interjected, cutting off Sang Ning’s words.
He was well aware of the implications of personally reaching out to Chu Xi. He wasn’t particularly noble either.
At this moment, he entertained a selfish thought—to capitalize on Chu Xi’s feelings for him and discreetly help Sang Ning obtain the evidence she needed.
If possible, he wanted to resolve the matter entirely without Sang Ning having to meet Chu Xi face-to-face.
Sang Ning had already unconditionally helped him once. He couldn’t afford to hesitate any longer.
Pride and dignity didn’t matter anymore, as long as Sang Ning’s parents could remain safe.