Chapter 35: Thirty-Fifth Day as a Salted Fish
With her IV bottle held high in one hand, Qin Jiaojiao was crawling across the bed in a bizarre posture. One knee rested on the mattress, her other foot stepped into a slipper, and her bottom was stuck awkwardly in the air.
Seeing this scene, Zhou Shaoli froze slightly before walking over to her side. “The doctor recommended that you rest properly in bed for the next two days. Where are you trying to go?”
Qin Jiaojiao sat back down on the bed. “You finished your phone call that fast?”
“Mm.” Zhou Shaoli took the IV bottle from her and hung it back in its original position.
Qin Jiaojiao actually wanted to use the bathroom, but with Zhou Shaoli standing right there, she felt a wave of awkwardness.
Noticing her hesitant, stop-and-start expression, Zhou Shaoli asked, “Where were you trying to go just now?” He glanced at the leftover lean meat porridge on the bedside table. “Are you not eating anymore?”
Qin Jiaojiao had always possessed a healthy appetite; no matter what the kitchen cooked, she could eat heartily and devour two full bowls of rice.
Zhou Shaoli had specifically asked the locals where to find the best breakfast around the hospital, then driven over and stood in line to buy this minced pork and vegetable porridge. Being a somewhat picky eater himself, he thought the takeout porridge tasted quite good, yet she hadn’t even finished it.
Suffering from mushroom poisoning, Qin Jiaojiao simply had no appetite. “I’m full,” she said.
Zhou Shaoli packed up the leftover porridge, sealed it in a plastic bag, threw it into the trash can, and used a paper towel to wipe the overbed table clean before folding it away.
Zhou Shaoli: “Do you want to sleep for a bit?”
Qin Jiaojiao shook her head. Although she had just woken up from a stupor and felt somewhat physically weak, her mind was completely alert.
Zhou Shaoli’s phone rang again. He picked up his phone and said, “I’m going to step outside to take a call.”
Qin Jiaojiao wished nothing more than for him to leave quickly and nodded right away. “Go ahead.”
The moment Zhou Shaoli stepped out, Qin Jiaojiao hastily scrambled up, unhooked her IV bottle, put on her slippers, and scurried into the bathroom. She shut the bathroom door, sat on the toilet, and instantly felt a wave of blissful relief rush over her.
Out in the hospital corridor, Zhou Shaoli answered the phone. It was a call from the variety show production crew—the head director was inquiring about Qin Jiaojiao’s condition, mentioning that the crew would come by shortly to visit her.
“She woke up this morning and just finished breakfast. The doctor said she can be discharged after two days of observation.”
The head director said, “Alright then, we’ll head over in a bit to visit Teacher Qin and discuss the filming schedule while we’re at it.”
“Fine,” Zhou Shaoli replied in a cool, indifferent tone.
Without wasting any more words, the production team agreed on a time and hung up. Qin Jiaojiao wasn’t the only one poisoned; the crew still had to visit the other guest couples.
Yesterday’s wild mushroom poisoning incident had scared the production team half to death. Guests getting poisoned and hospitalized while recording a variety show—nearly losing their lives in the process—had kept the entire crew awake all night.
If someone actually died, this season of Romantic Lovers would be completely ruined!
The production team regretted it endlessly. Had they known, they never would have agreed to Shen Xiaoshan’s request to gather all three guest couples at her house for hotpot. A single meal had nearly wiped out the entire cast of Romantic Lovers—it was utterly terrifying.
After finishing his call, Zhou Shaoli turned around and pushed open the door to the ward. Seeing that Qin Jiaojiao was no longer on the hospital bed, his heart gave a sudden, violent thud.
Then, the sound of the toilet flushing drifted out from the bathroom.
Recalling how Qin Jiaojiao had tried to sneak out of bed while he was gone earlier—and that hesitant, tongue-tied look on her face—Zhou Shaoli’s brow twitched slightly as he silently pulled the door shut again.
Inside the ward.
Having relieved herself in the bathroom, Qin Jiaojiao walked out at a leisurely pace. Seeing that Zhou Shaoli hadn’t returned yet, she climbed back onto the hospital bed with a relaxed expression. Feeling a bit bored without her phone by her side, she stared blankly at the ceiling.
According to the original plan, the guests were supposed to do a livestream in the orchards today to help promote and sell the local villagers’ unsold fruits.
Now that all the guests were poisoned, how was the production team going to arrange things?
Mushroom poisoning was truly a nightmare. Her whole body felt devoid of energy, her stomach throbbed with a dull ache, and all she wanted was to lie flat and do absolutely nothing.
The sound of the ward door opening echoed through the room, and she turned her head to look.
Zhou Shaoli walked in, his pale brown eyes gazing down at her calmly. “The production crew is coming to visit you in a little while,” he voiced.
Leaning against the hospital bed, Qin Jiaojiao watched him approach step by step. The man was dressed in a suit made of luxuriously expensive fabric, paired with a dark dress shirt and a necktie—the exact tie she had bought for him.
Zhou Shaoli actually owned a vast collection of ties; his custom-made ones were far more expensive and of higher quality than the one she had purchased. Yet he seemed to genuinely like this tie, frequently pairing it with his outfits.
Spaced out for a brief moment, Qin Jiaojiao asked casually, “When are they coming?”
Zhou Shaoli: “In about half an hour.”
Qin Jiaojiao recalled the humiliating scene of her frantic trip last night. Suffering from hallucinations, she had seen a bunch of pretty little sprites and insisted on dragging him along to dance with them; he had actually indulged her nonsense, even rowing a boat with her inside the house.
That sight was truly too tragic to look at—it absolutely could not be broadcasted!
Wearing a blue-and-white striped hospital gown, Qin Jiaojiao’s delicate little face was slightly pale, exuding a frail, innocent, sickly beauty.
Zhou Shaoli sat down on the sofa close to the bed. Looking at Qin Jiaojiao’s pale face, he pondered silently. In her current state, he couldn’t leave her alone in the hospital; he would have to stay the night to keep her company.
Their daily necessities were all back at Yueli Courtyard. After lunch, he would drive back to the house to retrieve their toiletries and clothes.
With those embarrassing scenes looping endlessly in her head, Qin Jiaojiao inexplicably found herself afraid to look at Zhou Shaoli, sliding her body further down into the covers.
If only memory-wiping magic existed—she would definitely perform a memory wipe on Zhou Shaoli!
Zhou Shaoli wasn’t a man of many words. Since she remained silent, he rarely initiated a conversation, sinking the ward into quiet stillness.
Before long, the production team arrived at the ward.
With the head director, the executive producer, and the camera crew entering all at once, the spacious ward suddenly felt a bit crowded.
“Miss Qin, how are you feeling? Are you doing better?” The head director’s tone was exceedingly humble.
Mushroom poisoning was a matter of life and death. Qin Jiaojiao had only gone to Shen Xiaoshan’s house to eat hotpot because she followed the production team’s arrangements, suffering an undeserved disaster out of nowhere.
The mere thought of the wealthy, elite young wife of the Zhou family meeting with an accident left everyone on the crew drenched in cold sweat.
The production crew didn’t even dare to imagine how the Zhou family would hold them accountable if something happened to Qin Jiaojiao. No one could bear that responsibility or face the wrath of the Zhou family.
Leaning comfortably against the bed, a smile tugged at the corners of Qin Jiaojiao’s lips. “Much better. Luckily it was only mild poisoning, so staying in the hospital for a few days will fix it up.”
The head director and producer personally offered their apologies: “We are truly so sorry. We will be much more rigorous during future recordings and won’t let something like this happen again.”
Qin Jiaojiao glanced at the camera that had been continuously filming, a frail smile gracing her face. “It’s fine. How are Shen Xiaoshan and Teacher Jin doing? How are their conditions?”
“What exactly was the situation last night, Director? Do you know?” Qin Jiaojiao asked softly. “Did we eat wild mushrooms that Shen Xiaoshan failed to cook thoroughly, or were there poisonous mushrooms mixed in with them?”
Getting mushroom poisoning for no apparent reason made it hard not to overthink things.
Today was supposed to be the production team’s scheduled agricultural assistance livestream day. If Shen Xiaoshan had no physical issues, then she was definitely up to her old tricks again.
Given Shen Xiaoshan’s intense hostility toward her, Qin Jiaojiao couldn’t help but harbors doubts.
Hearing her seemingly lighthearted yet sharp questioning, the production crew’s expressions flickered slightly. Shen Xiaoshan was the C-position guest couple the production team intended to promote; she couldn’t lose her reputation and be spat on by the entire internet over this incident.
The director quickly chimed in, “This matter hasn’t been fully clarified yet. Teacher Shen and Mr. Meng were poisoned as well. We’ll go ask about their situation in a moment.”
The production team hurriedly tried to lift the suspicion of poisoning that Qin Jiaojiao had slapped onto Shen Xiaoshan, emphasizing that they had come to visit Qin Jiaojiao the moment they arrived at the town, demonstrating complete sincerity.
Zhou Shaoli spoke up in a cool, indifferent voice: “Then once you’ve clarified things, Director, please remember to update us on the details.”
“We will, we definitely will,” the director promised in an assuring tone.
Qin Jiaojiao asked, “Director, now that we’re all poisoned, how is the agricultural livestream being handled?”
The director said, “The guests flew a long way to Nancheng. The production team wants to invite everyone to return to the courtyard house to recuperate after being discharged. Once your health recovers, we’ll resume filming and stream the agricultural event.”
This arrangement by the production team was perfectly reasonable. People with mild mushroom poisoning generally recovered in two to five days, and those with strong constitutions could even return to normal on the very same day.
With apologetic expressions, the production crew departed from the ward, leaving behind a fruit basket they had bought along the way.
Exiting the ward, the director and producer wiped the sweat from their foreheads. From the moment the crew entered the room, Zhou Shaoli had barely said a word until his single closing line. Sitting on the sofa, his entire body exuded an overwhelming aura of pressure that was impossible to ignore.
The production team had originally wanted to film their visit to the poisoned Qin Jiaojiao to express their apologies and show goodwill, hoping to brush the matter aside. However, Qin Jiaojiao and Zhou Shaoli clearly had no intention of letting the production team fool them.
The production team then headed to another ward to visit Jin Mingzhu and Chen Feihong. That couple had eaten fewer mushrooms last night, so their symptoms were much lighter than Qin Jiaojiao’s. The doctor said they could be discharged to rest after a day of observation.
The production team offered the fruit basket and apologized, and Jin Mingzhu and Chen Feihong accepted the apology.
Next, the crew hurried over to the ward where Shen Xiaoshan and Meng Zi’ang were staying. They needed to get a clear picture of the situation before negotiating with Shen Xiaoshan.
Everyone had gotten poisoned from eating the beef and wild mushroom hotpot cooked by Shen Xiaoshan. It was only fair and reasonable for Shen Xiaoshan to apologize to Qin Jiaojiao.
The production crew pushed open the ward door to find Meng Zi’ang playing mobile games on the bed. He merely glanced at the crew as they walked in, continuing his game without so much as a greeting.
Relying on his high status, Meng Zi’ang held no respect for showbiz workers. If he weren’t putting on an act of a loving, newlywed couple for Shen Xiaoshan’s sake, he wouldn’t even bother putting on a pleasant face for the production crew.
Meng Brothers Pictures was famous in the entertainment industry, and many artists and workers in the circle had to cater to his mood. Though his arrogant attitude made the production crew feel displeased, they didn’t show it on their faces.
“President Meng, are you feeling better?” The director took the initiative to greet him. “How is Teacher Shen? Where did she go?”
Meng Zi’ang said coldly, “She went to find the doctor to get the test reports.”
Last night, Meng Zi’ang had lost all dignity by acting crazy and jumping around his room due to mushroom poisoning, all of which was recorded by the cameras. He felt extremely humiliated. Since the wild mushroom hotpot was made by Shen Xiaoshan, he couldn’t blame her, so he vented his anger onto the production crew instead.
If the production team hadn’t picked such a garbage location to film the show, how could he have ended up in such a wretched state? Not only was the living situation terrible with daily mosquito bites, but he had also nearly met the King of Hell from poisoning.
The production crew waited inside the ward. “Then we’ll wait here for Teacher Shen to return so we can discuss the upcoming filming schedule.”
Meng Zi’ang shot them a cold glance and ignored them.
Meanwhile, holding her test reports, Shen Xiaoshan stood drenched in cold sweat, her face pale as she hid inside the hospital stairwell.
Upon waking up from the mushroom poisoning, the very first thing she did was find a doctor to ask if it would affect her fetus. But the doctor delivered news that nearly shattered her soul.
She wasn’t pregnant.
How could she possibly not be pregnant?!
That night at the hotel, she had slept with Meng Zi’ang, and later developed morning sickness, which prompted her to go to the hospital for a checkup.
That pregnancy test report clearly stated she was five weeks pregnant. When she received that report, her heart had been filled with wild joy. She had intentionally let the report drop out of her bag ‘accidentally’ during a gathering, and after picking it up, Meng Zi’ang had dragged her aside to ask if she was pregnant.
She denied it at first, only admitting that she was pregnant with his child after his relentless questioning.
Meng Zi’ang wanted to take responsibility for her.
Shen Xiaoshan knew very well that tying Meng Zi’ang down using a child wouldn’t work, so she stuck to her strong, kind, and independent persona, stating she didn’t need him to take responsibility. She claimed the doctor said it wasn’t easy for her to get pregnant, so she wanted to keep the baby and raise it alone.
Hearing this, Meng Zi’ang had naturally insisted on taking responsibility. Then, through her deliberate leak of information, Meng Zi’ang’s mother learned of her pregnancy, spreading the news until the entire Meng family knew.
Meng Zi’ang’s mother was able to secure her position because the Meng family had been a single-line succession for three generations, and Meng Zi’ang’s older brother had suffered a lower-body injury in a car accident that left him infertile. As long as Meng Zi’ang produced the next generation, he would have the chance to replace his older brother and inherit Meng Brothers Pictures.
She hadn’t expected everything to go so smoothly. She got pregnant, had a flash marriage into the Meng family, and as long as the baby was born, she could secure her position as a wealthy daughter-in-law. Rising in status due to her son, she would soar to the top and achieve a leap in social class.
Now the doctor was telling her she wasn’t pregnant—how could that be possible?!
There had to be a mistake somewhere!
Shen Xiaoshan composed herself, deciding to secretly get rechecked once she returned to Beijing.
Regardless of whether she was pregnant or not, she had to maintain her pregnant status for now. If the worst-case scenario proved true and she wasn’t pregnant, she needed to get pregnant as soon as possible before Meng Zi’ang noticed.
Shen Xiaoshan took a deep breath, tore the test report into pieces, and tossed them into the trash can.
Adjusting her expression, she returned to the ward. The moment she opened the door, she saw the entire production crew present, staff members holding video cameras to film, and Meng Zi’ang playing games on the bed—the atmosphere between both sides was quiet and rigid.
A flawless, practiced smile bloomed on Shen Xiaoshan’s face. “Director, you’re here.”
The director let out a sigh of relief. “Teacher Shen, how are you feeling? Are you doing better?”
“I ate very little, so I’m fine.” Shen Xiaoshan sat down on the edge of the bed, a guilty, self-reproachful look washing over her face. “I originally wanted everyone to try something fresh; I didn’t expect to cause everyone to get poisoned. It’s all my fault…”
The director tried to comfort her, “Everyone only suffered mild poisoning, no major harm was done. A little rest will fix it up. Teacher Shen doesn’t need to blame herself too much…”
“Ahem!” The producer let out a soft cough to remind the director that President Zhou was waiting for an explanation on his end.
The director asked, “What exactly happened last night? Were the mushrooms undercooked? Or did you accidentally include toxic ones?”
How could Shen Xiaoshan know which step went wrong? She had verified that the wild mushrooms she picked were edible. Once the water boiled, she threw the mushrooms in to cook. As for whether they were fully cooked, couldn’t the others check for themselves? Was that supposed to be her fault?
“I don’t know.” A guilty look filled Shen Xiaoshan’s eyes. “The mushrooms should all have been non-toxic; perhaps everyone ate them before they were fully cooked.”
Her words implied that the guests had carelessly eaten undercooked wild mushrooms themselves, so it had nothing to do with her.
Hearing her dodge responsibility, the director felt somewhat displeased. President Zhou and his wife were waiting for an answer, and the other guests had all gotten poisoned while eating hotpot at her house—at the very least, a verbal apology was required.
“Teacher Shen,” the director advised in a persuasive tone, “everyone got poisoned from eating the mushroom hotpot you cooked. Here’s what I think—how about you go visit the other guests and offer an apology?”
Shen Xiaoshan’s face stiffened, a flicker of displeasure flashing across her eyes as she turned to look at Meng Zi’ang.
Meng Zi’ang exited his game and looked at the director with an aloof posture. “Director Wang, it’s not like we intentionally served them toxic mushrooms. We got mushroom poisoned too. Isn’t asking Xiaoshan to apologize a bit too much?!”
Surges of anger rose within the director, and he argued his case firmly, “President Meng, everyone got poisoned from eating the mushrooms you picked. Even our production team apologized—if you two don’t apologize, what are the other guest couples supposed to think?”
Hearing this, Shen Xiaoshan pondered the matter. The poisoning incident was already a reality, and with the cameras currently recording, offending the production crew would be unwise. If this aired and triggered negative online public opinion against her, it would be far better to put on a weak front as she used to, securing the netizens’ sympathy instead.
“Director, don’t be angry,” Shen Xiaoshan quickly said in a aggrieved tone. “We’ll go apologize.”
Only then did the director’s expression soften slightly. “It’s just an apology, how big of a deal can it be? Do you want to go now, or go on your own later?”
Going later meant the cameras wouldn’t be filming. Shen Xiaoshan stood up and said, “I’ll go now.”
Meng Zi’ang felt extremely annoyed, but since Shen Xiaoshan had agreed herself, he could only let her be.
Qin Jiaojiao was boredly scrolling through short videos on her phone when the ward door was pushed open, and the head director walked in alongside Shen Xiaoshan.
Shen Xiaoshan’s face was pale as she offered an apologetic look. “Teacher Qin, I invited you over to my house for hotpot yesterday, but I didn’t expect it to cause you to get poisoned. I came to offer you my apologies.”
Qin Jiaojiao glanced at the director with slight surprise. He had actually managed to get Shen Xiaoshan to come apologize. Sweeping her eyes over the filming camera, she knew Shen Xiaoshan was just putting on a show.
“It’s fine, I forgive you. Next time you pick wild mushrooms to eat, Teacher Shen, remember to distinguish whether they are toxic or not.”
Qin Jiaojiao offered a playful smile, her tone carrying a mocking, half-joking edge. “Otherwise, lying flat on a board after taking a few bites of mushrooms would be far too unlucky.”
Shen Xiaoshan was furious but didn’t dare refute, replying with a stiff expression, “I will definitely be careful in the future. As long as Teacher Qin can forgive me, that’s all that matters.”
Qin Jiaojiao: “I’m still feeling a bit unwell, so I won’t entertain you any longer.”
Shen Xiaoshan bit her lip, lowering her head to conceal her displeasure. “Then I won’t disturb your rest.”
As the ward door closed, a smile spread across Qin Jiaojiao’s face. She thought to herself: To think a day would come where Shen Xiaoshan actually apologized to me—why does this feel so strangely satisfying?
Zhou Shaoli glanced at the joyful smile on her face, his expression calm. She really was a little dummy—getting this happy over a simple apology from the culprit.
Around noon, Zhou Shaoli went out and bought some light, nourishing soups and dishes. Qin Jiaojiao had little appetite, eating only a small portion before taking an afternoon nap.
When she woke up, the evening sun was streaming into the room. On the sofa, Zhou Shaoli was handling work, a box placed beside him.
Qin Jiaojiao’s gaze landed on the box.
Why did the brand logo on the box look somewhat familiar?
Sensing that she was awake, Zhou Shaoli asked, “Do you want some water?”
Qin Jiaojiao nodded. He stood up to pour her a glass of warm water, then picked up the box from the sofa and set it on the bed.
Taking a sip of water, Qin Jiaojiao asked, “What’s this? Shoes?”
“Unbox it and you’ll see,” Zhou Shaoli said.
Qin Jiaojiao set down her water glass, unboxing it while looking at him. Why had he suddenly bought her something?
When she saw the shoes inside the box, Qin Jiaojiao was slightly shocked. Inside the box was the exact pair of shoes that had broken after she wore them just once.
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