A small gesture sparked in-depth research among medical professionals.
Young Master Gu must have had profound meaning behind this gesture!
After all, he is Young Master Gu!
Could it be a sign that he is about to awaken after three years of slumber?
Or perhaps he has already regained consciousness and is declaring his stance to the world in his unrestrained way?
Regardless, this is a momentous event!
That very night, experts and scholars began drafting papers on consciousness expression following coma recovery.
Ning Yi: Hehe^_^
One middle finger, and the entire world trembles.
Though Old Master Gu and Song Lan kept Gu Cheng's condition private, whispers of "Gu Cheng has stirred" spread throughout the Gu family.
Die-hard believers like Gu Le, who had always insisted "Gu Cheng will definitely wake up," were practically ready to beat drums and weep with joy. Meanwhile, internal swing voters like Gu Zhisong grew deeply apprehensive.
He had assumed Gu Cheng had been lying comatose for three years and would never awaken. He figured he just needed to outlast Old Master Gu to seize power. Who could have predicted Gu Cheng would ever wake up??
Gu Zhisong could only push harder to advance the collaborative project with the Ding family, hoping to secure greater influence before Gu Cheng regained consciousness!
Seeing how the Dings treated Ding Ziyue like a goddess, willing to pluck stars from the sky and offer moons to her, he had no choice but to continue currying favor with her.
Upon receiving Gu Zhisong's tip that Gu Cheng had stirred, Ding Ziyue felt a wave of warmth and gratitude wash over her.
Young Master Gu must be fighting tooth and nail for me!
And that vicious woman, Ning Yi, must already be trembling in fear over her crimes of abuse.
It's okay, Young Master Gu! When you wake up, you'll see my brightest light!
Scrolling through her new followers on CMore, Ding Ziyue told Gu Zhisong, "Thanks, Uncle Gu. I'll definitely mention it to my brother~ If you want to thank me, how about buying a hot promotion for my social media account?"
These days, whenever a new trend or hot topic emerges, you have to seize the opportunity first. Now everyone in their socialite circle was playing with this social app—who wouldn't want to be adored by thousands? Originally, the socialite heiresses competed over what cars their families gifted them, where their luxury apartments were, or what rare leather goods they'd acquired. But now, a new metric had been added to their rivalry—follower count!
Ding Ziyue was determined to be the top dog!
Gu Zhisong couldn't refuse her request. If spending a few hundred thousand could secure a partnership with the Ding family, it was a steal.
The problem was—what the heck was this app??
He threw money at it while silently cursing. Who knew whose pockets that cash would end up in?!
Ning Yi basked in the glow of passive income from home.
The internet's perpetual windfall—building a platform meant money rolled in effortlessly.
Her partners were thrilled too. Though their venture was just taking off, registered users surged rapidly! Prospects looked stellar—they'd surely attract big investors soon!
This only bolstered Ning Yi's confidence. After all, she had Gu Cheng's backing! Hehehe.
The programmers, feeling upbeat, decided to organize a team-building outing.
After some shoving and nudging, they sent Zhao Weining to invite Ning Yi.
Zhao Weining sent a bashful message: [Sis Yi, the bros want to treat you to dinner]
He attached a restaurant address. Ning Yi saw it was a members-only private club, with a menu featuring seasonal delicacies updated quarterly—refusing would be unthinkable.
She couldn't resist such a warm invitation and happily set a time with Zhao Weining.
Just after replying to them, her phone buzzed again with a message from Ding Ziyue:
"Hey sis, got nothing going on lately? Wanna come play on CMore?~"
"You could even show off that cat's eye necklace you wore at my welcome banquet last time."
Ding Ziyue was on cloud nine lately—though the welcome banquet hadn't catapulted her into the spotlight as the most sought-after socialite, now this tailor-made social platform had suddenly appeared! Truly, her life of privilege was blessed even by the heavens~
Ning Yi: "Um, I think I'll pass."
It feels awkward on my own platform.
Ding Ziyue thought, Hmph, Ning Yi probably doesn't even have access to such fresh intel! If she's too scared to show off, maybe that necklace was just borrowed!
Seems she knows she has nothing impressive to flaunt either. Once Young Master Gu wakes up, she'll surely be kicked out by the Gu family and won't even be able to hang around this circle.
"Oh dear, Xiao Yi, you should show off more too!"
"We have an event at the equestrian club this weekend—you absolutely must come~"
Ning Yi thought, An equestrian club sounds great—a playground for socialites and young masters. Definitely something to flaunt on social media, show off, show off.
So Ning Yi offered encouragement: "Wow"
Ding Ziyue shut off her phone, a flicker of smug satisfaction crossing her eyes. Jealous, huh?
Ning Yi's triple-language performance last time was the result of last-minute cramming and advance prep—equestrian skills aren't something you can learn overnight! Not to mention Ning Yi lacked the resources to learn it properly. She'd make a complete fool of herself if she tried.
But this horse club event had another crucial reason—
Ding Ziyue had already planted a tender seed of warmth in Gu Dashi's heart, waiting for it to sprout. At this equestrian event, she would meet the popular leading actor! And in the future, she would become his cherished darling!
Thinking of that domineering, handsome man... Ding Ziyue's heart surged with excitement.
Ning Yi also prepared to go out for dinner with a flutter in her heart.
Come to think of it, since she'd arrived in this body, she hadn't eaten out once! Though the Gu family's chef was already incredible, one could never have too many delicious meals.
Gu Cheng had been cooperating with doctors for various physical examinations lately, as well as exercising to regain control of his limbs.
But today, he noticed it was long past their usual meal time, and Ning Yi still hadn't switched bodies with him to lie down.
Something felt off.
"Yi, haven't you eaten yet?" he asked casually.
Ning Yi's excited stride halted. She couldn't bring herself to admit she was about to dine with a group of big brothers, so she replied briefly: "Husband~ I'm just about to eat~"
"Oh?" Gu Cheng's voice remained detached. "Didn't you forget, Yi? You still need to recite sutras for me today."
"Huh?" Ning Yi flashed a loving smile. "Haha!"
Damn it!
Song Lan, learning she was going out, remarked that Little Yi had been working hard caring for Ah Cheng lately and deserved some fun. Thoughtfully, she even called the Gu family driver to take Ning Yi to the club entrance.
Ning Yi was deeply touched.
Her mother-in-law was so much nicer than her husband!
Young Master Zhao San had reserved a private room in advance. Upon arrival, Ning Yi was escorted inside by the door attendant.
The moment the door opened, the room erupted like monkeys howling nonstop—
"Big Sis Boss is here!"
"Bow down to the boss!"
"Holy crap, sis, you're even prettier than your photos?!"
Ning Yi waved amiably. See? Men who aren't blind sure know how to talk!
The group of programmers seated there were currently collaborating on a startup, so they had tons of topics to discuss. The entire private room was buzzing with excitement.
Besides Ning Yi, there was another woman who'd been staring at her since she sat down.
When Ning Yi turned to look at her, the woman covered her mouth and whispered, "Your looks alone beat 99.9% of internet celebrities out there. Seriously, I've never seen anyone in person who holds a candle to you."
Ning Yi: Huh?
After introducing herself, the woman revealed she was Zhao Weining's second sister, Zhao Mochu—an internet sensation who'd already sniffed out the next big trend and pivoted to CMore, becoming its top gossip queen.
Ning Yi immediately extended a friendly handshake: My apologies! So you're one of us!
Zhao Mochu was born to be a gossip queen. Having grown up immersed in the private affairs of the elite, she knew CM targeted the world of wealthy socialites and heiresses. The moment the app launched, she knew her time had come.
She dropped juicy scandals—real or fabricated—at a rate of one per day. Within days, she'd amassed 100,000 followers, far outpacing Ding Ziyue's money-driven follower growth.
Ning Yi hadn't expected this romance novel to feature such an entertaining heiress. She ate her meal while listening to the gossip with rapt attention.
Then, analyzing user preferences, she humbly asked, "So who do users generally love to read about the most?"
"Gu Dashi, of course! Need I say more?" Zhao Mo Chu replied.
Ning Yi nodded in understanding. "True, true."
Zhao Mo Chu continued, "Gu Dashi has a wall with everyone in the circle. He was already breaking out before his incident! Back when he was named one of Asia's Top 100 Sexiest Men, the whole nation went wild. No one expected real life to actually have a billionaire CEO who wasn't greasy, wasn't balding, and was this tall and handsome!"
Ning Yi: "Whoa!" Nice one, kid.
Zhao Mo Chu said with seasoned insight: "Young Master Gu hasn't been seen in three years, yet people still talk about him constantly. Nowadays, just hinting at him or mentioning his name casually generates buzz."
Ning Yi blinked: "Wow. So the living traffic source is right beside me."
She couldn't help mentally calling out to Gu Cheng: "Husband, I love you so much."
Gu Cheng was still mentally training his body. Hearing this, he calculated the time in his mind. "Have you finished eating?"
Ning Yi: "Um, not yet."
"Oh?" Gu Cheng's voice turned cool. "Yi, let me take over. I'm hungry."
Ning Yi looked up and saw the private room filled with young, handsome guys. When she glanced up, they all looked at her with starry eyes and shy expressions.
Ning Yi: ...Aba aba.
Gu Cheng: "Hm?"
"..."
Ning Yi felt a twinge of guilt, but then thought—it's just a meal, why should he care???
So she pretended not to hear and proceeded to show off her food.
Gu Cheng: Hmph.
In the end, the meal concluded with everyone bonding like brothers and discussing grand future plans.
Before leaving, Ning Yi remembered to ask Zhao Mo Chu, "Oh right, are you going to the horse ranch this weekend?"
Zhao Mo Chu had naturally received the invitation too. "Sure, why not? That Ding family lady—oh, your fake sister—might stir things up. These events are always full of drama."
Ning Yi thought, Makes sense.
And suddenly she remembered—wasn't that exactly how the female lead and male lead met in the original plot?!
Academy Award winner, top-tier star.
On the way home, Ning Yi rubbed her full belly and began to feel sleepy.
She yawned and said thoughtfully, "Honey, why don't you come over and rest for a bit? Let me take over exercising your limbs!"
Ning Yi switched bodies with him and then lay down peacefully on the other side.
After eating your fill, you should lie down!
Ah, life!
Gu Cheng, however, stroked his newly rounded belly as he watched the scenery pass by the car window. His tone was icy and certain: "You've been sneaking snacks."
Ning Yi snapped awake instantly, instinctively switching bodies back.
What sneaking snacks? What kind of sneaking snacks!
Even if it was the literal meaning, it sounded so... off!
Can't you speak properly!
Ning Yi supported her belly as she walked back to the estate, heading toward a separate building.
Just as she reached Gu Cheng's hospital room door, she ran into Song Lan.
Due to Gu Cheng's recent condition, Song Lan hadn't slept well for a while and hadn't had time to check on Ning Yi.
Now, remembering how Ning Yi had once offered to take care of Gu Cheng, she was suddenly moved and asked, Xiao Yi, are you going to chant sutras for Acheng?"
Ning Yi: "Ah, well, I—"
Song Lan looked at her with eyes brimming with tearful emotion.
Even if it might not work, this was the child's heartfelt wish—how could she pour cold water on it? Besides, Ning Yi might just be a lucky charm!
Ning Yi looked at Song Lan's haggard, reddened eyes and her hair, slightly more disheveled than usual.
After a long silence, she reluctantly nodded. "...Yes."
A while later.
Song Lan leaned affectionately against the doorway, watching Ning Yi sit at Gu Cheng's bedside and lift a book.
What a heartwarming scene!
But in Ning Yi's ear, Gu Cheng's deep, magnetic voice took on a playful edge.
"Are you really going to chant sutras for me, Yi?"
Ning Yi snorted inwardly.
Gu Cheng chuckled wickedly: "If this is affection therapy, four times a day, consistently—it's bound to work."
Ning Yi: Hahaha, that'd practically chant you back to life.
Ning Yi took a deep breath and declared with heartfelt sincerity: "Husband, since it's affection therapy, to maximize its effect on your health, I've decided to start with something I know best! It'll be more meaningful!"
Gu Cheng: "Oh?"
Ning Yi declared earnestly: "So I'll recite the Sutra of Delicacies for you!"
—Commonly known as listing dishes^3^
Gu Cheng: "?"
Ning Yi began her chant.
"Steamed lamb, steamed venison tail, roasted mandarin duck..."
Gu Cheng grew silent: "...?"
Ning Yi continued with overflowing emotion, her affection as deep as the sea:
"Black truffle, huadiao crab, squirrel-style mandarin fish, big dumbass, lotus seed paste buns, custard buns..."
Gu Cheng: "...I hear you."