Ning Yi concluded her chanting with a performance worthy of both praise and tears.
Gu Cheng listened until he fell completely silent.
Leaning against the headboard, Ning Yi asked with a devilish smile, "Want more, honey?"
Gu Cheng: "..."
Gu Cheng: "Forget it."
Ning Yi: "Always at your service."
Gu Cheng remained silent for a long while, making her laugh in exasperation.
Meanwhile, Song Lan, far away, couldn't hear their mental exchange. She could only see Ning Yi's figure by the bedside.
—What a touching scene!
When she later recounted it to Old Master Gu, both were deeply moved.
Mr. Gu had made his fortune in real estate early on. After Gu Cheng ascended to CEO of the group, he stepped back from the front lines, now only occasionally overseeing matters. He was a wealthy old man with dozens of properties under his name.
Ning Yi was truly a remarkable young woman. Now, there was hope for Ah Cheng to awaken.
If she could pass the old man's test in the future, whatever others had, they would certainly ensure Ning Yi had it too.
The entire elite social circle was eagerly preparing for the weekend equestrian club event.
Ning Yi was quite looking forward to attending.
Zhao Mo Chu sent her numerous equestrian outfit suggestions, all sleek and stylish, before suddenly asking, "Have you ever ridden a horse?"
Ning Yi: "No."
Ning Yi stroked her chin thoughtfully—she'd only ridden zombies before.
Probably not much better than a horse, right?
Zhao Mo Chu fell silent for a moment before sending her a stack of tutorial videos. "But don't worry—this stable is top-notch, professional enough to host major competitions. The instructors are all gentle, patient, and handsome, and they won't pair you with anything too wild."
While riding attire matters, beauty alone isn't enough—safety comes first.
Ning Yi was deeply touched: "Thanks so much!"
Zhao Mo Chu: "No problem! I love stealing the spotlight!"
Zhao Mo Chu: "Just wait till tomorrow—it'll be a total fashion showdown, hahaha "
Ning Yi scratched her head: What's so exciting about that?
She could put off buying riding gear for now.
First, she tapped away at her laptop, fixing some issues based on user feedback, then strolled over to the hospital ward to visit her husband.
The Gu family used their wealth to retain top specialists, now focusing on consciousness stimulation and basic physical rehabilitation.
Of course, only Ning Yi knew that Gu Cheng himself had remained fully lucid all along. Whether he would awaken was merely a matter of time—depending on how the plot unfolded.
Gu Cheng slowly sensed the restorative power flowing through him, along with his five senses quietly returning.
It wasn't pronounced yet.
But having lived only in absolute darkness for three years, Gu Cheng could detect even the slightest shifts.
It should be... soon.
The day of his return.
Unaware of Gu Cheng's thoughts, Ning Yi sat beside him, chatting idly. "Honey, I'm going horseback riding tomorrow~"
Gu Cheng remained impassive, replying calmly, "To the western suburbs?"
Ning Yi: "Wow, honey, you've been there?"
"Mhm," Gu Cheng said. "Ride Number 03. It should suit you well."
"Wow, honey, is that your horse?"
Truly the epitome of a domineering CEO—having a garage full of luxury cars was one thing, but casually pulling out a horse like that! Horses seemed to cost as much as cars these days. Rich people really were rich—
"Yes," Gu Cheng's voice remained utterly flat. "I own that riding stable."
Ning Yi: ?
Damn it, he totally played me.
Ning Yi shot him a look of feigned admiration: "Honey, how good are you at riding? You haven't been in the saddle for three years—are you even capable?"
She'd made up her mind: if horseback riding turned out to be fun and easy tomorrow, she'd enjoy it herself. But if there weren't any zombies to ride, she'd swap Gu Cheng in to suffer the hardship for her. Hehehe.
Then Gu Cheng said, "Not bad. I won the provincial championship once."
Ning Yi: Can't listen to this anymore!
Report this show-off!
Get him out of here!!...
At noon, the Gu family chef prepared a feast of Sichuan dishes. The water-boiled beef was silky, spicy, and springy, while the Mapo beef bone marrow wafted an intoxicatingly spicy aroma.
It was so delicious Ning Yi nearly fainted.
Sadly, few in the Gu household could savor food like she did. Gu Zhisong, for instance, had been running around nonstop lately. Anyone could see he feared Gu Cheng waking up and growing closer to the Ding family.
He'd even splurged on promotions for Ding Ziyue on CMore. Ning Yi gave him a hearty thumbs-up.
After savoring her lunch, Ning Yi looked at the equestrian outfit photos Zhao Mo Chu had sent her. Faced with the choice between napping or shopping for clothes, she decisively chose to lie down.
"Honey, you've been lying down and exercising these past few days. You must be exhausted, right? Why don't you go shopping—and pick up this outfit for me?" Ning Yi adopted a sweet, high-pitched voice. "Kiss kiss, love you love you."
After all, she had the pictures. Even the most clueless guy should be able to find something similar, right?
Gu Cheng replied coolly, "So you want me to swipe Ayi's card?"
Ning Yi nearly forgot he was a penny-pincher!
"Hehe. Just make sure it's a reasonable purchase, honey. Keep it under three hundred yuan. Love you."
Gu Cheng: "?"
Ning Yi had swapped bodies with him and was now catching up on sleep.
After all, who knew when Gu Cheng would snap back to normal? This was her free, silent, zero-pressure, five-star hotel king-size bed! She'd cherish every moment of it while she could!
Gu Cheng: Hmph.
But he did have business to attend to.
Ning Yi enjoyed freedom within the Gu household, yet her access to internal business intelligence remained limited.
Gu Zhison had been aggressively pushing the joint venture with the Ding family in the eastern district—a plot he'd dismissed as unpromising three years prior. Now, three years on, Gu Cheng needed to inspect the site firsthand.
After all, not just anyone could steer the Gu Corporation ship.
Once business was done... he'd go buy her clothes.
Inside A City's largest outdoor sports brand store.
Several socialite heiresses browsed a row of equestrian outfits, chatting and laughing idly.
"Yueyue, is your sister going to the stables tomorrow?" Wen Xiaoman asked.
Mentioning Ning Yi left the entire elite social circle feeling conflicted.
At the welcome banquet, no one had anticipated Ning Yi suddenly rattling off three foreign languages. Afterward, they all assumed she'd prepared in advance, finding her scheming behavior utterly distasteful.
Yet now she was the only one who could get close to Gu Cheng. Seeing the public scratching their heads over the young master's current situation only fueled their resentment.
Ding Ziyue scrolled through comments and likes on her social media, a faint smile playing at her lips. "My sister hasn't tried equestrian sports before, but I invited her too~ I can teach her~"
After all, how could Ning Yi's life compare to hers?
An hour ago, she'd posted an update that already garnered hundreds of comments.
She shared a selfie with a white horse, accompanied by tender words: "Though I've studied equestrianism since childhood, my brother feared I might get hurt, so he specially gifted me this gentle-natured horse. Today is truly a day filled with love [heart][grateful]"
The comments below were filled with:
"Oh my god, how could anyone have such a pampered princess life?"
"Waaah, Yueyue's brother is way too good to her!"
"She's such a winner in life! I'm so jealous!"
Wen Xiaoman said, "Yueyue, you're so kind. If Ning Yi hadn't been taught, she might have fallen off the horse, hahaha."
"Hahaha, even with guidance, who knows!"
"Just waiting for her to embarrass herself, lol"
Li Yanle suddenly pointed outside the shop window. "Hey, look—speak of the devil!"
Ning Yi—or rather, Gu Cheng—had just walked into the store.
He glanced at the group indifferently, not bothering to acknowledge them.
Noisy.
Gu Cheng walked straight to the display area, his gaze sweeping over the various styles.
He had never bought clothes for a woman before and felt momentarily hesitant.
Just then, Wen Xiaoman walked over, arm linked with Ding Ziyue.
"You've never seen this brand before, have you?" Wen Xiaoman said with a smile. "I suggest you check the price tags first~ Don't buy something you can't afford."
Gu Cheng shot her a look as if she were a patient.
In this world, there was scarcely anything he couldn't afford.
Seeing his arrogant demeanor, the crowd felt a surge of resentment—could it be that Young Master Gu was truly waking up, making Ning Yi act so haughty? But if Young Master Gu regained consciousness, she'd surely be kicked out. What was she so arrogant about?
Someone couldn't help but ask, "What's really going on with Young Master Gu?"
"Can he really move around now? At least speak up—don't be so stingy."
Ding Ziyue also watched Ning Yi, though a smile lingered at the corners of her lips.
She didn't need to beg Ning Yi for updates on Young Master Gu—because the seeds she'd planted had long since taken root and sprouted~
Gu Cheng found the noise unbearable.
He simply grabbed seven sets of equestrian wear and headed to the counter to pay.
The clerk habitually asked, "May I ask if you have a membership?"
Wen Xiaoman giggled beside him, "You probably don't know, but she only moved to City A last month. Where she used to live—ha ha ha—they didn't have shops like this."
Ding Ziyue covered her mouth to stifle a laugh but nudged her gently. "Oh, don't say that."
Gu Cheng couldn't be bothered to even glance at them.
He looked at the clerk and calmly recited a string of numbers.
The clerk listened, feeling a vague sense of familiarity. Scratching his head in confusion, he entered the numbers into the machine. "!!"
Instantly, the clerk's posture straightened. "Please... please enter your membership password!"
Gu Cheng raised his hand to the keypad.
Wen Xiaoman remarked casually, "Alright, that's enough acting. Continuing would just look awkward."
Ding Ziyue offered softly, "Sis, I can pay for you. No need to be stubborn."
But the correct password was entered, and the amount was immediately deducted from the membership card's balance.
"Your total is thirty-one thousand three hundred yuan."
Everyone froze. They hadn't expected Ning Yi to actually have a membership? But it wasn't even a huge purchase—why the show-off?
The next second, the clerk respectfully announced, "Your membership card balance is 3,203,900 yuan. We look forward to your next visit!!"
Wen Xiaoman: "..."
Ding Ziyue: "..."
The room fell silent.
Gu Cheng glanced at them, then turned and walked away.
"Hahahaha holy shit, Sis Yi you're my girl!"
"Who just got so damn satisfied hahaha!"
Zhao Mo Chu, a friend of the outdoor brand store owner and the top gossip-monger in their circle, quickly got wind of this hilarious backfired prank and immediately messaged Ning Yi.
"My friend says Ding Ziyue and the others turned green with envy, but none of them had that much cash on hand."
"But you actually used Young Master Gu's card? I'm impressed!"
Ning Yi had just woken up from a nap when she learned about "her" glorious deed from the gossip queen. Hearing it, she couldn't help but laugh.
Very good. Her deadbeat husband was actually pretty capable!
Ning Yi chuckled, genuinely worried if the female lead could still be Young Master Gu's shining light.
But then.
After the store clerk delivered the equestrian outfits Gu Cheng had bought to their home, Ning Yi's laughter vanished.
"Husband," she called to Gu Cheng.
Gu Cheng remained perfectly composed. "Hmm?"
Ning Yi: "Did you buy a rainbow home?!"
Seven sets of riding gear—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet—each one more bizarre than the last!
Gu Cheng: "."
Gu Cheng: "Different from the pictures?"
Ning Yi: AAAARGH, this is infuriating!
How could she forget he was blind—!!!
Ning Yi stood in Gu Cheng's hospital room, flailing wildly at the air.
"Can't you tell the difference?? Can't your eyes see?!"
Gu Cheng's low, cool voice carried a hint of inexplicable amusement.
"I can see," he said.
Ning Yi thought: You can see my ass!
You can see shit!
After wildly punching the air, Ning Yi suddenly sensed something was off.
The room was quiet, filled only with the beeping of medical equipment and faint distant noises.
Then inspiration struck her. She looked down—
and met a pair of eyes.
Gu Cheng lay flat on the bed, quietly watching her.
Ning Yi: "!!!!"
—Holy shit! He opened his eyes!
Ning Yi struggled to describe the feeling those eyes evoked. Her first thought was—who knew the difference between someone with their eyes open and closed could be this profound.
The moment Gu Cheng opened his eyes, his pitch-black pupils were as deep as the boundless sky, like the abyss of a hidden whale, pulsing with a faint, dark glow. Only the outer rim of his irises shimmered with an intense, deep blue.
When he gazed at her quietly, it felt like being pulled by an inescapable gravitational force, making his entire face handsome to the point of being dazzling.
Ning Yi had heard countless people praise Gu Cheng, even calling him one of Asia's top 100 sexiest men. Yet from her perspective, while undeniably handsome, he'd always seemed like a statue lying there with his eyes closed. Only now did she have to admit—this man truly had something special.
Ning Yi felt her aesthetic standards had been cleansed, even the fiery anger of her colorful riding outfit momentarily subsiding.
She flicked a strand of hair, propping herself up on the bedside with one hand, and said in a charmingly adorable voice:
"Nice to meet you, hubby. Heart-eyes."
Gu Cheng was also seeing Ning Yi from his own perspective for the first time.
His limbs and senses hadn't fully recovered—hearing, smell, and taste remained blocked—only his eyes had regained sight.
But this was the most significant improvement in three years.
"Hello," Gu Cheng said.
Ning Yi thought: The boss is about to awaken, making a powerful comeback to crush everyone. She needed to quickly strengthen her emotional foundation with him, lest she be overturned in one fell swoop.
"Husband~ Today is our first meeting," Ning Yi tossed her hair seductively and batted her eyelashes, "What was your deepest first impression of me?"
Gu Cheng looked at her, uncertain. "Your... nostrils?"
Gu Cheng lay down while Ning Yi stood, an angle that tested one's endurance.
Of course, she remained stunning regardless.
Ning Yi: ?
Ning Yi: ? Are you dead or alive, Gu Cheng?!
What good is being handsome? You can't expect pearls from a pig's mouth!
Ning Yi resolved to become immune to his face from this moment on.
Staring into Gu Cheng's deep, mesmerizing eyes, she confessed her true feelings: "You big idiot!"
Gu Cheng's ears remained deaf, but now he could read Ning Yi's lips.
Gu Cheng asked: "What did you say?"
Ning Yi wore a dazzling smile as she mentally told him: "I'm discussing art with you, hubby! I said Shakespeare!"
You're his brother, Zhen Shi Sha Bi!