Chapter 160: A Discarded Pawn

Wen Jingping was already anxious because of the incidents in the past few days. Even though she knew that Ning Qirui was most likely her only lifeline left, she still felt discontentment rising within.

There was a hint of impatience in her tone when she spoke, “It so happened that I am free these two days. Bro Qirui, which hospital are you at now? Can I visit you?”

If it were during other times, Ning Qirui could not be more eager if Wen Jingping had taken the initiative to meet him. He would gladly make all the arrangements for her and even send someone to pick her up in person.

They would appear on the headlines if any reporters chanced upon them.

However, he was still a little confused after his elder brother gave him such a stern telling-off.

When he heard Wen Jingping’s words, he suddenly felt a little uncomfortable and refused her offer outright. “Forget it, the hospital smells, and it’s crowded. It’s not convenient for you to come here.”

Even though Ning Qirui said that, he still had a little hope in his heart and thought that if Wen Jingping really cared about him, she would not care about this inconvenience and come over to visit him.

However, if she was merely trying to appease him with sweet talk, then...

Wen Jingping, who had no idea about Ning Qirui’s calculated thoughts, breathed a sigh of relief and pretended to be apologetic. “Well, then we’ll meet up again when you recover.”

Ning Qirui’s heart froze. He frowned slightly and continued, “Then you may have to wait a long time.”

“A long time?” Wen Jingping felt taken aback at his response. “Didn’t you just say it was not serious?”

“It’s not serious, but the treatment is cumbersome, and it will take a while.”

“… How long is that?”

“At least one or two years.”

“That’s so long!” Wen Jingping’s face suddenly changed. “Then Bro Qirui, what about your work during this period?”

Ning Qirui narrowed his eyes dangerously. As his brother had rightly pointed out, he was foolish, but he was not hopelessly stupid.

He was ill, but this woman did not care to ask what kind of illness was it that required one or two years of treatment. She obviously could not care less about his current physical condition or what pain he would experience during the treatment process. Her only concern related to his illness was whether he could work and remain in the entertainment industry.

For a moment, Ning Qirui was a little disconcerted and wondered if he was talking to a friend or a superior.

“I don’t have a choice. Since I’m sick, I can only postpone my work. The company did not give me any trouble, but for the next one or two years, I’m afraid I will have to take a break from the entertainment industry.”

As soon as Ning Qirui said this, Wen Jingping’s heart sank. Although the entertainment circle seemed glamorous, it was in fact very unpredictable.

Ning Qirui was his company’s favorite mainstream new artist and seemed to have a bright and promising future. However, if he went on a two-year hiatus, how many people would remember him?

He had no masterpiece accomplishments to speak of, and fans attracted by his looks alone were also unreliable. The world would revolve with or without him.

If Ning Qirui were to make a public reappearance after two years, could he still attract the popularity he enjoyed today?

In Wen Jingping’s opinion, Ning Qirui was now a discarded pawn of his artist management company. Could this discarded pawn still help her?

Wen Jingping’s face was ashen as she considered her bleak prospects. She even felt resentful towards Ning Qirui for falling ill at this time. Why did he not get sick sooner or later?

Why was everyone against her? It should not be like this!