Ning Yi lay flat on the bed, almost laughing herself silly.
She had no idea the female lead had this sort of storyline. Was it something she made up herself?
In the original plot, Gu Cheng’s accident and subsequent three years spent as a vegetative patient were just the author’s forced setup. Realistically, a vegetative state would mean complete brain function loss, with no consciousness and only basic life functions like breathing and heartbeat. Yet, Gu Cheng’s mind was perfectly aware, his organs hadn’t deteriorated at all, and it was as if he had been frozen in time.
This was purely a plot device, meant to keep the tycoon in a position where he could be abused and darken his heart, only to rise again later and crush everyone.
It was easy to guess the female lead’s intentions. In a typical romance novel, the female lead’s powers didn’t need any explanation—she probably knew that Gu Cheng would wake up eventually, which was why she acted as she did.
Ning Yi found this very amusing. Ding Ziyue would likely come by often in the future, which would be a constant source of entertainment.
When Ding Ziyue left the room, she had a smile on her face.
—Even though Gu Cheng lying in bed couldn’t respond in any way, she believed her presence had already warmed his heart like a ray of sunshine!
As she walked out, Ding Ziyue ran into “Ning Yi” returning.
Gu Cheng was carrying a bag of something, and when he looked at her, it was as if he were looking at an idiot.
Ding Ziyue mistook the expression on his face for wariness and suspicion, and she quickly flashed a smile. “Sister, I just happened to be delivering something to Aunt Song Lan. What a coincidence to run into you!”
Gu Cheng had little impression of Ding Ziyue. The arranged engagement made by their elders over a decade ago held no significance to him.
Now, he was more curious—what exactly was this woman trying to do?
When “Ning Yi” didn’t respond, Ding Ziyue’s smile grew even more sincere and friendly. “You’ll come to my welcome banquet, right? My brother has put a lot of effort into preparing for it. We’ve booked the best hotel and hired several bands from overseas. You simply must attend!”
Ding Ziyue knew that hearing about how much she was adored in her new family would surely provoke Ning Yi. Perhaps once she returned to the hospital room, she’d vent her frustrations by further abusing Master Gu.
That way, Master Gu, who had just felt her warmth, would appreciate her even more!
Ding Ziyue smiled confidently.
Gu Cheng also remembered—ah, the Ding family.
Three years ago, a man named Ding Yusen had a failed investment and nearly got on his knees to beg him.
Judging by his age, that must be her brother?
It seems idiocy runs in the family.
Ning Yi had spent the entire morning catching up on the sleep she had missed the night before, feeling as if her very soul had been rejuvenated.
She let out a huge, satisfied yawn.
“Awake?” A cold voice sounded in her ear.
“Darling, you’re here,” Ning Yi responded sweetly.
No sooner had she spoken than she felt a cool sensation on her hand.
Her first reaction was that the tycoon was about to retaliate, but then she realized there was no reason for him to harm his own body.
There was no pain or discomfort, just a cool, soothing touch.
The sensation moved from her palm to the back of her hand and then to each finger, meticulously and patiently.
Ning Yi asked, “What are you doing, darling?”
Gu Cheng, holding a disinfectant wipe, wiped his hand with a dark expression. “Disinfecting.”
Ning Yi was stunned, then burst into laughter.
—So, just like that, you wiped away your “light”!
Gu Cheng wiped his hand twice, tossed the wipe into the trash, and suddenly asked in a low voice, “Where’s Ayi?”
Ning Yi: ? The tone is too nice; something bad must be coming.
Sure enough, Gu Cheng’s voice turned cold, with a hint of cruel sarcasm. “Weren’t you going to bathe me today? You love me so much, aren’t you looking forward to it?”
Ning Yi: ?
Don’t be so confident. Who would be drooling over your body—
Ning Yi politely switched back to her own body, conveniently standing at the bedside looking down at Gu Cheng—
She stared at him for three seconds.
Then thought: Okay. I guess he is a bit of eye candy.
In the novel, Gu Cheng wasn’t just dominant in the business world; he was also physically superior to everyone else—a billionaire, head of a conglomerate, one of the top 100 most handsome faces globally. Lying down, he was a sickly beauty; standing up, he was a 6’2” heartthrob.
Even that certain part of him was described as the biggest and best in the book!
Ning Yi stroked her chin. It’s a shame she knew he was a dark boss who would eventually get revenge on her, the cannon fodder.
He had disinfected twice after having a word written on his hand by Ding Ziyue. If she really bathed him, who knows if he’d hold a grudge?
As Ning Yi pondered how to dodge this task, the butler gently knocked on the door.
“Miss, Madam has asked you to join her for lunch at the main house.”
Ning Yi: Here’s my ticket out!
“The butler says I’m needed for lunch, darling,” Ning Yi spoke with a hint of reluctance, though she was quick to leave the room. “You know I can’t miss it.”
Gu Cheng’s voice was chilling. “Heh.”
Ning Yi, guilt-free, happily made her escape.
The original Ning Yi hadn’t been married into the Gu family for long, and this was her first time sitting down to a meal with all the Gu family members.
Following the butler, Ning Yi made her way into the main house. Compared to the cold, minimalist design of Gu Cheng’s wing, the main house had a more luxurious and European classical style, with priceless paintings hanging beside the spiral staircase railings.
Ning Yi followed the butler into the dining room, where Song Lan saw her and waved her over. “Xiao Yi, come sit.”
At the head of the table sat the old master of the Gu family, sipping tea with sharp, clear eyes—he was clearly a formidable old man. Gu Cheng’s father had passed away early, so next in line sat Song Lan, followed by Gu Cheng’s uncles, like Gu Zhisong, and further down the line were the younger generation.
Ning Yi sat across from a young man who seemed to be observing her.
“Darling, there’s a young boy here who looks about thirty percent like you,” Ning Yi communicated with Gu Cheng in her mind. “But he dyed his hair green.”
“…That’s probably Gu Le, my younger brother,” Gu Cheng replied.
Ning Yi didn’t understand why the young man seemed so tense, but she figured it out as the lunch went on.
Gu Le couldn’t go three sentences without mentioning his brother, being a pure fanboy and staunch believer in the “Gu Cheng will wake up” movement.
Then there were the non-believers, like Gu Zhisong, who acted as though he would soon be leading the Gu family, proudly discussing his recent projects and even expressing admiration for the Ding family, particularly Ding Yusen and Ding Ziyue.
As Ning Yi listened to the undercurrents within the Gu family, she kept her eyes on the steak the servants were bringing in.
Just as she picked up her knife and fork, Gu Cheng’s leisurely voice came through. “Ayi’s ignoring me.”
Ning Yi held her knife and fork, thinking, Fine, I’ll give you some involvement ^3^
She spoke in a playful, cutesy voice, “Darling~ Come help me cut the steak~”
When a woman acts sweet, her husband’s head starts to spin.
Gu Cheng’s lips curved slightly, but he didn’t remind her of something.
Now that the body swapping was becoming more frequent, “Ning Yi’s” body only paused briefly before Gu Cheng took over.
Gu Zhisong was still droning on about his grand ambitions. “We all know Gu Cheng’s current condition. Our Gu family has been stagnant for three years; we can’t keep operating by the rules he set when he was still around!…”
Gu Cheng listened casually as he cut Ning Yi’s steak.
Noticing “Ning Yi” looking at him, Gu Zhisong sneered. “Do you even understand?”
Gu Cheng chuckled, his hands moving steadily as he cut into the premium grass-fed beef.
His knife-wielding hand was unhurried, slicing through the medium-rare steak, releasing its tender juices and pale red liquid that seeped out from beneath the dill garnish. An inexplicable and cold pressure emanated from him.
For some reason, Gu Zhisong shivered.
After cutting the steak, Gu Cheng saw that Ning Yi was already impatient. “Darling, is it ready? I know you avoid greasy foods, so I’ll help you eat o—”
Before Ning Yi could finish her sentence, she suddenly found that she couldn’t swap bodies.
Gu Cheng smirked, “This is the fourth time, isn’t it?”
After midnight, they had already swapped three times, and between the third and fourth times, there was a cooldown period.
Ning Yi was stunned.
Damn it!
This sneaky bastard!!
Ning Yi’s playful tone dropped, “Darling, save the steak for me!”
Gu Cheng’s voice was gentle. “If it gets cold, it won’t taste as good.”
Ning Yi panicked. “Ahhhhhh—”
Gu Cheng’s eyes twinkled with amusement, a rare genuine smile appearing on his face.
This was the first time in three years he had genuinely laughed.
Across the table, Gu Zhisong noticed the smile in his eyes and felt annoyed, leaning over to grab a plate.
Gu Cheng raised his head, still smiling slightly, and asked in a calm voice, “What’s the rush? Are you eager to eat too?”
Gu Zhisong: ?? Why the “too”?
By the time Ning Yi swapped back, lunch was almost over.
Though the last two dishes—white pepper chicken with pig stomach and honey-glazed Iberian pork—were delicious, as was the honey tart for dessert, Ning Yi still felt a deep sense of loss as she ate.
After she finished everything, the green-haired boy across from her placed his honey tart onto her plate.
“Sis-in-law, I feel like you have my brother’s aura,” Gu Le’s smile turned shy as his fondness for her grew. “I think my brother will like you too when he wakes up!”
Ning Yi remained expressionless.
Your brother is dead!
Gu Cheng had returned to his body, feeling uncharacteristically cheerful.
Since the body swap, he had quickly familiarized himself with the current situation outside and gained a clear understanding of the Gu family’s development over the past three years.
He didn’t need sleep; it was something he had despised for the past three years.
But after two days and nights without rest, he finally needed a brief respite.
So Ning Yi went straight from the main house back to the study in the other wing, where she typed out a bunch of code on the keyboard, like throwing garbage into Gu Cheng’s computer.
Not long after, Song Lan called her from outside the study.
To be fair, Song Lan was actually a decent mother-in-law. Her wealth and kindness were evident, and except for the accident involving her eldest son, she hadn’t faced many hardships, so she was generally gentle and warm. In the original plot, she had treated Ning Yi well in the early stages.
However, the original Ning Yi was insecure and uptight, feeling that no one in the Gu family respected her, while outside she was constantly compared to Ding Ziyue, which drove her to the breaking point. Her twisted psyche led her to take out her frustrations on her mute, vegetative husband. By the time Song Lan discovered Gu Cheng had been abused, it was too late, and she nearly suffered a heart attack from the shock.
Ning Yi wouldn’t let that happen to Song Lan.
Song Lan adjusted her hair with a gentle expression. “About what we discussed yesterday, can we start asking Xiao Yi to take care of it from today?”
Ning Yi knew she was referring to the bathing, but who wanted to bathe that sneaky bastard?
Song Lan subtly handed her a sleek, black credit card. “Please take care of it.”
Ning Yi immediately accepted it with both hands, “No problem at all.”
It was a titanium black card with a credit limit of ten million, exuding understated luxury.
If necessary, she could scrub her dear husband’s skin off today ^3^
“There won’t be a need for the caregivers to handle the bathing and massages tomorrow,” Ning Yi thought with a devilish grin.
Song Lan maintained her gentle demeanour, “Don’t hesitate to buy whatever you need. Even though Acheng hasn’t been around, the Gu family can still afford it.”
Ning Yi nodded eagerly, “Mm-hmm!”
Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, she smiled deeply. “I think I’ll start by getting my husband a more comfortable mattress!”
However, Song Lan paused, moved by Ning Yi’s words.
In the cutthroat world of high society, how much genuine care could there be?
After Acheng’s accident, how many people had truly cared for him?
Ning Yi was truly…
If Acheng woke up, he would definitely like her!
“Of course, you can pick one out yourself.”
Ning Yi carefully selected a top-of-the-line, luxurious mattress to ensure her own quality of rest.
Late at night.
A thoughtful wife, after not hearing from her husband for a while, would naturally assume he was resting.
So when Gu Cheng fell asleep, only to suddenly find himself lifted into the air, he was bewildered. “?”
Ning Yi looked at him with a doting expression—
A home electric patient lift, designed to solve the problem of moving bedridden patients!
Gu Cheng remained expressionless as he was lifted up to have the mattress swapped.
Ning Yi cooed, “Don’t be moved, darling. This is just what I should be doing for you!”
Gu Cheng: “…” What could he dare to feel?
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