After A Secret Marriage With The Trending Queen - Chapter 17

Chapter 17

The living room suddenly fell silent, and everything returned to a deathly quiet state. In that profound silence, Ye Qin finally rolled onto her side, facing the window. Whenever the world was this calm, quiet, and peaceful, she would inevitably recall unpleasant memories. They were like a poisonous tumor, refusing to let her go, regardless of the time or place.

The hands stained with blood and the fragmented family were the nightmares that haunted her for life. Ye Qin would often wake up from these terrors, reliving that painful past over and over, feeling the agony again and again.

The sight of her mother in prison, her aged face, desperately clutching Ye Qin’s hands, begging her to secure her release—Ye Qin would never forget it.

The year the incident happened, Ye Qin was only six and still very young. She didn’t fully understand many things, only being told that her mother had suffered years of domestic abuse from her father and had fought back and killed him in self-defense. She fully believed this. However, when she was twelve, she accidentally found her mother’s locked diary. The diary detailed how her mother and another man had met and fallen in love. It was only then that Ye Qin realized the “accident” had actually been a premeditated act.

She never told her grandmother because she didn’t want to add to her sorrow. From that year on, she swallowed the secret alone, telling no one.

When she was eighteen, at her grandmother’s urging, Ye Qin reluctantly visited the woman in prison. Ye Qin had planned never to see her again. Although her father had been wrong, it didn’t absolve her mother. She detested such a family, detested having such parents. If she could stay away, stay away for life, that would be better, or simply pretend she never had parents.

She was only eighteen, had just finished high school, and hadn’t yet entered society, yet she had to bear things that many people never had to face from a young age.

The woman grabbed Ye Qin’s wrist frantically, a hint of madness in her eyes. “Qingqing, get me out! Get me out! I don’t want to stay here anymore, I want out!”

It took a great deal of effort, along with the help of the prison guard, for Ye Qin to break free from her grasp. Putting aside the fact that she was only eighteen, an unarmed, powerless student with no life skills—how could she bail out a murderer? Even if she could, Ye Qin wouldn’t.

“I will take care of Grandma. You just stay here and live out the rest of your life,” Ye Qin’s voice was chillingly cold, unlike that of an eighteen-year-old child.

“No, no! I don’t want to stay here! Qingqing, I’m your mother!” the woman screamed hysterically, clutching the bars.

“You are not my mother!” Ye Qin shouted back, then lowered her voice. “I haven’t had a mother for a long time. She died years ago.”

“You can’t treat me like this! You can’t treat me like this! I was right to kill your father, right! He deserved to die!”

“……”

Ye Qin felt the noise was unbearable and said to the prison guard beside her, “It’s not time yet, is it? Can I leave early?”

After that prison visit, Ye Qin didn’t go straight home. Instead, she bought a lot of liquor from a nearby supermarket and sat on the roadside drinking, watching the flow of pedestrians and traffic.

It was that very night that she met Sister Wang Lin, the woman who would change her life.

In an old neighborhood, in an old residential building, there was a home with a dimly lit lamp. The room’s decor was extremely simple, lacking any novel or expensive furniture; even the walls were peeling and dusty. Yet, every corner of the house was neatly tidied.

On the round table in the living room, there was one meat dish, chicken stew with mushrooms, and a few small vegetarian sides. On the other half of the table was an unopened birthday cake. The table legs were chipped, showing it was an old piece of furniture. Today was the birthday of Yang Li’s son, Lin’er. Wang Lin had rushed over early, bringing the birthday cake she had ordered a few days ago.

“I finished work late at the mall today and didn’t have time to buy many dishes. You don’t mind, do you?” Yang Li asked.

Wang Lin held her chopsticks and smiled. “Of course not. Today is for celebrating Lin’er’s birthday, right, Lin’er!”

Wang Lin hadn’t expected Yang Li to name her son a homophone of her own name. She allowed herself a moment of vanity, believing it must have something to do with her.

“Auntie Wang, what is your relationship with my mother? Are you colleagues, or old friends?”

Wang Lin smiled and reached out to stroke the boy’s head. “Your mother and I are as close as you and your mother are.”

Lin’er pouted, not understanding. “How can that be? My mother gave birth to me. Did she give birth to you too?”

The childlike question made the two adults in the room burst into laughter. After a moment, Yang Li stopped laughing and turned to Wang Lin. “Try not to tell Lin’er these kinds of things. He’s still small.”

Wang Lin grinned. “I know.”

“Are you not busy with work lately? You’re always rushing over here. Won’t Ye Qin say anything?” Yang Li suddenly asked while they were eating.

Wang Lin replied while eating. “It’s alright, not too busy. Since she’s on set every day, she doesn’t need much work from my side.” Then, she paused as if remembering something. “After she finishes filming this drama, move out of City H with me.”

Yang Li was stunned. “Leave City H? Where would we go?”

“Back to City A. There’s a big house for you and your son to live in. It’s better than living here.” As Wang Lin spoke, she looked around with distaste. No matter how clean the place was, it still felt old, damp, and moldy. Living in such an environment for a long time would surely make a person feel depressed.

Yang Li put down her chopsticks and glanced at her son, who was obediently eating. “Let’s put this matter aside for now. Give me some time to think.”

“Mhm.” Wang Lin didn’t press the issue. Nothing could be rushed. After all, they had been separated for ten years, and many things required time to slowly adapt to and recover.

“Mom, I’m full. Can we open the cake and blow out the candles to make a wish?” Lin’er asked obediently.

Wang Lin answered for her. “Of course.” She helped him carefully open the cake box.

They took out the cake, placed the candles, lit them, and then turned off all the lights in the room until only the candlelight illuminated the space. The moment for wishing arrived. The little boy clasped his hands together and innocently spoke his wish aloud as he made it.

“My wish is for Mom to find a partner so she doesn’t have to work so hard all alone anymore.”

“Silly child.” Yang Li’s eyes reddened and teared up immediately. She stroked her son’s head. “Mom isn’t working hard.”

Wang Lin didn’t say anything, just hugged Lin’er too. The three of them embraced, and for a moment, it truly felt as if they had already become a family.

“Alright, go back to your room obediently. I have something to discuss with your Auntie Wang.” Yang Li stroked her son’s head. Lin’er nodded and scampered into the bedroom, clutching the toy car Wang Lin had brought.

Yang Li then started clearing the table. Wang Lin also got up and silently helped her. This was perhaps the only precious time of the day that truly belonged to just the two of them.

When Yang Li was done clearing, she was already at the kitchen sink washing dishes. Wang Lin walked up and hugged her waist from behind. Yang Li jumped in surprise, nearly dropping a plate. It took a while for her body to adapt to the sensation.

The air was filled with intimacy. Wang Lin rested her chin on Yang Li’s shoulder, inhaling her scent. After all these years, she was still using the same shampoo—the familiar scent Wang Lin knew.

As she took in the scent, Wang Lin couldn’t resist kissing her neck. The wet touch made Yang Li ticklish, and she couldn’t help but push Wang Lin’s head away with her wet hand. “I’m busy with a serious chore.”

“Then I’ll wait for you to finish,” Wang Lin replied, her hands casually resting on her waist.

After the house was finally tidied up, Wang Lin had been waiting on the living room sofa for a long time. But Yang Li dried her hands, glanced at the clock on the wall, and said, “It’s so late already.”

Wang Lin didn’t care. She abruptly pulled her down beside her, pushed the hair away from her ear, and eagerly leaned in to kiss her. But Yang Li was worried that her son might accidentally see them from his room, so she pushed her away.

She adjusted her collar and sat up. “It’s too late tonight. You should go back soon. Don’t you have to go to the set tomorrow?”

Wang Lin was helpless. She sat up straight, glanced at the downward-looking Yang Li, and swallowed the words she wanted to say. “…Mhm, I know. I’ll head back for today.”

Yang Li picked up the coat she had taken off earlier and handed it to her. She then carried her bag and walked her to the corridor outside the door, a look of reluctance in her eyes, but still smiling as she waved goodbye.

“Go inside. It’s cold out, don’t catch a chill,” Wang Lin said. Then, hugging her coat and carrying her bag, she quickly went downstairs, disappearing from view almost instantly.

Yang Li stood alone at the doorway for a long time, hugging a shawl, until she heard her son’s voice from inside. Lin’er ran out, calling for Auntie Wang, but seeing his mother standing alone in the doorway, he quickly ran over. “Mom, why are you here? Did Auntie Wang leave?”

Yang Li turned and smiled at her son. “Lin’er, do you like Auntie Wang a lot?”

The little boy nodded heavily. “Lin’er hasn’t had a dad since I was little, just Mom. But Auntie Wang is very good to me, just like my second mom… But, Mom, will you be angry if I say that?”

Yang Li smiled, crouched down, and held her son’s hands. “Mom won’t be angry. Alright, let’s go inside. It’s time to rest.”

…

The next morning, when Ye Qin came out of the bedroom, she immediately saw the takeout boxes on the living room table. She knew Shen Lu must have brought them back last night. A feeling of disgust instantly rose within her. She walked over and casually tossed them into the trash can, feeling utterly irritable.

Just at that moment, Shen Lu arrived exactly on time, carrying the breakfast she had ordered from the hotel restaurant. “Oh, Sister, you’re up so early this morning.”

Ye Qin glanced at her but didn’t speak. She sat down directly on the leather sofa, her posture regal and radiating coldness. The atmosphere was slightly awkward. Shen Lu approached cautiously with the breakfast. “Sister, do you want to eat breakfast?”

Ye Qin moved slightly. Shen Lu initially thought she was going to say or do something, but she just continued sitting there with her arms crossed.

Shen Lu swallowed, wondering if she had offended her again, when she accidentally caught sight of the food she had packed from the buffet restaurant yesterday now lying in the trash can. She looked at Ye Qin with a sense of outrage at the waste. “You actually threw it away? That’s such a waste!”

One of Ye Qin’s eyebrows twitched, as if she was secretly watching her. “A waste? Then you can take it back.”

Shen Lu couldn’t help but puff up with anger. “This is truly, truly too much!” She slammed the breakfast onto the table to vent her frustration.

Ye Qin was surprisingly amused by her expression. “So, are you throwing a tantrum at me now?”

“How dare I throw a tantrum at you? You’re my boss. I’m waiting for you to pay my salary,” Shen Lu pouted.

Ye Qin laughed helplessly but quickly reined it in, her face showing no trace of a smile. Her voice was laced with suspicion. “You had a lot of fun with Tan Xueying last night, didn’t you?”

Shen Lu shuddered under her sharp gaze. This woman’s moods changed faster than flipping a book. “No, no, not at all. It was… just okay?”

“Just okay?” Ye Qin pursed her lips, stood up, and walked over to her. Her presence directly pressed Shen Lu backward, forcing her to lean away. “You can play however you want, I won’t stop you, but I hope you remember the contract terms. Don’t end up losing more than you gain.”

Shen Lu’s heart raced with fear. It wasn’t until Ye Qin walked away that she slightly calmed down. But what exactly did her words mean?

…

At the Set.

After the previous night’s drinking and revelry, everyone returning to work still seemed to be lingering in the afterglow. The visible change was that everyone’s spirits were much better; occasionally letting off steam and work pressure was a good thing.

“Morning, Sister Xueying!”

“Morning, everyone, morning!”

Li Li walked proudly behind Tan Xueying and couldn’t help but lean in and whisper, “Sister, look how different your reputation is on our set compared to Ye Qin’s.”

Tan Xueying stopped and turned to her. “Say less of these things on the set in the future.”

Li Li pouted. “Understood.” Sigh, she felt a sense of indignation for her sister’s lack of ambition. But perhaps kindness, generosity, and a lack of worldly ambition were Sister Xueying’s virtues? Li Li felt conflicted. Sometimes she especially wished Sister Xueying’s ability could match her fame. Her acting was so good, and she was great with people, so why couldn’t she be as popular as Ye Qin? She couldn’t help but feel that fate was unfair.

Just after Tan Xueying arrived, Ye Qin and Shen Lu also showed up. As they walked onto the set, a crew member even started teasing Shen Lu about the previous night, speaking loudly enough for Ye Qin to hear clearly.

“Hey, Shen Lu, how fun was your passionate confession last night?”

Shen Lu glared at the man and fiercely replied, “It wasn’t fun at all!”

Ye Qin’s face, walking ahead, immediately darkened. Of course, Shen Lu, who habitually walked behind, was completely unaware.

In the hallway, Shen Lu ran into Tan Xueying and, unable to control herself, proactively greeted her. After all, if you genuinely like a person, you can’t just pretend you don’t know them. The word “like” here was in the general sense of admiration.

Ye Qin, without a word, shoved the door open and entered the rest area, promptly closing the door behind her.

A thread of awkwardness lingered in the air. Shen Lu laughed nervously. Tan Xueying, however, suddenly asked, “Did you sleep well last night?”

Shen Lu was startled.

“Oh, I mean, you walked back from so far away. Are your feet okay?” Tan Xueying quickly corrected herself.

“I’m fine, I’m perfectly fine.” Shen Lu smiled. “Thank you for your hospitality last night, Sister Xueying.”

“You’re welcome.”

Ye Qin sat in front of the makeup mirror, chin resting in her hand, feeling inexplicably anxious. What were those two talking about outside? It had been so long. Why wasn’t that annoying girl Shen Lu coming in yet?

Just as she curiously leaned toward the door to eavesdrop, Shen Lu suddenly pushed the door open, nearly hitting Ye Qin’s forehead. Ye Qin was obviously startled, clutching her head and stepping back a few paces. Shen Lu rushed forward anxiously. “Sister, Sister, are you okay!”

Ye Qin was frustrated with herself, but facing the nervous Shen Lu, she raised a hand to signal her to stop, then stubbornly said, “I’m fine!”

Shen Lu found it strange. “But, Sister, why were you at the door just now?”

Ye Qin’s mouth twitched. She returned to her seat, her expression unchanged. “Where’s the makeup artist? Hasn’t she arrived yet? Go call her.”

Shen Lu: ……

…

Noon.

The lunchboxes ordered for the crew arrived. Everyone swarmed to them. By the time Shen Lu finished taking Ye Qin’s lunchbox to the rest area and returned, only one box remained. She had no choice but to pick up the last box in the carton, find a small stool to sit on, and open the lid. There was no big chicken drumstick inside.

She glanced at the lunchboxes of the people around her, all of which contained a chicken drumstick without exception. She was instantly annoyed. Why was she so unlucky? At that moment, someone even came over to gloat. “Oh, Shen Lu, you got the lunchbox without the drumstick! Your luck is terrible.”

“The restaurant chef said they were one drumstick short today. We didn’t know which lucky person would draw the short straw.”

“……”

Shen Lu silently took a bite of rice, feeling a flock of crows fly overhead. Yes, she was that “lucky” person! She really should buy a lottery ticket.

“Go away! Go away! Where did that stray cat come from!”

“Meow~ Meow~”

“……”

Shen Lu was eating when she heard the commotion and looked up. She saw a set worker sweeping the floor using a broom to drive a kitten toward the flower bed on the roadside. His actions were extremely rough. The pained kitten let out a series of meows; it looked pitiful.

She focused her gaze. Wasn’t that the kitten Sister Xueying had been looking after? Why had it run here?

“Stop!” Shen Lu threw down her lunchbox without a second thought and rushed out, stopping the crew worker’s rough actions.

“What, is this your cat?” the set worker asked.

“No, no, but it belongs to someone I know.” She had promised to keep Sister Xueying’s secret, so she couldn’t reveal it.

“Fine, fine. Then it’s your problem. I’m leaving.” The worker walked away with his broom.

Shen Lu squatted down to coax the cat, wanting to check if it was injured, but the kitten, having just been chased, was clearly very wary of her. As Shen Lu moved closer, the cat backed away, and then simply ran off into the distance. Shen Lu quickly chased after it.

She finally caught up, but the little cat hid deep within the bushes and refused to come out. Shen Lu tried everything, even talking until she was parched. “I fed you just yesterday! How could you forget me so quickly? Seriously, you have no memory.”

Beneath her complaints, a voice came from behind, seemingly accompanied by a laugh.

“If a cat could remember a person in just one day, wouldn’t it lose its noble title?”

“Sister Xueying!” Shen Lu turned around.

Tan Xueying walked over and squatted down, calling out “meow, meow, meow” a few times. The cat immediately emerged from the gap in the bushes. Shen Lu watched, excited. “It actually came out! It listens to you!”

“Naturally. It’s been a long time since I started feeding it.” Tan Xueying took out the cat food she had prepared beforehand from her bag, putting it in her palm for the cat to eat. She then said, “Actually, feeding a cat is like interacting with people. You can make a friend in a day or two, but to gain genuine trust, you need long-term effort and maintenance.”

Shen Lu nodded, sitting down beside her. “You’re right.” She reached out to try and gently stroke the cat while it ate, but the kitten sensed the presence of a stranger and was fierce. It nearly bit Shen Lu’s finger. Luckily, Shen Lu reacted quickly and pulled her hand back in time.

“It actually tried to bite me!”

“Did it bite you?”

Shen Lu shook her head. “Almost. I didn’t think something so small would be so fierce.”

“It is,” Tan Xueying smiled. “Little strays are always a bit fierce.”

This reminded Shen Lu of an incident from her childhood when she was chased by stray dogs near her home. The memory still made her break out in a cold sweat. “When I was little, every time I walked home from school, I had to pass an alley. I remember there were always many stray dogs there because of a big garbage container. The stray dogs would look for food there every day. I don’t know why, but the more carefully I walked past, the more they would chase me.”

“You were bitten by a dog when you were little?” Tan Xueying asked, smiling.

Shen Lu nodded vigorously. “I was! I was bitten hard on my butt! I was so scared then, I thought my butt was going to separate from my body! But after that incident, the stray dogs were taken away by animal control. Since then, it’s definitely left me with a bit of a phobia.”

It was a painful memory, yet somehow, telling the story made it seem a little funny. Tan Xueying couldn’t help but cover her mouth and laugh, and Shen Lu foolishly joined in the laughter, wondering internally if it was really that funny.

After a fit of laughter, Tan Xueying calmed down and started talking about something related to herself. As she spoke, her eyes darkened a bit. She no longer looked like her usual gentle, peaceful, and carefree self, but instead seemed tinged with sadness and melancholy.

“Speaking of dogs, I had one when I was little. Its name was Peanut. Cute name, right? It was my fifth birthday present, a Corgi. It was with me until I was ten. We played and messed around in the garden every day. I remember even though its legs were short, it loved following me. Wherever I went, it went.”

At this, Tan Xueying suddenly paused and didn’t continue. Shen Lu couldn’t help but ask, “What happened next?”

“Later… my dad threw it off the third-floor balcony. He killed it,” Tan Xueying said, her eyes overcast with sorrow as she spoke.

Shen Lu gasped, covering her mouth. She immediately regretted asking, realizing the dark ending. “I’m so sorry, Sister Xueying. I didn’t know… I…”

“It’s okay. It’s not your fault,” Tan Xueying smiled faintly. “After that, I never kept a dog again.”

Shen Lu forced a smile, unsure how to comfort her, as she didn’t know the specific reasons or details of what had happened back then.

“Thank you for listening to all of this.”

“No, no. Sister Xueying, you are truly so down-to-earth! I definitely didn’t admire the wrong person!” Shen Lu smiled, her eyes curving into two crescents.

“You’re my fan?” Tan Xueying was surprised.

“Yeah! I grew up watching your… no, I’ve seen some of the TV shows you were in when you were younger. You practically accompanied my entire childhood. And even your current dramas—I love watching them. Your acting is getting even more refined.”

“Does Ye Qin know this? Aren’t you afraid she’ll be angry if she finds out?”

Shen Lu shrugged nonchalantly. “I’m her assistant, not her slave. I still have basic human rights, right? She can’t control who I like or what star I’m a fan of.”

Tan Xueying was amused by her again. “Shen Lu, you’re really fun. Alright, it’s getting late. Let’s head back. Being out here for too long will easily arouse suspicion.”

Shen Lu nodded. After waving goodbye to the kitten, she and Tan Xueying returned to the set, walking one behind the other. The well-fed kitten leaped into the nearby bushes.

…

Shen Lu’s Home.

Mama Shen pulled out her reading glasses and put them on, complaining to herself. “I’m only fifty and already need reading glasses. How will Mrs. Li downstairs make fun of me?”

She rummaged through the room. It happened to be a weekend, and Papa Shen was also home. The TV in the living room was loud, but they could still hear the constant clatter from the room. He couldn’t help but call out, “Old lady, what are you looking for? You’re going to turn the whole house upside down.”

Mama Shen bent over, frowning. “I can’t find the gold ring we got when we got married. Do you think that little rascal Shen Jing took it?”

That brat was always lawless. Who knew if he was short on money again and pawned something valuable from the house?

“Why are you suddenly looking for a gold ring? You’re just bored.”

But Shen Jing, who was playing a game in his room, heard them. “Mom, I heard you talking bad about me again! What gold ring? I didn’t take it!”

Mama Shen was convinced Shen Jing had taken it. “Tell me, in this family, besides you, would anyone else do such a thing?”

Shen Jing was annoyed. Why was he always the suspect whenever something happened?

But… if the gold ring was missing, could his sister have taken it?

“I know who took it!” Shen Jing suddenly exclaimed, startling his parents.

“Hurry up and tell us, you brat.”

“My sister took it! Don’t you believe me? Seriously, Sis is in big trouble this time.” Shen Jing blurted out the secret without thinking, then instinctively clapped his hand over his mouth.

Mama Shen, upon hearing this, immediately pushed open the door to Shen Lu’s room without a word. Shen Jing knew the secret was out and followed behind, trying to plead. “Mom, please don’t blame Sis! Sis was forced to do it. She told me not to tell you. You absolutely can’t say I told you…”

Mama Shen said nothing, already searching through her daughter’s room. Lu Lu had always been a good and sensible child. Mama Shen had never searched her room before because she trusted her unconditionally. Could it really be as Jing’er said?

Until she accidentally shook a red booklet out of the cabinet. It looked surprisingly familiar, and the three large characters on it were instantly striking: “Marriage Certificate!”

Both people present froze in shock. Mama Shen stammered and yelled out to Papa Shen sitting outside, “Her father, come in here quick!”

Shen Jing swallowed hard, knowing he had messed up. So, his sister sneaking the household registration book before wasn’t for a loan, but to register a marriage with someone else?

Mama Shen held her breath, her hand trembling as she opened the red marriage certificate.

The name listed next to her daughter’s was: Ye Qin.

Shen Jing, who was watching beside her, also gasped. “Sis, you’re really something else this time.”