Forced to Become the Female Lead's Beloved Wife [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 17

The evidence of Xu Zhou’s infidelity and the flow of funds embezzled from the Wen Corporation were laid bare before him. Xu Zhou, likely never expecting her to uncover such thorough proof, found himself speechless, unable to offer even a feeble defense.

Wen Yige gave him two choices: agree to a divorce, forfeiting all assets, or face criminal charges with the evidence. Remembering their past as husband and wife, she offered him a way out.

But while she granted him this escape route, the millions he had embezzled from the Wen Corporation would not go unpunished.

Within a month, investors began withdrawing from the Diyu Group, causing its stock to plummet and the company to teeter on the brink of bankruptcy overnight. Those previously swayed by Xu Zhou’s petty favors now reversed their loyalties upon hearing news of the divorce. The remaining stakeholders clearly understood which entity—the Wen Corporation or the Diyu Group—held greater weight.

As everything gradually returned to order, the New Year arrived. For the first time in ages, Wen Yige and Li Wancheng found themselves with rare free time to spend at home.

“Happy New Year,” Li Wancheng said, raising her champagne glass and tilting it slightly toward Wen Yige.

Since Wen Yige couldn’t drink alcohol, Li Wancheng had replaced the champagne with milk, insisting it was a necessary ritual. The white milk swirled gently against the glass as Wen Yige raised her own glass to clink against Li Wancheng’s. “Happy New Year.”

Tuantuan lay nearby, whimpering softly, as if celebrating the perfect New Year too. Wen Yige tilted her head slightly to gaze out the window. Fireworks soared into the night sky, scattering countless shimmering sparks across the silent darkness before fading back into the quiet night.

Under the same roof, with her beloved by her side—this was perhaps the epitome of happiness.

After dinner, Wen Yige suddenly asked Li Wancheng to wait a moment, then reached into her pocket and pulled out something. Li Wancheng froze, recognizing the familiar object. “Is that… the necklace I gave you back then?”

“Mm,” Wen Yige nodded, the snowflake pendant resting quietly in her palm. Even after years of being unworn, it still gleamed brightly, like her love for Li Wancheng, undimmed by the passage of time.

For the past five years, she had kept it locked in a safe, never imagining she would ever take it out again.

But now that Li Wancheng had returned, the memories and deep affection she had sealed away could finally see the light of day.

Wen Yige brushed aside the dark hair at the nape of her neck. “A-Cheng, would you help me put it on again?”

The silver chain felt cool against Li Wancheng’s palm. Before her lay the woman’s porcelain-white neck, its gentle curve revealing the prominent spinous processes of her cervical vertebrae. For some reason, Li Wancheng’s heart began to race, and a thin layer of sweat dampened the fingers fumbling with the clasp.

After a long moment, the silver chain was securely fastened around the woman’s neck. Li Wancheng exhaled in relief and took a small step back.

Unexpectedly, Wen Yige turned abruptly, pressing herself tightly against Li Wancheng. Her warm lips hovered near Li Wancheng’s ear, neither quite touching nor pulling away.

“A-Cheng, your ears are so red…”

Previously, constrained by their marital bond, they had always stopped just short of the final step. Now that Li Wancheng had finally broken free from those shackles, how could she possibly let Wen Yige escape so easily?

The warmth of Wen Yige’s breath tickled Li Wancheng’s ear, while a pair of cool hands suddenly circled her waist. Like a snake that had lain in wait for its prey, Wen Yige didn’t rush to devour her prize. Instead, she tightened her grip, inch by inch, with the deliberate precision of a predator.

The heat of their skin pressed together grew increasingly intense. Li Wancheng passively endured Wen Yige’s long-suppressed passion, letting out a soft moan. “Not here…”

Her footsteps faltered, her breathing grew ragged. She heard Wen Yige’s low, murmured agreement, and then cool fingertips brushed against her skin. Like falling leaves scattered by the wind touching a spark in the air, they ignited into a fierce blaze in an instant.

The moment her clothes were stripped away, Li Wancheng hastily shut down the System. A torrential rain of kisses descended upon her. It was scalding, icy, and everything in between, merging into a surging tide that threatened to overwhelm her completely.

Fine snowflakes drifted outside the window, scattering like windblown willow catkins. They fell intermittently throughout the night, draping the world in a pristine white blanket.

Inside, the room was warmly heated. A lingering blush of passion still lingered at the corners of Li Wancheng’s eyes. A few strands of sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating her smooth, pale shoulder blades with an unconscious air of languor and allure.

She nestled in the woman’s arms, her cascading hair partially obscuring the intimate view below her neck, creating a hazy, veiled beauty reminiscent of a pipa player half-concealed behind her instrument.

The progress bar hovered brightly in mid-air. In just half a month, it had already surged to sixty percent. Li Wancheng lowered her gaze and sighed inwardly, “It’s increasing so quickly…”

The System detected a hint of melancholy in her voice. “Host, you seem unhappy.”

Li Wancheng didn’t reply, merely burrowing deeper into Wen Yige’s embrace.

If the progress bar fills, will I have to leave her side? But… I wonder if she’ll hate me again this time.

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?” Wen Yige raised a hand to gently massage the small of the woman’s back.

“No, I was just thinking… what if I go bankrupt someday too?”

Li Wancheng’s eyelids drooped halfway as her fingertips traced the woman’s exquisite features, gliding down her nose bridge and settling gently on her lips, pressing lightly, teasingly.

She was truly beautiful, even the confident curve of her lips perfectly balanced—neither aloof nor overly familiar.

“Then I’ll take care of you,” Wen Yige murmured, lowering her head to kiss Li Wancheng’s fingertips, her smile radiant. “As long as you don’t leave me.”

Her voice was soft yet earnest, her clear eyes reflecting Li Wancheng’s image completely.

This hidden tenderness and passion, reserved solely for Li Wancheng, was a romance only she could witness.

Perhaps Li Wancheng’s delicate, vulnerable demeanor was too tempting. Wen Yige couldn’t resist. Her kisses trailed from fingertips to wrist, then deeper still, the skin trembling beneath her tender caresses like snow shaken from an overburdened branch, dazzlingly white.

Lost in the haze of kisses, Li Wancheng couldn’t help but wonder if Wen Yige had been studying seduction these past five years. She was a completely different person from the girl who used to blush at a simple kiss.

But if this continued, another entanglement was inevitable.

Mindful of her heart condition, Li Wancheng had always exercised restraint in matters of passion. She raised a hand to gently push against Wen Yige’s shoulder. “No more…”

After being rejected, Wen Yige stopped moving. She simply pulled Li Wancheng closer, burying her nose in the crook of her shoulder and breathing hotly against her skin. “Lie down a bit longer,” she murmured. “I’ll make breakfast.”

The clock on the wall had already struck noon. Li Wancheng had a luncheon appointment later that afternoon, and she hadn’t slept well the previous night after Wen Yige had kept her up. Letting her rest a little longer to recover her energy seemed like a good idea.

Li Wancheng was indeed exhausted. Just before drifting off, she felt a gentle kiss on her forehead—a tender, careful gesture of utmost reverence.

Crash! A sharp, shattering sound jolted her awake, cold sweat instantly soaking her back.

Fearing something had happened, Li Wancheng grabbed the nearest robe and threw it on, not even bothering with slippers. As she rushed out of the bedroom, she saw Wen Yige crouched on the kitchen floor, surrounded by shards of ceramic and steaming food. She was picking up the pieces one by one.

Relief washed over Li Wancheng. At least it was just a broken plate.

Wen Yige seemed momentarily startled by her appearance. The smile on her lips faltered, looking strained. “Did I wake you? I’m sorry. The plate was wet, and I lost my grip.”

She quickly hid her trembling fingers behind her back.

The shattered ceramic edges were sharp. Among the scattered fragments, a few corners were already stained with streaks of blood, tiny crimson droplets dotting the broken white porcelain.

“I’ll make another one. It might mean you have to wait a bit longer for dinner, though.”

She was smiling, but the faint sorrow in her eyes was enough to swallow a person whole—like a dull blade that kills invisibly.

Li Wancheng crouched down and gently wrapped her arms around Wen Yige from behind, carefully taking the shard of ceramic from her trembling hand. “It’s okay,” she murmured soothingly. “We don’t need to make it. It’s alright, we don’t need to.”

She clasped Wen Yige’s still-shaking hand, slowly interlacing their fingers, repeating her comforting words with unwavering patience.

These shards were too dangerous for Wen Yige to touch. Li Wancheng gently pulled her away from the debris and bandaged the cut on her index finger.

Wen Yige seemed lost in thought, staring blankly at the chaotic mess on the floor, her lashes lowered, her eyes shadowed.

“I’ll clean up. Why don’t you go sit in the living room for a while?”

“Okay.” Wen Yige didn’t look up, her response soft and barely audible.

The moment she turned away, tears that had been held back for too long spilled from her eyes. She lowered her gaze to her violently trembling hands.

I promised to cook for her for the rest of my life. How did I… how did I become this useless, unable to even hold a plate steady?

Perhaps hearing the click of the door lock, she slowly stirred awake. Seeing her late-returning lover at the entrance, her expression held no trace of impatience from waiting, only a gentle smile. “You’re back.”

“Mm,” Li Wancheng replied, removing her coat. After she’d warmed up a bit, she embraced Wen Yige. “I bought some fireworks. Want to go downstairs and set them off?”

Earlier that afternoon, Li Wancheng had noticed Wen Yige seemed down. She’d planned to rush home early to keep her company, but a dinner meeting had kept her longer than expected.

“Okay.”

The residential complex had more trees and lawns than buildings, so Li Wancheng led Wen Yige around to an undeveloped patch of land behind the buildings. Normally marked with a sign, this secluded spot was perfect for setting off fireworks.

Afraid the fireworks might splash onto Wen Yige, Li Wancheng deliberately set them up at a distance before striking a match to light the fuse.

The night air was cold, so Li Wancheng took Wen Yige’s hand and tucked it into her own pocket. In the darkness, the spark gradually consumed the fuse.

As the fireworks erupted, Wen Yige suddenly turned around, her lips moving slowly amidst the thunderous booms. “I love you,” she murmured.

Though clearly a confession, Li Wancheng inexplicably sensed a hint of sorrow in her words, like the fleeting bloom of a night-blooming cereus, its ephemeral beauty fading from her fingertips in an instant.

But the night was too dark. After the fireworks died down, Li Wancheng couldn’t even discern the emotion in Wen Yige’s eyes.

Moonlight dappled the ground, casting a hazy, ethereal glow that blurred the scene like a veil. The two women stood motionless beneath the moonlit sky, the landscape before them fading into a pale, indistinct blur.

Suddenly, the System shrieked, “Host, be careful!”