After My Flash Marriage with the Movie Queen - Chapter 52

Chapter 52 DEBT
Xu Juan successfully brought Shi Nanbei and Wu Lili into the venue. Because the backstage area was crowded and full of watchful eyes, Xu Juan didn’t dare to take Shi Nanbei in directly—doing so would almost certainly expose her identity. Instead, she used her connections to arrange an excellent seat for Shi Nanbei and Wu Lili out in the audience.

“When the event’s over, I’ll send someone to pick you up, okay?” Xu Juan instructed softly. “She said you shouldn’t run off anywhere. She’ll come find you herself once she’s done.”

Shi Nanbei nodded obediently from her seat. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. Tell her I’m here with my friend.”

Xu Juan gave a few more reminders before reluctantly heading backstage, glancing back three times as she went.

Once Xu Juan was gone, Shi Nanbei sat quietly, one hand in her hoodie pocket, her gaze fixed on the stage ahead, saying nothing.

Beside her, Wu Lili fidgeted restlessly in her seat as if she was sitting on pins and needles. The more she looked at Shi Nanbei, the more she felt that something wasn’t quite right.

Shi Nanbei had always been easy to read. She had a big heart, a kind nature, and—most importantly—she could never hide her emotions. Whatever she thought or felt was written plainly on her face. People like her was common when young, but the older one grew, the rarer such openness became. It was no wonder everyone around her adored her.

After all, not everyone could stay as pure-hearted as Shi Nanbei—someone who faced life with unending warmth and a smile for everyone she met.

“Nanbei.” Wu Lili hesitated for a long moment before speaking. “You’re not very happy, are you?”

At first, Wu Lili hadn’t realized Shi Nanbei was upset. But after she finished that phone call, even the slowest person could have seen it.

She had known Shi Nanbei for years, and it was rare to see her truly unhappy. Whether it was because she’d been raised too well or simply because she was too carefree, Shi Nanbei was the kind of person who always stayed cheerful, her thoughts jumping from one thing to the next. People like that rarely got angry or sulked—but this time, Wu Lili could tell, she really was mad.

And honestly, it wasn’t hard to understand why.

Shi Nanbei had been persuaded to come here only after much coaxing. Though reluctant at first, she eventually agreed once Wu Lili reasoned with her. She had even bought a gift for Zhao Xunyin in advance, full of excitement at the thought of surprising her. Yet the moment she arrived, the very first thing she heard was the scalper saying that Zhao Xunyin and Shu Yu had appeared on stage together that morning.

To be fair,

Even as a mere fan, Wu Lili herself had felt a twinge of jealousy hearing that. Shu Yu—after all these years—was still tangled up with Zhao Xunyin, even timing her divorce to coincide with this event. Anyone would feel uncomfortable about that.

And if a fan like her could feel that way, how much worse must it be for Zhao Xunyin’s wife, Shi Nanbei?

Wu Lili thought back, realizing that Shi Nanbei must have been genuinely upset. Otherwise, she would never have blurted out to the scalper that she was Zhao Xunyin’s wife.

That was basically a public declaration of ownership.

The thought made Wu Lili oddly proud. In the three years they’d been roommates, Shi Nanbei had spent nearly all her time on studying and gaming, blissfully oblivious to everything else.

Plenty of upperclassmen and even their campus belle had tried to pursue her. One time, the campus belle had invited Shi Nanbei to a movie, only for Shi Nanbei to respond, dead serious, “Watching a movie on a winter night? Isn’t that cold?”

That one line had shut the poor girl up for good. After that, even when she saw Shi Nanbei in the hallway, she’d take a detour. As for the guys who’d tried to court her—Shi Nanbei’s responses only grew more straightforward each time.

Eventually, the seniors started asking if Shi Nanbei was planning to become a monk, because she seemed completely immune to romance.

And to be honest, that wasn’t far off.

The roommates had often joked that Shi Nanbei would probably spend the rest of her life with only her games and her imaginary worlds for company. None of them expected her to suddenly listen to her grandmother, go on a blind date, and then—of all things—get married on the spot.

It was almost absurd.

Wu Lili had always worried that Shi Nanbei might have married Zhao Xunyin purely because of family pressure, not love. Given Shi Nanbei’s personality, she figured as long as the other person looked nice and didn’t annoy her, she could marry anyone. But looking at her now, maybe she really did like Zhao Xunyin.

“Mm.” Shi Nanbei finally responded to Wu Lili’s question without moving her gaze from the stage.

“Actually,” Wu Lili began carefully, “they really did break up ages ago. I’m not just saying this to defend my idol—it’s true. If Zhao Xunyin ever wanted to get back with Shu Yu, she would’ve done it years ago. There wouldn’t even be a Shi Nanbei now.”

“I know.”

Shi Nanbei’s face remained blank. “But I’m still unhappy.”

Wu Lili: “…”

Ah, so this was jealousy—finally. Was this what they meant by a late-blooming love brain? Heaven must have decided Shi Nanbei had stayed clueless for too long and gave her a little push.

Perhaps realizing how out of character her mood was, Shi Nanbei frowned slightly and added, “I know they broke up a long time ago, and I know it’s Shu Yu who keeps clinging to her. She already explained it to me. But I’m still upset.”

This was the first time Wu Lili had ever heard Shi Nanbei talk so openly about her emotions—especially emotions that had nothing to do with games or fanfiction. Normally, her frustrations came from bad teammates or a favorite author abandoning a story. But romantic jealousy? This was new.

She felt a strange, almost maternal pride—our Nanbei’s growing up.

Just as Wu Lili was about to say something comforting, Shi Nanbei muttered seriously, “I think, I might be growing a little green on my head.”

Wu Lili: “…”

For some reason, her first thought was—Zhao Xunyin, you’ve really done it this time.

Zhao Xunyin had already heard that Shi Nanbei had come to the event. The thought that her little wife had planned a surprise made her smile uncontrollably. The manager beside her tried several times to speak, then wisely decided against it. After all, it wasn’t a bad thing for someone like Zhao Xunyin—so poised and reserved—to rediscover the sweetness of love.

When she stepped onto the stage, she couldn’t help scanning the crowd. Her wife was easy to spot.

There she was, sitting in the audience wearing a light yellow hoodie. Because of the warm weather, her hair was tied up high in a ponytail, her cheeks flushed pink. She waved her support sign and cheered with the fans, her ponytail swaying behind her with each movement—utterly adorable.

Zhao Xunyin stood under the lights, dressed in a sleek black suit from the fashion brand she represented, one hand in her pocket, the other holding a microphone. In front of the cameras, she always maintained that cool, untouchable aura that made hosts scramble for small talk.

But tonight, she was clearly in a good mood. She smiled easily as she answered the emcee’s questions. The audience’s enthusiasm was infectious, and before long, the host voiced what everyone was dying to ask:

“By the way, Zhao Xunyin, you recently got married, didn’t you? Everyone’s curious—how does it feel to be married?”

Zhao Xunyin lifted the microphone, repeating the question with a faint smile. “How does it feel?”

Her gaze found the girl in the yellow hoodie again, and her lips curved upward.

“It feels wonderful,” she said. “If I’d known marriage to her would be this good, I’d have met her sooner.”

Under the stage lights, Shi Nanbei looked up at the dazzling star in the center of attention. She could tell Zhao Xunyin had spotted her—several times, their eyes met, and Zhao Xunyin even smiled at her. And now, she was publicly confessing her love in front of Shi Nanbei and the entire audience.

Shi Nanbei couldn’t help but feel a little shy.

But shyness aside, she still couldn’t shake off her annoyance about what had happened that morning between Zhao Xunyin and Shu Yu. She couldn’t quite pinpoint what exactly she was upset about—after all, she knew very well that the situation, including Shu Yu’s attempts to contact Zhao Xunyin and her sudden divorce, had never been something Zhao Xunyin wanted or initiated.

Still, every time she heard Zhao Xunyin’s name mentioned alongside another woman’s, she felt a surge of irritation she couldn’t control.

Hmph. Her head must be sprouting green already!

So, this is what happens when you marry a movie queen—getting “green” is just too easy!

After the event ended, Xu Juan came to escort Shi Nanbei and Wu Lili out through the back door. When they reached the van waiting in the parking lot, Wu Lili—fully aware that Shi Nanbei was still jealous about Zhao Xunyin and Shu Yu—refused to get in. Anyone with half a brain could tell that once those two saw each other, sparks were bound to fly.

No matter how Xu Juan coaxed her, Wu Lili insisted on riding in the other car, leaving Shi Nanbei to open the van door alone.

The moment she did, a familiar scent of mint and vanilla enveloped her as a woman reached out and pulled her into an embrace. Before she could even react, the door shut behind her, and she found herself sitting in Zhao Xunyin’s lap.

The woman had soft curls at the ends of her hair, bright red lips, and wore a sleek black suit. Her beauty was sharp and commanding, elegance wrapped in confidence. She looked down at Shi Nanbei with a teasing smile and asked, “What brings my little wife here all of a sudden?”

“Because Wu Lili’s your fan. I came with her to chase her idol,” Shi Nanbei answered honestly, as she always did.

“Oh?” Zhao Xunyin’s lips curved into a playful smile. She leaned close, her breath brushing Shi Nanbei’s ear. “So, you didn’t come because you missed me?”

Shi Nanbei: “…”

Shi Nanbei stiffened immediately. The young girl clearly wasn’t used to being teased like this by a mature woman in such close quarters, her flustered reaction making Zhao Xunyin’s heart melt with amusement. Just as she was about to tease her more, Shi Nanbei suddenly spoke up in all seriousness:

“Do you like Beibei?”

Zhao Xunyin froze, smile faltering. “Huh?”

Where did that come from?

Feeling that this was a serious conversation, Shi Nanbei straightened up and moved out of Zhao Xunyin’s lap, crossing her arms as she sat beside her with a solemn expression.

“I know about you and Shu Yu performing together today.”

Zhao Xunyin’s expression stiffened. “…”

Even at thirty-four, talking about her ex in front of her wife made her feel awkward and out of place.

“I.”

Shi Nanbei, uncharacteristically assertive, cut her off. “I know you’ve broken up with her. But I just realized that from the day we got married till now, I’ve never actually asked you—do you like me?”

At that, Zhao Xunyin immediately scrambled to reassure her, eager to please. “Of course I like you. If I didn’t, why would I have married you?”

Shi Nanbei tilted her head thoughtfully. “Hmm, maybe you just thought I was cute and fell in love at first sight.”

Zhao Xunyin: “……”

Excuse me? Who fell for who at first sight again? Didn’t your grandma say you’re the one who’s shallow and face-obsessed?

Shi Nanbei continued, “I finished my exams today. I was supposed to play games online with my friends afterward—you know how much I love gaming, right? It’s my number one priority, maybe number two. But then Lili said she wanted to come see you, so I canceled our guild match tonight and didn’t even have time to log on to Jinjiang to send a lightning vote to my favorite author.”

Zhao Xunyin blinked. “What?”

So, her wife was giving her a lecture about friendship priorities now?

“Anyway,” Shi Nanbei said softly, her gaze dropping. “I thought seeing you would make me happier than doing anything else. You’ve somehow climbed higher than gaming and novels in my heart. But then the first thing I heard after getting here was about you and Shu Yu. I know it wasn’t your fault, and you probably didn’t even know beforehand, but still, I can’t help feeling upset. Maybe I’m being unreasonable, but I really don’t feel good inside.”

She looked at Zhao Xunyin, eyes shining faintly. “So, could you please comfort me?”

For a moment, Zhao Xunyin just stared, as if fireworks had gone off inside her chest.

She’d always thought her silly little wife wouldn’t care no matter how many rumors she got caught up in. But now she realized—Shi Nanbei did care. She just hadn’t said anything because she trusted her.

And now she was asking, so sweetly, to be comforted.

“Of course,” Zhao Xunyin murmured, leaning in to kiss the girl’s soft lips. A smile curved her mouth as she whispered, “I didn’t handle things well. You have every right to be angry.”

She brushed her thumb across Shi Nanbei’s cheek, voice low and affectionate.

“Let me make it up to you, my dear wife.”