After My Flash Marriage with the Movie Queen - Chapter 70

When word got out that Zhao Xunyin was bringing along her adorably scatterbrained and big-hearted little wife, even An He—who had always maintained a strictly superficial friendship with Zhao and never once bothered with polite chatter—did something completely out of character: she actually volunteered to come pick them up.

Fine, picking them up was one thing.

But what medicine had she taken this time? Not only did she insist on dragging along that cold and aloof President Qi, she even decided to drive over in her sightseeing golf cart.

Show-off.

The meeting between An He and her wife, and Zhao Xunyin and her wife, was anything but harmonious. It didn’t have the warm, cheerful energy of two old friends meeting with their spouses—more like an awkward playdate between rivals.

Of course, most of the blame lay with An He. The woman was simply too much.

And Zhao Xunyin hadn’t yet shaken off her earlier irritation either—just moments ago, Shi Nanbei had asked if, after a divorce, she would still have her estate and mountains, and to top it off, had said right to her face that President Qi was prettier and richer than she was.

Now, before Zhao could even vent that indignation, she saw An He—flamboyant as ever—pulling up in her ridiculous little electric cart, with none other than the aforementioned “prettier and richer” President Qi beside her.

Zhao Xunyin’s face immediately darkened. “…”

Seriously? It’s a five-minute walk—did you really need to drive here? What, your legs broken? Can’t walk two steps without flaunting how rich you are?

And the moment the door opened, there came An He—dressed to the nines, every step oozing charm. Anyone who didn’t know better would think she was showing up for a blind date, not a friendly get-together.

Zhao Xunyin: “…”

Vulgar. Just one word, and I’ll only say it once.

An He had clearly put effort into this meeting. Zhao could tell at a glance that the woman had gone all out—the gown she was wearing was the latest release from a luxury brand, the kind of piece you couldn’t even reserve without serious money or connections. No doubt she’d squeezed another small fortune out of President Qi to get it.

Zhao Xunyin’s expression didn’t so much as twitch.

After getting out of the car, An He smiled, radiating charm like she’d summoned every ounce of allure in her lifetime. Seeing Zhao and her wife, she brightened instantly, face glowing like spring blossoms as she sauntered over—hips swaying, eyes glimmering, every step a deliberate tease.

Zhao Xunyin had seen her, but before she could even greet her, An He reached out shamelessly, clasped Shi Nanbei’s hand, and said with intimate familiarity, “younger Sister-in-law!”

It rolled off her tongue so naturally, so smoothly, so disgustingly affectionate.

Zhao Xunyin: “…”

Zhao Xunyin: “?”

Excuse me—who exactly are you taking advantage of here?

If she remembered correctly, wasn’t An He actually three months younger than her?

Calling Shi Nanbei younger sister-in-law? Who’s the “younger” one here?

An He, have you no shame?

Shi Nanbei, of course, was too pure for this kind of social chaos—not that she could’ve handled it any better. She was barely twenty-one by traditional age count, and this was her first real brush with the outside world.

Zero defenses.

So naturally, her face flamed bright red in seconds.

Her bashfulness only made An He more delighted.

“Oh my, already blushing?” Even after all these years, even marriage hadn’t cured An He of her habit of flirting with every beautiful woman she saw. Especially with someone like Shi Nanbei—pure, delicate, utterly lovely—she couldn’t resist.

It even stirred memories of her own youth. Ever since marrying Qi Yu, she’d become less and less like her former self. Looking back, she often felt that marriage was, in truth, an act of deep regret.

“Little sister,” she cooed, “you’re so sweet you make me want to protect you.”

Zhao Xunyin: “…”

Protect her? Protect what exactly?

Can’t you see the 184cm-tall woman beside you is already scowling like thunder?

Can you, for once, rein it in a little? Don’t go scaring my wife!

As for President Qi herself—well into her thirties now—she still wore that same eternally impatient expression, exuding a quietly intimidating aura. When she saw Zhao Xunyin and Shi Nanbei, she merely nodded, hands tucked into her pockets, her face as cold and unreadable as ever.

Zhao Xunyin nodded back.

That was the entire exchange.

Honestly, President Qi had that same face no matter who she was talking to in business. Zhao had grown used to it by now, though sometimes she couldn’t help but wonder if Qi treated An He the same way at home—frozen expression and all.

Was she born allergic to warmth?

Across the small courtyard, the Alphas were cool as ice, but their wives were anything but.

In the blink of an eye, Shi Nanbei had been swept away by An He, who had an arm looped through hers and was chatting animatedly. Zhao could just barely hear snippets—An He was asking if it was tiring or difficult being married to an older partner.

Zhao Xunyin: “…”

Excuse me? She was a film queen, alright?

Wasn’t it you, An He, who once said that anyone lucky enough to marry a superstar like her had basically accumulated eight lifetimes of good karma? And now you’re calling her old and burdensome?

Can you go a single minute without contradicting yourself, woman?

Shi Nanbei shook her head shyly, trailing beside An He like a little bunny, every move exuding softness and sweetness. The sight made An He—already halfway down the path to moral corruption—look even more like a creepy middle-aged uncle than a married woman.

That expression, that posture, nothing about it looked well-intentioned.

“Ah, don’t bottle things up, sweetheart,” An He went on, her voice dripping with faux concern. “I know what it’s like, dating someone older. Comes with all sorts of challenges, right? I mean, really, why rush into marriage so young? You’re such a beautiful girl—how could you throw away your youth like this? What, was the ocean not wide enough? Were the waves not big enough?”

Zhao Xunyin: “…”

What do you mean by ‘throwing away her youth’?

An He, whose side are you even on?

She was Zhao Xunyin—a top-tier celebrity and the reigning queen of the big screen!

Sure, maybe she wasn’t that young anymore, but still—she was her!

The woman who topped the “most desirable female celebrity” list among lesbians for three consecutive years!

The Film Queen!

The Film Queen!

“I know her pretty well,” An He said breezily, voice carrying just enough to reach Zhao’s ears. “She barely scraped through high school, then used connections to get a correspondence degree. You went to Sichuan University, right? Studied medicine? Wow, a real academic star! Impressive—eight-year combined program too? Amazing! So tell me, what exactly did you see in Zhao Xunyin? She’s just a movie star—no depth, no higher education. How’s she supposed to raise kids someday? Think of the impact on the next generation!”

Zhao Xunyin: “……”

And that was the exact moment Zhao Xunyin decided that if she didn’t commit homicide before the end of this trip, it would be a miracle.

“You look down on a film queen so much—why don’t you go win one yourself then!”

Me! Zhao Xunyin! A top-tier actress, okay?

And you? Have you ever been famous?

“Alright, alright, you’re the one with a bright future—the nation’s rising star.” An He sighed theatrically. “What a pity though. How’d you end up married already? Tsk, such a waste. Why didn’t I meet someone young and pretty like you back then?”

Zhao Xunyin: “……”

What the hell are you regretting? Who exactly do you want to meet, huh? Couldn’t you at least say one nice thing about Boss Qi, the woman who’s been bankrolling you all this time?

Isn’t your conscience hurting just a little?

“You like her? Ah, well, that’s just how young people are—reckless for love. She’s got a pretty face, sure, but that’s about it. She’s older now, stamina’s not what it used to be. If things aren’t harmonious between you two, big sister here can give you a little gift.”

Zhao Xunyin: “……”

Even without thinking too hard, she knew exactly what kind of “disharmony” An He was referring to.

And of course, her silly, innocent wife had to ask in all seriousness, “What’s not harmonious?”

Zhao Xunyin could already feel a headache coming.

Then Shi Nanbei turned to An He and asked solemnly, “Do you mean our sex life?”

Zhao Xunyin: “……”

Where did I find such a clueless wife?

An He, who’d probably never met anyone quite this straightforward, lit up like someone who’d been handed a pillow right when she wanted to nap. She laughed with all the grace of a blooming peony.

“Yes, yes, exactly! I’ve known Xunyin for years. Don’t be fooled by her cold, abstinent look—deep down she’s actually quite, tsk, tsk.”

Zhao Xunyin: “……”

Excuse me, I am abstinent! What nonsense are you spouting in front of my wife all day long? Can’t you at least pretend to be a decent friend?

Shi Nanbei, meanwhile, responded in that same serious tone, “I can’t tell you that. It’s a secret between me and Xunyin—a private little secret between wives.”

Zhao Xunyin finally let out a sigh of relief but before she could even finish, An He’s mouth was already running again—this time retelling all of Zhao Xunyin’s embarrassing black history.

Zhao Xunyin: “……”

Why, why had she brought Shi Nanbei to meet this brainless old woman?

At last, Zhao Xunyin couldn’t take it anymore. She turned to the person beside her. “Boss Qi, aren’t you going to control your wife?”

Qi Yu didn’t even look up. “No.” Her voice was cold. “I’ve already given out three cars this month.”

“All limited editions.”

Zhao Xunyin: “……”

Thinking of An He’s greedy expression, Zhao Xunyin honestly didn’t know whether to laugh or pity her boss.

Thank heavens Shi Nanbei wasn’t like An He.

She must’ve lost her mind to think Qi Yu—the ultimate wife-slave—could ever rein An He in.

“You mean the manor?” An He was still chatting cheerfully with Shi Nanbei. “Oh, that was a gift from Deadface.”

“Deadface? Who’s that?”

“Qi Yu, of course! Doesn’t her face look like someone whose wife just died?”

“Hey! Watch your mouth!” Shi Nanbei protested, indignant. “She’s your wife.”

“What do you mean she gave it to me because I threatened to divorce her? Don’t be ridiculous! What kind of joke is that? I, An He, am still a celebrity, thank you very much. I’m not broke. Do I look like the type who’d stay in a marriage for money?”

“Of course not,” she continued proudly, “but listen, little one—take Zhao Xunyin for example. She’s doing pretty well in the industry, not as famous as I was back in the day, but still—a bona fide film queen. Do you know how many temptations come with that title?”

“You’re still young. While your Zhao Xunyin is still fresh and tender, make sure you get your fill for the next couple of years. Who knows how old and wrinkled she’ll be after that? And make sure you squeeze a bit of money out of her too.

That way, when you finally divorce, you can live it up as a rich woman being chased by toy boys.”

“Why don’t I divorce? You think I don’t want to? If it wasn’t for Qi Yu’s inheritance, I’d have kicked her to the curb ages ago and gone off to party with a few young studs!”

Every word dripped with passion and bitterness.

Shi Nanbei listened with the utmost seriousness.

Zhao Xunyin: “……”

She regretted it. She deeply regretted it.