The Ex-Wife of the Scumbag A Who Abandoned the Female Lead - Chapter 27

Madam Ru noticed her daughter’s distraction and saw her glancing at her phone. She thought that aside from that Shi woman, no one else could make her daughter so absent-minded. She couldn’t help but let out a cold snort and remarked pointedly, “She really clings tightly, doesn’t she? I heard she slept in An’an’s room last night. She sure knows how to pick the right room. Who knows what she’s really up to?”

Hearing this, Ru Xi Cheng instinctively tightened her grip on her skirt and retorted, “Father, your prejudice against Nuocen is too deep. No matter what, her staying with An’an can only be beneficial for An’an. But you… If you hadn’t chosen to send An’an away right after I gave birth, if you hadn’t lied to me and said the baby didn’t survive due to premature birth, maybe none of this would have dragged on for three years. An’an wouldn’t have ended up mute and unstable at the slightest trigger.”

The head of the Ru family thought of An’an’s pale little face and felt a pang of guilt, but he couldn’t help explaining, “I didn’t want it to be this way either. But back then, your condition was so poor. Your mother and I discussed it and agreed that a clean break would be better than prolonged suffering. If we had told you the child survived, seeing An’an would only remind you of Shi Nuocen. How could you ever move on?”

Yet, despite all their calculations, their daughter still remained entangled with that Shi woman. In the end, An’an had suffered needlessly.

Ru Xi Cheng let out a bitter laugh, her pale lips trembling slightly. “So now, I don’t even dare tell An’an, ‘I’m your mother.’”

The Ru family head ran a hand through his hair in frustration. This was indeed a troubling dilemma. How to let his daughter reunite with An’an remained a heavy burden on his heart. In this matter, he truly had failed his daughter.

Thus, father and daughter stood facing each other, both sinking into silence.

Just then, Madam Ru entered with tea. When she saw her daughter, she was momentarily surprised. As someone who had been through it herself and also an Omega, she could sense that her daughter exuded an aura of having been thoroughly cherished. The lingering scent was a sweet, enchanting floral fragrance; clear evidence that her daughter was deeply satisfied with the one who had marked her.

And as for who that person was, was there even any need to guess? To be fair, Madam Ru didn’t hold as strong a grudge against Shi Nuocen as her husband did. Moreover, she had a hidden soft spot for good looks, and Shi Nuocen was genuinely stunning, which further softened her stance.

Most importantly, she trusted her daughter. Although Xiao Cheng could be a bit lovesick, she wasn’t irrational. If Xiao Cheng still held such deep feelings for that girl, it meant Shi Nuocen’s character couldn’t be all that bad.

Ru Xi Cheng glanced up and met her mother’s perceptive gaze, as if she had seen right through her. Instantly, she grew flustered and shifted her feet uncomfortably.

Madam Ru chuckled warmly and reassured her, “Don’t be nervous. Your happiness is what matters most.”

“Thank you, Mom.” Moved, Ru Xi Cheng stepped forward and took her mother’s hand.

Watching this tender scene between mother and daughter, the Ru family head looked puzzled. “What’s this secret between you two? Can’t you let me in on it?”

“No,” mother and daughter replied in unison.

After Ru Xi Cheng left, Madam Ru advised her husband, “I think we should let things between Xiao Cheng and Little Shi take their natural course. Can’t you see how much happier both Xiao Cheng and An’an have become? And besides—”

Mother Ru’s lips curled into an ambiguous smile. “Sometimes, you just have to believe in fate. Look at how much effort our adopted son and the Lei family’s boy have put in all this time. Not only has Xiao Cheng remained unmoved, but even An’An has too. Yet, the moment Xiao Shi arrived, everything changed.”

Father Ru opened his mouth as if to speak but ultimately said nothing.

Shi Nuocen was completely unaware of what was happening on her ex-wife’s end. However, she did notice that the two WeChat messages she had sent seemed to have vanished into thin air, with no reply whatsoever. Logically, that shouldn’t be the case. Shi Nuocen twirled a strand of her pink hair, a hint of confusion flickering in her eyes.

Rewind half an hour earlier. She had been happily playing games with An’An. Both of them wore cool sunglasses, posing for the phone camera in a dress-up game, making all sorts of funny expressions. Their laughter and giggles had been nonstop.

Suddenly, her phone buzzed twice in her pocket. Opening it, she found two messages; one from a dating reality show and another from a girl group. The content was similar both invited her to a specific time and location to shoot promotional photos and a self-introduction video. Additionally, there would be a brief interview segment. Fortunately, the dates were staggered, so they didn’t clash.

“Promotional photos, huh?” Shi Nuocen sat cross-legged, lost in thought. Three seconds later, she snapped her fingers, a sly grin spreading across her face. She pinched An’An’s chubby cheek and said, “We’re going to borrow your Auntie Chengzi’s walk-in closet!”

What followed was An’An getting a front-row seat to a live outfit-changing performance!

For the first look, Shi Nuocen slipped into a golden high-slit cheongsam, styled her hair into twin tails, and used temporary hair dye to transform her black locks into a gradient pink. When she walked over holding a pink wooden round fan, An’An gasped in awe.

“So pretty!” the little one exclaimed, darting over to hug Shi Nuocen’s leg while pleading, “Let’s take pictures!”

“Alright, let’s take a photo together!” Shi Nuocen picked An’An up, and the two faced the camera. The moment the shutter clicked, An’An turned her head and planted a kiss on Shi Nuocen’s cheek, leaving a faint trace of drool.

Shi Nuocen even took a close-up of the drool mark, gleefully declaring, “Your Auntie Chengzi is going to be so jealous!” After all, from what she knew, An’An rarely expressed affection so openly.

Clapping her hands excitedly, An’An looked up, eagerly anticipating the next outfit.

“Wait a moment, sweetie. I need to take a solo shot to send to your Auntie Chengzi. We borrowed her clothes, after all it’s only fair to let her enjoy the view,” Shi Nuocen said, making a calming gesture.

An’An obediently sat down, displaying remarkable patience.

Shi Nuocen turned her back to An’An, found a particularly alluring angle, and snapped a selfie, which she promptly sent to her ex-wife. Along with the photo, she added the caption: Am I beautiful?

But her ex-wife didn’t reply. Puzzled, Shi Nuocen moved on to the next outfit. After all, she had a live audience waiting.

A few minutes later, she emerged in a black, androgynous-style long gown adorned with golden auspicious cloud patterns. She had coiled her pink hair at the back of her head, accessorizing it with a fan-shaped hairpin. The look was both dashing and playful, exuding a lively charm.

“Wow, this one is so pretty too!” An’An’s big eyes sparkled with admiration.

Shi Nuocen gave a thumbs-up and said, “I should say your Aunt Orange has great taste. The colors and styles of the clothes in the wardrobe are all quite nice.”

Then, lifting her chin proudly, she added, “Of course, the most important thing is still my stunning looks.”

An’an enthusiastically nodded her little head, as if saying, “You’re absolutely right.”

For her third outfit, Shi Nuocen wore a dark purple strapless tiered dress that revealed her fair, beautiful back though the crimson scratch marks on it had been concealed with concealer beforehand. Her hair was dyed in a black-to-brown gradient, styled into waves with setting spray, and cascaded over her shoulders. Holding a purple velvet fan, she tilted her chin slightly, exuding an air of elegance and grace.

Just as she was admiring herself and asking An’an to take photos, a slightly cool hand gently touched her back from behind, tracing the curve of her spine. In her ear, her ex-wife’s voice sounded almost regretful: “I don’t want to dampen your spirits, but if you’re taking professional photos, you probably shouldn’t wear something like this.”

Shi Nuocen’s eyelids drooped slightly as she replied listlessly, “Should I wear casual clothes instead?”

Ru Xi Cheng ran her fingers through Shi Nuocen’s tousled hair ends and smiled. “Just make it a bit more personalized. Of course, this is the requirement for the dating show. For the girl group, there will likely be a uniform provided later.”

“Then I hope the uniform looks decent,” Shi Nuocen thought, not holding out much hope.

Unexpectedly, her ex-wife dropped a bombshell in the next moment, speaking as calmly as if discussing the weather: “I heard the sponsor for the new season is the Shi Group.”

“No way!!!”

After her initial shock, Shi Nuocen couldn’t help but sigh. “Does that mean my family will get to see my performance? Right now, hoping for the Shi family to spend money on promoting me is out of the question. I just hope I don’t embarrass myself otherwise, Shi Fanxing will laugh herself to death.”

“Mhm, do your best.” After listening to her long rant, her ex-wife merely raised an eyebrow and replied with four indifferent words.

“So perfunctory, Mentor Ru! At least give me some reassurance!” Shi Nuocen teased mischievously, pinching her waist.

Ru Xi Cheng felt ticklish but pretended to remain unaffected, staying silent.

Shi Nuocen thought, “Oh, so you’re ignoring me, are you?” Then, while An’an wasn’t paying attention, she hooked a finger and unzipped the side of her ex-wife’s dress, slipping her nimble fingers inside to target sensitive spots.

“You touched me for so long earlier. It’s only fair that I return the favor.”

Ru Xi Cheng’s body went weak, and she suppressed a soft moan, casting a vulnerable glance at Shi Nuocen.

When it was time, Shi Nuocen headed to Heartbeat to shoot promotional photos and short videos. During the interview segment, she was surprised to find it was being live-streamed—completely unexpected. To make matters worse, the host for this segment, though sweet and cute in appearance, was sharp and incisive with her words.

“Nuocen, hello! You can call me Sister Tian. Have you seen what’s being said online?”

The projector screen displayed screenshots of comments from various social media platforms.

Shi Nuocen skimmed through them briefly. The criticisms boiled down to three points: first, that she had slept her way to the top; second, that she acted like a diva at the company and disrespected her seniors; and third, that she was cunning and manipulative. Her connection with Ru Xi Cheng through a game was premeditated, and she would inevitably cling to the actress for publicity in the future.

“Is this so-called black material?” Shi Nuocen chuckled dismissively. “I haven’t seen it, nor do I care. Since you’re asking me directly and I haven’t been kicked out by the program team, it at least means you don’t fully believe it either, right?”

Sister Tian slightly opened her mouth, showing a hint of surprise.

[Damn! That logic is pretty solid!]

[The host is speechless! How rare!]

[This girl’s mental fortitude is incredible! Besides Actress Ru, she’s the only one who remains unfazed knowing it’s a live broadcast! The prediction about tie-in marketing is true! Protect our Actress Ru! Drive away those tie-in dogs!]

Shi Nuocen waited leisurely for Sister Tian’s follow-up questions, not letting her guard down easily.

Sister Tian only froze for a moment before her strong professionalism quickly restored her comfortable smile. “Actually, besides these, there are some other interesting things online, like fanfiction and fan art. Have you seen them?”

As soon as she finished speaking, a piece of fan art appeared on the projector. It depicted Shi Nuocen in a black demon outfit, gripping Ru Xi Cheng’s chin from behind, while Ru Xi Cheng wore a pure white, yet tattered, saintly dress, her face flushed as she struggled to suppress desire while looking back.

[Why this one? It’s fine to appreciate it privately, but showing it in a live broadcast is a bit too much!]

[Did the tie-in dogs bribe the program team behind the scenes?]

[If they’re doing this to gain attention and buzz, it’s way too excessive!]

[I think everyone shouldn’t be too hasty. Cen’s personality seems straightforward. She wouldn’t scheme like this.]

Just as the live audience was arguing over this, a faint sigh suddenly came from the screen.

Shi Nuocen propped her chin with one hand while quickly sketching a pitch-black cooking pot and a pitiful, tearful little figure on a piece of paper with the other. “If the projectionist likes this piece, they should keep it for private appreciation. Publicly displaying it here; are they trying to make me…” She pointed at the drawing on the paper.

[Her drawing skills are so vivid!]

[A simple sketch? Impressive!]

[Suddenly, I want to stan her.]

While Shi Nuocen diverted the online audience’s attention, Sister Tian quickly had her assistant switch to another image and took over the projectionist’s role.

After handling the unexpected situation, Sister Tian admired the sketch for a moment and said with a smile, “Nuocen, you’re quite skilled at drawing. How about giving your thoughts on this fan art?”

Shi Nuocen made a playful “you’ve got to be kidding me” expression. “Giving evaluations like that could offend people, you know.” Her voice was soft but just loud enough for the online audience to faintly hear, making everyone chuckle knowingly.

Sister Tian laughed along for a bit. “Stop fooling around. I’m sure the artist won’t mind.”

Shi Nuocen shrugged. “Alright, since you insist on me saying something. I think the artist is very skilled. The style is beautiful, and the atmosphere is well-captured. That is, if you ignore the two overly familiar faces in the picture.”

“Overly familiar? Are you and Actress Ru close in private?” Sister Tian seized on the phrase and immediately asked sharply.

But Shi Nuocen gestured at her own face and said, “Isn’t it normal for me to be overly familiar with myself? Let me tell you all a secret. I look in the mirror dozens of times a day, and I have a whole collection of makeup mirrors.”

[Hahaha, understood! Understood!]

[If I looked like that, I’d stare in the mirror all day too, take tons of selfies, and post them all over social media!]

Sister Tian only had five words to say about that: “Avoiding the main point, huh?”

Shi Nuocen made a “don’t rush” gesture. “I was just getting to that. As for Actress Ru, she’s way too popular. The top celebrity, number one. You can see her ads everywhere, on every street and alley.”

As she spoke, Shi Nuocen turned a smiling gaze toward Sister Tian and asked in return, “Aren’t you way too familiar with her too?”

Sister Tian faltered slightly, then laughed as if to cover it up. “Of course. I think most people in the country are the same. Next question: In a relationship, what type do you think you are, and what kind of partner are you looking for?”

Sister Tian had expected her to think about it for a moment, but Shi Nuocen answered right away: “Me? I’m the slow-to-warm-up type.”

“Slow to warm up? You don’t really seem like it,” Sister Tian said, her expression full of doubt.

“Really,” Shi Nuocen leaned closer to the camera. “Look into my sincere eyes.” She even blinked a few times.

“So, you’re hoping to find a partner with a complementary personality?”

“Complementary is good, but the most important thing is lasting charm someone who can keep my attention. Of course, that’s just my ideal type.”

[Feels like she’s talking about Actress Ru, doesn’t it?]

“Nuocen, are you familiar with the other guests on the show?” Sister Tian smoothly posed another question.

“Not really.”

Sister Tian made a “keep it secret” gesture. “Then I won’t say too much either. Let’s keep our guests a mystery for now.”

Afterward, Shi Nuocen was told that before the first official recording of the show, she needed to prepare a gift to send to the program team. It would be chosen by another set of guests, serving as a first impression.

Once the interview, photoshoot, and short video were all done, Shi Nuocen, wearing a baseball cap, stood in an inconspicuous corner waiting for her ex-wife.

Waiting around was boring, so she remembered the host mentioning fanfiction and fan art. She opened her phone and started browsing, instantly discovering a whole new world. Her mind was filled with thoughts like, “Wow, so this is possible too?”

[Devil Cen flicked her smooth tail tip, lightly tapping the back of Saintess Orange. The woman on the dark red bed was bound, and with each tap, faint red marks appeared on her sensitive skin. Yet the saintess bit her blood-red lips, refusing to utter even a word of surrender.

“Why are you so stubborn? Would it kill you to beg me?” Devil Cen gripped her chin with one hand and whispered in her ear.]

Besides that, there were also themes like uniform seduction and role-playing, all very steamy.

By the time Ru Xi Cheng finished her recording and came over to Shi Nuocen, before she could even speak, a phone was shoved in her face.

“Here, I want to try this tonight.”

On the screen was an image featuring tentacles and delicate rope bindings. The kind of indescribable erotica.

Ru Xi Cheng: “…”

“Oops, wrong one. This is the one.” Shi Nuocen casually tapped the screen, and a pure-yet-seductive bunny girl image appeared.

Ru Xi Cheng really wanted to facepalm. Though this outfit was indeed better than the last one. Less embarrassing, it still tested her limits. Yet, her pride wouldn’t allow her to say “no.” Instead, she tactfully remarked, “I don’t have clothes like this at home.”

“No worries, I just placed the order!” Shi Nuocen waved her payment confirmation screen, flashing a little canine tooth as she cheerfully added, “I chose express delivery. It’ll arrive before 6 p.m.!”