The Ex-Wife of the Scumbag A Who Abandoned the Female Lead - Chapter 30

Ru Xi Cheng, reeking of alcohol, stumbled toward the bathroom with a heavy head and unsteady steps. When she turned the doorknob, she found the door locked from the inside. Frowning slightly, she inserted the key into the lock, but her foggy mind made it difficult, and it took several attempts before the door finally opened.

Pushing the bathroom door open, the strong scent of flower petals immediately filled her nostrils, making her head feel even dizzier. Her vision was clouded by swirling steam, creating an ethereal, dreamlike atmosphere.

As she approached the bathtub, she noticed the prepared petal bath. A fleeting suspicion crossed her mind, but she quickly dismissed it. Her fair fingertips gently touched the water, finding it warm neither too hot nor too cold perfect for a soak. She unzipped the side of her dress, unfastened the row of buttons at the back with one hand, removed her clothes, and stepped into the tub with one foot.

But the moment her toes brushed against something soft and delicate, a shiver ran down her spine, and she couldn’t help but let out a sharp scream!

“Sister Cheng, what’s wrong?” the adopted son of the Ru family shouted anxiously from outside the bedroom door.

“What happened?” Following the sound of hurried footsteps, an unfamiliar female voice chimed in, “The bedroom door is ajar. Let’s go in and check.”

“Okay.”

Shi Nuocen, who had been sleeping soundly in the bathtub, was abruptly awakened by the close-range scream. Sitting up and opening her eyes, she saw a smooth, naked figure falling toward her. Instinctively, she was about to dodge, but upon closer look, she realized it was her ex-wife. Without hesitation, she reached out and caught her in a full embrace.

However, movements in water are inherently unstable, let alone while supporting another person’s weight. Slipping and losing balance, the two of them tumbled into the oversized bathtub, sending water splashing everywhere and petals cascading onto their heads.

Just then, Shi Nuocen overheard voices from outside. The more she listened to that female voice, the more familiar it sounded, until it suddenly dawned on her. Wasn’t that Zhao Zhao, the other female lead from the original novel?

But what was she doing at the Ru family villa?

Before she could figure it out, she heard them mention that the outermost door was half-open and that they intended to come inside.

This wouldn’t do! There was no way she and her ex-wife, both stark naked, could let outsiders see them like this!

If they entered the room and found no one around, they would surely head straight for the bathroom. And the bathroom door.

Shi Nuocen glanced back and, sure enough, it was unlocked. She quickly stood up, hurried to the door in a few swift steps, and locked it securely.

Only then did she feel a sense of relief.

But that relief was short-lived, as she soon realized she had celebrated too soon. She heard Zhao Zhao say, “Movie Queen Ru must be in the bathroom. I can see her shadow on the door.”

Moments later, footsteps approached directly. “Huh? The bathroom key is still in the lock? Movie Queen Ru, are you okay? Do you need any help?”

Shi Nuocen’s breath hitched. She glanced sideways and saw a faint, blurry silhouette projected onto the semi-transparent door.

That silhouette was none other than herself.

As for her ex-wife, she was still lying in the bathtub, slowly massaging her temples.

Seeing the two outside drawing closer, Shi Nuocen quickly retreated to the edge of the bathtub, nudged her ex-wife’s arm, and whispered urgently, “Hey, someone’s coming. I can’t handle this situation. You need to deal with them, and fast!”

Ru Xi Cheng half-opened her eyes and, upon seeing Shi Nuocen, instinctively grabbed her shoulders under the haze of intoxication. Tilting her head up, she breathed a cloud of alcohol-laced air into Shi Nuocen’s face: “You… you’re such a scoundrel! Here in my bed, and you’re still thinking about someone else—mmph!”

“Sis, now’s not the time for this. Hurry up and figure out how to get those two outside to leave,” Shi Nuocen felt utterly overwhelmed.

Ru Xi Cheng shook her head and shouted directly toward the door, “Go away! Or I’ll get angry!”

No way, could that actually work? Shi Nuocen nervously stared at the door while stepping into the bathtub, thinking that if those two insisted on coming in, she’d have to hide with her ex-wife under the flower petals, leaving only their heads exposed. Given the current situation, there was no time to put on a bathrobe.

But as it turned out, her ex-wife’s words actually worked. The two outside hesitated for a moment before finally saying, “Alright, we’ll leave. Rest well.”

After that, the sound of footsteps gradually faded away.

Once they had completely left the room, the door was closed from the outside.

Shi Nuocen waited until she was sure there was no more movement before cautiously stepping out of the bathtub. She quickly wrapped herself in a bathrobe, cracked open the bathroom door to peek outside, and confirmed that no one was around. Then she reached out to remove the key from the lock, returned to the bathroom, and locked the door from the inside.

Leaning against the vanity, she crossed her arms and stared intently at her ex-wife in the bathtub. “How do you know Zhao Zhao?”

“Who’s Zhao Zhao? I don’t know her.” Ru Xi Cheng instinctively replied, then pressed her temples. Under the influence of alcohol, she widened her eyes and questioned illogically, “Zhao Zhao? Where did you meet her? You scoundrel! You’ve been meeting people behind my back, one, two… How could you do this!”

Shi Nuocen rubbed her forehead, deciding not to argue with a drunk. But three seconds later, she couldn’t hold back anymore. She stepped closer, leaned down, and covered her ex-wife’s mouth, speaking earnestly, “You’re overthinking it. I’ve never met anyone behind your back. To this day, you’re the only one I’ve ever kissed, the only one I’ve ever held, okay?”

Ru Xi Cheng stared at her with red-rimmed eyes, and before long, she threw herself into Shi Nuocen’s arms, sobbing pitifully while patting her shoulders. “Liar, you always lie to me.”

“I’m really not lying.”

“Then yesterday, you promised to wear it with me, but in the end, I was the only one who wore it.” Ru Xi Cheng grew even more upset at the memory. “You ruined that bunny girl outfit. You’re just too much!”

Shi Nuoceen: “…”

Ru Xi Cheng bit her shoulder with a muffled growl, then after a moment, glanced sideways at her. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”

Shi Nuocen: “…”

“Alright, alright, it’s my fault. I’ll wear it tonight to make it up to you, okay?” Shi Nuocen conceded.

Only then did Ru Xi Cheng seem somewhat satisfied, nodding with a haughty air. “Fine. Yesterday you played with my tail. I want to play with yours too.”

Shi Nuocen couldn’t help but cough lightly, recalling the soft, fuzzy texture from yesterday, feeling a sudden itch of anticipation.

She coaxed her ex-wife into wearing matching leopard-print outfits with her. Dressed in the same wild pattern, Shi Nuocen looked fierce and untamed, while Ru Xi Cheng appeared much more delicate and graceful in comparison.

When two tails entwined, the sensation was truly extraordinary.

Since his ex-wife had been drinking, though she was a bit more delicate than usual, she also became more uninhibited. She proactively experimented with positions rarely tried before, making Shi Nuocen unable to resist and increasingly lost in this fiery night.

Because they had been too wild and ended too late, he simply stayed overnight in his ex-wife’s room. Before drifting off to sleep, Shi Nuocen vaguely thought: Thankfully, I told An’an earlier that I wouldn’t be sleeping with her tonight and would be comforting her Aunt Chengzi instead.

The next day, when Ru Xi Cheng woke up and opened her eyes, she was somewhat surprised to see someone leaning against the headboard playing with their phone. She then propped herself up, feeling an unusual soreness and weakness, and the memories of last night’s frenzy instantly flooded her mind. Her cheeks flushed and paled alternately, especially when she saw the torn and disheveled leopard-print outfit on the bed and floor, her embarrassment and frustration skyrocketed to the extreme.

Shi Nuocen had been secretly observing the movements from the other side. Seeing his ex-wife’s troubled expression, he preemptively leaned in and said, “Don’t say I went too far again. You were pretty outrageous yourself last night!”

As he spoke, he took off his bathrobe and showed her the marks on his back, particularly the scratches.

Ru Xi Cheng stared at those crimson marks, her gaze growing increasingly complicated and inscrutable. In the end, she resignedly stuffed the sheets and duvet cover into the washing machine. She couldn’t bear to let the servants handle these things.

After washing up, Ru Xi Cheng prepared to go downstairs for breakfast. As she opened the door, she noticed Shi Nuocen hadn’t moved at all and couldn’t help asking, “Aren’t you having breakfast today?”

Shi Nuocen glanced at the time, raised an eyebrow, and asked with a smile, “Is there such a thing as breakfast at 11 o’clock?”

Ru Xi Cheng’s cheeks flushed slightly at his words. Since waking up, her mind had been preoccupied, and she hadn’t paid attention to the actual time.

“Besides,” Shi Nuocen added, “someone from the Ru family came yesterday. She’s also one of the preliminary contestants for the girl group. I met her and had a brief chat.”

As he spoke, he got out of bed in his bathrobe and walked straight over to his ex-wife. “She might be downstairs right now. Do you think it’s appropriate for me to go down at this moment?”

At the very least, if the three of them were to meet in such a setting, it would feel like a battlefield. After all, one was Ru Xi Cheng’s ex-wife, while the other was Ru Xi Cheng’s future wife in the original novel.

Shi Nuocen had a vague feeling that since encountering Zhao Zhao yesterday, his emotions had been off-kilter, a bit flustered, as if afraid the other might take something away from him.

Presumably, as the other protagonist in the original novel, she must have some unique qualities. For instance, An’an didn’t seem as nervous around her.

If the female lead were to win his ex-wife’s favor through An’an, it would be entirely feasible.

Still, overthinking was pointless. Shi Nuocen had long understood that some things were beyond his control.

But the thought of his ex-wife falling into someone else’s embrace, and An’an growing so close to another person, made Shi Nuocen genuinely uncomfortable. Perhaps he had already developed feelings for his ex-wife.

If he truly had fallen for her, even if it was fate as written in the novel, he would fight with all his might to contend for her.

But the question was, how much did she like her ex-wife? Had she truly developed feelings for her ex-wife?

Ru Xi Cheng keenly noticed that, starting from that day, Shi Nuocen seemed to be subtly observing her, often with a thoughtful expression.

This discovery brought her joy, as it was something that had never happened before.

Later, Ru Xi Cheng learned that the girl who had visited the Ru family was invited by her mother, who said she was the child of an old friend who had recently moved back to the city.

That afternoon, the girl left, and only after Shi Nuocen found out about this did, she feel relieved enough to come downstairs for dinner.

In the following days, Shi Nuocen was busy working on Director He’s film set. Soon, it was time for the first official recording of Heartbeat.

It had to be said, the lineup of guests this time was truly extravagant.

Aside from top-tier actress Ru Xi Cheng, there were also A-list male stars, a queen of love songs, a triple-crown film emperor, a popular TV drama queen, a renowned director, and other big names in the entertainment industry. Of course, there were also newcomers like Shi Nuocen and a few non-celebrity guests.

Among them, Shi Nuocen was familiar with her ex-wife and Film Emperor Zong, since they were all part of Director He’s crew.

When she ran into Film Emperor Zong, both were surprised. Shi Nuocen immediately thought, “Brother Zong, did Director He arrange for you to be here?”

Film Emperor Zong smiled elegantly and replied in a low voice, “Indeed, Director He asked me to seize opportunities to promote the film. However, I did receive an invitation from the Heartbeat program team as well.”

After saying this, he glanced down at her and asked, “What about you, Xiao Cen? Why did you join this show?”

Shi Nuocen made a complicated expression and asked him quietly, “Brother Zong, have you ever heard of the game Falling for Ru Xi Cheng?”

Film Emperor Zong thought for a moment and immediately understood, “Could it be that you’re the only player who cleared the game?”

Shi Nuocen nodded in confirmation.

Unexpectedly, Film Emperor Zong became excited, “Xiao Cen, could you tell me how you cleared it? To be honest, everyone around me has played that game, but they all failed. I’m really curious, could you enlighten me?”

Telling the truth, of course, was impossible. Shi Nuocen had no choice but to fabricate and deceive her way through. Fortunately, the game had already been updated, so there was “no way to verify the truth,” and she felt free to make up whatever she wanted.

The other guests, seeing how close Shi Nuocen and Film Emperor Zong were, couldn’t help but reevaluate this newcomer to the entertainment industry.

“Hello everyone, I’m the host of this episode. Next, please gather around as we begin our first impressions of attraction.”

At the same time, Ru Xi Cheng checked her phone’s past notifications and discovered that just an hour earlier, Cen, whom she followed, had posted a thread in a forum.

The title was, “How to Tell If You’ve Fallen for Someone?”