The Ex-Wife of the Scumbag A Who Abandoned the Female Lead - Chapter 43

Shi Nuocen had just stepped out of the studio and was stretching her arms while taking in the fresh air when a few girls approached her and tapped her shoulder in a friendly manner. When she turned to look at them, they grinned and said, “Hey, you and the person who confessed first. You like each other, right?”

Shi Nuocen: “…”

Seeing her remain silent, the girls assumed she was tacitly agreeing and couldn’t help but tease her. “Oh, don’t be shy! We’ve all seen how much you’ve helped her. Now that you two lovebirds are finally together, we’re happy for you.”

“No!” Shi Nuocen replied with a dark expression. “You’ve misunderstood…”

“Come on, there’s no way we misunderstood,” they insisted, whispering among themselves, “She must just be shy.”

With that, they walked away, leaving Shi Nuocen standing there, wide-eyed and speechless.

She was genuinely stunned, reflecting on what she had said. Surely it wasn’t as they interpreted. At least, her ex-wife wouldn’t misunderstand, right?

Shi Nuocen thought uncertainly.

But Ru Xi Cheng, of all people, had indeed misunderstood. When she first heard it, she couldn’t help but feel for a moment that the confession was directed at her. After all, Nuocen had mentioned the past, albeit vaguely and briefly. Ru Xi Cheng was convinced it must be about her. Her heart raced, her body temperature rose, and her mind was so elated it felt like she was floating on clouds, dizzy with joy.

Eagerly, she pulled out her phone, ready to call and confirm. But as her eyes scanned the screen, she noticed several verified accounts of girl group contestants commenting under the video: “Shi Nuocen’s confession was for a girl named Luo Wan. You know, the one who confessed earlier.”

Instantly, her heated heart felt as if it had been doused with a bucket of ice-cold water; chilling and piercing.

Ru Xi Cheng’s mind went blank as she thought, “People in wealthy circles often have some connections. Maybe Nuocen and that person really did know each other a few years ago. That would explain why those words seemed to fit.”

Netizens reacted with mixed responses. Some offered blessings, while others commented: “Seriously? She has someone she likes, yet she joined a dating show?”

“My heart aches for Actress Ru. They’ve been paired together for several episodes, and now it turns out Shi Nuocen already has someone in her heart!”

“If that’s the case, Shi Nuocen should withdraw from the dating show, right?”

Unaware of the online gossip, Shi Nuocen felt her heart skip a beat when her phone rang. Glancing down and seeing Ru Xi Cheng’s name, she grew increasingly nervous, her fingers trembling slightly as she tried to answer the call.

Had her ex-wife seen the confession video? What would she say? Would she accept the confession or reject it?

She probably would accept, right? After all, they had been getting along well lately, and it seemed Ru Xi Cheng still had some feelings for her.

Lost in these chaotic thoughts, Shi Nuocen felt her confidence waning.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed aside the distractions and, after a few attempts, finally managed to answer the call.

“Hello!” she began, about to ask, “Did you see my confession? I meant it.” But before the words could leave her lips, her expression froze.

Because instead of the response she had hoped for, her ex-wife launched into a sharp reprimand:

“Shi Nuocen! How old are you? Can’t you show a little restraint? Do you even remember you’re still filming a dating show?”

After finishing her words with resentment, Ru Xi Cheng continued in an angry tone, “Do you have any idea how much chaos you’ve caused online?”

“After seeing the video, don’t you have anything to say?” Shi Nuocen asked hoarsely, a faint glimmer of hope still lingering in her heart.

“What could I possibly say? I just think you’re so immature!” Ru Xi Cheng’s voice was filled with exhaustion and disappointment, emotions that transmitted clearly through the phone.

After that, whatever else the other person said seemed to fade into oblivion for Shi Nuocen.

Speechless, she remained silent for a long moment before replying calmly, “I admit I didn’t think this through. Whatever consequences come, I’ll bear them.”

With that, she hung up the phone, turned it off, and removed the SIM card.

A faint, bitter smile tugged at her lips as Shi Nuocen suddenly felt how absurd everything had become.

After leaving the recording venue, she wandered aimlessly like a lost soul, passing by countless couples along the way. The more she walked, the more she felt homeless once again.

Fortunately, this time she had plenty of money with her. Enough to live comfortably for a while.

She checked into a hotel and, after calming down, turned her phone back on. Ignoring all the missed calls and unread messages, she went straight to browsing the internet.

It was only after reading the comments under the video that she realized a huge misunderstanding had occurred. Thankfully, Luo Wan had already issued a statement clarifying that the person she confessed to wasn’t Shi Nuocen, and that Shi Nuocen didn’t have feelings for her either. Before the girl group variety show, the two had never even crossed paths.

Still, some netizens fixated on the dating show: “No matter who she likes, since she’s already confessed, she shouldn’t stay on the dating show.”

Shi Nuocen smiled faintly, mentally preparing herself. The next moment, she began scrolling through her unread messages.

Sure enough, there was one from the dating show’s production team, notifying her that after tomorrow’s event, her participation would no longer be required.

She replied briefly, confirming she had received the message.

Just as she hit send, a call appeared on her screen from her ex-wife. Shi Nuocen’s expression remained indifferent, her hand steady as she calmly added the number to her block list without a hint of hesitation.

She thought to herself, what would be the point of answering? It would only lead to either a lecture or scolding. She wasn’t a masochist, why subject herself to that?

After blocking the number, the world instantly felt quieter. She had already made up her mind: today’s mess was the result of her own impulsiveness, and whatever consequences followed, she would accept them.

A short while later, her phone rang again. She ignored it at first, but after five or six consecutive calls as if the caller wouldn’t stop until she answered; she finally glanced down. It was her sister.

“Hello.”

Hearing the call connect, Shi Xingchen breathed a sigh of relief before immediately asking, “You finally picked up! But didn’t someone say they were going to wait until the final group formation night to confess? What made you lose your patience?”

“None of your business?” Shi Nuocen retorted irritably.

Hearing her sister’s tone, Shi Xingchen laughed unapologetically. “I heard the person you confessed to got mistaken for someone else? What an unfortunate mix-up.”

“Shi Xingchen, why did you even call?” Shi Nuocen gritted her teeth quietly.

“Not much, just thought you might be feeling a bit down and came to cheer you up.” Shi Xingchen coughed lightly, trying to make her voice sound serious.

“You think I’d believe that?” Shi Nuocen snorted coldly.

“Alright, fine. I actually wanted to ask you, what are you planning to do next? Keep looking for a chance to confess, or…” Give up? But Shi Xingchen didn’t say the last few words out loud.

Shi Nuocen paused for a moment, her gaze drifting upward to the sky outside the floor-to-ceiling window. “Confess? Let’s just forget it.”

“You’re not going to confess anymore?” Shi Xingchen’s breath hitched. “Do you not like Ru Xi Cheng anymore?”

“I don’t want to like her anymore. It’s too exhausting.” Shi Nuocen truly felt emotionally drained; she thought it would be better to live more freely.

The moment she finished speaking, the sound of something shattering came through the receiver, followed by her sister’s startled exclamation. Faintly, she could make out words like “hurt.”

Shi Nuocen asked curiously, “Is someone else with you?”

“Yeah, I’m at the mall. Someone just fell.” Shi Xingchen chuckled awkwardly. She shifted her phone to a different position and took a moment to organize her thoughts. “Well, I don’t think you should be too pessimistic. Ru Xi Cheng might have already realized that you were confessing to her.”

Hearing this, something suddenly clicked in Shi Nuocen’s mind. She quickly asked, “Wait! How do you know that?”

“What do you mean, how do I know?” Shi Xingchen was momentarily confused.

“Tell me the truth! How do you know that Ru Xi Cheng misunderstood who I was confessing to, and how do you know I’m feeling down right now?” After asking, Shi Nuocen added, “Have you been in contact with Ru Xi Cheng privately?”