The Ex-Wife of the Scumbag A Who Abandoned the Female Lead - Chapter 44

Shi Fanxing’s forehead instantly broke out in a cold sweat. She felt immensely grateful that this was a phone call and not a face-to-face conversation otherwise, the other person would surely have noticed something off. Struggling to steady her emotions, she forced a laugh and said, “Your imagination is running wild. I only guessed because you didn’t answer any of my calls. Besides, don’t most netizens think you were confessing to someone else?”

“Is that so?” Shi Nuocen still sounded doubtful.

“Of course, it is.” Shi Fanxing had originally wanted to ask where she was now, but seeing that she was already suspicious, she didn’t dare press further.

After hanging up, Shi Fanxing let out a long sigh of relief and glanced at Ru Xi Cheng, who was having her wounds dressed across from her. She shook her head helplessly.

Ru Xi Cheng’s emotions were in turmoil; joy and regret clashed relentlessly in her heart. Even now, she felt somewhat dazed, as if she were drunk. “How could Nuocen suddenly confess to me?”

“Is it really that hard to believe?” Shi Fanxing blinked. “You should have more faith in your charm.”

Ru Xi Cheng shot her a look. If she hadn’t heard it with her own ears, she would never have believed it. But even after hearing it, she couldn’t shake the feeling that there might have been some misunderstanding.

Fanxing was right. She should believe in her own charm. Yet, when it came to that person, she always felt a little insecure.

In the past, she had always hoped to win Nuocen’s affection, and no matter how much effort it took, she never regretted it. But now that the long-awaited moment had suddenly arrived, it felt unreal, as if it were an April Fool’s joke or just a misunderstanding.

Ru Xi Cheng stared blankly at the wall, as if it weren’t just a plain white surface but some breathtaking scenery.

“Hey! Snap out of it!” Shi Fanxing couldn’t help but wave a hand in front of her face.

“Why didn’t you tell me she was going to confess?” Ru Xi Cheng suddenly remembered this.

“Well, I wanted to surprise you.” Shi Fanxing replied awkwardly, avoiding her gaze. Thinking about it now, she felt a bit guilty. Her intention to keep it a secret had been good, but instead of the intended surprise, it had led to a huge misunderstanding.

Ru Xi Cheng locked eyes with her for a moment before her expression suddenly turned sorrowful. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she sniffled, saying sadly, “But Nuocen said she won’t confess again. She doesn’t want to like me anymore.”

“Don’t cry,” Shi Fanxing quickly handed her a tissue. “She was probably just upset. When people get hurt, they tend to say things like that. Besides, if she won’t confess to you, why don’t you confess to her? As long as things work out in the end, that’s all that matters.”

But Ru Xi Cheng wasn’t so optimistic. She had looked into it and knew how difficult it was for someone naturally emotionally detached to develop feelings for another person. Now that Nuocen seemed tired of it all, there was a real chance she might close off her heart completely, making it hard for her to accept any relationship in the future.

Moreover, during the phone call, Ru Xi Cheng had been so disappointed that she had spoken harshly. Nuocen must have been eagerly awaiting her reaction, only to be met with such coldness.

“Given Nuocen’s personality, if she said that, she probably really doesn’t want to continue liking me anymore.”

At this thought, Ru Xi Cheng completely broke down, tears streaming down her face in large drops.

Shi Xingchen couldn’t help but sigh as she watched her. Honestly, she found these emotional entanglements exhausting. They really wore people down. If it weren’t for the next generation like An’an, she wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to try and reconcile her sister with Ru Xi Cheng, hoping the two could mend their broken relationship.

“Crying won’t solve anything. Anyway, you’re not going to give up. At worst, you can just start over.”

She kept her tone as light as possible; there wasn’t much else she could do.

Ru Xi Cheng nodded, silently wiping away her tears. “I won’t give up. I believe that if I could move her once, I can do it again.”

“I’m glad you see it that way.” Hearing this, Shi Xingchen felt somewhat relieved, but then another thought crossed her mind, and she frowned. “What about the online situation? How do you plan to handle that?”

“The online stuff.” It really was a troublesome issue. “Because of what Nuocen said, it’s clearly about romance. There’s no way to spin it as familial love.”

In reality, for participants in a dating show, being single was the main requirement. Having a secret crush was acceptable as long as it wasn’t an all-or-nothing situation. But no matter what, publicly declaring it was a problem. Considering public opinion, the production team couldn’t let her stay.

Ru Xi Cheng shared these thoughts with Shi Xingchen: “But the dating show team won’t announce Nuocen’s departure right away. They plan to do it after the next activity recording. However, the other guests on the show have probably been informed.”

“If you ask me, you should just explain to the public that the person she likes is you. Since you’re both on the dating show, and according to the original plan, she intended to confess publicly. That way, she wouldn’t have to leave the show. I’ve seen the video, she didn’t reveal much about your past. We could easily frame it in a way that benefits both of you.”

Hearing this, Ru Xi Cheng’s eyes lit up. “You’re right.”

But then she shook her head hesitantly. “But what about the girl group? If we go with this explanation, the girl group side.”

They both realized the dilemma: it was a lose-lose situation. “Maybe we should discuss it with Nuocen.”

“Okay.”

“How’s An’an’s health?”

“Much better. Yesterday, when Nuocen didn’t return to the Ru family, An’an was so anxious. I made up an excuse to comfort her.”

“It seems An’an really likes Nuocen,” Shi Xingchen said with a laugh.

The next day, the next activity for the dating show began.

When Shi Nuocen arrived at the designated location, she ran into the other guests. Everyone knew she would be leaving soon. Those who had a good relationship with her expressed regret and exchanged WeChat contacts, planning to meet up sometime in the future. But those who didn’t get along with her were gloating.

“Some people are just too impulsive. Look what happened now.”

“I heard a few new guests are joining. Finally, some fresh faces. I’m really looking forward to it. I hope the new guests aren’t as problematic as someone.”

Shi Nuocen paid no attention to these remarks. The only thing that bothered her was that her ex-wife had arrived early and kept trying to get close to her, as if she had something to say.

Right now, Shi Nuocen had no desire to see her at all.

Ru Xi Cheng watched the spot where she stood with pleading eyes. Whenever the other person glanced her way, her expression would reveal a hint of desperation, hoping for a chance to talk. But Nuocen completely pretended not to see her.

Online viewers, witnessing this scene, mocked her for revealing her true colors and letting go of all restraint.

However, some observant netizens noticed that the award-winning actress Ru seemed unusually anxious, as if she had something urgent to say.

Just as Ru Xi Cheng grew increasingly frantic and resolved to ignore everyone’s judgment to pull Shi Nuocen aside for a serious conversation, the dating show host made a dazzling entrance.

“Hello, everyone! Good to see you again!” The host strode in with a lively step. “I’ve brought a surprise for you today. Care to guess what it is?”

“Is it new guests?”

“Bingo, you got it!” The host opened the door. “Let’s welcome them!”

With energetic music playing, several attractive men and women walked in from outside, moving to the cheerful beat. Some of the more expressive guests even started dancing to the music.

One guest, who had a strained relationship with Shi Nuocen, deliberately counted the number of new arrivals and feigned surprise, asking, “Why is it an odd number? Did you forget to invite someone? Oh! Silly me, I just remembered someone is leaving!”

The odd number of new guests confirmed the rumor that Shi Nuocen would be leaving.

Online viewers watching the livestream noticed the headcount. Those who wanted her gone cheered, while those who didn’t were disheartened.

Among the new guests were both celebrities and ordinary people.

They were naturally pleased about Shi Nuocen’s departure. For one, they weren’t familiar with her and felt no emotional attachment. Secondly, her popularity on the dating show was undeniable, and she had consistently been paired with the most prominent star, Ru Xi Cheng. Who wouldn’t feel envious?

With her gone, they now had a chance to partner with Ru Xi Cheng. Realizing this, the excited guests eagerly awaited the announcement of the day’s activity.

The host teased, “For today’s event, with the addition of new guests, we’ll be participating individually. During the activity, you can form teams as you wish.”

“Could you be more specific? That explanation feels a bit vague. Like, how will rankings be determined? What are the exact rules?”

“These are things you’ll need to figure out for yourselves.”

“What does that even mean?” Just as the guests were filled with confusion, staff members invited them to their respective rooms to change.

While Shi Nuocen was changing, a figure suddenly slipped into her room and locked the door.

Her expression remained unchanged as she calmly adjusted her clothing before turning around. Her ex-wife stood there, eyes slightly reddened, a watery gleam in her gaze that seemed to hold a plea.

“Let’s talk.”

“I don’t want to.” Shi Nuocen’s gaze was distant, veiled like a mist, concealing all emotion.

Seeing her so aloof and guarded, Ru Xi Cheng felt a deep ache in her heart. But she had no one to blame for this outcome. It was her own suspicion that had shut the door to the other’s heart, which had only just begun to open.

How she longed to knock on it once more.

“I know I was wrong, can you forgive me?” Ru Xi Cheng took two steps forward, her body betraying a barely restrained longing.

Shi Nuocen merely toyed with her phone, not even sparing her a glance.

Some things, once decided, shouldn’t be handled with hesitation.

“I’ve learned the truth about the confession video. I shouldn’t have treated you that way. Actually, I was really happy. When I found out you had feelings for me, I felt a joy I’d never experienced before. At the same time, I’m deeply regretful.”

But no matter what she said, the other’s expression remained indifferent, as if she were someone entirely dispensable.

This reality pained Ru Xi Cheng immensely. Tears welled in her eyes and fell drop by drop. She wiped them away with her hand and let out a self-mocking laugh. “Since you don’t want to talk about this, then let’s discuss the statement. You can just clarify that I was the one you confessed to, so the dating show can continue.”

Hearing this, Shi Nuocen raised an eyebrow slightly and glanced over with mild surprise, thinking to herself: But I mentioned the past in the video.

Then again, she had only alluded to it vaguely, like keywords. Ru Xi Cheng’s team surely knew how to elaborate. But hadn’t her ex-wife not wanted their relationship to be known by outsiders?

Maybe it was out of guilt?

With that thought, she averted her gaze again.

But Ru Xi Cheng felt a spark of hope. Nuocen wasn’t completely unresponsive. At the very least, she still had her in mind.

A flicker of optimism rose within her, but Ru Xi Cheng had to voice her concern: “But if we do this, the girl group might face significant backlash.”

Shi Nuocen didn’t reply, already understanding this was an either-or situation. She preferred to let things take their natural course and didn’t want to bother racking her brains over it. She started walking out, but the other kept blocking her path, staring at her with a mix of sorrow and stubbornness.

Not wanting to drag this out any longer, she stopped but didn’t turn around. “No statement is needed.”