The Ex-Wife of the Scumbag A Who Abandoned the Female Lead - Chapter 46

Stay calm! Ru Xi Cheng silently reminded herself.

But no matter what, Shi Nuocen’s expression from earlier kept nagging at her. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something had happened. If she asked directly, she worried she might be making a mountain out of a molehill and worsen their relationship. Suddenly, she remembered An’an had been present at the time perhaps she could ask An’an instead.

But An’an was currently with Nuocen, so it seemed she’d have to wait until tomorrow to find an opportunity to ask.

Then there was. She recalled how, after today’s dating show recording ended, several newly added celebrities had asked to add her as a friend, and it filled her with annoyance. So, she called her manager and stated in a detached tone, “I plan to withdraw from the dating show.”

The statement was so abrupt that her manager’s mind went blank for a moment. Upon recovering, the manager blurted out, “No way!”

“Absolutely not!” The manager hadn’t expected to hear this and, in extreme surprise, even their voice changed pitch: “At a time like this, you absolutely cannot withdraw. There’s already widespread discussion online. If you pull out now, wouldn’t that just confirm all those rumors?”

Ru Xi Cheng pinched the bridge of her nose, sounding somewhat weary as she replied, “But I really don’t want to pretend to be interested in just anyone for the sake of the show.”

“Still, have you considered your career? The status you have today was earned through a lot of hard work. Just treat the dating show as a job, as if you’re acting in a play.”

After these words, only shallow breaths could be heard over the phone, with no response for a long time. The manager’s heart sank slightly, and they couldn’t help but sigh, softening their tone as they patiently persuaded, “Xi Cheng, even if you don’t care about all this, you still have to think about Shi Nuocen. If you withdraw, it will affect her too!”

Ru Xi Cheng’s breath hitched: “Can’t we issue a statement or something to ensure my withdrawal doesn’t impact Nuocen?”

“At this point, it’s almost impossible. The show is at peak popularity right now. By the time the hype completely dies down, the dating show would have finished filming anyway.”

“Then, fine.” Ru Xi Cheng had no choice but to concede.

“Xi Cheng, love isn’t everything in life. You still have your career. I hope you can calm down and look at this rationally,” the manager urged earnestly.

Meanwhile, in the Ru family villa, the servants glanced up at the two tightly closed bedroom doors, exchanged looks, and whispered among themselves, “How strange. After Miss and that person came back, they went straight into their rooms and haven’t come out since. Both of them are like that. Should we ask what’s going on?”

“Are you stupid? In situations like this, either they have something important to attend to that can’t be delayed, or they’re in a bad mood. Why would you meddle?”

“So, we just do nothing?”

“Just inform the young master about this. Don’t interfere in anything else!”

Thus, throughout the entire night, Ru Xi Cheng and Shi Nuocen’s rooms remained undisturbed.

The next day, Ru Xi Cheng woke up very early and sat on the living room sofa, waiting until Nuocen came out holding An’an. The three of them shared an exceptionally quiet breakfast together.

As Ru Xi Cheng ate her sandwich, she kept stealing glances at Nuocen out of the corner of her eye, carefully observing her expression. Shi Nuocen wasn’t oblivious to these subtle actions; noticing a bit of jam at the corner of her ex-wife’s lips, she naturally reached out to wipe it away.

On the contrary, it was Ru Xi Cheng who stiffened like a startled little animal when she saw her fingers reaching out, even shrinking back slightly.

“Don’t move,” Shi Nuocen said softly as she wiped a smear of sauce from the corner of Ru Xi Cheng’s lips with her fingertip, then held her hand up to show her. “See, you got some on yourself.”

After that, she wiped her fingertip clean with a napkin.

Ru Xi Cheng stared blankly at this series of actions, her eyes turning slowly like sluggish machinery, her gaze fixed intently on Shi Nuocen. For a moment, she had almost thought they had returned to the time before the video confession incident. But as Nuocen wiped her hands, Ru Xi Cheng’s consciousness returned to reality, and she thought to herself:

After all, things are different now. If it were before, it definitely wouldn’t have been just like this.

Shi Nuocen was completely unaware of her ex-wife’s inner turmoil. She had simply made up her mind: until everything was clarified, she intended to act strictly according to their agreement, treating it as a job. Getting paid to do the work.

“By the way, the registration for the parenting show this morning is at the film studio. You should take An’an there,” Ru Xi Cheng said, pushing a glass of freshly squeezed juice and a cup of milk toward Shi Nuocen and An’an respectively.

“Mm, got it,” Shi Nuocen replied, taking the juice and taking a small sip.

“Shall I take you there?” Ru Xi Cheng asked softly. Seeing that Nuocen’s attitude wasn’t as cold as yesterday, she felt quite happy inside, as if she saw a glimmer of hope for reconciliation.

“Sure,” Shi Nuocen said, a slight smile curling at the corners of her lips. That hint of a smile made Ru Xi Cheng’s eyes brighten even more.

An’an glanced up at the two adults. Although she still felt the atmosphere between them was a bit strange, it did seem better than yesterday. A little happy, influenced by her mood, she gulped down her milk much faster than usual.

While Shi Nuocen went upstairs to get her jacket, Ru Xi Cheng took An’an’s small hand, wanting to ask her about what happened on their way home yesterday. But she had only gotten halfway through her question when she noticed Nuocen returning out of the corner of her eye—empty-handed. Puzzled, she asked, “Didn’t you say you were going to get your jacket?”

“Oh, that…” Shi Nuocen’s eyes curved slightly as she smiled casually. “I can just wear one of yours.”

Ru Xi Cheng froze for a moment, and before she knew it, the tips of her ears began to redden.

“What, is that not allowed?” Shi Nuocen reached out and playfully twirled a strand of hair resting on Ru Xi Cheng’s shoulder.

As her cool fingertips brushed against the skin of Ru Xi Cheng’s neck while twirling the hair whether carelessly or deliberately. The touched area seemed to grow increasingly sensitive, as if an itch had crept into her heart.

“Y-yes, of course,” Ru Xi Cheng stammered, her gaze shifting slightly. Now even her cheeks felt warm. How strange, why am I so easily flustered today?

“Then, which of your clothes should I wear?” Shi Nuocen’s voice was close to her ear, her eyes lingering on Ru Xi Cheng’s face as if searching for something.

Overcome by an inexplicable shyness and not wanting Nuocen to notice, Ru Xi Cheng lowered her head. “Any of them is fine. You can choose whichever you like.”

Upon hearing this, the other woman seemed to let out a soft chuckle. A laugh that was inexplicably captivating and Ru Xi Cheng’s ears twitched involuntarily.

After receiving the answer, Shi Nuocen picked up the jacket that her ex-wife had taken off earlier in the morning, which was now draped over the back of a chair, and put it on leisurely. She then walked over to An’an and whispered something to her.

Hearing the sound of footsteps fading away, Ru Xi Cheng let out a small sigh of relief. She didn’t know what was wrong with her today, but it seemed she just didn’t want the other person to notice her flushed face.

It seemed like she hadn’t been caught, right?

Just then, An’an walked over. Taking advantage of her small stature, she tilted her head up and took in Ru Xi Cheng’s expression at a glance. She asked in surprise, “Auntie Orange, are you hot? Your face is so red.”

Then, she muttered to herself, “No wonder Sister said you seemed a bit different today.”

Hearing this, Ru Xi Cheng looked up in a daze, quickly glanced at the person leaning against the table with a smile, and felt an overwhelming urge to bash her head against the wall in embarrassment. When the other person approached, she couldn’t help but complain softly, “Why are you like this? You clearly knew and you even tricked An’an into taking a look.”

Shi Nuocen spread her hands innocently. “You’re wronging me. I don’t know anything. You were being so evasive. I thought you didn’t want to tell me, but maybe you’d be willing to tell An’an.”

Lies. You definitely noticed something. But since Shi Nuocen had already said that, Ru Xi Cheng had no choice but to glare at her, a mix of shyness and annoyance in her eyes.

Observing her ex-wife’s expression, Shi Nuocen leaned close to her ear and asked suspiciously, “Could it be that your sensitive period has arrived?”

“Probably not…” Ru Xi Cheng wasn’t entirely sure either. Logically, it shouldn’t be this frequent. Perhaps it was related to her recent mood. She had been feeling too suppressed the past few days, and today, with her mood slightly lifted, it might have triggered the sensitive period.

But for now, this was all just speculation.

“How about you rest at home, and I’ll take An’an there?”

“No need. I’m not that fragile. I’ll take you both.”

“Alright then.” Seeing her determined attitude, Shi Nuocen took off the jacket she had just put on and draped it directly over her ex-wife’s shoulders. She blinked at her and said, “You wear it. I’ll take An’an upstairs to change clothes.”

With that, she took An’an’s little hand, and the two of them, one big and one small, headed toward the bedroom.

Ru Xi Cheng watched them quietly, unconsciously tightening the jacket around her. It still carried the other person’s warmth, filling her with an indescribable tenderness.

This scene didn’t go unnoticed by the maid cleaning the cabinet, who couldn’t help but mutter to herself: Weren’t they said to be at odds? It doesn’t look like it.

On the way to the film studio, Ru Xi Cheng, still worried, said to An’an, “If anything happens, don’t force yourself to endure it, okay?”

An’an nodded her little head. Gripping the strap of her small bag tightly, though she felt a bit nervous, she was confident everything would be fine. And with Sister Cen by her side, she felt even more assured!

Shi Nuocen and An’an were dressed inconspicuously for their outing, both wearing masks and hats.

On the way to the registration site, there were quite a few people dressed similarly to them, so they didn’t attract much attention at first. However, once someone recognized her, the buzz surrounding her online quickly drew many curious glances; some overt, others discreet.

A male influencer, chatting with friends at the time, spotted her and immediately had an idea. Concealing his phone behind his bag, he discreetly snapped a few photos. He then opened his social media account, uploaded the images, and began crafting a caption. After typing a few words, he felt they weren’t sensational enough, so he deleted everything and wrote directly: “OMG! Shi Nuocen actually has a daughter?!”

The post described how he had coincidentally run into Shi Nuocen with her daughter and included several photos as evidence.

If Shi Nuocen were a major celebrity, he might not have dared to post something like this. But despite her recent surge in popularity, she was still essentially a newcomer in the entertainment industry, so he felt no hesitation in sharing the content.

The moment he hit “post,” he had a strong feeling this would bring him significant attention.

Sure enough, within just five minutes, the views had surpassed 100,000, and comments had exceeded a thousand!

Netizens were expressing disbelief:

“What? The stunning Cen actually has a child?!”

“Did she have a secret marriage?”

“Who is Cen’s wife?”

Many even urged the male influencer to provide answers.

Encouraged by the positive response, the influencer couldn’t help but burst into laughter, drawing surprised looks from passersby.

When Shi Nuocen arrived at the registration site and entered the designated room, she removed all the coverings from her and An’an’s faces. The reception staff was momentarily taken aback, glancing back and forth between the adult and the child several times before finally asking, “Is this your daughter? She’s so adorable.”

“Thank you for the compliment,” Shi Nuocen replied, noticing An’an’s nervousness and immediately soothing her by gently patting her head. “But she’s the child of my friend, not my daughter. If possible, I’d love to have a daughter as cute as An’an in the future.”

Her response was sincere, and the warmth in her smile was evident.

An’an looked up at Sister Cen’s expression, feeling a mix of pride and shyness, and straightened her little posture. The gentle touch on her hair made her squint her eyes contentedly.

“I see… But you two actually look quite alike. It must mean you share a special bond,” the staff member remarked, glancing at An’an and instantly melting at the little girl’s cuteness. While inwardly exclaiming how adorable she was, the staff entered their information into the computer.

“Do we look alike?” Shi Nuocen was momentarily surprised but didn’t think much of it, asking the question casually.

Coincidentally, the staff had pulled up their photos side by side on the screen based on the registration details. Hearing Shi Nuocen’s question, they turned the monitor to show her. “Yes, there is some resemblance.”

Shi Nuocen took a look at the screen, then at An’an, and smiled. “It does seem that way.”

When she first met An’an, the girl had been too thin and pale, making the resemblance less obvious. But now, with her rosy cheeks and a bit more weight, the two standing together did share some facial similarities. No wonder people had mistaken them for mother and daughter.

An’an also looked at the two photos displayed side by side on the computer screen in surprise. The longer she stared, the more astonished she became, her eyes growing round and wide, making her appear even more adorable.

The staff member was utterly charmed and fished a few milk candies from her pocket, handing them to the little girl. “Here, little one, have some candy. It’s really tasty.”

“Thank you, sister.” An’an accepted the candies with both hands and expressed her gratitude earnestly.

“You’re welcome. Such a polite child,” the staff member said, her eyes crinkling into a smile.

Suddenly, she looked up and noticed a man outside the door. At some point, he had pushed the door open a crack and was peering inside curiously. Frowning, the staff member walked over and shut the door firmly.

There was no need to guess. It was clear he was trying to eavesdrop for information about Shi Nuocen. The worry was that such people might spread baseless rumors online.

She shared these concerns with Shi Nuocen in detail and then explained the general process of the parent-child variety show recording: “During the show, you’ll need to act as a mother-daughter pair. But given how well you and An’an get along, it shouldn’t be a problem at all.”

The man who had been eavesdropping outside the registration room was a paparazzo. Once he reached a quiet corner, a male influencer immediately asked him, “So? What did you hear?”

“The child’s full name is An’an. She’s the daughter of Shi Nuocen’s friend, definitely not her own child,” the paparazzo said, his face full of frustration. He had expected to uncover something more scandalous.

Then, recalling the content the influencer had posted online, he couldn’t help but mock him. “So, what you posted is completely wrong. They’re not mother and daughter at all. Even though the staff mentioned they do look somewhat alike, that doesn’t change the fact.”

The influencer scoffed. “Hey! Why are you so rigid? Let me tell you, with that kind of mindset, you’ll never make it as a paparazzo. Look at what I wrote. I used the word ‘feel.’ What does ‘feel’ mean? It’s entirely subjective!”

“Alright, alright! I can’t argue with you.”

“Besides, Shi Nuocen is just a newcomer. There’s nothing to worry about in terms of consequences. And even if someone makes a fuss, I can always delete the post and issue a public apology. It’s not like I have anything to lose.”

With that, he gave the other man a look that said, “You’re still too green,” and strutted away arrogantly.

After Shi Nuocen and An’an left the registration site, they made their way to the underground parking lot and found Ru Xi Cheng’s car.

“Did everything go smoothly?”

“Pretty much,” Shi Nuocen replied, but then she remembered the staff member’s warning before they left. She had mentioned that someone had eavesdropped on their registration for the parent-child show, indicating that people were paying attention. There was concern that before the official recording began, those individuals might post sensationalized content online.

Upon hearing this, Ru Xi Cheng’s brow furrowed instinctively. Just then, her phone rang. It was a call from her assistant. As she pressed the answer button, her hand slipped, accidentally turning on the speakerphone.

The next moment, the assistant’s voice filled the car:

“Orange Sister, an influencer has posted a blog online about Miss Shi and An’an. The gist of it is that he believes Miss Shi and An’an are mother and daughter.”

At the mention of “mother and daughter,” Ru Xi Cheng froze, her body tensing up. She instinctively glanced at Shi Nuocen, but immediately regretted the action, wishing she could rewind and undo it because such a reaction would only make Nuocen suspicious.

She should have remained calm and composed.

Shi Nuocen naturally noticed her ex-wife’s strange behavior, it was far too tense. No matter how she tried to guess, she couldn’t uncover the truth, so she simply made a mental note of it for later consideration.

Right now, the most pressing matter was that someone was using her and An’an to stir up trouble. She didn’t care about herself, but she absolutely couldn’t let it affect An’an’s life.

A faint, cold smile tugged at Shi Nuocen’s lips as her eyes gradually grew icy: “It seems someone can’t hold back any longer.”

“I’ll handle this matter.”