Three Sentences That Made My Ex-Wife Spit Blood - Chapter 51

“Qingxun? What characters are those? What do they mean? Wait, no, I have an exam! Why are you bringing this up right now?”

Wen Huaxi was curious, but a glance at the time made her panic.

She stomped her foot in frustration and gave Yan Qinglan a quick pinch. “Explain it properly after I come out!”

“Do well on your exam,” Yan Qinglan said gently as she patted her head to comfort her.

“Hmph. If I don’t do well, I’m blaming you.” Wen Huaxi stuck out her tongue at her, then hurried into the classroom.

Yan Qinglan found an empty room and sat down. She took out a pen and paper and carefully wrote the name “Wen Qingxun.”

The sound and appearance of the name were both beautiful. The only issue was how she would explain it to Wen Huaxi.

Yan Qinglan could never tell her about their past life.

After thinking about it, she decided the only explanation she could give was that it simply sounded nice.

That is, if Wen Huaxi also liked the name.

Yan Qinglan then began sorting through her memories.

She and Wen Huaxi had been together for at least four years.

In their previous life, Wen Huaxi passed away at only twenty-four years old.

Her poor girl had not even lived to reach Yan Qinglan’s current age before she left the world.

At least now they had this second chance.

But four years. If she truly had not liked Wen Huaxi back then, why had they been together? Why did they have a child?

And after Wen Huaxi died, why had she been so heartbroken?

If she had loved her, how could nothing have progressed between them in four whole years?

Why would she choose such a destructive way to mourn her?

Was it really just because she missed her too much? Where did all that regret come from?

She had once believed that being close to Wen Huaxi would help recover her lost memories.

But now it seemed that other than entering that village in Shuiqing City, the way memories returned was through repeating events similar to the ones in her past life.

For example, being close to Wen Huaxi brought back memories of their emotional connection.

Walking through the university town triggered memories of mourning her there.

No wonder the memory of the car accident, such a major event, could only be retrieved by going to that village in Shuiqing City.

After all, Wen Huaxi could not be made to experience something like that again.

Speaking of car accidents, it reminded Yan Qinglan of the incident when they were returning from the auction house.

She had not connected the dots before.

Even though she herself and the village were linked through someone named Gu Lian, Wen Huaxi had no connection to that world at all.

The last accident had seemed to be caused by a drunk driver, but the real clues had gone missing. Yan Qinglan could only guess that Gu Lian was involved.

Could Wen Huaxi’s fatal accident in the past also have had something to do with him?

Was there something they wanted from Wen Huaxi?

Or was the thing that group was looking for outside the village already in her possession?

It should not be possible. Yan Qinglan had investigated Wen Huaxi when they first met.

Later, when they agreed to a marriage contract, she almost uncovered every detail of her background.

She knew who had abandoned her, how Wen Sui Xue had raised her, how they had met, how she had saved her, what score she received in the college entrance exam, her academic performance, and the people she had interacted with.

There was absolutely no link to that world.

The only possible exceptions were herself and possibly Yan Mingzhu.

Wen Huaxi’s exam would last the entire day.

Without wasting time, Yan Qinglan left to find Yan Mingzhu.

She assumed the old house would not be safe, so she brought Yan Mingzhu to her own marital home.

“Shouldn’t you be with your wife? What do you want from me?” Yan Mingzhu still sounded as annoyed as ever.

“She’s taking an exam. I’ll bring her lunch at noon,” Yan Qinglan replied, also calling a doctor over.

“Mom, I went to Shuiqing City,” she said plainly, after a short pause.

Yan Mingzhu’s expression changed immediately.

She grabbed her head, her brows tightened in pain, and sweat rolled down her face.

Her face twisted in agony, her lips twitching as though she wanted to speak.

“So there really is something wrong, isn’t there?” Yan Qinglan held her steady and quickly called the doctor in.

Yan Mingzhu clutched Yan Qinglan’s hand tightly. “Sister Lan, promise me you will never go back to that place.”

“Mom, do you know something? You really cannot say anything?” Yan Qinglan hid the emotion in her eyes.

She had not planned on going back. But now…

“No, it’s not that I don’t want to tell you,” Yan Mingzhu said through gritted teeth, her head throbbing violently as if something was trying to tear its way out.

She silently repeated something else in her mind and gave Yan Qinglan a hand gesture to stay silent.

It was not a matter of choice. She simply could not say it.

Could Gu Lian have placed some kind of restriction on her mother?

Yan Qinglan remembered the moving cane and the way those people had taken the herbs from the auction. She had a basic idea of how capable they were.

She gripped her mother’s hand and watched as the doctor ran some tests, but all the results came back normal.

So Yan Qinglan deliberately changed the topic, trying to test the restriction’s conditions.

“I’m thinking of naming our daughter Qingxun.”

Yan Mingzhu’s face eased noticeably, and her breathing became calmer.

Was the restriction triggered by thoughts or by sound? Could it be like a surveillance device that activates when it hears specific words?

Yan Qinglan suspected both. The last time her mother passed out, she had only said one word: “Gu.”

“It’s from an old poem. I thought it sounded beautiful,” Yan Qinglan added casually.

Yan Mingzhu’s expression stayed the same.

Was it the wrong “Gu”? Had she guessed incorrectly last time?

Then Yan Mingzhu gripped her hand even tighter.

How could she not know what her daughter was trying to do?

“Sister Lan. Stay at home. Stay safe. Be with Xiao Xi. Everything will be fine.” She was trying to persuade her to give up the investigation.

Yan Qinglan did not know how to respond.

If the restriction really could monitor conversations, then she absolutely could not mention anything about being reborn.

But Yan Mingzhu did not know that.

She did not know that in the previous life, even though they had done nothing and investigated nothing, both she and Wen Huaxi had still met tragedy.

“Mom, you too. Let everything be okay,” Yan Qinglan replied, pretending to agree.

The worry in Yan Mingzhu’s eyes was so thick it was almost overwhelming. Yan Qinglan could not bring herself to say anything more.

After sending her mother away, Yan Qinglan thought about all the information she had learned as she headed back to Jingyi University.

One question lingered in her mind. What had happened to Yan Mingzhu in the previous life?

The memories she had recovered so far included nothing about her. Until today, Yan Qinglan had naturally assumed her mother had been fine.

But if Wen Huaxi had met such a terrible fate, how could Yan Mingzhu have been spared?

It was frustrating. She could see bits and pieces but never the full picture.

Still lost in thought, Yan Qinglan waited until Wen Huaxi finished the morning exam. Seeing her again finally brought some relief to her expression.

“How did it go?” Yan Qinglan asked, unable to resist pulling her into a hug.

It felt like only when Wen Huaxi was beside her could she breathe easily.

Even with her own mother, she could not fully trust her. There were too many things she simply could not say.

Luckily, she still had her little kitten with her.

“As expected. I think it went well. But let’s stop talking about the exam. Are you alright? You fainted this morning and now you look pale again. Sister Lan, are you sick? Let me take you to see a doctor tonight,” Wen Huaxi asked with concern, immediately noticing something was off.

She poked Yan Qinglan’s cheek and casually touched her forehead. It was within the normal range.

“I’m not sick, but thank you for your concern, Xiao Xi,” Yan Qinglan said, snuggling into Wen Huaxi’s arms.

Not sick but still so clingy? Wen Huaxi looked at her suspiciously for a few seconds, then finally decided to pull Yan Qinglan into the car.

“Are you sure? You seem weak today,” she said, holding Yan Qinglan’s hand and trying to check her pulse, though she clearly didn’t know how.

“I’ll explain everything tonight. Did you sense anything when you checked?” Yan Qinglan asked, hoping to talk things through with Wen Huaxi in a safe place, without disturbing her exam.

“Not really,” Wen Huaxi admitted. She had just been pretending after all. She didn’t actually know Chinese medicine.

“Then let me check yours,” Yan Qinglan said, going along with the little game.

Just small moments like this were enough to pull her out of the dark thoughts threatening to drag her down.

This was her beloved.

Yan Qinglan gently placed her fingers on Wen Huaxi’s wrist, mimicking her motions in a playful way.

“So, what did you find, Sister Lan?” Wen Huaxi raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by her unprofessional technique and curious what she would say.

“Well… it’s a pregnancy pulse.”

“Yan Qinglan! That’s just stating the obvious! The baby is already this big. Of course you can tell. And now you’re pretending to detect a pregnancy pulse?”

Wen Huaxi burst into laughter and threw herself at Yan Qinglan.

“Here, feel this spot. The pregnancy pulse is even clearer,” she said, grabbing Yan Qinglan’s hand and placing it on her belly.

Yan Qinglan touched her carefully, using her other arm to hold Wen Huaxi steady against the seat.

Only like this, when she had everything under control, could she truly feel safe enough to embrace her Xiao Xi.

And at that moment, Yan Qinglan felt something subtle.

It was like the little life inside had turned over.

Or maybe given a gentle kick to this unexpected visitor.

She was overwhelmed by a wave of emotion. Joy, relief, and a deep, indescribable sense of connection.

Tears nearly filled her eyes.

After a morning filled with tension, questions, and pain, she still had this harbor. A place of peace that belonged only to her.

She was lucky. After losing it once, she had been given the chance to reunite with her beloved.

And her beloved had chosen to stay, had chosen to keep their child.

“She’s saying hello to you,” Wen Huaxi said softly, watching her slightly rounded belly where both their hands rested.

“Then she must be a good baby,” Yan Qinglan said as she gently pulled her hand away and leaned back into Wen Huaxi’s arms, her favorite place in the world.

“Of course she is. She’s my daughter. She has to be the best baby in the world. She’s perfect. So, Sister Lan, which characters did you use for her name?” Wen Huaxi hugged the suddenly fragile Yan Qinglan and patted her back.

Yan Qinglan had always been clingy in a possessive way, but today she was seeking comfort.

She had only been away for a morning exam. What had happened during that time?

Yan Qinglan traced the characters on Wen Huaxi’s back with her finger, stroke by stroke.

Qing and Xun.

So those were the characters.

“It does sound nice. Does it have a meaning?” Wen Huaxi asked, silently thinking about the characters for “Qingxun.” It was only one component away from “Qingxun” meaning “to seek you.”

“I haven’t decided yet,” Yan Qinglan replied as she felt Wen Huaxi poking gently at her back. Finally, a smile returned to her face.

“Alright. If we don’t think of anything better later, let’s go with Qingxun. Her nickname can be ‘Qinqin.’ Isn’t that cute?” Wen Huaxi seemed very pleased with it.

In the afternoon, while sitting in the exam hall, Wen Huaxi got bored after finishing early. She scribbled the baby’s name on her scratch paper.

Qingxun. Seeking Qing.

She had searched for her baby. She had failed her baby.

Maybe her baby had searched for her too. That could be why the baby did not return to her body immediately after she was reborn.

It was a good name.

Wen Huaxi gently touched her belly.

From now on, your name will be Qingxun.

She quietly tried to talk to the baby.

The little one moved again.

So the baby really did like it.

Wen Huaxi smiled with her eyes. In less than half a year, they would finally meet.

“I asked the baby. She likes the name. Let’s go with Qingxun,” she said, already thinking about calling the baby Qinqin in the future.

“How do you know she likes it?” Yan Qinglan looked at her as if the real child beside her was Wen Huaxi.

“I put my hand on my belly and asked her if we could use that name. She moved. That means she agrees,” Wen Huaxi replied confidently, as if she were stating a scientific fact.

Yan Qinglan almost believed that a fetus not even four months old could already understand words.

“Qinqin. My sweet little Qinqin,” Wen Huaxi repeated twice, growing even more satisfied with the name.

“Sister Qing… I know it. Yan Qinglan, you definitely just wanted to sneak your own name into the baby’s and added a random character to it!”

“I didn’t,” Yan Qinglan replied. It was just a coincidence.

But since Wen Huaxi only fussed a little and gave her a playful bite, she didn’t bother arguing.

“Fine. Add it if you want. After all, she’s your child too. Do you feel any better now? Your face still doesn’t look right,” Wen Huaxi said as she gently stroked Yan Qinglan’s cheek.

Normally, there would be a soft blush. She never needed makeup. Her skin had always been naturally flawless.

But today, her face was unnaturally pale.

“I’ve been thinking a lot. Xiao Xi, I spoke to my mother today about the situation in Shuiqing City. I think she knows something.”

Wen Huaxi was surprised by this.

The baby had taken up most of her attention lately. With all the things going on in her life and work, she had slowly forgotten about that major threat.

“Did she say anything?”

“No. She told me she couldn’t say. I think there’s some kind of restriction inside her. It’s strange. My doctors couldn’t find anything.”

All the tests they had done on Yan Mingzhu came back completely normal.

But Yan Qinglan had seen clearly that her mother was suppressing pain.

“Is it their kind of technology?” Wen Huaxi thought about what she knew.

“Could it be something in her brain?” She had warned Yan Qinglan about that possibility before.

It made sense. If her elite medical team couldn’t detect anything, it would explain why the annual health checks had found nothing unusual.

If it were something in her brain, it would have gone unnoticed for years.

“Do you know something, Xiao Xi?” Yan Qinglan asked. Her mysterious wife always seemed to know things others didn’t.

“Just a theory. The kind of restriction you’re talking about, like in novels, where someone absolutely cannot say certain words or something terrible will happen, right? In stories, they’re usually located in the brain,” Wen Huaxi said, casually making up an explanation on the spot.

Yan Qinglan stopped doubting her. Her little kitten was still just a young girl, the kind who liked reading fiction. It was a reasonable guess.

And it made sense. If even thoughts could be monitored, then placing something in the brain would be the most effective.

“Sister Lan. Since the doctors outside can’t find anything, should we go back to the village and look again? Or maybe ask Fu Chenyang and the others?” Wen Huaxi suddenly had an idea.

She hadn’t known much about that world in the previous life, only heard vague things about its existence.

In this lifetime, she had come across much more. Even while having a simple meal, she could randomly run into people who had come out of that place, searching for something.

Maybe even Meng Qingzhou.

“It can’t be us, Xiaoxi. It has to be me alone. You need to stay safe,” Yan Qinglan said firmly. She didn’t want Wen Huaxi to face danger.

“But Yan Qinglan, no. Last time you went and came back, you weren’t yourself. If you go again, we go together.”

Wen Huaxi didn’t want her to be in danger either.

“You’re still carrying our baby. For the sake of Qinqin, I can’t let you come with me,” Yan Qinglan insisted.

Wen Huaxi was upset by her determined expression, ready to face danger alone.

“Yan Qinglan. I won’t allow you to go by yourself. That place is dangerous. Do you want Qinqin to be born without a complete family?”

As she spoke, tears began falling from her eyes.

All she wanted was to live a peaceful life with the one she loved, to raise Qingxun together with Yan Qinglan.

That was all she asked for. A chance to experience the happiness she had missed in her past life. Fame and success meant nothing to her anymore.

“I understand.” Yan Qinglan finally gave in, unable to bear seeing Wen Huaxi cry.

Whether this matter was urgent or not was unclear. No one knew when Gu Lian would act.

But it was also impossible to guarantee that the restriction placed on Yan Mingzhu wouldn’t end her life soon, or that the tragic car accident from Wen Huaxi’s past wouldn’t repeat itself.

Still, Yan Qinglan couldn’t let Wen Huaxi be heartbroken.

“It’s my fault. I didn’t think it through.” Yan Qinglan softened and reached out to hug her, gently holding the tearful Wen Huaxi close.

“You can’t go alone. You didn’t even tell me what you saw or experienced last time.” Wen Huaxi buried her face in Yan Qinglan’s chest, still sobbing.

“And we know people from that place. You shouldn’t face it by yourself.”

Two warm hands landed softly on her back.

Wen Huaxi bit Yan Qinglan’s shoulder. “I need you.”

Things had finally become good between them. She didn’t want to return to being alone.

She heard Yan Qinglan sigh softly. Then her face was gently cupped in warm hands.

Yan Qinglan leaned in and kissed her.

She needed Wen Huaxi just as much. It was because she needed her and wanted her to be safe that she was willing to take the risk alone.

But she had forgotten that Wen Huaxi also needed her. Maybe she also loved her.

The time they shared together was what truly mattered.

Yan Qinglan slowly parted Wen Huaxi’s lips, giving her all of her love, everything she had.

She hoped Wen Huaxi could feel it, and that she would no longer resist her feelings so strongly.

She was going to confess. Just not yet.

Not now, when it might affect Wen Huaxi or their baby. Not when she was afraid something might happen to her.

Not when there was a chance that if she misjudged the timing, Wen Huaxi might turn her away.

Wen Huaxi had always feared her leaving. Even if the departure came with good intentions.

She had silently watched too many times as Yan Qinglan turned and walked away.

Even if all this care from Yan Qinglan now was only an illusion, Wen Huaxi didn’t want to wake up.

“Don’t leave,” she whispered in her ear after the kiss, her voice soft and dreamlike. It felt like a blurry, gentle confession.

“I won’t leave. Never.”

In this life, no matter what was said, she would stay.

Even if Wen Huaxi might reject her someday, she would only be quietly heartbroken. Eventually, she would find the strength to chase her again.

She would keep chasing the figure she had searched for all her life.

“I’m tired. I want to rest for half an hour.” Wen Huaxi had cried and kissed until she was exhausted.

“Alright. I’ll wake you up for dinner.” Yan Qinglan began to get up.

But she paused, then sat back down beside her. “I’ll hold your hand. I’m not going anywhere.”

Wen Huaxi relaxed completely and fell into a peaceful sleep.

Yan Qinglan’s presence stayed close, warm and constant.

When Wen Huaxi opened her eyes again, she saw Yan Qinglan sending a message to someone using one hand.

The other hand was still holding hers tightly.

“Yan Qinglan.” Wen Huaxi sat up slowly.

Yan Qinglan moved her free hand to wrap around her waist. “I was messaging Meng Qingzhou. When the time comes, we’ll meet her together and ask if she knows anything.”

“I’m coming too?” Wen Huaxi asked. She actually wanted to go.

After all, this woman had been something of a love rival, showing up and bothering them more than once.

“Yes. Aren’t you worried she might try something with Sister Lan?” Yan Qinglan asked. She had thought Wen Huaxi would be just as possessive as she was.

“Would you let her?” Wen Huaxi asked carefully, watching her closely.

“Of course not,” Yan Qinglan answered without hesitation.

Even before she realized she had feelings for Wen Huaxi, she had never let any of her admirers cross any lines.

The only time someone had really crossed the line was when Meng Qingzhou openly provoked Wen Huaxi.

“See? That proves my point.” With that firm confirmation, Wen Huaxi became completely confident.

“That does make sense. But honestly, I just wanted to bring Xiaoxi with me,” Yan Qinglan said gently.

Wen Huaxi didn’t want to be left behind, and Yan Qinglan also wanted to make it clear that her heart already belonged to someone. She wanted everyone to stay away.

“Alright then. Tomorrow I’m only free in the evening. I have to join the crew,” Wen Huaxi said as she sat down at the dining table and began eating without worry.

The next day, after meeting up with Lu Tong, the two of them entered the film set together.

Of course, Yan Qinglan followed them the whole time.

She had toned down her usual energy and dressed more simply on purpose. Today she looked more like their bodyguard than anything else.

That also kept a lot of trouble away. Even Mu Chengcheng didn’t try to stick around them for too long.

It was probably because Yan Qinglan had scared her off with a glare. When Wen Huaxi turned around and saw the look on Yan Qinglan’s face, she couldn’t help but laugh.

Yan Qinglan came over and gently patted her on the head. “I have a meeting to attend. Make sure you eat properly at lunch. I’ll come pick you up tonight.”

“I know.” Wen Huaxi waved goodbye and then turned to leave with her friend, arm in arm.

They were only in their early twenties. At that age, girls who were close often walked together like that.

But Lu Tong felt a chill run down her spine.

She swallowed nervously. “Um, Xiaoxi, maybe we shouldn’t hold hands like this? I think your girlfriend gets jealous pretty easily.”

Wen Huaxi looked back, but Yan Qinglan was already gone.

“Seriously? She’s not even here.” Still, she quietly pulled her hand away.

She figured she should explain things to Yan Qinglan later. Holding hands with a close friend wasn’t a big deal, especially when they weren’t even interlocking fingers.

Before she got the chance to bring it up though, after they finished filming for the day, Yan Qinglan came to pick her up. The two of them went together to meet Meng Qingzhou.

Meng Qingzhou took one look at Wen Huaxi and stared at her in surprise.

Then she stood up and handed Wen Huaxi a business card.

“Would you be interested in divorcing her and marrying me instead?”

Writing six thousand words in one sitting really is a lot.

But just doing the math, it looks like it’s almost time for the confession.