Three Sentences That Made My Ex-Wife Spit Blood - Chapter 57

Yan Qinglan took five seconds to think before lifting her head and forcing a familiar smile. She looked at Wen Suixue and said, “Hello, Sister.”

Twenty-six-year-old Wen Suixue stared blankly at twenty-nine-year-old Yan Qinglan. Her brain momentarily crashed.

Wen Huaxi turned to glance at Yan Qinglan.

Last time she asked her to treat Wen Suixue as a big sister, this woman wasn’t willing.

Now she was calling her sister so sweetly, without hesitation.

Yan Qinglan’s face remained perfectly calm. “We are legally married.”

She wrapped her arm around Wen Huaxi and made the statement openly in front of Wen Suixue.

Wen Suixue finally snapped back to reality.

So this was Yan Qinglan showing off, flaunting that she and Wen Huaxi were together now.

That’s why she had to call her “sister.”

Once she understood what was going on, Wen Suixue’s expression soured even more than when she first saw Yan Qinglan.

Her precious little sister, such a lovely flower, had actually fallen for someone like Yan Qinglan. A notorious heartbreaker.

Wen Huaxi slipped out of Yan Qinglan’s arms and leaned close to Wen Suixue.

“Don’t be mad, Sis. I didn’t go to her first,” she whispered.

Yan Qinglan’s ears twitched. She barely caught the words “didn’t go.”

Wen Suixue was quickly soothed and, with the contract in hand, originally intended to walk side by side with Wen Huaxi.

But with Yan Qinglan there, if she walked on Huaxi’s other side, it would look awkward.

Like Huaxi had two wives.

So Wen Suixue had no choice but to walk ahead, looking like a mother leading two baby chicks as she guided them toward the director’s office.

By the time they arrived, the scandal had already gone viral.

The paparazzi woman worked fast. In less than thirty minutes, she had pushed the news of Mu Chengcheng’s attempted casting-couch behavior to the top of the entertainment trending list.

Wen Huaxi checked it carefully. The headline even had the explosive “breaking” tag attached.

Mu Chengcheng lived up to his so-called A-list reputation.

At first, his fans didn’t realize what was happening. Strangers were cursing him in the comments. But his fanbase quickly organized to flood the top replies, although the repost section still showed plenty of criticism.

Still, the story was spreading fast, and soon even the fans couldn’t control the situation.

Mu Chengcheng’s assistant and agent had already informed him about the trending topic.

But at the moment, he was arguing with Director Lu Zhi and the rest of the crew about the sponsorship situation. He hadn’t yet seen how serious things had gotten online.

He assumed it was just like before. A bit of money to delete the trending topic, wait a few days, and then return to business as usual in the entertainment industry.

Wen Huaxi had paid well. The paparazzi would take care of the follow-up. She didn’t need to worry about the public reaction.

As they reached the doorway, the sound of heated arguing spilled into the hallway.

“You want me to leave? Don’t forget, even if you can’t get my sponsors now, I can make sure you won’t find any others either. I told you already, this is the era of capital. It doesn’t matter how many awards you’ve won or how famous you are. If you don’t have backing, you’re nothing.”

“You’re absolutely shameless. All your thoughts are focused on these underhanded tricks. You don’t even meet the basic standard of acting. If people like you continue to take over the film industry, then it truly is doomed.”

“Is it true you’re short on investment?” Wen Huaxi asked, pushing open the door at the height of the confrontation.

The room fell silent.

She quickly noticed that all the important crew members were there, including the veteran actor Xiao Yinghua, who had just been arguing with Mu Chengcheng.

Neither she nor Lu Tong had been invited to this meeting.

Wen Huaxi gave a cold chuckle and slapped the contract down on the table.

“Director Lu, would you take a look at this?”

Then she turned toward Mu Chengcheng with a look of pity, like she was watching trash.

“I told you not to act so arrogant. You spent all this time arguing with the crew because you didn’t want people to know your reputation was about to be ruined, didn’t you?”

Lu Zhi quickly took the contract and gave a glance to the two people Wen Huaxi had brought with her.

One of them had been spotted around the set recently. She must be the rumored powerful wife of Wen Huaxi.

The other had similar features to Wen Huaxi and was probably a relative.

Mu Chengcheng, finally sensing something was off, unlocked his phone. He saw dozens of missed calls from his agent and rushed to the side to take the call.

His people exchanged worried glances and turned to Wen Huaxi.

The man leading them stepped forward.

“I don’t know which small company you’re from, but I suggest you stop interfering. Our master can make sure you’re blacklisted across the entire capital.”

Yan Qinglan squeezed Wen Huaxi’s hand. She couldn’t stand it anymore and was ready to act.

Calling someone ‘master’ in this day and age?

Wen Huaxi squeezed back. She wasn’t done enjoying this face-slapping moment. Yan Qinglan was not allowed to step in yet.

Being held back like this, Yan Qinglan showed a rare expression of quiet suffering.

Wen Suixue, standing to the side, was secretly laughing.

“So, you’re saying you’re very powerful?” Wen Huaxi asked calmly. She knew Yan Qinglan could dig up every detail about these people in seconds.

But she wanted to hear them talk, just so she could enjoy watching their faces fall apart.

If they liked using power to crush people, she wouldn’t mind learning a bit and crushing back.

“You dare to pry into our master’s identity? Foolish.”

The man leading them sneered, full of arrogance.

Even though she was in the mood to enjoy the drama, Wen Huaxi was starting to lose her patience.

Was this guy some kind of fantasy roleplay addict? He couldn’t even speak properly.

Yan Qinglan had also reached her limit.

No one was allowed to talk to her Xiaoxi like this.

Even if Xiaoxi tried to stop her, it wouldn’t matter anymore.

“Chen Group. A chain of hotels. They also own a few minor food companies.”

Yan Qinglan sent a message and turned off her phone screen, then looked at the group.

“You’re going to want to take this call.”

“You think just because you know who we work for, you can stand equal to our master?” the man continued to talk big.

But as calls started flooding his phone with urgent ringtones, he had no choice but to answer.

“Get back here immediately. What are you all doing out there? My supply chain just collapsed!”

The yelling on the other end was loud enough for everyone in the room to hear.

Inevitably, people began to glance at Yan Qinglan with new respect.

Then they looked at Wen Huaxi, standing calmly in the middle of the room holding hands with Yan Qinglan while flanked by two powerful women.

Her presence now felt mysterious and powerful.

Before this, Wen Huaxi had always come across as warm and humble, with excellent acting skills.

Even when junior actors approached her with questions, she would patiently answer them, sharing everything she knew without fear of being outshone.

She had even built a quick bond with the seasoned Xiao Yinghua, who treated her like his own daughter.

Who would have thought she had such deep connections behind the scenes?

Compared to Mu Chengcheng, who constantly showed off, used a stunt double for the simplest scenes, and surrounded himself with ten assistants like a walking billboard that screamed “I have backing,” the difference was night and day.

Wen Huaxi tilted her head and asked Yan Qinglan quietly, “Is the Chen Group really that powerful?”

“Their main business is the Xingchen Hotel chain. About on par with your sister’s company,” Yan Qinglan replied gently, giving Wen Huaxi’s hand a little squeeze.

“Well, they’ve got something, but it’s still not impressive enough,” Wen Huaxi said, not wanting to speak badly about her sister’s company.

“Director Lu, do you think this investment is enough? If not, we can add more.”

“It’s more than enough,” Lu Zhi replied, nodding rapidly like a pecking chick.

The contract Wen Huaxi brought offered better terms than anything they had signed before.

It didn’t just solve their urgent financial problem, it even gave the film room to level up.

Without hesitation, Lu Zhi picked up the termination agreement she had written earlier and handed it to Mu Chengcheng, who was still getting yelled at by his agent.

“Sign it. This production doesn’t need a so-called star who has neither skill nor integrity.”

Even Assistant Director Li, who had always supported Mu Chengcheng, couldn’t find anything to say now.

In the end, Mu Chengcheng packed up in disgrace and prepared to leave the set.

Before he left, Wen Huaxi stood at a distance and silently mouthed a message to him.

This is not over yet.

The words sent chills down his spine, and he ran away in panic.

“That felt amazing.” Wen Huaxi was thrilled watching someone who had bullied her in her past life get completely humiliated by her present self. She almost jumped into Yan Qinglan’s arms.

She moved instinctively, then realized they were still on set. She quickly coughed and stood still.

Yan Qinglan reached out and pulled her back by the waist.

“If something like this happens again, I’ll make sure you get more of the spotlight,” she said with a calm smile.

Seeing Wen Huaxi treat this whole event like a game lifted a weight off Yan Qinglan’s shoulders.

She had been worried that such a disgusting person might affect Huaxi’s mood.

“Alright, next time you can only step in if I say so,” Wen Huaxi replied playfully, glancing around to make sure no one was watching. Then she tiptoed and kissed Yan Qinglan on the cheek.

From behind, Director Lu Zhi stood in silence, considering whether she should interrupt.

“Miss Wen, we need to discuss something with you,” she finally spoke, having struggled with the decision. The matter was too important to delay.

Wen Huaxi slipped out of Yan Qinglan’s arms.

“Go ahead.”

“Now that you’re an investor, would you like to include product placement for Wen Yuyi Fragrance in the film to promote the brand?”

They could easily use visual effects to remove the previous logos from scenes that had featured Xingchen Hotel branding.

“Since you’re a fashion brand, the production can change the costumes or create storylines related to it.”

Wen Huaxi fell into thoughtful silence, and Yan Qinglan helped her brainstorm some ideas.

They considered the plot, the two leads, and Wen Huaxi’s own scenes.

Suddenly, inspiration struck Wen Huaxi.

“I’ll design something. For the upcoming ballroom scene, our brand will provide the outfits.”

“Perfect.” Watching Wen Huaxi drag Yan Qinglan away, Lu Zhi finally relaxed.

She had just barely survived the suffocating aura of the two powerhouses.

She couldn’t understand how Wen Huaxi could spend all day surrounded by such powerful people and still remain so calm.

As she headed back to the writers’ room to discuss the script changes, Lu Zhi suddenly remembered what Wen Huaxi had just said.

Was she really going to design the costumes herself? Had she been the one designing all of Wen Yuyi Fragrance’s clothing?

She acted so well, she could design, and she had a powerful wife and a doting sister.

She was a walking definition of a winner in life.

Director Lu Zhi wiped away a single tear of envy.

“Xiaoxi, you’re really going to design it yourself?” Yan Qinglan had cleared her afternoon schedule just to be with her.

“Of course. I just got inspired. And I hold thirty percent of my sister’s company shares. I can’t let her lose money on this. That would be my loss too.”

“Actually, it would be more effective and easier to just write in some product placement scenes. Even if the characters wear the outfits, the audience might not recognize the brand.”

“That won’t do. It would ruin the integrity of the story and pull viewers out of the experience. Even if it’s a comedy set for a Spring Festival release, we can’t do that.”

Wen Huaxi had her own standards and vision when it came to filmmaking.

“Alright. Just let me know when you need help.” Finally seeing this matter settled, Yan Qinglan pulled Wen Huaxi into a hug as she was about to go sketch her designs.

“Xiaoxi, I don’t want you to get hurt. And I want to be part of everything in your life. Is that really too much to ask?” Yan Qinglan whispered into her ear.

Her voice sounded soft and vulnerable, like she feared Wen Huaxi might abandon her.

“It’s not that I don’t want to tell you.” Wen Huaxi put down her pencil and hugged her back.

“I’ll tell you everything next time. But I won’t always need your help. There are things I want to solve on my own. If I can’t, then I’ll ask you. Is that okay?”

Yan Qinglan had always been afraid that Wen Huaxi would leave her.

Wen Huaxi gently stroked her hair.

“Sister Qing, you know I like you.”

“I love you too.” Yan Qinglan leaned into her embrace, finally feeling at ease.

What she feared most wasn’t being left out of things. It was being left behind.

But right now, Wen Huaxi was right here in her arms. She had caught her and wasn’t letting go.

After Mu Chengcheng was kicked out, the atmosphere on set became much more relaxed.

Lu Tong personally came to thank Wen Huaxi and said she wanted to treat her and Yan Qinglan to a meal.

Knowing Lu Tong’s financial situation, Wen Huaxi scheduled the dinner for after filming wrapped.

Wen Huaxi spent the next two days working overtime to finish the costume designs. Wen Suixue then had her team rush to produce the final pieces.

Even someone as experienced as Xiao Yinghua was amazed when she saw the finished product.

Previously, she had thought Wen Huaxi was just a promising young actress, someone who still needed guidance.

But now, she realized Wen Huaxi already had her own path and had made real accomplishments.

It was no longer fair to treat her as just another junior.

Given time, this young woman’s future would be extraordinary.

If Wen Huaxi still had ambitions in the entertainment industry, she could easily become a strong competitor.

But she didn’t have that kind of desire. After adjusting the details on the gown she designed, she filmed her final scene with the crew and returned home to begin her maternity leave.

She had originally planned to wait at home for Yan Qinglan to finish work each day. Unexpectedly, Qinglan moved her work online and started working from home instead of going into the office.

“Sister Qing, you don’t have to stay with me. I’m used to being alone at home. I can always hang out with friends too.”

Even as she said that, she was already leaning on Qinglan and trying to peek at the files she was reviewing.

“You don’t want me around?” Qinglan asked gently.

Only four months remained until their daughter would be born. This might be the only time in her life that she could stay close to her wife during pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and the early days of parenthood. There was no reason not to work from home.

“Well, I do want you here. Are you sure it won’t interfere with your work?” Wen Huaxi snuggled against her, acting just like a spoiled kitten.

Qinglan pulled her into her arms. “It won’t. I only need to step out for meetings sometimes. When I do, I’ll bring you with me.”

“I’m more worried about you getting bored. I also want to be here for the most special moments,” she said, gently placing her hand on Huaxi’s growing belly.

The house was warm with central heating. Dressed lightly, the two of them were curled together on the sofa. Qinglan could easily feel the curve of her belly and sometimes even the baby’s tiny movements.

“I was thinking about getting a cat to keep me company,” Huaxi mumbled, already thinking about what she wanted for her birthday.

“If you want one, we’ll get one. Do you have a breed in mind?”

Qinglan suspected her wife had more than a few cat-like tendencies already.

“Long-haired. The breed doesn’t matter, just as long as it’s healthy. That way, our daughter can grow up with a cat and get a head start in life.” Huaxi nodded with satisfaction at her own plan.

She remembered how badly she had wanted a cat when she was younger. But there had been no one to care for it. She had school. Her sister was busy with work.

So she used to sneak downstairs to play with stray cats. Later, she brought one home—a long-haired calico she cared for over three years. When it got sick, she spent a year’s worth of allowance on treatment, but it still passed away.

“Alright. I’ll help you look,” Qinglan replied, not mentioning the birthday gift. She was still struggling to decide what to give.

Setting aside the foggy memories of their past life, this was her first real relationship. She didn’t know exactly what Wen Huaxi liked.

She had already prepared some clothes and jewelry, but those felt too typical—not meaningful enough.

“But cats shed a lot. My old cat could turn a clean house into a fur-covered mess in just two days.”

Thinking about Qinglan’s love for cleanliness, Huaxi hesitated.

“That’s easy. We can give the cat its own room,” Qinglan said calmly. They had plenty of extra rooms in the villa.

“But if I want to play with the cat, do I have to go into that room?” Huaxi frowned thoughtfully. “One cat might be lonely. Let’s get two.”

“Alright,” Qinglan said. She opened her phone and placed a gallery of cat photos in front of Huaxi.

“You’re so mean. How could you make me choose?” Huaxi complained, overwhelmed by the options. She leaned in and bit Qinglan lightly on the cheek.

In that moment, Qinglan realized she already had a cat of her own—her mischievous little Huaxi, always clinging to her, throwing fits, and biting.

“I couldn’t decide either,” Qinglan said with a straight face, starting to browse the photos with her.

“Let’s watch some videos. Do you want something playful or calm?”

Huaxi was amazed. How did she manage to find so many reputable catteries so quickly?

“They’re all similar. Even the playful ones calm down as they get older.”

“Have you raised cats before?” Qinglan asked, as she played a video on her phone.

She suspected Huaxi had picked up some of her habits from cats.

“Yes. I adopted a long-haired calico stray. But she wasn’t very healthy and only lived to five.”

She had been about two years old when Huaxi took her in, and had already given birth to several litters. Even after being spayed, the early stress had affected her health.

“This time, I want one that’s healthier. Maybe a purebred without genetic issues.”

“Or… we could adopt again,” she suggested. Her heart was torn. There were still so many strays out there in need of homes.

Even if they stayed for only a short while, saving one life was worth it.

“Alright. I’ll ask around,” Qinglan agreed easily. She had already visited a temple and gotten a blessed bracelet to wear daily. Doing good deeds during pregnancy was important.

“Our little Huaxi really is kind,” she said softly, holding her close like a child.

“Well, I’ve been there myself. Abandoned animals always remind me of my past.”

“Your parents really gave you up just because of your red hair?” Qinglan asked. She still couldn’t wrap her head around it.

How could anyone abandon someone so sweet?

“I think so. I was in elementary school, so I don’t remember much. One day, I was dropped off somewhere unfamiliar. I walked around for a long time before I finally saw my sister.”

“She later told me that I became the center of a huge fight about cheating. In the end, both of them were unfaithful. Neither of them wanted to raise a child who wasn’t biologically theirs.”

Wen Huaxi said this casually, then lifted Qinglan’s chin with her finger.

“Sister Qing, have you ever thought about what you’d do if this child wasn’t biologically yours?”