Three Sentences That Made My Ex-Wife Spit Blood - Chapter 72

Yan Mingzhu paused for a moment. This time, she chose not to stay silent.

“I know he’s not my son. He never could be. That person never claimed he was either.”

She glanced at Yan Qinglan, a flicker of disdain in her eyes. Did her own daughter really think she was that gullible?

“Then…” Yan Qinglan’s expression became more complicated.

Yan Mingzhu sighed. “That person said Yan Qingqing is her child.”

Even though Yan Mingzhu didn’t say the name, Yan Qinglan instantly understood who she meant.

Her mother’s former lover.

“I thought she was dead. But that person showed me proof I couldn’t deny. I always knew she and I didn’t belong to the same world. I should have known we were never going to make it to forever. But even after making peace with the idea of letting her go, she suddenly vanished. All I had left were her belongings. When someone told me she had a child younger than you, I couldn’t help myself.”

Yan Mingzhu’s voice was calm, but the sorrow in it was unmistakable. Like a slow, endless autumn rain, gradually draining the warmth from the sun.

“So back then, the paternity test was between you and Yan Qingqing. As long as you two were proven to be siblings, then…”

She trailed off. The meaning was clear.

“The one done with me later was a fake. I helped forge it.”

“Qinglan, do you blame me?” Yan Mingzhu looked away from the window and held Yan Qinglan’s hand.

Yan Qinglan lowered her gaze, her thoughts tangled.

“If you’re asking whether I blame you for taking in her child, then no.” She eventually met Yan Mingzhu’s eyes.

Taking in the child of someone you once loved, someone who had left no trace behind, as a way of believing they once lived and loved you—Yan Qinglan could not judge her for that.

“But Gu Lian clearly has problems.” Yan Qinglan tapped her temple to indicate what she meant. “Letting him continue using the Yan family name to cause trouble out there is bound to lead to something serious.”

Yan Mingzhu’s expression turned distant.

“So you really found out everything.”

“There’s no way to keep it hidden anymore. Mom, hiding the truth won’t help.” Yan Qinglan thought back to her past life, when she had known nothing.

Yan Mingzhu had still died quietly. Even Wen Huaxi had been affected. So had their child.

“Anyone from their side could tell that I have a connection to that world. They talk about some kind of inherited cultivation ability. I don’t know the specifics, but several people told me I have it.”

Yan Mingzhu’s pupils contracted slightly.

She should have expected this.

Of course. Yan Qinglan was their child—hers and that woman’s. Half of her blood came from that side. It made sense she would have inherited something.

“And Mom, do you remember when I was little? The paternity test wasn’t accurate. I really don’t think Yan Qingqing is…”

Yan Qinglan didn’t finish. Yan Mingzhu squeezed her hand to stop her.

She shook her head.

Yan Qinglan closed her eyes, trying to calm the emotions surging inside her.

When she opened them again, there was disappointment in her gaze.

Yan Mingzhu had always known the truth.

Even what she was about to say—how Yan Qingqing might not actually be her mother’s lover’s child—her mother had already guessed.

Maybe she had no power to change things. Maybe someone was threatening her. There were things she couldn’t say or do.

But at the very least, she should have told her. She shouldn’t have let her remain in the dark.

Because in doing so, they were repeating the same mistakes.

And the outcome from the last life had been far too painful.

Yan Mingzhu couldn’t meet her eyes.

Yan Qinglan left, quietly disappointed. She ordered her people to protect Yan Mingzhu closely and prevent anyone suspicious from approaching her. At the same time, she made up her mind to take control of Yan Qingqing, who was still active out there.

It didn’t matter if Gu Lian couldn’t be found. His so-called “son” could always be tracked down.

This chess piece would draw out the snake.

It would be another game of risk. But Yan Qinglan believed she had something Gu Lian wanted. That would be her leverage.

With that thought, Yan Qinglan arrived at Wen Suixue’s doorstep.

She knocked.

Five minutes later, the door cracked open and a head peeked out.

“What do you want?” Wen Huaxi snapped at her. Her tone was sharp, but her voice was not loud.

“I missed you,” Yan Qinglan whispered as she wrapped her arms around Wen Huaxi’s neck and leaned against her.

“Yan Qinglan, what are you doing? I never said you could…”

Wen Huaxi stopped mid-sentence. She suddenly noticed that something was off about Yan Qinglan’s mood. She quietly pulled her inside and closed the door.

“What’s wrong?” Wen Huaxi brushed her fingers beneath Yan Qinglan’s eyes and wiped away a tear.

Her heart ached, though she hated to admit it.

Yan Qinglan’s acting had clearly improved. Wen Huaxi could no longer tell whether she was pretending or genuinely heartbroken.

But Yan Qinglan didn’t say a word. She just pressed herself close and leaned into her.

Wen Huaxi didn’t push her away. She gently patted her back and guided her to the sofa.

“Xiaoxi.” Because of her height and personality, Yan Qinglan rarely curled up beside Wen Huaxi like this.

Usually, it was Wen Huaxi who acted spoiled, throwing herself into Yan Qinglan’s arms.

Now, Wen Huaxi ran her fingers through her hair, finding the moment oddly surreal.

They were supposed to be upset with each other.

Well, at least she was.

But seeing Yan Qinglan like this, so fragile and upset, her heart couldn’t help but soften. She found herself wanting to comfort her.

“Don’t leave me too.”

Just thinking about how tragic things had been in their past life made Yan Qinglan feel like she couldn’t breathe.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Wen Huaxi said after a long pause. “What did you and Mom talk about?”

After thinking it through, that was the only thing she could imagine upsetting Yan Qinglan this much.

“A lot. Things about Yan Qingqing. About my other mother.” Yan Qinglan carefully picked out the most important parts and slowly told Wen Huaxi everything she had learned today.

“I really don’t believe Yan Qingqing is her child.” At last, Yan Qinglan began to feel more like herself again.

Ever since she left the hospital, the fear that Yan Mingzhu might leave her again had been weighing on her chest.

Only after being held by Wen Huaxi did she feel warmth return to her body, like she had come back to life.

“If you hadn’t said anything, I would’ve guessed he looks more like Mom. But now that I think about it, he really shouldn’t be.”

There had already been a mistake in the past where Yan Mingzhu believed she and Yan Qinglan were not biologically related. She had taken Yan Qinglan away based on that false information.

After that, she should never have trusted any paternity results given by someone else.

“Maybe Mom just lost her judgment for a while.” Yan Qinglan snuggled deeper into Wen Huaxi’s arms and refused to move.

“If I were in her shoes, I’d probably lose my mind too.”

“Are you cursing me?” Wen Huaxi gave her an annoyed look and lightly slapped her cheek.

“No, I’m saying that when you love someone that much, you end up doing things that don’t make sense.”

In her scattered memories from the previous life, after Wen Huaxi’s accident, Yan Qinglan remembered searching the world desperately for any trace of her.

It had been a pointless effort. The dead do not come back. But she missed Wen Huaxi too much to stop.

“Saying nice things won’t work on me,” Wen Huaxi finally managed to shove Yan Qinglan away.

“Xiaoxi, I feel terrible. Won’t you hold me just once?” Yan Qinglan looked completely fragile, her lashes still wet with a few tears.

Wen Huaxi swallowed hard.

She realized she truly could not bear to see Yan Qinglan like this.

“Fine, just one hug. But don’t push your luck.”

She convinced herself this was simply a proper way to comfort someone.

After all, anyone who had just heard their own mother reveal such painful truth, truth is that she had always known and hidden, would be deeply shaken.

This was nothing more than basic human compassion. Definitely not a sign of softening.

“Thank you, Xiaoxi,” Yan Qinglan whispered and slipped naturally into Wen Huaxi’s arms. She didn’t do anything more than lean in gently. No kissing. No clinging.

For her, this warm embrace was enough.

Wen Huaxi stroked her back gently and murmured, “It’s alright, Yan Qinglan. This time isn’t like the last life. We’ll protect her.”

“Yes. We’ll protect her,” Yan Qinglan repeated mechanically.

Her emotions had mostly settled. Feeling Wen Huaxi’s kindness, her hand instinctively moved to rest on Wen Huaxi’s waist.

Wen Huaxi didn’t stop her right away.

Maybe she was just too tired. She let Yan Qinglan’s hand rest there, her eyelashes trembling slightly, then buried her face against Yan Qinglan’s chest.

It wasn’t just Yan Qinglan who missed their closeness.

Wen Huaxi missed it too, even if she couldn’t admit it.

As the distance between them slowly disappeared, Yan Qinglan moved with more care than ever before. She tested her boundaries gently, step by step, and only when she was sure Wen Huaxi wasn’t rejecting her did she dare to move closer.

Just as Yan Qinglan was about to kiss the tip of Wen Huaxi’s ear, a voice interrupted them.

“Is someone here? Who is it?” Wen Suixue walked out of her room, only just realizing they had company and intending to be a polite host.

But when she saw Yan Qinglan’s face and their position on the sofa, she froze.

Three seconds later, Wen Suixue turned on her heel and walked right back into her room.

She could not bear to watch.

What happened to being angry? What happened to ignoring Yan Qinglan for two full months?

What on earth was her sister doing?

In the living room, the two of them immediately pulled apart.

More accurately, Wen Huaxi pushed Yan Qinglan away.

“You broke the rules. Go home now, or I’ll add extra punishment!” Wen Huaxi chased after her, giving her a few light punches on the back.

“But Xiaoxi, I want to see our baby girl. I haven’t seen her all day.”

“No. Rule breakers don’t get to negotiate!” Wen Huaxi grabbed Yan Qinglan’s bag and shoved it into her hands.

“Then can we video call tonight? She’s my daughter too,” Yan Qinglan said, her tone softening. She had gotten enough out of today.

Her Xiaoxi was shy. Now that Wen Suixue had caught them “being affectionate,” if she insisted on staying any longer, it would only backfire.

“We’ll talk about it later. Get out now.” Wen Huaxi’s ears were completely red as she shoved Yan Qinglan out of the house, locked the door behind her, and leaned against it, breathing heavily.

After a moment, she knocked on the door to the room Wen Suixue had just escaped into.

It used to be a guest room, but had since been turned into the baby’s nursery. Their little one was sleeping there.

“Had a good heart-to-heart with your wife?” Wen Suixue asked, clearly not trying to be sarcastic.

But to Wen Huaxi, it sounded like pure mockery. She pouted and quickly defended herself.

“I did not. She was the one being shameless and insisted on hugging me.”

“Right. Yan Qinglan was so shameless that she grabbed your hand, placed it on her waist, told you to hold her tight, and made you rest your head on her shoulder too,” Wen Suixue said as she rolled her eyes.

“I thought you said you were mad at her?”

Her sister was hopeless. At the very least, she should have given Yan Qinglan the cold shoulder for ten days or two weeks. But how long had it been?

“I am mad at her. It’s all her fault. She used emotional manipulation to make me feel sorry for her. No, wait, she seduced me!” Wen Huaxi’s eyes darted around, clearly flustered.

Emotional manipulation and seduction in the same sentence? Those two things didn’t even belong together.

Wen Suixue watched her sister’s dramatic explanation and sighed internally.

Meanwhile, Wen Qingxun, who had heard her mother’s voice but hadn’t seen her yet, started crying anxiously.

Wen Huaxi stopped digging her own grave and rushed over to pick up her precious daughter.

She tried soothing her for quite a while, but Wen Qingxun continued to sob in hiccupping gasps.

Wen Huaxi gave up and started talking to her softly.

“Sweetheart, do you miss Mommy?”

Wen Qingxun let out a hiccup. No, she definitely did not miss Mommy.

She just wanted to go home. That was it. She absolutely was not missing Mommy.

Wen Huaxi stared at her daughter’s conflicted little expression and sighed even harder.

What happened to supporting her in kicking Yan Qinglan out?

Even though the baby had never said it out loud, Wen Huaxi had assumed they were on the same team.

When did her sweet little girl become so attached to Yan Qinglan?

The thought annoyed her.

Later that evening, when Yan Qinglan tried to video call, Wen Huaxi, still sulking, hung up on her three times in a row.

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