After Faking My Death, My Iceberg Ex-Wife Went Crazy for Me - Chapter 1

At eight in the morning, the alarm clock rang for the first time.

The person in bed slept soundly. A slender hand emerged from under the covers and groped blindly for the side of the phone.

The sunlight streaming through the window was blindingly bright. After silencing the alarm, Geng Xiaoxiao rolled over, turning her back to the window and shielding her eyes with the blanket.

A brief silence followed, but nine minutes later, the shrill alarm blared again like a death knell.

Another hand reached out from under the covers, and the alarm met the same fate as before—another nine minutes of reprieve.

On the third ring, Geng Xiaoxiao’s eyes snapped open the moment the alarm sounded.

I’m going to be late!

She rushed through her morning routine, then went to grab the clothes she’d laid out on the chair the night before…

Where are they?

She froze, the exhaustion from the previous night’s memories flooding back. Geng Xiaoxiao stomped her foot in frustration.

Damn it, it’s a compensatory day off today.

Half an hour later, Geng Xiaoxiao opened her eyes, still wide awake, and resignedly got out of bed.

“Auntie,” she called out weakly, “is there any breakfast left?”

“Yes, I just put it in the fridge. Wait a minute, I’ll heat it up for you,” Aunt Zhang replied with a smile, getting up to go to the kitchen.

Geng Xiaoxiao followed her, but her phone buzzed twice in her pocket, stopping her in her tracks.

Sanshui: AAAAAAAAH I’M SO SCREWED! I heard a major shareholder is coming for an inspection today!

Sanshui: Xiaoxiao, please help me turn on my computer! Don’t make me beg you on my knees!

Sorry, I can’t help. I’m taking a compensatory day off today.

Sanshui: Zhou the Skinflint actually gave you a day off?!

Sanshui: DAMN IT! If I’d known, I would have requested one too!

After sending that message, Xiao Miao went silent for a long time. Geng Xiaoxiao guessed she must have gotten off the subway and was now sprinting at top speed.

Aunt Zhang brought over the heated breakfast: pumpkin millet porridge, steamed buns, and some side dishes, much lighter than usual.

After taking a couple of sips of the porridge, another message from Xiao Miao arrived.

Sanshui: I’m safe! I’m safe! I didn’t get caught!

Sanshui: But I heard some poor sap walked in with the shareholder. R.I.P.

Geng Xiaoxiao raised an eyebrow. The R&D department was notorious for its flexible work hours; being late was no big deal—at worst, you’d just have to stay late.

She arrived punctually every day, but only so she could leave early.

Who’s here? They must be important.

Sanshui: I don’t know. I’ll go find out.

Xiao Miao’s investigation took over twenty minutes. By the time she returned, Geng Xiaoxiao had finished breakfast and was already feeling sleepy.

Lately, everyone had been working non-stop, including the interns who hadn’t yet been officially hired.

After days of consecutive overtime, her biological clock had gone haywire. She couldn’t sleep when she wanted to, and couldn’t stay awake when she needed to.

Geng Xiaoxiao yawned lazily, hesitating whether to try for a second nap when her phone buzzed several times.

Sanshui: It’s someone named Shang something. I’ve never heard of them.

Shang?

Geng Xiaoxiao frowned. Could it be her?

As the thought crossed her mind, another message from Xiao Miao arrived.

Sanshui: But there’s even bigger news!

Geng Xiaoxiao replied cooperatively: Ooh, what’s the big news?

Sanshui: Stop treating me like a kid.

Sanshui: I won’t keep you in suspense any longer—President Ye is back!

Sanshui: Ahhhhh! I heard she’s even more beautiful in person than in photos! I really want to see what she looks like in real life! Waaah!

Ye Ling was back?

Geng Xiaoxiao’s lips curved into a smile, a secret anticipation rising in her heart. But just as quickly, the anticipation turned into a sense of melancholy.

Geng Xiaoxiao opened her chat with Ye Ling. The last message had been sent three days ago.

In June, New York’s temperature fluctuated wildly between day and night. She had reminded Ye Ling to stay warm.

The message ended with a simple “Okay.”

Geng Xiaoxiao scrolled up repeatedly, but no new messages appeared.

Xiao Miao must have gotten false information, she thought.

Remembering the unusually bland breakfast that morning, Geng Xiaoxiao asked Aunt Zhang, “Auntie, did my sister come home today?”

“Yes, she was here when I arrived this morning,” Aunt Zhang replied. “She said she got in late last night. Didn’t she come to see you?”

Geng Xiaoxiao pressed her lips together, glancing down at her phone to hide her disappointment. “I must have been sleeping too soundly,” she said. “I worked late last night.”

“That explains why you didn’t get up. Ye Ling’s been away for two months. I wonder if her stomach can still handle rich food. I made her some soup…”

Aunt Zhang continued talking, but Geng Xiaoxiao only nodded absently, her mind elsewhere.

Sanshui: OMG! I saw them! I really saw them!

Sanshui: So beautiful! So, so beautiful! I’m going to faint! These two standing together is pure eye candy!

Sanshui: I wish I could pack you both up and take you to a photoshoot for trading cards! Xiaoxiao, why aren’t you here?

Geng Xiaoxiao stared blankly at her phone.

Yes, why aren’t I there at a time like this?

At eleven in the morning, when the sun was at its peak, Geng Xiaoxiao stood beneath the Mo Yuan Group building, carrying a thermos. Her snow-white skin seemed to glow in the intense sunlight.

She wore a simple light blue sleeveless top and jeans, her shoulder-length hair tied into a short ponytail. Her bare face, though unadorned, radiated a pure and ethereal beauty.

To the casual observer, she looked more like a university student still studying in the ivory tower. Few would connect her to Ye Ling, the ruthless CEO of Mo Yuan Technology.

Yet they were married, secretly.

Having been away from Ye Ling for so long, Geng Xiaoxiao felt a sudden wave of homesickness and apprehension. She stood gazing at the building for a moment before stepping inside.

In the chat window, the words “You’re back in the country?” were typed and deleted repeatedly. Only when the elevator stopped did she close her eyes and finally hit send.

Tucking her phone into her bag, Geng Xiaoxiao walked straight to her workstation without looking around.

Xiao Miao spotted her immediately and waved enthusiastically.

After settling in, Xiao Miao pushed her chair closer and playfully nudged Geng Xiaoxiao with her elbow. “Aiyo, the allure of beauty is irresistible! Even people on vacation are voluntarily rushing back to the office.”

Geng Xiaoxiao replied, “Just came to take a look around.”

“Just take a look around~”

Xiao Miao made a face and giggled, “Alright, I’ll stop teasing you. Listen, we’re in for a treat today! Do you know what afternoon tea is? Sucré!”

Geng Xiaoxiao blinked in surprise.

Sucré was a century-old French brand renowned worldwide. Just over two months ago, they had entered the domestic market, opening their first branch.

Rumor had it that Sucré hadn’t even joined food delivery platforms, and their signature items were still limited to purchase, creating a buzz through artificial scarcity. How had they suddenly started offering group catering?

Was it a money-dump?

That didn’t sound like Ye Ling’s style.

“President Ye invited them?” Geng Xiaoxiao asked tentatively. “Did the collaboration go smoothly?”

“No, no,” Xiao Miao shook her head, clasping her hands to her chest in awe. “It was Miss Shang Mi’er who invited them. She’s beautiful, kind-hearted, and loaded! It’s Sucré! Even a tiny piece of cake costs almost a day’s wages for me.”

Shang Mi’er—it was her after all.

Geng Xiaoxiao said flatly, “The heiress of Xiu Huan Hotel certainly doesn’t lack money.”

“Whoa!” Xiao Miao’s eyes widened. “She’s from Xiu Huan? Xiaoxiao, how did you know?”

“…I saw it online once,” Geng Xiaoxiao brushed off the question casually.

Beside her, Xiao Miao was still muttering to herself. When Geng Xiaoxiao didn’t respond, she tactfully changed the subject.

Geng Xiaoxiao stared blankly for a moment before digging her phone out of her canvas bag and turning it on.

The lock screen was pristine, showing no notifications.

As the screen dimmed, it reflected her bewildered face.

A year ago, shortly after Geng Xiaoxiao and Ye Ling got married, Shang Mi’er had gone to Paris to study abroad, not even returning for the Spring Festival. Why was she back today?

More importantly, why was Ye Ling returning with Shang Mi’er? They lived in different countries.

And Xiao Miao had said the major shareholder was coming, but Geng Xiaoxiao remembered Shang Mi’er’s stake being only slightly larger than that of retail investors…

By spreading this news, what were they trying to accomplish?

The questions swirled in her mind, offering no answers.

Geng Xiaoxiao bit her lip, regretting sending that message.

She hadn’t told Ye Ling about joining Mo Yuan Technology, and had even asked Aunt Zhang and her special assistant, Meng Lianqiu, to keep it a secret, wanting to surprise Ye Ling upon her return.

Now, it was hard to say whether it would be a surprise or a shock.

Geng Xiaoxiao let out a bitter laugh, shoved her phone back into her bag, and the keychain dangling from the bottom snagged on something, sending it flying off.

Xiao Miao reacted swiftly, catching the charm mid-air with a shout, “Xiaoxiao, your little witch OC just flew away on her broom!”

“…Where did the broom come from?” Geng Xiaoxiao murmured, retrieving the crochet doll dressed in a red top and black skirt.

“What’s wrong?” Xiao Miao leaned closer, tilting her head to look up at her. “Are you upset?”

“No,” Geng Xiaoxiao replied, examining the doll. Fortunately, only the metal ring connecting the pieces had loosened.

“Don’t lie,” Xiao Miao insisted. “You always used to argue that it wasn’t your OC.”

Geng Xiaoxiao chuckled. “If you know that, why do you keep saying it?”

She carefully set the doll down, pulled out her chair, and crouched on the floor, looking around.

Xiao Miao bent down. “What are you looking for?”

“A small part fell off,” Geng Xiaoxiao explained. The piece was so tiny that her search soon led her to stick her head under the desk.

“Let me help you.”

Xiao Miao puffed out her chest and stood up. Just then, a sudden commotion erupted outside.

Oblivious to her task, Geng Xiaoxiao immediately forgot what she was doing and stood on tiptoe, asking, “What’s happening? What’s happening?”

Xiao Miao wasn’t the only one distracted. Everyone stopped working, sneaking glances outside.

Geng Xiaoxiao overheard someone whisper, “Are they holding hands? How sweet!”

“Who’s looking so sweet together? Isn’t office romance against company policy?”

Geng Xiaoxiao froze, then tried to stand up to see for herself. Her head slammed into the desk, bringing tears to her eyes from the pain.

Through her blurry vision, she finally spotted the small metal ring that had fallen into the corner.

The clicking of high heels grew louder in her ears.

Compelled by some inexplicable impulse, Geng Xiaoxiao didn’t go out; instead, she ducked further under the desk.

In this gathering of STEM-focused women, even washing one’s hair at work was considered a sign of respect. “Beauty torture devices” like high heels were rarely seen.

Judging by the sound alone, Geng Xiaoxiao knew the visitor couldn’t be from their department.

Though she didn’t need to hear it to know.

Someone couldn’t contain themselves and shouted, “President Ye, you two look so perfect together!”

The remark drew a wave of good-natured laughter.

Geng Xiaoxiao chuckled too.

Perhaps out of sheer awkwardness, she couldn’t help but laugh again.

Hiding under the desk, listening to others praise how well her wife matched another woman… Could there be anything more mortifying?

She doubted it.

The laughter faded into silence, and Geng Xiaoxiao stilled.

Ye Ling’s voice rang out, clear and resonant, yet not thin. Her enunciation and pauses carried a unique charm.

First, she reassured the employees who had been working non-stop recently, promising to double their bonuses.

Amid the cheers, someone, perhaps carried away by the excitement, suddenly called out, “President Ye, won’t you introduce us to the person beside you?”

Geng Xiaoxiao held her breath, her nails digging into her palms.

How would Ye Ling introduce her relationship with Shang Mi’er? As a friend? A childhood sweetheart?

Perhaps it was a subtle premonition, but Geng Xiaoxiao found she couldn’t bear to even think about it.

The wait for a response stretched out endlessly in the cramped space. The air seemed to grow thin, and she could hear her own heart pounding violently, as if it were about to burst from her throat.

Thump-thump, thump-thump.

Shang Mi’er’s voice rang out, her tone poised and graceful, yet tinged with girlish shyness.

“I’m Shang Mi’er. You’ve probably heard of Xiu Huan Hotel? Mention my name, and you might get a discount.”

Someone jeered, “Miss Shang, that’s not what we’re asking about!”

“Alright, I was planning to announce it today anyway.”

Her words sent a wave of excitement through the crowd, growing louder with each passing moment.

Geng Xiaoxiao’s face grew paler. She suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to stand up and publicly declare her relationship with Ye Ling.

But in the end, she merely crawled out from under the table in a disheveled state.

Shang Mi’er delivered her final line: “And besides all that, I’m A-Ling’s fiancée.”

Across the room, Geng Xiaoxiao could see Shang Mi’er’s radiant smile with perfect clarity, see her intimately linked arm in arm with Ye Ling…

And she saw the person beside her, whose usually impassive face now showed a faint crack in its composure.

Their eyes met. Geng Xiaoxiao forced a smile and mouthed the words:

Congratulations, President Ye.