After Faking My Death, My Iceberg Ex-Wife Went Crazy for Me - Chapter 13

Wanting to make only a perfunctory appearance, Xue Jiqing and Geng Xiaoxiao deliberately arrived late.

The main event of the birthday banquet had already passed, and those still present were mostly there for social networking.

Xue Jiqing led Geng Xiaoxiao straight to a corner and casually picked up a small piece of cake.

“They say the Su Family’s ancestors included imperial chefs with many secret recipes. You probably can’t find anything like this outside. Want to try some?”

Geng Xiaoxiao took the cake, but as soon as she reached for it, two scorching gazes shot from behind her.

“Your ex-girlfriend is staring at me. Seven o’clock.”

Xue Jiqing instinctively turned around, but Geng Xiaoxiao grabbed her arm. From behind, the two looked like they were intimately leaning against each other.

The gaze intensified, as if trying to burn a hole through Geng Xiaoxiao.

“Don’t turn around. She’s still watching.”

Geng Xiaoxiao took a bite of the cake. It was sweet but not cloying—truly delicious.

Already in a corner and taking advantage of being out of sight, Geng Xiaoxiao quickly devoured the cake and grabbed several more.

She hadn’t realized the event would drag on so long and was now ravenously hungry.

Geng Xiaoxiao glanced down at her stomach. Fortunately, to avoid her wound and allow for easy movement, she had chosen a dress that was neither long nor fitted at the waist. Otherwise, she might not have been able to eat more than a few bites.

Xue Jiqing let her eat freely, taking some snacks herself. “How is she? Does her gaze have murderous intent?”

“Pretty much,” Geng Xiaoxiao said, pointing at the items on the tray. “Should we hide for a while?”

A commotion erupted behind them just then. Exchanging a glance, the two slipped out through a side door without a sound.

At the main entrance of the banquet hall, Ye Ling watched the approaching crowd, a flicker of impatience crossing her brow.

She disliked crowded places—the stuffiness, the noise, even the air felt thick and oppressive.

After that incident, she hadn’t attended such gatherings for a year.

Now, these people swarmed forward like flies drawn to bl00d, buzzing with anticipation.

In their eyes, Ye Ling represented more than just the CEO of a tech company; she was the heir to a commercial empire built over nearly a century by her family.

Even though Ye Ling’s mother, Ye Yunzhen, the previous heir to the Ye Corporation, had publicly declared her severance from her parents, as the sole bloodline descendant of the Ye family, Ye Ling’s eventual succession to the Ye Corporation seemed inevitable.

Everyone was watching, their calculating and measuring gazes making Ye Ling’s stomach clench.

Shang Mi’er, who had been observing Ye Ling’s expression, immediately signaled in a certain direction.

A young woman in a yellow dress emerged from the crowd, flitting through the throng like a butterfly, quickly restoring order.

The banquet’s host, Su Yi, stepped forward and said, “President Ye, we’ve prepared a private room upstairs. Would you care to join us?”

Ye Ling nodded. Su Yi discreetly winked at Shang Mi’er and gestured for them to follow.

As the group departed, the woman in the yellow dress watched them go, a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

Xue Jiqing seemed familiar with the place, leading Geng Xiaoxiao through several winding paths until they reached a pavilion.

In a corner, a mosquito zapper glowed with a purple light, occasionally crackling with electric sparks.

Xue Jiqing picked up a biscuit and sighed. “I thought she would have moved on by now, after all this time. Why is she still like this?”

“Emotional debts are hard to repay,” Geng Xiaoxiao murmured.

“Don’t act like you know everything at such a young age,” Xue Jiqing said, glancing at her sideways. “Next time, I’m definitely not getting involved with someone who’s never been in a relationship.”

Geng Xiaoxiao paused, wondering if she should tell Chen Qiao this.

Forget it, she thought. She wouldn’t be able to fake it anyway.

“What’s your plan for dealing with today’s situation?” Geng Xiaoxiao asked.

Their original plan had been to act intimate, casually strolling past people until word reached the person they wanted to target. But they had been spotted as soon as they entered, leaving them no chance to execute their plan.

“I’m not dealing with it,” Xue Jiqing said, her head throbbing at the thought of her. “I’ve decided: besides avoiding those who’ve never been in a relationship, I’m also cutting ties with anyone who shares my social circles.”

Geng Xiaoxiao: “……”

She silently lit a candle for Chen Qiao.

“I’ll take you home now,” Xue Jiqing said, standing up. “There’s no point staying here…”

“Ji Qing? You’re here too?”

A voice drifted over, causing Xue Jiqing to startle. She instinctively straightened her back before turning toward the source. “Aunt Ye?”

Hearing this, Geng Xiaoxiao’s eyes lit up. She immediately rose and followed Xue Jiqing’s gaze.

The woman bore a striking resemblance to Ye Ling, sharing about half of her features. She wore a black qipao embroidered with delicate floral patterns, her hair coiled into an elegant bun secured with a dark wooden hairpin. Her simple yet refined appearance exuded an aura of regal grace.

“Godmother!” Geng Xiaoxiao called out, rushing over in quick strides. “When did you get back?”

“Yunzhen, where did you find such a grown-up goddaughter?”

A teasing remark cut in from the side. Only then did Geng Xiaoxiao notice another middle-aged woman standing in the shadows.

Sensing her nervousness, Ye Yunzhen took Geng Xiaoxiao’s hand and patted it reassuringly. “That’s Su Yi’s mother, Mrs. Zeng. Since you’re at the banquet, you must have met Su Yi already, right?”

So this was her—the victim of the baby swap in the original story, the woman who suffered the tragedy during childbirth.

Geng Xiaoxiao lowered her lashes to conceal her emotions and offered a polite greeting. “Good evening, Aunt Zeng.”

Zeng Danxin responded with a warm smile. Ye Yunzhen held Geng Xiaoxiao’s hand, her gaze wistful, as if looking through her at someone else.

“As for my goddaughter here,” Ye Yunzhen continued, “why don’t you take a closer look at her face?”

Hearing this, Zeng Danxin stepped forward and scrutinized Geng Xiaoxiao carefully. Then, glancing at Ye Yunzhen’s expression, she tentatively asked, “Is this… Xiao Feng’s daughter?”

“Yes,” Ye Yunzhen replied. “She looks just like her mother, doesn’t she?”

Zeng Danxin hesitated, then sighed. “You two talk. I’ll go rest in the back for a while.”

Before leaving, she gave Geng Xiaoxiao a long, meaningful look.

Geng Xiaoxiao didn’t understand the meaning behind that gaze. Just as she was about to ask, Ye Yunzhen spoke first: “I just got back from the old family estate yesterday. The old man claims he’s gravely ill, but I think he’ll live another three to five years. There’s no rush to plan the funeral.”

“While I was there, I found my old university hard drive. It has a lot of photos of your mother. I’ll get them printed in a few days. Could you take them to Teacher Jiang for me?”

“Sure,” Geng Xiaoxiao agreed. She didn’t ask why Ye Yunzhen wouldn’t deliver them herself, sensing that there were unresolved conflicts and emotions from the previous generation that she hadn’t yet uncovered.

“Go play with Ji Qing,” Ye Yunzhen said, patting her head. “Aunt Zeng and I have some things to discuss.”

“Okay, goodbye, Godmother.”

“Goodbye, Aunt Ye.”

Xue Jiqing followed closely behind as Geng Xiaoxiao left.

Only when the bright lights faded did Geng Xiaoxiao’s stiff shoulders relax slightly.

Geng Xiaoxiao had always wondered why Xue Jiqing acted like a mouse cornered by a cat whenever Ye Yunzhen was around.

Later, Xue Jiqing explained that it was due to a deep-seated childhood trauma. Their generation had grown up hearing legends about Ye Yunzhen.

Rumor had it that she started her own business in her early twenties and, in less than five years, snatched major contracts from companies with over ten times her experience.

However, when their elders told these stories to their children, they conveniently omitted one crucial detail:

Ye Yunzhen’s decision to start her own business stemmed from a bitter falling-out with her family.

Xue Jiqing sighed softly and asked, “You and Ye Ling have been married for so long. Have you still not changed how you address her mother?”

“No,” Geng Xiaoxiao replied quietly. “I… I’m not used to it yet. Godmother told me not to rush.”

Hearing this, Xue Jiqing seemed to recall something. “I used to think business titans were all like Aunt Ye—cold-faced tyrants, stricter than even the headmaster. But seeing you, I realized she can be kind too.”

Geng Xiaoxiao found this awkward to respond to. “My sister carries a heavy burden,” she said. “It’s only natural Godmother is a bit stricter with her.”

Xue Jiqing smiled but remained silent.

In truth, Geng Xiaoxiao knew that Ye Yunzhen treated her a hundred times better than she treated her own daughter. Yet she couldn’t quite understand why.

Geng Xiaoxiao first met Ye Yunzhen the day after Ye Ling rescued her.

Ye Yunzhen arrived shortly after Jiang Yuheng. Geng Xiaoxiao, still wearing her tear-soaked hospital gown, was immediately embraced by Ye Yunzhen, who wept with her again.

Ye Yunzhen introduced herself as a close friend of Geng Xiaoxiao’s mother and asked her to call her “Godmother.”

Ye Yunzhen was incredibly kind to Geng Xiaoxiao, granting almost every request.

Deeply grateful, Geng Xiaoxiao noticed the strained relationship between Ye Yunzhen and Ye Ling and, with audacious courage, attempted to mend it.

Piecing together information she had gathered from various sources, she naively believed their conflict stemmed from a lack of quality time together.

So she arranged meetings between the two, bringing them to the same table in hopes they would talk and reconcile.

The result was predictable: mutual disdain.

Ye Yunzhen criticized her daughter’s coldness, while Ye Ling accused her mother of hypocrisy. The table laden with steaming dishes went untouched except by Geng Xiaoxiao, who ate alone, her stomach aching with icy pain…

As they spoke, the two walked back into the banquet hall. Xue Jiqing glanced around, not spotting any familiar faces. “Shall I take you home first?”

Geng Xiaoxiao was about to nod when her shoulder was suddenly bumped, sending a chill through her.

The girl in the yellow evening gown gasped, “Are you alright? I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you. Let me take you to change.”

Geng Xiaoxiao looked down. She was fine, but a large stain of red wine marred her dress, resembling splattered bl00d.

Before she could reply, Xue Jiqing had already shielded her behind him, his eyes narrowed at the girl in yellow. “Who are you? I don’t think I’ve seen you here before.”

The girl’s face paled, her harmless, pitiful demeanor like a yellow flower swaying in the wind.

She forced a bitter smile. “I’m Shang Yafan. I grew up with my grandparents and was only recently brought home.”

Hearing the name, Geng Xiaoxiao leaned forward to study her more closely.

Everyone knew that the youngest son of the Shang family’s matriarch had been killed in a car accident along with his entire family.

To comfort the matriarch, Shang Mi’er’s father took it upon himself to bring back his younger brother’s illegitimate daughter, claiming she had been staying with her maternal grandmother due to poor health.

Xue Jiqing’s expression softened. “It’s just a dress,” she said. “We’ll let it go this time, but be more careful next time.”

Shang Yafan forced a smile. “It wouldn’t look good for her to go out like this, Xue-jie. Please let her come with me. If my uncle finds out…” She bit her lip, leaving the implication unspoken.

Xue Jiqing, who was easily swayed by gentleness, frowned slightly, unsure how to refuse.

Geng Xiaoxiao glanced at her and spoke up, “Then I’ll trouble you.”

This is another female lead from the original novel! Geng Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but wonder what Shang Yafan was trying to lure her into.