After Faking My Death, My Iceberg Ex-Wife Went Crazy for Me - Chapter 25

Meanwhile, Shang Mi’er and Shang Yafan had purchased over a dozen tickets to various destinations to throw off pursuers. By evening, they landed in Hai City.

Hai City also had Xiu Huan’s holdings. Shang Mi’er had a car sent over and dismissed the driver.

News of her “house arrest” hadn’t yet reached Hai City. Without someone reporting her whereabouts, Shang Yangheng wouldn’t find her so quickly.

On the way to Yuexin, Shang Yafan drove while Shang Mi’er sat in the passenger seat, her fingernails tapping furiously on her phone screen like a torrential downpour.

“Has President Ye replied yet?” Shang Yafan asked cautiously.

“What do you think?” Shang Mi’er spat out the answer through gritted teeth, her expression dark as thunder.

Not only had Ye Ling not replied, but even her usually ever-present secretary had gone silent, offering only vague, evasive responses devoid of any useful information.

When Shang Mi’er sent someone to inquire at Yuexin, they received two ambiguous pieces of news:

First, Yuexin was being cleared out, suggesting something important was planned for the evening.

Second, Yuexin had applied for a fireworks permit to be launched from the nearby coast.

What event could possibly warrant such a grand celebration?

Shang Mi’er’s teeth itched with fury. She twisted her head to glare at the scenery crawling past the window. “Driving this slow? Are you a snail?”

“There’s a school nearby. Speed limit,” Shang Yafan replied meekly.

“You’re utterly useless! If I had my license, I wouldn’t need you at all!”

“I’m sorry…”

Shang Yafan seemed to know only how to apologize, accepting everything with passive resignation.

Fortunately, the school zone ended quickly, and the car gradually picked up speed.

As the neon sign of Yuexin came into view, Shang Mi’er leaped out the moment the car stopped. She dashed up the steps and shoved open the main door, only to be blocked by a man who seemed to materialize from nowhere.

“I’m sorry, madam, we’re closed today.”

“Get out of my way! I’m going in!” Shang Mi’er screamed, tearing at the arms blocking her path. “Do you even know who I am?!”

The two men exchanged hesitant glances, clearly clueless.

“Madam, if you continue to cause a scene, we’ll have to call the police.”

Shang Mi’er gritted her teeth, took a step back, and reverted to her usual haughty demeanor.

“Fine, I won’t go in.” She smoothed her hair, her tone dripping with entitlement. “Tell Meng Lianqiu to come out and see me.”

Upon hearing Meng Lianqiu’s name, the staff didn’t hesitate. One of them immediately went to fetch her.

In the lobby, Shang Mi’er stood with her arms crossed, her index finger tapping against her arm with increasing urgency. Shang Yafan remained outside the door, too intimidated to enter.

Moments later, Meng Lianqiu appeared. Shang Mi’er demanded coldly, “Are A-Ling and Geng Xiaoxiao upstairs?”

“Miss Shang, what brings you here?” Meng Lianqiu countered, deflecting the question.

“Just passing by,” Shang Mi’er said, gesturing toward the staff blocking her path. “Tell them who I am, then tell them to move aside.”

“Certainly. This is Miss Shang Mi’er, the heiress of Xiu Huan Hotel.”

Meng Lianqiu’s smile remained impeccably polite. Shang Mi’er lifted her chin haughtily and strode forward. “You know what’s good for you…”

“Miss Shang may be mistaken,” Meng Lianqiu said, stepping in front of her. “President Ye has ordered the area cleared. Please don’t make things difficult for us.”

“You’ll regret this.”

Shang Mi’er glared at her before storming off. Seeing this, Shang Yafan hurried after her.

Shang Mi’er flung her bag into the car and slammed the door shut. “Drive!” she barked.

“Okay, okay.”

Shang Yafan got into the car from the other side. In the rearview mirror, a car with rental car advertisements silently followed behind.

Without showing any sign of unease, Shang Yafan drove toward a secluded area.

“Stop the car!”

The sharp female voice startled Shang Yafan, nearly causing her to crash into the guardrail.

She pulled over immediately, asking timidly, “W-what’s wrong?”

“Call A-Ling,” Shang Mi’er snapped, tossing her phone at Shang Yafan. “Tell her I’ve been in a car accident and to go to the People’s Hospital.”

Clutching her bruised ribs, Shang Yafan said, “The People’s Hospital is quite far from here, isn’t it?”

“That’s the point,” Shang Mi’er sneered. “Did you think I actually wanted to see her?

“Once A-Ling is out of the way, I’m going to confront Geng Xiaoxiao. I want to know exactly what kind of spell she’s cast on Ye Ling! Has she completely ignored my warnings?”

“I understand…”

Shang Yafan dialed the number, once, twice, three times…

Shang Mi’er’s gaze grew colder with each attempt. Shang Yafan avoided her eyes, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

On the fifth try, the call finally connected.

Following Shang Mi’er’s instructions, she spoke incoherently, feigning terror as she sobbed and begged Ye Ling to come.

After hanging up, Shang Yafan, her face streaked with tears and her expression dazed, looked like she had just woken from a nightmare.

A tissue was offered from beside her. She snapped back to reality and accepted it, surprised by the unexpected kindness.

“I didn’t realize you were such a good actress,” Shang Mi’er said, withdrawing her hand with a condescending air. “Drive back and stop near Yuexin. We’ll go in after A-Ling leaves.”

“Okay,” Shang Yafan replied. But the car had barely moved two meters before it stopped again.

“Did you stall it?” Shang Mi’er’s irritation grew.

“No, no,” Shang Yafan shook her head frantically, clutching her stomach. “My stomach suddenly hurts really bad. I need to use the restroom…”

Shang Mi’er pinched her nose and waved impatiently. “Hurry up.”

“Okay.”

Shang Yafan got out of the car and hurried away.

Two minutes later, the driver’s seat door opened. Shang Mi’er, absorbed in her phone, didn’t look up as she said, “That was quick. Let’s go.”

There was no response. Suddenly, she heard someone open the back door.

Shang Mi’er started in alarm, looking up at the unfamiliar face. “Who are you?!”

The driver wore a baseball cap, and a foul smell of smoke clung to him.

“Miss Shang, you seem to have a short memory. We met at the police station a few days ago.”

“The police station?” Shang Mi’er frowned, subtly reaching behind her bag. “You’re the one who caused trouble at the Ink Kite Pavilion?”

“That’s me,” Li Du said with a grin, showing no sign of anger.

Shang Mi’er asked warily, “What do you want? My father has plenty of money. Just don’t hurt me—”

Her bag was snatched away, and she let out a sharp scream.

The person in the back seat grabbed her phone and tossed the bag back. “Brother, she was trying to call the police. Let’s not waste time talking. We need to get out of here.”

“Where are you taking me?” Shang Mi’er clutched her bag tightly, the trauma of her childhood kidnapping flooding back, making her dizzy.

“Don’t be so anxious. To be honest, this is all President Ye’s fault.”

“A… Ye Ling? You kidnapped me to get to her?”

“Exactly!”

“Brother, didn’t we agree to leave as soon as we got the money?”

“Shut up! I still have a score to settle with Ye Ling.”

Sensing the tension between the two men, Shang Mi’er’s eyes flickered. “What’s your grudge against Ye Ling?”

“Grudge? It’s a long story!”

Li Du slammed his hand on the steering wheel, the horn blaring.

“She refused to pay the demolition compensation, causing my eight-year-old child to die in the hospital. My wife followed soon after. You tell me, is that a big enough grudge?”

He turned his head, his eyes burning with madness.

Shang Mi’er shuddered, desperately trying to devise an escape plan. Grabbing the steering wheel? No, she’d seen both men were armed with knives.

The windows were locked, so calling for help was impossible. Her only option was to stall for time.

“The dead are gone. Nothing can bring them back. I can offer money for a grand funeral for your wife and child…”

“So what if you have some dirty money?!”

The car suddenly accelerated, swerving wildly toward a roadside flowerbed. Shang Mi’er froze in terror.

Li Du straightened the steering wheel with a grim expression, not caring if he’d hit anything.

“You people—all you’ve done is be born lucky and have a few more coins in your pockets than us! What’s so special about that? I’m going to make you taste what it’s like to be utterly powerless!”

“What are you—”

“Brother! You didn’t say any of this when you dragged me here!”

The man in the back seat seemed even more agitated than she was, drowning out Shang Mi’er’s voice.

“Did you go drinking behind my back again?!”

“What’s it to you if I have a few drinks? Mind your own business, kid!”

“Drinking leads to trouble! Think this through! If it’s just money, we might still be able to run. But if they want our lives, we’re as good as dead!”

“Then get out! Get out right now! I can handle this myself.”

“Brother…”

As the two continued to argue, Shang Mi’er, convinced she had grasped the situation, cleared her throat and forced herself to sound calm. “If you’re trying to make Ye Ling pay, you’ve come to the wrong person.”

Li Du glanced at her and sneered. “You’re Ye Ling’s fiancée. How could we have come to the wrong person?”

“I’m not her real fiancée,” Shang Mi’er said without hesitation. “It’s just an act.”

“Tch—look at Zhu Zi, the Young Miss’s mind really works differently from ours. She thinks she can fool us like we’re three-year-olds. Ha!”

Zhu Zi tugged at the corners of his mouth, but couldn’t manage a smile.

“I’m not lying to you!” Shang Mi’er steadied her voice, trying to sound as convincing as possible. “Ye Ling has been married for a while now. She’s currently at Yuexin Club with her wife. You can check—Yuexin has been closed for the past two days because of them.”

“Really?” Li Du asked, his suspicion evident.

“Seems legit,” Zhu Zi chimed in. “I went to scout the place this afternoon and was stopped from entering, but I definitely saw two women go in, one dragging a suitcase.”

Li Du stroked his chin, glancing at Shang Mi’er. “You heard that, Yuexin’s off-limits. So what if what you said is true? We can’t get in.”

“I have a way,” Shang Mi’er said through gritted teeth. “I can get you inside.”

“You’re being so generous all of a sudden?”

“No,” Shang Mi’er replied without blinking. “But once Ye Ling’s position is vacant, I can take her place. What you’re doing benefits me. You don’t have to trust me, but you should trust your own interests.”

“Tsk, the rich.”

Li Du clicked his tongue and shouted, “Zhu Zi, did you get the recording?”

“Got it all, word for word.”

“You recorded us?!” Shang Mi’er’s face paled.

“You think we’re fools, Miss Shang?” Li Du sneered. “If you don’t want this recording to circulate, you’d better not try any more tricks.”

The car pulled up to Yuexin Building again. The staff at the entrance watched Shang Mi’er return, now accompanied by two men, their eyes filled with suspicion and uncertainty.

The man called Zhu Zi removed his baseball cap, put on a mask, and exchanged his jacket with Li Du, who was wearing a baseball cap. The staff didn’t recognize him.

Shang Mi’er walked straight inside without looking to the sides, and as expected, she was stopped again.

Forcing herself to remain calm, she said, “Ye Ling asked me to come. She left in a hurry earlier and asked me to give something to Geng Xiaoxiao.”

She waited anxiously for their reaction.

Having arrived too late, she hadn’t seen Ye Ling leave. If her lie was exposed, the consequences…

“Can we deliver it for you?”

Shang Mi’er’s heart eased slightly at the question.

“No, it’s a valuable item.” After her firm refusal, she softened her tone. “A-Ling only said no guests are allowed inside, right? But I’m not a guest—I’m their friend.”

Clutching her bag, Shang Mi’er half-concealed it. “This item is very important. You must understand what it represents, right?”

The staff hesitated before finally relenting. “You may enter, but please don’t stay too long.”

I guessed right.

Shang Mi’er nodded slightly and headed toward the elevator.

“Miss Shang, have you forgotten about us?”

Shang Mi’er froze, turning to face the man in the baseball cap. His eyes were dark and menacing.

Beside him, Zhu Zi held his phone, his thumb slowly descending.

“These two…”

“They’re my bodyguards!” Shang Mi’er blurted out, startling the staff.

Realizing she had overreacted, Shang Mi’er composed herself. “Let them in too,” she said sternly.

“Understood.”

Ye Ling only touched her steak. After she left, Geng Xiaoxiao devoured the rest.

Unintentionally overeating, Geng Xiaoxiao took a couple of laps to digest before leaning against a waist-high flowerbed to catch the breeze.

A slender crescent moon hung in the sky. Checking the lunar calendar, Geng Xiaoxiao realized it was the same date as the day she had transmigrated from her original world.

Such coincidences always carried a sense of destiny.

Geng Xiaoxiao lowered her gaze. From this angle, the sea seemed within reach.

Watching the waves, she asked mentally:

Xiao Ba, will you leave after the mission is over?

No. My mission isn’t complete until your new life stabilizes.

So there’s after-sales service too?

Geng Xiaoxiao chuckled in surprise, but her eyes remained dim.

I haven’t asked yet—what’s the remaining 10% in your death predictions?

The unknown.

The unknown?

Yes.

Knowing the System wouldn’t volunteer explanations, Geng Xiaoxiao pressed on.

So you don’t know all the possible outcomes either? What if I make the wrong choice?

That won’t happen.

Won’t happen? What won’t happen—making the wrong choice?

This time, System 823 fell silent for a long moment. When its voice finally returned, it delivered a lengthy explanation.

What I do is collect and analyze behavioral data from key figures in their past.

The results of my analysis aren’t always 100% accurate. Emotions are notoriously difficult to analyze precisely, and humans, after all, are a species rich in emotions.

When humans make choices, they often rely heavily on emotions. Even a slight difference in the emotional weight given to the same situation can lead to drastically different outcomes.

My creator told me this is called “one thought to heaven, one thought to hell.”

She referred to the emotional proposition related to the former as a “miracle.”

Following the rules is destiny, but breaking free from them is also destiny. Destiny flows, it doesn’t remain fixed, and there is no right or wrong. Everything you do is exactly as it should be.

“…Was the question I just asked actually a philosophical one?” Geng Xiaoxiao murmured, a soft laugh escaping her lips. Footsteps echoed in the quiet night.

Had Ye Ling returned?

It’s the robbers and Shang Mi’er.

The System detected her brainwaves and provided the answer.

Geng Xiaoxiao froze. Didn’t Shang Mi’er get into a car accident?

She instinctively tried to turn around, but a sharp object pressed against her lower back.

“Don’t move.”