After Faking My Death, My Iceberg Ex-Wife Went Crazy for Me - Chapter 28

After getting into the car, Ye Ling drifted into a deep sleep under the influence of the medication.

Her delicate brows furrowed slightly, and her pale face carried a hint of illness. Even the small mole beneath the corner of her eye, usually vibrant, had lost its usual luster.

While waiting at a red light, Meng Lianqiu gazed at her, sighing inwardly again and again.

After Ye Ling fell unconscious the previous night, Meng Lianqiu had arranged for someone to stay at the hospital while she remained at the scene to cooperate with the police investigation.

By midnight, the police had released their preliminary findings.

The robber who accompanied Li Du shared his surname and was his cousin. It was this cousin who had bailed Li Du out of prison just a few days earlier.

But the cousin was no saint either. He had borrowed from some shady online lender and couldn’t repay the debt. Perhaps remembering the money Li Du had gotten by exploiting his child’s illness, he had gritted his teeth and bailed him out, hoping to raise another sum to plug the financial hole.

However, after being locked up for half a month, Li Du’s gambling addiction had grown unbearable. The moment he left the police station, he went straight to the casino, and soon after, his child and wife were dead.

With their source of income gone, the two men hardened their resolve. They made banners and memorial portraits, rehearsed their story, and Li Du went to Mo Yuan Technology’s headquarters to attempt extortion.

After their initial failure, they switched to a new plan the very next day.

Surveillance footage showed Li Du’s old car parked near the Ink Kite Pavilion for an entire day.

Based on his subsequent actions, police theorized that he had intended to tail Ye Ling. However, since Ye Ling had already left for Hai City, his target shifted to Shang Mi’er.

After unexpectedly learning of Ye Ling’s whereabouts at the karaoke bar, Li Du and his accomplice booked the cheapest red-eye flight to Hai City.

Upon landing, they loitered around the airport, possibly waiting for Shang Mi’er, but she never appeared. In the afternoon, they split up: one went to rent a car and purchase tools for their crime, while the other scouted Yuexin.

And then…

Both robbers were dead. The case was essentially closed as a revenge-motivated kidnapping and extortion attempt.

As for the unexpected incident… the police stated they would issue disciplinary warnings to key personnel and offer another apology.

Meng Lianqiu refused to accept it.

She didn’t know who truly deserved the apology, nor whether they should even apologize at all.

In the end, it was all a tangled mess.

“President Ye.”

“Good morning, President Ye.”

Yuexin remained closed today, with only two senior executives and five or six regular employees present to assist the police with their final investigations and cleanup.

On the way, Meng Lianqiu had briefly explained Ye Ling’s temporary amnesia due to medication side effects, instructing everyone to avoid discussing the previous night’s events or even mentioning the date. They were to treat today as a Saturday.

After repeated warnings, everyone understood the gravity of the situation. Fearing they might accidentally slip up, they greeted Ye Ling and immediately switched to silent mode, keeping their distance.

Meng Lianqiu had forcibly given Xiao Xu and the others the day off. The “new faces” before Ye Ling didn’t seem to arouse any particular attention from her.

Carefully observing Ye Ling’s expression, Meng Lianqiu quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

But an even greater challenge lay ahead.

The police tape on the fourth floor and the bloodstains on the floor remained. If Ye Ling went up there now, she would likely remember everything in an instant.

After a moment’s thought, Meng Lianqiu suggested, “President Ye, you don’t seem to have rested well. Why don’t you go upstairs and rest first before getting back to work?”

Ye Ling shook her head, the movement triggering a wave of dizziness and a throbbing pain in her temples.

She pressed her fingers against her temples and said, “I can only relax once everything is set up.”

Yesterday, Ye Ling had been overly meticulous about details, working tirelessly all day.

Meng Lianqiu pursed her lips and told a small lie. “You might have forgotten, but we finished most of the arrangements last night. The roses won’t be flown in until noon, so there’s no need to rush until they arrive.”

“Besides,” Meng Lianqiu added hesitantly, remembering Ye Ling’s unprecedented two-hour makeup session the previous night, “if you don’t get enough rest, you’ll look tired.”

“…You’re right,” Ye Ling replied, a flicker of self-mockery in her eyes as if she were thinking of something else. “Let’s go rest first.”

“I’ll escort you.”

Meng Lianqiu followed at a measured pace, secretly wondering which of her words had worked.

Before she could figure it out, the elevator reached the top floor. As Meng Lianqiu reached for her room card, her expression suddenly changed.

Ye Ling noticed her pause and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“It was a bit chaotic last night, and I think I grabbed the wrong room card,” Meng Lianqiu said calmly, tucking the card away. “Please wait here. I’ll go downstairs and get the right one.”

She had almost forgotten—the room still contained the Carola Roses that weren’t supposed to arrive until noon.

Rushing downstairs, Meng Lianqiu went straight to the front desk and requested the card for the opposite room.

Back upstairs, she said, “I’ve been thinking—decorating solely with roses might look a bit monotonous. There’s a market nearby that specializes in exquisite natural seashells. Using them as accents would add a unique touch.”

Seeing that Ye Ling remained silent, seemingly listening, Meng Lianqiu continued, “I’ll take a few people to buy some. But that means we’ll be going in and out of the room frequently. Would you mind resting in the adjacent room for a while?”

Ye Ling, genuinely exhausted, didn’t refuse.

With the crisis averted, Meng Lianqiu hurriedly opened the door for her and slipped back into her own room.

The curtains were tightly drawn, and the Carola Roses, having been confined all night, filled the air with an overpowering, almost suffocating fragrance.

Meng Lianqiu held her breath as she walked into the bedroom.

The floor was covered in crimson petals. She tried to avoid them, but still stepped on a few, leaving floral juice stains on her soles.

After retrieving her clothes from the bedroom, she peered through the peephole to ensure Ye Ling hadn’t emerged before opening the door.

Almost as soon as she closed it, the door across the hall opened.

Meng Lianqiu broke into a cold sweat, mechanically stepping forward to hand over the clothes. “I thought you might not want to stay in the hospital gown any longer.”

“Thank you,” Ye Ling said, taking the clothes. “I was just about to ask you about that.”

“Then, if there’s nothing else,” Meng Lianqiu ventured, “I’ll get back to work?”

“Mm-hmm.”

Ye Ling took the clothes inside, and Meng Lianqiu watched her face disappear, only to reappear moments later.

“Are you wearing perfume today? It smells nice.”

With that, Ye Ling closed the door completely.

“……”

Meng Lianqiu let out a soft sigh of relief.

I got away with it.

In the lobby, the receptionist glanced around nervously. Seeing Meng Lianqiu come down alone, she asked cautiously, “Is President Ye doing okay?”

Meng Lianqiu pressed her lips together. “She’s doing okay for now.”

“Is anyone monitoring the surveillance room? I’d like to review last night’s footage.”

“Yes, but the police are in there right now. You might have to wait a bit.”

Meng Lianqiu nodded and found a seat in the lobby.

About four minutes later, she saw the police leave and got up to approach the surveillance room.

As she passed the reception desk, the receptionist reminded her, “Special Assistant Meng, your phone seems to be ringing.”

Meng Lianqiu paused, startled, and thanked her.

Opening her bag, she found Ye Ling’s phone—which she had taken under the pretense that “the doctor advised against electronic devices”—ringing repeatedly.

Their phones were different brands, which explained her initial confusion.

Flipping the phone over, the screen lit up with the caller’s name: Xue Jiqing.

Meng Lianqiu hesitated, then answered just before the call disconnected.

“Hello? I just landed. I’ve got the information you wanted…”

“Miss Xue,” Meng Lianqiu interrupted, “it’s me, Meng Lianqiu.”

The voice on the other end paused. “What? Where’s Ye Ling? Has she finally succumbed to the charms of her ‘tender trap’?”

Meng Lianqiu couldn’t muster a smile. She said softly, “Something happened last night…”

A bird landed on the windowsill, chirping twice.

Ye Ling startled awake from her light sleep and checked the time on her wrist device.

She had slept for about twenty minutes. Sitting up, she gently stretched her neck.

The dizziness in her head had subsided considerably. Meng Lianqiu was right—she needed rest.

Feeling refreshed, Ye Ling slipped out of bed and reached for her phone on the bedside table.

When her hand came up empty, she remembered Meng Lianqiu had taken it.

These past few days had been a whirlwind of material sourcing and preparations, leaving her only the midday and evening breaks to catch up on accumulated work messages and emails using her laptop and phone.

Now, with her hands empty, she felt strangely out of sorts.

Ye Ling shed her hospital gown, her freshly washed hair swaying down her back, partially obscuring the graceful curve of her waist.

She meticulously planned out the remaining tasks for the month, filling every day to the brim. After that, she would need to find ways to carve out more time.

Among the month’s priorities, besides the new product launch, the most critical was securing a new material supplier.

Originally, she had favored Huagong, but now it seemed they were no longer a suitable partner.

In the overlapping circles of wealthy families, you could randomly pick two people and trace their convoluted familial connections through marriage.

Take Shang Mi’er and President Zhang, for example.

After the birthday banquet that night, Ye Ling made it clear to Shang Mi’er that she should stop fabricating and spreading rumors about an “engagement banquet” to avoid escalating the situation beyond repair.

Shang Mi’er verbally agreed, but secretly seemed unwilling to give up.

Ye Ling vividly remembered that on the day she discussed cooperation with President Zhang, he initially addressed her as “President Ye.” By evening, his messages had changed to “Xiao Ye” (Little Ye).

Later, he even nitpicked a couple of “unreasonable” clauses in the already-agreed-upon contract, demanding revisions.

Such behavior, at its core, was a breach of good faith.

President Zhang’s audacity stemmed from something Shang Mi’er had told him—and his belief in it—which led him to assume the role of a “senior” figure.

Ye Ling was no stranger to this kind of situation.

Before founding Mo Yuan, she had dabbled in smaller ventures. Thanks to her mother’s extensive connections, she had encountered numerous “senior” figures she barely knew.

Seeing how young she was, every single one of them put on airs, first trying to intimidate her with words. But when they realized she wasn’t just playing around, a calculating glint flashed in their eyes.

The first time, she was swindled out of everything she had.

She wanted to turn to Ye Yunzhen for help, but overheard her telling someone, “A useless daughter doesn’t deserve to be mine.”

So Ye Ling sought help from no one. She dusted herself off and started her second venture.

Once she’d established a firm foothold, no more mysterious “elders” appeared out of nowhere.

President Zhang’s behavior, however, brought back a familiar “freshness.”

She decided to give him a “gift” in return: the collaboration with Huagong would be indefinitely postponed.

It was undoubtedly the best option at the moment, but that didn’t mean Mo Yuan had no other choices.

As for Shang Mi’er…

Ji Qing was right. Over the past decade, she had gradually nurtured Mi’er’s courage.

Now that they were back from Hai City, it was time to cut ties.

The promise to help her escape the arranged marriage… there must be another way.

The elevator descended to the fourth floor, passing through the lounge area. Through the clear glass panels, Ye Ling could faintly see yellow police tape and two uniformed figures.

Why are the police here? Weren’t they supposed to be on the first floor? Did the robbers escape up here?

What about the things I set up…?

Ye Ling’s heart tightened, and she quickened her pace, wanting to ask about the situation.

The two officers stood with their backs to her. One was looking down, seemingly scribbling in a notebook, while the other spoke casually.

“Any news from the rescue team?”

“No. They expanded the search area after the tide went out, but still nothing.”

Rescue team?

Ye Ling stopped, a blank look on her pale face.

Did someone fall into the sea?

Probably. This place is right by the ocean, and people drown every year from swimming recklessly against warnings. It’s probably nothing important.

Ye Ling wanted to approach, but her legs felt rooted to the ground, unable to move an inch.

The officers, unaware of her presence, continued their conversation.

“I heard they managed to grab him just in time. He was only in his early twenties, right?”

“Yeah, just graduated college this year. Still a student.”

After a moment of somber silence, one of the officers walked over and touched the decorative landscaping of the terrace restaurant.

“These decorations are undeniably beautiful, but they’re also incredibly elaborate. Team Leader Liu’s hands are so steady—he’s won two provincial gold medals for marksmanship. If his line of sight hadn’t been obstructed, he could have taken out the targets with just two shots and rescued all the hostages. Why even bother with this whole setup?”

“Shh! You can say that at the station, but not here.”

“Why not? I thought this place was strange the moment I arrived. Isn’t this supposed to be a restaurant? Why not just move these things and put in more tables?”

“That’s because you don’t know! The owner specifically arranged all this himself for his proposal!”

“The owner? You mean the guy from yesterday…? Wait, so his girlfriend…?”

“Yeah, it’s exactly who you’re thinking of.”

“I can’t believe you guys… Ugh. So all this elaborate proposal setup actually ended up getting her killed…”

Clang!

The crisp sound of porcelain shattering made both men flinch.

They turned to see a corner of fabric disappearing around the corner. On the floor in front of the display cabinet lay a shattered porcelain vase, the largest shard still trembling slightly.

“Was that the wind?”

“We’re standing right here. There wasn’t any wind that strong just now…”

In the bathroom, the overhead light cast pale yellow circles on the marble floor.

A slender figure stumbled in, her chaotic footsteps shattering the rings of light.

“Gah…”

She lunged toward the sink, a foul mass surging up her throat and spewing out with a nauseating stench.

Having eaten little that morning, her stomach quickly emptied, yet she continued to retch violently, her body convulsing again and again as if trying to expel her very stomach lining.

Viscous fluids dripped from the corners of her mouth: acrid gastric juices, bitter yellow bile, and finally, vomit tinged with red.

After another violent spasm, her body seemed to reach its limit. The uncontrollable convulsions abruptly ceased.

Ye Ling could vomit no more. Her mouth hung slightly open, strands of hair plastered to her cheek with saliva and stomach acid.

How pathetic.

Ye Ling lifted her head. The woman in the mirror wore the same face as hers, but her expression was so grotesque it almost made her laugh.

Ye Ling tried to force a smile.

It looked even worse.

She lowered her gaze and turned on the faucet.

The rushing water washed away the foul liquid. Ye Ling rinsed her mouth and splashed water on her face.

The icy water against her skin seemed to restore her usual composure.

But when a drop of water stung her eye, she ignored it and continued washing her hands under the running water.

The nail on her right middle finger had cracked slightly, likely from gripping too tightly during her vomiting. As she scrubbed her hands, the sharp edge scraped against her palm, causing a stinging pain.

Ye Ling found the crack, stared at it for a moment, then pinched the edges between her thumbs and index fingers.

She tore it open. The exposed flesh turned pale before bl00d welled up, staining it crimson.

She placed her hand under the faucet again, rinsing away the bl00d.