After Faking My Death, My Iceberg Ex-Wife Went Crazy for Me - Chapter 4

I need a new mouse, Ye Ling concluded after the fifth time her cursor drifted off course while switching pages, landing on the face of that ugly cat.

By the seventh attempt, she finally finished reading the short email, her fingers hovering over the soft keyboard.

Geng Xiaoxiao wouldn’t dare joke about their marriage, she was certain.

The phone rang, and Ye Ling answered almost instantly.

“I’m looking for—”

“Hey, what’s gotten into you today?!” The voice on the other end interrupted her before she could finish.

“The news of your return hasn’t even spread yet, and you’re already causing such a commotion! They’re searching every bar and KTV in the city, spreading rumors about undercover anti-vice operations. If I hadn’t seen your people in the photos, I’d have believed it myself!”

The voice crackled through the receiver, fiery and impatient. Even distorted, it was clear it didn’t belong to Geng Xiaoxiao.

“What’s with all the commotion? Anyone would think your wife ran off!”

Ye Ling frowned but didn’t reply. The other end paused, then lowered its voice, its tone suddenly suggestive. “Hey, I’m just saying… could it actually be…?”

Nonsense.

Ye Ling hung up abruptly. The caller immediately dialed back.

She dragged the number into her blacklist, staring expressionlessly at the succulent pot on her desk.

Geng Xiaoxiao had bought it two years ago, claiming it was good for her eyes when placed near the computer. She’d even said she’d bought four or five different kinds as an experiment, and this was the only one that survived, proving it was easy to care for.

The whole thing was absurdly foolish.

Ye Ling reached out and poked at the real soil in the plastic succulent pot.

When Xiaoxiao had given it to her, she’d said to water it every ten days. Judging by the dryness of the soil now, it probably hadn’t received a single drop of water during her two-month business trip.

Little ingrate.

Rarely, Geng Xiaoxiao woke up before her alarm went off.

Finding no one beside her, she guessed her grandma was already up. She stretched languidly, rolled over 180 degrees, then back again, and her phone inexplicably flew into her hand.

Might as well play for a bit!

Her still-sleepy mind had almost forgotten the unpleasantness of the previous night. When she unlocked her phone and saw the question mark at the bottom of the screen, she nearly reflexively typed one back.

Fortunately, a half-typed message in the chat box stopped her. Glancing up, she noticed an overly bright image.

“……”

She swiftly deleted the chat box and retyped:

Sorry, I accidentally sent that yesterday.

I’m at my grandma’s house.

Ye Ling replied instantly: I know.

Geng Xiaoxiao stared blankly for a moment, still unable to grasp the meaning of “I know.”

After a few minutes of indecision, she swung her legs off the bed and pushed open the door. “Grandma…”

The last syllable caught in her throat as she stared in near-panic at the person who shouldn’t be there.

“Sister… Ye… What are you doing here?”

“What’s with all the ‘this, this, that, that’?” Jiang Yuheng suddenly appeared, urging her, “Hurry up and get dressed, brush your teeth, and wash your face. What kind of impression are you making on our guest dressed like this?”

“Guest? Ye Ling?” Geng Xiaoxiao was completely bewildered. Before she could ask any more questions, Jiang Yuheng dragged her into the bathroom.

Jiang Yuheng’s loud voice carried from outside the door: “Look at this child, rushing out all disheveled without even combing her hair.”

Ye Ling replied, “It’s fine.”

Was her hair really that messy?

Geng Xiaoxiao glanced at the mirror.

The girl in the mirror had cheeks flushed with the rosy hue unique to just-awakened skin. Her shoulder-length hair framed her ears, and when she turned her head, two stray strands stuck up from the back of her head.

Okay, it was a little messy.

Geng Xiaoxiao wet a comb and smoothed down the stray strands.

After washing up, she returned to her bedroom to change. When she came out again, Ye Ling and Jiang Yuheng were sitting together, chatting about family matters.

Jiang Yuheng asked the same old questions: “How’s work? Are you keeping well? Have you started dating?”

Ye Ling answered each question with perfect posture, the small vermilion mole at the corner of her eye swaying gently as she nodded.

Her demeanor was impeccable, yet Geng Xiaoxiao detected a hint of restraint in the unchanging curve of her lips.

Only when facing her former teacher did Ye Ling ever show this expression.

As they spoke, the kitchen timer rang. Jiang Yuheng immediately stood up. Ye Ling offered to help, but Jiang Yuheng firmly pressed her back down.

“Guests shouldn’t lift a finger,” she insisted. “You and Xiaoxiao haven’t seen each other in ages. Catch up properly.”

With a meaningful glance, Jiang Yuheng signaled Geng Xiaoxiao to take over “entertaining” duties.

Unfortunately, Grandma was completely wrong. Not only had Geng Xiaoxiao and Ye Ling just seen each other yesterday, but they also had nothing to discuss at that moment.

Geng Xiaoxiao sat down on the other end of the sofa, her expression blank, and lowered her gaze to Huazai, the cat, who was diligently trying to unravel the fringe of Ye Ling’s expensive suit pants.

The free gift kitten from the zero-yuan purchase was truly overestimating its place.

“What brings you here?” Geng Xiaoxiao asked, initiating the conversation only after catching Jiang Yuheng peeking out from the kitchen.

“I was passing by on business and thought I’d check on Teacher Jiang,” Ye Ling replied.

Geng Xiaoxiao glanced at the living room clock.

Just past 7:30 AM. Passing by on business?

She didn’t call her out on it. Patting the sofa cushion, she called to the kitten, “Huazai, come here.”

The kitten ignored her, landing another claw strike in the blink of an eye.

Ye Ling looked down at her pants, now a sorry sight, and scooped up the kitten.

“Give him to me,” Geng Xiaoxiao said, reaching out.

Ye Ling looked up, her deep eyes swirling with a heavy melancholy.

Geng Xiaoxiao’s heart fluttered inexplicably. Just as she was about to look away, Ye Ling handed her the kitten.

She cradled Huazai in both arms, lowering her head as its struggles tickled her palms.

The air fell silent, broken only by the intermittent chirping of birds, either foraging for food or seeking mates.

For humans, these could be the same thing.

The distance between the sofa cushions had somehow shrunk. Their eyes met, and Geng Xiaoxiao swallowed hard.

“What does President Ye want?”

“We’re going to do things that little kids shouldn’t see,” she said, raising her hand to cover Huazai’s eyes.

Another pair of cat-like eyes stared at her, unblinking.

Ye Ling smiled, the perpetual ice in her gaze melting into gentle spring water.

“Didn’t I teach you? When you kiss, you close your eyes.”

The breakfast was a nerve-wracking affair. Afterward, Jiang Yuheng glanced at Ye Ling, then at Geng Xiaoxiao, her expression a mix of suspicion and confusion.

“What happened to your lip?” she asked Ye Ling.

Ye Ling smiled faintly as she picked up a glass of water. “I’m not very good with spicy food,” she replied.

“Oh dear, my fault, my fault! Next time you visit Teacher Jiang, I’ll make sure to prepare some non-spicy chili for you.”

She then turned to Xiaoxiao. “Why does your lip look a little swollen?”

Geng Xiaoxiao, who was currently stuffing chili peppers into her mouth, answered without blinking, “Mosquito bite.”

“Mosquitoes? I haven’t seen any,” Jiang Yuheng muttered.

“They’re definitely here! Absolutely!”

Afraid Jiang Yuheng might start piecing things together, Geng Xiaoxiao quickly changed the subject. “Grandma, I hear a strange noise. Is Xiao Hua eating something she shouldn’t?”

At this, Jiang Yuheng immediately put down her chopsticks and went to check on the cat.

Ye Ling chuckled softly. “Quick thinking, Mosquito Girl.”

“Not as quick as you,” Geng Xiaoxiao retorted, giving her a sidelong glance. “Non-Spicy Lady.”

After breakfast, Ye Ling excused herself, claiming she had urgent business, and bid farewell to Jiang Yuheng. Geng Xiaoxiao lingered at home for a few more minutes before finally heading out.

The rain from the previous night had stopped, leaving only puddles along the roadside. She walked to where she had parked the day before and stared blankly at the empty parking space.

A black SUV pulled up behind her. The window rolled down, revealing Ye Ling in the driver’s seat.

“Get in,” Ye Ling said.

Geng Xiaoxiao approached but didn’t open the door. “Where’s my car?”

“It’s almost due for its annual inspection. With the roads still wet, it’s best not to drive. I had it taken to the 4S Shop.”

“Aren’t you getting in?” Ye Ling glanced at her watch. “If you’re trying to catch the subway now… you might be late.”

Geng Xiaoxiao opened the back door, buckled her seatbelt, and said, “You checked my car’s GPS.”

Ye Ling turned the steering wheel, her voice flat and even. “That car is registered in my name.”

Geng Xiaoxiao fell silent, at a loss for words.

Her previous internship company was inconveniently located, far from both her school and home. To simplify her commute, she had obtained Ye Ling’s permission to select an inconspicuous older model from the garage.

Considering this, she couldn’t really blame Ye Ling for checking the car’s location.

Geng Xiaoxiao lowered her head and fiddled with the phone charm. The circular ring had come loose twice the previous day and was clearly failing. After a few more attempts, she carefully tucked Mona into her bag, deciding to replace the ring once the new parts arrived.

When she was focused on work, she tended to block out external sounds. By the time she snapped back to attention, only the tail end of Ye Ling’s sentence remained.

“…remember to tell me.”

“Huh?” Geng Xiaoxiao asked, confused. “Tell you what?”

“I said,” Ye Ling turned her head at a red light, her gaze intense, “in the future, if you’re staying at Teacher Jiang’s house or coming home late for any reason, you need to let me know.”

Geng Xiaoxiao paused, then replied, “Okay, I will.”

The busy morning had passed, and the prelude to a two-day weekend was about to begin.

In the afternoon, the office was buzzing with anticipation, with hardly anyone focused on work.

Geng Xiaoxiao finished her last task, opened a document, and began pondering how to compile her weekly report.

She had barely written a few lines when her phone suddenly buzzed incessantly. WeChat messages popped up like goldfish spawning, the red notification dot quickly jumping into double digits.

Startled, Geng Xiaoxiao instinctively assumed she had been added to some random group chat. But upon closer inspection, she realized it was Chen Qiao going berserk.

Opening the chat window, a chaotic barrage of emojis flooded the screen, the most prominent being an arrogant-looking cat.

Recently, Chen Qiao had failed at yet another startup, a crushing blow that led her to become obsessed with a certain bar.

More specifically, with the bar’s owner.

A mesmerizing woman with crimson lips, wavy hair, and a penchant for work vests and baggy cargo pants, her legs seemed longer than Chen Qiao’s entire life.

At least, that’s how Chen Qiao described her.

She showed up religiously every day, practically wanting to move her bed into the bar, only to be met with disappointment eight times out of ten.

That cat emoji? It was Chen Qiao’s furious “masterpiece” after one such fruitless visit.

It was truly ugly at first glance, then just plain weird at second glance. By the third and fourth glances, it had inexplicably found its way into her emoji collection.

Instead of replying immediately, Geng Xiaoxiao opened her emoji collection and deleted it to avoid accidentally tapping it again.

With that done, she scrolled back up, painstakingly sifting through the dense mass of emojis to find the text messages.

My OTP finally got married! 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

Today is the luckiest day of my life!

With so many OTPs, which one was she talking about?

But in real life, there seemed to be only one pair:

Chu Shiyin, the youngest double-crowned Best Actress in history, and Zuo Xingning, the rising star known as the “Monster Rookie” who had skyrocketed to A-list status in just a few years.

She opened Weibo, and as expected, the screen was a sea of white. Not only were the trending topics gone, even the navigation bar struggled to load.

Geng Xiaoxiao was now certain.

As expected of this couple, she thought. Even after being public for two or three years, their wedding announcement still manages to break the internet.

Returning to WeChat, Chen Qiao’s spamming had finally stopped.

Tonight, I’m going to X.Lady! We’re drinking until we drop!

I’m counting to three. If you don’t reply, you’re coming with me!

Ah, so that’s what she really wants, Geng Xiaoxiao thought with a cold smile. She replied:TD

I’ve already counted to thirty!

Face it, girl!