After Faking My Death, My Iceberg Ex-Wife Went Crazy for Me - Chapter 45

Plans rarely survive first contact with reality.

Xue Jiqing had only intended to return to Beijing briefly to retrieve her passport, but her family detained her. In the end, only Meng Lianqiu, the secretary-general of Mo Yuan Technology, and two bodyguards embarked on the trip to Europe.

Their visas remained valid, and after a long-haul flight of over ten hours, they arrived at their destination without incident.

It was 10:00 AM local time. They met the embassy-arranged airport pickup and, after a forty-minute drive, arrived at the hotel where Ye Ling was staying.

After a brief reunion, the secretary-general went to handle practical matters such as renting a car and checking in, while Meng Lianqiu stayed by Ye Ling’s side to care for her.

Upon receiving news from Ye Ling, Meng Lianqiu had wired her funds for expenses and basic supplies.

Now, Ye Ling lacked for nothing essential. The only pressing concern was her injured ankle.

A day had passed with no recurrence of fever, but the swelling in her ankle persisted.

What had initially been a simple sprain had been aggravated by her fall and the long walk she’d endured the previous night, leading to increased bleeding and swelling.

Fortunately, there was no ligament rupture. Had that occurred, it could have led to chronic instability and potentially impaired her mobility even after recovery.

To minimize strain on her injured ankle, Ye Ling had been using a wheelchair to get around lately.

Watching Ye Ling skillfully maneuver the chair, Meng Lianqiu couldn’t help but sigh. “Why did you have to do this?”

Whether Lan Xiao was Geng Xiaoxiao or not, their clues would eventually lead to the truth. Meng Lianqiu simply couldn’t understand why Ye Ling would disregard her physical condition and chase after them.

This wasn’t China, after all. A woman alone at night, with limited mobility—any two of these factors combined would be dangerous enough.

Ye Ling wasn’t one to act without considering the consequences, which made Meng Lianqiu’s confusion even deeper.

Under her gaze, Ye Ling’s eyelashes fluttered, and her hand tightened unconsciously on the armrest.

“Because I… I was terrified.”

Caught off guard by this answer, Meng Lianqiu’s expression went blank.

Ye Ling’s voice continued, its slightly hoarse tone as light as a breeze, the uncertainty in her words unmistakable.

Meng Lianqiu even felt that, though she had initiated the conversation, it was Ye Ling who truly wanted to confide in her.

“Terrified that my delusions were returning, that everything was just a hallucination conjured by my own mind.”

This wasn’t the first time.

She had encountered “Geng Xiaoxiao” countless times before: at the corner milk tea shop, on the park swing, in front of the bushes where stray cats were being fed…

And in countless late nights when she woke up disoriented, unsure of where she was.

Without any medication nearby, Ye Ling woke from her dream this time to find only a dry cleaning receipt.

Lan Xiao had brought in clothes for her to change into, and Ye Ling had discovered the receipt in the bag, hiding it away after noticing the address.

It wasn’t until later, when she examined it more closely, that she realized the name on the receipt was Pu Mengyu.

She couldn’t help but wonder if “Lan Xiao” herself was just another figment of her imagination.

Overwhelmed by panic, Ye Ling had only one thought: to seek confirmation.

But when she finally stood before that door, she lacked the courage to knock.

She didn’t remember when she had fainted, only fragments of a dream: a comforting voice, honey-sweetened water, and a cool touch on her forehead.

When she opened her eyes and saw that person again, Ye Ling’s heart finally settled, confirming that it wasn’t a hallucination.

For never before had her fantasies felt so real.

After finishing her conversation with He Yeling, Meng Lianqiu excused herself to buy coffee to stay awake and temporarily left the hotel room.

Almost the moment she stepped out, a deep weariness settled on Meng Lianqiu’s face.

Regarding Lan Xiao, due to the limited time she had, Meng Lianqiu’s information was still incomplete. However, two facts were certain: Lan Xiao was unmarried and had never changed her name.

These two pieces of information alone nearly ruled out the possibility that Lan Xiao was Geng Xiaoxiao.

Yet Meng Lianqiu truly didn’t know how to break this news to He Yeling.

When He Yeling pressed her for answers, Meng Lianqiu could only stall with the excuse that the investigation was still ongoing due to the short timeframe.

She didn’t expect to keep the truth hidden forever, but she desperately hoped to conceal it until He Yeling returned to China.

Sighing, Meng Lianqiu took the elevator down to the first floor and found a quiet corner to call Xue Jiqing.

“Hello, Miss Xue.”

“You’ve arrived?” Xue Jiqing’s voice sounded slightly agitated. Before Meng Lianqiu could respond, a loud crash echoed through the phone, like glass or a large porcelain object shattering.

Meng Lianqiu pulled the phone away from her ear and glanced at the time, confirming it was nighttime in China.

Confused, she asked, “Yes, I just finished seeing President Ye. Are you…?”

“I can’t sleep tonight, and they won’t let me go out. I’m just stretching my muscles at home.”

With a loud thud, Xue Jiqing’s side fell silent. “It’s nothing,” she said. “You can continue. I’ll stretch later.”

Meng Lianqiu paused, her expression unreadable.

Does it sound like she’s tearing the house apart? she wondered.

Rumor had it that Xue Jiqing was being held back because her family wanted her to inherit the family business. Surely things hadn’t escalated to this point?

Suppressing her unease, Meng Lianqiu continued, “Just as we suspected, President Ye’s condition is quite critical. I brought some medication with me. I’m not sure if it will provide any relief.”

“What about Lan Xiao? Did you manage to see her?”

“Not yet. President Ye’s actions may have frightened her. She seems reluctant to get too involved with us and refused to exchange contact information. We can only communicate through embassy staff.”

“Didn’t Ye Ling say Lan Xiao agreed to return to China with her?”

“That’s correct,” Meng Lianqiu explained. “But she only agreed to return and cooperate when necessary. Otherwise, Lan Xiao wants us to avoid excessive interference or intrusion.”

“…Then do you think she could be Xiaoxiao?”

“I’m not certain.” Meng Lianqiu gave a neutral reply. “I’ve arranged to meet her tomorrow. We’ll know for sure then.”

Meng Lianqiu hadn’t expected Ye Ling to want to come along.

The next morning, she went to Ye Ling’s room to take her downstairs for breakfast. After returning to the hotel to handle some work, Meng Lianqiu rose to leave when the time was right. As she pulled the door shut, she felt resistance.

Turning around, she saw Ye Ling had wedged her wheelchair against the door, her sharp-chinned face tilted upward.

“You’re going to see Xiaoxiao,” Ye Ling stated, not as a question.

Meng Lianqiu paused before nodding.

Ye Ling could easily find out about this by asking the embassy staff, so there was no point in hiding it.

“We agreed to meet at her part-time job this morning,” Meng Lianqiu explained.

Ye Ling pressed urgently, “Did Xiaoxiao say she didn’t want me to come?”

Meng Lianqiu hesitated before replying, “No.”

In truth, neither of them had mentioned Ye Ling much at all.

Meng Lianqiu feared that if it was a misunderstanding, bringing up Ye Ling might remind Lan Xiao of her suspicions. Lan Xiao likely had similar reasons for avoiding the topic.

“Since we’ll be returning to China together, I thought it would be good to meet her briefly and get to know her a little,” Meng Lianqiu added.

Ye Ling paid no attention to the explanation. All she knew was that she hadn’t seen Lan Xiao in nearly forty-eight hours.

It took immense effort, combined with the medication Meng Lianqiu had brought from China, to barely suppress her inner turmoil.

Now, upon learning that Meng Lianqiu was going to see Lan Xiao, the tiny worms of longing, long buried deep within her bones, could no longer be contained. They began to multiply wildly, consuming her from the inside out.

“I want to go too,” Ye Ling said. “Just let me change, and I’ll come with you.”

Xiaoxiao didn’t object, so it must be okay.

A fleeting smile flickered across Ye Ling’s lips as she propelled her wheelchair into the bedroom with childlike anticipation, slamming the door shut behind her.

Meng Lianqiu stood rooted to the spot, taking a few hesitant steps forward and back before finally retreating to wait for Ye Ling to finish changing.

Why does she need to change? Did she spill something?

Meng Lianqiu recalled their breakfast: plain toast with smoked ham and creamy fish. There shouldn’t have been any opportunity to stain her clothes.

Before she could reach a conclusion, the bedroom door swung open, and Meng Lianqiu’s gaze collided with a vibrant splash of red.

Ye Ling rarely wore bright colors. Like her aloof personality, her wardrobe consisted mostly of cool tones like black, white, and blue. The fiery red seemed jarringly out of place.

Yet, in that instant, Meng Lianqiu realized that perhaps red was the color that suited Ye Ling best.

Red plum blossoms against snow—the finest sight in the world.

After a long silence, the insecurity in Ye Ling’s eyes deepened. “I wanted to try a new style. Does it… not suit me?”

“No,” Meng Lianqiu said, snapping out of her reverie. “Red really brings out your complexion. It suits you perfectly.”

She moved behind Ye Ling and pushed her wheelchair forward. “Let’s go.”

Climbing gym.

Suspended about five meters above the ground by her safety rope, a girl in a sports tank top paused mid-climb.

A man on the ground cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, “This route isn’t for girls like you! Your arm span isn’t long enough to reach the holds. Just come down already.”

Several others chimed in agreement. The girl glanced at them dismissively, then gripped the climbing holds and began to sway her body from side to side.

Beneath her tank top, the defined lines of her back muscles radiated raw power.

Someone muttered, “Is she trying to use momentum? Even that won’t be enough.”

Another replied, “Doesn’t look like it. Let’s see what she does.”

Just as they spoke, the girl suddenly released her grip, using her momentum to swing herself onto a longer decorative rock.

Her pink ponytail bounced through the air as she swiftly slid to the other end, then grabbed the hold that had always been just out of reach. She continued her ascent, successfully reaching the summit.

“Whoa!”

The crowd erupted in cheers. The girl released her grip, her body descending with the safety rope.

Catching the eye of the man who had earlier dismissed her, Lan Xiao responded with an unapologetic middle finger.

No one took offense. After half a year as a member and another year as an assistant instructor at the climbing gym, Lan Xiao had long since become one of the group.

As soon as Lan Xiao landed and unclipped her safety rope, several people swarmed around her. “Lan, how did you learn that move? Teach me!”

Lan Xiao glanced at him and lowered her head to unwrap the bandages on her hands. “You’re overweight. You wouldn’t be able to learn it.”

“Hey—”

Before he could protest further, Lan Xiao suddenly looked toward the entrance and waved her hand, squeezing out of the crowd. “The person I’m meeting is here. See you later.”

Meng Lianqiu pushed Ye Ling’s wheelchair into the climbing gym, looking around for Lan Xiao. Ye Ling pointed in a certain direction and murmured, “She’s over there.”

Following Ye Ling’s gaze, Meng Lianqiu finally spotted the pink-haired figure, her pupils widening in shock.

She looks so much like Xiaoxiao.

Lan Xiao moved with a steady, unhurried gait, the taut, fluid lines of her muscles visible beneath her sports tank top, like a lithe panther.

A flash of light caught Meng Lianqiu’s eye, and she shifted her gaze to notice the two dark silver ear studs piercing Lan Xiao’s ear cartilage.

Lan Xiao stopped in front of her, her face resembling Geng Xiaoxiao’s yet radiating an entirely different aura.

“Hello, I’m Lan Xiao.”

Meng Lianqiu paused for half a second before extending her hand. “Meng Lianqiu.”