After Faking My Death, My Iceberg Ex-Wife Went Crazy for Me - Chapter 49

The car pulled up to the entrance of a high-end residential complex. Qin Shaowan stepped out, leaned against the car door, and looked down at Lan Xiao.

“I might be flying off again in a few days. You can stay at my place. It has a keypad lock—want to go up and register your fingerprint?”

“I’m not sure how long I’ll be staying. Hotels are fine, more convenient,” Lan Xiao replied, shaking her head. “It’s getting late. You should go get some rest.”

As she spoke, the driver had already taken out the luggage. Qin Shaowan glanced at it but didn’t move. “The house has a housekeeper who cleans and cooks daily. All the toiletries are brand new—it’s very convenient.”

“It’s different,” Lan Xiao said half-jokingly. “Who knows if you’ll have another episode and sneak into my room at night?”

“I would never!” Qin Shaowan pursed her lips and turned away huffily. “Stay or don’t, I’m going upstairs. Sister Liu, take her to her hotel.”

“Understood.”

Sister Liu, the driver, had already been given the hotel’s address. After watching Qin Shaowan enter the building, she started the car.

Early morning drowsiness set in easily. Lan Xiao kept Sister Liu awake by chatting about Qin Shaowan, asking casual questions to keep her alert.

After arriving at the hotel, Lan Xiao reminded Liu Jie to rest before driving again. Then, pulling her suitcase, she went to the front desk to check in.

The sky was just beginning to lighten from its inky blackness, transitioning into a hazy blue, not yet fully bright.

The front desk clerk, still half-asleep, snapped to attention at the sight of a guest approaching. Lan Xiao handed over her ID to check in.

Unsure how Ye Ling would verify her identity and anticipating potential complications, Lan Xiao had booked a two-week hotel suite as a temporary apartment, just to be safe.

With her room key in hand, Lan Xiao removed her hat, smoothed her hair, and wheeled her suitcase away.

Amidst the clatter-clatter of rolling wheels, the hotel’s side door swung open again.

The woman walking ahead wore sunglasses perched on her nose, her long hair cascading loosely down her back. Her posture was impeccably straight, her steps measured and steady, exuding an air of refined aloofness.

The front desk clerk blinked in momentary confusion. It wasn’t until the woman pushed her sunglasses up, revealing the distinctive red mole at the corner of her eye, that the clerk recognized her identity and hastily retrieved the corresponding room key.

The woman took the card with a murmured thank you. The receptionist maintained her professional smile, watching her turn away, but couldn’t help but wonder when her gaze landed on the dark sunglasses.

Wearing sunglasses at night couldn’t be due to bright lights. Maybe she had trachoma or a stye?

Just as she was pondering this, the woman suddenly stopped and pushed the sunglasses up onto her head.

Due to the angle, the receptionist couldn’t verify her suspicions. She could only see the woman crouch down and pick something up from the gleaming marble floor.

It was a tiny object, as small as a strand of hair. Could it just be a hair?

The receptionist squinted, still unsure if there was anything in her hand.

Before she could continue observing, the woman stood up, the sunglasses sliding back down to conceal her eyes, still misty from the humidity.

She turned and asked, “Did someone come by just now?”

Recalling when Lan Xiao had left, the receptionist hesitated, unsure if they might have seen each other outside. “Yes, a guest just checked in.”

The woman nodded and walked toward the elevator. Moments later, her assistant followed, announcing a floor number.

“Are there any rooms available on the 19th floor?”

As the elevator ascended, Meng Lianqiu lowered her gaze, scanning Ye Ling’s right hand hanging at her side.

It was clenched tightly, the pale knuckles tinged with a faint pink.

The unusual color and the late hour made it hard not to suspect that Lan Xiao had been the previous guest in this hotel room.

Her phone beeped twice. Meng Lianqiu glanced at it—a message from the driver.

The roads were nearly deserted at this early hour, but their luck had failed them. A speeding car ran a red light, causing a minor collision at an intersection.

Though no one was injured, the incident had cost them considerable time.

After the traffic police arrived and conducted a preliminary investigation, they didn’t detain Meng Lianqiu and Ye Ling, as they were the victims of the accident. The driver first dropped them off at the hotel before heading to the police station to cooperate with further inquiries.

The message informed her that the other driver was entirely at fault and wanted to settle privately rather than involve insurance.

After a moment’s thought, Meng Lianqiu replied. Just as she sent the message, the elevator reached their floor. She tucked her phone into her pocket, grabbed her suitcase, and followed Ye Ling out.

The nineteenth floor had only four suites. Excluding the one Meng Lianqiu had booked under her own ID, the odds of Lan Xiao and Ye Ling being neighbors were one in three.

Of course, this probability held true only if they hadn’t searched the wrong floor and if the hair they’d found truly belonged to Lan Xiao.

Turning this probability into a certainty was simple. Hotels typically don’t disclose guest information, but internal staff can easily access it. Meng Lianqiu was confident someone would be willing to do Ye Ling this favor.

So why hadn’t Ye Ling used this more convenient method? Why had she chosen to pursue an uncertain outcome instead?

Meng Lianqiu pondered this silently until she left the hotel. Her gaze drifted to the dawn’s first light painting the horizon, and a vague understanding dawned on her.

Uncertainty often meant infinite possibilities.

They had seen Lan Xiao leave with Qin Shaowan and had witnessed Lan Xiao’s rejection of them on the plane, contrasted with her warmth toward Qin Shaowan.

Whether it was wishful thinking or self-deception, at least for today, Ye Ling wanted to believe that Lan Xiao was in this hotel, not with Qin Shaowan.

Adjusting to a twelve-hour time difference wasn’t easy, and Lan Xiao didn’t expect to accomplish it in a single day.

After showering at the hotel, she ordered what was technically breakfast but felt like a late-night snack to her.

Fully fed and hydrated, she scrolled through her phone until 10 PM, set an alarm, and slept soundly until 5 PM the next day.

Having grown accustomed to staying up late abroad, she struggled to fall asleep immediately. When she woke up, she still felt groggy and dozed for another ten minutes before getting dressed and heading downstairs for coffee to perk herself up.

Her phone was flooded with messages. Settling into a café, Lan Xiao replied to them one by one.

The most frequent messages came from Qin Shaowan. First, she asked if Lan Xiao wanted to grab lunch. When she didn’t receive a reply, Qin Shaowan started sending meme stickers every half hour.

Lan Xiao had enabled Do Not Disturb mode while sleeping, so she hadn’t been bothered at all.

Shortly after sending her explanation, Qin Shaowan’s reply arrived:

Qin Shaowan: Sleeping that long? I almost thought some shady tech company had kidnapped you for forced labor!

Lan Xiao typed six dots in response.

Lan Xiao: You can say that to me, but keep it to yourself in public. You might have to work with Mo Yuan in the future.

She wasn’t just saying that. In the nine years since its founding, Mo Yuan Technology had not only become a true industry leader but also set the standard for the entire sector.

Mo Yuan Technology’s products focused on improving people’s lives while also contributing patents to the nation. No one knew what other innovations Mo Yuan might be holding in reserve.

Qin Shaowan’s Weicheng Medical, currently focused on healthcare, was clearly poised to expand into medical technology products, as Lan Xiao knew from Qin Shaowan’s research during their school days.

If both companies continued on their current trajectories and remained viable for the next five years, collaboration between them was inevitable.

Qin Shaowan should have understood this even better than Lan Xiao. Before knowing Lan Xiao’s true identity, her behavior had seemed professional enough. But now, her actions felt less so.

Lan Xiao couldn’t tell if Qin Shaowan simply clashed with Ye Ling’s personality or if there was some deeper conflict between them. Unwilling to pry, she could only offer subtle reminders.

Fortunately, Qin Shaowan didn’t persist in her stubbornness, replying with a string of “hammering” emojis.

As Lan Xiao stared at the emojis of walls shattered by hammers, she felt a sudden chill run down her spine.

With a sigh, she typed:  Lunch is clearly off the table. How about dinner instead? Would the Young Miss Qin grace me with her presence?

Qin Shaowan: As if I have time for that! I’m swamped!

Qin Shaowan: Let me check my assistant’s schedule.

Qin Shaowan: Hmm… I can squeeze out an hour or two, I suppose.

Qin Shaowan: Address

Qin Shaowan had sent the address of a French restaurant. With over two hours until their 8 PM reservation, Lan Xiao decided to take a taxi to the nearby university district.

As everyone knew, university districts were the culinary capitals of the world, and only junk food could truly satisfy the cravings of a student studying abroad.

Lan Xiao had been craving this for ages. Mindful of their dinner plans, she chose several small snacks, eating just enough to feel about half-full before returning to the hotel to wash off the lingering smell of smoke and fireworks.

The restaurant was a short distance from the hotel, and Lan Xiao arrived ten minutes early, guided by a server to a window-side table.

Nearby, the strains of a violin and piano filled the air, the musicians swaying with passionate intensity, creating an atmosphere both romantic and elegant.

Lan Xiao felt a vague sense of unease, especially when she noticed the two roses on the table.

Looking around, she saw roses on some other tables as well. Was this a signature feature of the restaurant?

Frowning slightly, Lan Xiao waited for a few minutes until Qin Shaowan arrived, her high heels clicking as she settled into the seat opposite her.

“I’m not late, am I?” Qin Shaowan asked anxiously.

“No,” Lan Xiao glanced at her watch. “Exactly eight o’clock. Right on time.”

Qin Shaowan sighed in relief, then froze almost imperceptibly when she noticed the roses on the table. “Waiter, didn’t I say no flowers?”

A flustered waiter hurried over. “My apologies, ma’am. The staff must have overlooked them when clearing the previous table. I’ll remove them immediately.”

“Hurry up,” Qin Shaowan muttered, glancing at Lan Xiao. “It’s not like we’re that kind of couple.”

Lan Xiao understood immediately. “A couple’s table?”

Qin Shaowan nodded stiffly. “Don’t get the wrong idea. This spot has the best night view. I come here often myself. I’ll recommend some signature dishes later.”

Lan Xiao nodded and smoothly turned her gaze to the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The city lights glittered below, illuminating the bustling pedestrians. In the distance, streams of cars flowed like rivers of steel across the urban landscape.

Downstairs, Ye Ling suddenly stopped walking, as if sensing something.

Meng Lianqiu, puzzled, also halted. “President Ye?”

Ye Ling didn’t answer, her gaze fixed in a particular direction.

Following Ye Ling’s gaze, Meng Lianqiu looked in the same direction. Row upon row of brightly lit windows pierced the night, their glow stripping away the privacy they should have afforded.

The building had too many floors. Before she could pinpoint where Ye Ling’s gaze was fixed, a couple passed behind them, seemingly drawn by their attention, and glanced in roughly the same direction.

“Wow, no wonder it’s a famous luxury restaurant. Even the customers are so good-looking! I think the window seats are all for couples, right? Waaah, I wonder if we’ll ever get to experience that in our lifetime.”

“Just a couple’s seat? Wait and see, I’ll get us one sooner or later.”

Restaurant?

With this clue, Meng Lianqiu finally locked onto their target.

Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, two faces were clearly visible.

“That’s…”

Before she could finish speaking, Ye Ling had already averted her gaze.

“Let’s go,” she said softly, her still-healing foot wobbling slightly as she stepped onto the ground.