After the Flash Marriage, My Ex Who is a Movie Queen Keeps Flirting with Me - Chapter 14

Ming Jiyue froze in place. “What?”

She was completely bewildered. An industry girlfriend? Where did that come from? How could I not know I had an industry girlfriend?

What nonsense is Jiang Wanyu making up in her head? Did she just invent a rival out of boredom?

Remembering how Jiang Wanyu had teased her about having “too many admirers” in the entertainment industry, Ming Jiyue wondered if she’d fabricated more than one rival.

“What rival?”

Jiang Wanyu regretted her words the moment they left her lips. She lowered her gaze and murmured, “It’s nothing. Go back to sleep.”

After Jiang Wanyu’s outburst, Ming Jiyue refused to leave. Her feet barely touched the floor before she retracted them and lay back down, settling in for the night. “I can’t sleep until you explain.”

Jiang Wanyu was a reserved person, her thoughts often swirling in her mind without ever finding expression.

Ming Jiyue racked her brain. “What did I do to make you think I have an ‘industry girlfriend’?”

Jiang Wanyu remained silent.

Ming Jiyue strained her memory. “Could it be… that person? Liu… the minor actress I worked with on the film?”

Jiang Wanyu’s fingers twitched slightly, but she vehemently denied it. “No.”

Realizing she shouldn’t know so much, she quickly changed her tone. “Which minor actress?”

Ming Jiyue carefully observed Jiang Wanyu’s reaction. Seeing her hesitation, she said, “So it wasn’t that… It seems the incident didn’t escalate much. Probably not many people know about it.”

“Then who was it?”

“No one.”

No matter how much Ming Jiyue pressed, Jiang Wanyu refused to budge. Ming Jiyue immediately switched tactics. “Xiao Yu, Jiejie, Xiao Yu Jiejie~ How can I guess if you don’t tell me? What really happened? Please tell me.”

“You’re not angry about this, are you? If so, I’m truly guilty! I’ll tie myself up and let you beat me to vent your anger. Please don’t be mad anymore, okay?”

Ming Jiyue coaxed her with a soft voice for a long time, gradually soothing away Jiang Wanyu’s pent-up frustration. However, some things were too embarrassing to say. “I haven’t figured out how to explain it yet. I’ll tell you when I’m ready.”

“Is that okay?”

Jiang Wanyu’s softened attitude was already a good sign, so Ming Jiyue didn’t press further. “Of course. You can tell me whenever you’re ready.”

The matter was temporarily dropped. After this exchange, Jiang Wanyu felt somewhat relieved, though there were still things she couldn’t directly ask Ming Jiyue about. She decided to let it go for now.

It was almost eleven o’clock—time to sleep.

Before Jiang Wanyu could say, “Let’s go to bed,” Ming Jiyue asked first, “Were we fighting just now?”

Jiang Wanyu, thinking Ming Jiyue was about to settle scores, lowered her head and murmured, “Mm.”

“Now that we’ve made up and successfully resolved a crisis, shouldn’t we celebrate?”

Jiang Wanyu was puzzled. “Celebrate? How?”

“It’s late. How about some midnight snacks?”

“No, no, not snacks,” Ming Jiyue chuckled, shaking her head. Her tongue unconsciously licked her lips. “Wanyu, it’s still early. What do you say… should we try something else?”

Her lips brushed suggestively against Jiang Wanyu’s neck, her voice laced with a seductive edge, the word “try” emphasized with deliberate weight.

Jiang Wanyu understood instantly. A faint blush crept up her earlobes, but she forced herself to remain calm, took a deep breath, and held her phone up to Ming Jiyue.

Ming Jiyue looked confused. “What’s this?”

“It’s 10:40 PM.”

“Only 10:40? That’s still early. We could…”

“From 11 PM to 1 AM, the gallbladder metabolizes bile and bone marrow produces bl00d.”

The sudden shift in topic caught Ming Jiyue off guard, leaving her momentarily stunned. “Huh?”

Jiang Wanyu had already regained her composure, her expression now stern and her tone uncompromising. “These processes require a state of sleep.”

Afraid of being caught acting strangely, Jiang Wanyu abruptly switched off the light with a snap.

Ming Jiyue was left sitting in the darkness, questioning her life choices: ???

This clueless idiot!

Ming Jiyue gritted her teeth inwardly, lying down in frustration. She rudely yanked the blanket forcefully to her side.

After an indeterminate amount of time, the person beside her grew still. In the darkness, Jiang Wanyu’s eyes slowly opened, staring at the pitch-black ceiling for a long, unblinking moment.

Time shifted to the weekend. Jiang Wanyu’s earlier promise to visit Ming Jiyue on set—”I’ll see how things go”—naturally resulted in her going.

Jin City wasn’t far from Beijing, just a two-hour drive. An assistant came to pick her up.

During the drive, the talkative assistant kept Jiang Wanyu engaged in conversation.

“This is my first time picking someone up for a set visit,” the assistant said.

Jiang Wanyu smiled. “Really?”

“Yeah! Sister Ming never lets anyone visit her on set. She says it’s too much trouble to host them. Last time Teacher Shi Miao wanted to visit, Sister Ming refused to send anyone to pick her up. She told her to come on her own—she didn’t care about the visit.”

“So, this is a first. Not just anyone gets this kind of treatment,” the assistant added, glancing back at Jiang Wanyu in the rearview mirror with a smile.

During the two-hour drive, Jiang Wanyu drifted off to sleep for the latter half of the journey. Before getting out of the car, the assistant woke her up and reminded her to put on her mask.

Since her identity hadn’t been publicly revealed yet and Jiang Wanyu was still a private citizen, it was best to avoid exposure.

Ming Jiyue, having received the message, rushed out to greet her. As soon as she saw Jiang Wanyu, she grabbed her hand and exclaimed, “I haven’t seen you in days! I missed you so much! Did you miss me too?”

Ming Jiyue blushed slightly. “We can’t go public yet. Sister Chen told me to be careful, so I had to sneak over.”

“But once we officially announce our relationship, we’ll be able to hold hands and walk around freely in public.”

As she spoke, her eyes curved into crescents as she leaned in close to Jiang Wanyu’s ear. “And no one will say a word if we kiss.”

The assistant stood silently behind Jiang Wanyu, overwhelmed by the tender affection in Ming Jiyue’s eyes. It was almost suffocatingly sweet. If they weren’t on set, her boss would probably have kissed Jiang Wanyu right then and there.

“You must be tired from the long drive. Let’s get you settled in first,” Ming Jiyue said, pulling her wife inside.

The neglected assistant raised her hand. “Boss, I drove for two hours too! That was hard work!”

Ming Jiyue finally remembered her loyal aide and chuckled, ruffling her hair. “Alright, you worked hard too. Bringing the boss’s wife here earns you major credit!”

The assistant chuckled, her tail wagging vigorously behind her, and replied with sycophantic enthusiasm, “Anything to make the boss and boss’s wife happy! It’s my duty.”

“By the way, have you seen any of my performances?” Ming Jiyue asked.

Jiang Wanyu lowered her gaze slightly. “I was busy with my studies abroad. I didn’t have time.”

“Oh, well,” Ming Jiyue said, a hint of disappointment in her voice, but she quickly brightened again. “No worries! I’ll invite you to the premiere of Jade Flute’s Soaring Melody.”

The film set buzzed with activity as actors and crew members hurried about their tasks. Ming Jiyue, wanting to keep things discreet, hadn’t mentioned Jiang Wanyu’s arrival, so few noticed her.

However, Director Liu had noticed Ming Jiyue glancing outside frequently during filming. When he saw her rush out alone and return with two cheerful companions, his curiosity piqued.

He approached them with a greeting. “Teacher Ming, who are these two? Friends?”

“My assistants,” Ming Jiyue replied simply. “They had to go back to the company for some business earlier and just returned.”

Director Liu’s gaze swept over Jiang Wanyu’s face. Even with her mask on, her delicate features were evident. He chuckled. “So they’re assistants? Judging by how happy you look, Teacher Ming, someone might think you were picking up your girlfriend!”

Ming Jiyue laughed heartily. “Director Liu, you’re joking!”

“Didn’t you just have one assistant a few days ago? How come there are two today?” Director Liu asked.

Ming Jiyue casually improvised, “The production’s been a bit hectic, so we called in an extra assistant. Don’t worry, Director Liu, they won’t cause any trouble.”

“No trouble at all, Teacher Ming. Do whatever works best for you.” Though curious, Director Liu refrained from pressing further. Sensing the risk of revealing too much, Ming Jiyue quickly changed the subject, claiming she needed to discuss some details with the director and led him away.

Jiang Wanyu arrived around noon, just as the lunch break was about to begin.

The moment Director Liu called “Break!” Ming Jiyue abandoned everyone else and rushed straight to Jiang Wanyu. “Let’s go back to the hotel,” she said.

A crew member noticed Ming Jiyue running toward the two figures and glanced over. One was clearly an assistant, having been by Ming Jiyue’s side throughout the shoot. The other was likely another assistant, so the crew member quickly looked away.

An actor who was friendly with Ming Jiyue teased with a smile, “Teacher Ming, so eager! Rushing off for lunch?”

Ming Jiyue waved back with a smile, offering no further explanation.

“We still have filming this afternoon, so I can’t go out to eat with you,” Ming Jiyue said regretfully.

“That’s fine. Something simple will do,” Jiang Wanyu replied, retrieving a lunchbox from the car and following Ming Jiyue into the hotel.

Ming Jiyue’s eyes lit up when she saw the food Jiang Wanyu was carrying. “Is this for me?”

Jiang Wanyu nodded. “Mm… Auntie made it and asked me to bring it to you.”

Ming Jiyue looked slightly disappointed but smiled nonetheless. “Thank Auntie! I’ve missed her cooking so much these past few days.”

The assistant had already ordered takeout. Ming Jiyue arranged both the takeout and Jiang Wanyu’s dishes on the table, and the two sat down to eat.

“I’ll try Auntie’s cooking first,” Ming Jiyue said, picking up a piece of fish with her chopsticks and bringing it to her mouth. After a few chews, her expression turned subtle.

She glanced at Jiang Wanyu, the corners of her lips twitching upward, and then sampled the other dishes. Her certainty grew. “Has Auntie’s cooking gotten this much worse in just a few days? It doesn’t taste as good as before.”

Jiang Wanyu’s hand froze mid-air. She instinctively wanted to say something but forced herself to remain silent. “Maybe it’s because it’s been in the thermos for a while? It probably doesn’t taste as good as when it was freshly made.”

Ming Jiyue suppressed a laugh and nodded earnestly. “It’s not just that it’s gotten worse—the flavor is completely different! Tell me, did they change the cook today? Did they hire a new chef named Jiang?”

Hearing this, Jiang Wanyu knew she’d been found out. “Your taste buds are sharp.”

“Of course! How could I not recognize my wife’s cooking?” Ming Jiyue said with a smile. “Xiao Yu, really! Is bringing your wife lunch something to be ashamed of? Why were you so embarrassed to admit it?”

“If I didn’t know you so well, wouldn’t it have been a waste of your effort?”

“Finish it all, then it won’t be a waste,” Jiang Wanyu replied, lowering her head to eat.

“No problem,” Ming Jiyue immediately agreed. “Not a single bite will be wasted.”

After a moment of silence, Jiang Wanyu couldn’t help but say, “You knew I made it, and you still said it tasted bad.”

Ming Jiyue stifled a laugh, realizing Jiang Wanyu was sensitive about her cooking skills having declined so much. She quickly added, “I was just teasing! Everything you make tastes delicious. To me, it’s even better than what Auntie makes.”

Jiang Wanyu picked up a piece of fish and placed it on Ming Jiyue’s plate, her tone noticeably lighter. “Then eat more.”

With filming continuing in the afternoon, Jiang Wanyu stayed at the hotel. Before leaving, Ming Jiyue reminded her to rest well and said she was welcome to visit the set anytime.

The manager, aware of Ming Jiyue’s visit, cautioned her to keep a low profile, avoid making a fuss, and definitely not get photographed.

Jiang Wanyu shared the same sentiment and spent the afternoon at the hotel instead of going to the set.

When Ming Jiyue returned to the hotel around seven o’clock, she immediately complained, “I waited all afternoon for you to visit, but you didn’t show up!”

Her voice carried a hint of grievance.

“If we’re photographed, you’ll be on the front page again tomorrow.”

Ming Jiyue remained undeterred. “Just be careful. It’s not that easy to get caught.”

“It’s better to be safe than sorry,” Jiang Wanyu said, shaking her head. “How am I supposed to get back? If your assistant is busy, I’ll just take a taxi.”

“I’ll have my assistant drive you,” Ming Jiyue offered. “It’s late already. Rushing home to pack would definitely cut into your sleep. Why don’t you stay here tonight?”

“Nothing is more important than you getting your rest,” Ming Jiyue declared with a grand air.

Jiang Wanyu didn’t know what to say. “You used to tease me all the time. I never saw you being so concerned then.”

“What are you talking about?” Ming Jiyue retorted, sounding offended. “When have I ever refused to go to bed early with you?”

Her point was valid. Jiang Wanyu had no other commitments tomorrow, so she agreed to stay.

“Just one night. I’ll leave early tomorrow morning. We shouldn’t be spotted.”

Having only spent one day together before leaving, Ming Jiyue was reluctant to let her go. “Can’t you stay another day?”

“If I stayed a few more days, I could go back with you,” Jiang Wanyu replied.

Ming Jiyue’s eyes lit up. “That would be perfect!”

Jiang Wanyu didn’t know what to make of her.

“Tomorrow morning, you go to the set first. Have your assistant pick me up later. If we don’t appear together, we shouldn’t be discovered.”

Jiang Wanyu carefully reminded her, and the manager called as well: “Wanyu, you’re leaving early tomorrow? Okay, be careful on the road. Remember not to be seen together—we don’t want any photos surfacing.”

“And tell the crew to be discreet too. If someone leaks anything online, it’ll cause trouble again. Understand? Keep a low profile.”

Ming Jiyue fiddled with her phone, half-heartedly agreeing, “Got it.”

Jiang Wanyu reassured the manager, “Sister Chen, don’t worry. They all think I’m her assistant, so no one’s paying attention.”

Ming Jiyue scrolled through Weibo. A married actress on her follow list had posted a daily update, showing off the bento lunch her partner had made for her. The comments below were filled with envy for the couple’s affection.

Assistant? What assistant? I’m her wife, damn it.

Having finished her reminders, the manager concluded, “Get some rest. You have an early shoot tomorrow, right? You’re relatively safe in the hotel—you shouldn’t be discovered. Once Wanyu gets back tomorrow morning, you’ll be completely safe.”

Ming Jiyue, still engrossed in her phone, mumbled vague acknowledgments, “Yeah, yeah, whatever. I’m hanging up now.”

The manager snapped, “Ming Jiyue, were you even listening to anything I said?”

Before Ming Jiyue could reply, the assistant who had brought dinner suddenly shrieked, “Sister Ming!”

Jiang Wanyu jumped in surprise and hurriedly asked what was wrong.

The assistant held her phone out to Jiang Wanyu, displaying a Weibo post from one minute earlier:

@MingJiyuevv: It’s so nice to have someone visit me on set (heart emoji)

The accompanying photo showed the three dishes and soup Jiang Wanyu had prepared for her.

The photo only captured the food, not Ming Jiyue’s face. However, the poster couldn’t resist including a glimpse of Jiang Wanyu’s clothing in the corner of the frame.

Of course, it was impossible to identify her from such a small detail.

The manager saw the Weibo post and nearly exploded on the spot. “Ming Jiyue! I just finished talking to you!”

Ming Jiyue: “I just posted a Weibo. I didn’t say who it was. Isn’t that discreet enough?”

The manager was about to lose her mind. “You have to post about a set visit? Show off, show off, show off! Would you die if you didn’t show off?”

Ming Jiyue replied earnestly, “I would die.”

“……”

“I wouldn’t post about just anyone visiting. But this was my wife. I had to.”

Soon, the hashtag #MingJiyueSetVisit# was trending. Netizens were in a frenzy, speculating about the identity of the visitor while naturally connecting it to the rumored girlfriend within the industry.

Shi Miao and Ming Jiyue are so close, but she never posts about Shi Miao’s visits. This sudden eagerness? It’s definitely her rumored girlfriend.

Who is she? Everyone in the entertainment industry, please claim her!

Who exactly is Ming Jiyue’s rumored girlfriend? Why is she being so mysterious? I need all her information within three minutes!

The internet was in a frenzy, users transforming into amateur detectives, scratching their heads in frustration as they tried to guess her identity. The film crew was equally baffled, their faces blank: When did someone visit the set? Was it a telepathic visit?

The manager, upon hearing the news, was already rushing to the scene, while the assistant silently observed, silently consuming the romantic display.

The “rumored girlfriend,” of course, wouldn’t come forward to claim her title. Yet, this same woman who had previously urged Ming Jiyue to keep a low profile had now secretly downloaded Weibo and was scrolling through the trending topics.

No one outside knew who had visited Ming Jiyue, but that didn’t matter. Her knowing was enough.

Ming Jiyue leaned closer to his wife, feigning innocence after his mischief: “Xiao Yu, I took the liberty of posting that Weibo. You’re not mad, are you? I didn’t mean anything by it—I just felt I had to acknowledge your visit and the delicious food you brought.”

In simpler terms: Yes, I wanted to show off my wife.

Jiang Wanyu desperately suppressed the upward curve of her lips: “Don’t do it again.”