After the Flash Marriage, My Ex Who is a Movie Queen Keeps Flirting with Me - Chapter 18

Ming Jiyue’s Weibo post sent the internet into a frenzy.

Though she didn’t name names, the online buzz made it obvious who she was referring to.

Fans who had been eagerly “shipping” the Wan Yue CP, savoring the sweet anticipation, suddenly had their hopes dashed by the very person they idolized.

In her seven years since debut, Ming Jiyue had always let her work and characters speak for themselves. She never even glanced at co-stars who tried to hype up their on-screen chemistry. She ignored all such petty tactics—until now. In what seemed like the most genuine attempt at a publicity stunt, Ming Jiyue herself stepped forward to set the record straight.

Her post immediately shifted public opinion.

Holy sh1t, I thought I’d finally found the real deal, but it’s just another PR stunt? And a unilateral one at that, completely disregarding the other party’s wishes.

Someone visited Ming Jiyue on set, and Liu Fan rushed to claim credit? What a thick-skinned move… Getting publicly shut down by the main act after trying to ride her coattails? I’m embarrassed for her.

It’s not like Liu Fan explicitly claimed credit. She just posted a Weibo update vaguely related to Ming Jiyue’s activities. When did she ever say she was the one who visited the set?

How dare the commenter above even speak? Does she really think we believe she didn’t hire those marketing accounts or buy those trending topics? Teacher Ming is a dignified person. Countless people have tried to piggyback off her fame before, but she’s always ignored them. Liu Fan has truly crossed the line this time. Otherwise, Ming Jiyue would never have publicly rebuked him on Weibo, let alone use such a stern phrase as “Please respect yourself.”

LOL, wasn’t Liu Fan trying to hype himself up with Ming Jiyue? This is the first time Ming Jiyue has ever responded to any of these publicity stunts. He’s truly one of a kind in her eyes now.

You’re so ruthless, commenter above! Liu Fan: “Do you want this ‘one of a kind’ status?”

2333 I never expected Sister Ming to personally address this! I thought she’d just ignore it like she always does. She must really think Liu Fan went too far this time.

Am I the only one who thinks this is about that mysterious “set visitor”? “You want to use me for clout? I’ll ignore you. But if you dare claim the identity of my girlfriend who came to visit me on set, you’re dead meat!”

Wow, that sounds like a ship I could get behind!

So! Who exactly was this set visitor?! Can they please come forward and make some noise?!

The news exploded online, drawing even more attention than when Liu Fan first claimed responsibility on Weibo. Reversal stories are always juicier than ordinary gossip.

Ming Jiyue was a top-tier actress with multiple Best Actress awards, while Liu Fan was merely a second-tier star struggling to climb the ranks. Their status was worlds apart.

In times like these, Ming Jiyue’s years of cultivated reputation proved invaluable. Compared to Liu Fan, who had risen to fame through marketing shortcuts, Ming Jiyue’s credibility was undeniable. With a portfolio of classic works, a low-key demeanor, and a solid reputation, her words carried far more weight. Public opinion overwhelmingly sided with her, leaving Liu Fan, who had tried to steal the spotlight but ended up losing everything, to lie low and endure the backlash.

Some even meticulously analyzed Ming Jiyue’s Weibo posts, noting that her relationship with Liu Fan was strictly professional—not even qualifying as friendship.

Tsk tsk, unable to even earn the status of a friend in Ming Jiyue’s eyes, yet daring to use her for publicity stunts.

What a lack of talent, but what audacity!

What started as a simple Weibo post had, thanks to Liu Fan’s meddling, escalated into a full-blown scandal, spreading like wildfire across the internet and dominating online discussions.

It was also on this day that a group chat named “How Could My OTP End?”—silent for seven years—suddenly sprang back to life.

I couldn’t resist chiming in! After seven years, Ming Jiyue is flaunting her affection again. Does she have a new girlfriend?

Holy crap, this group still exists?! The admin must be a die-hard Wan Yue CP fan (tears of joy)!

I was wondering the same thing… I thought Wan Yu’s return to China meant there was hope, but Senior Ming’s Weibo post made my heart sink. Is this really it? Are they destined to part ways and end up in someone else’s arms…?

Stop! What are you even thinking? I just asked Tian Cheng about them a few days ago. She was being vague and wouldn’t say anything directly, but I’m guessing things are happening between them again since Jiang Wanyu came back!

!!! Really?! Chinese people don’t lie to other Chinese people! I’m alive again! This is the first CP I ever shipped, and their breakup back then still hurts so much, sob sob sob.

Ah, they were such a perfect couple in college. I used to spend hours on the school forum reading those endless threads about them. How did they break up? Does anyone know the reason? (Sigh)

That’s all in the past! We need to focus on the present! Based on what I gathered from Tian Cheng, there’s definitely something going on between them.

If there’s really something going on, wouldn’t Jiyue’s Weibo post today be defending Wan Yu? Damn, Wan Yu’s only been back in the country for a short time—did she get together with someone on a rocket ship?

Not necessarily. Senior Ming’s personality is so assertive, she might be going all-out to pursue her.

Most likely, they’re still in the early stages. If that’s the case, what can we do to help?

Wan Yu only ever focused on studying in school. Even now that she’s working, her mind is probably just filled with work. We can’t rely on her. Jiyue’s already making an effort, so we can’t just sit back. It’s time for us old classmates to step up!

If it weren’t for Ming Jiyue, Jiang Wanyu, with her celibate, desireless demeanor, would probably end up a lonely old maid at eighty.

Exactly! Ming Jiyue is easy to handle; the key is winning over Jiang Wanyu.

Boss, what’s the plan? We’ll follow your lead!

Looks like we need to give Wan Yu a strong dose of reality.

While the online chatter raged, Ming Jiyue brought her innocent assistant, who had been caught in the crossfire, into the hotel room. She asked her to wait while she quietly finished dinner with Jiang Wanyu. Finally, under the assistant’s tearful gaze, she answered her manager’s call.

The manager was about to explode with anger. If she hadn’t been swamped with company affairs, she would have booked a ticket back immediately to give Ming Jiyue a piece of her mind.

Finally, the call connected. The manager snapped, “You finally answered? What were you doing just now?”

Ming Jiyue replied matter-of-factly, “Having dinner with Xiao Yu.”

The manager took several deep breaths to avoid cursing outright. “You’re certainly taking your time.”

“If we didn’t eat first, we wouldn’t have had a chance to finish our meal in peace.”

A moment of silence hung in the air before the manager spoke again. “What did Liu Fan do to provoke you into posting that Weibo yourself?”

Ming Jiyue’s tone remained indifferent. “If she tries to ride my coattails, I’ll ignore it. But daring to use Xiao Yu’s name? That I won’t tolerate.”

Though the manager’s tone was still sharp, her anger had subsided considerably. Ming Jiyue’s dinner had saved her from a much harsher scolding.

If she had answered the call immediately after posting the Weibo, she would have been torn to shreds. Now that the manager had seen the online reaction—mostly favorable to Ming Jiyue and without causing a major uproar—her fury had cooled, though a lecture was still inevitable.

She concluded by reminding Ming Jiyue, “Not just you, but everyone around you needs to be more careful.”

Ming Jiyue instinctively glanced at her assistant, who immediately straightened up, knowing the manager was likely mentioning her. She shouted into the phone, “Sister Chen, don’t worry! I’ll definitely… definitely keep a close eye on Sister Ming these next few days!”

After another round of instructions, the call finally ended.

Jiang Wanyu had also been monitoring the online sentiment. Now that she confirmed the public opinion was overwhelmingly in Ming Jiyue’s favor, she finally felt relieved.

She had so much she wanted to say to Ming Jiyue, but she also felt that no amount of words could truly express her feelings. After all, Ming Jiyue had already proven everything through her actions, without saying a word.

After finding an excuse to send the assistant away, leaving only the two of them in the room, Ming Jiyue spoke up: “Were you angry that night because of Liu Fan?”

Jiang Wanyu remained silent.

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t answer. I already guessed,” Ming Jiyue continued, undeterred. “I’ve told you countless times that you’re the only one in my heart. Why don’t you believe me?”

“It was my fault for not mentioning it. I just thought it was all fabricated nonsense, and telling you would only make you worry unnecessarily. I figured it was better to keep it to myself.”

“If you have a problem, just ask me! What’s the point of bottling it up?” Ming Jiyue said sternly. “Don’t you know that timely communication is the most important thing between wives?”

Jiang Wanyu lowered her head. “I understand. I won’t do it again.”

“Promise me you won’t bottle things up again, okay?”

“Mm-hmm.”

Ming Jiyue’s smile finally returned. “So, you were wrong to blame me earlier?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Just ‘sorry’ isn’t enough! I’m not that easily appeased. You need to compensate me for my emotional distress,” Ming Jiyue continued smoothly, her demand sounding perfectly natural.

Jiang Wanyu was taken aback, unsure why she was making such a request. “How should I compensate you? How much money?”

Ming Jiyue waved her slender fingers in front of Jiang Wanyu’s eyes, shaking her head. “We’re wives. Talking about money is so vulgar. I want something else.”

Ming Jiyue smiled, her fingers tracing Jiang Wanyu’s lips under her slightly confused gaze. The gesture was intimate. “Kiss me. Say, ‘I’m not angry anymore. I misunderstood you earlier, Wife.’ Then I’ll forgive you.”

Jiang Wanyu flushed, lowering her eyes. “Stop teasing. I should go.”

Ming Jiyue refused to let her leave. “Not until you say it.”

After a long hesitation, realizing she couldn’t escape, Jiang Wanyu bit her lip and finally spoke. “I’m not angry anymore. I… I misunderstood you earlier. I’m sorry.”

Ming Jiyue remained dissatisfied. She cornered Jiang Wanyu against the wall, her long legs pressing between Jiang Wanyu’s, and leaned down, her eyes locking with hers. “You left out the two most important words.”

Jiang Wanyu pressed her lips together, closed her eyes, and was about to speak when a knock came from the door. “Sister Jiang, time to go!”

Jiang Wanyu instantly panicked and pushed Ming Jiyue away. “I have to leave.”

Ming Jiyue gritted her teeth, realizing she wouldn’t get her chance today, and reluctantly released Jiang Wanyu.

She opened the door for her assistant, her face radiating a murderous aura as she let the trembling woman into the room. The assistant, completely bewildered, stammered, “I-I-I… did I do something wrong again?”

Jiang Wanyu’s face flushed pink, whether from the heat or something else entirely. Clutching her bag, she hurried toward the door.

Ming Jiyue, still seething, called out, “Bye, don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”

Jiang Wanyu pursed her lips, glanced at the assistant who was engrossed in her phone, and as she passed Ming Jiyue, leaned in and swiftly kissed her cheek, leaving behind a hasty, “Wife, I’m leaving.”

With that, she fled out the door.

In that fleeting moment, Ming Jiyue caught a glimpse of Jiang Wanyu’s crimson face.

After a moment of stunned silence, Ming Jiyue snapped out of her daze, her lips curving into an uncontrollable grin. She shouted, “Okay, wife! Wait for me to come home and keep you company!”

The assistant jumped at the sudden outburst, her face blank with confusion. What’s wrong with Sister Ming? Did she suddenly take some kind of stimulant?

Wait, is it hot in here? Why is Sister Jiang’s face so red?