After the Flash Marriage, My Ex Who is a Movie Queen Keeps Flirting with Me - Chapter 19

Two weeks flew by. Ming Jiyue finished her reshoots and prepared to return home.

The night before her flight, Jiang Wanyu received a message from her.

Yueyue: Xiao Yu, I’m coming back tomorrow!

Jiang: Okay, I’ll be waiting for you.

Yueyue: You have the day off tomorrow, right? Any plans?

Jiang: I’m free tomorrow.

Yueyue: My flight lands around 3 PM tomorrow. My assistant had an emergency, and I have quite a bit of luggage, so…

Jiang Wanyu immediately understood her intention but deliberately avoided finishing her sentence.

Jiang: So you’re planning to check your luggage and have someone pick it up later?

Yueyue: Ah… that’s an option, but I have valuables I need to carry with me, and I can’t manage it all myself. I need an extra pair of hands.

Jiang: So?

Yueyue: Seriously? Do I have to spell it out? Will you pick me up tomorrow? Please, darling~

Jiang: Okay.

Yueyue: I knew my darling would come through for me! Go back to work now, mua~

Jiang: mua

Indeed, ever since Ming Jiyue had tricked Jiang Wanyu—or rather, since Jiang Wanyu had learned the true meaning of Ming Jiyue’s “mua”—the two had been using it for nearly a month. The Best Actress Ming, ever relentless in her mischief, still hadn’t revealed the other meanings of “mua” to her wife. She seemed determined to keep using it until Jiang Wanyu reconnected to the internet.

The assistant, who was packing luggage, spoke up, “Boss, if Sister Jiang asks what I’m doing tomorrow afternoon, what should I say?”

“Xiao Yu isn’t the type to pry,” Ming Jiyue replied casually. “She won’t ask. But if she does, just make up something.”

Ming Jiyue’s stance was clear: the excuse didn’t matter, as long as it didn’t interrupt her alone time with her wife.

The assistant, now “forced to be busy” to create space for the boss’s romance, nodded. “Understood, Sister Ming.”

“Have all the things been shipped over?”

“Yes, I’ll send someone to pick them up.”

“Then tell Sister Jiang there’s a lot of stuff…” The assistant hesitated.

Ming Jiyue pointed to the bag by the bed. “Isn’t that big enough? My wife is delicate; we can’t tire her out.”

The assistant silently glanced at the ordinary backpack-sized bag and remained silent.

Whatever makes you happy, Boss.

The following afternoon, Jiang Wanyu arrived at the airport on time and successfully picked up Ming Jiyue.

Ming Jiyue greeted her with a warm embrace.

“I’ve missed you so much!”

“How long has it been? I only got back from visiting you on set a week ago.”

“A week is an eternity!”

“It is… it feels like forever,” Jiang Wanyu replied with a smile.

Jiang Wanyu glanced at the single bag in Ming Jiyue’s hand. “I thought you said you had too much luggage to carry?”

“Oh, I thought about it later. Mrs. Ming, you’re so delicate, I figured you couldn’t carry much, so I had my assistant handle it.”

“Oh? What was she busy with this afternoon?”

“She… she had an urgent matter at home and had to rush back,” Ming Jiyue replied quickly.

Jiang Wanyu glanced at her with a smile, then held up her phone. “Really? Because when I just asked her, she said Sister Chen urgently needed her at the office.”

Jiang Wanyu raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you two coordinate your stories beforehand?”

Ming Jiyue pulled out her phone and finally saw the message her assistant had sent five minutes earlier:

Boss, Sister Jiang asked what I was busy with this afternoon. I said Sister Chen called me back to the office. Don’t blow our cover!

Ming Jiyue replied:  Too late. We’ve already been exposed.

She looked up, offering an embarrassed but polite smile, and naturally wrapped her arms around Jiang Wanyu, beginning to coax her. “Xiao Yu, I didn’t mean to! I just wanted you to come pick me up at the airport, so I told her to say that. I won’t do it again.”

Jiang Wanyu, held in Ming Jiyue’s swaying embrace, looked somewhat helpless. “If you want me to pick you up next time, just ask.”

Ming Jiyue paused, her smile widening. Still outside, she leaned in and kissed her lover’s cheek through her mask. “Okay, I’ll do whatever Xiao Yu says.”

As they returned home, Jiang Wanyu brought up the topic: “Are you going to the gathering tonight?”

She was referring to their university department reunion, an event for close classmates who hadn’t seen each other in years and wanted to catch up.

As expected, Ming Jiyue replied, “You go ahead. I won’t be attending.”

Jiang Wanyu didn’t press the issue. Ming Jiyue was a celebrity with a high-profile status, making it impractical for her to attend. Moreover, given their current relationship, appearing together in public while pretending to be strangers would inevitably raise suspicion.

Before Jiang Wanyu left, Ming Jiyue reminded her, “Be careful and text me when it’s winding down. I’ll come pick you up.”

The reunion was held in a private room at a downtown bar. About a dozen people attended—not a large group, but considering it had been seven years since their last gathering, getting this many people together was already quite an accomplishment.

As Jiang Wanyu entered the room, the few classmates who had already arrived exchanged glances and stood up to greet her.

Having lived abroad for several years, Jiang Wanyu hadn’t had many opportunities to meet up with her classmates, but they had maintained contact, so the reunion didn’t feel awkward.

Soon, everyone had arrived, and the gathering officially began.

To Jiang Wanyu, this gathering was just an ordinary class reunion. But to everyone else, it was a CP support rally and a joyous reunion after seven years apart.

At first, things were normal enough. Everyone chatted and drank with their close friends, and Jiang Wanyu mingled comfortably in the crowd. But at some point, people began approaching her one after another, urging her to drink.

Jiang Wanyu didn’t think much of it at first. After all, it was a class reunion, and it was normal for people to encourage each other to drink. Though she didn’t enjoy alcohol, she didn’t want to spoil the mood, so she indulged in a few sips.

By the time she realized something was amiss, she was completely surrounded—everyone was targeting her alone.

“Why isn’t anyone else drinking?” Jiang Wanyu asked, puzzled. “Why are you all just drinking with me?”

Someone quickly smoothed things over. “We’re all drinking, aren’t we?”

The others chimed in, raising their glasses in agreement.

Maybe it’s just my imagination, Jiang Wanyu thought, and continued chatting and drinking.

Meanwhile, at home, Ming Jiyue kept glancing at the clock, waiting for her lover’s message to pick her up.

As the minutes ticked by, it was already 9:30 PM, and Jiang Wanyu’s message still hadn’t arrived. Ming Jiyue’s messages went unanswered.

Could she be busy with social engagements and not checking her phone?

Seeing that it was almost Jiang Wanyu’s usual bedtime, Ming Jiyue stopped waiting, grabbed her keys, and drove out.

Arriving at the bar, she made one last call, but it went unanswered. Glancing at the clock, Ming Jiyue put on a hat and mask and walked into the bar without hesitation.

Inside the private room, the party was still in full swing.

These people had underestimated Jiang Wanyu’s resilience. With her high alcohol tolerance and deliberate restraint to avoid getting drunk, she had already downed several of her opponents while remaining only half-intoxicated herself.

Seeing that it was past ten o’clock and their mission to get Jiang Wanyu drunk was far from complete, they began to grow anxious.

Seven years apart, Jiang Wanyu, how have you become even more of a heavy drinker? At this rate, how are we going to get her packaged up and thrown into Ming Jiyue’s bed for… you know what?!

“No worries,” the Senior Sister leading the group said with a sly smile, pulling out a pill and dropping it into a wine glass. “Luckily, I have a Plan B just in case.”

“What’s this?” Someone looked uneasy. “We just want to set them up, not do anything reckless.”

Senior Sister said, “It’s just something to liven things up. Don’t worry. Ahem, I’ve tried it myself—I’ve been the guinea pig. You can trust me.”

Someone gave her a thumbs-up. “Senior Sister, you’ve made a great sacrifice.”

Another person chimed in, “Even if this stuff is safe, Wan Yu isn’t stupid. How could she not notice if we just handed it to her like this?”

Senior Sister was about to say, “She won’t notice,” but then she glanced at the wine, which had changed color, and her expression turned awkward. “Um, she’s already drunk. She probably won’t notice, right?”

“……”

They had to try anyway. Senior Sister gritted her teeth, picked up the glass, and walked over to Jiang Wanyu.

Jiang Wanyu’s head was spinning. She was busy fending off people trying to get her to drink more when she finally remembered her phone, which she had forgotten in a corner.

She opened her chat with Ming Jiyue and saw dozens of messages and missed calls, feeling a pang of worry.

She’s probably angry again.

Just as she was about to reply, someone called out from ahead, “Wan Yu, have another drink with Senior Sister!”

Jiang Wanyu temporarily put her phone away and stood up. “Sure.”

As she reached for the glass, she noticed something was off. She pointed at the glass being offered to her. “Senior Sister, the wine in these two glasses… it looks different?”

Jiang Wanyu’s observation was immediately noticed. Everyone instinctively averted their eyes, except for Senior Sister, who forced a strained smile. “Haha, I thought you seemed a bit tipsy, so I swapped your wine for juice.”

“Really?”

“Yes, yes!” Senior Sister nodded eagerly. “Isn’t Senior Sister so thoughtful?”

Jiang Wanyu tilted her head slightly and smiled. “Thank you, Senior Sister. But how can drinking juice show my sincerity? Why don’t you drink this juice, and I’ll take the wine instead?”

Senior Sister: ……

Jiang Wanyu, you look so innocent on the surface, but you’re actually black-hearted!

While Plan B was underway but temporarily stalled, another team was coordinating their efforts, preparing to call Ming Jiyue and ask her to pick up Jiang Wanyu.

One member, still uneasy, whispered, “Are we sure this will work? What if Senior Ming doesn’t come after we get her drunk? That would be so awkward!”

The caller retorted firmly, “If she can’t even come pick someone up when they’re drunk, what kind of future do they have together?”

With that, he dialed Ming Jiyue’s number.

The moment the call connected, the door to the private room swung open.

The door opened quietly, barely audible over the lively chatter inside. Normally, it wouldn’t have drawn any attention.

But the instant the door opened, everyone seemed to freeze as if under a spell, turning their heads toward the entrance in unison. A hush fell over the room.

The newcomer removed her hat and mask, revealing a strikingly beautiful face.

Yet even more astonishing than her beauty was her identity.

One quick-witted person immediately called out, “Senior Ming, what are you doing here? I thought you said you didn’t have time?”

This seemed to press the “play” button again. The others rose to their feet, greeting her with smiles.

“Wow, that was fast!” one exclaimed. “Senior Sister, Ming Jiyue really gives you face, huh?”

The person who had made the call glanced at the screen and muttered, “It’s… it’s still ringing.”

Still ringing?

Hearing this, the expressions of those around them turned subtle.

What was going on?

“Oh, Jiyue, what are you doing here? I thought you said it wasn’t convenient?”

Ming Jiyue, completely at ease among her old classmates, replied with a smile, “I finished up my work and thought I’d drop by. And… I’m here to pick someone up.”

“Picking someone up? Who?”

The crowd followed Ming Jiyue’s gaze to where Jiang Wanyu was standing.

In an instant, they understood.

Jiang Wanyu was leaning against a table, surrounded by two or three people. One of them held a glass of wine, smiling as they spoke to her while trying to press the glass into her hand.

Seeing this, Ming Jiyue chuckled. “Senior Sister, are you trying to get Wan Yu to drink?”

The senior sister glanced over, inwardly realizing her plan was doomed, but her expression remained composed. She smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “It’s been years since I’ve seen Wan Yu. I just wanted to share a drink with her. As her senior, she should at least give me some face, right?”

The senior sister had been about to give up and take the glass back when Ming Jiyue stepped forward and drained the wine in one gulp before either woman could react.

Jiang Wanyu rubbed her temples, her head still spinning from the alcohol. She didn’t immediately respond.

“Of course we’ll give Senior Sister face,” Ming Jiyue said, already moving forward. Before either woman could react, she snatched the glass from the senior sister’s hand and downed the liquid in one swift motion.

“No!” Jiang Wanyu, her head still groggy, belatedly snapped back to her senses, but it was too late to stop her.

Senior Sister was equally startled, her mouth opening to say something, but no words came out.

She… she drank it?

The emptied glass was turned upside down and held up in front of Senior Sister. Ming Jiyue, her brow slightly furrowed, smiled. “Xiao Yu is drunk. I’ll toast Senior Sister on her behalf.”

Though Jiang Wanyu knew Senior Sister wouldn’t intentionally harm her, she couldn’t help but worry about what might have been added to the drink. “Do you feel any discomfort?”

Ming Jiyue winked at her. “No, why?”

Jiang Wanyu shot Senior Sister a questioning look, silently demanding, What was in that drink?

Senior Sister returned a slightly embarrassed glance before quickly pulling Jiang Wanyu into a corner. After whispering something, she returned to Ming Jiyue under Jiang Wanyu’s half-shocked, half-reproachful gaze.

The person beside her seemed completely oblivious, smiling as she asked, “What’s wrong? What did Senior Sister whisper to you?”

Jiang Wanyu curled her fingers and bit her lower lip. Senior Sister had warned that the drug’s effects would kick in quickly, and they should go home immediately.

Only a few people knew about Senior Sister’s Plan B. The rest assumed their task was simply to drink. Since Jiang Wanyu and Ming Jiyue were both present, they couldn’t let anyone leave easily. Jiang Wanyu’s head throbbed as she carefully observed Ming Jiyue’s reaction, but Ming Jiyue remained composed, chatting and laughing as if nothing were amiss.

Jiang Wanyu breathed a small sigh of relief, but remained vigilant. With the help of a few who knew the truth, she slipped away from the group and left the private room.

Just as she was about to ask Ming Jiyue how she was feeling, she watched in horror as Ming Jiyue’s body went limp and she collapsed into Jiang Wanyu’s arms.

The person in her arms, whose pale face had flushed crimson like rouge dissolving in water, gazed up with eyes that seemed to hold a pool of spring water, her gaze unfocused.

Slender arms wrapped around Jiang Wanyu’s neck, fingers deliberately or unconsciously caressing the side of her neck with a suggestive touch. A faint, sweet fragrance emanated from her body. Even her voice trembled as she spoke, clearly at her limit: “Let’s go… home. I can’t… hold on much longer.”