I Married My Heartless Ex-Wife’s Black Lotus Sister - Chapter 29

Song Qi’an’s lips trembled slightly, fully aware that she was the one breaking her promise this time. Her face showed clear signs of guilt and unease. “I’ll come back as soon as I finish handling things at the hospital.”

After all, Lin Xiaoxiao was her key artist, someone she had invested heavily in. Though it wasn’t ideal to coldly abandon Zheng Yili for Lin Xiaoxiao’s sake, she had no choice.

She had already poured too many resources into Lin Xiaoxiao—she couldn’t just sit back and do nothing.

Moreover, the sheer panic in Liang Xin’s voice when he called for help had been unmistakable. The chaotic noise in the background made it clear the situation was serious, something a few powerless bodyguards couldn’t handle alone—unless she went there personally.

Liang Xin had probably realized this too, which was why he had desperately turned to her as a last resort.

Song Qi’an’s face was full of apology, but Zheng Yili found it grating. If she had already weighed the pros and cons and made her choice, why put on this reluctant, sentimental act in front of her?

“Spare me the act,” Zheng Yili said bluntly, not bothering to spare her feelings. “If you’re leaving, then go. Don’t waste time—I don’t want the blame if something goes wrong.”

Song Qi’an knew Zheng Yili was upset, so she didn’t take the sharp words too much to heart.

She understood Zheng Yili’s personality well—direct, outspoken, wearing her emotions on her sleeve. It made her easy to read.

Once upon a time, Song Qi’an had loved that simplicity in Zheng Yili. But as Zheng Yili’s outbursts became more frequent, she gradually found it tiresome.

Like now. Even after explaining the situation, Zheng Yili kept pushing, her sarcastic remarks leaving Song Qi’an humiliated.

Noticing Song Yanqing’s gaze from behind, Song Qi’an’s expression darkened. She stared at Zheng Yili for a long moment before coldly tossing out, “I’ll come back to you later,” and turning away without hesitation.

Zheng Yili didn’t catch the displeasure in Song Qi’an’s final look—and even if she had, she wouldn’t have cared.

At that moment, she lowered her head with an amused smile. Once Song Qi’an stepped out of the estate today, she shouldn’t even think about coming back. Before, Zheng Yili had been careless, and with Song Yanqing around, others had no choice but to let her in out of respect. But that trick wouldn’t work anymore.

Thinking of the key to this, Zheng Yili slowly raised her head, locking eyes with Song Yanqing.

Meeting her gaze, Song Yanqing finally stepped forward. “Did Qi’an do something wrong again to upset you?”

Though phrased as a question, the certainty in her tone was unmistakable. Zheng Yili didn’t deny it, offering a brief explanation. “Lin Xiaoxiao got into trouble. She went to handle it.”

Song Yanqing promptly showed disapproval, her voice cool and light. “What does Lin Xiaoxiao’s trouble have to do with her? She’s just Lin Xiaoxiao’s boss, not her—”

“Lacking boundaries,” Song Yanqing paused before adding softly, chastising.

Song Yanqing had voiced exactly what Zheng Yili was thinking, leaving her with little else to say. The complaints stuck in her throat. She chuckled softly. “It’s hard to imagine you’d have a sister like that.”

Only after speaking did she realize that the two sisters were merely half-siblings, and it was somewhat unfair to drag Song Yanqing into Song Qi’an’s mistakes.

Song Yanqing didn’t react much. “My fault.”

Her apology was sincere, leaving Zheng Yili momentarily stunned. He instinctively asked, “What does this have to do with you?”

“If I hadn’t been so weak back then, if I had fought harder for our marriage, you and she wouldn’t have been entangled for so many years.” As she spoke, Song Yanqing’s expression was gentle, tinged with deep self-reproach, her pitiable demeanor tugging at the heartstrings.

The mention of the past made Zheng Yili uncomfortable. He clenched his palm unconsciously and comforted her, “Even if you had fought, it probably wouldn’t have made a difference.”

“Shen Yun was so domineering. You were just a child with no influence—who would have listened to you?”

Though he didn’t know much about Song Yanqing and Song Qi’an’s father, judging by Aunt Daxi’s situation, it was clear the man wasn’t someone to place much hope in.

A faint bitterness flickered across Song Yanqing’s face, gone in an instant.

Belatedly realizing his misstep, Zheng Yili awkwardly changed the subject, “Alright, you’ve just recovered—don’t stand for too long. Song Lin is already inside waiting for you.”

“Shall I take you to her?”

Song Yanqing didn’t refuse, her face softening into a gentle, harmless smile. “Then I’ll trouble you.”

“Don’t mention it.” Zheng Yili responded politely, suddenly recalling that in both this life and the last, whenever he had been emotionally distraught, acting like a hysterical madman, it had always been Song Yanqing patiently staying by his side.

Countless days and nights—whether through wind and rain or thunder and lightning—as long as Zheng Yili was willing to turn around, he would invariably find her there.

Song Yanqing’s love was silent, yet steady and reliable, to the point where Zheng Yili had nearly developed a habit of feeling inexplicably at ease just by seeing her.

Zheng Yili tugged at the corner of his lips, finding his own thoughts somewhat absurd.

Meanwhile, Song Qi’an hurried to the garage. The moment she opened her navigation, an overwhelming flood of news alerts popped up. The incident at the hospital had been blown out of proportion by lurking media, sparking massive online discussions.

Unable to stomach the dense text, Song Qi’an’s gaze immediately locked onto the profile of the troublemaker in the photo.

The face looked vaguely familiar. She had a suspicion but didn’t dare—or want—to confirm it just yet. She would rather her guess be wrong, so Zheng Yili would have no connection to this mess.

But the truth would only be revealed once she reached the hospital and questioned it herself.

Considering the immense damage this exposure would do to Lin Xiaoxiao’s reputation, Song Qi’an quickly issued orders to Ding Rui’s PR department: “No matter what, I want all traces of this online gone—fast.”

The rumors between her and Lin Xiaoxiao were nothing but baseless media speculation. Not to mention, she was still engaged to Zheng Yili. Even if she weren’t, Lin Xiaoxiao wasn’t her type.

Though Lin Xiaoxiao was gentle and considerate, making their interactions comfortable and relaxed—unlike the exhausting mental gymnastics required with others—that was all there was to it.

To this day, Song Qi’an harbored not a single inappropriate thought about Lin Xiaoxiao.

She had considered so much for Lin Xiaoxiao, but only because Lin Xiaoxiao was currently the slightly better card she could play from her hand. The veteran artists at Ding Rui were already shrewd individuals, established for years with unshakable confidence, and didn’t need to fully comply with the company’s demands. But Lin Xiaoxiao was different.

Lin Xiaoxiao’s wretched family background destined her to place all her hopes on Song Qi’an, naturally making her obedient and unquestioning of Song Qi’an’s arrangements.

At the moment, Song Qi’an was fighting to secure a top-tier international luxury brand endorsement for Lin Xiaoxiao. At such a crucial time, she absolutely could not allow any mishaps.

Preoccupied with these thoughts, Song Qi’an drove especially fast.

A journey that usually took forty to fifty minutes was completed in less than half an hour today as she smoothly parked in the hospital’s underground garage.

Slamming the car door shut, Song Qi’an straightened her collar twice before striding into the elevator with her long legs.

She stood expressionless, her gaze as icy as the depths of winter, her oppressive aura making those around her uneasy without reason.

Under the persuasion of bodyguards and hospital security, the commotion in the ward had already died down. Song Qi’an’s sharp eyes swept across the room, landing on Lin Xiaoxiao, who lay pitifully on the bed, tears streaming down her face.

Her eyes were red, her lips pressed tightly together, teeth biting down on her lower lip to stifle any sound.

Liang Xin, heartbroken, was gently coaxing her. Failing to console her after a long while, she too began shedding tears of distress. “Xiaoxiao, don’t be upset. When Song Qi’an gets here, she’ll definitely avenge you.”

“If you don’t believe me, at least believe in her, right?”

Even after hearing this, the figure on the bed remained unresponsive, only her crystal-clear tears falling even harder, a sight that tugged at the heartstrings.

After silently listening to the scene inside, Song Qi’an was about to turn her attention to the instigator when she noticed Lin Xiaoxiao’s long hair appeared to have been violently yanked. In her grief and distress, she hadn’t bothered to tidy it, leaving it disheveled against the snow-white pillowcase, exuding a mix of wretchedness and chaotic beauty.

Song Qi’an paused mid-step, then withdrew her gaze and walked straight to her longtime friend. “Explain.”

Her voice was frigid, and Zhou Jiaoyuan, familiar with her temper, could easily tell she was genuinely furious. But Zhou Jiaoyuan remained unbothered, even leisurely crossing her arms and giving Song Qi’an a slow once-over. “Explain what? Don’t you have eyes to see for yourself?”

Zhou Jiaoyuan scoffed, then raised a hand to flick her meticulously manicured nails against her brow. “Wait, wasn’t today supposed to be Lili’s birthday?” She lifted her eyelids, a mocking smile in her eyes. “Shouldn’t you, her fiancée, be celebrating with her instead of showing up in your rumored fling’s hospital room?”

“Don’t tell me the rumors are actually true?!” Zhou Jiaoyuan’s acting was crude—so crude that Song Qi’an was easily provoked.

“Apologize to her,” Song Qi’an enunciated each word with heavy emphasis.

Zhou Jiaoyuan shrugged dismissively. “And what if I don’t? What can you do about it?”

“She should have known this day would come when she meddled in someone else’s relationship, shouldn’t she? Lili is kind-hearted and unwilling to stoop to her level, but that doesn’t mean we friends would just stand by and do nothing.”

Zhou Jiaoyuan slowly stood up, snapping her fingers arrogantly in front of Song Qi’an: “Speaking of which, Song Qi’an, you should reflect on why all of us childhood friends are now siding with Lili instead of you.”

“Alright, I’ve helped Lili teach her a lesson, so I’ll take my leave now.” Zhou Jiaoyuan smiled sweetly, “I believe this will be the happiest birthday gift Lili receives this year…”

She walked away while talking, but before she could exit the ward, bodyguards blocked her path.

Zhou Jiaoyuan froze, then turned back incredulously, raising her voice sharply: “Song Qi’an, are you really going to disregard our years of friendship for someone like her?!”

Song Qi’an turned her head, expressionless: “You were the one who disregarded our friendship first.”

“Fine, fine, you want to play the intimidation game? Just you wait! I’m calling Lili right now—”

“Apologize to her, and I’ll let you go.” Song Qi’an’s voice was laced with ice, chilling to the bone. She thought she was offering an out, but Zhou Jiaoyuan flew into a rage instead: “Apologize to her? In your dreams!”

“If she had the guts to do it, she shouldn’t be hiding behind you like a coward now.” With that, Zhou Jiaoyuan redirected her fury at Lin Xiaoxiao, “Get up! Stop playing the weakling to gain sympathy, or I’ll—”

Zhou Jiaoyuan’s fiery temper made her words rapid-fire and endless. Song Qi’an finally snapped: “Enough!”

Her low, furious shout clearly showed how angry she was.

Zhou Jiaoyuan paused briefly before immediately dialing a number. “You’re actually taking her side—a homewrecker—over me? You’re threatening and confining me for her? Song Qi’an, just you wait! Let’s see how you explain this when Lili gets here!”

Song Qi’an felt her temples throbbing. She strode over to snatch the phone, but Zhou Jiaoyuan dodged swiftly. The next moment, Zhou Jiaoyuan screamed into the phone: “Lili, come save me! Song Qi’an locked me in the hospital to avenge Lin Xiaoxiao and won’t let me leave!”

With the words already out, there was no point in struggling now. Song Qi’an slowly stopped, her face dark as storm clouds, glaring at Zhou Jiaoyuan as if she wanted to skin her alive.

Zhou Jiaoyuan smirked triumphantly. “Song Qi’an, you’re done for.”

“And you.” She turned her head, smiling at Lin Xiaoxiao too. “You’re finished.”

If Zheng Yili herself had been wronged, she might have let it slide. But if her friends were dragged into it because of her, today’s incident would not be easily dismissed.

Even if just for Zhou Jiaoyuan’s sake, Zheng Yili would definitely demand answers from both of them.

Precisely because she understood this, Song Qi’an’s expression was particularly grim right now.

Zhou Jiaoyuan’s face was full of smugness, while Lin Xiaoxiao exchanged a tearful glance with Liang Xin, feeling a surge of irritation. Liang Xin had previously sworn with great confidence, patting her chest as she promised to handle things properly—to make Song Qi’an pity her even more. But this was how she had managed things?

Not only had Song Qi’an been publicly humiliated by his friends, but Zheng Yili had also been dragged into the mess.

Lin Xiaoxiao could tell that the relationship between Zheng Yili and Song Qi’an wasn’t good at the moment. If Song Qi’an later decided not to protect her deliberately, she would likely have to face Zheng Yili’s wrath alone.

Though Xing Yue, Zheng Yili’s company, was small, the substantial inheritance left by Zheng Huai after his death included several other businesses. Zheng Yili had power, influence, and wealth. If she were determined to ruin Lin Xiaoxiao, Lin would hardly stand a chance.

Her heart simmered with frustration, but she had no choice but to put on a pitiful and fearful expression as she looked at Song Qi’an. “Mr. Song, I’m sorry.”

“It’s all my fault,” Lin Xiaoxiao murmured softly. No matter what, playing the victim was her best bet to win Song Qi’an’s sympathy—and possibly his protection to turn the situation around.

“If it weren’t for me, your relationship with Miss Zheng wouldn’t have deteriorated like this.” Her eyes were red-rimmed, but she feigned composure and strength, exuding an air of quiet dignity.

Zhou Jiaoyuan gritted her teeth at the sight. That fox-like act again!

It wasn’t as if Song Qi’an hadn’t experienced better—how could he fall for such cheap tricks?

The more Zhou Jiaoyuan thought about it, the angrier she became. “Stop playing dumb. This is all your fault. If it weren’t for you, she and Lili wouldn’t have argued over and over, turning into enemies like this!”

“Lin, don’t push your luck after getting what you wanted.” Zhou Jiaoyuan moved to grab Lin Xiaoxiao’s hair again, but Lin flinched reflexively before slowly pulling back the covers and weakly sliding off the bed. “If my presence is truly the cause of all this… then I’m willing to leave.”

She forced a resigned smile. “I just hope Miss Zhou can explain things properly to Miss Zheng later, so she won’t misunderstand Mr. Song anymore. There’s really… nothing between us.”

Zhou Jiaoyuan scoffed. “You think I’d believe that?”

Lin Xiaoxiao responded with a bitter expression before turning her pleading gaze back to Song Qi’an. “Mr. Song…”

Song Qi’an felt utterly exhausted. He pinched the bridge of his nose before finally relenting, signaling his bodyguards to step aside and clear the doorway. “Just go. No need to drag Yili into this—today is her birthday, after all.”

Zhou Jiaoyuan opened her mouth to sneer, but Song Qi’an continued, “Nothing ever happened between us. If you don’t believe me, from now on, all her work will be handled by her agent. I won’t be personally involved anymore.”

Lin Xiaoxiao froze, panic flickering in her heart—though she dared not show it. Instead, she could only gaze at Song Qi’an with tearful eyes, the picture of pitiable vulnerability.

Zhou Jiaoyuan hadn’t expected Song Qi’an to make guarantees so quickly. She glanced at Song Qi’an, then at Lin Xiaoxiao, before curling her lips slightly. “In that case, we’ll have to trouble you, Second Miss Song, to condescend and issue a proper clarification online. Our Lili wants no part in this scandalous affair.”

“Fine,” Song Qi’an agreed immediately. “I’ll have someone draft a statement right away.”

“As for Yili…” Song Qi’an paused, her tone suddenly softening. “I hope you’ll help smooth things over with her. I don’t want to bother her with this mess on her birthday.”