I Married My Heartless Ex-Wife’s Black Lotus Sister - Chapter 45

Zheng Yili had initially held onto a sliver of hope, but after Song Yanqing’s remark, she guiltily averted her gaze, stubbornly insisting, “I didn’t…”

Song Yanqing didn’t argue with her. Instead, she watched her with an amused glint in her eyes before changing the subject. “Dinner will be delivered shortly.”

“Okay,” Zheng Yili nodded, then quickly glanced at the other woman’s expression out of the corner of her eye.

Would Song Yanqing stay for dinner too?

Fortunately, Song Yanqing had no such intention. “Once the food arrives, I won’t keep you company,” she said slowly. “I still have some work to finish.”

Zheng Yili exhaled in relief and nodded eagerly. “Go ahead, don’t worry about me.”

As if afraid Song Yanqing might linger, she added, “I’ll be fine on my own.”

Song Yanqing gave her a deep, knowing look, as if she had effortlessly seen through Zheng Yili’s little act. Zheng Yili didn’t dare meet her gaze, lowering her head to fiddle with her nails instead.

“Alright then,” Song Yanqing finally relented. “If you need anything, just call cabin service or ring me directly.”

After personally seeing Song Yanqing off, Zheng Yili’s tense nerves finally relaxed, and she slumped onto the sofa like a puddle of jelly. Recalling everything that had happened that evening, her appetite waned.

She knew she’d have to face this eventually—but for now, Zheng Yili allowed herself the indulgence of escape.

To distract herself, she pulled out her laptop after dinner, forcing her focus entirely onto work and refusing to let her thoughts drift toward anything related to Song Yanqing.

Following the announcement of the collaboration between Ding Rui and Xing Yue, both companies’ stocks had surged that afternoon.

In stark contrast, Meng Sulan’s former agency, Tianyu Entertainment, had plummeted.

Thinking back to Song Yanqing’s earlier mention that Tianyu also wanted in on the deal, Zheng Yili frowned, sensing something off. Not only had she never had any prior dealings with Tianyu, but given Meng Sulan’s history, relations between the two companies should have been strained at best.

But businessmen prioritized profit—especially unscrupulous ones like Tianyu’s boss, whose motto seemed to be “If I can’t have it, I’ll destroy it.” Seeing a new opportunity in the market, it wasn’t beyond him to shamelessly elbow his way in for a slice of the pie.

Suppressing her doubts, Zheng Yili carefully weighed the benefits of letting Tianyu join—there were practically none.

Xing Yue handled production, Ding Rui managed post-production—everything was already meticulously planned. What role could Tianyu possibly play? Providing actors? Or just sitting back and waiting for a handout?

Given the status of Tianyu’s artists, they’d never stoop to starring in a low-budget web series.

Rubbing her temples, Zheng Yili suddenly thought of Song Qi’an. Knowing her, if she couldn’t win Zheng Yili’s forgiveness, she’d likely find another way in…

Was Tianyu’s sudden move orchestrated by Song Qi’an behind the scenes?

Zheng Yili turned the possibilities over in her mind until, inevitably, memories of her past life resurfaced. Dragged back by force, her thoughts eventually settled on An Chenglun.

Since An Xian had specifically arranged for him to build a relationship with her, An Chenglun probably wouldn’t leave the cruise ship easily before completing his mission.

After some thought, she got up, changed her clothes, and strode out of the room.

The reason for An Chenglun’s recent disappearance was still unknown. Zheng Yili narrowed her eyes, determined to investigate thoroughly.

After being arranged to sneak onto the cruise ship, An Chenglun had been indulging in food, drinks, and entertainment—flirting with waitstaff here, sweet-talking women there, living a carefree and extravagant life.

Enduring the excruciating pain from Zheng Yili’s beating, An Chenglun gritted his teeth and held on for a while before finally retreating to a corner to hide.

He wanted to call the ship’s doctor to examine him but worried that the medical equipment onboard might not be sufficient to detect his injuries. After all, Zheng Yili had struck with ruthless precision—beating him half to death without leaving a single visible mark on his skin.

Thinking about how he had just been beaten by Song Yanqing not long ago and now suffered the same fate at Zheng Yili’s hands, the psychological trauma in An Chenglun’s heart had grown to the size of two football fields.

From the depths of his soul, he began to fear and dread the two of them, convinced they were wolves in sheep’s clothing.

Both appeared delicate and fragile on the surface, but when it came to violence, they were merciless—each strike nearly taking half his life.

An Chenglun couldn’t understand why, if the goal was to claim their father’s inheritance, they didn’t just take Zheng Yili’s hair or saliva for a DNA test.

Once he could prove he was Zheng Yili’s half-brother and exposed the truth online, she would have no choice but to acknowledge him.

Pursing his lips, An Chenglun felt deeply dissatisfied with An Xian’s approach.

Before, he had thought Zheng Yili was some meek, easy-to-bully girl, which was why he had followed An Xian’s instructions to cozy up to her. But after the brutal beating he had just endured, he only wanted to confirm his identity as soon as possible—so Zheng Yili wouldn’t dare lay a hand on him again.

Lost in thought for a long while, An Chenglun suddenly stood up, eager to rush back and share his idea with An Xian.

However—the moment he turned around and lifted his gaze, he was met with the sight of a woman standing silently behind him, arms crossed like a ghost, having made no sound at all.

An Chenglun’s face paled, and he let out a terrified scream. “What are you doing here?!”

Zheng Yili arched a brow. “Is this your cruise ship? You can come, but I can’t?”

His heart pounded violently from the fright. Humiliated, he lashed out angrily, “It’s wrong of you to spy on me! I’ll call the police right now!”

“Go ahead.” Zheng Yili tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, smiling faintly. “If you dare, I’ll throw you overboard immediately.”

Despite her gentle appearance and soft tone, the words that left her lips were as icy and piercing as a winter gale.

An Chenglun couldn’t suppress a shiver, not doubting for a second that she meant every word.

If he defied her, given her hatred for him as an illegitimate child, she might very well follow through.

“Madwoman!” An Chenglun couldn’t help but curse viciously, his eyes unconsciously revealing a mix of fear and awe toward Zheng Yili.

Ordinary young girls didn’t frighten him—he might even find it amusing to play around with them. But could this half-sister of his be categorized as an ordinary young girl?

She was more like a female demon.

An Chenglun took a frightened step back, his hands protectively crossed over his chest. “What the hell do you want?”

“Just asking you a few things.” Zheng Yili’s gaze swept over him from head to toe, and she smirked at his defensive posture. “Why the act? I wouldn’t stoop so low as to be interested in someone like you.”

Her words left An Chenglun frozen—his hands awkwardly hovering, unsure whether to keep them up or drop them. Finally, he forced a fierce glare and snapped, “Mind your own damn business!”

“What, do you own the street? Stop meddling!”

Zheng Yili narrowed her eyes slightly, her expression turning dangerous. An Chenglun immediately shrank back, muttering impatiently, “Just ask whatever you want and stop wasting my time.”

“What were you up to recently?” Zheng Yili ignored his attitude and cut straight to the point. “Or rather, what was your mother up to?”

A flicker of fear passed through An Chenglun’s eyes as he recalled the past. After a long pause, he feigned composure. “I was in the hospital. My mom was there with me.”

Zheng Yili raised an eyebrow. An Chenglun continued, “Some idiot talked me into an underground fight, and I ran into a ruthless bastard who nearly beat me to death. I was unconscious for two whole months.”

The explanation was unexpected. Zheng Yili asked, “Do you know the guy’s name?”

Thinking she meant to avenge him, An Chenglun almost blurted out Song Yanqing’s name. But before he could speak, Zheng Yili said coldly, “Such a principled man. I should personally thank him.”

An Chenglun’s momentary excitement deflated instantly. His lips twitched, and it took him several seconds to process the reality.

Zheng Yili wasn’t here to help him—she was here to kick him while he was down.

Remembering Song Yanqing’s warning, An Chenglun clamped his mouth shut, not daring to utter the name again. If Song Yanqing found out, he’d be in for another brutal beating.

“That’s it? Nothing else?” Zheng Yili steered the conversation back, skeptical. An Chenglun nodded repeatedly. “That’s it. Nothing else.”

“Did you really think my mom would just let you off easy all this time?”

He lifted his chin arrogantly. “Listen here, Zheng. My mom said Dad’s assets belong to me too. If you know what’s good for you, hand them over now before she steps in. Otherwise, you’ll regret it.”

“Then I’m curious—what exactly is she planning to do to me?”

An Chenglun opened and closed his mouth, unable to come up with an answer.

Zheng Yili understood. An Xian must have deemed her precious son too unreliable to share any real plans with him.

She felt a twinge of disappointment. She had hoped to find a breakthrough here.

An Chenglun racked his brains for a long time but couldn’t figure out his mother’s plan. Seeing the visible disappointment on Zheng Yili’s face, he suddenly felt belittled.

Clenching his fists, he finally puffed out his chest in an attempt to prove himself and said arrogantly, “My mom is incredibly capable. Sooner or later, you’ll suffer at her hands—just you wait!”

Faced with An Chenglun’s threat, Zheng Yili merely smiled faintly. “If she dares to come after me, I’ll take all my anger out on you. You’d better watch yourself.”

Looking at this smiling woman before him, An Chenglun felt a chill run down his spine and shuddered violently.

Her words didn’t sound like an empty threat, so his mind began to wander wildly—what would Zheng Yili do to him? Sell him into slavery in Africa? Or hire someone to beat him into paralysis?

Either option was terrifying.

An Chenglun immediately backed down, stammering, “D-Don’t be rash! This is all just my own speculation. I don’t actually know what my mom’s planning—”

“Then go find out,” Zheng Yili narrowed her eyes. “Otherwise, I won’t mind letting you taste my fists again.”

“An Chenglun, don’t even think about secretly hiring bodyguards or special forces. If I want to catch you, I have plenty of ways.” She leaned slightly closer. “Understood?”

Though Zheng Yili was slender, the aura around her was sharp and intimidating.

An Chenglun, thoroughly intimidated, took two fearful steps back and nodded. “Understood.”

“But,” he suddenly changed his tone, fidgeting awkwardly, “if you’re making me do things for you, shouldn’t I get some payment? You’ve monopolized so much of Dad’s wealth—at least give me some pocket money.”

Faced with someone as mercenary as An Chenglun, Zheng Yili easily kept him in check. “Bring me information on An Xian. Otherwise, no deal.”

An Chenglun glared at her, furious and helpless, grinding his teeth in frustration.

After dangling the carrot of money, Zheng Yili had no patience left to deal with such a fool. With a turn of her heel, she vanished as silently as she had arrived.

An Chenglun was torn.

Should he keep An Xian’s secrets, or obey Zheng Yili and spy on her plans?

Just as he wavered, his phone buzzed with a text. He picked it up—the sender was an unknown number: “One piece of info, starting at one million.”

His eyes widened in delight. One million? That was a whole year’s worth of pocket money!

Zheng Yili wasn’t worried about An Chenglun refusing. An Xian was a housewife who hadn’t worked since graduating from university. The living expenses for her and her son relied entirely on Zheng Huai’s income.

The household knew exactly how much Zheng Huai earned, so the amount he could secretly divert wasn’t much. Yet An Xian spent most of it on clothes, jewelry, and afternoon teas with her friends to keep up appearances.

With a fixed sum of money, the more An Xian used, the less trickled down to An Chenglun.

Over the years, An Chenglun had been excessively pampered by An Xian and had grown accustomed to a life of privilege, arrogantly considering himself a high-status rich second generation who disdained working.

But without work, he had no money to sustain his lavish displays of wealth in front of his so-called friends.

Thus, Zheng Yili’s demand came at the perfect time. As long as he complied, he would receive a guaranteed return with zero risk. Even if An Xian found out, would she really have the heart to beat her own precious son to death?

At worst, he’d just get scolded.

A slow, knowing smile curved Zheng Yili’s lips. Know thy enemy, know thyself—a hundred battles, a hundred victories. Though An Xian’s petty schemes were despicable, there was no denying how effective they were.

After dealing with An Chenglun, Zheng Yili went to check on Meng Sulan.

The woman was perfectly at ease in such settings, even thriving. The only flaw was Wang Zhiming’s venomous, resentful gaze repeatedly landing on her—an unsettling sight.

Frowning, Zheng Yili strode toward the man with a bright smile. “President Wang, long time no see. What are you looking at?”

Startled by her sudden voice, Wang Zhiming flinched guiltily. When he turned and saw it was Zheng Yili, his expression shifted to disdain—only to quickly morph into wariness as he remembered something. He forced an ingratiating grin. “President Zheng, how impressive you’ve become in such a short time! When we last met, I failed to recognize your brilliance. If I offended you, I hope you won’t hold it against me.”

“Of course not,” Zheng Yili replied mildly, her smile faint. “Of course not.”

She played along amiably, appearing easygoing. Just as Wang Zhiming began to relax, Zheng Yili abruptly changed the subject. “President Wang, you still haven’t told me what you were staring at.”

“Was your last attempt unsuccessful, so you still refuse to give up? Do you want to try again?”

She made no effort to hide her suspicion. Humiliated repeatedly by a young woman, Wang Zhiming finally lost his temper. “Zheng Yili, don’t push your luck.”

Glancing around cautiously to ensure no one was listening, he hissed, “Don’t think just because you’ve risen in status now, you can bully people as you please. Let me tell you—if it weren’t for Song Qi’an protecting you, who knows if you’d even be standing here safely right now!”

“What does she have to do with this?” Zheng Yili’s expression darkened, feigning anger and defiance.

Wang Zhiming took the bait and sneered. “Stop pretending. Tianyu Entertainment is about to collaborate with Xing Yue—if Song Qi’an hadn’t swooped in and acquired Tianyu with a massive investment, would you be riding high like this?”

“President Zheng is truly remarkable. Even after breaking up, you still have President Song wrapped around your finger—”

“Which President Song?” Song Yanqing’s voice cut in sharply. She regarded Wang Zhiming with mild puzzlement. “Are you talking about me?”

Wang Zhiming’s throat tightened at the sight of her. Damn it, why is she butting in now of all times?

Song Yanqing had just risen to power, her personality and methods still unknown. Unwilling to provoke conflict, Wang Zhiming gave an evasive laugh before quickly making an excuse to leave.

Zheng Yili originally had many questions for him, but upon reflection, she realized that even if Wang Zhiming knew anything, he likely wouldn’t disclose it easily. She turned back, her gaze flickering briefly before meeting Song Yanqing’s eyes. “Why did you come over?”

“I saw you with him and got worried.”

Song Yanqing was always this straightforward, as if she had been born without the ability to beat around the bush.

Zheng Yili was often taken aback by her sincerity and bluntness, yet she couldn’t help but feel reassured and grounded by it.

Perhaps it was because she knew deep down that Song Yanqing would never deceive her like Song Qi’an had—two-faced and treacherous. Or perhaps, over two lifetimes, she had unknowingly grown accustomed to trusting her. Whatever the reason, no matter what Song Yanqing said, Zheng Yili never felt the need to doubt or guard against her.

A faint smile tugged at Zheng Yili’s lips, and she was about to say “thank you” when Song Yanqing interrupted, “You’re forcing that smile.”

“I prefer it when you’re completely at ease around me.”

Vibrant, lively—perfectly overlapping with the innocent girl from her memories, intoxicating and unforgettable.

And so, Zheng Yili’s smile froze on her face. Half-feigning annoyance, half-sulking, she turned her head away. “Since when have I been burdened around you?”

Even as she asked, she knew the answer.

Ever since that ambiguous moment when the unspoken barrier between them had shattered, every time they faced each other fully clothed, she couldn’t help but feel awkward. Her mind would inevitably drift back to those scorching whispers in her ear, the softness of the other’s skin, the tender touches.

The mere memory of what had happened in bed made Zheng Yili’s face burn.

Guiltily, she turned her head aside, taking several deep breaths to cool the heat in her cheeks.

Song Yanqing took in her flushed ears, a trace of tender amusement flickering in her deep, inscrutable eyes. Deliberately, she asked abruptly, “It’s getting late. Should we head back to rest?”

Zheng Yili shot her a quick glance, but seeing nothing unusual in her expression, she inwardly grumbled.

“I got a new key card,” she enunciated clearly. “If you’re tired, you can go back first.”

The hidden meaning was that she wouldn’t be going with Song Yanqing.

Zheng Yili had made herself perfectly clear, yet Song Yanqing acted as if she didn’t understand, standing by her loyally. “Then I’ll stay with you.”

No, please don’t.

Zheng Yili’s emotions tangled as she declined again, “I still need to discuss some things with Su Lan later. I won’t take up your time.”

Her intent to draw a line between them couldn’t have been more obvious. Song Yanqing fell silent for a few seconds. Just as Zheng Yili thought she might finally relent, a voice tinged with grievance sounded unexpectedly in her ear.

“Lili, you’re a love-’em-and-leave-’em type.”

Zheng Yili was stunned. Her eyes widened as she whipped around to retort, “How am I that?!”

Hadn’t they both been willing earlier?

And besides, hadn’t Song Yanqing been the one to seduce her first?

Zheng Yili’s eyes widened in anger, her cheeks puffed up like an irritated little pufferfish.

Song Yanqing couldn’t help but laugh, though she quickly schooled her expression back into seriousness. With absolute certainty, she said, “You don’t want to take responsibility for me.” A wounded look crossed her face. “That was my first time ever—”

Fearing Song Yanqing might blurt out something even more earth-shattering, Zheng Yili lunged forward in a panic, clamping a hand tightly over her mouth. “…Shut up.”

She fixed the other person with a gaze full of despair.

Song Yanqing instinctively caught the fragrant, soft body that threw itself into his arms. Unable to speak, he could only stare at Zheng Yili with eyes brimming with grievance and hurt.

Zheng Yili felt his scalp tingle—he hadn’t expected his momentary lapse to result in the other clinging to him like this.

Truly, whether man or woman, anyone who couldn’t keep their pants properly fastened was bound to trip over this kind of trouble sooner or later…