Mistakenly Married a Substitute Wife, Falling in Love with the Movie Queen - Chapter 16

I heard we’re quite passionate every night…

After buying snacks, Sang Baili took a quick stroll around the ground floor. Checking the time, she returned to the hospital room with two bags of treats, only to find Shen Shuangjing and Grandma Sang chatting and laughing. Curious, she asked, “What are you two looking at?”

The two heads, which had been bent close together, lifted in unison. Grandma Sang replied, “I was showing Xiao Jing your childhood photos. You never shared these with her before, did you?”

Sang Baili didn’t deny it. She turned to unpack the snacks, placing each item into the glass cabinet.

Her casual tone carried a hint of nonchalance as she said, “Isn’t it enough to see me as I am now? If you show her my childhood photos, she might not even recognize me.”

Her style had changed significantly since childhood, not to mention the dramatic transformations that come with growing up.

Grandma Sang frowned, championing justice for Xiao Jing. “Who says that? Xiao Jing just pointed you out in your kindergarten graduation photo!”

Sang Baili raised her fox-like eyes, glancing over with a look that seemed to seek confirmation.

Shen Shuangjing explained, “My sister is easy to recognize. She was the prettiest girl in our class.”

With her jade-like skin, adorable features, and striking beauty, Sang Baili had resembled a noble princess living in a castle.

Grandma Sang chuckled. “You said more than that just now.”

Shen Shuangjing remained silent, feeling too embarrassed to repeat certain things in front of the person they were about.

A faint ripple stirred in her eyes, and the tips of her ears, hidden beneath her ink-black hair, flushed a delicate crimson. After a few seconds, she murmured, “I think I also said some complimentary things about my wife, but I can’t quite remember the details.”

Sang Baili’s interest was piqued. “Can’t remember?”

Her voice was low and magnetic, carrying an unintentional allure that resonated deep in the ear. It evoked the image of mulled wine sold on winter streets—rich, fragrant, and utterly captivating.

Seeming oblivious to Sang Baili’s gaze, Shen Shuangjing kept her eyes fixed on the screen, where a photo of young Sang Baili was displayed. “Mm-hmm.”

Grandma Sang glanced between the two women, sensing a playful exchange. She interjected, “Xiao Jing said you were adorable as a child, especially in that princess dress. She’s never seen you dressed like that before and really liked it.”

Sang Baili’s hand froze mid-motion.

She closed the cabinet door and strolled gracefully to the nearest chair, settling down with a slight tilt of her head. Her gaze fell on the phone screen, where a seven-year-old version of herself stood at the amusement park entrance, wearing a frilly princess dress and holding a heart-shaped balloon. She beamed innocently at the camera, radiating pure, childlike charm.

So utterly foolish, Sang Baili thought, cringing inwardly. She almost refused to acknowledge this embarrassing relic from her past.

Yet Shen Shuangjing was watching with obvious enjoyment.

Sang Baili narrowed her eyes slightly, her chestnut-brown waves cascading to her chest, carrying a subtle fragrance. She curled her lips into a lazy smile and asked, “So you like this style, huh? It’s quite different from how I dress now.”

Sang Baili usually favored mature, professional attire. Most of the time, she wore formal suits, with black blazers paired with V-neck blouses in different colors each day, exuding intellectual sophistication, gentle yet subtly assertive.

Today, her tailored suit accentuated her slender, graceful curves. Beneath the blazer, she wore a custom-made pale yellow blouse. Crossing her legs, she casually hiked up the hem of her relaxed-fit trousers, revealing a delicate, slender ankle.

Effortlessly beautiful.

No one could honestly call her “cute.”

The innocent Shen Shuangjing caught a faint whiff of tea fragrance, utterly bewildered. She winked at Sang Baili, “Sis, why are you suddenly being so… tea-like?”

Sang Baili’s crimson lips curved into a smile. “Do you think I looked better as a child?”

She completely missed the signal.

Though her smile was enchanting, Shen Shuangjing sensed a dangerous chill. In her peripheral vision, the pearl-and-diamond earring peeking through Sang Baili’s chestnut curls flashed with a sharp, dazzling glint.

It was perfectly understandable.

Shen Shuangjing didn’t like it when people said she wasn’t as pretty as she used to be either.

Treat others as you would like to be treated.

Shen Shuangjing understood perfectly, her voice sincere and heartfelt as she declared, “How could I ever think that? I adore you just as you are now, Sister! Your skin is fair and beautiful, your maturity is captivating, and your ethereal grace is simply breathtaking. You’re the woman of my dreams!”

Except for the last line, every word was genuine. The beautiful boss was indeed stunning and a joy to behold.

Sang Baili rested her chin on her hand, a hint of amusement flickering in her eyes. “Are you reciting from a dictionary of idioms?”

Shen Shuangjing brazenly retorted, “Are those even idioms? Heaven and earth bear witness—these words sprang from my heart as I gazed upon your beauty!”

Sang Baili pressed on relentlessly, “They’re definitely from an idiom dictionary.”

Shen Shuangjing countered, “That’s strange. I spoke from the depths of my heart. Perhaps the dictionary plagiarized my original thoughts?”

Sang Baili’s lips curved into a smile. Listening to this young woman’s romantic declarations was utterly delightful.

Her long, curled lashes fluttered as she asked, “Then shouldn’t you sue for copyright infringement?”

Shen Shuangjing nodded solemnly. “Absolutely! We must sue! The publishing house owes me royalties!”

Such outlandish claims naturally made Sang Baili’s eyes crinkle with laughter. “There’s nothing you can’t handle,” she complimented.

Shen Shuangjing puffed out her chest proudly, hands on her hips. “Because I’m a giant of words!”

No boast was too audacious for her.

Grandma Sang, who had been listening nearby, couldn’t stop smiling. “It’s been so long since we’ve had such lively company.”

Grandma Sang’s eyes crinkled with amusement. “I told you both long ago—you’re already married, yet still in the honeymoon phase! So sweet and lovey-dovey, it makes my teeth ache just listening to you.”

Sang Baili immediately recognized “honeymoon phase” as the topic they’d been discussing earlier. “We’ll visit you more often,” she promised.

Her gaze flicked to Shen Shuangjing, seeking confirmation. Their eyes met, but she caught a flicker of guilt in his eyes.

He looked like a puppy caught red-pawed, feigning innocence. His eyes were clear, but the guilt was palpable.

He thought he was being subtle, but she’d noticed the entire evasive maneuver.

Sang Baili: “?”

What mischief has this puppy gotten into while I wasn’t watching?

Lacking romantic experience, Sang Baili couldn’t connect the honeymoon phase to any potential trouble. She didn’t realize the gravity of the situation and dismissed it without further thought.

Meanwhile, Shen Shuangjing’s mind reflexively conjured a string of keywords:

Honeymoon phase → red marks on his hand → Grandma Sang’s teasing → Sang Baili’s suspicious return from her outing…

…transforming her into Sang Black Li.

Sang Baili probably never imagined that her act of kindness in adopting a kitten would lead to her taking the blame for its misdeeds.

She had unwittingly added another romantic entanglement to her list.

Shen Shuangjing wasn’t for lack of trying to explain to her boss, but Grandma Sang remained convinced that her explanations were just a way of deceiving an old woman. She firmly believed that every generation had its excuses, and this generation was using innocent kittens to conceal the shyness of young lovers.

“What did the kitten do wrong?” Grandma Sang asked. “There’s no need to be shy. I’ve been through that stage myself.”

What a beautiful misunderstanding! The kitten’s only fault was its inability to speak.

The “shy young woman,” Shen Shuangjing, was left speechless. Under Grandma Sang’s unwavering gaze, she fell silent, inwardly shedding a tear of sympathy for Sang Baili.

Thank goodness she wasn’t here.

Absence meant ignorance, and ignorance meant it never happened.

Let’s just leave it at that.

She knew nothing.

Grandma Sang wasn’t deliberately teasing or dwelling on the matter. She quickly changed the subject, eventually steering the conversation to Sang Baili’s niece, Xiao Cai.

“Xiao Wan is taking Xiao Cai to the Boli Nation next week,” Grandma Sang said.

Shen Shuangjing first responded with an enthusiastic “That’s wonderful!” but then paused, realizing something. “Hasn’t she started school yet?”

Grandma Sang said warmly, “She’s in second grade now.”

Second grade should have started by now, right?

Shen Shuangjing asked, puzzled, “Doesn’t she have school next week?”

Grandma Sang replied, “Xiao Wan got her excused. It’s fine for a second-grader to miss a week of school. While she’s young and has the time, she should go out and explore the world. She might not have the chance when she’s older.”

Shen Shuangjing’s lips parted slightly, her worldview subtly shifting.

Grandma Sang and Xiao Cai’s parents were remarkably open-minded.

For a child, childhood memories are like vibrant landscapes, surely leading to a happy life.

The conversation drifted to Grandma Sang reminiscing about Xiao Cai’s kindergarten days. There was a time when Xiao Cai’s parents were traveling abroad, and Grandma Sang was visiting relatives in Hushi Province, so Sang Baili helped take care of Xiao Cai.

Shen Shuangjing listened, utterly lost in the sudden surge of childcare anecdotes. She didn’t recognize any of the names Grandma Sang mentioned. She quietly listened to their conversation, tearing open the Wangzai milk Sang Baili had handed her.

“When Xiao Wan came to pick up Xiao Cai later,” Grandma Sang continued, “Xiao Cai had gained weight. Xiao Nan is truly skilled at taking care of people.”

Shen Shuangjing lowered her head and took a sip of the Wangzai milk. My sister is indeed very good at taking care of people.

She couldn’t join the conversation, but she wasn’t bored or felt left out. Listening to them talk about things she’d never heard of was quite interesting, yet a strange emptiness lingered in her heart, tinged with envy.

In Sang Baili and Grandma Sang, she saw the tangible embodiment of familial love.

Bound by bl00d, they needed no words or gestures to convey their affection.

This was the warmth and security of a healthy, loving family—so close, yet seemingly worlds away.

Shen Shuangjing had always been deprived of familial bonds. In one life, she was an orphan; in another, she had vampire foster parents who never loved her, leaving her feeling profoundly alone.

It seemed that no matter which world she inhabited, she would always be a solitary figure, a mere passerby in everyone’s lives, never someone irreplaceable or truly cherished.

As these bittersweet thoughts swirled endlessly, a pale, slender hand appeared in her line of sight.

Sang Baili, speaking to Grandma Sang with her back turned, had extended her hand toward Shen Shuangjing.

Practice makes perfect. Shen Shuangjing instinctively reached out, letting Sang Baili take her hand.

But instead of a hand clasp, a coconut candy dropped into Shen Shuangjing’s palm.

Shen Shuangjing froze, a faint bitterness rising on her tongue.

Under the harsh fluorescent lights, no emotion could hide.

Sang Baili glanced back at her, her eyes brimming with soft, shifting light. “Eat it,” she murmured gently.

The tip of Shen Shuangjing’s nose stung with emotion as she clutched the coconut candy tightly in her palm.

In her heart, coconut candy held a special significance. It was a reward for her good behavior, an encouragement, a form of praise.

Sang Baili had unintentionally chosen coconut candy for her, yet this single piece felt like a thousand pounds, sinking to the bottom of her heart and shattering the airtight protective shell she had built around her emotions, allowing all her feelings to surge forth.

Shen Shuangjing wasn’t one to dwell on the past, but she had so little that even a small sweetness lingered long in her memory. So, seeing a candy associated with her memories—even though she had eaten it only a handful of times—each piece had become a unique, cherished memory.

Today’s piece would also be remembered, becoming part of the candy’s history in her mind.

Even after leaving the room, she still held the candy in her palm, unconsumed. The wrapper was crumpled and wrinkled, but she flashed a bright smile at a passing nurse, radiating both visible joy and an unspoken sense of pride.

She had received a candy—a candy from her memories.

A moment worth commemorating.

After waiting seven or eight minutes, Shen Shuangjing saw Sang Baili emerge from the room. She didn’t know what they had discussed privately.

Sang Baili noticed the candy in her palm. “You haven’t eaten it yet?”

“No,” Shen Shuangjing replied. “I can’t bear to.”

Sang Baili rummaged through the woven bag she was carrying and pulled out a package. “Here, have some. I bought three bags.”

Shen Shuangjing: “???”

The illusion shattered, and the coconut candy in her palm suddenly lost its uniqueness.

It had been devalued.

Shen Shuangjing solemnly mourned the coconut candy and her own hubris for a fleeting second.

Sang Baili explained, “The night you had a fever, you kept mumbling about wanting coconut candy. When I saw some for sale today, I bought a few.”

The memory fragments remained vivid.

The feverish girl, delirious and teary-eyed, refused to take her medicine without coconut candy, clinging to Sang Baili’s waist and softly calling her “Grandma.”

The private doctor, who had come to examine her, suppressed a smile and whispered, “There’s no coconut candy available at this hour. If she refuses her medicine, we’ll have to give her a shot in the butt.”

The dizzy girl instinctively shivered and obediently took her medicine. Meanwhile, Sang Baili earnestly pondered whether coconut candy might miraculously appear in their home. After searching the kitchen thoroughly, she couldn’t even find any granulated sugar for seasoning.

Returning to the bedroom, she found the girl already asleep, her eyes closed and a thin blanket clutched in her arms. Her cheeks were pale with a rosy tint, and her eyelashes stood out distinctly.

“So… you bought these for me?” Shen Shuangjing murmured, her gaze fixed on the candy in her palm. Sang Baili couldn’t see her expression.

“They’re all yours. Eat as many as you want.”

Shen Shuangjing longed for a little attention, and Sang Baili generously gave her far more than just a little.

Even without tasting the candy, her mouth already felt sweet.

Her eyelashes glistened with moisture, and her heart felt like it had been drenched in rain—damp and warm. Normally, being soaked by rain would evoke annoyance, but instead, she felt light and carefree, as if all the dust had been washed away.

Shen Shuangjing unwrapped the coconut candy and popped it into her mouth.

The sweetness burst forth.

She had once earned enough money to confidently buy coconut candies, but the taste had never matched the sweetness she remembered.

She had assumed she had simply grown up and lost her taste for sweets.

But this candy, with its strong artificial sweetness, tasted exactly like the ones the Old Dean used to give her.

If her taste hadn’t changed, then perhaps what she had always craved wasn’t the candy itself, but the person who would buy it for her.

What she had truly longed for all along was favoritism, attention, and the gaze of someone focused solely on her.

Sang Baili was too perfect. This realization brought Shen Shuangjing clarity. Sang Baili’s kindness stemmed from her upbringing, her innate politeness, and her natural warmth—a charm that could captivate countless men and women. Such people were the most deceptive, treating everyone with equal warmth. Therefore, Shen Shuangjing refused to fall for these gentle gestures.

One piece of candy was enough for her.

She gratefully issued a “good person” card.

The candy is great, and the boss is great too!

Her heart and mouth were both filled with sweetness. Wiping the corner of her damp eye, Shen Shuangjing said with the candy in her mouth, “Let’s take it home and share it. I can’t eat it all myself.”

Sang Baili’s pale eyelids lifted slightly as she declined, “I don’t care for sweets. You can enjoy it at your own pace.”

Shen Shuangjing sighed in mock distress, “I’ll get tired of it.”

A hint of amusement flickered beneath Sang Baili’s delicate lashes. “If you get tired of it, I’ll buy you something else.”

“Something else…” Shen Shuangjing said tactfully, “I might not like it.”

Sang Baili replied casually, “With so many flavors of candy in the world, try them all. There’s bound to be one you’ll enjoy.”

Shen Shuangjing felt she couldn’t continue the conversation any longer; the sweetness in her mouth was about to explode.

Her eyes were brimming with deep amusement, her lashes appearing even thicker and more captivating due to their dampness. “Oh, right, what did Grandma say to you at the end? Did it have anything to do with me?”

Sang Baili: “Yes.”

Shen Shuangjing pressed the candy against the tip of her tongue. Under the light, her oval face glowed like jade, exquisitely refined and flawless in every detail.

Her mouth tasted sweet as she mumbled, “What?”

Sang Baili raised her fingertip and pressed the elevator’s down button.

Her dark blue fox-like eyes seemed to reflect a lake of spring water, and her red lips curved into a smile that was both playful and knowing.

“She lectured me,” Sang Baili said. “Told me to control my intensity at night. ‘You’re an actress,’ she said, ‘don’t leave obvious scratches on your body. It’s bad for your image.'”

Shen Shuangjing: “……”

It was bound to happen eventually.

Sang Baili took her hand, her polished nails gliding over the red marks like scrutinizing evidence. “Grandma also said, ‘Indulgence harms the body. Nighttime activities should be healthy and moderate.'”

Shen Shuangjing: “…………”

Taken alone, the advice sounded perfectly reasonable.

Sang Baili’s lips curled slightly, her voice dripping with barely suppressed languor. “Xiao Jing, what’s this I hear? They say I cling to you, that we revel wildly every night, with quite the intensity?”

Shen Shuangjing: “………………”

This conversation never happened!

“Let me explain,” Shen Shuangjing pleaded.