Three Sentences That Made My Ex-Wife Spit Blood (LILY, ABO) - Chapter 14
It could not possibly be true. Had Gu Lian really stolen the jade thumb rings?
Yan Qinglan did not want to upset Yan Mingzhu again. After bringing her back home, she carefully gave the servants detailed instructions, then left together with Wen Huaxi.
On the way, she told her team to investigate Gu Lian’s latest activities, along with a full background check.
This was not the first time she had looked into him, especially his history. Yan Qinglan had always felt that Gu Lian was far more complicated than he appeared.
But every time, the results were the same.
In less than three minutes, the file arrived on Yan Qinglan’s phone. She took a glance at it, rubbed her temples, and let out a slow breath.
Gu Lian, male omega, forty-five years old, from Shuǐqīng City. Graduated from B University. Currently employed at Hengfei Company.
Hengfei was a subsidiary of the Yan Group, and the job had been arranged by Yan Mingzhu herself.
Based on the timeline, if Yan Qingqing truly had any relation to Yan Mingzhu, then Gu Lian must have met her right after graduating from university.
As for Gu Lian’s life before college, no one had ever been able to uncover anything.
No matter how many times she tried, Yan Qinglan could only get this completely average and unremarkable background report.
The missing details from his early life were striking, but her investigators could only report that there was simply no trace to follow.
Gu Lian’s recent movements were also unusually simple. He went to work, returned to the house Yan Qingqing had bought, and had not set foot in the Yan family estate.
Twenty-three years ago marked a time Yan Qinglan preferred not to revisit. She set the phone down and stared blankly into the distance.
She made no effort to hide her actions from Wen Huaxi.
Wen Huaxi glanced at the file on her screen and seemed lost in thought.
“Have you considered that what you are seeing might just be the version you are meant to see?” she asked, her voice more serious now that it involved Yan Mingzhu.
In her past life, Wen Huaxi had only seen Gu Lian once. It had been at Yan Mingzhu’s funeral.
The man looked remarkably young for his age, no more than thirty. He wore a black veil, probably to cover the jewelry on his neck and to mask his expression.
By chance, Wen Huaxi had seen him take off the veil. His neck had been covered with strands of jewelry made of jade, agate, and crystal. There had been all kinds of expensive pieces.
No one knew how much he had drained from the Yan family to afford such luxury. Every piece he wore screamed extravagance.
Based on her observations, Wen Huaxi had strong doubts that Gu Lian was even an omega.
She had never sensed any omega pheromones from him.
Her own classification was high enough to rule out the possibility that Gu Lian could be hiding a stronger omega scent.
The way he tried to behave like an omega felt too exaggerated, too rehearsed. He clung to every possible stereotype. It was completely different from someone like her, who naturally fit the role.
Perhaps it was because the Yan family was mostly made up of alphas and betas that no one there noticed anything strange.
If even something as basic as his secondary gender could be faked, then the credibility of the entire file was questionable.
“You are right,” Yan Qinglan said, placing the phone into Wen Huaxi’s hand. “It is very suspicious. But I have checked thirteen times using different people each time, and the results are always exactly the same.”
When she discussed serious matters, Yan Qinglan never joked. Her demeanor was calm but commanding.
Wen Huaxi watched as she opened the past investigation reports. Every single one matched the current document, word for word.
Wen Huaxi grew quiet. She knew that many things could be falsified. Even the proof of Yan Qingqing’s bl00d relation could be forged. The same went for Gu Lian’s gender designation.
But to forge everything so perfectly that even the Yan family could be fooled was an incredible feat.
“Do you have any thoughts, Xiaoxi?” Yan Qinglan asked. She could tell that Wen Huaxi was genuinely worried about her mother, which was why she chose to include her in the conversation.
“What kind of place is Shuǐqīng City?” Wen Huaxi asked. The name sounded unfamiliar. It seemed like a small and unimportant town.
“It is a very remote mountain area. Known for its poverty and isolation. I sent people there before. The locals are extremely wary of outsiders. My people could not find much.”
What Wen Huaxi could think of, Yan Qinglan had already done.
“Did they at least confirm that Gu Lian is really from there?”
Yan Qinglan slowly shook her head. “I even looked into other similar names. But it is like Gu Lian appeared out of nowhere when he enrolled at B University. There is no record of his life before that.”
Wen Huaxi frowned as she recalled memories from her previous life. Something felt wrong, but she could not quite put her finger on it.
Yan Qinglan then asked her assistant to provide updates on Yan Qingqing’s current movements. After reading through them, she put her phone away.
“You do not need to worry about this, Xiaoxi,” Yan Qinglan said as she gently pressed the spot between Wen Huaxi’s brows, trying to smooth out the little wrinkle that had formed.
“You are still a student. Focus on your studies and your life. As for Gu Lian, I will keep investigating. If needed, I will go to Shuǐqīng City myself.”
Wen Huaxi froze for a moment, caught off guard by the sudden tenderness. She looked up at Yan Qinglan.
Her eyes, always calm and cool like polished jade, now held a rare trace of sincerity.
There was a softness in her gaze that made Wen Huaxi look down. She pushed Yan Qinglan’s hand away and snapped back.
“I was not worrying about you.”
“Xiaoxi, she is my mother,” Yan Qinglan said helplessly.
“And I am not allowed to care about her? She treats me far better than you ever have.” Wen Huaxi rolled her eyes at Yan Qinglan’s attempt to draw a line between them.
Yan Qinglan nodded slightly. “That is fair. Mother likes you too.”
She had only been trying to confirm if Wen Huaxi had any deeper intentions.
They had only met three or four times. From that, Yan Qinglan had not expected Wen Huaxi to show such intense concern.
Gu Lian alone was dangerous enough. Yan Qinglan would not allow any additional risks near her mother, even if that risk appeared as a sweet, harmless university student or a contract wife.
It was clear that Wen Huaxi had grown colder toward her.
The shift in her behavior was sudden, yet her kindness toward Yan Mingzhu remained unchanged.
What if her earlier interest in Yan Qinglan had all been an act, and her real goal had been Yan Mingzhu?
That possibility could not be ignored.
Wen Huaxi, on the other hand, was thinking about how she could persuade Yan Mingzhu to go for another thorough check-up, especially a brain scan.
In her previous life, Yan Mingzhu’s death had come far too suddenly. It was only during the final stages of her illness that they discovered a shadow in her brain scans.
Should she tell Yan Qinglan? Wen Huaxi considered whether that was a viable option.
Yan Qinglan was naturally suspicious. If Wen Huaxi said too much, and if Yan Qinglan was still unaware of her mother’s limited time left, she might only become more doubtful of Wen Huaxi’s intentions.
Inside the narrow space of the car, the two of them were each lost in thought. Their eyes met briefly and unintentionally. Yan Qinglan paused, withdrawing the sorrow from her gaze.
“Let’s not talk about this. Thank you for helping me act today, Xiaoxi.”
Her voice was calm, like water flowing through a quiet stream, light and gentle, quietly seeping into Wen Huaxi’s heart.
Wen Huaxi pressed her hand over her chest, only then noticing that Yan Qinglan had wiped away the kiss mark from the back of her hand at some point.
“Is there a reward? I’m exhausted. Honestly, I don’t want to help you perform like this again.”
As expected, she still seemed to dislike her.
Wen Huaxi turned to look out the window.
The reflection in the glass showed Yan Qinglan’s face, still appearing soft and gentle.
It was a complete contrast to the cold, angry expression she had earlier while threatening her.
“There is a reward. Didn’t I say that apart from that one thing, you can ask for anything else?”
“Then I want your dessert this afternoon,” Wen Huaxi answered instantly, without hesitation. “And I want to pinch your face.”
The first request made Yan Qinglan’s skin prickle. The second one made her wish she could turn back time two minutes and never bring up the reward at all.
“Xiaoxi…” Her expression changed, and her tone turned earnest, almost pleading.
“How about reconsidering? If there’s something you like, maybe a dress or even a car, I can buy it for you.”
“Don’t make it sound like I’m that materialistic.” Wen Huaxi flipped the words around and pinned them back on Yan Qinglan, effectively cutting her off.
“Or is it that you don’t want to give me a reward after all? In that case, I won’t go with you to the Yan house next time.”
Wen Huaxi gave a casual smile. She had plenty of ways to get under Yan Qinglan’s skin and did not mind watching her lose the upper hand once in a while.
As expected, Yan Qinglan choked on her words. After hesitating, she finally leaned over with her face, looking as if she was heading into battle.
“I don’t want to pinch you right now,” Wen Huaxi said, but her hand still moved to poke Yan Qinglan’s cheek.
There was no way she would pass up such a fun opportunity.
“Can we count that as a pinch?” Yan Qinglan recoiled, quickly covering the dimple left on her face.
She had let her guard down, but Wen Huaxi was being completely contradictory, saying she did not want to pinch and then going ahead and poking her.
“That was a poke, not a pinch. If you don’t understand the difference, I’d be happy to teach you.”
Wen Huaxi spoke with mock seriousness, her raised eyebrows full of mischief.
Yan Qinglan gave her a watery glance, still covering her cheek, and lifted her other hand.
“This is a pinch. This is a poke. I know the difference just fine.”
Her strength had always been impressive. This time, she moved quickly before Wen Huaxi could block her, catching her by surprise.
Wen Huaxi yelped from the sudden sting on her cheek and immediately covered her face.
Yan Qinglan’s smile grew wider.
Wen Huaxi’s eyes, now slightly red at the corners, looked even more adorable. It made Yan Qinglan want to bully her again.
Now the two of them were sitting in exactly the same posture.
Yan Qinglan’s desire for revenge ran deep. Wen Huaxi grew quietly annoyed and glared at her.
“You said you’d let me pinch you. I didn’t go back on my word. Xiaoxi, you were the one who cheated.”
Yan Qinglan explained herself with a relaxed tone, smiling as if nothing had happened. There was not a single trace of remorse.
“You leaned in and offered your face. Wasn’t that permission to let me do what I wanted?” Wen Huaxi grumbled. When she saw Yan Qinglan reach out again, she quickly shifted to the other side of the car.
Yan Qinglan’s soft laugh now carried a teasing, mocking tone, which made Wen Huaxi both angry and embarrassed. She turned her face away, refusing to deal with this black-hearted woman.
“What kind of dessert do you want, Xiaoxi?” A few minutes later, Yan Qinglan opened her phone and got ready to order afternoon tea.
“I want yours,” Wen Huaxi replied immediately, adjusting her voice to sound as shameless and annoying as possible.
“I was going to order a few for you,” Yan Qinglan paused and asked, “Is that not good enough?”
She sounded like she was genuinely trying to be thoughtful and make sure Wen Huaxi got something she liked.
“You don’t get it,” Wen Huaxi said with a shake of her head. “Food always tastes better when you steal it from someone else.”
“You promised me a reward. Sister Lan, you wouldn’t break your word, would you? All I want is a little dessert.”
Before Yan Qinglan could think of a proper response, Wen Huaxi pouted, looking deeply aggrieved. She gently tugged at Yan Qinglan’s sleeve and acted coy.
“I want to eat dessert with you, Sister Lan. Please say yes, be a good sister.”
Wen Huaxi leaned against her arm.
They were not in a public space, so when Wen Huaxi pressed against her like that, Yan Qinglan immediately felt a chill run down her spine. Her whole arm broke out in goosebumps.
She wanted to shake Wen Huaxi off, but could not figure out why her attitude had suddenly shifted. This sudden closeness was so unexpected that her brain seemed to freeze for a moment.
She tried to pull her arm away slightly, but then realized she had touched another part of Wen Huaxi in the process.
The softness of her omega body drew Yan Qinglan in, and Wen Huaxi’s bright, lovely eyes became even more captivating.
It was a kind of hesitation and heartache that Yan Qinglan had never felt before. In that moment, it felt as if her soul was being pulled down by Wen Huaxi.
And in that brief second of stillness, it was her lips that made the decision for her.