A Heartless Omega Regrets It When I’m Dying - Chapter 16

Lin Wantang did not leave immediately.

“I hope you won’t throw away my things during this period.”

She sensed that Wen Zhiqing was in a foul mood, likely because she had taken the initiative to draft the divorce agreement first.

Wen Zhiqing generally disregarded the price of items; Lin was worried that the moment she stepped out, Wen would have everything she owned cleared out.

“Just some junk,” Wen Zhiqing said, her tone cold and impatient. “Even if I throw it away, what can you do about it?”

Lin Wantang had already taken her coat off the rack and was about to put it on, but she paused at those words. “It’s only for a few days. I’ll take everything with me once the divorce is finalized.”

Despite her earnest explanation, Wen Zhiqing’s expression did not soften. Instead, her eyes grew darker. The shimmering gaze that had appeared during her drunken state last night now looked like a frozen lake under the morning sun—opaque and unreadable.

Receiving no reply for a long while, Lin Wantang spoke up again: “May I?”

If Wen Zhiqing insisted on saying no, she would likely have to call a moving company now to clear her things out. There were many trivial matters to attend to, and she wasn’t even sure where she would store her belongings. Having no house of her own made a situation like this incredibly pathetic.

“I’ll call the movers now, then.”

The probability of Wen Zhiqing agreeing was minuscule. Lin Wantang didn’t want to waste any more time in a stalemate, so she draped her coat over her arm and picked up her phone to look for a moving company’s number.

The room was silent, save for the sound of breathing and fingers tapping on the screen, until Wen Zhiqing suddenly spoke: “Do it another day. I’m going out today. Who knows what you might ‘accidentally’ move out if you call the movers while I’m not here.”

Lin Wantang knew very well that Wen Zhiqing usually didn’t go to the office on weekends. She had always despised the “wolf culture” of constant overtime, believing that needing to solve problems by increasing work hours was a sign of inefficiency.

Therefore, Wen Zhiqing’s sudden departure was most likely to consult a lawyer about the divorce.

It should be considered a good thing. Lin Wantang tried to ignore the implication in Wen Zhiqing’s tone and said, “Let me know when you’re back, and I’ll contact the movers then.” Throughout their three years together, she had learned how difficult it was to communicate with Wen.

Wen Zhiqing lowered her head impatiently to adjust her cuffs. “I’ll be busy for the next few days. We’ll make an appointment another time.”

She casually tossed the divorce agreement she had previously left on the table into the wastepaper basket. “You stay here until the agreement is drafted. Keep a close eye on your precious junk.”

She spat out those last words slowly, as if grinding them between her teeth. Once she finished, Wen Zhiqing hurried out as if she couldn’t bear to spend another second with Lin Wantang.

Lin Wantang sighed, not understanding why Wen Zhiqing wanted her to stay. Being together was nothing but mutual torture.

At this point, she only hoped everything would end as soon as possible—ideally, legally dissolving the marriage before her surgery.

Lin Wantang felt an urgent, almost fearful need for the divorce. After printing the agreement in the early hours of the morning, she had a very brief dream. In it, she was lying on a hospital bed about to be pushed into the operating room, but Wen Zhiqing, as her wife, refused to sign the consent form. Wen watched with downcast eyes as Lin’s breathing grew weaker, until the line on the monitor went flat.

Lin Wantang took a deep breath. Beyond the fear, she felt a sudden sense of relief. She was glad that when she had explained her frequent gland pain to Wen Zhiqing, Wen had merely dismissed it as a bid for attention. If Wen Zhiqing truly knew she was terminally ill, she would likely want her to disappear sooner, just like in the dream.

In reality, Wen Zhiqing had countless ways to make the surgery fail, letting her die quietly on the operating table.

Lin Wantang wasn’t sure if Wen Zhiqing would actually do such a thing, but she knew she had to keep her illness a secret from her to prevent any complications.

Just a short while ago, the doctor had sent a message reminding her to collect her painkillers in advance and informing her that the surgery was scheduled for one month from now. In a month, she would have to be hospitalized for observation and preparation.

Lin Wantang thought that she must successfully divorce Wen Zhiqing within this month. Fortunately, Wen Zhiqing also seemed quite urgent about the divorce, so there shouldn’t be too many major obstacles.

She put on her coat. She had lost a lot of weight recently; the coat that used to fit her now felt empty, and the waistline was significantly looser. She looked down and tightened the belt by one more notch.

As she passed through the living room, the cow-spotted kitten rolled to her feet like a black-and-white ball of fluff. It tilted its head, gently batting at her trouser leg with soft paw pads and meowing at her in a high-pitched voice.

Lin Wantang didn’t know what name Wen Zhiqing had given the kitten. She stood there awkwardly, waiting for the cat to leave on its own.

However, the kitten seemed dissatisfied with Lin Wantang’s lack of cooperation. It continued to snag her trouser leg until Lin, puzzled, crouched down and tentatively stroked its head. Only then did it emit a satisfied purr.

Lin Wantang stroked the cat very cautiously. She had never been good at reading moods and didn’t believe in the permanence of any relationship; thus, she was wary of the cat, worried this somewhat neurotic cow kitten might turn on her and scratch her at any moment.

But it didn’t.

The kitten even stood up wobbly and backed away after her phone vibrated and she reached for it with her other hand.

Lin Wantang unlocked the screen. It was a message from Qi Yishu, asking if she was free this afternoon to sign a contract.

She remembered Qi Yishu mentioning it was just a supporting role that could be finished in a concentrated week or two of filming. It shouldn’t conflict with her surgery date, so she quickly replied.

Lin Wantang stood up. The kitten was still tilting its head to look at her. She whispered a goodbye to the little creature, which meowed back before lazily sauntering back to its bed and curling up into a small ball.

Lin Wantang first went to the hospital to pick up more gland painkillers. After eating, she arrived at the meeting point with Qi Yishu twenty minutes early.

Ever since the needle marks from the painkillers appeared on her gland, she had been wearing turtlenecks. This way, even if she took off her coat indoors, no one would notice.

Lin Wantang had once taken a photo to look at her own gland. The dense injection marks had left irregular pigment deposits and slight indentations on the skin. She had stared at the screen for a few seconds before silently deleting the photo.

Thinking of this, Lin Wantang, who was waiting quietly in the guest room, couldn’t help but adjust her collar to ensure every inch of her neck was covered.

Ten minutes before the appointed time, the door was pushed open. Qi Yishu walked in with a very familiar, capable-looking woman.

Lin Wantang recognized the woman as Chen Luo. She hadn’t expected the “friend who couldn’t find the right actor” to be the renowned Chen Luo, nor had she expected Qi Yishu to show up. She was momentarily stunned.

“Qi… Senior. Director Chen.”

Lin Wantang stood up, quickly hiding her surprise, though she hesitated for a moment when addressing Qi Yishu.

In truth, since their last meeting, she wasn’t sure what to call Qi Yishu other than “Director Qi.” There was too much of a gap in their status and reputation; calling her “Senior” felt like she was trying to climb social rungs, but she couldn’t find a more appropriate title.

This time, the scent of tobacco on Qi Yishu was much fainter, only detectable up close. Throughout the signing process, she barely spoke, maintaining her usual detached and composed demeanor.

No matter how socially inept Lin Wantang might be, she understood that someone of Chen Luo’s status would never struggle to find a supporting actor, especially for a major production the platform had high hopes for. Qi Yishu was deliberately helping her.

She just didn’t understand why.

She wasn’t close to Qi Yishu, and Qi Yishu knew nothing of her current situation. Moreover, rumors said Qi Yishu was aloof and never proactively helped anyone. Perhaps Qi Yishu loved Wen Zhiqing so deeply that she was extending her care to her as well?

Regardless, Qi Yishu had genuinely helped her.

Lin Wantang thought she should express her gratitude—perhaps a meal or a gift. She knew Qi Yishu might not care about such things, but she couldn’t just accept such kindness as a matter of course.

After signing, Lin Wantang carefully put away the contract, took the elevator down, and stepped onto the bleak winter streets. The cold wind brushed her face, and yesterday’s snow had turned to ice. The road was still difficult to travel, but her mood had warmed slightly.

In a private club elsewhere in North City, Wen Zhiqing stared down at the warm coffee on the long table in front of her. No lipstick marks were left on the rim of the custom porcelain cup. The surface of the dark brown liquid was as still as a mirror, reflecting the blurred glow of the chandelier above.

There was another person across the table, but it wasn’t a lawyer.

It was a private investigator.

“You mean, you want a detailed investigation into your wife’s recent whereabouts?”

The offered pay was generous enough that the investigator leaned forward slightly to confirm one last time.

Wen Zhiqing nodded slightly.

She hadn’t contacted a lawyer directly; instead, she had reached out to a private investigator. she was certain Lin Wantang had found someone else; she just didn’t know who it was yet, nor did she have definitive evidence of an affair.

But it didn’t matter. She had hired the top private investigator in the country. Once she had concrete evidence, she had more than enough ways to ruin both Lin Wantang and the other person.

When that time came, Lin Wantang would have no choice but to come back crying and begging, using every scheme she had to entice her again. The initiative would be entirely in Wen’s hands. She would toy with Lin Wantang like a cat with a mouse and make her pay a devastating price.

She had plenty of patience. She could wait until Lin Wantang had nowhere else to go and would willingly walk back into her trap to be dealt with at her pleasure.