After Divorcing My Omega Ex-Wife - Chapter 18.1

Their warm breaths intertwined.

Her heartbeat fell into chaos. Their lips were so close. Xie Qingyun closed her eyes, her fingers slipping into Shi Yun’s hair and holding the back of her head in place.

Not letting her move even half an inch.

Shi Yun’s hair scattered, a few strands falling onto Xie Qingyun’s arm and tangling with her hair.

Shi Yun was controlled by the pheromones. She did not think to dodge. Instead, she subconsciously lifted her face, wanting to respond.

Her lashes fluttered uneasily, and a butterfly effect rippled through her heart.

Just as their lips were about to touch, the phone in Shi Yun’s bag vibrated twice.

Zhuang Zhou dreamed he was a butterfly.

And from a great dream, she suddenly awoke.

She was the first to come back to herself. Raising her hand, she realized what she was doing. Both hands landed on Xie Qingyun’s shoulders and pushed.

The force was soft and weak.

Like a kitten acting spoiled, refusing to let someone touch it, when in truth it was only trying to gain its owner’s attention.

Xie Qingyun opened her eyes from that push and saw Shi Yun’s crimson cheeks turn to the side.

She did not dare meet her gaze.

The phone was still vibrating. Xie Qingyun was a little annoyed, not knowing who was so tactless as to interrupt her good moment at a time like this.

The two of them were still in an ambiguous posture. Shi Yun’s hands were still resting on Xie Qingyun’s shoulders. She awkwardly withdrew them. With the phone vibrating like accompaniment, she had the strange illusion that she had been caught having an affair.

Clearly, nothing had happened between them yet.

Once some ambiguous moments were interrupted, they could only stop there. Xie Qingyun withdrew her hand somewhat regretfully. She did not feel embarrassed. When emotions were intense, whatever happened was normal.

Moreover, Shi Yun was originally her wife. The two of them had only briefly separated because of other people’s instigation.

Sooner or later, Shi Yun would realize who loved her most.

Shi Yun quickly avoided her, leaving Xie Qingyun’s side. She picked up her bag and walked into the bathroom.

Taking her phone from the bag, she saw that she had already missed the call. What followed was Chen Su’s bombardment of WeChat messages.

She turned on the faucet and called Chen Su back.

Chen Su’s anxious voice came through the receiver. “Ah-Yun! Where did you run off to?!”

For no reason, Shi Yun felt relieved when she heard her friend’s voice. “Su Lirong came just now. I’m at Xie Qingyun’s place right now.”

“Su Lirong?! She came this quickly? I thought it would take another couple of days.” Chen Su wished she could immediately rush to Shi Yun’s side to protect her.

A smile hung on Shi Yun’s face. “How could Su Lirong wait when money is involved? It’s already been handled, don’t worry.” Shi Yun could even imagine Chen Su waving her fists on the other end of the phone. She gave a soft laugh. “Susu, it’s done.”

Chen Su asked in surprise, “Really?”

Shi Yun said brightly, “At the latest, the money will arrive the day after tomorrow.”

“That’s great!”

Shi Yun tilted her head and glanced toward the door, lowering her voice. “I’m at her place right now, so it’s not very convenient. I’ll tell you the details when I get back.”

“Okay.”

Shi Yun hung up and adjusted her expression.

In the end, she was still young. Before walking out, she lowered her head and laughed softly.

No one could control their emotions when investment funds were about to arrive.

When she walked out of the ward, Xie Qingyun was sitting by the bed.

The intimacy just now had given Xie Qingyun the illusion that the two of them would soon reconcile.

She pulled Shi Yun’s hand over and carefully tested the waters. “If I came to Yinian, would you be happy?”

Shi Yun had originally wanted to avoid her, but thinking that the funds had not arrived yet, she endured it. Hearing those words, her expression changed slightly. “What do you mean?”

Xie Qingyun rubbed Shi Yun’s hand. Shi Yun’s hands contrasted greatly with her personality and felt wonderful to touch: soft palms paired with a well-defined back of the hand, fair skin faintly showing blue veins. Everything about them made Xie Qingyun like them.

“Exactly what it sounds like. I mean I’ll go to your company as an actress.”

Shi Yun laughed awkwardly. “Don’t joke like that. Doesn’t Zhongxing treat you well?”

Xie Qingyun stared into Shi Yun’s pupils. Her amber eyes reflected the light with a clarity almost like a young deer’s. “I’m not joking. Zhongxing treats me very well, but I really want to establish myself independently.”

In this industry, it was common for artists and companies to have conflicts toward the later stage of a contract. But Shi Yun had looked into Xie Qingyun’s contract. Within reason, Zhongxing had given her the greatest freedom possible.

Shi Yun shook her head. “You know why Chen Su and I established Yinian. If you come, it will only delay your future.”

Her words were not exactly tactful, but they were sincere. There was no fate between them as lovers, but as business partners and friends, Shi Yun did not want to trap Xie Qingyun.

She still had a conscience.

In the industry, it was not exactly a secret that Chen Su wanted to promote Lu Yi.

Most people knew that the person behind Lu Yi was Chen Su.

After being rejected, Xie Qingyun’s thoughts darkened somewhat. She leaned her head on Shi Yun’s shoulder. “But when I think of Zhao Zhilin being able to work in the same company as you, I’m so envious.”

Shi Yun’s body stiffened. Her whole body felt as if electricity had passed through it, and half of her body went numb. She still could not withstand Xie Qingyun coming close. “You’re an investor. If you want to, you can work with us too. If you come to Yinian, Qian Can won’t agree either.”

Having no other choice, she could only bring out the great Buddha that was Qian Can.

“Then swear to me that you won’t go on business trips with Zhao Zhilin, eat with her, or…” The moment Xie Qingyun thought of those things, she felt faintly frantic inside. Such intimate things—Shi Yun would no longer do them with her now.

Shi Yun said somewhat helplessly, “You don’t need to worry about that.”

She did not understand. Why did Xie Qingyun keep caring about this?

“If Zhao Zhilin likes me, is that my business?”

“You’ll have to ask her that.”

Shi Yun felt annoyed. If Zhao Zhilin liked her, why was Xie Qingyun asking her? She was a principled alpha. She would only be with someone she liked.

Their conversation did not produce anything useful. Xie Qingyun pressed her lips together in dissatisfaction.

But after thinking about it, she decided she still needed to proceed step by step.

There were too many omegas outside coveting Shi Yun. How she wished she could hide Shi Yun away, so only she could see how good Shi Yun was.

Every day, she would let Shi Yun be surrounded by her pheromones.

Then Shi Yun would never again be seduced by omegas outside.

Shi Yun’s phone rang again. Xie Qingyun sensed that she intended to leave and reluctantly held both her hands. “When will you come see me next?”

Shi Yun’s mind was full of thoughts of running away, so she said perfunctorily, “If you want me to come, I’ll come.”

Xie Qingyun was not satisfied with this answer. It sounded as if she were holding a knife to Shi Yun’s neck.

She pretended to be angry and turned her back to her. “Then go.”

When Shi Yun heard this, it was as if she had received a pardon. She grabbed her bag and walked toward the door without looking back.

Only when the door opened and then closed, and half a second passed without anyone coming to coax her, did Xie Qingyun realize something was wrong. She turned around in surprise and looked at the empty ward, only then realizing that when Shi Yun said she was leaving, she had really left.

She grabbed the pillow on the bed and threw it hard.

“Bad woman!”

/

Shi Yun returned to the observation room, packed up her things, and completed the discharge process.

She did not return to Heyuan.

She went to Jingshui Villas ahead of time. A few days ago, she had chosen several pieces of furniture she liked, and today, they were scheduled to be delivered.

She had never been willing to compromise when it came to where she lived.

Shi Yun stood before the floor-to-ceiling window and looked down over the entire Jing Lake.

A message popped up on her phone.

[Are you free? I’d like to meet you.]

The sender was Zhao Zhilin.

Shi Yun thought for a moment and replied.

[Tomorrow works.]

After returning to the hotel, Shi Yun organized her recent work, then fell asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow.

The next day.

The news that Xie Qingyun had transferred the money came faster than she had imagined, and the amount was much larger than she had expected.

The moment she received the message, Xie Qingyun’s call appeared on her phone screen.

Shi Yun did not answer immediately. Instead, she waited for a while, timing it precisely, and picked up two seconds before the call was about to disconnect.

Xie Qingyun had wanted to claim credit, but after such a long wait, her heart could not help growing uneasy. Her words carried a little dissatisfaction. “I thought you were still sleeping.”

Shi Yun said, “Sorry. I was washing up just now.”

Shi Yun’s reaction was not particularly delighted, which was somewhat unexpected to Xie Qingyun. “The money has been transferred. Did you receive it?”

Shi Yun walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. The giant screen from before had already been taken down. She smiled. “I received it. Thank you. I’ll work hard and try to give you more dividends.”

Xie Qingyun was silent for half a second. “You know I’m not short of money.”

Shi Yun pretended not to understand what she clearly understood. “Then I can only thank Boss Xie?”

After a long silence, Xie Qingyun had a feeling that Shi Yun was dodging her words.

Shi Yun’s distance made her very uncomfortable, creating the illusion that she could not grasp her.

As if, now that Shi Yun had taken the money, she would throw Xie Qingyun aside and never show her a pleasant expression again.

Unable to get the answer she wanted, she could only change the topic. “What are you planning to do today?”

Shi Yun said, “Meet a friend.”

“Do I know them?” Xie Qingyun instinctively grew nervous. She knew Shi Yun did not have many friends. If Shi Yun were going to meet Chen Su, she would directly say Chen Su’s name.

But she did not.

The phone had originally been placed on the table. Now Xie Qingyun suddenly picked it up and pressed it against her ear.

She wanted to hear Shi Yun’s heartbeat and breathing.

To judge whether she was lying.

Shi Yun teased, “Maybe you know them? Do I need to ask you that too?”

Her heart seemed to be gripped by someone. The uneasiness in Xie Qingyun’s chest grew stronger.

Every question in return made her distrust grow.

Shi Yun seemed to have become different from before.

Choked by this, if Xie Qingyun continued the conversation, she would seem too eager. “Then have fun. I’m hanging up.”

Bad woman!

Now that she had the money, this was how she treated her!

Xie Qingyun spent the entire day feeling anxious. She recalled Shi Yun’s attitude over the past few days.

She could not detect anything wrong.

Until the sun began to set.

That entire day, she held the script for her new drama but did not manage to read many pages.

From time to time, she fiddled with her phone.

No messages.

Instead, Shi Yun had updated her Moments.

Xie Qingyun tapped it open. It was a Live Photo.

The image itself was an ordinary shot of tree shadows. Holding down the Live Photo icon in the lower-left corner, she could only see the wind move and the tree branches sway. It was impossible to tell where the scenery was.

Just as she was about to exit, she heard a laugh.

She thought she had misheard.

Then she turned the volume all the way up.

It was Zhao Zhilin’s voice.

A sense of betrayal immediately surged up.

At the same time, a message from Qian Can popped up on her phone.

[I think you need to see this. An entertainment reporter just sent it over. Do you want to buy it?]

She opened the photo. It was a picture of Shi Yun and Zhao Zhilin walking side by side.

Zhao Zhilin’s face was mostly visible, and she was smiling happily, but Shi Yun’s face was not very clear.

Xie Qingyun’s chest rose and fell violently. Breathing heavily, she gritted her teeth and called Qian Can.

“Are there any others?”

Qian Can said, “No. For now, there’s only this one picture. But your relationship is special, and you can’t underestimate netizens’ ability to dig things up. If this picture gets exposed, Shi Yun’s identity will probably be exposed too.”

Xie Qingyun clenched her fist and forced down the anger in her heart. “Buy it. I can’t let my wife have rumors with someone else.”

Qian Can had guessed Xie Qingyun’s reaction and soothed her. “The two of them will be in the same company in the future. Eating together is normal. Things like this will happen often from now on. Don’t take it too seriously.”

Xie Qingyun felt as if a basin of cold water had been poured over her.

Yes. From now on, the two of them would be colleagues.

And she would be the one who could not see Shi Yun at every moment.

After hanging up, she opened her chat with Shi Yun. Their conversation still stopped at a few days ago.

Xie Qingyun tried hard to calm herself. She typed and deleted several times in the chat box before finally sending one line.

[Why didn’t you tell me it was Zhao Zhilin?]

She waited for a long time, but there was still no message.

Xie Qingyun gave a cold laugh and anxiously fiddled with her phone. One moment she turned on airplane mode, the next she repeatedly checked the Wi-Fi at home.

In the end, she comforted herself that perhaps Shi Yun had not looked at her phone.

So she simply liked Shi Yun’s Moments post.

Another hour passed. Still zero messages.

Unable to hold back, she sent a message to Wen Xia too.

Wen Xia replied quickly.

[?]

[Nothing. I’m testing whether my Wi-Fi is working.]

[Crazy?]

Xie Qingyun felt she had gone mad. Like self-torture, she repeatedly opened the two photos.

Why had they never had such a warm moment like this?

Venting, she threw her phone onto the bed and lay on the pillow, punching the air.

Bad woman! Bad woman!

Shi Yun was the worst woman in the whole world!

“Ding—”

Xie Qingyun rolled over and reached for her phone. The screen lit up for an instant, and she saw it was a WeChat message.

She abruptly sat up and opened it.

[Dinner with a friend.]

This answer missed the point. The irritation in Xie Qingyun’s heart intensified.

Shi Yun clearly knew she cared. Why didn’t she say anything?

Why did she still meet Zhao Zhilin privately, just the two of them?

[Just the two of you?]

Her heart was irritated, and even her tone was not very good.

The title kept flashing back and forth between the name and “typing…” Finally, there was only a simple “mm.”

Xie Qingyun was so angry she had nowhere to put it.

A single “mm” was enough to brush her off?

[Shouldn’t you give me an explanation?]

[?]

Feeling that Xie Qingyun was being aggressive, Shi Yun’s attitude also hardened.

Xie Qingyun’s temper was stirred up by that question mark. What she hated most was when the other party avoided the issue while they were discussing something.

Xie Qingyun choked. A fire blocked her chest and organs, with nowhere to vent.

So she simply called Shi Yun directly.

It rang twice and was quickly cut off.

She refused to give up and kept calling.

Once, twice, three times…

Until the message came: “The number you have dialed is currently busy…”

Only then did she realize she had been blacklisted.

Another WeChat message popped up.

[Do you not have friends?]

[Don’t you think it’s annoying to keep calling?]

Xie Qingyun held her phone, sliding back and forth between the WeChat homepage and Shi Yun’s chat. She could not believe these were words Shi Yun would say to her.

She could only confirm them over and over.

Her lips trembled in disbelief as she typed a sentence.

[Are you talking about me?]

She did not know what had happened that night. Shi Yun had gone home, and after waking up, she seemed like a different person.

Had it started from the moment she received the money?

Xie Qingyun shook her head, throwing that terrifying thought out.

Her Shi Yun would never.

She scrolled upward a few times and carefully studied their chat history.

It seemed she had been wrong here. She should not have spoken to Shi Yun with such a bad attitude.

She had only been overwhelmed by that photo.

That was why she had spoken without choosing her words.

An apology should fix it.

If she apologized, Shi Yun would forgive her.

[I’m sorry. It was my fault. I just saw the photo of you two going out together, and I was too envious. I’m so envious that Zhao Zhilin can eat with you. We’ve never even had a proper meal together.]

She typed and typed, but still felt that nothing was right.

After sending one message, she continued typing. All her grievances were here.

[I’m really sorry, Shi Yun. Did I disturb your meal? What do you want? I’ll buy it for you.]

[Please don’t ignore me, okay?]

After that, the whole conversation revolved around apologies.

The screen filled with green bubbles, but no reply came.

Xie Qingyun’s heart chilled in waves. How could Shi Yun ignore her?

Clearly, she had given her both money and love. Why was she not replying to her messages?

Putting down her phone, she no longer expected Shi Yun’s reply.

She thought she had to find a way to make Shi Yun never able to leave her again.

Her mind was a chaotic mess. Suddenly, she smelled a faint green sandalwood scent.

Opening the drawer, she found the plush keychain Shi Yun had left behind in her hurry.

There it was.

As long as Shi Yun marked her.

Out of responsibility, Shi Yun would not leave her.

And if they had a child…

They would become a family that could never be separated again.

/

Today’s meeting place had been chosen by Zhao Zhilin.

When Shi Yun drove to Banshan Garden, it was almost noon. The mountain road was difficult to drive.

She was a little late.

The place was secluded, so she felt very at ease.

Yinian’s legal representative was Chen Su, and Shi Yun’s shares were held on her behalf. When it came to work, she had always been very cautious. At this moment, it was not the best time for her to step into the spotlight.

She did not want to expose her identity too early. Moreover, she also did not want to be photographed and cause Zhao Zhilin unnecessary trouble.

The server led her all the way to the private room. Bamboo had been planted on both sides of the path, rustling softly. The autumn wind was cool, carrying a faint osmanthus fragrance, though the flowers themselves were nowhere to be seen. It seemed the design had taken considerable effort.

Shi Yun liked this place and added it to her list of future dining candidates.

When she entered the private room, Zhao Zhilin was standing before the glass. Before her was a sea of bamboo, swaying with the wind.

Seeing Shi Yun arrive, Zhao Zhilin turned and walked over to greet her, warmly taking Shi Yun’s hand. “Do you like it here?”

Shi Yun smiled and nodded.

Then she politely yet distantly withdrew her hand.

She did not like this kind of intimate contact, and she also worried that this private room with glass on two sides might be secretly photographed.

Zhao Zhilin was the artist she was about to sign. If bad news broke at a time like this, and her former company suppressed her again, she might never have a chance to rise.

Zhao Zhilin did not get angry either. Smiling, she pulled out a chair for Shi Yun. “That was rude of me.”

Shi Yun had always held a degree of wariness toward Zhao Zhilin. Back then, it had been Zhao Zhilin who exposed the fact that she and Xie Qingyun had divorced.

She did not know the other party’s purpose in telling her, but she could not simply take it as kindness.

Zhao Zhilin said, “Since you hadn’t arrived yet, I ordered some of this restaurant’s signature dishes first. You don’t mind, do you?”

Shi Yun shook her head.

At a round table, Zhao Zhilin sat opposite her, perhaps to avoid suspicion, or perhaps for some other reason.

They were separated left and right.

The dishes arrived quickly. They were all delicately presented fusion dishes.

The taste was quite good.

Shi Yun had not had much appetite these past few days, but her appetite was still tempted, and she ate a few more bites.

She poured herself a glass of fruit juice and raised it toward Zhao Zhilin from across the table. “Speaking of which, I should thank you. If you hadn’t told me about the divorce, I’m afraid I would still be kept in the dark by Xie Qingyun.”

Zhao Zhilin gave a soft laugh. “I had selfish motives too.”

Shi Yun’s hand paused around the glass. Pretending not to care, she put it down and continued eating.

She had already gotten used to Zhao Zhilin suddenly saying shocking things at any time.

After eating for quite some time, Zhao Zhilin still had not mentioned the purpose of inviting her today, and Shi Yun was happy to be at ease.

After all, social occasions required people to exchange pleasantries back and forth. A private meeting like this made her feel more at ease and less guarded.

Once Zhao Zhilin entered Yinian in the future, she would count as half one of their own.

Shi Yun did not eat much. After moving her chopsticks a few times, she put them aside. Zhao Zhilin was an actress and needed to control her diet even more.

After a whole meal, the dishes on the table looked almost the same as when they had first been served.

Seeing Shi Yun put down her chopsticks, Zhao Zhilin took out a paper bag from behind the table, walked to her, and handed it over. “I’ve always wanted to give this to you before, but I never found a particularly good opportunity. That’s why I specially asked you out this time.”

Shi Yun was overwhelmed by the favor. She had always thought Zhao Zhilin had asked her out because she had something to request, or perhaps because of the contract. After all, until the day the signature was finalized and the official seal stamped, nothing truly counted.

On the way here, she had also thought about how much freedom she could give Zhao Zhilin in the contract.

In the entire entertainment industry, there was probably no second company that could reach this level.

She sincerely wanted to cultivate the next Best Actress.

Zhao Zhilin urged, “Open it and take a look.”

Shi Yun picked up the paper bag and weighed it. It was not light.

Inside, it was wrapped layer upon layer in pale blue pearlescent paper.

She first took out the largest one. Judging from the feel, it seemed like a plate.

Then she took out the rest one by one.

Finally, peeling away the pearlescent paper, the true appearance was revealed.

Shi Yun felt like laughing. It was actually the set of plates she had hesitated over some time ago but ultimately had not bought.

She could no longer remember why she had not bought them back then.

“That day when I went to your house, I saw that you liked these. I happened to pass by the furniture store and thought you would like them, so I bought them.” Zhao Zhilin looked at Shi Yun expectantly, holding her face in her hands, stars sparkling in her eyes.

“Thank you…” Shi Yun placed each plate on the table. After that day, she had also followed the status of this tableware set. Within a few days, it had been sold.

After it was sold, she had not felt particularly regretful.

She had known that, to her, this set was optional.

Shi Yun smiled back at Zhao Zhilin, though her hands felt somewhat awkward. “I like them very much.”

People often only understood things through comparison. At this moment, for no reason, Shi Yun thought of Xie Qingyun.

The set Xie Qingyun had bought was the one she liked the most.

But she also felt that comparing them like this was unfair to Zhao Zhilin.

“I…” Zhao Zhilin opened her mouth, but seeing Shi Yun’s distracted expression, she swallowed her words again.

In truth, this set had not been her first choice.

Her first choice had been a beautiful red plate with little cats. Unfortunately, she had been a step too late. By the time she saw it, someone else had already taken it home.

The two of them leaned their heads together to look at the plates, very close to one another.

When they turned their heads, their cheeks were almost touching.

Shi Yun instinctively tilted her head to the other side.

Zhao Zhilin sensed her rejection, her fingertips digging into her palm.

Only pain could make her feel clear-headed.

She simply threw caution to the wind. “Actually, there’s something I want to say to you.”

Shi Yun seemed to realize what Zhao Zhilin was about to say and hurriedly interrupted, “Do you have an alpha you like? Our company isn’t against dating. If you want, you can find someone. Chen Su and I will prepare a big gift for you when the time comes.”

Zhao Zhilin’s hand loosened. The strength she had gathered scattered at that moment.

Adults did not need to say some things too clearly.

Changing the subject was a refusal.

She curved her lips into a bleak smile. “The alpha I like is…”