After the Harem Novel’s Female Lead was Spoiled by the Comments - Chapter 16

Yan Qingwen felt an urgent desire to leave, as if something would collapse if she did not.

But suddenly retreating would make her look guilty. She never easily showed weakness in front of Wen Hebai, so she could only endure until she finished washing her hair.

“Dry it yourself.”

After throwing down those words, Yan Qingwen left the room and went to pour herself a glass of water.

She tried to drive away the lingering image in her mind of that glimpse of spring scenery she had accidentally caught, using constant sips of water to cool the heat in her cheeks.

Wen Hebai’s teasing, ambiguous laughter sounded behind her. “Darling, it was quite comfortable in the bathroom just now. As for you, you’re so wet. Do you want to wipe yourself dry first?”

The water Yan Qingwen had just swallowed nearly choked her. She turned around and, from the corner of her eye, caught sight of Lu Tie, who had come upstairs carrying a pile of miscellaneous items. Who knew what she had imagined, but her face had turned bright red with embarrassment.

This car is going way too fast! This isn’t a ride I should be getting on.

Lu Tie dropped a quick, “Sorry, I’ll come back up later,” and hurried downstairs.

Yan Qingwen, unable to endure it any longer, spat the crudest word she had ever used at the culprit.

“Get lost.”

—

It was only when they had changed clothes and were preparing to go out that Yan Qingwen discovered Wen Hebai had invited the stylist over merely to curl the ends of her hair, giving it a natural wave. There were not many changes made elsewhere.

Because the payment was generous enough, the stylist had no complaints. She even enthusiastically suggested that Wen Hebai wear a brown French beret to cover the bandage on her head, which also matched her overall outfit very well.

Wen Hebai was a walking clothes rack. She could pull off any style, and this fashionable, casual outfit did not look out of place on her at all.

Seeing Yan Qingwen, Wen Hebai curved her lips and said, “Help my wife do her styling too.”

Yan Qingwen was wearing the outfit Wen Hebai had matched for her, and she did look more in line with her actual age. However, her hairstyle was still an elegant updo, which greatly diminished the effect of the outfit.

After receiving Yan Qingwen’s silent approval, the stylist slightly trimmed her hair, gave her a side-parted lob, and paired it with a white retro British wide-brimmed hat. In an instant, she went from a strong career woman to an artistic and intellectual young woman.

Looking at herself in the mirror, Yan Qingwen found it somewhat unfamiliar. Ever since she had become president of Yan Corporation, the labels attached to her had only been elegant and intellectual, dignified and graceful, coldly beautiful and noble. The youthful vitality that should have belonged to someone her age had been stripped away.

She tugged at the corners of her lips.

Had she gone crazy? She had actually listened to Wen Hebai’s arrangements and dressed like this.

However, today was a special day. She would make an exception just this once.

When they returned to the Yan family’s private manor, the butler nearly failed to recognize her.

“E-Eldest Miss?”

Yan Qingwen found his reaction rather amusing and nodded slightly. “Good evening.”

The butler came back to his senses and hurriedly said, “Good evening, Eldest Miss. Good evening, Fourth Miss Wen.”

Wen Hebai brushed the hair at the back of her neck and corrected him. “Uncle Qi, now that Ah Wen and I are married, you should call me Young Madam or Madam Yan.”

Although Yan Qingwen had already become President Yan, the Yan family still had an old madam and a madam. The butler, who had worked for the Yan family for more than twenty years, was more accustomed to calling Yan Aotian’s wife “Madam,” so he changed his address to “Young Madam.”

“Wife, let’s go in.”

Wen Hebai interlaced her fingers with Yan Qingwen’s and stepped into the living room in an extremely loving manner.

Behind them, the butler sighed emotionally. He had not expected that after so many years, he would be able to see them appear side by side again.

In the living room, three women with completely different styles were sitting on the sofa by the floor-to-ceiling window and chatting, while the gray-haired Tu Sihua was watching a currently popular period countryside drama.

“Our grandma is watching my drama!” Wen Hebai proudly showed off to Yan Qingwen.

Their appearance drew the attention of everyone in the living room. It was as if someone had pressed pause, and the conversation came to an abrupt stop. Aside from Tu Sihua, whose hearing was somewhat poor, everyone else’s gaze fell on their intertwined hands.

“Qingwen, you’re back!” The first to speak was a woman dressed in dazzling jewels and overflowing wealth, looking as if the words “I am a wealthy madam” were almost written across her face. She directly ignored Wen Hebai.

Of course Wen Hebai knew who she was. She was Yan Qingwen’s maternal aunt, Xiao Bailian, a nouveau riche who had made her fortune by relying on Yan Corporation’s resources.

The woman dressed in an intellectual and fashionable style, adorned only with a pair of platinum earrings, was Yan Qingwen’s aunt, Yan Su. She took the initiative to stand up and pull Wen Hebai’s hand over, asking about her injury.

When Wen Hebai was young, she often came to the Yan family home, so her relationship with Yan Su was naturally close as well. Moreover, when she and Yan Qingwen had been fighting fiercely in the entertainment industry, Yan Su had been overseas and did not know much about their affairs. Therefore, her attitude toward Wen Hebai had not changed much.

“Qingwen, what’s with your outfit?” Yan Qingwen’s second aunt-in-law, Hai Hou, who looked elegant and luxurious, could not hide her surprise.

Yan Qingwen smiled slightly and asked, “Second Aunt, do you think it doesn’t suit me?”

“It suits you. It suits you too well!” Yan Su squeezed Hai Hou aside. “You should dress like this often. That way, you won’t look so old-fashioned.”

Yan Su, who had started out as a jewelry designer, greatly appreciated the change in Yan Qingwen’s styling. She felt that Yan Qingwen looked very eye-catching dressed this way. Moreover, at a glance, this was clearly not Yan Qingwen’s own work. It was very likely that Wen Hebai had matched it for her.

She sighed inwardly. Originally, she had still been somewhat worried that their marriage was a compromise made for certain interests. Seeing them today, their relationship seemed even more harmonious than the rumors said.

After greeting them, Yan Qingwen brought Wen Hebai over to see her grandmother, Tu Sihua. After that, she went alone to the study to meet her grandfather, Yan Liangchen.

Only after she entered did she discover that her parents, Yan Aotian and Xiao Baihua, as well as her second uncle, Yan Ritian, were also there.

When the few of them first saw her, they felt she looked somewhat unfamiliar. Only after she greeted them did they one after another put away their stunned expressions.

“So you were willing to come back?” Yan Aotian sat on the sofa with the bearing of a king. His deep eyes landed on Yan Qingwen, and an invisible pressure instantly swept toward her.

As the only child of him and Xiao Baihua, their love for her came from the heart, but their expectations for her were also the greatest. Seeing their always obedient daughter defy them and choose a crooked path, they were both distressed and furious.

Yan Qingwen withstood the pressure and said, “Dad, this is my home. I’ve never thought of not coming back.”

“Qingwen, how could you like Hebai? Yunhan is such a good child.” Xiao Baihua still could not accept this reality and leaned against her husband, wiping away tears.

Yan Aotian held her heartbrokenly and swept Yan Qingwen with a sharp glance. “You’ve hurt your mother too much.”

Yan Qingwen paused, then said, “Dad, don’t swear.”

Everyone in the study froze. Yan Ritian could not hold back and burst out laughing.

The dull, serious atmosphere full of gunpowder instantly vanished without a trace.

Yan Liangchen glared at his unreliable second son, then spoke. “Enough. They’ve already gotten their marriage certificate. Even if you criticize her now, it won’t help. Can you really force them to go get divorced?”

Yan Aotian frowned without saying a word. Xiao Baihua, intimidated by Yan Liangchen’s authority, did not dare speak either.

Yan Liangchen gestured for Yan Qingwen to sit down, but his eyes burst with a beast-like dangerous light.

“Tell me, then. What exactly are you thinking?”

Yan Qingwen remained fearless in the face of danger. “Grandpa, I like her. Is that reason enough?”