After the Harem Novel’s Female Lead was Spoiled by the Comments - Chapter 20

In one corner of the Yan family manor’s flower garden.

Yan Qingwen had taken off her school uniform and changed into a fashionable, elegant white dress. It was as though she had also shed the youthful immaturity of her school days. Expensive and exquisite accessories adorned her body, making her appear mature and charming.

Third Young Master Jiang looked at her, his eyes filled with infatuation.

Yan Qingwen responded to him gracefully and appropriately. “Third Young Master Jiang, thank you for your feelings, but please allow me to reject your pursuit.”

Third Young Master Jiang did not hide the disappointment on his face and asked unwillingly, “Why? I think with our family backgrounds, we are the most compatible.”

“Because I don’t like you and cannot accept your feelings.”

“We haven’t spent time together yet. As long as you give me a chance to get along with you, you’ll definitely be able to see my charm,” Third Young Master Jiang tried to persuade her.

Yan Qingwen politely and patiently listened to him finish speaking, but her attitude remained firm. “You don’t need to say so much to me. I only need you to understand one thing: I will not accept your feelings, and you don’t need to waste time on me.”

Seeing a figure flash past not far away, a trace of surprise crossed Yan Qingwen’s eyes. She said to Third Young Master Jiang, “Excuse me. I still have something to attend to.”

After saying that, she lifted the hem of her long dress slightly and walked toward the back garden.

Third Young Master Jiang gazed at her back. She was dressed elegantly and gracefully, yet from her figure, one could still see the green, youthful charm that belonged uniquely to an eighteen-year-old girl. A hint of determination to obtain her was hidden in his eyes.

When she reached the swing in the garden, Yan Qingwen looked at Wen Hebai, who was sitting on it and swaying listlessly, and said, “I thought you weren’t coming.”

Wen Hebai’s tone was cold. “Of course you hoped I wouldn’t come.”

Yan Qingwen frowned. What nerve was this person hitting?

Her silence was taken by Wen Hebai as admission, and it felt as if a ball of cotton were blocking Wen Hebai’s chest. “Did I interrupt something good between you and Jiang Yunhan?”

“Wen Hebai, if you know how to speak, then speak properly. If you don’t, then shut up.”

Today was supposed to be a good day, but Yan Qingwen could not feel happy no matter what. First, Third Young Master Jiang had confessed to her in public, nearly leaving her unable to step down from the stage. After she finally escaped his entanglement, Wen Hebai, who had arrived late, started losing her temper at her.

Did these people all think she was a soft bun they could knead however they pleased?

Jian Fengren’s words echoed in Wen Hebai’s ears. Although Wen Hebai did not really want to argue with Yan Qingwen, a teenager’s pride made it impossible for her to stay calm. She sneered and said, “You thought I wouldn’t come? Heh. You didn’t send me an invitation. What right did I have to come?”

Yan Qingwen rubbed her brow, not expecting that she was angry over this.

“Is whether or not you have the right decided by a single invitation? If you really care that much about an invitation, then what do you take our friendship of more than ten years for?”

“A friendship of more than ten years, yet you didn’t even give me an invitation!” Wen Hebai felt hurt just thinking about it. “When I was stopped outside the gate, did you think about our friendship of more than ten years? They all laughed at me and said I was like a lapdog, shamelessly coming over even though I clearly hadn’t been invited! This is the kind of humiliation that our friendship of more than ten years brought me!”

Yan Qingwen suddenly realized something. Looking at Wen Hebai’s reddened eyes, she put away her sharp edges and explained, “Yan Corporation’s contract with the previous security company had expired. Last month, we changed to another security company, and they arranged new people to come over. After you went off to film, you hadn’t come by for too long, so the people at the gate didn’t recognize you. You should have called me.”

“I did. You didn’t answer!” The more Wen Hebai thought about it, the more upset she became.

Yan Qingwen subconsciously touched the side of her leg, only to realize that she was wearing a long dress today and had no pockets. On top of that, she was the main character today and had been busy socializing, so she had no chance to use her phone at all. She had left her phone in her room.

She was someone who admitted her mistakes when she knew she was wrong. “Sorry. I forgot I didn’t have my phone with me. But you could have looked for Uncle Qi, or even your sister.”

“You don’t understand at all. It’s not about who I could look for!”

Yan Qingwen gazed at Wen Hebai, who was being somewhat unreasonable, and felt a little tired. “I didn’t arrange things properly. It was my fault. I’m sorry. Is that enough?”

After saying that, she turned to leave, but suddenly felt unwilling. Why did she have to admit to every single fault?

She turned back again. “I told you about this more than a month in advance. If you had cared even a little, arranged your schedule early, and returned to K City even just one night earlier, you would have had plenty of time to come with your sister. This misunderstanding wouldn’t have happened!”

—

Only when the old argument was brought up did Yan Qingwen realize that there was still a trace of resentment in her heart.

She herself was not sure why she was so brooding over that matter.

Perhaps it was because when she had called Wen Hebai and asked her to come to her birthday banquet, she had placed too many expectations on it.

Or perhaps it was because the person she had looked forward to seeing since morning only arrived late in the afternoon, and too much anticipation had been consumed during that time.

In the end, on her birthday, forget a birthday gift—she had not cared that much about whether there was a gift or not—but Wen Hebai had not even given her a birthday greeting.

That enormous gap, together with the conflict at the time, had twisted into a knot in her heart. It had quietly buried itself there until today, when it was finally dug out.

Tu Sihua held one of each of their hands and said earnestly, “It’s good as long as the misunderstanding is cleared up. Don’t be like Wenwen’s parents when they were young. They had misunderstandings but refused to explain, wasting the mouths they were born with, and in the end, it turned into some tragic romance that tortured both body and heart. Even the dramas I watch aren’t as exaggerated as what they acted out!”

Yan Qingwen: “…”

Ahem. Grandma’s roasting was actually quite sharp.

However, the problems between her and Wen Hebai were not something that could be explained clearly just because they had mouths.

Wen Hebai probably realized that she had also been responsible for that argument, so she did not make a sound.

Tu Sihua patted Yan Qingwen’s hand and said, “All right, let’s go back inside. There are too many mosquitoes out here. Look, they’ve bitten bumps all over your neck.”

“Pfft.” Wen Hebai turned her face away, pretending to admire the scenery.

Yan Qingwen raised a hand and touched her neck. Realizing something, her heart tightened, and the temperature in her cheeks quietly rose.

Fortunately, her grandmother had presbyopia and could not see clearly. Yan Qingwen smiled without warmth and said, “Indeed. That was a very large mosquito. Back then, before I found out she was coming closer, I should have slapped her to death.”

Tu Sihua did not hear the implication in her words and waved them away.

Yan Qingwen returned to the room to touch up her concealer. Wen Hebai knew that if she followed her at this time, she would definitely not get anything good out of it, so she wandered around outside for a while before slowly returning.

“Come with me to remove my stitches this afternoon.”

“I still have work. Go by yourself.”

With acting skills honed to perfection, Wen Hebai only needed three seconds for her eyes to grow wet. “You put your clothes on and refuse to recognize me. Yan Qingwen, your heart is so cruel!”

Yan Qingwen’s sharp gaze swept over her. “If you want to act crazy, go do it somewhere else.”

Then she added, “We agreed last night. Like most wealthy couples, we only fulfill our duties as wives. Don’t expect me to have time to play romantic games with you.”

This was the agreement they had reached last night. That way, neither of them would have any psychological burden.

Wen Hebai’s tears came and went at will. She removed the tragic heroine mask, shrugged, and said, “Fine, then. I can only go by myself. If the paparazzi photograph me, and tomorrow’s headline reads, ‘Yan Corporation President and Golden Pear Best Actress Suspected of Marital Crisis! On the Fourth Day After Marriage, Best Actress Looks Lonely and Goes to Hospital Alone, President Yan Nowhere to Be Seen,’ then there’s nothing I can do about it.”

Yan Qingwen guessed that Wen Hebai wanted to continue riding the heat of their marriage. She would not let herself be led by the nose and said, “There’s a private doctor at home. There’s no need to make a special trip to the hospital.”

After all, the Yan family had two elders already in their seventies, one of whom had Alzheimer’s disease. To be safe, they had arranged for two private doctors to take turns being on duty at the Yan family manor. With one phone call, a private doctor could arrive in five minutes.

Wen Hebai sighed as if accepting her fate and collapsed onto the sofa, looking utterly lifeless.

A few minutes later, the private doctor had not arrived yet, but an uninvited guest did.