After the Harem Novel’s Female Lead was Spoiled by the Comments - Chapter 41

Yan Qingwen contacted Su Jinyue’s father.

The Su family had been investigating the matter of Su Jinyue’s former colleague being bribed and deliberately taking her to the bar. Although they had not found any direct financial transactions between him and Zhuang Yi, through investigating the insurance company behind that former colleague, they had actually uncovered some problems.

That insurance company was a Sino-foreign joint venture. The foreign company was called Baiweixia Insurance Company, and one of its major shareholders was also a shareholder of “Asu Company.”

Asu Company was a famous mercenary and security company in Southeast Asia. It had nine subsidiaries under it, and its business included military missions in war zones, armored vehicles, mercenary training, private bodyguards, and more.

The Su family could not find out anything further.

However, Yan Qingwen had heard of Asu Company from Zhuang Mei, because this company’s predecessor was the mercenary organization Zhuang Mei’s father, Zhuang Xing, had established using a fake foreign identity under the cover of Shenji Sect.

Zhuang Mei had already investigated. After the Zhuang family “disbanded” it, the mercenaries in the organization were all taken over by a retired military officer from a wealthy family in Southeast Asia’s J Country. The other party then changed the organization’s name and rapidly developed and expanded it into a professional mercenary security company.

That retired officer from J Country, now the president of Asu Company, had a deputy who had once been rescued, adopted, and cultivated by Zhuang Xing from the hands of a major drug lord. It could be said that he was Zhuang Xing’s trusted confidant.

At this point, Yan Qingwen also understood. Zhuang Mei’s opponents were not only her younger brother Zhuang Yi, but also her father, Zhuang Xing.

However, she did not quite understand. According to the setting of The Dragon King Returns mentioned in Jiang Yunhan’s inner thoughts, the reason Zhuang Yi lost his inheritance rights and Zhuang Mei obtained the family head position was because she had their father’s support. Why would their father secretly support Zhuang Yi, and why would Zhuang Yi hate them so much?

Yan Qingwen was not very clear about the Zhuang family’s internal affairs, but the force sheltering Zhuang Yi had targeted Wen Hebai again and again. It was possible they wanted to drive a wedge between them and create a relationship crisis so that Zhuang Yi could take advantage of the opening.

If they kept behaving as though they were unaffected, and instead became even more loving and intimate, she worried they would take more extreme action against Wen Hebai.

Thinking of this, Yan Qingwen made another call. “Withdraw the photographers. There’s no need to release a press draft either. Suppress these matters as much as possible.”

Although she had wanted to use this method to let people know Wen Hebai was hers, the more high-profile they were at this time, the more dangerous it would be.

She had bodyguards by her side, and the places she entered and exited were very safe, so there was not much danger to her. But Wen Hebai only had Lu Tie by her side, and because of work, Lu Tie often could not protect her at close range. Even when filming, it would be easy for someone to tamper with the props.

Yan Qingwen sorted through these matters. She originally wanted to inform Zhuang Mei through Qi Zange, but she still did not feel completely at ease, so she contacted Zhuang Mei herself. “Wen Hebai was dragged into this. I want you to ensure her safety.”

“You’re telling me your weakness. Aren’t you worried I’ll use it against you?” Zhuang Mei glanced at the man being pressed down onto the table by two burly men, then weighed the dagger in her hand.

Yan Qingwen’s expression was more serious and sharp than ever before, her tone icy. “You can try.”

Zhuang Mei laughed softly. With a languid expression, she stabbed the dagger in her hand downward.

The dagger passed between the man’s fingers and cut the webbing between his thumb and index finger. He was like a fish out of water, struggling and twisting. His gagged mouth made whimpering noises, and foul-smelling urine flowed down the chair.

After hanging up, Yan Qingwen looked at the ring on her left hand and gathered her emotions. Once Wen Hebai had finished putting on makeup and changing clothes, they drove together to the restaurant.

Yan Qingwen had just been about to get out of the car when Wen Hebai suddenly pressed her down against the passenger seat and kissed her.

This kiss was fierce and rough. Yan Qingwen could not withstand it at all. Her lips were ravaged until they were stained with the color of Wen Hebai’s lip tint, looking red, swollen, and glossy.

“Wen Hebai, what madness are you throwing now?” Yan Qingwen was kissed until she was almost deprived of oxygen before she finally managed to push her away.

“Heh. Isn’t this exactly what you wanted?” Wen Hebai’s lips curved into a cold smile.

Yan Qingwen gasped for breath, her brows furrowing deeply. “What are you talking about?”

Wen Hebai stared at her. After a long while, she unbuckled her seatbelt and said, “Nothing. Let’s go eat.”

She got out of the car, but Yan Qingwen remained inside. Wen Hebai had no choice but to circle around to the passenger seat and open the door. “Aren’t you getting out?”

“Explain yourself clearly.” Yan Qingwen’s brows and eyes were cold.

Wen Hebai’s mood was off, so she had to figure out what had happened. Otherwise, she absolutely would not let someone take their temper to eat with her.

Wen Hebai rested a hand on the roof of the car, looking at her with a smile that was not quite a smile. “The purpose of you coming out to lunch with me is to eliminate the negative impact brought by the news of my cheating, isn’t it? Then us passionately kissing in the car—isn’t that more convincing than eating lunch together?”

Such methods of handling public opinion storms were all too common in wealthy circles. How many wealthy couples each played around privately, but even if one was photographed, the other half would come forward to speak for them and cover for them. They would even attend various banquets together and put on a show in front of others. Even if everyone knew it was fake, as long as they preserved the dignity of the wealthy family and stabilized the stock market, it was enough.

Yan Qingwen looked at her in shock and soon realized that Wen Hebai had probably heard her phone call. And clearly, she had only heard half of it.

Although this was not Yan Qingwen’s original intention in coming out to lunch with Wen Hebai, it was undeniable that her initial arrangement had carried a trace of this purpose. So faced with Wen Hebai’s disappointed and angry accusation, she had no way to refute it.

Seeing that she did not speak, Wen Hebai’s heart went half cold. “I never should have had any expectations of you.”

Seeing the light in her eyes fade, Yan Qingwen’s heart seemed to be clenched, aching dully.

Wen Hebai added, “Let’s go. Since we’ve already reached the entrance, not going in to eat would waste your painstaking arrangement, wouldn’t it?”

The sarcasm filling her words was harsh and piercing. It was as if they had returned to the past, when they stood against each other with blades drawn. However, back then, no matter how excessive Wen Hebai’s words had been, Yan Qingwen had been angry and resentful, but she had never felt as powerless and distressed as she did now, to the point that she could not muster even a trace of strength. Her brain ached so badly it almost did not feel like her own.

“Get lost.” Yan Qingwen leaned against the seat back and closed her eyes to rest.

Wen Hebai’s eyes reddened. She turned her face away and said, “If you wanted me to cooperate, you could have just said so.” Why let her rejoice for nothing?

Yan Qingwen pinched the space between her brows and said in a low voice, “Fine. Then please cooperate. Get lost. The farther, the better.”

“No need for you to remind me. I’ll get lost this afternoon.”

“I’m telling you to get lost now.”

Wen Hebai’s face was cold as she closed the door. Before long, she circled back to the driver’s seat.

Yan Qingwen knew it was her and did not even have the mood to open her eyes and look at her.

The two of them remained locked in a stalemate like this. Neither spoke, because neither knew whether their next sentence would stab the other in the heart again.

After a long while, Yan Qingwen opened her eyes and said, “Send me back to the company.”

Wen Hebai did not move. “Eat first.”

“No need. There won’t be anyone taking photos at all, and there’s no need to wrong you into putting on a show with me.” Yan Qingwen suddenly realized that Wen Hebai’s earlier words were right. She had actually had no need to make such arrangements behind Wen Hebai’s back. In any case, they were only in a cooperative relationship. Why should she act like those little couples in love, worrying that the other person would get hurt and carefully maintaining this relationship?

The fact that she was so nervous and cared so much about the other person’s mood clearly meant she had developed different feelings for Wen Hebai.

Yet realizing this only made her feel humiliated.

She urgently wanted to escape this place, so she took out her phone, preparing to ask the driver to come pick her up. However, her fingers kept trembling. Clearly, her heart was far from as calm as she appeared.

Wen Hebai’s knuckles whitened around the steering wheel. Regretfully, she snatched Yan Qingwen’s phone away. “I was wrong.”

“You weren’t wrong. I was wrong. You’re right. I shouldn’t have given you expectations. And you shouldn’t hold any expectations for me either. After all, we’re just cooperating—” Before Yan Qingwen could finish, Wen Hebai kissed her again, blocking back the words that might have returned their relationship to its original state.

However, a kiss tangled in an atmosphere where both their hearts were covered in thorns was like two brambles entwining, stabbing each other until both were covered in wounds.

“Wen Hebai!” Yan Qingwen pushed her away in exasperation.

Wen Hebai wrapped her arms around her shoulders and refused to let go, burying her head into the crook of Yan Qingwen’s neck, as if only this way could her heart feel a little better. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said those things, and I’m begging you not to keep going…”

The Wen family’s fourth young lady, pampered by all, the little princess of the entertainment industry adored by everyone, showed such a humble posture for the first time.

Yan Qingwen lowered her eyes. Her expression was still not very good, but she had slowly recovered from that dense, stinging pain.

When reason took the upper hand, she once again regained the composure and coldness of the president of Yan Corporation. “Enough. You’re busy, and I’m busy. Let’s not waste time here.”

Wen Hebai raised her head and stared at her. After a long while, she gritted her teeth and said, “Fine.”

They finished a tasteless lunch. Yan Qingwen returned to the company, and Wen Hebai also went back to pack her luggage before flying to another city.

Although the people Yan Qingwen had arranged were withdrawn, Wen Hebai was often followed by paparazzi. On top of that, everyone was curious about how the trending search involving her and Wang Qihuan would affect this pair of wives, so paparazzi followed them to that restaurant.

However, because the parking spot was far away, they were not too clear on what the two of them said. They only felt that at first, they were sweetly kissing, and later, it turned into an argument.

After capturing this explosive material, they excitedly posted it online.

The Wen family asked Wen Hebai how to handle it. Wen Hebai said, “Ignore it.”

Yan Corporation’s side did not come out to clarify either. They only said that it was very common for couples to quarrel. What couple or wife-wife pair never quarreled?

If not for sharp-eyed netizens discovering that both of them were wearing wedding rings that were obviously a matching couple style on their ring fingers, everyone might have guessed that their marriage had changed.

As the heat cooled, very quickly, no one discussed this matter anymore. However, K City’s wealthy elite circle was quite curious about what they had argued over.

At a cocktail party, K City’s rich young masters and wealthy daughters gathered together.

“I heard that recently, the Jiang family has been trying to persuade the Yan family to invest in new energy vehicles. Could it be because of this that Fourth Miss Wen quarreled with Eldest Miss Yan?”

Someone did not understand. “What does one have to do with the other?”

“Third Young Master Jiang went back to work at Jiang Corporation, and he’s responsible for the new energy vehicle sector. Tell me, how could Fourth Miss Wen not be jealous?!”

Su Jinyue was impulsive by nature and immediately could not help standing up to defend Yan Qingwen and Wen Hebai. “You’re all farting nonsense. Sister Yan and Sister Bai are doing great!”

“We didn’t say they weren’t doing well. We’re just curious about the reason they argued.”

Su Jinyue scolded, “What does it have to do with you? Eating salty radishes and worrying about bland things!”

“Then we’re discussing our things. What does it have to do with you?”

Mu Rong opened his mouth and shifted the topic to Su Jinyue. “Su Jinyue, why did I hear that someone saw you selling insurance recently? If you’re selling insurance, why didn’t you come to me, your brother?”

This wave of mockery was full of taunting power, angering Su Jinyue badly. She said, “So what if I sell insurance? My family sells insurance. At least I’m working hard to inherit the family business. Unlike you—idle, useless trash!”

“Su Jinyue, you—” Mu Rong’s expression changed from anger, and he threatened, “Don’t forget, our family buys all our insurance from yours. If we cooperate with another insurance company, do you know how much your family will lose?”

The Mu family’s tourism business spread across major scenic areas all over the country and even cooperated with overseas scenic areas. Their insurance cooperation counted as an extremely large business. Therefore, no matter how angry Su Jinyue was, she knew she could not ruin the cooperation between the two families.

However, she also could not bear to see Mu Rong act so domineeringly, and her eyes reddened with anger.

At that moment, a sentence cut in from the side. “From what Young Master Mu means, is the Mu family preparing to end its cooperation with the Su family?”

If these words reached the elders, both families would have difficulty stepping down. Mu Rong hurriedly retorted, “I never said that!”

After he saw clearly that the person who came was Liao Song, the curse he had been about to spit out was immediately swallowed back down. Liao Song was his good buddy Jiang Yunhan’s woman. He did not want to curse his own people.

“Since you don’t mean that, then you should still be more cautious when speaking. Moreover, since when has it been your turn to make decisions for the Mu family? Only then would you be qualified to point fingers at the cooperation between the two families, wouldn’t you?” Liao Song pushed up her gold-rimmed glasses. It was clearly an extremely elegant movement, but it made Mu Rong feel a trace of pressure.

What was going on with this woman? Previously, when he saw her in front of Jiang Yunhan, she had been completely like a little woman. Why was she so imposing now?

Someone found an excuse and led Mu Rong away. The rich second generations who had just gathered to gossip also scattered one after another.

Su Jinyue looked gratefully at Liao Song. “Thank you, Sister Liao!”

Liao Song smiled and said, “Our two families are partners. Helping you is also helping our Liao family.”

However, Su Jinyue looked hesitant. Liao Song asked her what was wrong. Su Jinyue pulled Liao Song to the side and quietly asked, “Sister Liao, I heard you and Jiang Yunhan are together?”

Liao Song was very surprised. “Who’s spreading rumors?”

Su Jinyue breathed a sigh of relief and said, “It was Jian Fengren and the others. They said they saw you two going on a movie date and said you went to Qiong Island together.”

Liao Song fell silent. It seemed that none of this could be denied.

Su Jinyue said, “Sister Liao, don’t get together with Jiang Yunhan. He isn’t a good person!”

Liao Song frowned, not quite agreeing with her statement, but she still decided to listen to why Su Jinyue evaluated Jiang Yunhan this way.

Su Jinyue then told her about what she had experienced at the bar last time, though regarding the matter of being able to hear Jiang Yunhan’s inner thoughts, she did not say it directly.

Little did she know that her words stirred up memories buried deep in Liao Song’s mind. When she had reunited with Jiang Yunhan, Jiang Yunhan seemed to have also called her some female lead, and from the bottom of his heart, treated her as another man’s possession. Because of that, he avoided her like the plague.

At the time, she had only been thinking of old feelings and had not thought about the amount of information in those words at all. Now, extracting the key words, she quickly sorted out the logic.

First, Jiang Yunhan seemed to believe that the world they were currently in was a novel, that there was a Dragon King male lead, and that she and Su Jinyue both seemed to be this male lead’s women.

Second, she and Wang Qihuan could both hear Jiang Yunhan’s inner thoughts, which meant the problem was not with her and Wang Qihuan. The real problem lay with Jiang Yunhan!

Finally, when she and Jiang Yunhan had dated young back then, she had not heard Jiang Yunhan’s inner thoughts. Only after many years apart, when they reunited, did this situation appear. She had reason to suspect that aside from knowing the truth of this world, Jiang Yunhan had other secrets on him.

However, if she and Su Jinyue were both female leads of some harem novel, then what about Wang Qihuan? If Wang Qihuan could hear Jiang Yunhan’s inner thoughts, did that mean there was something special about her identity too?

Liao Song suddenly had the impulse to tie Jiang Yunhan to the operating bed and dissect his brain and heart. If she could research the secret of why his inner thoughts could be heard by others, that would definitely be big news that shocked the medical world!

After Doctor Liao underwent surgery to remove her love brain, her truly unhinged side awakened.