After the Harem Novel’s Female Lead was Spoiled by the Comments - Chapter 6

In the car, after pressing the “decline call” button, Wen Hebai opened Weibo and posted the photo of the two red books she had taken earlier.

Having done this, she reached out toward Yan Qingwen beside her: “Give me your phone.”

Yan Qingwen was wary: “What for?”

“I’ll help you download Weibo, register an account, and then we’ll follow each other. This is called ‘post-marriage business operations.'”

Yan Qingwen refused: “I don’t play on Weibo, and I don’t need ‘post-marriage business operations.'”

Wen Hebai didn’t insist and lowered her head to play with her phone.

From the corner of her eye, Yan Qingwen caught a glimpse of her Weibo comments; in just a few minutes, there were already tens of thousands of messages. This was a speed that even paid internet trolls couldn’t keep up with.

“What are they saying?” Yan Qingwen asked, somewhat curious.

Wen Hebai looked up at her: “Hmm?”

Yan Qingwen paused, then asked with feigned indifference: “What are the netizens saying?”

In her heart, Wen Hebai laughed at how she was clearly curious yet insisted on acting like she didn’t care.

Facing the duplicitous President Yan, she felt the urge to tease her. She deliberately stroked her own face and boasted: “They’re envying you for being able to marry a perfect woman like me, of course!”

She wasn’t making it up; that’s what some of her fans were saying.

Naturally, the anti-fans didn’t miss this chance to bash her, taking the opportunity to say she wasn’t good enough for Yan Qingwen, or even claiming she had cast a “low-head” hex on her.

Yan Qingwen: “…”

She asked: “Why isn’t it you ‘marrying into’ my family?”

Wen Hebai hadn’t expected the dignified President Yan to care so much about such a detail. She said, “Because I don’t want people saying you ‘married down.’ If I put it that way, wouldn’t it seem like your status is higher than mine?”

Yan Qingwen sneered: “Isn’t it?”

Wen Hebai shrugged: “Fine, then I’ll be the one ‘marrying into’ yours. But I don’t have a dowry to give you.”

“Do you think I care about your ‘three melons and two dates’ (meager assets)?”

The assistant in the passenger seat turned around, eyes bright: “When will President Yan and the Madam be holding the wedding?”

This question silenced them both, as they hadn’t considered the matter at all.

They had entered a marriage of convenience for their respective interests. Registering for the certificates was enough to handle most troubles; there was no need to waste time on a wedding ceremony.

Furthermore, in their hearts, a wedding only had meaning if held with someone they loved.

Sensing the eerie atmosphere in the car, the assistant realized she had said the wrong thing and sheepishly shrank back.

Yan Qingwen didn’t dwell on it, instead asking the assistant to report on the PR progress, stock market fluctuations, and online sentiment.

Actually, before Yan Qingwen’s confession, the stocks of both the Yan and Jiang groups had shown signs of a steady rise; it seemed as if once the news of the alliance was announced, they would go “all red” (rise). Unexpectedly, Yan Qingwen didn’t play according to the script at all.

All parties were caught off guard by the news. Yan Group’s stocks fell briefly, but after she and Wen Hebai registered their marriage, they soared rapidly. The Wen family’s stocks also rose sharply, even surpassing the Yan Group and approaching the daily limit. On the contrary, the Jiang family’s stocks fell, making them the sole losers.

Yan Qingwen’s assistant received a call from the manor, saying that before the banquet had even ended, the Jiang family had left with ashen faces.

And once Yan Aotian confirmed his beloved wife was fine, he turned around only to find the culprit missing. He flew into a rage at home, nearly mobilizing all security forces to find her, but was suppressed by the Old Master.

Yan Qingwen knew they were waiting for her to return to the manor to explain, but she didn’t plan on going back yet. She’d let them digest it first; once everyone calmed down in a few days, it would be a better time for a talk.

The car drove into the villa district; all media reporters and paparazzi were blocked at the main gate.

Yan Qingwen’s villa was located on an island in the middle of the river in K City’s center. There were only three residential areas on the entire island, all of which were detached, two-story high-end villas. Both security and privacy were excellent. Housing prices had once been hyped to 700,000 per square meter, making it the most expensive villa district in all of K City.

The villa’s decor followed a light-luxury minimalist style, with a courtyard and underground garage in the front, and a garden and swimming pool in the back. Tall trees provided cover between the villas, and the landscaping was well-done.

Wen Hebai was very satisfied with the “marriage home” where she would reside in the future: “This place is very suitable for me to live in.”

Yan Qingwen asked her: “Then why didn’t you buy one back then?”

Wen Hebai threw her own words back at her: “With my ‘three melons and two dates’ of assets, I couldn’t afford this place.”

Yan Qingwen was momentarily speechless.

Before opening the door, she confirmed one last time: “Are you sure you want to live with me?”

This was originally something outside of her plan.

Wen Hebai pushed the door open and walked in first: “Have you ever seen a couple separate right after getting married?”

Yan Qingwen felt a bit uncomfortable thinking about living under the same roof as her rival, but Wen Hebai was right: since they were acting, they had to do the full set. Therefore, after Wen Hebai proposed moving in to live together, she hadn’t objected.

Yan Qingwen’s assistant lingered outside the door, unsure if she should follow. Normally she would, but now that the President and the Madam were newlyweds, she figured she’d better not be a “light bulb” (third wheel).

“Xiao Chen, you—” Yan Qingwen turned back, intending to tell the assistant to go home and rest.

The assistant immediately said: “Don’t worry, President Yan, I’m going back to the company right now to have a meeting with the PR department!”

Yan Qingwen: “…”

With her capable assistant so eager to work overtime, she didn’t want to dampen her enthusiasm, so she simply nodded: “Very well. I’ll be back at the office for a meeting tomorrow morning; go ahead and arrange it.”

“Won’t President Yan take a marriage leave and go on a honeymoon with the Madam?” As a worker, Xiao Chen’s mind was always on various holidays. If one didn’t take marriage leave after getting married, the marriage was for nothing.

Yan Qingwen hesitated to speak.

Xiao Chen realized—the boss doesn’t have holidays, but if the boss wants, every day can be a holiday!

Tsk, as a “social animal” who still had to work overtime, she should worry about when she’d find a partner instead of worrying about the boss.

Xiao Chen got into the car, and the driver sped off with her.

When Yan Qingwen entered the house, Wen Hebai was already sitting on the sofa contacting her own assistants, telling them to pack her clothes and cosmetics from her old place and send them over.

Seeing her as comfortable as if she were in her own home, Yan Qingwen decided to make things clear: “I agreed to let you move in, but we need a ‘three-point covenant’ (set of ground rules).”

“Please speak, President Yan.” Wen Hebai curled her lips, crossing her arms and looking at her expectantly.

“First, you cannot bring people back whenever you want.”

Wen Hebai asked: “No one at all?”

Yan Qingwen paused. Considering that friends and family might visit after establishing a marriage, a total ban wasn’t reasonable.

“Unless there is a legitimate and unavoidable reason to bring someone back, otherwise, anyone who can be received elsewhere should be met outside!”

Wen Hebai nodded; that was reasonable enough.

Yan Qingwen continued: “Second, we sleep separately and do not disturb each other.”

“Separately in one room on one bed, or…”

“What are you thinking? Of course you’re sleeping in the guest room.”

Wen Hebai objected: “What if guests stay overnight? How would we explain if they see us?”

Yan Qingwen choked again and said irritably: “Then you can sleep on the floor.”

She then finished the third rule: “Do not make noise in the house, especially when you’re showering—don’t treat the bathroom like a KTV anymore.”

Wen Hebai blinked, saying innocently: “I haven’t sung in the shower for years. Besides, you still remember things from middle school? Just how much do you miss me?”

Yan Qingwen looked at her expressionlessly: “Oh, really?”

In middle school, they attended a top-tier international school. Due to the school system, all students had to board, and she and Wen Hebai were assigned to the same dormitory.

That year, a singing talent show was exploding online, and Wen Hebai wanted to be a singer. She often practiced in the school’s music room until late at night. Upon returning, regardless of whether Yan was asleep, she would wail like a ghost in the shower, calling it “warming up her voice.”

If Wen hadn’t failed the auditions and decided to switch to acting, Yan Qingwen would have requested a room change long ago.

Their current bad relationship likely started cracking back then.

Wen Hebai waited for Yan Qingwen to finish her three conditions, then stated her own: “Since you’re done, it’s my turn. Considering we are married now, to maintain our public image, we cannot have intimate contact with others of the same or opposite sex—excluding my acting work. Do you agree?”

Yan Qingwen nodded: “That is as it should be.”

“But we are both adults. We have certain physiological needs. Under the premise that neither of us can mess around outside, how do you think we should solve that?”