Chapter 22. Marriage? The Car Accident Kind (7)
Wen Yingling believed Shen Wan’s second personality was like an immature child, directly confronting anything that displeased her.
Often, Wen Yingting would take advantage of Wen Yingling’s absence to secretly bring Shen Wan small gifts, trying to coax her out or presenting odd items that angered her second personality.
Occasionally, Wen Yingling would catch Shen Wan first berating Wen Yingting, then pressing the red button on the teddy bear. Her voice would startle Wen Yingting, making him hastily retreat.
She had intended to enter and scold Wen Yingting, but seeing Shen Wan’s triumphant smile after frightening him, she would pause.
At some point, she began secretly observing from a corner, captivated by Shen Wan’s antics with Wen Yingting.
Wen Yingling gazed at the distant scenery, then at her canvas. Somehow, a girl in a wheelchair, smiling brightly, had appeared in her painting.
She stared at the painting for a long time, her face cold, but couldn’t bring herself to destroy it or cover the girl with paint. The image had changed dramatically; where the girl had been, there was now a flower bed that didn’t match the opposite shore’s scenery. Upon closer inspection, a girl seemed hidden among the flowers.
Wen Yingling returned to the villa, put away her paints and canvas in her studio, and instinctively headed upstairs towards Shen Wan’s room. As she reached the door, she heard voices inside and stopped, not moving any closer.
“How’s your recovery?” It was Wen Yingting’s voice. Despite his many setbacks with Shen Wan, he hadn’t given up.
He no longer knew if his attempts to approach Shen Wan and make her happy were for Xia Xinzhi’s sake or because he had genuinely become interested in Shen Wan herself. Whenever he saw small trinkets girls might like, he couldn’t help but buy them.
Even though she clearly disliked them, he would cheerfully take them away. If only she wouldn’t hug the teddy bear and press the red button, it would be perfect.
“Pretty good.” Shen Wan’s arm was almost fully healed, and she could walk, though not yet run. The scar on her forehead had long since disappeared.
Wen Yingting remembered something and said, “I ran into Lin Ming earlier. He asked about your divorce. Wan Wan, when do you plan to divorce?”
“Wen Yingting.”
“Wan Wan, if you have any questions, feel free to ask.” As long as she didn’t press the red button, he could maintain his graceful demeanor.
“Wen Yingting, you come here every day to curry favor. Do you have some ulterior motive?” Shen Wan looked at Wen Yingting suspiciously. “Today you bring little trinkets, tomorrow some flowers. You’re always running here at the slightest opportunity. I’m starting to wonder if you have hidden intentions.”
Wen Yingting’s eyes sparkled with amusement as he leaned slightly forward, looking directly into Shen Wan’s eyes. He spoke gently, “What do you think my purpose is in doing all this, Wan Wan?”
Wen Yingling stood at the door, observing their close proximity and seemingly intimate atmosphere. Her brows furrowed slightly. She had always disliked Wen Yingting, and now she found him even more detestable. She wanted nothing more than to throw him out the window.
“Wen Yingting.”
“Hmm?”
“Can you not stand so close when you’re talking to me?”
Shen Wan pushed her wheelchair back a bit and said very seriously, “Don’t you think when you’re this close, you might spray saliva on my face while talking? I’ve heard that if saliva gets on your face, you can easily develop ringworm. Even though I’m about to get divorced, I’m only in my twenties. I’m still young. I may not be a great beauty, but I’m at least pretty. If my face gets covered in ringworm, my life would be ruined. How would I ever find someone in the future? Who would I cry to?”
“Wen Yingting, are you trying to ruin my life?”
Wen Yingting’s smile gradually stiffened and disappeared. For the first time in his life, he felt so thoroughly rejected.
In fact, the confidence he had built up since childhood had been completely shattered by Shen Wan’s words.
Wen Yingling, who had been standing outside the door, felt the coldness in her eyes dissipate upon hearing Shen Wan’s words.
“Wan Wan…” Wen Yingting tried to say something, but Shen Wan quickly wheeled herself further away, warning, “You can just stand there and talk. Don’t come any closer. I care a lot about my appearance. I’m afraid of getting ringworm and ruining my looks so I can’t find anyone.”
“Alright!”
Wen Yingting felt somewhat helpless and wanted to ask if she particularly disliked him. “Wan Wan, let’s talk about something serious. Lin Ming asked about your divorce…”
“Why don’t you tell him to come talk to me himself? Why is he asking you? How do I know you’re not lying to me? Besides, what if he doesn’t want to divorce me anymore?” Shen Wan looked suspicious. “Are you eager for me to get divorced so you can be the third wheel? Have you fallen for Lin Ming?”
Shen Wan suddenly looked enlightened. “So that’s why you’ve been trying so hard to get close to me. You want me to divorce Lin Ming quickly so you two can be together, right?”
188: Her ability to spout nonsense was getting more impressive by the day.
However, he understood his host’s intentions. She wanted Lin Ming to lose his composure so she could take advantage of the situation. Hearing that she might not want a divorce would make Lin Ming anxious, especially with a “pregnant” Xia Xinzhi in the picture. This would give his host more leverage when dividing assets.
Hearing this, Wen Yingting realized things weren’t good. Had Shen Wan changed her mind about the divorce? What about Xinzhi? According to Lin Ming, Xinzhi was already pregnant, about four months along. If Shen Wan refused to divorce, what would happen to Xinzhi?
“No, Wan Wan, you misunderstand.”
At that moment, Wen Yingting’s expression turned passionate. He approached Shen Wan, about to lean down and whisper to her, when he suddenly remembered her earlier words. His body stiffened for a moment, halting his movement. Especially when he saw Shen Wan actually covering her face with a fan, he felt an urge to leave immediately.
“Alright, if you have something to say, say it quickly,” Shen Wan’s voice came from behind the fan.
Wen Yingting felt that the atmosphere and mood he had carefully cultivated were ruined, but for Xinzhi’s sake, he still said, “Lin Ming and I are just friends. You’re overthinking. As for why I hope you’ll divorce, it’s because I like you, of course.”
Because Shen Wan had destroyed the atmosphere, and his mood had soured, Wen Yingting’s confession came out flat and emotionless. Even he found it hard to believe. This was the most failed confession of his life.
“So you’re saying that if I divorce Lin Ming, you’ll have a chance to pursue me?”
Wen Yingting breathed a sigh of relief and answered, “Yes.”
“Then give up. I wouldn’t choose you even if I had no other options. Trying to steal your friend’s partner shows extremely poor character. Spraying saliva on my face while talking shows a lack of manners. I would never be interested in someone with poor character and no manners.
Moreover, your confession just now was completely dry, without any emotion. I even peeked with one eye to observe your expression. Shouldn’t you be nervous when confessing? Why did you look so stiff, as if you were being forced to recite lines? I’d have to be an idiot to believe your nonsense.”
188: The reason his face was stiff and he wasn’t smiling was because you said he couldn’t stand too close while talking or he’d spray saliva on your face and cause ringworm. Anyone would be stiff after hearing that.
“Wan Wan, I’m…” Wen Yingting’s face looked worse than if he were crying. He swore that Shen Wan must be the most difficult woman to deal with, and he wondered how Lin Ming had initially won her over so completely.
“Wen Yingting, get out!”
“How many times have I told you not to bother Shen Wan?”
Hearing Wen Yingling’s voice, Wen Yingting didn’t immediately flee in fright. He said, “Wan Wan, put down the teddy bear. We can still talk properly.”
“Wen Yingting, not only are you ill-mannered and of poor character, but you’re also blind. Can’t you see the fan I’m holding with both hands? When did I ever hug the teddy bear?”
Wen Yingting looked closely and realized Shen Wan was indeed telling the truth. He felt a chill run through his entire body.
“Just a friendly reminder, Yingling is right behind you, walking towards you.”
Wen Yingting turned around mechanically and indeed saw Wen Yingling with her cold expression. “Yingling, this is a misunderstanding.”
“I heard everything.” Wen Yingling’s lips tightened slightly as she walked in front of him. Though she was a head shorter than him, in his eyes, Wen Yingling looked like an imposing Buddha statue with fierce eyes that he could only look up to. “Wen Yingting, you said you like Shen Wan, right? Fine, now look at me and tell me, word by word, that you sincerely like her. Go ahead.”
Faced with Wen Yingling’s clear, icy gaze that seemed to penetrate his soul, Wen Yingting was speechless.
“Wen Yingting, say it.”
Shen Wan thought: Well done, ice beauty! This hypocrite who deceives feelings and tricks innocent girls is such a scumbag.
“It’s been a minute.” Wen Yingling walked past Wen Yingting to Shen Wan, bending slightly to meet her eyes. Her voice was neither loud nor soft, but all three could hear, “You see? He doesn’t like you. All his words just now were meant to deceive your feelings. You can like anyone you want, but don’t like Wen Yingting. The person he likes isn’t you, but…”
“Yingling.” Wen Yingting hurried to stop her. “I was wrong. I won’t bother Wan Wan again. Please, give your brother some face.”
Wen Yingling turned back, her icy eyes somehow managing to convey a hint of contempt. “Do you even need face? You’re capable of doing such shameless things.”
“Did you understand?” Wen Yingling looked at Shen Wan.
Shen Wan smiled slightly and said, “I understand. I’ll listen to you. You won’t deceive me, right?”
“Of course not.” Wen Yingling shifted her gaze away.
Wen Yingting thought: I don’t get it. These two women are talking with their faces almost touching. Aren’t they afraid of spraying saliva and getting ringworm?