A Washed-up Movie Queen's Divorce Strategy [Rebirth] - Chapter 49

Ming Yan was also laughing at Qu Hefeng. “Haha, I was making fun of him when he first got back. Tsk, tsk, look at that weak little runt he used to be, and now look at this ‘beast in a suit,’ this ‘refined scoundrel’ look. What do they call this?”

There was a perfect understanding between the old friends. Han Xinyuan and Ming Yan exchanged a glance for half a second and laughed in unison, “They call this ‘the boy has undergone eighteen transformations’!”

The two girls were incredibly sharp-tongued. Unable to withstand them, Qu Hefeng could only plead for mercy repeatedly. “Grant me some mercy, you two. Let’s not bring up ancient history from the dark ages.”

Only then did the two let him off the hook. Qu Hefeng’s relationship with Ming Lang was average, but he was on good terms with both Han Xinyuan and Ming Yan. After joking around, they chatted about Qu Hefeng’s years in the UK and the changes in C City while he was away. Qu Hefeng couldn’t help but sigh, “Sister Lang truly lives up to being the family role model our elders always praised. How many years has it been since she took over the Ming family? They’ve become the undisputed power in C City. No wonder my grandpa used to hit me when I was a kid and ask why I couldn’t learn a thing or two from her.”

“Pfft, someone like you? Even if we stuck you by my sister’s side, so what? Could you even learn her ways?” Ming Yan said dismissively.

Qu Hefeng shot her a sidelong glance, lounging on the sofa like a typical playboy heir. “And what about you lately? All those teachers going in and out of the house.”

At the mention of those teachers, Ming Yan’s brow furrowed deep and her face fell. “Don’t even bring it up. I don’t know what’s wrong with my sister lately, forcing me to learn this and that. You guys know me; I’ve been slacking for so many years, what’s the point in starting now!”

Qu Hefeng gloated, “Serves you right! Let you experience the suffering I’ve endured all these years.”

As those two bickered back and forth, Han Xinyuan sat on the sofa repeatedly checking her watch, her heel lightly tapping the floor—the picture of someone who couldn’t sit still. Qu Hefeng, sharp-eyed as ever, immediately teased her, “Yo, Xinyuan, you’re a busy woman, aren’t you? What, you just sat down and your seat isn’t even warm yet, and you’ve got somewhere to be?”

Caught in the act, Han Xinyuan quickly tucked away her restless movements and gave a dry laugh. “Nothing, don’t talk nonsense.”

“You don’t have to say it, I already know. You’re in a hurry to see your Sister Lang, right? Fine, go, go. Now that Sister Lang is divorced from that little actress, you two can be out in the open. Don’t act like you’re having a secret affair like before.”

“What did you say?” Han Xinyuan suddenly screamed, grabbing Qu Hefeng, her eyes wide. “Divorced?”

Her voice was so loud Qu Hefeng’s eardrums nearly burst. He stuck a pinky in his ear to itch it. “Yeah, quite a surprise, right? Go on, go find your love. I’m going out with A-Yan to gather the old gang. I’ve been back for so many days and none of those ungrateful wolves have reached out to me.”

Han Xinyuan was instantly revitalized. She stood up, smoothed out her clothes, and asked nervously, “I just got back and didn’t change. Do I look okay in this?”

Han Xinyuan was indeed dressed simply. For convenience, her hair was tied in a bun; she wore a casual shirt, a denim miniskirt, and a pair of small sandals, showing off bright red polish on her toes. However, she was tall, and her legs beneath the short skirt were long, white, and straight—anyone passing by would have to look twice. Qu Hefeng couldn’t help but praise, “Good, very good! You really have been a beauty since you were a kid!”

Ming Yan echoed, “It’s fine. In that outfit, you could even go meet a foreign president.”

“Look at you two and your flattery.” Han Xinyuan gave them a smiling roll of her eyes, clearly enjoying the unabashed praise. After saying goodbye, she got into her car and left. Qu Hefeng watched her for a while, shaking his head with a few “tsks.” “Xinyuan has been infatuated since we were small. She’s been following your sister since she was a toddler. Who else could she have picked? Of all people, she picked your sister. She’s in for a long struggle.”

Ming Yan was dissatisfied. “What’s wrong with picking my sister? With her looks, figure, and family background, what’s there to complain about?”

“Your sister is perfect in every way, except her personality is too cold. Forget being with her; just looking at her makes me feel like I’m freezing.” Qu Hefeng finished with a performative shiver.

“Let her struggle, then.” Having suffered a few setbacks herself, Ming Yan was tired of managing her sister’s love life. But recalling Han Xinyuan’s shift in attitude since the earthquake, she sighed, “I wonder who she’s actually ‘struggling’ for.”

Han Xinyuan left in a Han family car. She had originally intended to have the driver take her to the West City orphanage, but before she was even settled, the driver spoke from the front. “Miss, the Old Mistress wants you to come back home.”

“Now?”

“Yes.”

“Can you tell Grandma I’ll come another day? I have something urgent right now.”

The driver didn’t say whether it was okay, only: “The Old Mistress is ill.”

Han Xinyuan was instantly anxious. “Grandma is sick? How? Is it serious? What’s the situation now?”

“You’ll know once you go back, Miss,” the driver replied.

Han Xinyuan had relied on Old Mrs. Han since she was a child and was very close to her. Hearing she was sick, she stopped thinking about seeing Ji Chenli and immediately ordered the driver back to the Han residence.

The Han residence was designed as a traditional garden. Inside, pavilions and water-side gazebos complemented one another. A winding corridor meandered through rockeries and trees. The carvings on the corridor were the work of masters—exquisite to the extreme, capturing the charm of ancient Jiangnan gardens. As soon as she arrived, the butler came to greet her. The butler’s surname was also Han; he was a distant relative of the late Mr. Han and about the same age as the Old Mistress. Han Xinyuan respected him and had called him “Grandpa Han” since she was a child.

“Grandpa Han, where is Grandma? Is her condition stable? What did the doctor say?” Han Xinyuan ignored everything else and asked about her grandmother’s illness first.

Butler Han, with a kind and benevolent face, smiled and said, “The Madam is in the Buddhist hall. You may go there, Miss.”

“The Buddhist hall? If Grandma isn’t feeling well, she should stop her rituals for now. The Buddha is merciful and won’t blame her.”

The butler said nothing, only leading her toward the shrine.

Entering the Buddhist hall, she was greeted by a golden Buddha statue, its expression merciful. Several prayer mats were placed below the statue. An old woman sat on the middle one, her silver hair coiled into a traditional bun without a single black strand to be seen.

Old Mrs. Han’s hair had been white for years. After Han Xinyuan’s parents died, the shock had caused her hair to turn white overnight. Since then, she had devoted herself to Buddhism and never stepped foot outside the Han garden.

“Grandma,” Han Xinyuan whispered, putting her hands together in prayer out of respect for the Buddha before sitting beside her.

The Old Mistress was chanting sutras with her eyes closed. Hearing the voice, her fingers stopped moving the prayer beads. She opened her eyes and signaled Han Xinyuan to speak outside.

Once they were seated in the outer courtyard, the Old Mistress clutched her chest and gave a light cough. She picked up her tea cup and said slowly, “Running wild outside every day—at least you still know how to come back.”

“Grandma—” Han Xinyuan whined playfully. “Didn’t I rush back the moment I heard you weren’t feeling well?”

The Old Mistress gave a faint smile and set down her tea. “If it weren’t for this old body of mine about to wither away, you wouldn’t have remembered to return.”

Han Xinyuan coddled her grandmother further before asking why she had faked being sick to lure her back. The Old Mistress said with a weary tone, “I’ve been dreaming of your grandfather lately. In the dreams, he invites me to join him. I suppose my time is short. I have only two concerns left: your marriage and the fact that the debt of your parents’ death has yet to be paid.”

“Grandma, what nonsense are you talking about? You’ll live to be a hundred! Nothing will happen!” Han Xinyuan spat out a few “pffts” and kept muttering prayers for the Buddha not to take the words seriously.

Old Mrs. Han smiled faintly and reached out to stroke her only granddaughter’s head. “Xin’er, the Ming family is the enemy that killed your father and mother. You always mix with them; how can I face your parents after I die?”

“What do you mean ‘killed my parents’?” Han Xinyuan’s eyes widened. “Grandma, the murderers were the kidnappers who took A-Lang. My parents died as heroes to save her. Please don’t say that!”

Since the death of Han Xinyuan’s parents, the Old Mistress had been consumed by grief and placed all the blame on the Ming family. No matter how many times Han Xinyuan tried to persuade her, she never listened.

Old Mrs. Han smiled, and it was unclear if she had truly heard her. She didn’t argue as she usually did, but continued, “I know you’ve had a certain person in your heart since you were young. If the current head of the Ming family were a man, I might let it go; though she cost your parents their lives, at least she would be someone you could entrust your life to. But she is a woman. Xin’er, a woman must marry and have children in her life. I cannot rest easy leaving you in the hands of a woman.”

“Grandma!”

“Don’t be so quick to argue.” Old Mrs. Han interrupted. “That Qu boy came to see me recently. He’s a year older than you. Though I didn’t see him, the butler told me he is talented, humble, and polite—a good man to entrust a life to. If you could marry him, I would be able to face your parents and grandfather in the afterlife.”

Qu Hefeng? Han Xinyuan thought with exaggeration. Her and Qu Hefeng? Her grandma sure had an imagination!

It was then that Han Xinyuan realized: her grandma was perfectly healthy. She had lured her back specifically to marry her off. At this thought, Han Xinyuan felt a bit depressed. However, while the Old Mistress doted on her, she was also strict. Han Xinyuan didn’t dare fight back directly; she could only wheedle and act spoiled until she finally managed to suppress the idea of betrothing her to Qu Hefeng.

Old Mrs. Han was a devout Buddhist. Han Xinyuan had moved out once she reached adulthood, so the grandmother and granddaughter did not live together. After having dinner with her grandmother, Han Xinyuan had the driver take her back. Because of the Old Mistress, everyone in the Han household ate vegetarian year-round. Han Xinyuan, a dedicated carnivore, had barely eaten a thing at the Han garden. Once she got home, she planned to find a late-night snack.

Then, Han Xinyuan remembered the day at the hospital—the braised pork trotter Ji Chenli’s sister had made by hand. The flavor… Han Xinyuan closed her eyes and could almost still taste the fragrance. Her stomach gave an involuntary growl.

Han Xinyuan hadn’t seen Ji Chenli for two months. She missed Ji Chenli, and she missed the braised trotter. Decisively, she went downstairs, took her sports car out of the garage, and drove toward the orphanage.