The Villainess Awakens After Marrying the Male Lead’s Brother - Chapter 73
2024-01-05Author: home毒步天下
Chapter Seventy-Three
Estimating the time, Jiang Yunyán made a call.
Wen Yu had just finished showering and was blow-drying her hair. She answered, propped the phone casually on the bedside table and said, “I’ll finish drying my hair first.”
“Okay.” The man on the other end replied, also setting his phone down somewhere aimed at his half-profile; the camera swept across him as he adjusted his glasses and busied himself looking back at the screen.
When the sound of the hair dryer stopped, he also paused his work at just the right moment and looked over.
Just then the phone was picked up, and Wen Yu, who had just finished blow-drying her hair, appeared on camera. The faint smile she had worn moments ago vanished the instant the camera was brought up; her big eyes fixed on the person opposite, full of grievance and hurt.
A flicker of amusement crossed the other person’s eyes, and in a serious tone he said, “Xiao Qiyan said you were hiding and crying secretly. Looks like you were really crying.”
“Sniff!” Wen Yu fell back onto the bed as if struck: “Of course I was, I cried terribly, the tears were pouring—”
Jiang Yanyan had already learned to jump in: “That was quite a lot, you should still be able to take a shower.”
Wen Yu: “Pfft!”
She broke composure for a moment, then immediately glared back fiercely.
But without any makeup, her cheeks were rosy and fair, and the fierceness couldn’t be seen — only a hint of petulance and stubbornness: “Jiang Yunyàn!”
That name was being spoken aloud by Wen Yu in front of the person for the first time.
She finished speaking and her gaze flickered uneasily; she inexplicably felt as if she had offended an elder.
On the other end of the video call, the man’s eyes shifted slightly—also surprised—but he still asked, “Are you really jealous?”
Wen Yu remained silent, just staring at him.
Jiang Yanyan picked up his phone and leaned back a little, pondering, “How about I come over tonight and explain in person?”
Wen Yu: “!”
She quickly refused, and sounded even more plaintive: “You only know how to make me yield with that move!”
That move?
After a brief moment of confusion, Jiang Yunyán realized, a touch of discomfort flashing in his eyes: “…I didn’t.”
But this retort sounded particularly unconvincing.
Wenyu immediately snapped back aggressively: “If you have it, then have it! It’s always you coming and going—don’t you know how worried I am about you flying around every day? Isn’t it unsafe? I was so anxious I couldn’t sleep. Are you trying to make me feel sorry for you again so I won’t hold you accountable?!”
That little mouth was especially sharp.
Chatter, chatter—just spouting a bunch.
Jiang Yunyuan was dumbfounded—so that’s what he meant. He said, “Fine, I won’t come over tonight.”
Wen Yu secretly breathed a sigh of relief and pressed her advantage: “About that rumor, do you know what you’ve done by causing it? How do you think others see me? They’re definitely mocking me behind my back. Oh, it hurts so much, just thinking about it makes me sad…”
Her willow-like brows knit in sorrow and complaint, her eyes even more glistening with tears, touching the heart and seeming to make one agree to all her demands.
The man, already well acquainted with Wen Yu’s tricks, felt a little helpless but also pleased to play along: “Mm, I was wrong. It’s my fault for making Xiaoyu upset. Can you tell me how I should make it up to you?”
Mentioning this, Wen Yu immediately perked up, sat up a little, cupping her face as she looked at the camera, her coquettish voice carrying a hint of mischief: “I want to see your abs!”
“…Xiaoyu.” His voice suddenly deepened, his throat tightening slightly. “I’m still at the office.”
To be honest, Wen Yu was pretty tempted to say, why not the office then?
But considering how he’d react, she softened her request a little: “Um… then hurry home!”
The man opposite drew a deeper breath, said nothing for a moment, only knitting his brows slightly, showing some disapproval.
Wen Yu immediately wiped her tears and cried aloud: “Waaah, I knew you wouldn’t agree, big brother. I’ve already suffered so much, and you won’t even let me look at your abs! Sniff…”
The man closed his eyes briefly, took a deep breath, and said in a low voice, “Fine, we’ll go back now.”
Wen Yu’s ears tingled; she bit her lip and fell silent.
Over there, Jiang Yunyan had also quickly shut down his computer and left the office with his phone in hand.
Zhou Han was a bit surprised at the sudden return; wasn’t the boss’s wife supposed to be out?
But when the leader is leaving, he certainly made a swift exit.
—
Jiang Yunyan actually lived quite close; at this hour the roads weren’t clogged, and in ten minutes he was already back home.
At that moment Wen Yu had been watching TV on her tablet for a while.
Hearing the door open, she immediately looked up with sparkling eyes. “Big brother~~~”
That single call was full of expectation.
On the video side, the man’s breathing faltered, his steps momentarily losing their usual ease. Fortunately the camera couldn’t see him; the hand holding the phone tightened slightly. He had planned to sit on the sofa, but after hesitating for a moment he went straight to the bedroom and cleared his throat: “You really want to watch?”
“Yes!” Wen Yu nodded enthusiastically. “Hurry, hurry!”
If not now, then when?
Even at home, no matter how hot Jiang Yunyan was, he never went shirtless. If it were in bed, if she looked a little longer or touched a bit more, things might turn unpleasant. Not wanting to tempt herself, Wen Yu could only endure.
Now with such a distance between them…
A whole night passed, and even the greatest anger had faded.
Wen Yu held her little face, fully elated and vindicated.
That said—once I have money, I must buy a phone that can transmit touch!
And in the other room
The man sighed silently, but ultimately complied with the little girl’s insistent request and pointed the camera at his own abdomen. One hand held the phone, and the other—long and knuckled—came into view. A flash of silver, and the buttons of his white shirt were undone…
Wen Yu: “!!!”
The high-definition camera proved especially useful at that moment. The man trained regularly—weather never stopped him—but he wasn’t obsessive, so his build was slightly on the fleshy side rather than gaunt.
Perfectly sculpted abs, each segment distinct, the lines sharp. His waist was slim but not delicate; the abs connected to the V-line, partly hidden by the belt.
Wen Yu was satisfied, though not completely. She cleared her throat lightly: “Big brother, how about sliding down a little more?”
At that moment, the man looked at the awkwardly bulging area and fell utterly silent.
Usually so restrained, but whenever it came to Wen Yu, his reason seemed to vanish, leaving only the most raw emotions.
He missed her.
“Big brother?” Wen Yu thought he was unwilling, and called out again.
“Hm?”
The low inquiry revealed a few hints of restraint.
However, separated by the network line, Wen Yu didn’t notice; her eyes darted playfully and she said with a grin, “Hubby~ a little lower~”
The man’s heart skipped a beat; the phone in his hand tightened, his fingertip reddening. He said in a low voice, “Xiaoyu, I’ll come over tomorrow.”
Wen Yu: “Huh?”
But this time, the man didn’t wait for her to refuse. He hurriedly soothed her with a few words and hung up.
Wen Yu stayed behind: “……”
Feeling a bit panicked.
It’s not time yet!
She didn’t want to be exhausted three days out of every week…
——
Getting carried away and rejoicing to excess — that probably describes Wen Yu.
She couldn’t resist teasing Jiang Yunyàn and ended up paying the price.
If Wen Yu were to put it herself, hmm…
Next time she’ll dare again.
Only next time she’ll definitely be more restrained, trying to stay within the bounds of his reason!
But unexpectedly, the joy turned to sorrow was not over.
While filming a stunt where the heroine jumps off a cliff, the rock under Wen Yu suddenly slipped and fell earlier than planned. Even though there was a safety rig, her body panicked midair and grazed a rough tree trunk. Her thin costume—ripped for the “injury” scene—tore further, exposing her elbow, which immediately throbbed painfully.
Getting hurt during fight scenes happens all the time, but with a blow like that the whole set instantly fell into a panic.
This was an outdoor scene—Wen Yu didn’t like green screens, and neither did the rest of the crew—so they had all agreed to really shoot out in the wild. They just hadn’t expected Wen Yu to be the first one injured.
Seeing the producer’s face go pale, Wen Yu took a deep breath, pushed down the pain, and said, “I’m fine, don’t worry, we can continue.”
The set for this scene was already built and the extras were in place; they couldn’t postpone everything just because of her, could they?
Moreover, it wasn’t even at the point of being immobile yet.
Xiao Yu came over with medical staff to give her emergency treatment. Apart from the scrapes on her arm being a bit more serious, there was nothing major wrong elsewhere.
Wen Yu breathed a sigh of relief. After applying the ointment, the sharp pain subsided and she got up. “It’s fine, continue.”
Producer Liu hesitated. “Shall we take a break?”
“There’s no need.” Wen Yu shook her head. “Start again.”
Seeing her force herself, Producer Liu felt momentarily relieved, but also worried that if she had actually been hurt, they would all be in trouble.
Fortunately, the subsequent filming went smoothly, and they got through that big scene.
By the time they finished it was already past eight. The director and producer, looking at the arrangements, proactively told her to take a day off — after all, it was summer and they’d been shooting out in the fields. A young girl who cares about her looks might be left with a scar if something got worse, and that wouldn’t be good.
Wen Yuxin gladly accepted the suggestion. Although they had started shooting half a month later than planned, the whole crew was now cooperating efficiently and the filming schedule was moving quickly, so taking a day off wasn’t a big deal.
She changed out of her clothes, reapplied the medicine, bandaged the wound, and then went back with Xiao Yu.
Just after getting into the car, Xiao Yu suddenly gasped, “Boss, your romance is trending again.”
“What did you say?” Wen Yu asked, puzzled. “Got photographed?”
Xiao Yu found it hard to explain and handed over his phone.
Wen Yu glanced at it and fell silent.
Are these people picking a fight with Ye Xiangtian?
In the middle of the trending searches was — [Wen Yu Romance]
It started with last night’s banquet. Ye Xiangtian said two words to her, someone photographed it and posted it online, and people recalled past comments, once again assuming that Jiang Shang and Xiangtian’s two major entertainment companies were collaborating because of a “marriage alliance.”
Thus, former bitter rivals who once couldn’t stand each other can now help one another.
What other reason could there be?
Of course, at first it was just marketing accounts or other netizens idly speculating and snacking on gossip.
This kind of thing, as long as it isn’t malicious slander, no one pays attention.
Ye Xiangtian isn’t a celebrity either, his popularity isn’t that high. Recently Wen Yu has had some hit dramas, but none with as many scenes as “Becoming You,” so her heat isn’t high and she hasn’t trended.
But Ye Xiangtian also had some recognition—good-looking, with a modest fanbase—and Wen Yu’s fans were currently very active, so they quickly denied and argued back.
So netizens immediately got interested and began to investigate, mainly because of Jiang Shang and Xiangtian’s sudden collaboration, and because it wasn’t investment-driven; this was the first time Jiang Shang had so freely given a big screenwriter to help out.
—
Of course, at her previous fan meeting Wen Yu had also specifically emphasized to fans that her boyfriend was not Ye Xiangtian, and her fans came forward one after another to dispel the rumor.
Some fans even produced a photo of Wen Yu embracing Jiang Yunyan after she went out as proof.
In the picture, the man was raising his hand to stroke her head, and the exposed shirt cufflink was exactly the same model Ye Xiangtian had worn before—identical!
Although the two seemed to differ somewhat in height, neither face was clearly shown. Who can say it wasn’t photoshopped?
Unless more convincing evidence is presented.
However, the fans couldn’t produce any concrete evidence, yet they were adamant the two weren’t a couple. They argued and argued until the topic trended, but since it wasn’t very hot, it didn’t reach the top—it only landed somewhere in the middle.
If it weren’t for Xiao Yu’s habit of constantly searching for news about Wen Yu, she wouldn’t have seen it.
Xiao Yu frowned. “What now? Should we make it public?”
“You’ve already mentioned Mr. Jiang’s involvement; making it public doesn’t matter anymore.”
Wen Yu nodded. “We plan to go public!”
She hadn’t wanted to drag Jiang Yunyàn into this—he was usually so low-key; there was no reason for him to be overexposed because of her—but now she was even less willing to have him forced into hiding.
Xiao Yu’s eyes brightened: “Okay, do you have any photos of you with President Jiang?”
Wen Yu: “…No.”
Xiao Yu: “…Photos of the wedding ring? Holding hands?”
Wen Yu: “None of those either.”
Xiaoyu: “……”
She remained silent, staring at Wenyu.
Wenyu hid her face in shame.
Wedding rings and things like that—they were mutually forgotten in front of the two of them at the time; why would she have brought them along?!
She’d forgotten where she’d put it!
Wait a moment!
Wen Yu suddenly remembered that last night, when she was looking at his abs, she thought she saw a silver thing on Jiang Yunyan’s hand?
It couldn’t be that he bought a ring all by himself, could it?
That could only mean the two wedding rings.
Wen Yu remembered that when they bought the rings, she had been distracted and let Jiang Yunyan choose; in the end he picked a low-key silver one.
And didn’t he say he’d come over tonight?
Then they could just take a few photos.
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Wen Yuan comforted Xiao Yu and proactively posted a Weibo: [Wait for me tonight, I will reveal the mystery]
The first to rush in, of course, were the fans who had marked her as a special follow: [Ahhh, Xiaoyu posted on Weibo]
Next came the onlookers, who immediately rushed over upon hearing the news and squatted down: [Hurry, hurry]
[The protagonist sliced the melon so fast the first time I saw him—hurry up and split it]
[So it really isn’t Ye Xiangtian?]
Wen Yu specifically replied to that comment: [Nope]
The commenter who got the reply: [!!!]
Other commenters: [Ahhh, I ship it—I really ship the reformed rake returning for love]
[It really isn’t?!]
At that, Wen Yu stopped replying.
But the main person’s clarification was still effective; most people believed it. Only a small handful insisted on proof, and Wen Yu suspected they were just there for the gossip.
——
When Wen Yuny returned to the hotel, she found Jiang Yunyan already in the room, wearing pajamas, a faint scent of moisture clinging to him, as he was towel-drying his hair.
Seeing her come in, he showed a slight smile and took the bag from her hand. The next moment his gaze fell on her bandaged arm and he frowned. “What happened?”
Wen Yuny smiled and said, “I got a scratch on set, it’s nothing, it’s already healed.”
Jiang Yunyuan lifted her arm to look; it was bandaged tightly, so she couldn’t tell the exact condition. Hearing that, she could only believe him: “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Wen Yu grinned cheekily: “Didn’t I tell you?”
Her eyes flicked, and with her intact hand she hooked it around the man’s neck. Giving a little pull, she rose onto her toes and, smack, planted a kiss on his lips: “Big brother, I missed you so much!”
The man being kissed darkened slightly in the eyes and inclined his head to deepen the kiss.
But Wen Yu turned away and looked at him with a face full of affection: “Big brother, let’s take a photo together. That way, on the days you’re not here, I’ll have something to miss, okay?”
“…Alright.” A dark gleam flashed in the man’s eyes as he nodded in agreement.
Wen Yu immediately pulled him to sit on the sofa, took out her phone, and started pondering poses for the photo.
At first she thought of taking a picture of herself kissing him, so Jiang Yunyan wouldn’t have to show his face, but after taking it she felt something was off — she only captured part of him, and none of that handsome vibe came through.
He took another photo of their hands clasped together.
One was slender and fair, the other bony, articulated, and long.
Their ten fingers intertwined, hands held tightly—surprisingly photogenic when captured.
But… looking at the man’s hand wearing a ring in the photo, then at her own empty hand, something felt off.
“Change hands?” Wen Yu said, trying to walk around and sit on the other side.
She had just stood up when the man pulled her into his arms; her legs went weak and she sat on him. The man she had been toying with a moment ago said, “Why not add a marriage certificate as well?”
Wen Yu: “???”
She widened her eyes in alarm. “Why would you suddenly suggest something like that?”
The man’s eyes narrowed: “Don’t you want to make it public?”
“…” Wen Yu nodded meekly: “I do! I really do!”
Boohoo!
So he knew all along! This work is provided for online reading
Tonight my life ends!
But… Wen Yu was surprised: “You even brought the marriage certificate?”
Jiang Yunyan nodded, glanced at her, and directly took out a red rectangular object from the inner pocket of the suit jacket draped over the sofa.
Slightly thicker than a red envelope.
Wen Yu instinctively recalled that same scene earlier at the hotel, when she had glimpsed something and wondered what it was—she hadn’t expected it to be a marriage certificate.
“You’ve been carrying it with you?” she asked, somewhat surprised.
Jiang Yunyán smiled faintly. “Using this is the only way I could get your room card from the crew.”
The hotel had been booked by the production team, and only because of that—and his investor status—could he obtain the room card with a marriage certificate; a proper hotel wouldn’t allow it otherwise.
Wen Yu snorted softly, recalling how she had been curious last time about how Jiang Yunyán had managed to get a room card on his own.
But since they already had the marriage certificate with them, she couldn’t be bothered to figure out how to stage anything. She simply photographed the certificate, blurring out some key information, leaving only… “Do you want me to blur the photo?”
“No.” Jiang YunyAn toyed with the long hair draped over her shoulder, his chin resting on her shoulder as he watched her movements. “Like this.”
The man’s warm breath puffed against Wen Yu’s ear. She awkwardly pulled her neck back and snapped, “Why do you keep bothering me?!”
Jiang YunyAn fell silent for a moment, then obediently stepped back a little, making room. “Alright, I won’t bother you.”
Wen Yu finally felt comfortable, typed seriously, checked there were no mistakes, then sent out the marriage certificate and the photo of their fingers interlaced: [This is the one][image][image]
Just after sending it, her hand suddenly went empty.
The phone was taken; Jiang Yunyan’s long fingers—the same ones she had just complimented—pressed twice, putting the phone into Do Not Disturb mode, and then Wen Yu was lifted up.
Wen Yu: “!!”
“I haven’t showered yet!”
“Your arm can’t get wet, I’ll wash you.” Jiang Yunyan lowered his gaze, his expression dim. “Xiaoyu got jealous and wanted to see abs, I gave them to you. Now I’m jealous—aren’t you going to make it up to me?”
Wen Yu couldn’t stand him like this. The usually assertive, cold person, when he softened, was especially moving, and since she also enjoyed his looks, the effect compounded, immediately weakening her stance. “…Make it up?”
“Make it up by letting me help Xiaoyu bathe.” Jiang Yunyan’s eyes curved slightly as he already stepped into the bathroom.
Wen Yu said with difficulty, “Aren’t you not used to places other than the bed?”
Jiang Yunyán choked out, “It’s just helping Xiao Yu bathe, what are you thinking?”
“?” Wen Yu glared at him, face burning.
He was the one who spoke so ambiguously and made her misunderstand!
Jiang Yunyan wasn’t annoyed either; he genuinely helped her bathe, avoiding the injured areas on her arms. Once she was finished, he simply picked her up and carried her out.
That night was still very long.
Wen Yu sniffled, crying angrily, “Clearly I’m the one who was jealous!”
“So I’m making it up to Little Fish.” The man lifted her uninjured hand and placed it against his waist and abdomen. “Didn’t Little Fish want to touch last night?”
Wen Yu: “…Actually, I don’t really want to anymore.”
“Hm?” The man’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Xiaoyu, are you looking down on me?”
Wen Yu: “!”
Having starved for three days and finally somewhat satisfied, the man opened the hotel nightstand again. Wen Yu, exhausted and drenched in sweat, limbs weak, gave a start and pitifully said, “My hand hurts, big brother, let’s not do it again, okay?”
Jiang Yunyan paused, watching her raise her arm; the bandaged spot seemed to have been rubbed a bit, and he frowned.
Wen Yu thought he must be struggling inwardly, so she immediately acted coy: “Hubby, my arm hurts, I can’t do it anymore, boohoo…”
After saying that, she was about to gauge his reaction.
She saw him look at Wen Yu with a hint of apology and say softly, “Sorry, I didn’t pay attention.” Wen Yu: ???
Jiang Yunyan stood up and picked her up, his deep voice carrying a hint of restraint: “We won’t do it again. Don’t be afraid.”
Wen Yu suddenly felt a bit guilty. Actually her hand didn’t hurt; she had been careful while doing it and hadn’t touched it at all. It was just that her elbow naturally bent and moved, which made the bandaged area not as intact as it had been at first.
But at this point she didn’t have much strength left, so… just sleep.
Wen Yu washed up again and changed the bedding.
When she stayed in hotels she always used her own quilt and mattress pads, bringing several sets to swap out. Since… she started sleeping with someone, she had even deliberately packed two extra sets, fearing that, by accident, she might not have enough.
Wen Yu lay back down and saw Jiang Yanyan leave for the bathroom.
When he came out again, his body steaming cool.
Wen Yu’s heart softened and she almost admitted it, but before she could speak he got into bed and held her in his arms; after his shower… the same lively thing pressed against her lower belly.
Wen Yu: …She’s the one who intruded.
She quickly shut her eyes.
Only that restless hand kept roaming to the man’s waist and abdomen—the feel of his abs was really nice.
This time she was injured, too; even though she had him breathing heavily from her touches, the man remained still, simply holding her and burying his head in the hollow of her neck, softly pleading, “Xiaoyu, don’t make a fuss~”
Wen Yu had had enough and reluctantly withdrew her hand. “Fine.”
She smiled contentedly, obediently holding the person and falling asleep.
Unbeknownst to her, in the middle of the night someone sneaked off to take a cold-water bath.
—
The next day
They went to bed early last night, and both of them woke up quite early today.
After breakfast, Wen Yu lay back on the bed contentedly, watching Jiang Yunyan get himself ready.
But after a while, something felt off.
Wen Yu furrowed her brow. “Big brother, why are you dressing up so nicely?”
The man raised an eyebrow: “Pretty?”
Wen Yu simply got out of bed and first touched the tie pin that wasn’t there before—the blue-violet gemstone set at both ends of the pin threaded through the two holes beneath the shirt collar, resting against the tie above.
The cufflinks had been changed too, another thing Wen Yu had bought on a whim when he had nothing else to do.
Most striking of all were the black armbands added to both biceps; the man’s sturdy arms were encircled by the bands, and the white shirt paired with these seemingly small accessories made him unusually eye-catching.
Not to mention Jiang Yunyan’s figure is already outstanding; together, it made him even more striking.
Wen Yu pouted, “Do you have a date today?”
“No, just regular work, not even an important meeting.” The man playfully tapped her nose, then said with a meaningful look, “I told Xiao Chen not to keep wearing the same outfits as others, so I helped him pick this.”
“After all, he keeps getting mistaken for other men.”
Wen Yu: …
Feeling guilty, she hesitated for a moment, then meekly stood on tiptoe to appease him.
The man lowered his head as well.
A night’s worth of repression poured out now, fierce and overwhelming. At first Wen Yu only meant to give a small kiss, but in an instant she was drawn in with no strength left to resist—her arms looped around the man’s neck, he lifted her waist, and she instinctively tried to hook her legs around his.
“Mm…” Wen Yu was kissed breathless, unable to help but slightly push back; the tip of her tongue tingled, and she wanted to withdraw.
But the man only intensified his movements, lips and teeth entwined, his large hand slipping beneath the hem of her nightgown.
Until the air grew thin, a vibration suddenly came from the phone in the pocket.
Both of them snapped back to themselves slightly, their lips parting.
The man held the person in his arms with one hand, and with the other took out his phone, seeing Xiao Chen’s call: “Boss, the time has already passed.”
“Alright, right away.”
Having said that, he hung up the phone.
He turned and put the person in his arms down, still a little reluctant, cupping her small face and kissing her hard, his voice hoarse as he said, “Be good, I’ll come back tonight.”
Wen Yu was dazed; barely had she come to that she heard that line, the man’s suppressed emotions clearly leaking out.
She watched him turn to gather his things, draping his coat over his arm to cover an awkward spot; her cheeks burned. Suddenly she remembered he had said there wasn’t an important meeting…
Wen Yu immediately let out a small whimper, stomped her foot and huffed, “Big brother, do you not like me? You’re leaving me for work at a time like this?”
The man’s movement froze; his dark eyes stared straight at her.
Wen Yu still shyly covered her face, not noticing his gaze, sighing dramatically, “I knew it—big brother prefers work. I finally get to rest, and he leaves so decisively. What’s the point of this life? Maybe—”
Before she could finish the last two words, the man who had already reached the door strode back: “Are you off work today?”
Wen Yu: “Y-Yes?”
She answered instinctively.
only to find that the looks in the people’s eyes had changed, and immediately felt that something was wrong.
However, Jiang Yunyan had already taken out his phone and called Xiao Chen: “I’m taking the day off today. If anything comes up, contact Chairman Jiang.”
After speaking, he hung up, tossed the coat he had been using to cover himself onto the sofa, and loosened his tie with one hand. A thoughtful trace crossed his cold features: “Little Yu’s arm shouldn’t hurt anymore, right?”
Wen Yu: “!!!”
It seems… I went too far!