After Rebirth, I Became My Ex's "White Moonlight" - Chapter 10

She dared not imagine that she was nothing more than a fig leaf used by Ji Yun to conceal her affection for Ji Yan.

“She has nothing to do with this matter. I didn’t look for you because…” Ji Yun originally wanted to defend herself, but even she felt that this reason lacked any supporting ground.

“You looked for me because I look like her, didn’t you?” Cheng Siyu asked, staring straight into Ji Yun’s eyes. “She doesn’t know about this, does she? If she knew her own cousin harbored such ulterior motives toward her, she would probably be disgusted enough to vomit, wouldn’t she?”

“Cheng Siyu, don’t go too far.” Having the secret in her heart suddenly called out by someone, Ji Yun’s expression became somewhat unsightly.

“I’m going too far?” Cheng Siyu’s hands clenched tightly, and tears streamed down her face. “What right do you have to say I’m going too far? I’ve been used as a fig leaf for five years—am I not even allowed to vent?”

“When did I ever say you were a fig leaf? Cheng Siyu, can’t you just calm down and listen to me?”

“Listen to you say what? That the scarf you gave me was meant to be the same style as hers? Or that you were thinking of someone else the whole time you were dating me?” Cheng Siyu let out a cold laugh, but the tears would not stop flowing. “Ji Yun, don’t be so self-righteous. Let’s end it here.”

After saying this, Cheng Siyu threw the photo back at Ji Yun, grabbed her things, and prepared to walk out, but Ji Yun grabbed her at that moment.

Before Cheng Siyu could react, a burning kiss fell upon her lips. She tried to break free, but she was firmly pinned by Ji Yun. She bit down hard on Ji Yun’s lip, hoping she would let go, but what she received in return was an even more violent assault from Ji Yun.

It wasn’t until the taste of blood filled both their mouths that Ji Yun slowly released Cheng Siyu.

“She and I are just family.”

“Siyu-jie?”

Ji Yun’s call interrupted Cheng Siyu’s memory.

“Hmm? More or less, though you are much better than her,” Cheng Siyu replied, turning her head to look at her. More than just that; you are far too good compared to her—so good that you don’t even seem like her anymore. “It’s about time! Let’s go in.”

Cheng Siyu tucked away her emotions and stood up from her seat. Ji Yun, however, appeared somewhat unsteady. Thinking it was a lingering effect of the claustrophobia, Cheng Siyu reached out to support her.

In this manner, the two returned indoors. Almost the moment they entered, Cheng Siyu heard Ji Yun’s heavy breathing, followed by the sensation of her hand being gripped tightly.

“I’m scared,” Ji Yun’s voice came through. Cheng Siyu paused for a moment before slowly accompanying her back to their previous seats.

The two of them entered just in time to see the ending. The police officer played by Qin Xiangqing still fired the shot at the male lead. The male lead, who originally possessed great agility, did not dodge; instead, he slowly collapsed after being hit, eventually dying in Qin Xiangqing’s arms.

The entire theater fell into a dead silence until the lights came up at the end of the scene, and everyone regained their senses.

Just then, Qin Xiangqing, along with Ye Yuzhou, who played the male lead, and several supporting actors, walked out from backstage.

“Thank you all for coming to watch our movie today.” Qin Xiangqing’s voice matched her appearance—elegant with a touch of sexiness.

As soon as she finished speaking, Cheng Siyu heard a scream from Shen Moxu in the front row. It wasn’t the first or second time Shen Moxu had been an embarrassment. A second later, she looked at Ji Yun, only to find that Ji Yun’s gaze was fixed on her. She instinctively froze, then withdrew her gaze, acting as if nothing had happened.

Ji Yun’s gaze also briefly drifted away. She always felt that the way Cheng Siyu looked at her was as if she were trying to find the shadow of another person through her body, but she seemed to disappoint her every time.

After that movie, Cheng Siyu began to avoid Ji Yun, whether intentionally or unintentionally. She didn’t even go to the wrap party on the day the crew finished filming. When Ji Yun took the initiative to add her on WeChat, she didn’t pass the request, simply telling Shen Moxu that she was shy around strangers. During this period, she also went to various crews for internships and worked as an extra on different sets.

Cheng Siyu didn’t understand why she was making herself so busy; perhaps only in this way could she quiet her mind and avoid thinking about any details related to Ji Yun. On the other hand, in her previous life, Ji Yun had restricted her from taking jobs under the pretext of not wanting her to be too exposed to the public eye. She wanted to take the opportunity of this rebirth to take revenge on Ji Yun in her own way. Although her love for Ji Yun had not entirely vanished, she believed that time could change everything.

If Ji Yun could go through countless lovers in a few years, why couldn’t she forget her?

“Siyu, someone is looking for you.”

While Cheng Siyu was staring blankly at her phone, her roommate’s voice drifted in. She got up and walked out. Just as she was wondering who would come to find her, she saw a figure at the door that was both familiar and strange—it was Ji Yun.

It had just finished raining. She hadn’t brought an umbrella, and droplets of undried water hung from her hair. The sportswear she was wearing was already mostly soaked.

“What did you come here for?”

Seeing the visitor, Cheng Siyu was somewhat surprised, but her mind was racing, wondering if she had offended her in some way that made it worth her traveling a thousand miles in the middle of the night to find her. This kind of treatment was something she had only received in her previous life when Ji Yun suspected her of cheating. At that time, she was still very happy, thinking Ji Yun cared about her; now that she remembered it, she felt it was only because Ji Yun was worried that her “professional substitute” would be defiled by someone else.

Thinking of this, the look in Cheng Siyu’s eyes as she watched Ji Yun gradually turned cold.

“Are you avoiding me?” Ji Yun’s tone was unfriendly, yet her eyes were full of grievance.

Hearing her words, Cheng Siyu froze, then feigned indifference as she spoke. “Why would I avoid you?”

“Then why didn’t you even go to the wrap party? Isn’t it because you didn’t want to see me?” Ji Yun became more agitated as she spoke, which also drew a crowd of onlookers. After all, Ji Yun, who came from a prominent family and had appeared in several TV dramas, was now a popular figure in everyone’s eyes.

“Didn’t I tell the director? I was busy,” Cheng Siyu explained impatiently, not wanting to become the center of attention. Moreover, she didn’t understand the reason behind Ji Yun suddenly rushing to her dormitory to perform this scene with her.

“How were you busy? I heard from Xixi-jie that you asked her for several advertising contracts.” Ji Yun couldn’t understand; there had been no disagreement between the two of them at the cinema that day, so why had Cheng Siyu suddenly started to distance herself?

“Yes, I did ask her for contracts. But Ji Yun, what right do you have to question me?” Cheng Siyu felt as if she were facing a child. More and more people were gathering, and she was desperate to leave Ji Yun behind and return to her dorm.

“Then why did you kiss me at the KTV that night?”

This time, it wasn’t just the gossip-seekers who were stunned; even Cheng Siyu was dazed. She paused for over ten seconds before finally remembering that night at the KTV.

Looking at Ji Yun, who was clenching her fists and accusing her, Cheng Siyu suddenly couldn’t help but let out a “pfft” and laugh.

“Ji Yun, how old are you?”

“Nineteen.”

“Nineteen already, and you still can’t tell the difference between just playing around and true liking?” At this moment, Cheng Siyu had a hallucination. When she first discovered Ji Yun in a hotel bed with another female celebrity, she had the exact same expression. At that time, Ji Yun had used a condescending attitude to ask her the same question.

With one sentence, Cheng Siyu knocked Ji Yun into an ice cellar. She then mimicked the expressionless tone Ji Yun had used back then and said, “However, if you are willing to be with me, I can provide the emotional needs you want—on the condition that you don’t affect me.”

After saying this, Cheng Siyu turned around and opened the dormitory door. No one noticed the teardrop at the corner of her eye at that moment, which also quietly slipped down her cheek.

After returning to the dorm, Cheng Siyu pinched her fingers. Why did it hurt so much to say those words, while Ji Yun seemed so unburdened when she threw them out back then? In the end, it was just because she was a substitute.

Thinking of this, she let out a breath of turbid air, feeling nothing but a full body of chilliness.

The next day, gossip regarding Cheng Siyu and Ji Yun spread through every street and alley of the Department of Performing Arts; even Shen Moxu had heard about it.

“Cheng Siyu! What is going on with you and Ji Yun? How did I not notice such a big thing at all?”

Actually, Cheng Siyu was also a bit slow. She didn’t understand how Ji Yun had suddenly fallen in love with her. Was it just because of that kiss? After all, that was something she had craved for years but could never obtain.

“I don’t know,” Cheng Siyu answered honestly, but was nudged by Shen Moxu.

“How could you not know?”

“Shouldn’t you go ask her?” Cheng Siyu was unwilling to mention the topic further and quickened her pace to walk ahead.

But at that moment, a few people passed by. After realizing it was Cheng Siyu, they began to whisper and discuss her.

Cheng Siyu’s face darkened several shades. Just as Shen Moxu wanted to catch up, she discovered that the current Cheng Siyu seemed to have turned into a person she didn’t recognize.

After walking for a while and realizing Shen Moxu hadn’t caught up, Cheng Siyu found a bench and sat down, feeling only exhaustion.

In her mind, she suddenly recalled the Ji Yun of her previous life.

“Cheng Siyu, everyone is in this industry. What is the point of obsessing over love or lack thereof? Isn’t it better to just take what we each need, like you and I being together now?”

The Cheng Siyu of her previous life didn’t yet know that this was merely an excuse Ji Yun found for her own promiscuity, making it seem like she was the one who was too unsatisfied.

But when Ji Yun took out that three-million-dollar check and told her to get lost, her heart still trembled violently.

“I’m tired of playing with you. Leave.”

Even now, Cheng Siyu still couldn’t figure out why, after ten years of feelings, she could just throw them away, and on the very next day, bring a woman to her house to sleep with her, while she herself had foolishly expected her to have a change of heart.

“Cheng Siyu?”

Hearing someone calling her name, Cheng Siyu looked up and saw Wen Zhiluo. He was holding a cigarette in his hand, smoke swirling around him, forming a sharp contrast with the clean white T-shirt he was wearing.

“What are you doing here all by yourself?”

“Nothing, I just wanted to sit alone for a bit.” Seeing that Wen Zhiluo had no intention of gossiping about her, Cheng Siyu slowly let down her guard.

“Do you smoke?”

“I quit.”

“Oh?” Wen Zhiluo said curiously. He had thought Cheng Siyu would refuse directly; this answer was somewhat unexpected to him. He vaguely felt that Cheng Siyu was perhaps not as well-behaved as she appeared to be.