After Rebirth, I Became My Ex's "White Moonlight" - Chapter 12

“Hello, Miss Cheng.”

Ji Wanli sat in the chair positioned directly in the center of the office. Although he was over fifty, he did not possess the protruding belly common to middle-aged men; instead, wearing a pair of metal-framed glasses, he projected an aura of shrewdness.

His features bore a sixty-percent resemblance to Ji Yun, particularly around the brows and eyes, but their temperaments were worlds apart. At that moment, Cheng Siyu suddenly realized the source of the ruthlessness she had seen in Ji Yun’s eyes in the past.

“Please, sit.” Ji Wanli extended a hand, but his gaze betrayed a hint of contempt, as if he did not regard Cheng Siyu as someone of any consequence.

A sense of foreboding filled Cheng Siyu’s heart. After a moment of hesitation, she chose to sit down.

At that moment, Ji Wanli made a gesture, signaling Zhao Xixi to leave. Zhao Xixi seemed unaware of the entanglements between Cheng Siyu and Ji Yun; before departing, she gave Cheng Siyu an encouraging look.

The sound of the door closing echoed, and the surrounding atmosphere seemed to grow oppressive to the extreme.

“Miss Cheng, how about we make a deal?” Ji Wanli finally spoke, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the desk.

As Ji Wanli’s voice reached Cheng Siyu’s ears, she experienced a fleeting illusion of returning to the day Ji Yun had handed her the check. She forced herself to calm down; at the very least, she could not lose her composure at a time like this.

“Miss Cheng probably does not know my identity yet. Let me introduce myself: I am Ji Yun’s father.” Seeing that Cheng Siyu did not answer, Ji Wanli continued.

“I want to use a long-term contract for a top-tier mainstream artist at Western Regions to make a deal with you.”

As Ji Wanli spoke, Cheng Siyu realized that Western Regions Magazine must also be an investment of his. She wondered how Ji Yun would have reacted in her previous life if she had known that the company she used as a springboard to be discovered was actually backed by Ji Wanli.

“What kind of deal?”

Cheng Siyu spoke up. A long-term contract with Western Regions was a resource that many A-list artists fought for; for it to fall into the lap of an amateur like her, who currently had no resources at all, was truly a gift from the heavens. But her intuition told her it would not be that simple; Ji Wanli was not a businessman who enjoyed playing the philanthropist.

“I have investigated you, Miss Cheng. Your family background is simple; you have no significant backing or complex emotional history. My daughter and I have had a strained relationship for some time due to certain matters. I have tried my best to compensate her materially, but she refuses to accept it. This time, I want Miss Cheng to pass these compensations to her on my behalf. Of course, it would be even better if Miss Cheng could periodically report on her living situation to me.”

Ji Wanli spoke many sentences, and he did so in the most peaceful tone imaginable. Yet, Cheng Siyu could hear that the last sentence was the true point: he wanted her to lurk by Ji Yun’s side and monitor her situation at all times.

Even though Cheng Siyu no longer wanted anything to do with Ji Yun, she knew that, at this stage, there was no way to withdraw completely.

“Can you give me some time to consider?” Cheng Siyu deliberately feigned the innocence of a young girl, her eyes filled with hesitation.

“Of course. If I remember correctly, Miss Cheng’s father works at a company under the Ji Group, does he not?”

Ji Wanli replied unhurriedly, his tone intentionally inquisitive.

If his tone moments ago had been a gentle inquiry, it was now an overt threat. At that moment, Cheng Siyu glanced at the door out of the corner of her eye and saw that the exit was tightly guarded by several bodyguards dressed in black.

It had to be said that Ji Wanli and Ji Yun were similar in some respects; once they decided someone had to do something, they would not leave that person a second path.

“Fine. But I want to add an additional condition.”

…

Three days later,

“Siyu! I passed!”

Early in the morning, Shen Moxu called. Cheng Siyu, half-asleep and half-awake, answered the phone. As soon as she tapped to accept the call, Shen Moxu’s incredibly excited voice came through.

“I passed the interview! And it was Qin Xiangqing who interviewed me! Hahahahahahaha!”

Immediately following the laughter was Shen Moxu’s frantic cackling. Still a bit groggy, Cheng Siyu pulled the phone away from her ear and simply said, “Congratulations.”

“I’m booking a private room tonight to celebrate! You must come.”

Cheng Siyu’s consciousness gradually cleared. She asked simply, “Is Ji Yun going?”

“She’s going. It’s fine—if you feel awkward, just don’t talk to her. After all, she gave us the tickets for Qin Xiangqing’s concert last time; consider this as returning the favor.”

“What time?” Cheng Siyu sat up in bed and yawned, looking at the falling leaves outside the window. Ji Wanli’s words echoed in her mind: “I don’t need you to feel anything sincere for her; you just need to complete the tasks in the contract.”

“Eight o’clock! I’ll pick you up at your dorm entrance then!” Shen Moxu said. Then she added, “I got my driver’s license! My sister even bought a car for me!”

“I know, I know. Boss Shen, when are you going to treat me to a big meal?”

“Hmm? Little Cheng, is this something a secretary should ask? Where is the coffee I asked you to brew?”

“Shen Moxu, you have no shame.”

“Little Cheng, how can you talk to your Boss Shen like that!”

Amidst the banter, the two hung up. Cheng Siyu scrolled through Weibo for content related to the movie. The movie’s trend was similar to her previous life—it was in a stage of gradual ascent, and many scenes in the film had become topics of discussion.

The most popular character in the play was Ye Xingyue—not because of her story, but because of Ji Yun’s looks and acting skills. Although Ji Wanli’s promotion played a part, most of it was due to Ji Yun herself.

For Cheng Siyu, the reason she had fallen for Ji Yun in the first place was also because of her looks.

The most attractive part of Ji Yun’s face was her eyes—deep, “peach blossom” eyes that always made those who looked at her feel as if they were sinking. In her previous life, Cheng Siyu’s favorite thing to do while they were intimate was to gaze into her eyes, perceiving her madness and passion through them.

Only now, none of that existed anymore. After washing up, Cheng Siyu forced a smile at the mirror and began to pick out clothes for the evening.

As she opened her wardrobe, the phone rang again. She looked at the caller ID labeled “Dad.” After hesitating for a few minutes, she pressed answer.

“Xiaoyu, you filmed a movie! Why didn’t you tell your father about such a big thing?”

As soon as the call connected, Cheng’s father’s voice came through, his tone revealing a hint of joy.

“I thought Xiao Yi had told you.” Cheng Siyu felt a bit dazed; this was the first call Cheng Wuxing had made to her in the past two months.

“Oh, I thought you were just playing a small supporting role. I didn’t expect it to be a major character, hahaha.” There was some noise on the other end—the laughter of several middle-aged men and the sound of beer glasses clinking.

“When are you coming home? Let your uncles have a look; our Xiaoyu is going to be a big star.” Immediately, several voices from the other end chimed in,

“That’s right.” “Exactly, we might not even get to see her in the future.”

If Cheng Siyu remembered correctly, this was the first time Cheng Wuxing had proactively invited her home. Her heart felt somewhat empty.