After Rebirth, I Became My Ex's "White Moonlight" - Chapter 13

“Maybe when there’s a chance, Dad. Let’s not talk for now—I have class, I’m hanging up.”

After ending the call, Cheng Siyu took a deep breath and sat down at her vanity to start doing her makeup. Although her spirits were low, she still gave the girl in the mirror a faint smile once she was finished.

“Siyu, you put on makeup! I rarely see you wear it. Are you going out on a date with a boyfriend?”

Just as she got up and grabbed her bag, she heard her roommate’s teasing. Feigning annoyance, she casually grabbed a pillow and tossed it over. “Can’t I put on makeup just for myself?”

“Yes, yes, yes… sob… are you coming back tonight? Don’t leave me to guard this empty room all by myself.” The roommate caught the pillow, clutching it to her chest, bringing her professional skills as a performance major into full play.

“Of course I’m coming back,” Cheng Siyu answered.

“Then this ‘wife’ shall go and prepare, and wait for my ‘official’ to return for a night of spring bliss.”

After finished bantering with her roommate, Cheng Siyu headed out to the school gate and boarded a bus. Aside from attending Shen Moxu’s party today, there was one more thing she wanted to do.

As the bus slowly pulled away, Cheng Siyu reached into the deepest part of her bag and pulled out a photograph—the one she had retrieved that day from the Cheng household. In the photo, Cheng Siyu was only five or six years old, looking at the camera with a dazed expression, while her mother, Lin Shuyu, stood behind her with a smile, resting a hand on her head.

For as long as Cheng Siyu could remember, her mother was the only person in her life. “Father” seemed to be nothing more than a title; she had only vaguely heard that her father had gone to a very far place.

From the stories her teachers told, she knew that a “very far place” meant heaven. Therefore, she had always believed that her father would never return.

It wasn’t until she was ten years old, the year her mother passed away, that she learned she actually had a man who could be called her father.

The cemetery was not far from the school—a twenty-minute ride followed by a short walk.

Along the way, she passed a flower shop. She didn’t know what kind of flowers Lin Shuyu liked, so she chose carnations, which were labeled as the most suitable flowers for a mother.

Cheng Siyu arrived at the cemetery and found Lin Shuyu’s gravesite with practiced ease. It looked as though no one had visited for a long time; a thick layer of fallen leaves and dust had accumulated before the grave.

The photo on the stone monument was still of Lin Shuyu in her youth. Cheng Siyu used a tissue to wipe away the dust blocking the picture and placed the carnations in front of the headstone.

“Mom, if you were still alive, you’d be in your fifties by now, right? You definitely wouldn’t look as good as you do in this photo.”

Cheng Siyu chattered away to the photograph. “My dad already has several white hairs. Let me tell you, the movie I filmed was released, and the reception was pretty good. I don’t know if you can see it from over there. Also, make sure to eat on time, don’t forget.”

At that moment, a tear finally slid down her cheek. She eventually couldn’t help but speak out loud.

“Mom, I miss you.”

On the way back, Cheng Siyu watched the sunlight streaming in, recalling the first time she met Cheng Wuhang.

“Xiaoyu, your father is here.”

That afternoon, several people who had come to help with the funeral arrangements suddenly nudged Cheng Siyu, who was kneeling in the mourning hall.

Hearing the commotion, Cheng Siyu turned her head and saw a tall figure, followed by a woman who did not look particularly kind.

“Xiaoyu, you’ve grown so much.”

That very night, Cheng Siyu was taken back to the Cheng household. It was only then that she realized she had a half-sister. Late that night, unable to sleep because she was in an unfamiliar bed, she stepped out into the living room only to hear voices coming from the master bedroom.

“Isn’t that just the child of your crazy ex-wife? Why bring her back? What if that mental illness is hereditary?”

Sensitive as she was, Cheng Siyu immediately knew they were talking about her. She leaned silently against the wall.

“She’s my child too, I have an obligation to support her. Besides, her mother left a sum of money for whoever raises her. If we don’t take her in, wouldn’t that money just be given away for nothing?”

“Fine, fine. But you can’t be biased; you have to dote on Xiao Yi more.”

“I know, I know. Xiao Yi was earned with half of your life, after all.”

At ten years old, Cheng Siyu felt a sense of helplessness sweep over her entire body for the first time.

She had once blamed Lin Shuyu for leaving her all alone in this world, but as time passed, she had finally come to terms with it.

“Siyu! I’m downstairs, where are you?”

“Coming, coming.”

From a distance, Cheng Siyu spotted Shen Moxu’s car. Amidst the sea of black, white, and gray, her blue supercar looked like it had driven straight out of another dimension.

“President Shen, looking quite flashy.”

“Hey now, get in the car.”

Shen Moxu’s family had made their fortune in construction materials. She had an older sister who took on the responsibility of inheriting the family business, leaving Shen Moxu with nothing to do but lie back and enjoy life. It was precisely because of this that she could apply for art school without any burden.

Cheng Siyu sometimes felt envious, but it was limited to just that. She knew that simply having two living parents was a reality that had nothing to do with her.

“Xiaoyu, did you know? On my audition day, Qin Xiangqing actually ran lines with me. My heart was about to jump out of my chest. All those rumors say she acts like a big shot, but I didn’t feel that way at all.”

“Congratulations to you then.” Cheng Siyu offered a casual reply.

“Oh right, didn’t you go for a magazine interview last time? How did it go?” During a red light, Shen Moxu asked.

“It was… okay, I guess.”

“If it’s okay, then it’s fine. Why do I feel like you haven’t been very happy these past few days? It couldn’t be because you’re going to see Ji Yun tonight, right? Actually, what happened between you two wasn’t a huge deal—you just rejected him in public…”

“Maybe it’s because my period is coming.” Cheng Siyu didn’t want Shen Moxu to probe further and pulled out a random excuse.

“Sigh, when will my happy little Cheng return?”

Sensing Shen Moxu’s dampened mood, Cheng Siyu wanted to say something to lighten the atmosphere.

“Could you pay more attention while you’re driving?”

“What?” Still immersed in the “my bestie isn’t happy” emotion, Shen Moxu didn’t react immediately.

“Because you just crashed right into my heart.” After Cheng Siyu said it, even the corners of her own mouth couldn’t help but curl up. Once Shen Moxu realized what she meant, she burst out laughing.

“Damn, Siyu, that’s so cheesy! Hahahaha!”

The atmosphere in the car was finally no longer oppressive, and the two arrived at the KTV.

Since the room address had been sent to the group chat, many people had already arrived early. Upon entering, Cheng Siyu scanned the room and noticed Ji Yun sitting with some friends.

She stopped at the bar counter about two or three meters away from Ji Yun, took out a clean goblet from the table, and poured herself a glass of red wine.

The red liquid reflected her face. Though she hesitated for a moment, she still downed the wine in the glass in one gulp.

Now, she only dared to get close to Ji Yun by relying on the numbness of alcohol.