After Rebirth, I Became My Ex's "White Moonlight" - Chapter 30

After the children were led away to the toy room, another segment played on the big screen: the home of the young boy, Yu Ye.

His family was a typical “strong woman, weak man” household. His father, Yu Xi, was once a minor star who filmed adult films, while his mother, Bai Chi, was a white-collar office worker. Consequently, the father had always been the primary caregiver.

His parenting style was the polar opposite of the mothers’; he was incredibly laid-back, often just sitting there while little Yu Ye ran back and forth fetching things for him. This provided many of the show’s comedic highlights, but it was also the defining characteristic of their home.

The discussion topic derived from this family was: what did everyone do at home before having children, and what do they do now?

Most guests mentioned things like watching movies or gathering with friends for hot pot. Qi Yan said she used to do yoga and fitness routines before having a child, and now she does them together with her daughter.

Hearing this, the audience couldn’t help but laugh as they imagined He Wuyou attempting yoga.

When the question reached Cheng Siyu—the only person presents without a child—she could only answer based on her experience with her younger sister.

“Before I had a sister, I spent every day eating, going to class, and sleeping. After I had a sister, I spent every day eating, going to class, sleeping, and hitting my sister.”

Her humorous response lightened the atmosphere considerably, and several other guests with siblings chimed in, saying they had been bullied by their older sisters since childhood.

Finally, the big screen showed the “main event”: Qi Yan and He Wuyou.

The segment began in the early hours of the morning before dawn. Qi Yan’s alarm went off, accompanied by the program’s background music: “Early to bed, early to rise, let’s go exercise.”

Qi Yan woke a groggy He Wuyou. After freshening up, the two walked to the park for morning exercise, returning hand-in-hand about two or three hours later.

Watching this video, Cheng Siyu recalled the two figures—one tall, one short—she had seen at the coffee shop with Jiang Shizi. It turned out they were returning from their morning routine.

She couldn’t help but admire Jiang Shizi slightly. It was one thing to wake up early, but to remember the mother and daughter’s route and timing so accurately showed she had put in real effort.

The video then showed the two going back home for a nap. It was then that Cheng Siyu realized she hadn’t seen Qi Yan’s husband, He Jinnian, at all.

Even by the end of the segment, He Jinnian never appeared. Cheng Siyu found it strange, but didn’t overthink it, assuming he was simply away on a business trip.

The question extended from this video was: how do you teach your child to love others and to love everything around them?

This was destined to be another topic unrelated to Cheng Siyu, so she picked up a bottle of mineral water for a drink.

At that moment, a pair of small hands reached out from behind the table next to her. Cheng Siyu looked closely and saw He Wuyou. She had somehow snuck out of the toy room and was trying to stealthily grab the candies placed on the table beside Cheng Siyu.

Li Enyu stood behind He Wuyou, looking helpless and cautious as she glanced at Cheng Siyu. Her mother had specifically instructed her to look after the younger children.

Cheng Siyu was all too familiar with that look. She reached out, grabbed a few candies, handed them to Li Enyu, and took off her microphone to whisper, “Take your sister back, and you two can eat them together.”

Li Enyu took them, a smile appearing on her face. She then used the candy to lure He Wuyou back to the toy room.

In that moment, it wasn’t just Li Enyu who felt comforted; it was the Cheng Siyu of her own childhood as well.

After watching the two little ones return, Cheng Siyu turned back and put her microphone back on.

She didn’t know that, at that very moment, Qi Yan was quietly watching her.

After the recording ended, Cheng Siyu was about to go change her clothes when she was blocked by Qi Yan, who was holding He Wuyou’s hand.

Seeing the unfriendly look in her eyes, Cheng Siyu thought this was the prelude to a coming storm and hurriedly prepared a mental defense.

To her surprise, Qi Yan simply looked at her and asked, “Are you very short on money?”

“No, not at all.” Cheng Siyu looked at her own outfit. While it couldn’t compare to high-end luxury brands, they were all the most suitable clothes Zhao Xixi had helped her buy with a limited budget.

Seeing her denial, Qi Yan countered, “Then why did you become Jiang Shizi’s lover?”

“We are innocent; we’re just friends,” Cheng Siyu explained.

“Nonsense. What about the news on the hot search? She went into your room and didn’t come out all night. Are you telling me you just slept in your own spots?” Qi Yan’s tone was filled with blatant distrust.

“If I talked to you on the street and a paparazzi happened to take a picture, rumors of an affair between us would spread tomorrow. Would you believe it then?” Cheng Siyu used an example to rebut her.

“Well, if you can be friends with someone like Jiang Shizi, you aren’t any good either.” Seemingly unable to find a counterargument, Qi Yan pulled He Wuyou away, acting emboldened despite her lack of logic.

As they left, He Wuyou happily waved goodbye to the “bad thing” her mother had just mentioned.

Cheng Siyu was speechless, but it seemed that Qi Yan no longer harbored any real hostility toward her.

As Cheng Siyu prepared to head back in Zhao Xixi’s car after changing, a tender cry of “Sister!” stopped her in her tracks. She turned to see Li Enyu.

The girl jogged over, handed Cheng Siyu a carton of milk, and then shyly turned and ran back.

Cheng Siyu stood frozen for a few seconds looking at the milk before getting into the car.

“Siyu, I didn’t realize you were so good with kids. How many do you plan on having in the future?”

Li Yexing, who had observed everything from inside the car, spoke up as soon as she entered.

Cheng Siyu finally couldn’t take it anymore and, following Zhao Xixi’s example, gave her a light smack. “None. What if I gave birth to someone like you? What would I do then?”

“Ow! It’s not like you’re having them with me, so how could they be like me?” Li Yexing rubbed her head piteously.

“What if there’s a genetic mutation?” Cheng Siyu retorted, using the little scientific knowledge she possessed, before sitting down and buckling her seatbelt.

As the car slowly drove out of the studio building, Cheng Siyu took out her phone to check the leaked clips and reviews of today’s episode.

The program had just released the full clip of her singing “Listen to Me.” Combined with the heat from her previous scandal with Jiang Shizi, it quickly went viral and hit the hot searches.

In an instant, a CP (couple) Super Topic named after her and Jiang Shizi—”Si Zeng Xiang Shi”—appeared out of thin air. Most of the people inside were fans of the book True or False. Using clips from the two actresses’ previous works edited to the tune of “Listen to Me,” they created “treasures” for the Super Topic.

Cheng Siyu knew people would start shipping them once True or False aired, but she didn’t expect it to happen with Jiang Shizi first.

Furthermore, according to the “unspoken rules” of the internet she knew (where the name in front is the dominant one), she was actually placed above Jiang Shizi. It was somewhat incredible.

While browsing Weibo, Cheng Siyu returned to the hotel. After lying on the bed for a while and scrolling through the Super Topic, she intended to take a shower, but just then, she heard a knock at the door.

Cheng Siyu opened the door to find Ji Yun, her face dark and gloomy.

“What’s wrong?”

Before Cheng Siyu could finish her sentence, Ji Yun rushed forward and pulled her into a passionate, intense kiss.

In the heat of it, Ji Yun ignored Cheng Siyu’s struggles and bit her lip; the metallic taste of blood instantly filled both of their mouths and noses.

The Ji Yun of this lifetime was not yet skilled at kissing, leaving Cheng Siyu somewhat breathless. However, Cheng Siyu eventually used her experience from her previous life to take control and successfully brought the scene to an end.

Only then did Cheng Siyu realize that they hadn’t closed the door while kissing. She pushed Ji Yun away and shut the door.

“What? You didn’t know to avoid suspicion when you were with Jiang Shizi, but you do now?”

Ji Yun’s cold, mocking voice came through. Cheng Siyu knew she was jealous, but she wasn’t in the mood to coax her. She simply said, “Jiang Shizi and I are innocent. Believe it or not.”

“Siyu, tell me, what am I doing wrong? Why did you get so close to Jiang Shizi after only meeting her a few times?” Ji Yun leaned against the wall, watching Cheng Siyu with a gaze full of helplessness and vulnerability.

She remembered that when Cheng Siyu first met her, she only wanted to push her away and get as far from her as possible. She didn’t understand.

Seeing that she still wouldn’t let the Jiang Shizi topic go, Cheng Siyu asked in return, “Then you tell me—the night of your birthday, when you told me you were going to sleep, where were you?”

A flash of hesitation crossed Ji Yun’s eyes. “I… I… I was… at…” Her voice grew increasingly faint.

“I trusted you and didn’t ask questions. Instead, you come here to interrogate me based on a scandal fabricated by paparazzi. Isn’t that a bit of a double standard?”

Looking at her, Cheng Siyu felt nothing but exhaustion. She said, “I’m tired. You should leave.”

The next moment, Ji Yun hugged her tightly and said incoherently, “I’m sorry. I’m just so afraid of losing you. I didn’t tell you I went to the bar because I was afraid, you’d be angry—afraid you’d ask why I didn’t spend my birthday with you.”

Cheng Siyu listened, but her heart didn’t stir at all. She wanted to push her away, but Ji Yun held her very tight.

“So, why didn’t you spend your birthday with me?” Cheng Siyu was a capable actress; she deliberately showed weakness, squeezing out a few tears from the corners of her eyes and acting distressed.

Sure enough, the next second Ji Yun let her go and explained.

“I had plans with them a long time ago. Didn’t you say you didn’t want others to know about us? I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

“Mhm, the explanation is clear now. That day, Jiang Shizi and I saw you going to the bar when you had lied to me, so we met up to talk for a bit and were caught by the paparazzi.”

After Cheng Siyu finished her explanation, she intended to see Ji Yun out. To her surprise, the other woman refused to leave. She took off her coat, revealing a backpack hidden underneath. When opened, it contained pajamas and some daily necessities.

“I’m not leaving. I can’t sleep without you.” Following this, Ji Yun placed her clothes directly on the sofa, effectively staking her claim.

Cheng Siyu paused. Knowing there was no point in arguing, she let her be.

However, she still made a “three-point agreement” with Ji Yun, requiring her to return to her own room tomorrow morning before Zhao Xixi arrived to take her to the set.

Ji Yun immediately agreed. Then, as if she were in her own home, she walked into the bathroom, and soon the sound of running water could be heard.

Cheng Siyu didn’t do anything else. She knew that if there were paparazzi outside, they would be Ji Wanli’s people, and it was impossible for them to spread news about the two of them.

If Ji Wanli knew that his plan to drive a wedge between them hadn’t worked at all—and that it was his own daughter who proactively entered Cheng Siyu’s room after they kissed at the door for a long time—he would probably turn green with rage.