After Rebirth, I Became My Ex's "White Moonlight" - Chapter 40

Upon arriving at their destination, they found themselves at a high-end restaurant. Even the decorations at the entrance exuded an aura of opulence and grandeur.

As the three of them walked inside, Xi You extended her hand toward Cheng Siyu, signaling for her to take it.

Cheng Siyu noticed that Xi You was wearing a matching couple’s necklace on her left wrist that paired with the one on her own. Dispensing with any further pleasantries, she naturally took Xi You’s hand.

They sat down in a private room. Xi You spoke up, “This restaurant is actually one of the properties under my name. Feel free to order whatever you like.”

Jiang Shizi glanced at the menu and said slowly, “I’ll have the same as usual.”

Looking at the overwhelming variety of dishes on the menu, Cheng Siyu eventually settled on a standard steak set.

“Actually, you don’t have to be so formal,” Xi You said, gesturing for the waiter to take the menus. Cheng Siyu looked into her eyes, finding that Xi You’s light brown irises looked even more captivating under the restaurant’s lighting.

About two minutes passed before Xi You whispered, “If you keep looking at me like that, I won’t be able to handle it.”

Realizing how blatant her staring had become; Cheng Siyu hurriedly retracted her gaze.

“I feel like I bought a ticket to watch a live-action romance movie,” Jiang Shizi remarked, running a hand through her long, unkempt hair. Her expression seemed somewhat restored.

“It would be great if this managed to spark some fighting spirit in you,” Xi You said, looking at her.

“My fighting spirit has always been fine; there have just been too many things going on lately,” Jiang Shizi replied. She took out her phone, glanced at it, and then immediately put it away.

“You mean there have been too many things regarding Qi Yan. You’re usually a very rational person, but you’ve tripped and fallen over Qi Yan, and you can’t seem to get past it.”

While they talked, the food arrived. Cheng Siyu chose not to join their conversation, focusing instead on cutting her steak and chewing small, quiet bites.

Jiang Shizi countered, “It has nothing to do with her. She’s already married and her child is old enough to run errands. I’m just worried about my future career.”

In front of her old friend, Jiang Shizi always felt a head shorter than Xi You—likely because Xi You had never poured her heart into someone the way she had.

“I hope so,” Xi You said, refraining from teasing her further as she began to eat.

Halfway through the meal, Cheng Siyu stood up and signaled that she needed to use the restroom. Xi You pointed out the way and even offered to escort her personally, but Cheng Siyu declined.

“If the boss personally leads the way, people might mistake me for some sort of VIP,” Cheng Siyu joked.

Xi You leaned in close and whispered a flirtatious reply: “You are a VIP in my heart.”

Cheng Siyu didn’t respond, instead walking toward the restroom. She had just spotted a familiar figure flickering past and wanted to confirm what she had seen.

Sure enough, before she had gone very far, she saw Shen Zhinian. Standing in front of her was Qin Xiangqing.

The two were locked in a confrontation. After a long silence, Shen Zhinian broke the stillness. Today, she was wearing black casual clothes, but the sharp, chilling aura she carried could not be hidden.

“You aren’t truly in love with my sister, are you?”

Qin Xiangqing simply leaned against the wall and replied nonchalantly, “What if I am? What if I’m not?”

“Moxu is still young. If you want to torment someone, there are plenty of people out there—can’t you just let her go?” Shen Zhinian’s expression was cold, her tone sounding like she was negotiating a business deal.

Qin Xiangqing continued, “But she’s the one I’ve set my sights on.”

“Qin Xiangqing, don’t go too far.” Shen Zhinian frowned and raised her hand as if to do something, but ultimately realized she couldn’t, so she let it drop.

“Did President Shen come all this way just to tell me this?” Qin Xiangqing looked at Shen Zhinian, her eyes hiding complex emotions.

Cheng Siyu turned away, choosing not to watch any longer. She knew Shen Zhinian would eventually approach Qin Xiangqing after failing to persuade Shen Moxu, but she hadn’t expected to run into them here.

“What will it take for you to let my sister go?” Shen Zhinian’s icy voice drifted over.

Qin Xiangqing’s cryptic reply followed: “President Shen should understand exactly what I want.”

Cheng Siyu only heard that much. The conversation ended abruptly, followed by the sound of Shen Zhinian’s flat boots clicking against the floor.

She must have left.

However, when Cheng Siyu finished in the restroom and stepped out, she happened to run right into her.

“Siyu? Why are you here?” Shen Zhinian clearly hadn’t expected to see her. She looked a bit flustered as she reached up to straighten her collar.

Cheng Siyu answered honestly, “I have a dinner appointment with friends.” She did not mention that she had witnessed the scene just moments ago.

“I see. It’s not with Moxu, is it?”

“No.”

Suddenly, Shen Zhinian spoke to her again. “Could you help me talk some sense into Moxu?”

“I…” Cheng Siyu didn’t give a direct answer. Instead, she tried to speak from Shen Moxu’s perspective. “Actually, Moxu seems to be doing quite well.”

“Living with a woman like that counts as ‘doing well’?” Shen Zhinian’s gaze turned sharp and cold.

Cheng Siyu remained silent. She sensed that there was a significant grudge between Shen Zhinian and Qin Xiangqing.

“Never mind. Just pretend you didn’t see me. If Moxu reaches out to you, tell her this: her bank cards stay frozen until the day she breaks up with that woman,” Shen Zhinian said flatly.

Cheng Siyu dazed for a few seconds before replying, “Alright.”

“What took you so long?”

When Cheng Siyu returned to the table, Xi You—who had finished eating and was wiping her mouth—asked.

“The line. The restroom was a bit crowded,” Cheng Siyu made up an excuse.

After the meal, Cheng Siyu got back into Xi You’s car. Jiang Shizi said she wanted to walk for a bit and took a taxi on her own.

“It’s good for her to walk alone. It’s better than her staying at my place every day making me listen to those love stories of hers.”

Xi You closed the door for Cheng Siyu and then got into the driver’s seat.

Leaning against the seat, Cheng Siyu watched the scenery outside. The image of the confrontation between Shen Zhinian and Qin Xiangqing played in her mind. They clearly knew each other and had deep-seated issues. But why did Qin Xiangqing tell Shen Moxu that she knew Shen Zhinian? Was it just to build a connection?

Regardless, she felt that nothing good would come of it.

Cheng Siyu picked up her phone and started typing a message to Shen Moxu: “Keep a close eye on your goddess.” She was about to hit send, but then she felt it was too abrupt and deleted it.

“Are you still not planning to accept my pursuit?”

While waiting at a red light, Xi You suddenly spoke in a low, sultry voice, sounding like a reporter on an old radio broadcast.

Cheng Siyu didn’t shrink back. Instead, she asked, “Getting impatient?”

“Not at all. It’s just that you said you like someone who is ‘good in bed,’ and I’ve been looking for an opportunity to show you,” Xi You said with a smile.

“Wait a little longer. Things obtained too easily don’t last, do they?” Cheng Siyu looked out the window. A light rain had started to fall.

“True, but you should at least give me a little taste of what’s to come.”

The light turned green. Xi You continued driving toward the university. Cheng Siyu opened WeChat; Ji Yun had sent her a selfie from the theater, asking if she looked good.

Cheng Siyu nonchalantly typed back two words: “Looks good.”

“Did you know I also went to your school?” Xi You asked as she drove.

“I know. I saw your photo on the Alumni Wall,” Cheng Siyu replied. Then, remembering something, she asked, “What is your stepmother up to lately? I haven’t seen her in a long time.”

“She can’t get any acting gigs right now, and she’s unwilling to take lower-tier roles, so she has no choice but to cling tightly to my father, her ‘cash cow.'”

When the car reached the school gate, Cheng Siyu unbuckled her seatbelt. Just as she was about to open the door, she leaned in and gave Xi You a light kiss on the cheek.

“A little taste,” Cheng Siyu said before getting out and walking toward her dormitory without looking back.

The black sedan stayed at the school gate for another ten minutes before slowly driving away.

Monday arrived quickly. Because Cheng Siyu was going to a relatively secluded film set this time and had to stay at a hotel on-site, she brought a suitcase in addition to her usual bag.

“Siyu-jie, I missed you so much! I haven’t seen you in days,” Lin Zhizhi lamented as soon as they got into the car.

Cheng Siyu ruined the atmosphere she was trying to create. “I saw you posting a lot on Weibo about looking for a girlfriend.”

“Ahem, that’s just human nature,” Lin Zhizhi whispered.

“Siyu, it looks like you’re about to become famous. A lot of job offers are coming in,” Zhao Xixi said, ignoring the banter. She couldn’t help but praise herself. “It seems I made the right choice changing careers. I just became a manager and I’ve already made someone a star.”

Cheng Siyu didn’t have much of a concept of “being famous” and simply hummed in response. She opened her phone to see a message from Ji Yun.

She was getting tired of pretending with Ji Yun, yet Ji Yun seemed to be enjoying it. Perhaps in her past life, Ji Yun had looked at her the same way—a substitute is ultimately just a substitute; they can never become the “White Moonlight.”

That was why Ji Yun had been promiscuous, bringing women back to the home they shared, even doing it in their bed. When those women asked who Cheng Siyu was, Ji Yun would simply say she was the housekeeper.

At this moment, Cheng Siyu suddenly felt that being with Xi You wasn’t bad. At least neither of them would catch feelings. Xi You was beautiful, and although she had many lovers, there were never rumors of her being messy or two-timing.

Though she felt her current behavior was becoming as despicable as Ji Yun’s in her previous life, she told herself she was merely returning what had been done to her. Besides, she had nothing left to worry about.

After a thirty-minute drive, Cheng Siyu arrived at the set. Xi You, Jiang Shizi, and the other leads were already there.

In the crowd, Cheng Siyu spotted Wen Zhiluo, and the two nodded to each other in greeting.

The hotel was a hot spring resort. Cheng Siyu took the elevator to her room. The view was nice; through the window, she could see snow and a vast, white forest.

After dropping off her things, Cheng Siyu and Li Yexing returned to the set and sat down in the dressing room to get ready.

Jiang Shizi was sitting in the chair next to her. She finally had her own dedicated makeup artist, and her complexion looked better than the day before, though a faint hint of melancholy still lingered.

“Siyu.”

“Yes?” Cheng Siyu turned her head to look at Jiang Shizi.

“Nothing.” Jiang Shizi looked away, but then turned back with a self-deprecating smile. “You really do look a bit like her.”

Cheng Siyu knew this “Great Romantic” was thinking about Qi Yan again and replied dryly, “Thanks.”

Jiang Shizi suddenly met her eyes, her gaze shifting slightly as she said sincerely, “I’m sorry. It seems I’ve ruined your reputation as well.”