After the Divorce, I Ended Up with My Ex-Husband’s "White Moonlight" [Transmigration] - Chapter 12

“That wasn’t what I meant,” Qin Shi said quickly.

Admittedly, Qin Shi had seen all manners of marriages within her social circle. They shared a common theme: business alliances. Her own parents were no exception. In these arrangements, when a husband cheated, most wives simply looked the other way; some even began their own affairs. They had a myriad of reasons for staying, but Qin Shi felt Ning Qi was different. Surely, she wouldn’t allow herself to remain trapped in such a fortress?

“Oh!” Hearing this, half of the weight on Ning Qi’s heart lifted. She pressed further, “Then what do you think I should do?”

“Since there is no affection…” Qin Shi had heard plenty about Ning Qi from others—specifically, how her love for Lu Mingze was a lowly, self-effacing thing—but what she had seen with her own eyes recently told a different story.

One possibility was that the rumors were wrong; Qin Shi knew just how distorted gossip could become. But if the rumors were true, only one explanation remained: Ning Qi had once loved him, but she had changed.

Qin Shi instinctively felt it was the former. After a moment of reflection, she offered her sincere advice: “It would be better to end it.”

Ning Qi remained silent. Qin Shi felt a sudden lack of confidence and frowned. Did she really love him once?

Choosing her words carefully, she spoke again: “You… you will definitely meet someone better in the future.”

“I think so too!” Ning Qi beamed with absolute confidence. “The person I marry must be the best person in the world.” Influenced by her parents, her brother, and Sister Mu, she had decided long ago that she would only marry someone she loved, and who loved her in return.

“It’s good that you think that way,” Qin Shi said, exhaling a sigh of relief.

“To be honest, I’ve never really had anything to do with him,” Ning Qi said cheerfully as she reached for the menu. She figured the time for divorce just hadn’t arrived yet—but it wasn’t far off. She was ready.

Ning Qi checked off the items she wanted and looked over at Qin Shi. “Anyway, let’s stop talking about that. What have you picked out?”

“I’m ready.”

“I’ll give it to the waiter then.” A server approached as she spoke. “Very well, ladies. Please wait a moment.”

The food arrived quickly. Dish after dish was brought out, each looking exquisite and served on fine china. It seemed this new restaurant was putting in quite a bit of effort. Ning Qi scanned the spread. “This looks… incredibly spicy!”

Despite her words, her eyes were filled with anticipation. Qin Shi chuckled. “Do you really want to eat spicy food that badly?”

“A little,” Ning Qi admitted with a grin. She had spent a lifetime longing for it but being forbidden from trying. In the days since she’d arrived here, she hadn’t thought to try anything this bold; naturally, she was excited.

After just one tiny bite, Ning Qi nearly jumped out of her seat. Her tongue felt as if it were being pricked by a thousand tiny needles—a searing, fiery pain. Tears welled up in her eyes as she squinted, looking utterly pitiful.

Laughing, Qin Shi handed her a tissue to wipe her eyes and pushed a glass of water toward her. “Are you okay?”

“I… I’m fine!” Ning Qi’s tongue was literally trembling. Although she looked a mess, the sensation was exhilarating—something she had never experienced before.

She fanned her mouth incessantly with her small hand. After only a tiny bit of chili, her face was flushed and she felt feverish.

Qin Shi could tell she had never eaten anything this spicy in her life. She signaled to a passing waiter and whispered something; the waiter headed toward the kitchen.

Ning Qi gulped down two mouthfuls of water, but the fire didn’t subside. Then, the waiter returned and placed a glass of milk on the table.

“Does milk help with the spice?” Ning Qi asked before taking a quick sip.

“At least it makes it more bearable,” Qin Shi replied.

“Oh!” Ning Qi nodded knowingly, then smiled. “I’m just not adjusted yet. A few more bites and I’ll be fine.”

“A habit for spicy food isn’t something you train in a single afternoon.”

“Then I’ll start getting used to it now!” Ning Qi watched as Qin Shi ate without so much as a flinch. “Are you… very good with spice?”

“My family’s housekeeper is from Sichuan,” Qin Shi replied indirectly. “She makes authentic Sichuan cuisine.”

“So you’ve been used to it since you were little!” Ning Qi waited a bit longer. Seeing a dish of fish that looked promising, she took a cautious bite. Having already tasted the fire once, she was mentally prepared this time and didn’t find the heat overwhelming.

The meat was tender and fresh. Ning Qi braved the spice for a few more bites, following each with water. “Qin Shi, their fish is actually quite good!”

“It’s not bad.” Though the preparation differed from what Qin Shi usually ate, the flavor was excellent.

While Ning Qi and Qin Shi were dining, Lu Mingze and Yun Shu emerged from the hospital after visiting Yun Shu’s mother.

“Senior Lu,” Yun Shu said, after agonizing for a long time over her mother’s words. Senior Lu had helped her so much; she felt she should thank him properly. Once Lu Mingze finished a phone call, she finally asked, “I… I’d like to treat you to a meal, if that’s alright?”

Her head was bowed before she even finished the sentence. She didn’t dare look at him, fearing his rejection.

“Let’s just go here then.” Lu Mingze pointed randomly at a restaurant. His mind was in a whirl. Lawyer Yang had told him Ning Qi refused to divorce and had made those outrageous claims. She was calculating, but he wouldn’t let her keep the title of Mrs. Lu for nothing.

The moment Lu Mingze and Yun Shu walked through the door, Ning Qi noticed them. Sichuan food? She remembered a scene in the original novel where the male and female leads visited a place like this. Was it really this specific one?

As soon as Ning Qi’s gaze shifted to the door, Qin Shi sensed it. She turned to pull a tissue from her bag and, upon looking back, saw Lu Mingze.

Lu Mingze saw her too. A secret joy flickered in his heart, and he was about to go over to greet her when Yun Shu spotted a seat. She looked up and asked happily, “Senior Lu, can we sit by that window?” That spot was only one table away from where Qin Shi and Ning Qi were sitting.

He had forgotten Yun Shu was right there! Lu Mingze felt a surge of regret; he suddenly didn’t dare look at Qin Shi, afraid she would see through the situation.

However, he hadn’t been able to contact Qin Shi for a long time. He hadn’t seen her since their last dinner together, so he decided to walk over.

“Qin Shi, you—” He stopped mid-sentence as he realized who was sitting opposite her. It was Ning Qi.

From Lu Mingze’s perspective, Ning Qi’s transformation was staggering. Her hair, her makeup, her clothes—even her aura—were entirely different. She was no longer the timid woman who used to hide behind his mother.

But his disdain for her remained unchanged—especially after that phone call. He didn’t even want to look at her, but then it hit him: Qin Shi was the one sitting across from her.

Lu Mingze’s eyes turned sharp. How could Qin Shi be eating with Ning Qi? When did they meet?

Ning Qi didn’t miss the contempt and annoyance in his eyes. she matched his gaze with one of her own. Did he really think I wanted to see him?

Still, she remembered that in the original book, the “White Moonlight” didn’t catch the leads together until much later. That was supposed to be a legendary “crematorium” scene of social destruction! Why was the timeline moving so fast?

Ning Qi understood the Butterfly Effect. Her own changes had clearly rippled out, altering events in the novel while leaving some plot points intact.

Yun Shu was the most shocked of all. She recognized Qin Shi as the woman Senior Lu had dined with before, and she knew Ning Qi—but seeing them together made her brain stall.

Lu Mingze rarely smiled, but having been around him for so long, Yun Shu could sense his moods. Why had his demeanor changed so suddenly? Her intuition told her it had something to do with the woman she had suspected last time! Most importantly, this woman knew Senior Lu too!

For a moment, all three of them were silent. Qin Shi, seemingly oblivious to the strange tension in the air, greeted Lu Mingze as usual. Then she asked, “I’m afraid I don’t know how to address the lady by President Lu’s side?”

Seeing Qin Shi acknowledge her, Yun Shu introduced herself: “Hello, Miss Qin. My name is Yun Shu.”

“I am Senior Lu’s junior from university.” So this lady really isn’t Senior Lu’s girlfriend, Yun Shu thought. She had only caught a distant glimpse of Qin Shi last time. If she felt a bit of envy toward Ning Qi, she didn’t even have that for Qin Shi—the gap between them was simply too wide. Anyone given the choice would choose Qin Shi without hesitation. Yun Shu wasn’t being self-deprecating; she had always been confident and strong, believing she could achieve anything with time. But standing before Qin Shi, everything felt overwhelming.

She felt a surge of relief that Senior Lu didn’t like Qin Shi—but then a thought struck her: if he didn’t like someone as perfect as Qin Shi, what kind of person did he like?

“A junior?” Qin Shi knew which university Yun Shu meant, but she had no interest in the details. She nodded. “Hello, Miss Yun.”

Qin Shi turned back to Ning Qi, with Lu Mingze still standing there. Before she could speak, Ning Qi addressed Yun Shu directly.

“Miss Yun, we met once before. I wonder if you remember?”

“I remember,” Yun Shu replied quickly.

“In that case,” Ning Qi said, her voice light and airy as she arched an eyebrow, “allow me to introduce myself properly.”

Qin Shi suddenly had a very bad feeling. A second later, she heard Ning Qi say with a pleasant smile:

“I am the legal wife of the ‘Senior Lu’ standing right beside you.