After the Divorce, I Ended Up with My Ex-Husband’s "White Moonlight" [Transmigration] - Chapter 26

Back inside the apartment, Ning Qi was still in a daze. She found it hard to believe that those words had actually come out of Qin Shi’s mouth. It felt like a dream—completely surreal!

“Qin Shi, you were incredible!” Ning Qi exclaimed. While she didn’t usually mind Yun Shu’s rambling, it was undeniably exhausting to listen to. She never expected Qin Shi to deliver such a long, cutting speech. Ning Qi felt a twinge of guilt for her earlier doubt; she really needed to stop overthinking things. Qin Shi was clearly on her side.

“Was I?” Qin Shi asked. The look in Ning Qi’s eyes was a familiar one—Qin Shi had seen it in many people’s eyes before—but this was the first time she truly felt needed by someone.

“Absolutely!” Ning Qi nodded emphatically. Qin Shi hadn’t looked back during their exit, but Ning Qi had stolen a glance. Yun Shu had been weeping piteously, any semblance of “aesthetic beauty” gone as she sobbed.

Ning Qi wanted to laugh, and a giggle escaped her lips before she finally dissolved into full laughter. “Qin Shi, you should have seen her face just now. It was… colorful, to say the least!”

“I never knew you had such a talent for this!” Ning Qi thought back to how Yun Shu had initially pinned her hopes on Qin Shi. It was too funny—honestly, too funny.

“Does she look for you often?” Qin Shi asked.

“Often?” Ning Qi shook her head as she kicked off her shoes. “Not really. I didn’t even know she lived in this building. She probably just moved in today.”

Ning Qi went to the washroom to wash her hands, then poured a glass of warm water and handed it to Qin Shi. “You spoke so much, you must be thirsty.”

“Thank you,” Qin Shi said, taking the glass.

“Oh, right! Qin Shi, you said you left your keys here, right? Let me look.” Ning Qi ran over to where Qin Shi’s bag had been, moving the throw pillows. Nothing.

“Qin Shi, sit for a moment while I look properly. I’m sure they’re here.” Ning Qi scratched her head and smiled at her guest before continuing the search. Qin Shi didn’t decline; she simply sat and watched Ning Qi quietly.

After checking every inch of the sofa to no avail, Ning Qi realized they must have slipped into the crevices. She tried to nudge the sofa aside, but Qin Shi walked over. “Let me.”

“There they are!” Ning Qi spotted them instantly and shouted with excitement, reaching down to retrieve them.

As she held them, Ning Qi noticed they were just two bare keys on a plain ring. “Qin Shi, don’t you have a keychain or something on these? It would help keep you from losing them!”

With just these two small keys, she genuinely doubted they’d even make a sound if they hit the floor.

“They’re fine,” Qin Shi said with a smile. “I usually don’t carry keys; I just happened to bring them out today.”

“I see.” Ning Qi didn’t pry further. She gripped the keys, thought for a moment, then turned and ran toward her bedroom. “Qin Shi, wait for me!”

“Mm.” Qin Shi sat back down.

Ning Qi returned quickly, dangling the keys in front of Qin Shi before dropping them into her palm. “How about this? Do you like it?”

Attached to the keys was now a blue-and-white porcelain charm. It felt cool, smooth, and pleasant to the touch.

“I know you don’t like those little animals, so I picked this out specifically for you. It’s not ‘childish,’ right? It won’t annoy you? And look how small it is—it definitely won’t get in your way.”

Ning Qi had bought several keychains during her last shopping trip. She loved all of them and hadn’t known which to use first, so she decided to gift one that matched Qin Shi’s style.

“It’s very beautiful,” Qin Shi said, picking them up. The porcelain made a crisp, pleasant clink against the metal keys. “They match well.”

“I’m glad you like it.” Ning Qi felt relieved. she had been worried Qin Shi wouldn’t want to carry it at all.

“About Yun Shu… do you plan to leave things as they are?” Qin Shi tucked the keys back into her bag, bringing the conversation back around.

“Is there a better way?” Ning Qi asked. Still, living across the hall from each other meant she was bound to run into Yun Shu again, and who knew what bizarre things the girl would say next.

“It’s no big deal. If she stays quiet from now on, we’ll have peace. If she doesn’t… well, I’m not worried,” Ning Qi said nonchalantly.

“I could help you,” Qin Shi offered.

“How?” Ning Qi was curious. Since Yun Shu already lived there, it wasn’t as if they could just throw her out.

“Have you never thought about settling the score with her?” Qin Shi’s voice rose slightly. Seeing Ning Qi’s blank expression, her tone softened into a whisper. “When you divorced him… were you always this submissive?”

Submissive? Ning Qi realized Qin Shi had misunderstood her again. She hadn’t been submissive at all! She had nearly driven Lu Mingze to a premature grave with her antics; she considered it a fair trade.

“No, no,” Ning Qi said quickly. “Never.” Regarding Yun Shu, she simply felt that in a world this big, encountering such a “special” character right as she entered society was probably good for her mental fortitude.

“And besides,” Ning Qi said, recalling Qin Shi’s earlier words, “even without her, I wouldn’t have stayed with Lu Mingze.”

From her first day in this world, she had felt Lu Mingze’s deep malice. Combined with the original owner’s memories and the plot of the book—and the fact that she wasn’t the one in love with him—the divorce was inevitable. She just hadn’t expected Lu Mingze and Yun Shu to move so fast that they’d be caught in photos the moment she suggested it.

Speaking of which, Yun Shu probably still didn’t know about the second set of photos Ning Qi had commissioned. If she found out… Ning Qi grew pensive, then found the thought quite amusing. Yun Shu was probably thrilled about the divorce.

But if she knew the divorce came with those “extras,” she’d be livid. Those photos were quite different from the first batch. Ning Qi wondered how Lu Mingze had handled them—had he thrown them away?

“As long as you have your own plans,” Qin Shi said, standing up. “I’ll head back now.”

When they stepped out, Yun Shu was no longer in the hallway. Ning Qi glanced at the door opposite hers; it was tightly shut, revealing nothing.

Across the hall, Yun Shu was packing her things through a veil of tears. Senior Lu had given her the keys to this apartment, and she should have been happy—it was a huge step forward in their relationship. But now, her mood was ruined. She wanted to dive onto the bed and cry her heart out.

Senior Lu is coming over tonight, Yun Shu told herself. It’s okay. Senior believes in me. As long as he knows what kind of person I am, that’s all that matters.

“Yun Shu, there will always be people in the world who misunderstand you, but as long as you stay firm and work toward your dreams, you will succeed!” “Those are just external matters. Yun Shu, believe in yourself. You’re the best!”

Hearing the doorbell, Yun Shu ran to the door. It was indeed Lu Mingze.

“Yun Shu,” Lu Mingze frowned when she used his title. “Didn’t I tell you? Just call me by my name.”

“Lu… Mingze.” It was the first time she had said his name to his face. Her heart fluttered, and she didn’t dare look him in the eye.

“You’ll get used to it after a few more times.” Lu Mingze was clearly pleased that she had finally used his name. Seeing his reaction, Yun Shu’s face reddened.

“What’s wrong? Did someone bully you?” The moment Yun Shu looked up, Lu Mingze noticed her eyes were red.

“No,” Yun Shu denied instantly, touching her face. She regretted not putting on makeup to hide the evidence. She forced a smile, but to Lu Mingze, she looked frail and exhausted. “Who would bully me?”

“Yun Shu,” Lu Mingze sat beside her, looking dissatisfied with her answer.

“I…” Yun Shu bit her lip and decided to come clean. “It’s my fault. I ran into Miss Ning today and made her very angry.”

“I just found out she was the one who spread those rumors at school, and I couldn’t help but confront her…”

“Ning Qi?” Lu Mingze stood up abruptly. “Where did you see her?”

Yun Shu was startled by his reaction. She pointed toward the hallway. “Miss Ning lives across the hall.”

She hadn’t really wanted to mention it. On one hand, she looked down on Ning Qi for using Lu Mingze’s mother to force a marriage; on the other hand, she was still worried that Ning Qi was in love with him.

“Across the hall?” Now it was Lu Mingze’s turn to be shocked. His first thought was that she had followed them here. Then he remembered: since the divorce, Ning Qi hadn’t reached out to him once. And since Yun Shu had just moved in, Ning Qi couldn’t have acted that fast. There was only one possibility: Ning Qi had been living here all along.

“I…” Lu Mingze realized he was overreacting and quickly explained to Yun Shu, “That apartment… my mother must have given it to her.”

“Your mother gave it to her?” Yun Shu looked around her own apartment. It wasn’t large, but the location was excellent. How could Ning Qi accept such a gift so lightheartedly?

“Mm.” Lu Mingze nodded wearily. His mother had bought this place and insisted he live here—likely to create opportunities for him and Ning Qi. Luckily, he had never moved in.

Ning Qi must have known his mother’s intentions. It might have even been her idea. That woman… what wouldn’t she do to get his attention? And she was still living here?

“Mingze?” Yun Shu called out softly, seeing his displeasure.

“I didn’t just run into Miss Ning today; I also met Miss Qin. But…” Yun Shu felt a wave of grievance as she remembered Qin Shi’s attitude. “Miss Qin seems to have a deep misunderstanding of me. She scolded me and said I didn’t deserve to be a student of C-University…”

“What did you say?” Lu Mingze’s reaction was even more explosive this time. “You met Qin Shi?”