After the Divorce, I Ended Up with My Ex-Husband’s "White Moonlight" [Transmigration] - Chapter 35

They say any courtship not aimed at marriage is merely hooliganism, but Ning Qi had truly never considered marrying anyone—at least, not until this very moment.

But if that person is Qin Shi… Ning Qi’s thoughts became a tangled knot of indecision.

When she finally looked up, she met Qin Shi’s burning gaze. It was clear: this woman was as serious as one could possibly be. It made sense; if someone had already calculated the steps all the way to the altar, they weren’t joking around. Even Ning Qi herself hadn’t looked that far ahead; she had only been testing the waters with her questions.

A new problem surfaced: Qin Shi didn’t lack for suitors, male or female. Ning Qi didn’t doubt for a second that if Qin Shi so much as beckoned, a crowd would flock to her.

So, why would such a person want to “try” dating her? Was it merely because she’d never been in love? Was it curiosity? Could curiosity truly carry someone all the way to the brink of matrimony?

Regardless, Ning Qi felt like she was the one coming out ahead. No, I shouldn’t think that way, she chided herself. She stole a glance at her reflection in the side mirror. She wasn’t half-bad; surely she was a “passable” match for Qin Shi?

But then she remembered Qin Shi’s fans. If she really became Qin Shi’s girlfriend, would they try to tear her apart?

Qin Shi watched as Ning Qi’s expression flickered from joy to a deep, worried frown, though she couldn’t possibly guess the labyrinthine turns Ning Qi’s mind was taking.

“Wha—what are you doing?” Ning Qi yelped, jolted out of her musings as Qin Shi suddenly leaned in close.

“Well, in the car…” Ning Qi started, attempting to recite some romantic “experience” she’d read about elsewhere, but she never finished the sentence. A sharp click echoed through the cabin.

Qin Shi was simply unbuckling her seatbelt.

Awkwardness flooded her system. I completely misunderstood! Ning Qi was now rendered utterly speechless.

“Ning Qi,” Qin Shi’s voice brushed against her ear. To Ning Qi’s stunned amazement, Qin Shi actually laughed. “Were you hoping I would do something?”

“N-no, not at all,” Ning Qi stammered. She was unaware that her face was currently as red as a ripe apple—a picture of vulnerability.

“Well, I want to do something to you.”

Before Ning Qi could process the weight of those words, a kiss landed softly against her cheek.

It was sudden, unheralded, and left her no time to prepare. Her heart was a cocktail of complex emotions, but the dominant note was a soaring delight.

So this is what a kiss feels like. It was nothing like a peck from her parents; there was something “extra” in the contact. At this moment, Ning Qi finally understood the vast chasm between theory and practice.

“Ning Qi,” Qin Shi whispered. When Ning Qi didn’t respond, she whispered it again. She seemed to find some secret delight in it, murmuring the name over and over like a mantra.

To Ning Qi, it felt like she was losing the sense of her own name. It echoed in her ears with the surround-sound quality of a high-end speaker.

“Qin Shi, stop saying it!” Ning Qi finally burst out, sounding like a flustered kitten.

Had she not been hiding her face in her hands, refusing to look up while her bright red ears gave her away, she might have actually sounded imposing.

Qin Shi did stop, but the person before her remained hidden behind her palms.

“Ning Qi,” Qin Shi reached out to “rescue” Ning Qi’s face from her hands. But before she could get a good look at her, Ning Qi bolted. She scrambled out of the passenger seat with such speed that Qin Shi had no chance to stop her.

The summer breeze cooled Ning Qi’s skin as she sprinted ten or so paces. Once her thundering heart calmed slightly, she dared to look back.

Qin Shi’s car hadn’t moved. Seeing Ning Qi turn around, Qin Shi simply waved from inside the cabin. Ning Qi didn’t believe for a second now that this woman had never been in love. How can she act like this if she’s a novice? It’s cheating!

She walked a few more steps, but the car remained stationary. Is she planning to watch me go all the way upstairs? But she can’t see me once I’m inside. Is there a point to waiting? Yet, what if Qin Shi really did wait there indefinitely?

Qin Shi watched with satisfaction as Ning Qi’s silhouette came racing back. She rolled down the window completely. Ning Qi didn’t dare get too close, shouting from a safe distance: “Qin Shi, I’m going in now!”

She ran off again, this time truly disappearing into the building. Qin Shi waited until she saw the lights flicker on on the seventh floor. Only then did she whisper to the empty car, “See you tomorrow, Ning Qi.”

The Morning After

High up at her window, Ning Qi watched Qin Shi’s car finally pull away. Only then did she collapse onto her bed in a heap of relief.

Half an hour later, a “snail” crawled out of the bedroom. She took a slow bath, turned off the lights with equal lethargy, and crawled back into bed. She closed her eyes, telling herself to think of nothing, which naturally meant she thought of everything. By the time she drifted into a hazy sleep, she had no idea what time it was.

The next morning, Ning Qi woke up feeling disoriented, as if caught between her past life and her present one.

It’s late. She checked the clock: 9:00 AM. I sure can sleep, she mused, deciding to lounge in bed a bit longer since she had nothing pressing to do.

But then, she sat bolt upright. The memories of the previous night had finally come rushing back in full detail.

What exactly is my relationship with Qin Shi now?

“Friends?” Ning Qi shook her head. “Impossible.”

“Lovers? Did I agree yesterday, or did I not? Did she take it as a ‘yes’ by default?”

“It’s a mess,” she grumbled, flopping back down. Ten minutes later, she fumbled for her phone on the nightstand.

Zero messages.

Aren’t new couples supposed to be “sticky”—unable to bear a moment apart? Reality was once again failing the theory. She glared at the screen. “If you don’t message me soon, I’m taking my ‘yes’ back!”

But then she remembered: Qin Shi just wanted to “try” dating. If it didn’t work out with her, Qin Shi could easily find someone else.

“No, no, that won’t do.” Ning Qi didn’t know why it wouldn’t do, but the thought was unacceptable.

She opened her keyboard. Fine. If people in love are supposed to be “sticky,” then she would be the sticky one. There was no shame in it.

She prepared to type, but paused. What should she say?

“Morning?” “No, it’s nine o’clock. The sun’s been up for hours. It’s not ‘morning’ anymore.”

“What are you doing?” “Too cliché.” She scrolled through their chat history only to realize their entire friendship had been built on such mundane questions. How had Qin Shi put up with her? Her openings were eternally stagnant and consisted entirely of questions!

She felt even more depressed, her face scrunching into a ball of frustration. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Who would visit her? She hadn’t ordered any packages. Aside from Qin Shi, there was no one.

Ning Qi tossed the blankets aside and scrambled out of bed, but the ringing stopped.

Did I imagine it? She sat back down. Maybe it was the neighbor? But the neighboring units were empty. One was vacant, and the other had only been visited once by a man looking at the property.

Thirty seconds later, the bell rang again. This time, Ning Qi didn’t hesitate; she charged for the door.

The Surprise Visit

She opened the door, but before she could speak, the person outside walked right in.

Qin Shi, acting as if she owned the place, set several containers of food on the dining table. Only then did Ning Qi realize she was carrying breakfast. “How did you know I hadn’t eaten yet?”

In response, Qin Shi gave her a slow, head-to-toe look.

Ning Qi realized: She hadn’t eaten, she hadn’t changed, she hadn’t washed her face, and she hadn’t brushed her teeth.

The tragedy was so immense and so sudden that Ning Qi froze in place.

Qin Shi laughed at the sight of her. “Why aren’t you moving? I need to eat, too.”

“You… you haven’t eaten either?” Ning Qi blurted out.

“Mm-hmm,” Qin Shi nodded with a smile.

“Then… then let me be quick!” Ning Qi turned and fled to the bathroom. By the time she was ready, the table was laid out. She pulled out a chair and sat down.

That strange sensation returned. Her interaction with Qin Shi felt exactly the same as before, yet entirely different. What was the “status” here?

“Why are you staring at me?”

“I’m not,” Ning Qi denied instantly.

“Then eat up.” Qin Shi didn’t push the issue.

“This container looks familiar… is it from that shop downstairs?” Ning Qi asked, looking closely at the porridge.

“Taste it first?” Qin Shi suggested.

“Oh, okay.”

Ning Qi cautiously took a spoonful, then another. Something was off. She took a third.

It still wasn’t right. She realized she couldn’t even remember the taste of the porridge she drank every day. Oh no. My hearing was already weird, now my sense of taste is going too?

Is it happening again? Am I going to be like I was in my past life? Is this illness contagious across worlds? Am I going to end up in a hospital bed again?

She looked up at Qin Shi, then down at her bowl. Bitterness welled up in her heart. I just found a girlfriend—one on a trial basis, not even ‘permanent’ yet—and now I’m going to lose my chance?

“Is it that bad?” Seeing her distressed expression, Qin Shi looked at the porridge with suspicion. “If it’s not good, don’t eat it. I—”

“No,” Ning Qi said, her face full of sorrow. “I was just thinking… I don’t think I can agree to let you ‘try out’ what it’s like to be in love after all.”