After the Divorce, I Ended Up with My Ex-Husband’s "White Moonlight" [Transmigration] - Chapter 44

Ning Qi prepped the vegetables while Qin Shi washed them. By the time Ning Qi started the rice, Qin Shi was already simmering the fish. Soon, four dishes and a soup were served on the dining table.

Xiao Yu’er was an enthusiastic diner, finishing a whole bowl of rice. She especially loved the small bowl Ning Qi had bought for her; it was identical to her special one at home, making her like it more the more she looked at it.

“At least Xiao Yu’er has good taste,” Ning Qi remarked, shooting a meaningful glance at a certain someone. Qin Shi knew exactly who she was talking about but remained silent.

“Xiao Yu’er, eat more.” Ning Qi kept piling food into the girl’s bowl, barely eating a few bites herself. When she finally looked down, she realized her own bowl was suddenly full.

She looked up to see Qin Shi adding more food for her. “Go on, eat. Xiao Yu’er knows how to use chopsticks; she can grab whatever she likes herself.”

“Alright then.” Seeing that Xiao Yu’er’s bowl was also overflowing, Ning Qi focused on her own meal.

“Sister Qin,” Xiao Yu’er mumbled while biting her spoon, looking up in confusion. “I’m still little.” At home, her mother always prepared everything and handed it to her.

“You’re not that little,” Qin Shi said, her expression unchanged as she looked at the toddler who sat barely higher than the table. “Don’t you always tell me you want to grow up quickly? Growing up means eating properly on your own, understand?”

“Oh!” Xiao Yu’er nodded. At home, her grandmother praised her for being independent and eating well, but apparently, even that wasn’t enough.

But then, “Why are you putting food in Sister Ning’s bowl, then?”

“Because your Sister Ning didn’t have time just now,” Qin Shi said calmly.

Xiao Yu’er shoveled food into her mouth, looking half-convinced. Ning Qi couldn’t listen anymore. “Don’t listen to your Sister Qin’s nonsense. You’re still small; there are some things you can only do when you grow up.”

“Like eating ice cream?” Xiao Yu’er blinked.

“Well…”

“But I’ve never seen Sister Qin eat it. She doesn’t like it. Sister Ning, do you like it?”

“I…” To be honest, Ning Qi didn’t know. She hadn’t actually tried the kind Xiao Yu’er was eating.

“Sister Ning, you don’t like it either.” In that brief silence, the girl reached her conclusion. “Then why does Mama say I have to wait until I grow up? If I don’t like it anymore by then, what’s the point of growing up!”

“That’s…” Ning Qi couldn’t explain it. Fortunately, Xiao Yu’er didn’t dwell on the question; it was likely just a passing thought.

After lunch, Xiao Yu’er pointed at the TV. “Sister Ning, can I watch for a bit?”

Ning Qi looked at Qin Shi, who didn’t object. “You can watch for a while, but you have to promise me one condition.”

“What condition?”

“You have to take a nap later.” Most children hate naps, but on a summer afternoon, it’s a necessity, or the afternoon is lost to exhaustion.

“Okay!” To Ning Qi’s surprise, the girl agreed readily.

“She has the habit of napping,” Qin Shi explained after the girl left. “Her mother insists on it at home.”

“I see.” Ning Qi understood. Habits are hard to break, even for energetic kids. However, she felt a sudden wave of worry. “Is it okay for her to stay with me for the afternoon? I feel like I’m… doing everything for her. Am I leading her astray?”

“You’re overthinking it,” Qin Shi laughed. “She plays in secret at home too. Her mother is probably a bit too strict.”

“Then… doesn’t anyone say anything?” Ning Qi was puzzled.

“What’s there to say?” Qin Shi smiled. “She has to learn all those things sooner or later.”

Ning Qi realized that as a daughter of the Qin family, Xiao Yu’er had a lot of expectations on her shoulders. Was Qin Shi the same? As an only daughter, she must have worked incredibly hard, perhaps missing out on things she wanted to play with, watch, or eat as a child.

Ning Qi felt a sudden pang of sympathy. As the daughter of the Ning family, she’d been sickly, so her brother had shielded her from pressure. But Qin Shi…

“What are you thinking?” Noticing the look in her eyes, Qin Shi knew Ning Qi was feeling sorry for her. “I’m not like her. My parents were very ‘hands-off’ when I was little.”

How could that be? As the sole daughter of the Qins, even with loving parents, she had responsibilities. In the original novel, Qin Shi eventually took over the family business… though it didn’t end well because the “White Moonlight” character bankrupted the family for the male lead.

“Then how did you trick her into coming here?” Ning Qi changed the subject, sensing Qin Shi didn’t want to elaborate on her past.

“It was simple. I just spoke to her father.”

“And here I thought she was actually interested in the piano! Why is it that neither of you sisters have any interest in it? What did pianos ever do to you?”

“I like it now,” Qin Shi said.

“Huh?” Ning Qi was stunned.

Qin Shi thought silently to herself: If I had known the person I’d love liked playing the piano, I probably would have studied it properly back then.

One Bed, Two People

Half an hour later, Ning Qi tucked Xiao Yu’er into bed with a comfortable temperature and tiptoed out of the guest room.

“You should rest for a bit too.” Ning Qi pulled Qin Shi into her own bedroom.

“Are you… sure you want me to sleep here?” Qin Shi looked around the room, skeptical.

Ning Qi’s apartment only had two beds. With Xiao Yu’er occupying one, the only place left for Qin Shi was Ning Qi’s own bed.

“Where else would you go?” Ning Qi realized what Qin Shi was implying only after the words left her mouth. She didn’t really mind; she didn’t have a germaphobia issue, and besides, Qin Shi was her girlfriend.

“Or would you prefer the sofa?” Ning Qi pointed toward the living room.

“Who sleeps on a sofa when there’s a bed?” Qin Shi climbed in and lay down. After a few moments of silence from Ning Qi, she sat back up. “Why aren’t you coming over?”

The gap between thought and action was wider than Ning Qi expected. Seeing Qin Shi actually in her bed made her panic. She had never shared a bed with anyone. Her first instinct was to run. “I…”

“I’m not sleepy,” she stammered. “I’ll go… to the study and read.”

“Who reads at noon?” Qin Shi sat up, her eyes pinning Ning Qi down and exposing her lie instantly.

“I have a score I haven’t finished,” Ning Qi’s brain whirled. “And I just realized I haven’t planned what to teach Xiao Yu’er this afternoon. I’ll go check now.”

As Ning Qi turned to flee, Qin Shi was faster. She reached out and pulled her back.

“No rush. Nap first,” Qin Shi said.

“I—”

A second later, Ning Qi landed on the soft mattress. Before she could move, Qin Shi placed a thin summer quilt between them as a divider. “Can you sleep now?”

Thank God the bed is big, was Ning Qi’s only thought.

Qin Shi closed the door and returned to the bed. Ning Qi held her breath as Qin Shi lay down obediently on the other side of the quilt. Only then did she relax.

“Are you that afraid I’ll do something to you?” Qin Shi teased.

“I’m not.” Caught staring, Ning Qi turned away, her hands nervously gripping the edge of her shirt.

“I mean, I want to,” Qin Shi said, turning on her side toward Ning Qi. Ning Qi tensed and instinctively closed her eyes. But Qin Shi didn’t move any closer. “But… we should spend more time getting to know each other first.”

“Um…” Hearing this, Ning Qi slowly turned back. Her eyes met Qin Shi’s.

After a long second, Ning Qi slowly reached out. Her hand crossed over the thin quilt divider, and she gently tugged at the hem of Qin Shi’s shirt. “Qin Shi… did what I said earlier make you feel bad?”

Putting herself in Qin Shi’s shoes, she realized how much it would hurt to have your feelings questioned by the person you like. Qin Shi was an adult; she knew what she wanted, and she knew her own heart.

“What about you?” Qin Shi asked instead.

“Me?” Ning Qi pointed to herself.

“Are you angry about what I did?”

Ning Qi laughed as she recalled the day’s events. “Which part? Let me refresh your memory, Miss Qin. You left me in the garage, you ignored my messages, you sent vegetables to annoy me, and…”

As she listed them, Ning Qi grew more animated. “So, tell me. How are you going to compensate me?”

“It was my fault,” Qin Shi apologized sincerely.

“You haven’t mentioned the solution yet.” Ning Qi pressed her. “Can I ask for anything?”

“Yes,” Qin Shi nodded obediently. “Anything.”

“But I haven’t thought of anything yet.” Now it was Ning Qi’s turn to be conflicted. She thought for a long time but couldn’t decide. “Can we save the request for later? Qin Shi, remember—you owe me one.”

“I’m going to think long and hard about it. I won’t let you off easy. Don’t you dare run away next time!”

“I won’t,” Qin Shi promised, taking Ning Qi’s hand. “I’ll never leave you behind again.”

“Then it’s a deal.” Ning Qi smiled, imitating Xiao Yu’er’s pinky-swear. “It would be very embarrassing for the Eldest Miss of the Qin family to break her word.”

“Deal,” Qin Shi said.