After the Divorce, I Ended Up with My Ex-Husband’s "White Moonlight" [Transmigration] - Chapter 52

“No way… not another fan of yours?” Ning Qi said helplessly. Good heavens, Qin Shi’s fan base was simply massive; they couldn’t even go for a casual stroll without bumping into one. The probability was staggering.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Qin Shi asked.

“How else should I look at you, ‘Great Star’ Qin?” Ning Qi teased. “Just think—if you actually went back to being a full-time celebrity, your fan support club would be huge beyond imagination.”

The girl who had been caught sneakily taking photos didn’t hide. Instead, she gave them a generous smile. Whether the smile was intended for her or not, Ning Qi returned it politely.

She had to give these girls credit—they were incredibly well-mannered. For the most part, they just quietly took a photo and never bothered Qin Shi. They were truly top-tier fans.

“Let’s go,” Qin Shi said, interrupting her daydreaming. “Don’t you want to see the house?”

“I do! Of course I do!” Ning Qi replied, tucking her arm into Qin Shi’s. “Let’s go. Who knows, I might be living here for a very long time.”

“That is quite possible,” Qin Shi remarked.

“Wow!” Once inside, Ning Qi spun around the rooms several times before finally sinking into the soft sofa with a satisfied sigh. “Qin Shi, how long did the renovations take?” As she looked around, she realized everything had been decorated exactly to her taste.

“Not long. Do you like it?”

“I love it! How could I not, when you’ve put so much heart into it?” Ning Qi beamed. Then, a thought struck her. “By the way, you haven’t told me the price yet. Can I actually afford this?”

She probably could, but she suspected her “little gold vault” of savings would be nearly empty afterward. Alright, she thought, I really need to find a job. If I don’t start working soon, I won’t even be able to support myself.

“If you’re talking about buying it…” Qin Shi paused to think. “Do you know whose name is currently on the property deed?”

“Who else? Yours, of course,” Ning Qi said. “Otherwise, why would you have renovated it?”

“Then this house isn’t for sale,” Qin Shi stated.

“Fine then, what’s the rent?” Ning Qi leaned in close to Qin Shi, grinning mischievously. “Let’s get this straight: I’m not staying here for free. And don’t try to trick me—I can easily find out what the market rate is for this area.”

“Can’t you just think of it as staying in your girlfriend’s house?” Qin Shi laughed, pulling Ning Qi into her arms. Ning Qi settled against her comfortably, as she always did, but her voice remained firm. “That won’t do. Even among biological brothers, accounts must be settled clearly!”

“We aren’t brothers.”

“Still no,” Ning Qi insisted. “Even married couples have to discuss the distribution of assets!”

“You’re certainly thinking far ahead,” Qin Shi murmured, gently pinching Ning Qi’s cheek.

“Ow, it hurts!” Ning Qi played along, putting on a look of exaggerated agony to beg for mercy.

Even though Qin Shi knew she was acting, she quickly let go and asked tenderly, “What do you want to eat tonight?”

“Anything is fine,” Ning Qi answered quickly. “Wait, are you cooking for me again tonight?”

“What are you plotting now?” Qin Shi asked, watching Ning Qi’s round eyes darting about.

“I’m not plotting anything! Don’t think so poorly of me,” Ning Qi said. “To celebrate my move and your amazing efficiency, let’s go out to eat!”

“My treat,” Ning Qi added. “So, what are you craving?”

They headed straight to a restaurant.

“Ah,” Ning Qi sighed contentedly, gazing at the scenery outside the car window. “I feel like I haven’t been out in forever, except to buy the essentials.”

“I recall someone saying they needed to stay in and practice the piano,” Qin Shi teased, exposing Ning Qi’s sudden sentimentality. Only recently, Ning Qi had been the one refusing to leave the house.

“That’s only because I didn’t have anyone to go out with, okay?” Ning Qi muttered under her breath.

“Am I to understand,” Qin Shi said, “that my girlfriend is complaining that I don’t spend enough time with her?”

“No, definitely not!” Ning Qi quickly made a “stop” gesture. “I didn’t mean that at all. You spend plenty of time with me every day.”

“Is that so?” Qin Shi’s expression shifted slightly, her tone turning a bit cool.

“No, wait!” Ning Qi tapped her own mouth as if she could take the words back. She realized she sounded like she was tired of Qin Shi’s company. Heaven knows that wasn’t the case!

“I just meant… look, you come over to my place basically every day after work. It must be exhausting for you, and then you still cook for me. With your schedule, it’s really…”

“It’s not usually this busy,” Qin Shi said, realizing Ning Qi was worried about her recent overtime. “This period is just a bit exceptional. Once it passes, I’ll have even more time to spend with you.”

“Alright then.” Ning Qi nodded, dropping the subject. Privately, she resolved to practice harder so she could pass her exam next time. If she had a job, she wouldn’t be stuck at home all day. If she wasn’t idle, Qin Shi wouldn’t feel the need to constantly keep her company. Plus, Ning Qi figured she should make more friends; she needed to find things to do.

“This is delicious!” As the server brought out the dishes, Ning Qi’s attention shifted to the food. She picked up her chopsticks, placed some food in Qin Shi’s bowl, and urged, “Quick, try this!”

“What do you think? I think we should come back to this place next—”

Before Ning Qi could finish, a woman’s voice sounded from beside them. “Shi-er?”

The woman immediately noticed Ning Qi sitting next to Qin Shi. “Are you having dinner with a friend?”

“Yes.” Qin Shi stood up immediately. Ning Qi followed suit, offering the woman a polite smile.

The woman appeared to be in her thirties, wearing a black dress that was understated yet luxurious—Ning Qi recognized it as a piece from a high-end haute couture collection. She looked elegant and sophisticated, but more importantly, Ning Qi noticed a striking resemblance between her and Qin Shi.

Could it be her sister? Ning Qi wondered. No, Qin Shi is an only child. A cousin? No, Qin Shi is the only daughter of her generation in the Qin family. Could it be… Qin Shi’s mother?

A moment later, Qin Shi confirmed her suspicion. “Mom, what are you doing here?”

It really was Qin Shi’s mother. Ning Qi felt a surge of nervous guilt and took a half-step back. Now, both pairs of eyes were fixed on her.

“It’s nothing, Auntie… I mean, I’m fine. Why don’t you and Qin Shi chat for a bit? I’ll just step out for a moment,” Ning Qi stammered. She turned to leave, but Qin Shi grabbed her hand.

Oh my god, was Ning Qi’s first thought. she looked toward Mother Qin, who luckily showed no obvious reaction, acting as if this were a perfectly normal occurrence.

Ning Qi panicked even more. She used her free hand to cautiously tug at Qin Shi’s sleeve, signaling her with her eyes not to introduce her as anything more.

“Mom,” Qin Shi said, releasing her hand to speak. Ning Qi’s heart was in her throat. Finally, she heard Qin Shi say, “This is my friend, Ning Qi.”

“Hello, Miss Ning,” Mother Qin greeted her warmly. “I just came from the office. I heard from Xiao Wang that a young lady was in Shi-er’s car earlier. I presume that was you, Miss Ning?”

“Yes… yes, that was me,” Ning Qi replied sheepishly. The employees at the Qin Corporation have incredible eyesight! She and Qin Shi had only stopped at the entrance for a moment, yet the gossip had already reached Mother Qin’s ears.

Mother Qin gave Ning Qi a brief, calm look before turning back to Qin Shi. “Your aunt mentioned a blind date for your cousin and asked me to come along and take a look. She dragged me here.”

“You’ve finally taken a couple of days off to rest,” Mother Qin said, patting Qin Shi’s shoulder. “Enjoy your dinner with Miss Ning and take the chance to relax.”

Then, she turned back to Ning Qi with a kind smile. “And I must thank Miss Ning for keeping Shi-er company.”

“You’re very welcome,” Ning Qi managed to say. “It’s only right, it’s only right.”

Mother Qin nodded with a smile, patted Qin Shi’s shoulder one last time, and walked away. It wasn’t until her figure disappeared around the corner that Ning Qi truly exhaled and collapsed back into her seat.

She clutched her chest, her heart still pounding. This day was becoming far too exciting. Deciding to move was abrupt enough, but suddenly meeting her girlfriend’s mother? It was too much.

“Qin Shi, sit down!” Seeing Qin Shi still standing there, Ning Qi pulled her down. Now that they were seated, a wave of guilt washed over her.

“I didn’t mean to deny our relationship just now on purpose, I just thought—”

“You don’t need to explain,” Qin Shi interrupted. “I understand.”

What exactly do you understand? Ning Qi was terrified that Qin Shi was overthinking things again, when in reality, she was just being a coward.

“So… you’re not angry?” Ning Qi asked cautiously, poking at a piece of fish to remove the bones.

“Do I seem like someone who gets angry that easily in your eyes?”

“Of course not!” Ning Qi denied immediately.

“Then why ask?”

“Fair point.” Having finished deboning the fish, Ning Qi placed the meat into Qin Shi’s bowl and looked up with a smile. “Then let’s eat. Let’s just keep eating.”