After the Divorce, the Whole World is Waiting for Us to Get Back Together - Chapter 25

Chapter 25

The droplets splashed by the net refracted the sunlight, sparkling with a dazzling brilliance.

Cheng Xi showed off her catch to Meng Zhijin with such excitement that the address slipped out of her mouth subconsciously. To anyone else, it was just a common exclamation—after all, Cheng Xi was indeed five years younger than Meng Zhijin.

But for the one listening, it made her heart skip a beat.

In Meng Zhijin’s eyes, the description of Cheng Xi from Yu Tong’s memory overlapped perfectly with the person before her. That look of pure excitement written in the corners of her eyes and brows allowed Meng Zhijin to feel Cheng Xi’s old, vivid flamboyance once more.

Meng Zhijin dazed for a moment.

The familiar address shook off the dust of time, and memories surged through the cracks of her mind, spreading like wildfire.

The day Daylight finished filming happened to coincide with Meng Zhijin’s 26th birthday.

It was a difficult internal scene. The camera moved along tracks laid out in the classroom corridor; in the dim frame, there was only “Yue.”

At this point, Yue could no longer distinguish who she was. Under the incitement of “Ye,” she had personally killed the beastly principal. Beads of blood hung from her fingertips, dripping along the hallway as she walked away from the office.

Before filming this scene, Meng Zhijin had deliberately stayed up all night. The dim lighting made her skin look exceptionally cold and white, contrasted sharply by her bloodshot eyes. In the flickering light, the occasional red veins in her eyes paired with a sickly, yandere-like smile.

No one knew how Meng Zhijin did it. Before the lights went down, she looked like an ordinary teacher; her usual coldness and calm made it hard to imagine her as Yue, whose primary personality had been taken over by Ye.

But when the lights went out, she was as if possessed by Cheng Xi. That blood-stained face looked exactly like Cheng Xi’s portrayal of “Ye.” Her long hair hung messily over her face, and her sluggish movements were like those of a puppet being controlled.

Wang Youbo stared tensely at the monitor, following Meng Zhijin’s back as she moved forward. Suddenly, she stopped. The quiet environment became even more silent as everyone held their breath. Then, Meng Zhijin gave a deep smile toward the camera.

That restrained yet twisted sense of sickness made people shiver even through the monitor. it was almost identical to the way Cheng Xi had smiled at the camera earlier.

Wang Youbo waited for what felt like an eternity before finally raising his hand with a satisfied gesture: “Cut! Passed!”

The lights instantly flared up, dispersing the terrifying atmosphere. Flowers were thrust into Meng Zhijin’s hands amidst applause, and the crew members celebrated around her: “Happy Birthday, Teacher Meng! Congratulations on finishing the film!”

“Thank you, everyone.” Meng Zhijin held the flowers politely and bowed to the group.

“That shot was excellent.” Wang Youbo took off his headphones and walked over, patting Meng Zhijin’s shoulder appreciatively. “How did you learn to mimic her so well? You must have observed that kid a lot, didn’t you?”

Meng Zhijin smiled slightly at his words but didn’t answer, only saying: “I’ll go change first.”

“Alright,” Wang Youbo nodded. “I’ve been eyeing that cake they bought you for a long time. You’d better hurry up.”

The warm light of the lounge spilled out as the door was pushed open. Meng Zhijin had already changed and was ready to leave. Her white skirt brushed against her calves. She had just stepped out the door when she stopped.

Cheng Xi was leaning against the doorway, looking quite casual: “Sister.”

The “Sister” used for intimacy in the script had carried over, and Cheng Xi hadn’t changed it even now.

“Kid?” Meng Zhijin was surprised. “Didn’t you finish filming yesterday?”

“Yeah.” Cheng Xi nodded, then smirked. “Who says I have to leave just because I’m finished?”

Saying that, she pulled a small box from her pocket: “Happy Birthday, Sister.”

It was a plain black box. The velvet exterior wasn’t particularly exquisite, let alone expensive. Meng Zhijin didn’t mind at all and took it: “Thank you.”

The lid was a bit tight; Meng Zhijin had to use some force to open it. A thin silver necklace lay quietly on the lining, its square pendant set with a single diamond.

Cheng Xi watched Meng Zhijin, her gaze a bit nervous. Her salary hadn’t been paid yet; this necklace was bought with all her savings. Cheng Xi bit her lip and asked with a lack of confidence: “Do you like it? Sister.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she didn’t wait for an answer before adding quickly: “You can’t say you don’t like it. This is all my savings.”

The amber light fell between them. Meng Zhijin looked at the tension in Cheng Xi’s eyes, and her lips curved into a slight arc. She took the necklace out of the box, examined it closely, and said: “Thank you. I like it very much.”

Cheng Xi let out a sigh of relief. Real joy surfaced in her eyes: “As long as you like it.”

“When I came in, I saw they prepared an ice cream cake for you. I’m going to eat two extra slices later.”

“You like it?” Meng Zhijin asked.

“Mhm.” Cheng Xi nodded without hiding it. “I’ve always wanted to eat ice cream cake. I bought one the year of my college entrance exams, but it melted in no time. I couldn’t finish it by myself, so I gave up.”

Meng Zhijin’s eyes darkened slightly at Cheng Xi’s casual remark. This child seemed to have always been alone.

The corridor was deserted and quiet. Then, the pendant on the necklace passed through Cheng Xi’s line of sight. Cheng Xi froze, not understanding, until she heard Meng Zhijin say: “Help me put it on.”

At that time, there weren’t so many barriers between them. Ambiguity was hidden in the daytime contact, and Cheng Xi was naturally happy to comply. Meng Zhijin brushed aside her long black hair, revealing her slender, fair neck to Cheng Xi.

Cheng Xi took the necklace, skillfully opened the clasp, and leaned in. A few strands of hair brushed past her nose. It was an indescribable, light fragrance—devoid of the smells of a film set, clean and alluring.

“When is your birthday?” Meng Zhijin’s voice suddenly came from right by her ear, pulling her out of her daze.

She refocused on the clasp and replied, pretending to be calm: “June 27th. It’s right in the peak of summer.”

Meng Zhijin simply nodded and said no more.

At that time, Meng Zhijin was already a Best Actress winner. The film set had put a lot of thought into her wrap party and birthday. Even in the mountains of the eastern suburbs, they had decorated the snow-covered wilderness beautifully.

The backdrop with birthday wishes was colorful and a bit messy, but full of blessings from everyone. People crowded around Meng Zhijin with smiles, urging her to make a wish and blow out the candles.

Cheng Xi watched with a hint of envy and longing. She knew the blessings were a mix of genuine and fake, largely tied to Meng Zhijin’s status. But she just really liked the feeling of being the center of attention like that. Her life hadn’t had such bustle for a long time.

“Happy Birthday!”

“Happy Birthday, Teacher Meng!”

The candles were blown out, and applause mingled with cheers. Wang Youbo wanted to cut the cake, but the assistant director stopped him: “Group photo first! Cut the cake after the photo!”

Cheng Xi knew that with her current seniority, she wasn’t qualified to stand next to Meng Zhijin. She stood on the periphery, waiting for the seniors, directors, and producers to take their places before finding a suitable spot for herself.

But as she was looking for a spot that would let her reach the cake fastest after the photo, a familiar call came from the center of the crowd: “Kid.”

It was Meng Zhijin. She had left an empty space beside her and gestured for Cheng Xi to come and stand with her. Cheng Xi was stunned for a moment. Then, her fox-like eyes broke into a bright, brilliant smile. She stood in the center, bold and visible.

Daylight finished filming that winter—a winter Cheng Xi could never forget. Her connection with Meng Zhijin became like that river that melted in the spring, gradually dwindling.

The transition from winter to summer seemed long, yet passed quickly.

The humid air in the school’s small theater was a bit unpleasant. Cheng Xi held her script, rehearsing the play for her final exam with her classmates. Every year, the teachers chose classic scripts for students to perform. They chose Thunderstorm, and Cheng Xi played Fanyi—a character whose personality was somewhat similar to her own.

As the formal performance approached, the group was working overtime. The evening light in summer wasn’t great, but the dark green qipao (which had likely been rented out countless times) looked stunning on Cheng Xi. Even if the hem was a bit frayed, it couldn’t hide her radiance. Regardless of the cheap clothing, just by leaning against a pillar, her lazy charm was undeniable.

“Cheng Xi, someone’s looking for you.”

During a break, a shout came from below the stage. A teammate tapped the floor near Cheng Xi to alert her. Cheng Xi was surprised. She didn’t interact much with people and had no friends; she didn’t think anyone would come looking for her.

She lifted her gaze from her script and saw a tall, upright figure in the distance of the audience seats. A black baseball cap was pulled low, covering almost the entire face. A simple camisole dress outlined the figure. It wasn’t flashy, but beneath the exposed collarbone hung an unremarkable diamond, cleanly refracting the theater lights.

It was Meng Zhijin.

Cheng Xi couldn’t explain the excitement in her heart. Leaving her teammates behind, she ran toward Meng Zhijin. She led her to the small garden outside the theater and asked in confusion: “Sister, why are you here?”

“To celebrate your birthday,” Meng Zhijin said calmly, showing her the cake box in her hand.

The beautifully packaged box was covered in a thin layer of condensation, feeling cool against Cheng Xi’s fingers. She knew immediately what kind of cake was inside. Memories of winter flashed back, and her heart gave a sudden thud.

“Want to make a wish?” Meng Zhijin opened the cake slowly and asked.

“Yes,” Cheng Xi nodded, her voice smiling.

The lighter kissed the ordinary birthday candle, and the flame flickered to life. Cheng Xi closed her eyes, and in the darkness, Meng Zhijin’s face appeared. Actually, Cheng Xi didn’t have many wishes. She didn’t really believe in such ethereal things. But if she had to make one… she hoped “Sister” would have everything go smoothly.

A few seconds later, Cheng Xi blew out the flame. The cake was split in two. The moonlit night was silent, and a warm breeze brushed over them. Cheng Xi looked at Meng Zhijin sitting beside her and suddenly felt that she didn’t need the hollow blessings of the masses.

Suddenly, as if sensing Cheng Xi’s gaze, Meng Zhijin turned her head. Cheng Xi knew her gaze wasn’t obvious and wouldn’t be caught, yet she felt inexplicably guilty: “Wh-what is it?”

“You have some on you,” Meng Zhijin said calmly, looking at the corner of Cheng Xi’s lips.

Whether out of genuine guilt or nerves, Cheng Xi’s hand failed to wipe away the ice cream on her lip. In the dim light, she saw Meng Zhijin reach out toward her. A cool sensation landed. Realizing there was no tissue—only Meng Zhijin’s finger—a surge of heat rose in Cheng Xi’s brain.

The summer wind carried a dry heat, wantonly stirring the heart. Meng Zhijin’s finger stayed at the corner of Cheng Xi’s mouth for four or five seconds until the ice cream was wiped away. Her thumb was stained with melted cream. Moonlight filtered through the thick leaves, bright and clear.

Cheng Xi watched as Meng Zhijin showed her the smudge before wiping it. Driven by an impulse, Cheng Xi leaned in.

A soft kiss landed on her fingertip. Then, moving downward, she kissed her palm. Bit by bit, like a fox making a proactive yet subtle gesture of affection toward a human.

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