My Ex Told Me She’s Still In Love With Me - Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Moon in the Water

“Stop it.” Cheng Yi pressed a hand to her forehead and pulled her hand back.

“Eh? Teacher, you’re not going up? They give out prizes!” Nie Qiuyu asked, puzzled.

The female singer on stage caught sight of Cheng Yi through the booth window. She froze for a split second, then smiled.

“Lucky Guest Number 73, aren’t you going to come up and give it a try?”

Her gaze was fixed directly on Cheng Yi, as if she were determined to wait until she stepped onto the stage.

Cheng Yi was about to shake her head when she saw her students looking at her with puppy-dog eyes, their hands clasped in a pleading gesture.

Cheng Yi: “…”

Finally, she stood on the stage.

Looking down from the platform, Cheng Yi suddenly felt that booking a private booth had been a mistake. To truly experience the atmosphere of a lounge, sitting in the main hall was much better.

She turned to the singer, who was wearing a loose white T-shirt and jeans, looking clean and casual. She sat on a stool holding her guitar, smiling at Cheng Yi.

“What are you singing? I’ll accompany you.”

I’ll accompany you.

Cheng Yi’s eyes flickered. Ultimately, she shook her head in refusal.

“May I do it myself?”

The singer was taken beholden for a moment, then laughed. “Sure.”

She handed the guitar to Cheng Yi quite readily. Cheng Yi thanked her and sat on the stool in the center of the stage.

The rest of the crowd grew interested when they saw such a beautiful woman step up. Gazes shifted toward the stage, and the screen behind her began scrolling through confessions and requests for the beauty’s contact information.

Cheng Yi half-closed her eyes, her emotions completely unaffected by the crowd below. She began to sing steadily:

“One day I discovered I no longer had the right to self-pity, Leaving only shoulders that know no fatigue, Carrying a simple sense of contentment…”

…

The hand holding the wine glass suddenly tightened, failing to clink with the others.

Meng Qingwu looked up, her gaze finally landing on the stage.

“It’s actually Cheng Yi,” Jia Yu whispered, seemingly afraid of startling Meng Qingwu.

“I have to say, she sings quite well,” Yuan Junjun added.

Jin Le signaled them to be quiet, her eyes resting worriedly on Meng Qingwu. On the surface, Meng Qingwu appeared to have moved on, acting calm and indifferent, but Jin Le wasn’t sure if it was just an act. After all, Meng Qingwu’s acting skills were likely far more sophisticated than they were in university.

As the final note faded, Cheng Yi looked up and let her gaze wander. Unexpectedly, she crashed into a pair of quiet, steady eyes.

Her heart jolted. She lost her grip on the guitar, and the sound of it crashing to the floor echoed through every corner of the lounge via the microphone.

The crowd went silent. They stared at the woman on stage, wondering if she was there to cause trouble.

The singer looked at the guitar on the floor and then at Cheng Yi’s stiff posture. She followed Cheng Yi’s line of sight and saw the back of a woman. Even from just the back, one could imagine how stunning she would be upon turning around.

“Miss?” the singer called out cautiously.

Cheng Yi snapped back to reality. Seeing that Meng Qingwu had turned away and was no longer looking at her, a wave of irrepressible disappointment washed over her.

“I’m sorry. I damaged your guitar. I will buy you a new one later, I am truly sorry,” Cheng Yi said, quickly picking up the instrument and apologizing.

The singer took it, inspected it, and shook her head. “No need. It’s not broken.”

“I must,” Cheng Yi insisted. “I will bring a replacement guitar to you shortly.”

With that, she hurried off the stage.

“Hey—” The singer tried to call her back to tell her she hadn’t taken her prize, but all that remained was a slender, retreating figure. Shaking her head, she instructed staff to bring the prize to Cheng Yi’s booth.

…

After stepping down and sending a quick text, Cheng Yi walked hurriedly toward Meng Qingwu’s direction. But as she approached the booth, her pace slowed until she froze at the door.

“Eh? What is she doing standing at the door?” Jia Yu had noticed Cheng Yi heading their way long ago.

Jin Le watched Cheng Yi outside, her expression darkening. She glanced at Meng Qingwu’s indifferent face, her eyes flickering as a smile touched her lips.

“Qingwu, your boyfriend is coming to pick you up later, right?” Jin Le said loudly on purpose.

Meng Qingwu looked up at her, sensing the mischief in her eyes. She understood exactly what Jin Le was trying to do. While she found it childishly amusing, she replied…

“Yes, he is.”

Jin Le laughed. “Since he’s coming, let’s drink until we’re under the table! Stop drinking so conservatively!”

Meng Qingwu replied lightheartedly, “Alright. You guys too. I’ll have him drop each of you off one by one.”

“Come on, cheers!”

Standing outside, Cheng Yi heard their conversation. Her face turned deathly pale as she stared at Meng Qingwu’s back. Her chest began to ache sharply again.

“Teacher?” A small voice came from beside her.

Cheng Yi turned. Nie Qiuyu glanced at the booth in front of them and said hesitantly, “Teacher, did you go to the wrong booth? Ours is over there.”

Cheng Yi was silent for a moment before nodding. Before leaving, she stole one last glance back. She caught Meng Qingwu’s cool, somewhat thin gaze sweeping over her and Nie Qiuyu. Then, Meng Qingwu curled her lips into a mocking smile and turned away, refusing to look at her again.

Cheng Yi’s expression stiffened further.

…

“It seems you really are unmoved by her now,” Jia Yu sighed, feeling a bit melancholy. They used to be so good together; how could Cheng Yi have been cruel enough to tear that relationship so thoroughly to pieces?

Meng Qingwu smiled faintly. “I’ve grown up. I know which choice is best for me.”

Don’t care, don’t invest. Like a passerby, the heart won’t hurt as much from the weight of emotion.

…

“Teacher, why do I feel like you’re in a bad mood?” Nie Qiuyu asked.

Cheng Yi looked at the others. Seeing their worried faces, she forced a thin smile. “I’m not. Haven’t I always been like this? Don’t be stiff, just have fun. I won’t nag you today.”

The more boisterous students immediately cheered and went to pour more wine. The more perceptive ones might have sensed something, but since their teacher wouldn’t speak, they didn’t dare pry.

Cheng Yi didn’t like talking about serious academic matters or projects during a meal; she didn’t want to turn a simple dinner into a meeting. She sipped her drink slowly, but her eyes kept drifting toward Meng Qingwu’s direction. She couldn’t see much from here—just the booth window—but she couldn’t control her gaze.

After a while, her phone chimed with a message. She stood up. “You guys keep playing, I need to step out for a moment.”

Regardless of their reaction, she walked out quickly. Once she left, the atmosphere in the booth became even more relaxed and lively as they began discussing her performance on stage.

Outside the lounge, a person carrying a large case was waiting for her. She took the case and thanked them.

“Miss, the Madam asked me to remind you to try not to drink,” the person said respectfully.

Cheng Yi looked down and nodded. She turned back inside and walked straight to the stage. Waiting for the singer to finish a song, she signaled to her.

The singer had noticed her the moment she approached. She told the audience to wait a moment and came over. Looking at the case beside Cheng Yi, she smiled. “You’re really giving me a replacement?”

Cheng Yi nodded and handed over the case. “See if you’re satisfied. If not, I can exchange it.”

The singer sighed and took the case. Opening it, she saw a guitar with smooth lines and a warm luster. One look told her it was expensive.

“This…” The singer was startled. “It’s too valuable. My guitar wasn’t worth this much.” Moreover, her guitar hadn’t actually broken.

Cheng Yi shook her head. “Is this one okay?” Her attitude was firm.

The singer picked it up and tried the strings. A flash of surprise and joy lit up her eyes. “It’s wonderful.”

Seeing her satisfaction, Cheng Yi felt relieved, offering her first genuine smile of the night. “That’s good. I’ll be going then.”

“Wait!” The singer grabbed her hand.

Cheng Yi froze, looking down at the hand on hers. The singer realized and let go immediately, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Can we exchange contact info? I think you know instruments well; maybe we can talk shop in the future?”

Cheng Yi paused, then shook her head in refusal.

…

Meng Qingwu pulled her gaze away from the stage, took a sip of wine, and hid all her thoughts behind lowered lashes.

“Still drinking? Someone really is coming to pick you up!” Jin Le caught her hand.

Meng Qingwu set the glass down and smiled helplessly. “Getting someone to pick me up isn’t a difficult task. Besides, my tolerance is much better than it used to be.”

Only nerves numbed by alcohol could allow her a few moments of free breathing. Only then could she sleep.

Jin Le looked at her skeptically, but having not seen her for four years, she truly didn’t know the limits of her tolerance anymore. She still remembered how Meng Qingwu used to get drunk on just a few beers.

After the drinks, Meng Qingwu’s thoughts were drifting, and her behavior became relaxed. She drained the rest of her glass and stood up to head out.

“Hey, where are you going!” The others, worried, followed close behind her.

Meng Qingwu wore a lazy smile. Her eyes were slightly hazy, lacking their usual clarity, which made her look indolent and alluring to the bone.

She walked straight onto the stage and said to the singer with a smile, “Can I sing a song?”

The audience was stunned. What was going on today? One beauty after another on stage? Was the horoscope particularly good for beautiful women today?

The singer was dazed. Wasn’t this the woman that the previous lady had been looking at?

Jin Le and the others stood below the stage, rubbing their foreheads.

“What do you want to sing?” the singer asked.

Meng Qingwu smiled faintly. “Moon in the Water.”