My 'White Moonlight' First Love Came Back, but I Don't Love her Anymore - Chapter 16

For several days in a row, Zhou Wanyan shut herself inside her home. She spent her time holed up in her recording studio, but her inspiration had run dry. She could not write a single song and had no idea what to do with herself, which left her feeling incredibly irritable.

Suddenly, her phone rang.

“What is it, Gao Yao?”

Gao Yao’s urgent voice came through the line. “Wanyan, please go to Luo Yuening’s place and check on her for me. I tried calling her just now, but the call didn’t go through. I’m not in Haicheng right now.”

That last sentence provided Zhou Wanyan with a subtle reason to justify going.

“Okay,” she replied. “Does she know I’m coming?”

“Uh, you’ll know when you get there.” It was a vague, non-committal answer.

An hour later, Zhou Wanyan knocked on Luo Yuening’s door.

When Zhou Wanyan’s figure appeared in the doorway, Luo Yuening’s downcast eyes instinctively lifted. Her expression froze for a moment in a daze, followed by a surge of joy that even she did not fully realize she was showing.

A beautiful curve touched the corners of Luo Yuening’s lips, but then, as if remembering something, she feigned indifference. “Why are you here?”

Luo Yuening’s face was flushed with an unnatural heat, and her usually rosy lips were pale and dry. It was clear she had not known Zhou Wanyan was coming.

Zhou Wanyan explained truthfully, “Gao Yao said you didn’t pick up when she called. She’s worried about you, but since she’s out of town, she asked me to come over and check on you. Are you running a fever?” The last question betrayed a hint of concern.

Luo Yuening’s voice was weak. “Yes.”

Noticing that Luo Yuening’s hair was a bit messy, Zhou Wanyan asked, “Did you just wake up?”

Luo Yuening gave a small nod.

“Then you should head back inside,” Zhou Wanyan said. “Now that I see you’re okay, I’ll be going.”

The moment Zhou Wanyan turned to leave, Luo Yuening reached out and grabbed her sleeve. It was an almost instinctive reaction. Her voice was soft. “Don’t go.”

But then, Luo Yuening remembered that they were no longer who they used to be. Her outstretched hand suddenly felt glaringly out of place. She slowly lowered her eyes, hiding the fading light within them, unwilling to let Zhou Wanyan see her vulnerability. She silently retracted her hand and feigned composure. “You should go then. Be careful on the road.”

Zhou Wanyan caught that brief, honest glimpse of Luo Yuening’s true thoughts, because instinctive actions do not lie. For that fleeting second, it felt as though they had returned to the past.

“You’re sick. I’ll stay and keep you company.”

Luo Yuening did not answer; she simply took a few steps back, clearing the way at the entrance. Seeing this, Zhou Wanyan took her silence as consent.

After walking in, Zhou Wanyan’s gaze fell upon the takeout containers on the table that had not been cleared away yet. “Is this what you ate yesterday?” she asked.

Luo Yuening sat on the sofa, her bare feet tucked into the soft carpet. Due to the fever, her cheeks were flushed with a sickly glow. “Yes.”

“Then you probably haven’t eaten today yet,” Zhou Wanyan noted. “Is congee okay?”

Luo Yuening lowered her eyes and smiled faintly, nodding gently.

“Go back to the bedroom and get some rest. I’ve got this. I’ll call you when it’s ready,” Zhou Wanyan instructed. She tied her hair back, cleared the dining table, and headed into the kitchen.

The kitchen was semi-open, allowing Luo Yuening to clearly see Zhou Wanyan’s busy silhouette. In that instant, a warm current flowed through Luo Yuening’s heart, followed by a wave of overwhelming affection.

The tension in her brow smoothed out, and her eyes filled with tenderness. She shed all her exhaustion, bathed in a warm light that filtered through her hair. This scene was enough to make her mistakenly believe they had never been apart and that they were still the best of friends.

Zhou Wanyan happened to look up and saw that Luo Yuening was still sitting on the sofa. “Why haven’t you gone back to the bedroom to rest?” she asked softly. She teased with a light smile, “Don’t worry, I won’t steal anything from your house. You don’t need to watch me.”

Luo Yuening glared at her with feigned anger, her eyes shimmering with a touch of reproach. “After all these years, you’re still as annoying as ever.” Her use of the word “annoying” carried no real weight.

Hearing this, Zhou Wanyan simply shook her head with a smile, her gaze gentle. “How has work been lately?”

Luo Yuening replied dully, “I just finished up the work I had on hand. I have to attend the wrap party for The Era of Splendor the day after tomorrow.”

The Era of Splendor. Zhou Wanyan thought back to the day they recorded the song. That had been their first meeting after six years. On that day, Luo Yuening had been like a proud, prickly cat, radiating an aura that warned everyone to stay away. Now, she seemed to have retracted all her thorns, making one feel as refreshed as a spring breeze.

Zhou Wanyan let out a light chuckle, which was caught by the sensitive Luo Yuening.

Luo Yuening knit her brows. “What are you laughing at?”

Zhou Wanyan’s eyes were full of mirth, like a soft breeze rippling across the sea. “Nothing. The song you sang at Yue Qi’s concert was very beautiful. It’s just a bit…”

“A bit what?” Luo Yuening was very focused on the answer.

“A bit too beautiful.” Zhou Wanyan burst into laughter.

Luo Yuening was still the same as before; she would bristle the moment she was teased, yet she still cared deeply about what others thought of her. She silently breathed a sigh of relief before realizing she had been teased again. She turned her head away sharply, vowing in her heart that she would not talk to Zhou Wanyan ever again.

Time spent with someone you love always passes quickly. The two sat across from each other at the dining table. Looking at the shrimp and vegetable congee in front of her, the corners of Luo Yuening’s eyes began to turn a faint red.

Zhou Wanyan rested her chin on her hand, her tone slightly uncertain. “I remember this used to be your favorite congee. Give it a taste and see if it is different from the ones I used to make for you.”

Six years was long enough for a person to change their habits. Zhou Wanyan was not sure if Luo Yuening’s tastes had changed.

Luo Yuening lowered her eyes, hiding the turbulent emotions within them. Seeing that Luo Yuening was not moving, Zhou Wanyan felt a bit uneasy. “Is it still too hot?”

Luo Yuening picked up the spoon and softly stopped Zhou Wanyan’s next move. “No.” Her voice trembled slightly.

Zhou Wanyan’s brow furrowed. “Are you crying?”

“I’m not,” Luo Yuening replied curtly. Zhou Wanyan wondered if she was being too sensitive.

Luo Yuening took a sip and said with a huff, “It’s just average. It’s nowhere near as good as it was six years ago.”

Yet the spoon never left her hand. One scoop followed another, and the bowl was soon empty. Seeing this, Zhou Wanyan stood up to get her another serving.

Luo Yuening spoke up first. “No need, I’m full.”

Zhou Wanyan looked at her in surprise. “You’ve only had one bowl of congee since this morning and you’re full already?”

Luo Yuening’s eyes darted away. “I don’t have much of an appetite.”

Zhou Wanyan felt a strange sense of loss. “Then tell me later if you get hungry.”

Upon hearing this, Luo Yuening’s heart skipped a beat. “You’re not leaving?”

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