My 'White Moonlight' First Love Came Back, but I Don't Love her Anymore - Chapter 22

Zhou Wanyan finally noticed the small white cat in Ren Li’s arms. It was skin and bones and covered in dirt, appearing to be a stray.

“It looks like it is sick,” Zhou Wanyan remarked.

Ren Li’s gaze returned to the kitten. “Yes. I just found it. It was lying by the road, completely still. I thought it was dead and intended to bury it, but as soon as I approached, it sniffed at me.” Zhou Wanyan could see the genuine compassion in Ren Li’s eyes.

“By the way, Zhou Wanyan, what are you doing here?” Ren Li asked.

Zhou Wanyan answered frankly, “I live here.” She paused for a moment before asking, “Do you live here too?”

A soft laugh escaped Ren Li’s throat, a sound that felt strangely captivating. “Of course not. A friend of mine lives here. I had just stepped out of her house when I encountered this little cat. Could you accompany me to the pet hospital? I did not drive today.” Her voice was gentle, and her eyes were filled with expectation. Although Zhou Wanyan remained emotionally unmoved by this gentle approach, she was curious to see what Ren Li’s true intentions were.

“I can do that. I will go get my car,” Zhou Wanyan replied.

Ren Li had not expected Zhou Wanyan to agree without any hesitation. A flash of complexity crossed her eyes, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared.

At the pet hospital, the veterinarian took the kitten away for an examination. Zhou Wanyan and Ren Li sat on the waiting chairs in silence. The atmosphere between them was stiff until Ren Li finally spoke to break the ice.

“Thank you for coming with me,” Ren Li said.

“It is no trouble at all. Besides, I quite like cats,” Zhou Wanyan replied.

Ren Li’s eyes shifted slightly. “You like cats too?”

Zhou Wanyan gave a small nod and said warmly, “Yes, I find them very interesting, especially the ones with proud personalities.”

Ren Li turned her body slightly, clearly interested in the topic. “Do you have a cat?”

“No,” Zhou Wanyan said. “I had one when I was a child, but it passed away. After that, I vowed never to keep a cat again.”

Ren Li pursed her lips, her expression remaining steady. “You must have been very sad then.”

A shadow of gloom flickered in Zhou Wanyan’s eyes for a moment. “I was. After all, it stayed with me for many years. There was a real bond.”

Ren Li lowered her eyes. Under the hospital lights, the high bridge of her nose cast a graceful silhouette. At that moment, it was difficult to tell what Ren Li was thinking. She wondered how a person could feel such an attachment to a cat that accompanied her for years, yet some people could remain entirely indifferent to a human being who had stayed by their side for just as long.

Seeing this, Zhou Wanyan looked away, pretending she had not noticed anything. After a while, the veterinarian walked over.

“The check-up is complete. There is nothing physically wrong with the kitten. It is simply suffering from malnutrition due to being a stray for a long time. Since there are no major issues, you can settle the bill now.”

Ren Li took the kitten back from the veterinarian. “Alright.”

“Are you going to adopt it?” Zhou Wanyan asked.

Upon hearing this, Ren Li offered no unnecessary expression and merely nodded in silent confirmation. Zhou Wanyan thought for a moment, then stepped forward and paid the fees herself.

Ren Li said, “Let us exchange contact information. I will pay you back.”

Zhou Wanyan replied, “There is no need. It was not much money.” Then, under Ren Li’s surprised gaze, she explained calmly, “Meeting like this is a matter of fate. Besides, it is true that I like cats. Since you have chosen to adopt it, I should cover the examination fees.”

Ren Li held the kitten, looking puzzled. “Fate?”

Zhou Wanyan stepped closer to Ren Li and reached out to gently touch the kitten’s forehead. The kitten stared at her intently, its weak eyes shimmering with a crystalline light. Zhou Wanyan’s heart softened as she smiled. “Fate with this little cat.”

The kitten looked remarkably like her old cat, Big Orange. Thinking back, Big Orange had been gone for six years now. She could not help but marvel at how quickly time had passed.

Ren Li looked up, and within her deep, captivating eyes, there seemed to be a trace of an undetectable stir. It was as if a flaw had appeared in a perfectly polished exterior.

“Thank you for today, Zhou Wanyan,” Ren Li said seriously.

The sincere way Ren Li thanked her almost made Zhou Wanyan forget that this was the same woman who had been so provocatively flirtatious at Shangxi Hall.

“You are welcome. It is late. Let me drive you back.”

“Okay.”

“What do you plan to name it?” Zhou Wanyan asked.

“Little White.”

“It is simple and plain. It sounds nice.”

Inside the Porsche, Zhou Wanyan repeatedly replayed the sentence Ren Li had left her with when she got out of the car.

“Zhou Wanyan, we will meet again very soon.”

How could she be so certain they would meet again? Suddenly, a ringtone interrupted her thoughts. It was Luo Yuening.

“Luo Yuening, why are you calling this late? Are you worried I cannot find my way home?”

“Yes, I am afraid you will be kidnapped by someone else again. After all, signing you cost me a lot of money.” On the other end of the line, Luo Yuening was lying in bed, fiddling with a sheep pendant with a smile on her face.

Zhou Wanyan did not speak, but a soft chuckle echoed through the phone. Hearing that light, rhythmic laughter, Luo Yuening felt it vibrate like a drumbeat, sending ripples through her heart.

“What are you laughing at?”

“You are so duplicitous. Six years have passed, and you have not changed a bit,” Zhou Wanyan teased.

Hearing this, as if her deepest hidden thoughts had been exposed, Luo Yuening instinctively retorted, “Zhou Wanyan, you are so annoying. I am hanging up now.”

The call ended, and Luo Yuening felt frustrated again. Because of the teasing, she had not even received the answer she wanted. She looked at the phone in her hand, hesitated for a second, and then tossed it aside. The phone traced a curve before landing on the edge of the bed.

“All she knows how to do is tease me. What a jerk!”

Inside the villa, the European style design exuded solemnity at every turn, and the crystal chandeliers shone brilliantly. The spiral staircase was the definition of elegance.

“Ren Li, why are you back so late today?”

Ren Li looked up. Ren Xi stood on the second floor, looking down at her. Their eyes met, and beneath the calm and peaceful exterior, a storm was brewing. Ren Li held Little White and gave a brief reply. “I ran into an accident. I was delayed.”

Ren Xi’s expression remained calm, and her voice was gentle. “An accident? Were you hurt?”

“How hypocritical,” Ren Li thought. She withdrew her gaze and replied, “No. Sister, it is late. I assume you are not waiting up for me?”

Ren Xi said seriously, “You are my sister. I worry when you do not come home. Is there a problem with wanting to see you return before I go to sleep?”

Ren Li’s fair hand stroked Little White, as if trying to soothe her own internal turmoil. “How fake. Sister, I have seen your hypocrisy before. Do not think you can lie to me again.”

Ren Xi sighed, her brow furrowing. “Ren Li, that was a misunderstanding.”

Ren Li said coldly, “A misunderstanding? Then why did you not go explain that clearly to Father? You have already been placed in the school, and soon you will be on the Board of Directors. You succeeded.”

Ren Xi replied, “I did explain. Father did not believe me. Being placed in the school was also his idea.”

At those words, Ren Li’s lips curled into a contemptuous sneer. “You only know how to use Father as a shield. Just because I am an illegitimate daughter, I could never join the Board regardless of what I do. Yet you achieve it effortlessly without even trying. Father was afraid you would be upset, so even after acknowledging me, he sent me abroad overnight. I could not return until this year, once you were settled at the school. I suppose it is true that even without that misunderstanding, Father would never have valued me. That incident just made him see me as a cold blooded and treacherous person.”

Hearing this, Ren Xi’s mouth thinned into a straight line. Her usual composure broke, replaced by a flicker of anger. “Ren Li, what I said is the truth. Believe it or not. You think you are the victim, but you are the outsider in this family. Your birth was dishonorable to begin with. Father sending you abroad was his way of protecting you.”

Ren Li snapped her head up, as if finally confirming something. “You finally admitted what you really think. You must be tired of pretending all these years, right? If I had a choice, I would rather not be Ren Li. Do you think I want to be an illegitimate daughter? Since I was born, the phrase I have heard most is that she is a bastard and her mother is a mistress.”

Ren Xi’s expression softened slightly. “Ren Li, it is late. Go to sleep.” With that, she turned and returned to her room.

Even though Ren Xi was the one to leave first, Ren Li felt no sense of victory. her heart felt as though she had swallowed something indigestible that refused to go down. The hatred in her heart intensified. The grievances she had accumulated over the years were settled deep within her, waiting for the moment they would finally break.

At that moment, Little White seemed to sense its owner’s low mood. It extended a soft pink paw and gently kneaded Ren Li’s slender arm. Ren Li slowly lowered her head, her gaze becoming exceptionally soft. She and Little White were no different. Both were strays. But now, Little White was not one anymore, while she still was.

Ren Li walked toward her room with composed, powerful strides. When the door closed, the living hall returned to its usual silence. In the lonely night, it was as if the scene had never happened.

The next day, the horizon turned pale as soft light gradually illuminated the room. Zhou Wanyan’s alarm clock rang right on time.

At Mofang Entertainment, in the meeting hall, someone asked, “Well? Have you finished reading it?”

Hearing this, Zhou Wanyan put down the script in her hand. Her brow furrowed slightly, her eyes filled with conflict. “Sister Li, are you sure you want me to go on this variety show?”

Li Wen took it as a matter of course. “Of course. Everyone who participated in the first season of this show has higher popularity now than ever before. The most popular couple has already been offered scripts by directors. If you join this, you can quickly boost your public profile. Your songs are hits, but you have always stayed behind the scenes. It is hard to say if the audience will react warmly to you as a person. Now that you are moving to the forefront, you need a transition. This show is that opportunity.”

Zhou Wanyan said, “Sister Li, I understand all that, but does Luo Yuening really need to rely on a scripted couple for popularity? Is her buzz not high enough? Most importantly, she has so many potential partners. Why does it have to be the two of us?”

Li Wen was about to use her prepared excuses to answer when she spotted Luo Yuening standing at the doorway of the meeting room. Li Wen chose to keep her mouth shut.

Luo Yuening had listened to Zhou Wanyan’s question in silence. Her expression was not necessarily bad, but there was a flush on her cheeks that even makeup could hardly suppress.

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