My 'White Moonlight' First Love Came Back, but I Don't Love her Anymore - Chapter 24

Zhou Wanyan fell silent. Her heart was already a tangled mess. Her previous relationship had left a heavy mark on her soul, teaching her to be cautious, even excessively cautious, when it came to love.

At this moment, she had no way to begin a new romance. She lowered her eyes, and a single tear slipped from her reddened eye.

Sometimes, silence becomes its own answer.

Seeing this, Luo Yuening understood Zhou Wanyan’s stance. She had been rejected once again. A chill seemed to surround her, but she forced her lips into a smirk, speaking words that contradicted her heart.

“I was just teasing you. I stopped liking you a long time ago.”

“I only helped you out of our old sentiment as friends.”

“Don’t overthink it.”

Zhou Wanyan’s cheeks bore an abnormal flush as the alcohol continued to take effect. Her temples throbbed, and her voice was weak and unsteady. “That is good. Do not cling to the past; let what is gone be gone. You and I should both start new lives.”

Hearing Luo Yuening say she no longer liked her, Zhou Wanyan’s first reaction was a sense of relief because she could not bear to see her get hurt. However, that was immediately followed by an emotion she could not quite decipher herself.

Zhou Wanyan slowly stood up, her steps staggering. Every move felt like stepping on cotton, soft and powerless.

“Ugh.”

Luo Yuening cried out, “Yan Yan!”

Luo Yuening did not even have time to wipe the tears from her own face. She rushed to Zhou Wanyan’s side and knelt on the floor, her voice laced with urgency. “Yan Yan, how are you? Are you okay?”

Zhou Wanyan pushed herself up slightly before rolling over to lie flat on the floor. Her vision was blurry, and the Luo Yuening in front of her seemed to have split into two. “Why are there two Luo Yuenings?”

“Ning Ning, don’t cry.”

With those words, her eyes slowly closed, and she fell into a deep sleep.

Asleep?

Luo Yuening frowned slightly. She poked Zhou Wanyan’s cheek with a delicate finger and sighed softly. “Why don’t you like me?”

She was so dazed, yet she still told her not to cry. Hmph.

Thinking of this, a trace of gloom colored her eyes. She hoped her words from a moment ago would give her some room to maneuver. She was very sober; this was not mere obsession.

Sometimes I wonder why I liked you for so many years, but the answer always arrives sooner than the urge to retreat.

Was the fact that they had missed six years a punishment for her stubbornness? If she had lost her composure just once, would they have avoided being apart for six years?

But then she thought, even if she had known the truth back then, what use would it have been? Zhou Wanyan was already with Yan Jiuqing. It was too late. Their friendship would have only turned into an awkward mess because of her feelings.

Her heart ached incessantly. She wanted to get drunk for once.

Luo Yuening leaned down, her moist lips getting closer and closer to the red lips beneath her. Her burgundy curls fell, brushing against Zhou Wanyan’s neck. Just a second before their lips met, a crystal tear quietly fell onto Zhou Wanyan’s lips, carrying endless sorrow.

It felt like the beginning of a new chapter in their story. Ultimately, Luo Yuening did not kiss her.

The next day.

The sky was bright and the day was clear. Zhou Wanyan woke up in a soft, large bed. The layout of the room felt instantly familiar. Hanging on the wall was that same sexy portrait of Luo Yuening. She realized she was in the guest room of Luo Yuening’s house.

The scenes from last night flooded back into her mind, causing what remained of her intoxication to vanish instantly. She pulled the covers back over her head and closed her eyes, wishing the entire night had just been a dream.

After a while, Zhou Wanyan poked her head out, her hair a mess. She got up, smoothed her stray strands, and ducked into the guest bathroom. After a quick wash, she stepped out and ran right into Luo Yuening.

A flash of helplessness crossed Zhou Wanyan’s eyes. “Luo Yuening, thank you for last night.”

Luo Yuening pressed her lips into a thin line, her trembling eyelashes betraying her internal turmoil. “Mhm.”

Zhou Wanyan lowered her head slightly. Silence fell around them, and an awkward atmosphere enveloped the pair.

Zhou Wanyan took a deep breath. “Luo Yuening, regarding what happened back then, it was my fault. I didn’t seek you out to clarify things in person, which led to our friendship being cut off.”

Luo Yuening replied, “I was at fault too. I was too quick to jump to conclusions, thinking you had seen that love letter and were just acting like nothing happened.”

She paused, then added, “However, I no longer have those thoughts about you from back then. Don’t be too narcissistic and think I still have feelings for you.”

For now, I have to retreat to move forward.

Luo Yuening’s words acted like an icebreaker, shattering the awkwardness and seemingly pulling their relationship back to how it used to be.

Zhou Wanyan gave a faint smile. “Of course not.”

“So, does this mean we have made up?”

Hearing this, Luo Yuening’s eyes flickered. She whispered, “Made up?”

Zhou Wanyan explained with a smile, “I mean, continuing to be friends.”

Before Luo Yuening could fully process the meaning, Zhou Wanyan emphasized again, “Luo Yuening, can we still be friends?”

Once those words were out, Luo Yuening’s tension subsided, replaced by a slight ripple of emotion. Her gaze softened, though her voice remained feignedly indifferent. “But I am also your boss now. During work hours, we are boss and employee. We are only friends after work.”

“Even so, are you still willing to be friends with me?”

In her current situation, she didn’t dare let a drop of her love leak out. Even a tiny bit more might push Zhou Wanyan further away. In fact, a trace of luck rose in her heart. It was fortunate Zhou Wanyan hadn’t seen the letter six years ago, or she wouldn’t have known how to end things back then.

However, giving up was impossible. Even if the remaining time was short, she would fight with all her might, even if she ended up bruised and battered.

Zhou Wanyan did not answer immediately but pretended to be deep in thought. While she searched for an answer, Luo Yuening’s fingers nervously gripped the hem of her clothes.

Zhou Wanyan finally chuckled. “How could I be unwilling? It is just that stubborn streak of yours; it hasn’t changed at all after all these years.”

Luo Yuening’s expression froze, and her eyelids twitched. “What streak? Zhou Wanyan, make yourself clear.”

Zhou Wanyan played dumb. “I misspoke. I meant it is a streak of mine.”

With that, Zhou Wanyan brushed past Luo Yuening and walked quickly downstairs. Luo Yuening clenched her fists, her anxiety turning into a ball of fire. “Zhou Wanyan! You make yourself clear right now!”

Nighttime, with a mellow moonlight.

At Zixi Number One.

Gao Yao stood by the floor to ceiling window, gazing at the bright lights outside. She held a goblet, the red wine swishing with her movements.

“Do you think Zhou Wanyan will believe it?” Luo Yuening toyed with a little sheep pendant, trying to distract herself from her burning anxiety.

Gao Yao’s voice was low and magnetic. “If she believes, it is true; if she doesn’t, it is not.”

Luo Yuening said coldly, “Speak like a human.”

Gao Yao curled her lip, drained her wine, and whispered, “What do you care if she believes it or not? You have no way back now. Such a great opportunity is right in front of you. Are you really going to miss it?”

“Anyway, she has already broken up with Yan Jiuqing. Besides, it isn’t like you didn’t think about her while she was still taken.”

Luo Yuening frowned slightly, her face clouded over. “That is different.”

Gao Yao countered, “How is it different? Before, you thought Yan Yan had rejected you, yet you still waited for her for six years. Now you know she never even received your letter, but she still rejected you. Isn’t this the exact same situation you faced six years ago?”

Gao Yao continued talking to herself, completely failing to notice the rising and falling of Luo Yuening’s chest.

Luo Yuening’s cold, elegant face was full of exhaustion. She leaned back against the sofa, her eyes appearing to lose their focus. Gao Yao put down her wine glass, sat on the sofa, and said softly, “Ning Ning, just follow your heart.”

“And I don’t believe Yan Yan has no feelings for you at all.”

Hearing this, color gradually returned to Luo Yuening’s eyes. “Then you had better keep a close watch for me.”

Gao Yao replied, “Understood. Mission guaranteed.”

Luo Yuening added, “The manor in the West District is yours once this is settled.”

Gao Yao’s lips curled into an uncontrollable smile. “This is so good!”

Then, as if remembering something, she asked, “When exactly did you start having those thoughts about Zhou Wanyan? Back in high school, even though the two of you were closer than average friends, it still seemed normal.”

“Oh! I remember now! During the sports meet in eleventh grade, a senior girl from twelfth grade brought water for Yan Yan. Since Yan Yan wasn’t there, you took it for her, and then you threw it straight away, saying the water was poisonous.”

“At the time, I just thought it was a friend’s possessiveness. Thinking about it now, had you already fallen for her then?”

Gao Yao felt like she had discovered a new continent. Luo Yuening pursed her lips and remained silent. Seeing this, Gao Yao felt she was simply too clever. She poured another glass of wine and raised it to her lips.

Luo Yuening said, “Earlier than that.”

“What?!” Gao Yao choked on her wine, her cheeks turning red from coughing. “Earlier?”

“When was it then?”

Luo Yuening sat on the sofa, her fingers gently stroking the sheep pendant. Her gaze drifted as the past played out before her eyes.

“During the tenth grade military training, that time we did the night trek up the mountain.”

“I sprained my ankle, and she carried me on her back all the way up.”

“But at the time, I wasn’t that close to her. In fact, our relationship was very tense because of some issues.”

“It was a stage where she looked down on me, and I looked down on her.”

Gao Yao thought back carefully. It seemed their relationship really did start improving after they returned from military training. “So you fell for her starting from that moment?”

Luo Yuening said muffledly, “Mhm. That moment of heartbeat, even now when I think back, it is still there.”

“And it was such a cliché opportunity that made me fall for her.”

Gao Yao sighed. “That is just the destiny between you two. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been six years before you reconnected so deeply.”

Luo Yuening smiled slightly, a flash of indiscernible tenderness in her eyes. “Perhaps.”

The next morning, Zhou Wanyan was awakened early by the sound of her phone. Today was the first day of filming for “Romantic Sky,” and she couldn’t be late. The car sent by her manager, Li Wen, was already waiting.

Inside the business van.

“Don’t forget your persona,” Li Wen instructed.

Zhou Wanyan replied, “Sister Li, don’t worry. Please have faith in my professional abilities.”

After checking her phone, Li Wen suddenly said, “By the way, the company has made a last minute decision to change the route you and President Luo are taking. We are changing it to a wife-chasing plot.”

The smile on Zhou Wanyan’s face froze. She said in disbelief, “What?!”

“I am chasing Luo Yuening?”

Li Wen said indifferently, “Yes, but your persona remains the same.”

Zhou Wanyan asked, “Is this what Luo Yuening demanded?!”

Support