My 'White Moonlight' First Love Came Back, but I Don't Love her Anymore - Chapter 25

The program was to be filmed over the course of one month within a sprawling, modern estate. The production utilized a live-stream format to showcase the daily romantic lives of each couple in real time.

By the time Zhou Wanyan arrived, one pair had already reached the designated location. Upon her first glimpse of the set, Zhou Wanyan was surprised. She had expected an indoor meeting, but the production team had set the scene outdoors. It made sense, however, given the beauty of the estate. It would have been a waste not to capture the exterior scenery.

Today, Zhou Wanyan’s attire departed from her usual gentle and minimalist style. She wore a cropped jacket that accentuated the curves of her waist, paired with black multi-pocket cargo pants and black combat boots. This cool, edgy look added a touch of sharp intensity to her presence.

As she approached, one of the individuals sitting in the chairs felt a flash of genuine admiration in her eyes. Zhou Wanyan offered a polite greeting. “Hello, everyone. I am Zhou Wanyan.”

“Hello, I am Liao Baiwei,” the woman replied. She stood up immediately, stepping forward as if to give Zhou Wanyan a hug.

Zhou Wanyan took a step back, the panic in her eyes momentarily magnifying. She glanced at the surrounding cameras but ultimately chose to return a brief, polite embrace. She thought to herself that this woman was far too enthusiastic.

Xia He, who remained seated, watched the scene with a slight curl of her lips and coldness in her eyes.

“Xia He,” the woman introduced herself.

Zhou Wanyan recognized her instantly. Xia He was Yan Jiuqing’s friend, the very person who had caused Yan Jiuqing to forget Zhou Wanyan’s birthday. Yan Jiuqing had gone to celebrate Xia He’s birthday instead. That night, a table full of food had been reheated over and over again, yet Yan Jiuqing never arrived. In the end, it was all thrown into the trash.

Zhou Wanyan’s face turned uncharacteristically cold. “Zhou Wanyan,” she replied curtly.

The comment section of the live stream began to stir. One viewer wrote that this sister looked so good and seemed like the perfect girlfriend material. Another reminded them that Zhou Wanyan had been on the trending searches before, specifically during Yue Qi’s concert when she was caught on the big screen. Back then, people had buzzed about her beauty and her status as the girlfriend of Huasheng’s CEO.

The chat exploded with questions. If she had a famous boyfriend, why was she on a dating show? Was she entering the entertainment industry? Some wondered if the CEO was simply incredibly magnanimous to let his girlfriend participate in such a program.

Lin Qi, the director, picked up a megaphone. “Alright, everyone is here. We are moving on to the next segment. The three of you must now go find your respective partners. Your partners are waiting for you somewhere within the estate. Once you find them and complete the task, the first couple to return to the starting point will win a grand prize.”

Only then did Zhou Wanyan realize that the two women she had just met were not in her group. Liao Baiwei asked if there were any hints, but Lin Qi’s answer was blunt.

“No hints. However, your partners have left a drawing for each of you.”

When Zhou Wanyan received her drawing, she looked down and saw something that could only be described as abstract art. She was speechless. Luo Yuening clearly knew how to draw, so making it look like this must have been intentional. It was a single vertical line with a “V” on top. How was she supposed to guess a location from that?

Liao Baiwei stood next to her and tilted her head to see the drawing. She could not help but laugh. “Zhou Wanyan, your drawing only has a line and a V. What kind of place is that? Why do we not walk together and help each other?”

Zhou Wanyan gave a small nod. Unbeknownst to them, Xia He had other ideas after hearing their conversation. Xia He set off first, while Zhou Wanyan and Liao Baiwei walked deeper into the estate at a more leisurely pace.

Along the way, Zhou Wanyan looked left and right, but she could not find anything resembling the drawing. Liao Baiwei, who was half a head shorter than Zhou Wanyan, bit her lip and asked shyly, “Zhou Wanyan, what is your profession?”

“I write songs,” Zhou Wanyan replied nonchalantly.

“Writing songs? You must be very talented then,” Liao Baiwei said.

Zhou Wanyan raised an eyebrow and replied humbly, “Not really. I just do it to make a living.”

Liao Baiwei continued, “Did you research your partner beforehand?”

Zhou Wanyan knew her partner all too well. Thinking about the persona the company had arranged for her, she began to talk nonsense with a straight face. “Of course. Teacher Luo is an actress I admire very much. Her professional skills and work ethic are things I want to learn from.”

Her formal answer effectively killed the conversation. The comment section found it hilarious, noting how official Zhou Wanyan sounded, leaving Liao Baiwei at a loss for words. Some viewers wondered about her background, as they could not find any songs credited to her name, while others suggested she likely used a stage name.

After walking for a while, Liao Baiwei found her location based on her instructions. She said goodbye to Zhou Wanyan and ran toward her partner. Seeing this, Zhou Wanyan also began to jog.

An hour passed. Finally, Zhou Wanyan spotted a figure that looked like Luo Yuening. The estate was massive and the drawing was so abstract that she had essentially been searching blindly. As she confirmed it was indeed Luo Yuening, she noticed someone else sitting across from her.

Zhou Wanyan felt a headache coming on. No one had mentioned this would be a three person dynamic. It was Xia He again. Why was she everywhere?

“Luo Yuening!” Zhou Wanyan called out.

Luo Yuening looked back and gave Zhou Wanyan a sharp look, as if reminding her not to forget her persona and the route they were supposed to take.

Seeing Zhou Wanyan approaching quickly, Xia He stood up with an innocent expression. “I am so sorry. I must have mistaken my partner. I thought I was paired with Teacher Luo.” Her eyes were submissive, and her tone was pitiful.

Luo Yuening said nothing, silently watching Xia He’s performance. She concluded it could be summed up in one word: acting.

As Zhou Wanyan stepped up, Luo Yuening shifted her entire focus onto her. Zhou Wanyan turned her head, meeting Luo Yuening’s smiling, beautiful eyes. Her voice became soft and full of affection. “Ningning, did we not write letters to each other beforehand? I am your partner.”

Luo Yuening was caught off guard by the sudden flirtation. A trace of flustered confusion flashed in her eyes, and her heart skipped a beat. “That is true,” she thought. She really knows how to act.

Faced with this thickening atmosphere of affection, Xia He could no longer stay. While the two were focused on each other, she quietly slipped away. She felt like a fool. Luo Yuening had ignored everything she said, yet became so engaged the moment Zhou Wanyan arrived.

Zhou Wanyan pulled over another chair and sat right next to Luo Yuening, leaving the chair Xia He had used empty. Luo Yuening looked at the woman who was now so close and whispered, “Is this not a bit too close?”

Realizing this, Zhou Wanyan immediately began to pull her chair away. Luo Yuening bit her lower lip, feeling a surge of irritation. She was merely shy. Why was Zhou Wanyan being so obedient all of a sudden?

Zhou Wanyan hesitated, remembering her wife chasing persona. She had read a few web novels with that theme. “Ningning, why did you choose me in the beginning?”

As soon as she said it, Zhou Wanyan felt she had taken the wrong track. Luo Yuening replied coldly, “Because I was the last to choose, and you were the only one left.”

Zhou Wanyan was nearly defeated by that remark, and her cheeks began to flush. That was harsh, she thought. “Is that so? Then it must be fate. Fate brought us together as a couple, right, Ningning?”

Luo Yuening raised her chin slightly, a faint, fleeting curve appearing on her lips. She looked cold yet charming. “Yes, Yanyan. Since we are so fated, why did it take you so long to find me?”

Zhou Wanyan refused to back down. “You should ask yourself what you were trying to express with that drawing you left me.” She took out the drawing and spread it on the glass table.

Luo Yuening glanced at it and said calmly, “It is simple. Look to your left. That tree is the largest in the estate. Look at the drawing again. Does it not look just like that tree?”

Zhou Wanyan forced a smile. “Now that you mention it, it really does. You are truly talented, Ningning. You managed to express the location clearly with just a few strokes.”

Luo Yuening gave her a playful, reproachful look. “Yanyan, we should start our task.”

Zhou Wanyan understood. She stood up and took the task card from the camera crew. Instead of reading it immediately, she handed it to Luo Yuening and stood slightly behind her, leaning down.

Luo Yuening’s body grew tense as a light fragrance wafted from behind her. She pressed her lips together, betraying her inner nervousness as she gripped the task card tightly, trying to steady herself.

Unaware of the effect she was having, Zhou Wanyan urged her, “Read it, Ningning.”

Luo Yuening opened the card. Inside was a short line of text that she found difficult to process. The task was as follows: Biting the pastry from the other person’s mouth, and then eating it.

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