The Cannon Fodder Ex-Wife Changes to Take the Black Moonlight Script - Chapter 44
Shang Shiqian felt that perhaps the greatest gain from this rebirth was the opportunity to rediscover and understand Wei Yixian anew.
In her past life as Shang Shiqian, whenever she asked Wei Yixiang about her thoughts on their marriage, the answer was inevitably “willing.”
Now viewing things from an outsider’s perspective, she suddenly realized this so-called willingness was no different from when employers “kindly inform” employees to “voluntarily” work overtime without pay.
Of course, had she still been her former self, she probably wouldn’t have asked Wei Yixian this question at all.
Wei Yixian remained silent for a moment before grasping Shang Shiqian’s hand and writing: “Why?”
Shang Shiqian understood her meaning: “Why ask this now?”
Without hesitation, she replied: “Because I’m interested in you. I want to know you better.”
Wei Yixian: …
During those few breaths of silence, Shang Shiqian noticed the palm holding her wrist grew slightly warmer.
Concerned Wei Yixian might be running a fever again, she turned on the bedside lamp and saw a faint blush coloring Wei Yixian’s cheeks.
When she reached out to check the temperature, she found her own palm warmer than Wei Yixian’s forehead.
“No fever,” Shang Shiqian murmured.
Wei Yixian: …
Wanting to be certain, Shang Shiqian cupped Wei Yixian’s face and leaned forward until their foreheads touched.
After a moment, she confirmed her own temperature was still higher.
Knowing she wasn’t feverish herself, this proved Wei Yixian wasn’t suffering from recurring high fever.
Relieved, Shang Shiqian’s single-minded focus dissolved, allowing her to finally notice their current position.
Foreheads pressed together, noses almost touching.
Wei Yixian had held her breath for several seconds before exhaling softly, the featherlight breath brushing against Shang Shiqian’s lips.
Their mingled breaths sparked like flint, desire burning through skin and blood.
Shang Shiqian’s limbs moved like rusted gears as she slowly, laboriously, withdrew from this intimate embrace.
“My temperature’s unreliable. Let me get the thermometer.”
She scrambled to leave the bed, only for Wei Yixian to pull her back.
That seemingly frail arm effortlessly drew Shang Shiqian back onto the mattress.
Wei Yixian chuckled softly, tracing words on her hand: “No.”
“No? No what?” Shang Shiqian’s thoughts had bolted like an unbridled stallion, completely forgetting the original question.
“Don’t dislike it.”
Shang Shiqian’s eyes curved into crescents, a relieved smile gracing her features.
Emboldened, she pressed further: “But I heard your true love was your first love? That you only broke up because you were forced into this arranged marriage with the Shang family?”
Wei Yixian shot her a frosty sidelong glance.
Shang Shiqian realized she’d overstepped.
Though Wei Yixian had told Shang Xiaowu two days ago that all ties with her “white moonlight” first love were severed, that was different from being coerced into a loveless marriage.
As a mere puppet in Wei Yixian’s replacement game, such questions crossed boundaries.
True to form, Wei Yixian didn’t answer.
“Alright, I won’t ask,” Shang Shiqian conceded.
Wei Yixian let out an amused yet exasperated snort, pointing at her throat: “You want me to answer your questions in this state?”
The answer to this question couldn’t possibly be summed up in just a few words!
Shang Shiqian understood her body language. “Oh, never mind then. Protecting your voice is more important.”
But Wei Yixian got up, grabbed a tablet, and wrote: “So many people are talking about me. Why not ask them if you want to know?”
Her past was something anyone could casually comment on.
Shang Shiqian could learn about it from the original work or ask Shang Shidai, Pu Feifei, Yin Lian…
Even someone who hadn’t interacted much with her, like Chen Yixun, could find out about her experiences through online information.
Shang Shiqian said, “If I want to understand something objectively, I’d consult multiple sources and gather information. But when it comes to a person… I don’t need to hear from others about who you are.”
“What if I’m hiding something?”
“I’m not investigating a case. If you’re hiding something, it means you have secrets you don’t want others to know. Who doesn’t have secrets?”
Just like her carrying such huge secrets as resurrection and a system. Was she wrong for not wanting to reveal them even to her closest family?
Wei Yixian didn’t write anything, just looked at her with a complicated gaze.
Shang Shiqian took the tablet away and placed it back on the nightstand. “Weren’t you going to take a nap? Go ahead and sleep.”
Though she was asymptomatic, her condition these past two days was clearly worse than before.
After releasing the pressure in her heart, her head barely touched the pillow before she quickly fell asleep, carrying the answers she’d received.
Wei Yixian was sleepy, but she still couldn’t sleep.
Hearing Shang Shiqian’s noticeably slowed breathing, Wei Yixian turned over, pressing her back into Shang Shiqian’s embrace, then grabbed her hand and wrapped it around her waist.
–
Shang Shiqian was woken by a ringtone.
She hadn’t set an alarm, this was an incoming call.
By the second ring, she quickly muted it to avoid disturbing Wei Yixian, who had finally managed to fall asleep.
Though Wei Yixian wasn’t awakened, her illness made her sleep restlessly, her brows furrowed as she frequently adjusted her position to ease the pain in her throat.
Shang Shiqian walked to the balcony in the small living room to answer the call. “Shang Xiaowu?”
Shang Shidai blurted out, “Why aren’t you at school? Did you break your promise and run away?”
Shang Shiqian rubbed her forehead. “I took sick leave.”
“Why did you take sick leave?”
Shang Shiqian: “…”
That question was about as logical as asking an air-conditioning technician what their job was.
Shang Shidai caught herself. “Ugh, I mean, what’s wrong with you? What illness?”
At this stage, she didn’t trust Wei Yixian or Shang Shiyu, who was on Wei Yixian’s side, suspecting this was just an excuse Shang Shiyu had come up with.
“The flu.”
“What’s wrong with that Wei Yixian? How could she let you get sick? Can’t even take care of someone properly, how useless.”
Shang Shiqian: “…”
Shang Xiaowu was being way too harsh on Wei Yixian.
Shang Shiqian said, “She has the flu too. I gave it to her.”
Shang Shidai: “…Huh?”
She felt a little sorry for Wei Yixian, but mostly, she was gleeful.
Still, mindful of the Shang family’s image, she didn’t show it and said, “I’ll bring a doctor to check on you.”
“There’s already a doctor here. No need to come you might catch it.”
Shang Shidai refused to listen.
Half an hour later, Pu Feifei came to relay the property manager’s message: “Miss Shang Xiaowu wants to visit the patient and is already waiting at the door.”
Wei Yixian looked unwell, her eyes appearing particularly gloomy.
She glanced at Shang Shiqian as if to say, “Did you arrange this?”
Shang Shiqian also had a headache: “I told her visiting wasn’t necessary, but I didn’t expect her to come anyway.”
Wei Yixian agreed to let Shang Shidai in.
She wrote on her tablet: “Good that she’s coming. Let her experience the misery of the flu.”
Shang Shiqian: “…”
So childish?
When will this cycle of retaliation end?
Before long, Shang Shidai entered the house under Pu Feifei’s guidance.
She wore goggles, a mask, and a full protective suit her decision to visit clearly wasn’t as casual as her words suggested.
Seeing Shang Shiqian standing perfectly healthy, Shang Shidai scrutinized her: “You don’t look sick at all!”
“I’m an asymptomatic case.”
“You’re not lying to avoid seeing me, are you? Where’s Wei Yixian?”
After a brief silence, Shang Shiqian replied, “She’s resting upstairs.”
“Hmph, she probably said, ‘She’s not important enough for me to come downstairs to meet her.'”
Though somewhat exasperated, Shang Shiqian had to admit the two understood each other all too well.
She asked, “So are you here to visit me or her?”
“Of course you! Who’d want to visit her?”
“Then her not coming down shouldn’t bother you.”
Shang Shidai was left speechless.
She removed her goggles and protective suit, instructing Pu Feifei to fetch the fruit basket from her car.
Noticing a card in the basket, Shang Shiqian picked it up, the sender’s name was unfamiliar, and the message contained well-wishes for her grandmother, Shang Yu Feng.
Alarmed, she asked, “Is Gr, is Madam Shang unwell?”
Shang Shidai snatched back the card and tossed it into the trash.
“My grandmother? She’s fine.” She paused. “Oh, you’re wondering about the basket? Fine, I admit someone brought this when visiting my grandmother, and I took it from home.”
Shang Shiqian: “…”
Shang Xiaowu remained as unpredictable as ever.
Selecting a few oranges, she handed them to Pu Feifei. “Sister Pu, could you stew these for Wei Yixian? I read online it helps soothe sore throats.”
Pu Feifei doubted Wei would eat them given her tastes.
Still, she decided to have the kitchen try maybe Wei would indulge them if she knew it was Shang’s idea.
Shang Shidai grumbled, “I’m not giving my fruits to Wei Yixian!”
Shang Shiqian countered, “You gave me this visit’s goodwill, so it’s mine to decide who eats what.”
Shang Shidai side-eyed her.
She realized Shang Shiqian differed slightly from Shang Qiguan she was more quick-witted.
Inviting Shang Shidai to sit, Shang Shiqian inquired, “Are you seeing anyone now?”
Shang Shidai bristled like a cat. “None of your business! Listen, even if you’re not Shang Qiguan, you look exactly like her. I could never feel that way about you, so give it up!”
Shang Shiqian: “?”
Realizing the misunderstanding, she flicked Shang Xiaowu’s forehead in amusement.
“When did you become so conceited?”
Frowning, Shang Shidai retorted, “Stop acting like my elder sister. You look younger than me!”
Shang Shiqian ignored the first half of her sentence and said, “But in my subconscious, you’ve always seemed much younger than me.”
“Did you know me before? ‘Subconscious’ my foot!” Shang Shidai scoffed sarcastically, then reconsidered wasn’t this actually a compliment about her youthful appearance? She promptly accepted being treated like a younger sister with remarkable ease.
Shang Shiqian said, “If you’re impatient with this conversation, you can leave now. I have class soon anyway.”
Her tone remained perfectly calm, yet Shang Shidai inexplicably sensed an undercurrent of authority, suddenly reminded of Shang Qiguan’s imposing presence.
Inside the Go room.
Shang Shiqian walked over to Shang Shidai, who was engrossed in a mobile game, and remarked, “I thought you came in here to study quietly. This doesn’t look like studying.”
Putting away her phone, Shang Shidai said, “I am studying English vocabulary. Listen!”
She tapped the screen, causing a row of identical chibi animal avatars to disappear, followed by a cheerful “Amazing!” from the game.
Other words like “Excellent” and “Unbelievable” followed.
Shang Shiqian covered Shang Shidai’s screen with her hand and smiled. “What an innovative way to memorize words. Let me help you review.”
“Huh?”
Curious, Shang Shidai watched as Shang Shiqian led her to the Go board for a game.
Every time Shang Shiqian captured a stone, she asked, “After taking this white stone, what’s the vocabulary word?”
Shang Shidai answered mechanically, “Good.”
“Now I’ve surrounded two white stones.”
“Great!”
“Double atari…”
Shang Shidai pushed the board away impatiently. “I quit.”
Go stones scattered across the floor.
Knowing full well what Go meant to Shang Shiqian, Shang Shidai immediately glanced guiltily at her sister.
Shang Shiqian neither grew angry nor showed any displeasure.
She simply knelt calmly to collect the stones, returning them one by one to the Go Stone Jar, then said evenly, “If you can’t accept my methods, at least be honest about it. Playing is playing; studying is studying. There’s no need for such flimsy excuses.”
Tears welled up instantly, and Shang Shidai ran off in distress, vowing never to play with her again.
…
Now, haunted by the memory, Shang Shidai felt an inexplicable chill.
Yet her heart remained strangely calm.
Perhaps because she sensed no malice from Shang Shiyu.
After an awkward pause, she blurted, “I’m currently single!”
“How many relationships have you had over the years?”
Shang Shidai: “…Why do you need to know?”
“Oh, I just want to determine if you’re the type who falls apart after heartbreak, the kind who might do something reckless over failed romance.”
“I’m not that stupid!”
Shang Shiqian thought: You say that now with conviction, but the events in the original novel weren’t fabricated.
Even if the original plot couldn’t fully capture the characters’ truest emotions, it wouldn’t invent incidents that never occurred.
Take Wei Yixian while the system’s Love Points calculation couldn’t reflect his genuine feelings, his actions driving her places, everything he did for her were undeniably real.
So even if Shang Xiaowu didn’t truly crumble from heartbreak, it remained entirely possible that she experienced a failed relationship and ultimately strayed down the wrong path.
“I hope so,” Shang Shiqian said.
Shang Shidai muttered, “What the hell…”
Shang Shiqian asked, “I’m also curious, how do you usually deal with creative blocks?”
“When I hit one, I find a way to break through it!”
“How? By traveling to clear your mind, or gathering a bunch of friends for a wild party, staying up all night to let loose?”
“None of your business, you’re so nosy!” Shang Shidai stood up. “I’m done talking to you.”
Shang Shiqian didn’t stop her, seeing her to the door and saying, “Follow traffic rules when you drive.”
Shang Shidai blurted out, “Shang Qiguan, you’re so naggy.”
The moment she said it, she froze.
Shang Shiqian didn’t respond, only ruffling her hair gently.
As Shang Shidai drove away, she glanced in the rearview mirror and saw Shang Shiqian still standing at the doorway, watching her leave. Tears welled up uncontrollably.
–
Shang Shiqian turned back inside and saw Wei Yixian standing silently on the stairs, having witnessed everything.
“Why did you come down?” Shang Shiqian walked over.
Wei Yixian gave her a meaningful look before typing on her tablet: “Her attitude toward you changed pretty fast.”
Shang Shiqian thought for a moment. “Probably, she sees me as a substitute for Shang Shiqian too.”
Wei Yixian naturally caught the word “too” but chose not to address it, instead asking, “Are you okay with being a substitute?”
“Whether I’m okay with it isn’t up to me.”
Wei Yixian scoffed and typed something.
When Shang Shiqian leaned in to look, Wei Yixian quickly turned off the screen, leaving her with only a glimpse of what might have been the words “liar.”
When Wei Yixian showed the tablet again, it read: “Seems like you see her as a little sister too.”
“So, we’re mutually heading toward each other?”
Wei Yixian: “…”
Shang Shiqian didn’t dwell on the topic. Lately, she’d developed a habit of casually checking Wei Yixian’s temperature. But as soon as she reached out, Wei Yixian leaned back, avoiding her touch.
“Your hand just touched someone else’s head, it’s greasy. Don’t touch me.”
Shang Shiqian examined her palm. “Her hair wasn’t oily. Fine, I’ll go wash my hands.”
Wei Yihang: Don’t touch me with hands that have been on someone else. Not even your sister!
Shang Shiqian: sigh
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