The Cannon Fodder Ex-Wife Changes to Take the Black Moonlight Script - Chapter 46

In terms of assets, the Shang family couldn’t crack the top twenty among Dongcheng’s elite families (before the marriage alliance).

But as a renowned “Millennial Family,” the Shang family’s connections and educational resources were something many wealthy clans could only dream of.

Thus, even though the Shang family’s “new third generation” had no contact with the second or third-generation heirs of Dongcheng’s elite families before adulthood, no one in Dongcheng’s high society would dare gossip behind their backs.

In fact, every invitation extended by the Shang family was met with enthusiastic responses.

Thanks to Old Mr. Wei’s sponsorship of the “Weida Cup” Weijia League and his connection with Lin Shizhang, the honorary president of the Go Association, the Wei family had more frequent and closer interactions with the Shang family than other elite families.

However, the Wei family had numerous descendants counting Old Mr. Wei’s children, nephews, and grandchildren, there were over a dozen.

No matter how outstanding Wei Yixian was, her gender ensured that Old Mr. Wei would never prioritize her with the family’s resources.

So while Wei Yixian had attended some of the Shang family’s banquets, this was the first time she had been brought to visit Madam Shang Yufeng outside of holidays or formal events.

Her intuition told her it wasn’t because her father had any remarkable ability that would earn Madam Shang Yufeng’s favor, there had to be a deeper reason behind it.

Sure enough, the one who had truly arranged this visit was Shang Xuanyan, the eldest princess of the Phoenix Group.

And the person they were actually here to see wasn’t Madam Shang Yufeng, but Shang Yunyu.

Wei Yixian keenly sensed that this visit was, at its core, a business negotiation.

She was merely an afterthought.

After the initial pleasantries, Shang Yunyu, Shang Xuanyan, and Wei Yongkun quickly retreated to the study.

Wei Yongkun left Wei Yixian in the living room to chat with Shang Yufeng.

From this perspective, she really was here to visit Madam Shang Yufeng.

Though Shang Yufeng was over sixty, her hair remained jet black.

She had a kind and gentle face, cradling a British Longhair kitten in her arms.

The kitten was exceptionally well-behaved, its amber eyes curiously studying Wei Yixian as its fluffy tail swished back and forth against Shang Yufeng.

Like most grandmothers, Shang Yufeng inquired about Wei Yixian’s studies and daily life.

Wei Yixian answered each question politely.

Finally, she asked curiously, “Grandma Shang, does this kitten have a name?”

The faint wrinkles at the corners of Shang Yufeng’s eyes deepened slightly as she smiled. “Yes, its formal name is Lanke, and its nickname is C.C.”

“Lanke refers to Go, but what does C.C. stand for?”

“The nickname was given by Xiao Wu. I don’t know what it means.”

“Was the formal name given by Shang Shiqian?”

Shang Yufeng looked surprised. “Why not assume it was your Grandpa Lin who named it?”

Wei Yixian couldn’t very well say that while Lin Shizhang loved Go, he wasn’t obsessed with it his life encompassed much more than just the game, making it unlikely he’d name a cat “Lanke.”

But Shang Shiqian, on the other hand.

Wei Yixian smiled faintly. “It’s either Grandpa Lin or Shang Shiqian. I was just guessing.”

Shang Yufeng didn’t press further, chuckling lightly before saying, “Shixing and the other two older ones, along with Xiao Wu, aren’t home right now. Xiao Si is in the Go Room. You two are around the same age you might have things to talk about.”

Wei Yixian didn’t think she and Shang Shiqian would have much in common, but considering the purpose of her visit, she obliged.

As she stood up, little Lanke leaped out of Shang Yufeng’s arms and landed gracefully on the floor.

Shang Yufeng said, “C.C will take you to the Go Room.”

Little Lanke scampered ahead cheerfully, with Wei Yixian following behind, somewhat curious about why this kitten was so remarkably human-like.

It wasn’t until they reached the Go Room that the mystery was solved.

Entering the Go Room, Little Lanke acted as if stepping into an amusement park, immediately dashing about in excitement.

First, it clawed and gnawed at the floor cushions. Seeing no one stop it, it then leaped onto the table.

Staring at the Go board on the table, it struck a pose as if ready to charge.

The next second, it pounced onto the board with arranged stones, and with just a swipe of its paw, instantly disrupted the game’s setup.

After its mischief, it quickly hid inside the Go Stone Jar before anyone could scold it, leaving only its tail swishing outside.

From the chair, a girl with a low ponytail pulled the kitten out of the jar by its scruff, holding it up with a puzzled expression. “Lanke, how did you get in here?”

Little Lanke meowed at her in response.

Turning around and spotting Wei Yixian, the girl’s eyes flickered with confusion, as if wondering how a stranger had appeared in the Go Room.

But she still curved her brows into a smile and greeted Wei Yixian, “Hello.”

–

Hearing Wei Yixian mention that they had met so long ago, while she herself had no recollection, Shang Shiqian felt a pang of guilt.

Now that she had set aside Go in her mind, fragments of those memories gradually resurfaced.

“So, I, ahem, I mean, you and Shang Shiqian were in contact for half a year before getting married?” Shang Shiqian nearly slipped up.

Wei Yixian stood with her back to the moonlight, the silver glow failing to illuminate her eyes. Instead, shrouded in shadow, her gaze was dark and deep, like a still, fathomless pool.

“Yes,” Wei Yixian replied, covering her mouth with a handkerchief as she coughed lightly. “But we didn’t meet often in the first few months not until the Shang family began considering the marriage alliance.”

Admittedly, the Shang family’s motivation for the alliance with the Wei family was also rooted in interests.

But unlike most aristocratic families, including the Weis, the Shangs prioritized familial bonds above all else.

The elders of the Shang family carefully weighed their children’s futures and respected their wishes.

If an arranged marriage would become a cage or a grave for their child, they would never push for it purely for profit.

The turning point came when Shang Shiqian raised no objections to the family’s arrangements.

Though the Shangs thought her agreement was far too hasty.

Later, after Shang Shiqian and Wei Yixian formally met for a few dates and Shang Shiqian expressed that she “didn’t dislike the idea of living with Wei Yixian,” the Shang family finalized the marriage.

When Shang Shiqian pieced this together with Shang Xiaowu’s self-reproach, she finally understood why the Shang family and Wei Yixian had ultimately fallen out.

It was because her decision back then had seemed far too reckless in their eyes.

Shang Shiqian sighed helplessly.

In the end, it really was her fault.

She had been too absorbed in the world of Go, neglecting communication with her family.

And outside of Go, she had always appeared so indifferent to everything else that, after losing her, her family members blamed themselves, believing she had chosen Wei Yixian because of their influence.

The one thing Shang Shiqian was grateful for was that they hadn’t sunk as deeply into guilt and self-blame as Shang Xiaowu had.

Thinking of Shang Xiaowu, Shang Shiqian wondered: She hasn’t made a sound these past two days, what could she be up to?

Distracted, Wei Yixian suddenly leaned in, wrapping her arms around Shang Shiqian’s neck.

The distance between them closed instantly.

Feeling Wei Yixian’s shift in balance, Shang Shiqian instinctively reached out to steady her waist, afraid she might topple over and get hurt.

“Do you think Shang Shiqian’s decision was too rash? She’s only 20, with plenty of time to meet someone she truly likes. There’s no need to marry so early,” Wei Yixian murmured.

Shang Shiqian didn’t think much and countered, “How can you be so sure you’re not the one she likes?”

Wei Yixian froze, staring at her unblinkingly.

Realizing what she had just said, Shang Shiqian felt her face grow warm.

She silently thanked her naturally higher body temperature and the dim moonlight for masking the flush on her cheeks.

Wei Yixian, however, lowered her gaze and said meaningfully, “Whether she likes me or not, I can still tell.”

With that, Shang Shiqian suddenly felt the weight on her lap disappear.

Wei Yixian had gotten off her legs.

Wei Yixian stood barefoot in the moonlight, as if stepping on silver frost.

Her already slender frame had grown even thinner after days of illness, so frail it seemed a gust of wind could knock her over.

But Wei Yixian was no delicate flower.

“It’s late. Time to sleep,” she said.

In the dead of night, the Shang household was still lit.

Shang Shixing knocked on the studio door.

Shang Shidai looked surprised. “Elder sister? You’re working this late again?”

Shang Shixing frowned. “Are you planning to pull another all-nighter?”

Shang Shidai hurriedly replied, “Oh, no, I’m going to bed now.”

Accustomed to her sister’s procrastination, Shang Shixing was about to remind her further when she saw her actually turn off the studio lights.

Shang Shixing was stunned, it was 1 a.m., not 1 p.m., right?

As her sister tried to slip away, Shang Shixing called out, “Grandmother mentioned you’ve suddenly taken an interest in spa treatments lately, going out with Li Xiao every day?”

The skeptical tone sent a chill down Shang Shidai’s neck.

“Yeah, I’ve been lacking inspiration and needed to relax.”

“But I recall Li Xiao’s family runs a cosmetic surgery hospital?”

“They also have non-surgical spas.”

Clearly unconvinced, Shang Shixing said, “I haven’t had a spa day in a while either. I’ll join you today.”

Shang Shidai nearly lost her composure.

She really had been meeting Li Xiao these past few days, but today she’d planned to check on Shang Qiguan’s substitute to see if they’d recovered.

With her elder sister tagging along, her plans were completely disrupted!

Back in her room, she secretly coordinated with Li Xiao.

After lunch, the sisters headed out.

Having received Shang Shidai’s late-night message, Li Xiao was already waiting at her family’s spa early that afternoon.

“Shixing-jie, long time no see.”

Shang Shixing smiled faintly. “It has been a while. You haven’t visited us much recently.”

“I’ve been busy starting my own business.”

“Business?”

“Yes, an MCN agency.”

Shang Shixing was familiar with MCNs, as Phoenix Group handled some logistics operations. With the rise of cross-border e-commerce, their shipping orders had increased significantly.

Although this segment only accounted for ten percent of the transportation business, it had become an indispensable part, thus drawing Phoenix Group’s attention to the closely related MCN industry in e-commerce.

Seeing Shang Shixing’s interest, Li Xiao seized the opportunity to pitch her business plan in hopes of securing investment.

After leaving the Li family’s beauty salon, Shang Shixing visibly relaxed.

Shang Shidai asked curiously, “Sis, are you planning to invest in Li Xiao?”

“Who said that?”

“You looked pretty interested in what she was saying heck, you’re even smiling right now!”

Shang Shixing composed her expression. “I was just relieved that you actually came here for a spa.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Shang Shixing didn’t bother explaining.

Yesterday, she had received an anonymous email.

The content was brief and vague, hinting that one of Shang Xiaowu’s friends was a drug addict.

The message seemed nonsensical at first glance, but Shang Shixing couldn’t afford to ignore it.

Was the sender threatening her, or warning her?

She leaned toward the latter, a caution to prevent Shang Xiaowu from being led astray by bad influences.

Yet, the sender didn’t specify which friend was involved.

To avoid being misled and making the wrong judgment, she traced the email’s origin.

Unfortunately, the sender had clearly taken precautions, using multiple layers of anonymous VPNs and wiping the logs.

The matter weighed on Shang Shixing’s mind, so she used this opportunity to observe and test Li Xiao.

Though one conversation wasn’t enough to determine whether Li Xiao was the one who might lead Shang Xiaowu down the wrong path,

her complexion and clear-headedness while discussing her MCN venture suggested she could be ruled out for now.

After some thought, Shang Shixing asked, “I’ve heard many artists turn to drugs for inspiration. Do you know anyone like that?”

Shang Shidai immediately distanced herself. “I’ve never touched that stuff!”

“I’m just asking if you know anyone who does! It’s good if you don’t, but if you do, stay away from them.”

“How would I know if they’re using? If I did, I’d turn them over to the cops in a heartbeat.”

Shang Shixing smirked. “You’d better.”

Offended by her sister’s distrust, Shang Shidai pouted and tapped her phone screen. “Hey, why aren’t you replying to me?”

Tianhao Garden, No. 9.

Shang Shiqian picked up his phone and replied, “Because you’re rude.”

After a long pause, the other end finally sent a message: “Fine, I’ll call you Shang Shiyu from now on, okay?”

Only then did Shang Shiqian respond. “Just tested negative. Returning to East City University tomorrow.”

Shang Xiaowu seemed to be struggling with something, as the “typing” indicator flickered repeatedly.

Knowing she’d eventually give up, Shang Shiqian set his phone aside and resumed his lecture.

By evening, nearing the end of the workday, Xie Mei and Yin Lian arrived.

However, their purposes differed.

Yin Lian was there to collect the documents Wei Yixian had processed during his sick leave he was due back at work tomorrow while Xie Mei had come to deliver files.

Taking a moment, Shang Shiqian asked Yin Lian, “Do you know how to send an untraceable anonymous email?”

Yin Lian shook her head. “I only know that using a VPN can change your IP address, but if you encounter an expert, they can easily trace the real IP.”

Shang Shiqian was troubled.

She wanted to email her eldest sister as a warning, but she also knew that if she sent the email just like that, her sister would definitely investigate who sent it and would inevitably trace the email back to someone connected to Wei Yixian.

Given the Shang family’s attitude toward Wei Yixian, her sister wouldn’t easily believe it and might even deepen their misunderstandings.

At least she could keep an eye on Shang Xiaowu for now. She would wait for the right opportunity to warn her family later.

Wei Yixian: “You like me? Hah, you forgot the date we registered our marriage. Is this what you call ‘like’?”

Shang Shiqian: “…”

System: “Wow, looks like someone’s in the doghouse!”

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