The Cannon Fodder Ex-Wife Changes to Take the Black Moonlight Script - Chapter 52
Wei Yixian didn’t attend East City University’s graduation ceremony, and neither did the students from the Go Room.
For them, the graduation ceremony was just an occasion to listen to bureaucratic speeches from the administration something best avoided if possible. The evening’s graduation gala, however, was worth watching.
As dusk fell, Shang Xiaowu came to ask Shang Shiqian to join her for dinner and inquired if she wanted to attend the gala.
Shang Shiqian replied, “I can watch for a bit, but I still have to teach Wei Yixian later tonight.”
The gala started at 7:30 PM, and since she had to leave by 8:00 PM to catch a ride for Wei Yixian’s 9:00 PM lesson, her time was limited.
Shang Xiaowu suddenly remembered that Shang Shiyu was Wei Yixian’s Go instructor.
She pursed her lips, surprised that Wei Yixian had kept this trick up his sleeve.
“What time is the lesson?”
“Nine.”
“Then I’ll take you there at 8:30.”
Shang Shiqian nodded. “That works. It’s been a while since I’ve watched a gala.”
Back when she was training at the dojo, her days started at 8:00 AM with practice, followed by a one-and-a-half-hour break at noon, then more training until 5:30 PM. After dinner, she’d spend over two hours reviewing game records.
In her rare free time, she’d read novels or watch dramas to relax.
But during the stage when she was pushing for professional rank, she was too busy preparing for tournaments her lunch break shrank to half an hour, and she no longer had time for novels or TV shows, let alone school galas.
Shang Xiaowu asked again, “What time does the lesson end?”
“It’s an hour-long lesson, so around 10:00 PM.”
“Want to grab late-night snacks afterward?”
Shang Shiqian shook her head. “After the lesson, it’s time to shower and sleep.”
“Your schedule is…” Shang Xiaowu trailed off.
“What about my schedule?”
Shang Xiaowu deflated. “Nothing.”
Back then, Shang Qiguan would review game records after dinner and usually went to bed before 10:30 PM, keeping a schedule as strict as their grandmother’s.
The fact that Shang Shiyu’s routine was so similar to Shang Qiguan’s made it harder and harder for Shang Xiaowu to tell them apart.
She had mocked Wei Yixian for treating Shang Shiyu as a substitute for Shang Qiguan, but wasn’t she herself chasing the shadow of her sister in Shang Shiyu?
Realizing she was no different from Wei Yixian, she wilted like frostbitten eggplant.
Unaware of her thoughts, Shang Shiqian reached out and ruffled her hair. “Did you stay up late last night? Go home and rest first. See you tonight.”
At first, Shang Xiaowu had been annoyed when someone younger than her patted her head but now, she had no resistance left.
She boasted, “I’m meeting a celebrity later!”
“Go ahead, then.”
“Aren’t you curious who it is?”
Shang Shiqian chuckled. “I probably wouldn’t recognize them anyway, so why ask?”
She had never paid much attention to the entertainment industry she only knew a few actors from the dramas she’d watched.
Eight years later, the industry was surely flooded with new faces she wouldn’t recognize.
Shang Xiaowu said, “I could introduce you.”
“My schedule’s packed today. Next time.”
Left with no choice, Shang Xiaowu went alone to meet Li Xiao.
Their meeting place was an upscale private dining establishment, one with a per-person cost exceeding ten thousand.
Shang Shidai thought such an extravagant choice was unnecessary, but Li Xiao insisted it was crucial to show Fu Qianzhong’s side the extent of her confidence.
Shang Shidai scoffed, “Your confidence is just flaunting your wealth? Isn’t that the easiest way to get scammed?”
When the two entered the private room, they saw two women seated inside.
Shang Shidai recognized the stylish and glamorous one as Fu Qianzhong, with her agent sitting beside her.
Li Xiao greeted them first, then introduced Shang Shidai with a smile: “This is the biggest investor in our short drama project, Shang Shidai.”
Shang Shidai was puzzled: “Since when was I the biggest investor?”
Wasn’t Li Xiao the one who invested the most?
She hadn’t even been interested in this industry initially, it was only after Li Xiao spent considerable effort persuading her that she agreed to invest two months’ worth of pocket money.
“One of your paintings sells for hundreds of thousands, and you’ve lent out so many, of course you’re the biggest investor!”
Of course, this was just Li Xiao’s way of breaking the ice.
This meeting had actually been requested by Fu Qianzhong’s agency. Since Li Xiao had few connections in the entertainment industry and her company was still new, lacking both reputation and credibility, the agency wanted to ensure Fu Qianzhong’s rights wouldn’t be compromised such as last-minute casting changes or demands beyond acting requirements.
Hence, vetting the character of their collaborators in advance was necessary.
Li Xiao was well aware that money was the only thing she had to offer, so she brought Shang Shidai along to bolster their credibility.
Shang Shidai knew Li Xiao had her own agenda, but as long as she didn’t misuse the Shang family’s name or act recklessly, she didn’t mind helping out.
After the initial pleasantries, they got down to business.
Shang Shidai had no involvement in Li Xiao’s company operations, so she stayed silent throughout.
It wasn’t until casual conversation that Li Xiao asked, “Is Fu Qianzhong your real name?”
Fu Qianzhong shook her head with a smile. My real name is Fu Tu, Fu as in ‘master,’ Tu as in ‘wild ginger.’’ Fu Qianzhong is my stage name.”
Shang Shidai muttered, “Isn’t Fu Tu better-sounding than Fu Qianzhong?”
Most people chose stage names because their real names were too plain or unappealing but here, it was the opposite.
Everyone present heard her remark.
Fu Qianzhong chuckled. “Because Fu Tu sounds like ‘Buddhist pagoda’, which carries too strong a religious connotation, so I changed it.””
Her agent added, “Exactly. Qianzhong has a great meaning and is easy to remember.”
“Qianzhong su” (a thousand measures of grain) and “lu qianzhong” (a thousand measures of salary) both symbolize abundant wealth and prosperity.
In the entertainment industry, who wouldn’t want fame and fortune?
Fu Qianzhong added, “It also means great drinking capacity.”
Li Xiao didn’t get it, but Shang Shidai smiled knowingly.
In some classical poetry, “qianzhong” also refers to someone who can hold their liquor.
…
Once the contract signing time and location were settled, the agent left with Fu Qianzhong.
Li Xiao turned to Shang Shidai. “Too bad you refused to act in my short drama. Otherwise, you two could’ve formed a ‘Clock CP’…”
Shang Shidai was speechless. “We barely know each other. What kind of CP would that be?”
“Whether you know each other or not doesn’t matter. What’s important is boosting the artist’s fanbase. Do you know the fastest way to attract a massive following?”
Shang Shidai shook her head.
“First, hype up a CP to get the audience obsessed. Once the fanbase grows, have trolls pretend to be fans of one side and start a feud with the other, converting some CP fans into solo stans.”
Shang Shidai: “…”
No wonder people said the entertainment industry was murky capitalists really had a playbook for everything.
If Li Xiao had suggested this while she was stuck in a creative rut, she might’ve agreed just to find inspiration.
But after meeting Shang Shiyu, her inspiration surged like a spring, unstoppable.
With no creative block and needing to keep an eye on Wei Yixian and Shang Shiyu to prevent the substitute matter from reaching the Shang family, she simply had no time to participate in Li Xiao’s short film shooting.
In the evening, Shang Shidai went to find Shang Shiqian.
Shang Shiqian casually asked, “How did it feel meeting the big celebrity?”
Only then did Shang Xiaowu honestly say, “Actually, it wasn’t some big celebrity, just an artist from a variety show Grandma likes.”
Shang Shiqian mindlessly agreed with their grandmother: “Any artist Grandma likes can definitely be called a big celebrity.”
Shang Xiaowu emphasized, “That’s my grandma!”
“Madam Shang Yu Feng has contributed so much to education. What’s wrong with outsiders affectionately calling her ‘Grandma’?”
Shang Xiaowu was left speechless.
She hmphed and turned to recount the day’s meeting.
Shang Shiqian had been somewhat indifferent at first, but upon hearing this, suddenly felt something was off.
This development seemed eerily similar to Shang Xiaowu’s fate as mentioned in the original novel.
Since the original novel didn’t name the person who caused Shang Xiaowu’s emotional setback, Shang Shiqian couldn’t pay attention to them in advance.
But from the gossip of passersby some gloating, others pitying, it was clear that person had considerable fame in the entertainment industry.
When they were together, the whole world knew; when they broke up, naturally, everyone knew too.
Shang Shiqian wasn’t sure if that person was Fu Qianzhong, so she couldn’t comment recklessly.
She asked Shang Xiaowu, “So you didn’t agree?”
“I’m not in that line of work. Why would I agree?”
“I mean, didn’t you have any thoughts about the proposal to pair up with Fu Qianzhong as a CP?”
“None,” Shang Xiaowu said bluntly.
Shang Shiqian sighed in relief.
“Why are you so concerned about whether I’d form a CP with her?” Shang Xiaowu’s alarm bells rang, don’t tell me she’s acting like Shang Qiguan and developing feelings for me!
Shang Shiqian flicked her forehead. “Get those improper thoughts out of your head.”
“Okay.” Shang Xiaowu rubbed her forehead and settled down.
–
8:30 p.m.
After watching a few evening programs, Shang Shiqian took Shang Xiaowu’s car to Tianhao Garden.
Shang Xiaowu had originally planned to wait inside the villa, but the guard relayed Wei Yixian’s message that she wasn’t welcome.
She figured waiting in the car was just as good, a couple of games, and an hour would pass quickly.
Then, her eldest sister’s phone call dragged her back home.
Shang Shixing asked, “What are you doing at Tianhao Garden every day?”
Shang Xiaowu couldn’t explain and only asked, “Did Wei Yixian complain to you?”
“More people than just Wei Yixian live in Tianhao Garden’s east district. Anyone with eyes can see you going in and out so often does it take her complaining to me?” Shang Shixing warned, “If you don’t come back now, I’ll head over myself to see what you’re up to.”
Shang Xiaowu shuddered in fear.
If her eldest sister ran into Shang Shiyu there, wouldn’t that be disastrous?
So she slunk back to the Shang residence.
Of course, she only left after confirming Wei Yixian would arrange for someone to send Shang Shiqian home later.
After persuading her sister to leave, Shang Shiqian entered the house and changed her shoes at the entrance.
Even though she had left that very morning, returning now felt strangely unfamiliar.
Perhaps the shift in identity had altered her mindset.
She wasn’t sure yet whether this shift in mindset was beneficial or harmful, so she didn’t dwell on it.
Wei Yixian was in the room, but when Shang Shiqian unpacked her luggage, she realized she had forgotten a desk calendar.
The calendar itself wasn’t worth much, but it contained many scheduled appointments, so she first went back to the guest room to retrieve it before heading up to the third floor.
The door to the master bedroom wasn’t fully closed. Just as she pressed the doorbell, Wei Yixian’s voice drifted through the gap: “Come in.”
Shang Shiqian closed the door behind her and walked through the sliding door into the small living area, where she saw Wei Yixian sitting on the sofa in a silk robe with a tie, sipping wine.
She began, “You!”
Wei Yixian already knew what she wanted to say and cut her off. “I’m better now. No need for medicine, so I can drink.”
Shang Shiqian fell silent, set her backpack aside, and sat down across from her.
The Go board and Go stone jar were already set up.
Shang Shiqian quickly shifted into teaching mode. “From previous lessons, I can see you already have some understanding of joseki, so today we’ll focus on opening strategies.”
As she spoke, she began demonstrating moves.
“Generally, to secure more central territory by the middle game, the opening moves are played in the corners first…”
Shang Shiqian suddenly stopped and looked up at Wei Yixian.
Wei Yixian’s eyes were hazy with intoxication, her cheeks flushed from the alcohol. Her gaze seemed fixed on the board, yet also distant.
As if uncomfortable in her current position, she leaned back against the sofa, kicked off her slippers, and crossed her legs, causing the smooth silk robe to slip open over her bare skin.
Shang Shiqian averted her eyes.
She tried to refocus on the board but couldn’t ignore the inexplicable restlessness stirring deep within her.
She hadn’t intended to comment on Wei Yixian’s habits, but she couldn’t help walking over and taking the wine bottle away. “Drinking during a lesson no respect for the teacher.”
Wei Yixian let out a soft, amused laugh and teased, “Sorry, teacher. I’ll drink after the lesson.”
Shang Shiqian: “…”
She was too late to stop her. Wei Yixian was clearly already heavily drunk.
Who knew how much she had drunk before Shang Shiqian arrived?
Shang Shiqian rarely got angry, but right now, she felt an inexplicable fury rising.
Reasoning with Wei Yixian would sound too preachy, and as a nearly thirty-year-old adult, Wei Yixian wouldn’t listen anyway.
But saying nothing wasn’t an option she couldn’t bear to watch Wei Yixian recklessly harm her own health like this.
After some thought, the only way to stop Wei Yixian was to leave her with no wine to drink!
So Shang Shiqian tilted her head back and took several gulps of whiskey in a manner that would make any connoisseur cringe.
She set the bottle down on the table and said to Wei Yixian, “I drank from this.”
Wei Yixian, as if discovering something amusing, suddenly stood and closed the distance between them, forcing Shang Shiqian to stumble back onto the sofa.
Then, just like that night on the balcony, Wei Yixian sat on her lap again.
But unlike last time, Wei Yixian pressed even closer this time.
She also held her wineglass against Shang Shiqian’s shoulder, any slight movement would tip it over, spilling its contents.
With a mocking smirk, Wei Yixian taunted, “Teacher, you’re so naive. I have so much more wine in my cabinet, do you really think you can drink it all?”
Her tone was full of provocation.
Shang Shiqian, having drunk the whiskey too quickly and with its high alcohol content, now had cheeks as red as peach blossoms.
She said, “Before I leave, I’ll lock the liquor cabinet first and throw away the key. Or I could take a sip from every bottle inside so you won’t have any alcohol left to drink. I know your liquor is expensive, and I can’t afford to compensate you. At worst, you can call the police to arrest me.”
Wei Yixian was thoroughly amused: “Professor, you’re really going all out, I’m so scared.”
Shang Shiqian: “…”
Suddenly calming down, she steadied her slightly dizzy head, feeling exasperated at her own recklessness.
Why was she even arguing with a drunkard?
Shang Shiqian took the glass Wei Yixian had been leaning against her shoulder, downed the remaining liquor in one gulp, and said, “Alright, the drinks are finished. Go back to sleep. I should head back too.”
Wei Yixian asked, “Back where?”
“Back to your bed, of course. The sofa here is too short you’ll probably wake up with a stiff neck if you sleep on it.”
“Will you come back too?”
“Of course, I—” Shang Shiqian nearly bit her tongue. “I’m going back to the dorm. You go back to bed.”
“Can’t we both go back to your dorm bed?”
Shang Shiqian’s face instantly burned crimson.
Wei Yixian when drunk.
Wei Yixian, whose thoughts seemed erratic yet whose words followed impeccable logic.
He really was impossible to resist.
Shang Shiqian: I’m helpless against drunks.
Wei Yixian: Under control.
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