The Cannon Fodder Ex-Wife Changes to Take the Black Moonlight Script - Chapter 9

[“This world feels so unfamiliar.”]

Wei Yixian paused just as she was about to push open the door to her room.

What did that mean?

Why did it sound a little aggrieved?

Wei Yixian withdrew her hand from the door and turned toward the study.

A short while later, a maid knocked on the study door.

“Come in.”

“You called for me, Ms. Wei?”

Wei Yixian sat on the sofa, holding a book titled Black and White Diagnosis in her left hand while pinching a Yunzi stone between the index and middle fingers of her right hand.

Before her lay a Go board, its surface scattered with Yunzi stones in an orderly arrangement.

The maid discreetly glanced at the display cabinet sure enough, the Go board inside had been taken out.

Without looking up, Wei Yixian asked, “After I left the first floor, what did she say and do?”

The maid immediately realized that “she” referred to Shang Shiqian.

Though she found it odd that Wei Yixian had brought someone home yet treated them with such indifference, hardly the attitude one would expect toward a guest, she didn’t pry. Instead, she truthfully recounted Shang Shiqian’s actions from the moment Wei Yixian left until she returned to her room to sleep.

When the maid mentioned Shang Shiqian’s sudden exclamation, “The Weida Cup is gone,” Wei Yixian, unusually, interrupted: “You heard correctly? She said, ‘The Weida Cup is gone’?”

The maid nodded. “Yes. She muttered, ‘How could it have changed?’ and seemed somewhat dejected.”

Wei Yixian rubbed the Yunzi stone between her fingers, her expression unreadable.

Not long ago, she had privately criticized Shang Shiqian for not doing her homework, failing to recognize that the Weida Cup was sponsored by the Wei family. Yet now, Shang Shiqian had seemingly discovered this fact in the evening, a coincidence that felt almost deliberate, as if to cover up her earlier oversight.

But Wei Yixian hadn’t even been in the living room at the time. Was there any need for Shang Shiqian to put on such an act?

Either Shang Shiqian had done it intentionally, hoping to relay this message through the surrounding maids, or she genuinely hadn’t known about the change in the Weijia League’s sponsorship.

If it was the former, then Shang Shiqian was undoubtedly calculating.

If it was the latter, then Shang Shiqian seemed contradictory, on one hand, she appeared deeply passionate about Go, yet on the other, she was oblivious to changes in tournament sponsorships, as though she were a player who had just emerged from years of seclusion, unaware of the outside world’s developments. This, at least, aligned logically with her claim of having come from the mountains.

After a long silence, Wei Yixian said, “You may—” She had been about to issue a command when, inexplicably, Shang Shiqian’s and the system’s earlier teasing remarks flashed through her mind. She forced herself to rephrase: “You may go and rest early.”

The maid was pleasantly surprised.

Why did Ms. Wei seem different tonight?

Had she earned special favor for her good performance?

Whatever thoughts crossed her mind, the maid quickly dismissed them and left nervously.

The study returned to silence, broken only much later by the soft clack of a Yunzi stone being placed on the board.

–

Late at night.

After a full day of firefighting efforts, the wildfire near Dongcheng Nature Reserve was finally extinguished.

Thanks to the swift response, the fire had been well-contained, preventing it from spreading and causing no casualties.

Still, after the day’s work, everyone from the frontline firefighters to the support staff was utterly exhausted.

Xiao Luomeng had already pulled a 24-hour shift and hadn’t slept at all during the day. By the time she returned to the ranger station, she didn’t even get out of the car just reclined the seat and fell asleep instantly.

Before long, her car window was tapped, and a colleague handed her a cup of instant noodles and a bottle of mineral water.

As she set the noodles aside, she noticed the phone she had tossed onto the passenger seat earlier. Picking it up and unlocking it, she saw several missed calls from her mentor Sun Wei, along with voice messages on WeChat.

She listened to them.

“Xiao Luomeng, the person you mentioned isn’t at the bus stop.”

“Did she leave already? Or did you remember the wrong stop, was it really Huayang Park Station?”

“What does she look like? Do you have a photo? If you have time, send me a picture.”

Xiao Luomeng was so exhausted her brain could barely function. After some thought, she was certain she hadn’t mistaken the bus stop and replied, “She probably left.”

As for photos, she had felt it would be impolite to take one without the person’s consent, so she hadn’t.

After sending the voice message, she checked the time past 3 a.m. Even the night owls were asleep by now, so Xiao Luomeng stopped dwelling on it, tucked her phone into her pocket, and took the cup noodles to the duty room to add hot water.

Inside, a colleague, equally worn out, was sleeping with the air conditioning on. The cold breeze from the vent sharpened Xiao Luomeng’s mind a little. As she waited for the kettle to boil, her thoughts wandered.

Shang Shiqian, the “Shang” from Shang Yang, the “Shiqian” from “time passes and things change”…

She dipped her fork in water and wrote the name on the table.

“This name… is it just a coincidence?”

–

Shang Shiqian was woken by the sound of a lawnmower outside.

She fumbled for the digital clock on her nightstand and saw it was only 6 a.m.

Shang Shiqian: …

Aren’t they worried about neighbor complaints working this early?

Oh, right she’d almost forgotten Wei Yixian’s villa spanned ten acres. The noise from the lawnmower wouldn’t reach any neighbors.

Shang Shiqian was incredulous. “Wei Yixian couldn’t possibly be awake this early, could she?”

No gardener would dare mow the lawn at dawn unless the homeowner was already up.

She pulled back the curtains. Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, servants bustled about.

The guest room Shang Shiqian was staying in offered a clear view of the tennis court.

On the court, Wei Yixian was playing against an unfamiliar man, while other servants stood by, retrieving balls and offering water and towels.

Shang Shiqian couldn’t make out the score, but it was obvious Wei Yixian was dominating.

She couldn’t help but wonder: How could someone who exercised regularly be in suboptimal health?

Unless they had habits so detrimental that even exercise couldn’t compensate.

Perhaps someone had spotted her through the window, because soon a maid came to ask if she wanted breakfast.

Shang Shiqian inquired, “Has Wei Yixian eaten yet?”

The maid dodged the question. “Ms. Wei said not to wait for her.”

Shang Shiqian understood, these maids were tight-lipped, unwilling to disclose anything about Wei Yixian.

Likely a rule set by Wei Yixian herself. Not wanting to press the maid, Shang Shiqian freshened up and went downstairs.

Seated at the dining table, she suddenly asked, “By the way, were the clothes I changed out of last night washed?”

The maid replied, “They’ve been washed and dried. Would you like to change back into them?”

Shang Shiqian smiled. “Just call me by my name Shang Shi… Yu. I’ll be heading out soon.”

She planned to return to the Shang residence to check on things.

Last night, she tried searching for information about her family on her tablet. Unfortunately, most of her family members held rather special occupations and were extremely low-profile, leaving very little traceable information online.

Only her younger sister Shang Shidai had made the news a few days ago for holding an art exhibition at a renowned gallery in Shanghai.

But the news coverage was brief, with no mention of her personal life.

So, she still wanted to see them with her own eyes.

Wei Yixian had just stepped inside when she heard Shang Shiqian say she was going out.

Since she was still waiting for Shang Shiqian to contact the mastermind behind the scenes, she didn’t stop her. Instead, she proactively asked, “Where are you going? Do you need a car?”

Shang Shiqian turned to look at her.

Wei Yixian was wearing a sleeveless tennis outfit, the fabric soaked with sweat in large patches. She held a towel in her hand, her forehead and cheeks damp with sweat, strands of hair sticking to her skin. After wiping her face with the towel, her hair stuck up in messy tufts.

Shang Shiqian inexplicably felt the urge to laugh.

Suppressing her amusement, she politely declined, “No need, I have money for a taxi.”

Wei Yixian: Money fished out of the trash? Who knows if it’s even been disinfected.

She didn’t respond. Just as she was about to head upstairs, she suddenly paused, turning back to say coolly, “Remember to report when you’ll be back. Otherwise, you won’t be able to get in, and the kitchen needs to prepare meals accordingly.”

Shang Shiqian was surprised, Wei Yixian actually assumed she’d return?

Though this place was indeed the best shelter she’d found so far, how could Wei Yixian be so sure she had nowhere else to go?

After a moment of contemplation, it dawned on her: Ah, I see, this is just the typical domineering CEO syndrome.

After mentally preparing herself yesterday, she didn’t bother complaining to the system this time.

But domineering CEOs had their perks: free meals, free lodging, no prying into her business, and no unnecessary trouble.

As for whether Wei Yixian had ulterior motives for treating her so well…

Shang Shiqian figured that, despite Wei Yixian’s drastic personality changes, as the protagonist, her moral character probably wasn’t that terrible.

Most likely, it really was just because this face reminded Wei Yixian of her, hence the kindness.

–

Taking advantage of Shang Shiqian’s absence, Wei Yixian had several key areas of the villa thoroughly inspected but no surveillance or listening devices were found.

The phone she’d sent for overnight testing was also returned. The bodyguard reported that technicians had analyzed it and found no implanted viruses or traces of eavesdropping.

Wei Yixian fell silent for a moment before instructing someone to schedule a full-body checkup for her… and to book a psychiatrist while they were at it.

Maid: Why does the CEO seem different tonight?

Shang #4: Because the stench is gone.

CEO: ?

Shang #4: Too bad it’s not completely gone still reeks of that domineering CEO syndrome. The arrogance.

CEO: …

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