The White Moonlight I Chased, the Divorce I Never Expected - Chapter 53

The vibration lasted for dozens of seconds.

Chi Yi’s breathing was uneven, and her gaze gradually lost focus.

She didn’t answer.

Then came the messages:

[Xiao Yi, why aren’t you replying to me..?]
[You’re not answering my calls either QAQ]
[It’s nothing important. I just wanted to tell you I’m done with work. I didn’t see you earlier—did you already go home?]

Two minutes later:

[I’m on my way back now, should be there in about half an hour.]
[Did you take a nice bath yet? No hugs or kisses today /cat-pout.jpg]

The unread texts and the new pop-up message—Chi Yi caught only a brief glimpse, but each word was engraved deeply into her mind.

Wen Ranqing was expecting her to come home.
She wanted to hold her, to fall asleep in her arms.

And Chi Yi—didn’t she want that too?

But could she truly accept Wen Ranqing’s embrace with a clear conscience? Pretend like nothing was wrong while they kissed and cuddled, letting their pheromones intertwine even more deeply?

Chi Yi couldn’t even bring herself to accept Wen Ranqing’s goodness as if it were something she deserved—how could she bear to knowingly push her body closer to harm?

The fact that Wen Ranqing knew everything… meant she was doing it willingly.
Even if the path ahead might end in nothingness, as long as it was for Chi Yi, she would walk it without hesitation.

The sound of waves crashing on the shore only made the surrounding silence more profound.

Under the pale moonlight, Chi Yi’s eyes burned with unshed tears. Her lips—long wiped of color—were just as bloodless as her face. Her mouth was so dry she couldn’t even draw a full breath. The ringing in her ears grew louder.

Her heart, once so full, now felt desperately hollow.

Chi Yi could almost picture it:
Wen Ranqing biting her lip, staring at each unanswered message on the screen—nervous, awkward, unsure. This timid pursuit she’d just learned was about to be pushed back into its shell by Chi Yi’s silence.

She wanted so badly to reply—to send back something, anything, so Wen Ranqing wouldn’t have to keep waiting.

Her fingers trembled violently, but no words came.

In the end, it was Wen Ranqing who messaged first:

[Xiao Yi, are you busy with work? I’m fine, really. Don’t worry. If it’s too hectic, we can see each other tomorrow. Just don’t stay cold! If you sleep in the office, remember to cover yourself with a blanket!]

She had even come up with a reason for her, afraid to be a bother—packing every bit of care into that one gentle message.

Every sentence was sincere.
Every word, filled with quiet tenderness and love.

She hadn’t said she missed her.
But every syllable overflowed with longing and devotion.

Chi Yi stared blankly for who knows how long, then finally replied with a single word:

[Mm.]

She then switched her phone to silent and didn’t look at it again.

Just in case, she sprayed herself with pheromone blockers before getting in the car. The interior was lightly scented with calming aromatics. She curled into the seat, and the moment the seatbelt clicked into place, it felt like it could trap her completely.

“Are you alright?” An Li asked, frowning slightly as she glanced at her, concerned. Without waiting for a reply, she started the car.

Chi Yi shook her head vaguely in response. Her throat was painfully dry, and she had to swallow several times before she could speak in a raspy voice:
“Sorry. I used to think you were always cold, Dr. An… and I wasn’t exactly polite either.”

An Li was briefly stunned, but said nothing.

“And… thank you for telling me all this. But—could you not tell her for now?”

All of Chi Yi’s despair and pain were buried beneath her calm exterior. Her head throbbed as if splitting apart, and she stared blankly at the unfamiliar scenery outside the window. Only after she heard An Li softly say “Alright” did she finally close her eyes in exhaustion.

“Miss Chi, I need you to promise me something in return,” An Li said gently.
“We’ll be extracting your pheromones to improve the drug formulation. Once we arrive at the institute, please cooperate with the treatment.”

The chances of Wen Ranqing not experiencing rejection symptoms—and Chi Yi avoiding associated pain—were slim. Wen Ranqing’s pheromones had already been officially extracted; with Chi Yi’s added, they could optimize the treatment to tackle what the two of them were facing.

An Li kept her eyes on the quiet street ahead. Only when she paused at a traffic light did she glance back at Chi Yi.

There was none of the resistance or emotional volatility the research team had expected. It was as if this body had become so used to intense pain that it no longer needed tranquilizers or conscious restraint. That night, the girl slept deeply.

3:00 a.m.
Wen Ranqing was still curled up on the bed, hugging her knees. The screen beside her pale ankles glowed softly in the dark, lit up all night by her last message to Chi Yi—one that had yet to receive a reply.

She hadn’t seen Chi Yi in just one day, and she already missed her terribly. Wen Ranqing knew Chi Yi hadn’t come to the banquet reluctantly. Her earlier message had been warm and gentle. She wouldn’t be upset over something like this.

Then why… hadn’t she answered the call?

Was something wrong with the project?

She rarely messaged Chi Yi with so many words. And now, getting just a single one-character reply in return only deepened her unease. But she didn’t know what to do.

Chi Yi’s uncharacteristic silence made the night feel even longer and more agonizing than any she’d ever spent alone.

But their flight was tomorrow afternoon. Preparations for the press conference over the following days were already in full swing—it was going to be the public announcement of their engagement.

The flight could be changed. They’d only booked this earlier return because Chi Yi wanted to settle a few things quickly. But everything else…

Even the ability to look forward to a shared future—Wen Ranqing had learned that from Chi Yi.

Now, she instinctively felt something was wrong.

Her pale, slender hand reached out across the bed and gently clutched the tail of the little cat plushie at the foot. She stared at her phone screen for a long moment, then finally curled up on the side of the bed where Chi Yi usually slept.

By 8:00 a.m., Wen Ranqing had already left for a meeting at the partner company. After finalizing all key matters, it was nearly 3:00 p.m. She politely declined the client’s offer to stay for a meal.

Just downstairs from the office building was a small dessert shop run by a local Chinese family. Wen Ranqing had noticed it on her way in. She asked her assistant to wait in the car and went inside alone.

Her demeanor remained poised and composed as she briefly spoke with the staff—elegant in both bearing and speech. But when she looked at the dessert display, her eyes softened with a faint, tender affection.

It had been a full day and a half since she last saw Chi Yi. Even her final message from the night before had gone unanswered.

Wen Ranqing pressed her lips together, raised her phone, and snapped a photo of the dessert case. Then she sent a message:

[Xiao Yi, which flavor would you like?]
[They have vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry.]

She knew that even when Chi Yi was swamped with work, she always took a short break around lunchtime. They used to video call during that time.

Wen Ranqing’s heart raced as she waited. Seconds ticked by, and still—no response.

Xiao Yi…

The emotional armor forged by years of strict upbringing and elite experience cracked—silently, and all at once. Wen Ranqing stood frozen, overwhelmed and uncertain.

Not long after, just as her eyes began to sting, her phone screen lit up.

Chi Yi was calling. Wen Ranqing picked up immediately.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Even their breathing was so quiet, it was nearly inaudible. Wen Ranqing gave the shopgirl a small nod, indicating she’d return later, then walked to the entrance, gripping the phone tighter in her hand.

“Xiao Yi…”

Her voice was as soft and gentle as ever, but carried an unexpected tremor.
She didn’t ask when Chi Yi would be coming back—or if she would be staying away again, like last night. She simply called her name, so tenderly.

Chi Yi’s heart clenched hard. She pulled the brim of her cap lower. The coffee in front of her had long gone cold, no more steam rising from it, but her eyes filled with mist the moment she heard that familiar, gentle voice.

Almost a full minute passed before she answered:

“Mm.”

“There was an issue with the project. We had an emergency meeting last night… I didn’t check my phone. When I woke up, it had shut off from low battery. I just saw your messages.”

Chi Yi had rehearsed the excuse in her mind. But the moment she saw Wen Ranqing—heard her helpless voice—all composure shattered. She couldn’t even pretend everything was normal, let alone keep speaking calmly.

In over a decade, Chi Yi had never felt this timid. Aside from the carefully restrained emotions during their wedding, she had never been this afraid—not daring to meet her face-to-face, unable even to speak properly.

She was sitting just across the street in a small café, hiding in oversized clothing, still trembling.

“Xiao Yi didn’t rest well last night, did she?” Wen Ranqing’s voice was warm. “My work is finished now. You don’t need to worry about me.”

Hearing Chi Yi’s voice through the cold phone screen was the one thing that finally soothed Wen Ranqing’s anxious heart. Her eyes brightened a little. She turned to look through the dessert shop’s glass window at the colorful display of sweets.

Today she wore a deep red dress, elegantly hugging her waist, mature and graceful—complementing her perfectly. From where Chi Yi sat, watching the hem of that dress sway in her field of vision, she finally dared to lift her head.

Wen Ranqing didn’t even need her dazzling resume—just standing there, she exuded kindness, elegance, and otherworldly charm. Any of those qualities in someone else might have moved Chi Yi. But it was her. Wen Ranqing.

There were questions that no longer needed asking.

The person Wen Ranqing had kept in her heart all this time—there was no doubt now. Chi Yi’s throat tightened, her eyes welled again.

“I’m in a dessert shop that looks really good,” Wen Ranqing said gently. “I sent you a photo—did you see it? They have your favorite mousse flavors, and chiffon cake too. Vanilla and strawberry. And also…”

She always spoke in terms of strategy and diplomacy with others. But with Chi Yi, it was always just this—soft, girlish affection. Chi Yi hadn’t even spoken, and already Wen Ranqing’s love was overflowing from every word.

Chi Yi always listened so patiently, so gently when Wen Ranqing talked. Wen continued on, unaware of how off Chi Yi sounded, until something occurred to her. She paused, lowered her voice with slight disappointment:

“…I haven’t even asked if Xiao Yi is especially busy today.”

“Are you coming back this afternoon? If not, I’ll have them reschedule our flight.”

“If it’s late, that’s okay too. I’ll pack and meet you directly at the airport. Just tell me what kind of cake you’d like…”

Chi Yi had taken a stronger dose of the adaptation drug that morning. She had to grit her teeth to keep from crying out in pain. But now—flashes of Wen Ranqing’s own medication records came to her mind, and her face twisted in anguish.

All these years… how had she endured it?

The pain in Chi Yi’s heart now was worse than when she’d first learned the truth.
Every sentence Wen Ranqing spoke made Chi Yi’s gaze darken with growing sorrow. She held her breath, chest aching.

At last, she couldn’t hold it in anymore.

“The cake… let’s skip it for now.”

Wen Ranqing blinked in surprise—just for a moment. But there was no disappointment in her expression. If Chi Yi didn’t want dessert, then she didn’t want dessert. Her smile returned softly and without hesitation:

“Okay~”

“Then… is Xiao Yi coming home today? My dad said we should tell him before we board the plane.”

Chi Yi had originally intended for Wen Ranqing to return to China ahead of her. But the internal struggle, the wavering uncertainty she’d fought so hard to contain, was now collapsing—completely undone by Wen Ranqing’s gentle persistence.

Chi Yi looked at the woman across the street. Her eyes brimmed with emotions she could no longer hold back.

“Jiejie…” (Sister…)

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