The Cannon Fodder Ex-Wife Returns as the Black Moonlight - Chapter 13

Wei Yixian pretended to show vulnerability because predators always struck when prey revealed a weakness.

But she waited, and waited, yet Shang Shiqian never made a move.

Was she really this restrained?

Wei Yixian cast a glance at her, only to be briefly stunned by the sight.

Shang Shiqian’s eyes curved gently as she smiled. Her expression was like the moon breaking through clouds on a pitch-black night. It was bright, pure, and flawless. Even the light above her seemed to dim by comparison.

She looked even more like her now.

A wave of emotion surged in Wei Yixian’s chest. She quickly lowered her head, bit her lip, and feigned drunkenness by resting her forehead on the bar counter.

She had already gone this far for someone who couldn’t act to save her life. If Shang Shiyu still refused to drop the act, then it was just plain rude.

Watching Wei Yixian suddenly collapse against the bar, Shang Shiqian called out with concern, “Wei Yixian?”

A few seconds passed before Wei Yixian slightly lifted her finger.

But even that tiny motion seemed to drain all her strength. Her body remained limp, the image of someone completely wasted.

Shang Shiqian frowned in distress.

If Wei Yixian had been sober, she could have carried her upstairs without much trouble. But drunk people were notoriously difficult to move, even carrying them on one’s back would be a struggle.

So she gave up on being a hero and decided to wake her up.

“Wei Yixian, don’t fall asleep yet. Go sleep in your room.”

She gave her arm a few gentle nudges.

“Or you can sleep on the living room couch. Just don’t sleep like this, you’ll wake up with a stiff neck.”

She switched from pushing her arm to patting her hand.

“Actually, the bar area’s quite spacious and there’s carpet. Maybe just sleep here. I’ll get you a blanket.”

Shang Shiqian stopped touching her and began to think aloud. “Should I get some water to splash on her face?”

Wei Yixian: …

She was now convinced Shang Shiqian had no intention of seducing her like the system suggested.

She had lured the snake out of its hole only to be left in silence.

But she didn’t wake up right away. A good performance needed commitment.

Thankfully, Shang Shiqian didn’t actually throw water on her face. Instead, she returned the liquor to the cabinet, washed the glasses, and placed them back as well.

After finishing all that, she took a deep breath and walked over to the landline. She pressed the extension to connect with the night duty room.

“I know it’s late, and I’m sorry to wake you, but Wei Yixian is drunk. Could two of you help carry her back to her room?”

The maids, who were very much awake: …

“Yes, of course,” one maid stammered into the phone.

What was going on?

Miss Wei had an incredible tolerance. How could she possibly be drunk?

But even if she was, they couldn’t move her without permission.

After a few moments of hesitation, worried something might go wrong, they chose to head over and check.

…

Once she handed Wei Yixian off to the maids, Shang Shiqian returned to her room to rest.

Back at the bar.

The maids glanced at Wei Yixian, whose eyes were sharp and clear, and finally understood.

As expected, there was no way Miss Wei could really be drunk. She had obviously faked it in front of Shang Shiyu.

Wei Yixian said calmly, “What happened tonight stays between us.”

“Understood.”

“Also, you shouldn’t come here for nothing. I’ll count this as overtime.”

With that, Wei Yixian headed upstairs.

The maids looked at each other, surprised.

Did Miss Wei just say they’d get paid overtime?

She must have been in a good mood tonight.

…

Shang Shiqian went to bed later than usual and woke up two hours later than normal.

There was no sound from the lawnmower, and the tennis court was empty. Wei Yixian wasn’t playing her usual morning match.

Shang Shiqian came downstairs and asked a maid, “Has Wei Yixian sobered up yet?”

Before the maid could make up an excuse, Shang Shiqian answered her own question. “She probably has.”

She had noticed a new jar of honey on the table.

Honey water helped with hangovers. The maid must have made it for Wei Yixian.

The maid smiled at her, neither confirming nor denying.

Then she handed over a brand new, unopened desk calendar. “By the way, Miss Shang, here’s the calendar you asked for.”

“Thank you!”

After breakfast, Shang Shiqian returned to her room with the calendar in hand.

Suddenly, the system’s alert popped up. The heartache value had increased by another one percent.

Shang Shiqian: ?

“System, care to explain?”

“The female lead returned the gift she received yesterday.”

Shang Shiqian: …

It had only been one night. What could have possibly happened between her and the white moonlight for things to become this dramatic?

Fenghuang Corporation, CEO’s Office.

The secretary struggled to keep her eyes open as she reported to Wei Yixian. “Miss Wei, as you instructed, I returned the gift to Miss Yin early this morning.”

Last night, after ten, Wei Yixian suddenly told her to head back to the office and retrieve something.

Already frustrated, she became even more distressed upon learning that the gift she had been safeguarding was worth over a million dollars. She hadn’t slept a wink all night.

To carry out the boss’s command without being late for work, she went to block Yin Zaishui at the entrance of Zhouran Corporation first thing this morning.

She was exhausted.

Wei Yixian didn’t look up. “Take two days of paid leave. Go home and rest.”

The secretary was so startled that her sleepiness vanished.

What did she mean?

Was she being fired?

Did she make a mistake? Had she done something to anger Miss Wei?

Too afraid to ask, she left in a panic.

When the assistant, Xie Mei, came in to meet with Wei Yixian, the secretary pulled her aside and whispered, “Sister Xie, am I about to get fired?”

After hearing what happened, Xie Mei laughed and said, “Stop overthinking. Just focus on your job. She’s clearly pleased with your performance. If she wasn’t, she’d find fault with you no matter how hard you worked. No way she’d give you time off otherwise.”

The secretary finally relaxed and admired her senior’s insight. No wonder Sister Xie, who had stood beside Miss Wei through the succession battle, could confidently tease the boss.

Shang Shiqian arrived thirty minutes early at the convenience store outside Dongcheng University’s east gate to meet Chen Yixun.

She didn’t have to wait long. Chen Yixun showed up early too.

“I just got a call about a delivery,” Chen Yixun said with a smile. “Figured I’d grab it while I was out. Didn’t expect you to be here already.”

“Go get your package first. I’m not in a rush.”

“It can wait. Let’s head in.”

As they walked, Chen Yixun began introducing Dongcheng University.

Suddenly, she pointed to a black-and-white styled building. “That’s the Treasure Pavilion. It was donated by the Fenghuang Education Foundation. The Go club is inside. Do you know where the building’s name comes from?”

Shang Shiqian thought for a moment before answering. “It’s inspired by the Go pattern called ‘Thousand Layer Treasure Pavilion.’ It’s named after how the black and white stones resemble a tiered pagoda. This building’s shape and style reflect that, which ties the concept together.”

Chen Yixun was astonished. “Most people wouldn’t make that connection. Did you research this in advance?”

Shang Shiqian smiled. “I just happened to hear about it before.”

As they chatted, they reached the Go room.

The space was large, split into a teaching zone and a study area.

The teaching zone was well-equipped but only open during classes.

The study area had simple tables, Go boards, and shelves of books. Students could play or read freely.

Seeing that the room was nearly empty, Chen Yixun quickly explained, worried her earlier claim about the university’s large Go community might seem exaggerated. “It’s usually crowded here. The national league is about to start, so most of them aren’t on campus.”

Once inside, she lowered her voice, worried they might disturb the players and get kicked out.

A staff member on duty asked in a whisper, “What are you here for?”

Chen Yixun quickly showed her campus ID. “We’d like to play a game.”

“Do you have your own board, or need to borrow one?”

Chen Yixun didn’t usually play Go, so of course she needed to borrow a set. She used her card to check one out.

Only one person’s ID was needed for the loan.

Shang Shiqian looked like a university student, so the staff didn’t question her identity.

They each took a jar of stones and chose a seat by the window.

Chen Yixun grimaced. “I barely know how to play.”

“That’s fine. I’ll play by myself.”

Shang Shiqian picked up a stone.

Even though it was just an imitation jade piece, the feel of it in her hand made her genuinely happy.

Chen Yixun was still confused about how someone could play Go alone. But the moment Shang Shiqian picked up that stone, everything changed.

She entered a focused state, completely detached from the world around her.

Her expression was serious and serene. Her gaze was fixed only on the black stones and the board.

She didn’t touch the jar with the white stones, but Chen Yixun was convinced she already had a clear path mapped out in her mind.

Chen Yixun dared not speak.

Unable to understand the depth of what she was watching, she quietly pulled out her phone to record the moment.

She avoided filming Shang Shiqian’s face, capturing only the board and the occasional movement of her hand. Then she uploaded it to the short video platform, LeDou.

——

System: Her acting is so bad. How did you not notice?

Miss Shang: I’ve never met a real drunk before. How would I know she was faking?

Miss Wei: …