The Cannon Fodder Ex-Wife Returns as the Black Moonlight - Chapter 14

Although Chen Yixun had the support of the Fenghuang Foundation and didn’t have to worry about tuition or meals, university life came with a pile of miscellaneous expenses.

To cover those costs, she regularly picked up part-time jobs. One of her go-to gigs was working as a local tour guide.

Dongcheng was not only a major city but also a popular travel destination. As living standards improved, many well-off tourists on self-guided trips had become too lazy to do their own research. They simply hired local guides.

This made guiding a booming side hustle, especially among tourism majors. But Chen Yixun wasn’t one. She was simply a native. Her early years in Dongcheng meant she knew the city’s culture, food, landmarks, and public transport like the back of her hand.

She also had a solid understanding of photography, with a particular strength in composition and technical skills.

Thanks to that solid foundation, her guiding business grew steadily.

To boost her visibility, she often made short promotional videos and uploaded them online. Sometimes she explained the history behind scenic spots. Other times she showcased her photos. Occasionally, she shared snippets of her life.

After running her LeDou account for over a year, she had more than a hundred thousand followers. Even if most were probably bots, even her worst-performing videos still drew over ten thousand views.

She had just uploaded her latest clip when a fan commented, “That hand! I’m licking it first as a show of respect.”

It wasn’t the first time Chen Yixun had seen a thirsty fan. But this time, they were drooling over the wrong person. Feeling a bit guilty, she sneaked a look at Shang Shiqian.

Shang Shiqian was completely unaware, still swimming in the sea of black-and-white Go stones.

…

The bell for the ninth period rang, and the once-quiet academic building grew lively with chatter and footsteps.

As the scent of various dishes drifted over from the cafeteria, Shang Shiqian’s stomach gave a loud rumble.

She looked at the time. It was almost six in the evening.

Chen Yixun had just returned from the restroom and saw Shang Shiqian packing up her pieces. “You’re done?” she asked, a little surprised.

“I’m done. I’ve taken up so much of your time. I’d feel bad staying any longer,” Shang Shiqian replied.

Chen Yixun waved it off. “You were playing while I was working on my own stuff. Didn’t slow me down at all.”

“Even so, I shouldn’t linger. Looks like the Go club has something going on.” Shang Shiqian pointed at the students who had started filling the room. Some had already noticed their table and were waiting for it.

“Let’s eat first then!”

Shang Shiqian brightened. “Great! You helped me out today, so this meal’s on me.”

Chen Yixun chuckled. “Well, I won’t be polite. What’s the budget for your treat?”

Shang Shiqian liked how candid she was. Smiling, she took out the little cash she had on her. After saving a few coins for bus fare, she handed over the rest.

Chen Yixun picked a ten-yuan note. “This’ll do.”

The two of them went for a quick meal of spicy hot pot.

As they parted ways, Chen Yixun asked, “Did you forget your phone again today?”

Shang Shiqian answered honestly, “I don’t have one.”

Chen Yixun seemed to understand something. Her expression softened.

She guessed that Shang Shiqian’s background wasn’t so different from her own.

First, she’d been wearing the same outfit for two days straight. Even if it was spotless and carried a faint clean scent, it couldn’t hide the fact that she had nothing else to change into.

Second, she didn’t have a phone.

In this day and age, what young person didn’t carry a phone? Once might be forgetfulness. Twice? She probably didn’t own one.

Finally, she showed no concern over anyone not being able to reach her. That suggested she lived alone, without any friends or family to check on her.

Moved by this invisible bond, Chen Yixun became even warmer. “Are you coming back to play?”

She had noticed how reluctant Shang Shiqian was to stop playing earlier and added, “Actually, you can come a bit earlier next time. I’ll borrow the Go set for you, then head to class. You can stay in the room as long as you want.”

Since it wouldn’t disrupt Chen Yixun’s schedule, Shang Shiqian agreed easily.

When Shang Shiqian arrived back at Tianhao Garden, her itinerary for the day along with Chen Yixun’s information had already been delivered to Wei Yixian’s study.

“She left home and took the bus straight to Dongcheng University. Stayed from two to six. I couldn’t get inside, so I don’t know who she saw or what she was doing,” the bodyguard reported.

He muttered internally, wondering when this job had turned from bodyguarding into sleuthing.

Still, there were perks. Shang Shiqian’s routine was simple and predictable. He didn’t need to stay on edge.

In fact, he couldn’t help being curious—

What kind of person could live so leisurely without even owning a phone?

This wasn’t just low-desire. It was no-desire. She was more Zen than monks.

…

Wei Yixian considered, What’s at Dongcheng University?

The next second, the system provided her with the answer straight from its conversation with Shang Shiqian.

System: “You’re not even working on your tasks. Just walking around all day grinning like an idiot! You spent half the afternoon playing Go. If you’d used that time to shadow the female lead, who knows how far your mission would’ve progressed by now?”

Shang Shiqian let it slide in one ear and out the other: You’re blaming me? I asked you to upload the original novel to the backend so I could access it anytime, and you haven’t even updated it.

System: “You’re not doing missions. Where am I supposed to get energy to update anything?”

Shang Shiqian frowned: But you still manage to log in every day.

System: “That’s only because you’re close to the female lead. I can gather little bits of energy that way. But if I keep talking to you, I’ll burn through what I’ve stored.”

Shang Shiqian grumbled: You show up for five minutes and then disappear. I’ve never seen a system so stingy with its appearances.

System: “How many systems have you even met?”

Just you.

“Then shut up.”

Wei Yixian: …

Once the system logged off, she told the bodyguard, “Return to your original post starting tomorrow.”

If there had never been anyone attempting to make contact with ‘Shang Shiyu,’ then continuing to shadow her was a waste of resources.

Worse, if the system ever got enough power to stay online longer and picked up on anything, they’d end up alerting her.

The bodyguard hesitated but didn’t ask. He nodded and left the room.

Wei Yixian walked to the safe, took out a notebook, and wrote a few lines on a blank page.

…

After her shower, Shang Shiqian came downstairs for a glass of milk. She peeked toward the bar area, relieved to find it empty.

So Wei Yixian wasn’t the kind of person who drank every night.

But she’d relaxed too early.

While she was still sipping her milk, Wei Yixian came down the stairs.

“You’re back?” Wei Yixian gave her a glance, then walked directly toward the bar.

“Mm-hmm.” Shang Shiqian nodded and offered an explanation. “I went to the Go room at Dongcheng University this afternoon. Got carried away and lost track of time.”

She brought her glass over and, before Wei Yixian could reach for a bottle, poured half a cup of milk into one of the wine glasses.

“Milk helps with sleep at night.”

Wei Yixian gently pushed the milk-filled glass aside. She braced both hands on the bar counter and looked down at Shang Shiqian from above.

“Are you imitating Shang Shiqian?”

Shang Shiqian froze.

What was that supposed to mean?

Wei Yixian’s expression darkened.

“She liked Go. She was a professional player.”

“…Was she? That’s quite a coincidence.”

“Yes. Quite the coincidence.” Wei Yixian’s voice held a weight to it. “You just happen to look exactly like her. You just happen to love the same things she did… So coincidental that sometimes I wonder if she’s come back from the dead.”

As she spoke, she lowered her gaze, hiding the emotion flickering behind her eyes.

Shang Shiqian wondered, Is she talking about last night’s drunken conversation? Did she remember and want to keep that thread going?

She asked, “Do you think it’s possible? For someone to come back from the dead?”

Wei Yixian’s tone suddenly sharpened. “Her bones were burned to ash. How could she come back?”

Shang Shiqian couldn’t decide whether to feel relieved or vaguely disappointed.

See? Normal people don’t believe in resurrection.

That meant she didn’t need to worry about anyone discovering she was Shang Shiqian.

…

Wei Yixian kept her expression unreadable as she watched Shang Shiqian.

But inwardly, her thoughts churned—

Ordinary people couldn’t come back to life.

But what if there was a system?

———

Miss Shang: Is she really okay in the head? It’s like she has a small breakdown every three days and a big one every five.

System: With a wife like you, who wouldn’t lose their mind?

Miss Shang: ?

Miss Wei: Pfft.

Looks like Miss Wei is finally brushing the edge of the truth.

(She touched it. But hasn’t opened the door yet.)