I Am the White Moonlight that the Former Movie Queen Secretly Loves - Chapter 3

The phone call wasn’t over yet.

Shu Ran was dead set on venting her anger and didn’t give Sister Lin a chance to hang up. She sobbed pitifully, “Sis, sis…”

“What should I do? I’m so panicked. What if the reporters find out about her?”

Shu Ran was utterly distraught, on the verge of losing her composure at any moment.

Sister Lin, who had always handled her artists’ romantic entanglements with the utmost caution, could tell Shu Ran was in no state to make rational decisions. Naturally, she couldn’t let her rush into a breakup. But Shu Ran, overwhelmed by the shock, wouldn’t listen to reason.

And then there was Meng Jiang waiting outside.

Frowning, Sister Lin lowered her voice and advised Shu Ran not to burn bridges outright. It would be better to pin the blame for the breakup on the other party to avoid future scandals or blackmail.

Shu Ran agreed insincerely.

Only at the end of the call did Sister Lin bring up the luxury car Shu Ran wanted to borrow for support.

“A Mercedes G-Class is out of the question—other newcomers would have opinions.” Sister Lin hesitated for a moment before compromising and offering Shu Ran her own modest Volkswagen Beetle from the garage.

“This—” After wasting half her breath arguing, Shu Ran was disappointed to end up with a Beetle. “A Beetle?”

“It’s more than enough,” Sister Lin said. “Even if you drove a G-Class over, someone who can only afford a 30,000-yuan Wuling Hongguang wouldn’t necessarily recognize the value of a car worth millions. Right?”

Shu Ran thought about it and realized she had a point.

“But…” Shu Ran still wasn’t reassured. “She…”

“Hmm?”

“She invited me for tea at Huaqing Garden.”

“Next time you date someone, use your brain. After being manipulated for so long, you should’ve learned something.” Sister Lin’s tone was full of disdain. “She probably just wants you to foot the bill.”

So that’s what it was. Shu Ran couldn’t hold back: “I f***ing—”

–

Chen Cheng had been waiting outside the restroom for a full ten minutes before Meng Jiang finally emerged, head lowered.

As Meng Jiang’s exclusive manager, Chen Cheng was surprised. Her boss was always disciplined, maintaining perfect posture when walking. It was rare to see her walking while staring at her phone—not only did it look ungraceful, but it also risked straining her spine.

Yet at this moment, the woman’s head was bowed, her voluminous long curls cascading past her ears and resting on her shoulders.

Her hair covered half her face, leaving only the outline of one eye visible. Those captivating, alluring eyes were fixed on her phone screen.

Her diamond-studded acrylic nails swiped across the display. Chen Cheng craned her neck for a peek but only caught a glimpse of her boss apparently splurging again—likely dropping deepwater torpedoes for her “wife” (a favored online author).

Just as she leaned in to see who the lucky writer was this time, Meng Jiang, as if she had eyes on the back of her head, flipped her phone shut and pocketed it.

So stingy.

Chen Cheng awkwardly cleared her throat and changed the subject to work. “The director of Lan TV mentioned they’d like to invite you for a tour of the station later. There’s also a show they’d like you to join…”

Unsurprisingly, Meng Jiang wasn’t interested.

Her red lips parted slightly as she replied coolly, “Decline for me.”

Chen Cheng sighed. “Figured you’d say that.”

She pulled out her phone and drafted a polite rejection message.

Meng Jiang seemed distracted, walking briskly ahead while Chen Cheng had to jog to keep up.

This was Meng Jiang’s vacation period, and she had turned down most of her scheduled appearances.

The only commitment she had kept was tomorrow’s recording for Lan TV’s variety-style acting competition show.

Meng Jiang didn’t have much on her plate and didn’t need to follow the film crew, so she gave Chen Cheng an extended leave as well.

As a result, Chen Cheng meticulously arranged everything for Meng Jiang’s schedule over the next month.

“The new assistant will start the day after tomorrow. She’s a local from Ningcheng and knows the ropes. You can ask her if you want to go anywhere…”

Halfway through the work arrangements, Chen Cheng noticed that Meng Jiang—usually efficient and decisive—seemed somewhat distracted. She tentatively called her name twice before Meng Jiang’s thoughtful gaze finally met hers midair.

“A local from Ningcheng?”

Meng Jiang’s beautiful eyes flickered with contemplation. Chen Cheng assumed she had reservations about the assistant.

“My bad, my bad.” Chen Cheng tried to smooth things over. “I almost forgot—your alma mater is Ning University, so you’re practically half a local yourself. That makes me even more confident. The new assistant should adapt to your rhythm quickly…”

Before she could finish—

“Chen Cheng.” Meng Jiang interrupted her. “Are you thirsty?”

Chen Cheng blinked in confusion. “A little.”

Meng Jiang hummed and said leisurely, “The tea at Huaqing Garden in Ningcheng is quite good. Since you said I’m half a local, it’s only right that I treat you to a cup. You can go over the arrangements while we drink.”

Had the sun risen from the west today? Such a stroke of luck.

Chen Cheng’s eyes lit up. “Sounds great.”

–

Qi Sijia wore three masks over her face. She had actually considered showing up in a gas mask for the meeting but ultimately restrained herself.

Not one to be late, after hanging up Shu Ran’s call, she notified the restaurant in advance and drove toward Huaqing Garden.

But because she hadn’t left the house in three months, her bright yellow Wuling Hongguang electric car broke down under the overpass.

To make matters worse, a heavy rain began to pour. Holding a rusty, tattered umbrella, Qi Sijia struggled on the roadside for a long time.

Normally, she could change a flat tire herself—her social anxiety made her reluctant to ask for help, and over the years, she had mastered all sorts of skills.

If she could handle something herself, she absolutely wouldn’t rely on others. But with the rain worsening and lacking the right tools, she had no choice but to call Ye Qianqian for help.

“Finally decided to come out, huh?”

After hearing the whole story, Ye Qianqian laughed so hard she could barely stand straight. She was currently at a party with her plastic sister squad when one of them handed her a tissue. Ye Qianqian wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes, rolled the tissue into a ball, and stuffed it back into the plastic sister’s arms.

With a glance, she signaled for the girl to throw it away.

Zheng Xin was composed enough to take the humiliation in stride. Even as she was insulted, her expression remained unchanged. But as she turned away, a flash of resentment flickered in her eyes. She shredded the tissue in her hand before tossing it into the trash.

Ye Qianqian caught her reaction and smirked disdainfully.

Then, stepping onto the balcony, her expression relaxed as she couldn’t resist teasing Qi Sijia. “Little yellow duck?”

“What am I going to do with you? You’re about to settle down with someone, yet you’re still driving that eyesore of a toy car from the garage. People might think you’ve got a hundred and eighty schemes up your sleeve—what era is this, still pretending to be poor in front of your girlfriend so she won’t take advantage of you?”

Qi Sijia definitely didn’t have that kind of mindset. The money she earned herself was, of course, meant to be spent on her girlfriend.

She just didn’t know how to spend it on her.

As for her family background…

After all these years, Qi Sijia drew a clear line—Qi Jun’s money was Qi Jun’s. Taking it would mean getting entangled.

You get what you pay for, and Qi Sijia currently had no intention of doing anything for Qi Jun.

Ye Qianqian’s probing remarks, both overt and implied, were met with silence from Qi Sijia.

As for Qi Sijia’s situation, Ye Qianqian understood it even better than Qi Jun.

The two had been close friends since childhood, practically sharing the same skirt growing up. Without wasting words, Qi Sijia got straight to the point: “Brocade Garden isn’t far from your place. If it’s convenient, could you find me a driver to bring my Rolls-Royce Cullinan over?”

“No.”

Qi Sijia was taken aback. “Hmm?”

“Still so serious, can’t take a joke.” Ye Qianqian burst into laughter. “I’ll go myself.”

Hearing this, Qi Sijia frowned. “Don’t mess around.”

Her voice was a deep, resonant contralto, especially over the phone, where she deliberately lowered it by three tones—utterly seductive.

It was like a whisper right by the ear. Ye Qianqian froze for a moment, silently cursing: What a tease.

“I promise I won’t cause any trouble. I’m just curious. It’s been five years, hasn’t it? Too long since you last asked me for help with someone. I have to meet them, no matter what.”

“Relax, relax. I’ll just take a quick peek from the parking garage. It’s not often Miss Ye gets to play chauffeur, you know.”

And she dared to bring up five years ago.

Qi Sijia pressed her lips together, thinking that if Ye Qianqian didn’t end up sabotaging things, it’d be a miracle.

But at this point, there was nothing left to hide. At her age, she was ready to settle down.

After several failed online relationships, Qi Sijia didn’t have many requirements left.

Besides, Shu Ran’s temperament—gentle and steady—seemed just right for a long-term partner.

Introducing her to Ye Qianqian shouldn’t be a problem.

“Then it’s settled,” Qi Sijia said. “You stay in the car.”

Ye Qianqian leaned against the ornate wrought-iron railing, staring at the soft soil in the garden, itching to go downstairs and stomp the fresh mud into a mess.

Though irritated, her tone remained unchanged as she spoke earnestly to Qi Sijia: “But let me say this—having fun is fine, but don’t even think about forever. Remember what happened with your campus belle girlfriend five years ago?”

“What was her name again…?”

Meng Jiang.

All these years, Qi Sijia had never mentioned that name to anyone.

It was as if she had deliberately forgotten that person. But today, for some reason, the word “first love” kept coming up in conversations.

Her mind involuntarily flashed back to their first meeting, when Meng Jiang introduced herself: “My name is Meng Jiang. If you can’t remember, just call me Dream.”

“Is that a nickname?”

“Mm. You can forget anything else, but not dreams. Remember that.”

Truly a word she could never forget.

Outside, the rain fell in a fine, dense drizzle, needles tapping against the windshield.

Qi Sijia glanced at it before slowly looking away.

Ye Qianqian continued her earnest advice: “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Find time to come back. If the position of the Qi family’s young lady keeps being occupied by some illegitimate stepsister, don’t blame me if I decide to mess with her whenever I feel like it.”

Knowing she was referring to Zheng Xin, Qi Sijia chuckled. “Got it.”