My Ex-Girlfriend Said She Was A Fairy - Chapter 19

Shen Xizhao only stepped back after hearing the voice behind her, restoring a normal distance between her and Ji Qingyi. She turned to look and saw a woman standing in the shadows with a gloomy expression, staring at her—more precisely, at her eyes.

 

 

For a moment, she actually sensed danger.

 

 

Shen Xizhao watched the woman in the shadows thoughtfully. It wasn’t until the woman stepped out and sat down on the other side of Ji Qingyi that she remembered—this was the woman who had taken Ji Qingyi away last time.

 

 

“Ji Qingyi.”

 

 

Wen Yuchuan called her name again, leaning closer to see what was wrong. But Ji Qingyi didn’t respond, remaining frozen in an unnatural posture.

 

 

The moment Shen Xizhao stepped back, Ji Qingyi lowered her head abruptly. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, but her hands still trembled slightly, making her fumble with the wine glass.

 

 

Golden… vertical pupils?

 

 

No, that couldn’t be right. She must be drunk, her vision playing tricks on her.

 

 

“Ji Qingyi, are you drunk?”

 

 

The familiar voice sounded beside her again, close and gentle, cutting through all the noise. Ji Qingyi finally snapped out of the strange sensation from earlier.

 

 

“…Maybe.”

 

 

Ji Qingyi lifted her head and finally managed to pick up the glass, taking another sip. The sweetness spread down her throat, but a wave of dizziness hit her, blurring her vision for a second.

 

 

She glanced at Shen Xizhao again—the woman had returned to her usual self, smiling at her with those familiar light brown eyes.

 

 

Maybe it was just the lighting, combined with her drunken haze? Ji Qingyi sighed, thinking she must be too exhausted. It was better to head back early.

 

 

There was no way Shen Xizhao wasn’t… normal, right?

 

 

…

 

 

What a joke. This was reality—there couldn’t possibly be so many supernatural things lurking around.

 

 

“Let’s go back.”

 

 

Ji Qingyi said to Wen Yuchuan. No matter what, right now, her ex-girlfriend—who still took care of her—was the one she trusted more.

 

 

“Let me have a drink too.”

 

 

“Huh?”

 

 

Ji Qingyi was about to question Wen Yuchuan’s sudden request when a hand slid around her waist. Without warning, Wen Yuchuan pulled her close, causing her to stumble awkwardly against the other woman.

 

 

“Qingyi?”

 

 

Shen Xizhao’s voice sounded from the side as she watched the two of them in such an intimate position.

 

 

Ji Qingyi struggled to push herself away from Wen Yuchuan, glaring at her, though the effect was weak. Wen Yuchuan let go but clearly had no intention of stopping there.

 

 

“Qingyi, leaving so soon?”

 

 

Wen Yuchuan smirked, narrowing her eyes slightly as she spoke. There was something dangerous in that gaze. When Ji Qingyi looked away from those dark pupils, she realized this wasn’t the usual fear of getting lost in them—this was a threat. Swallowing nervously, Ji Qingyi noted how Wen Yuchuan was deliberately mimicking Shen Xizhao’s way of addressing her. And then… why had Wen Yuchuan’s hand moved from her waist to her thigh?

 

 

Though it was just a light brush, Ji Qingyi still felt a tingling itch spread across her skin.

 

 

Wen Yuchuan quickly withdrew her hand, her expression shifting back to lazy indifference, as if it had all been an accident.

 

 

“Let me take you home.”

 

 

 

Shen Xizhao’s voice suddenly came from the right. Before Ji Qingyi could utter a refusal, Wen Yuchuan spoke first.

 

 

“No need.”

 

 

“It’s dangerous for her to go back alone.”

 

 

“I’ll go with her.”

 

 

“You don’t look like a good person.”

 

 

Shen Xizhao said earnestly.

 

 

Ji Qingyi nearly laughed out loud at Shen Xizhao’s blunt words. She had no intention of defending Wen Yuchuan, so she remained silent.

 

 

“And do you look like one?”

 

 

Wen Yuchuan’s eyes darkened slightly. She was still smiling, but her tone carried a sharper edge.

 

 

Honestly, neither of you does. You both look shady as hell. Ji Qingyi endured the childish bickering from the two people flanking her, unable to resist the internal commentary.

 

 

“I’m heading back.”

 

 

Fine, let them argue all they want. Ji Qingyi listened for a while longer before the headache set in, deciding to ignore them both and leave first.

 

 

“Let me walk you—”

 

 

“No need, thanks.”

 

 

Before Shen Xizhao could finish, Ji Qingyi cut her off.

 

 

“…Alright. Be careful on your way. Goodbye.”

 

 

After a brief silence, Shen Xizhao still managed a smile as she spoke.

 

 

“Mm, goodbye.”

 

 

Ji Qingyi responded politely with a smile of her own before turning to leave.

 

 

“Then I guess you’ll just have to go back with me.”

 

 

Wen Yuchuan stood up with a grin, sidling up next to Ji Qingyi.

 

 

“Weren’t you going to drink?”

 

 

Ji Qingyi didn’t push her away but still couldn’t resist a sarcastic jab.

 

 

“Changed my mind. Not in the mood.”

 

 

Wen Yuchuan replied casually, unfazed by Ji Qingyi’s tone. Without waiting for her, Ji Qingyi strode ahead, and Wen Yuchuan simply followed behind. The two exited through a door on the opposite side of the gathering table.

 

 

Shen Xizhao watched their retreating figures from a distance until they disappeared outside.

 

 

Something felt off, but she had no proof.

 

 

Pulling this off might not be as simple as she thought.

 

 

With that thought, she sighed and turned back, licking the sweet wine from her glass. It really was good—hardly any alcohol taste, not bitter at all—but after a while, it made her a little tipsy. Just now, she’d nearly slipped up in her act.

 

 

Oh well. Go with the flow. It wasn’t like she had to play the role of a saint.

 

 

Shen Xizhao downed the remaining half of her glass in one gulp.

 

 

 

“Ji Qingyi.”

 

 

Wen Yuchuan called her name from behind. She could easily catch up with a few quick steps, but she chose to linger at a distance.

 

 

“Is this how you greet people?”

 

 

Ji Qingyi stopped and turned to face her.

 

 

“I was a step too late. My bad.”

 

 

“…That’s not the issue.”

 

 

“I should’ve grabbed you and left right away.”

 

 

“Wrong.”

 

 

“Oh, so I shouldn’t have put my arm around your waist?”

 

 

Wen Yuchuan feigned sudden understanding, though her smirk made it clear she didn’t think it was a problem at all.

 

 

“Should you have?”

 

 

Ji Qingyi challenged.

 

 

“Hmm… I was worried you’d be unsteady after drinking.”

 

 

Seeing Ji Qingyi’s stern expression, Wen Yuchuan half-heartedly conjured up an excuse.

 

 

“Not likely… My tolerance isn’t that bad.”

 

 

Even though the excuse was obviously flimsy, Ji Qingyi didn’t know how to press further. She couldn’t exactly ask if Wen Yuchuan was jealous, could she? That wasn’t the nature of their relationship.

 

 

“Let’s go.”

 

 

Ji Qingyi said softly before turning to walk ahead again. Hearing that her tone had softened, Wen Yuchuan followed, falling into step beside her.

 

 

“Wasn’t this supposed to be a dinner gathering? Why did it turn into drinking?”

 

 

 

Wen Yuchuan was still brooding over the scene she had just witnessed. After a while, she couldn’t help but bring it up again.

 

 

“What’s wrong with drinking if you feel like it?”

 

 

“But you were standing too close…”

 

 

“So what?”

 

 

“Nothing, really. It just… bothered me.”

 

 

“…And why should it bother you?”

 

 

Ji Qingyi responded softly after a pause.

 

 

There was no romantic relationship between them, nor were they even in some ambiguous entanglement. What right did she have to feel bothered? In what capacity? Yet the other person was always like this—never speaking clearly, preferring to skirt around with words that crossed boundaries, only to withdraw completely whenever Ji Qingyi tried to step closer.

 

 

Ji Qingyi suddenly stopped walking. Wen Yuchuan took an extra step before realizing it and turned back to find her with her head lowered again, her expression hidden.

 

 

“Ji Qingyi.”

 

 

Wen Yuchuan also bent her head to look at her. She murmured Ji Qingyi’s name again, so softly that most of the time, Ji Qingyi could barely hear it. But it didn’t seem like Wen Yuchuan wanted her to hear—she just liked whispering it like this, as if summoning a ghost.

 

 

Ji Qingyi was reminded of the past again. Every time Wen Yuchuan called her name, she would remember—remember the way the other woman would say it so gently.

 

 

When they embraced, when they paused for breath between kisses, when they tangled together.

 

 

Wen Yuchuan liked calling her by her full name. Logically, it should have sounded distant and formal, yet to Ji Qingyi, it felt more intimate than any term of endearment.

 

 

From the first time she heard it after their reunion, Ji Qingyi had wanted to tell her to stop calling her that. But she couldn’t deny that she loved the sound of Wen Yuchuan’s voice, the way those three syllables floated up from somewhere deep in her soul—an indescribable feeling. Yet for some reason, she had never refused it, even now.

 

 

Three syllables, formed by slightly parting lips and lifting the tip of the tongue. Logically, it should sound the same no matter who said it. But Ji Qingyi always felt there was something special about the way Wen Yuchuan said it.

 

 

“Ji Qingyi?”

 

 

Wen Yuchuan called her again. The surroundings were too dark, the dim streetlights casting everything in shadow. Even when Wen Yuchuan lowered her head, all she could see was the cascade of black hair obscuring the face she wanted to see clearly. A sudden gust of wind blew the strands aside, and only then did Wen Yuchuan catch a glimpse of the faint melancholy in Ji Qingyi’s eyes.

 

 

“It’s nothing.”

 

 

Ji Qingyi suddenly spoke. Her thoughts had drifted to the past, but her body was still in the present. She couldn’t just stand there frozen like a ghost.

 

 

“Cold?”

 

 

Wen Yuchuan noticed Ji Qingyi shiver slightly.

 

 

“No.”

 

 

“Really?”

 

 

“Mhm.”

 

 

“Really?”

 

 

“Fine, I’m lying. Happy now?”

 

 

Was this woman only capable of repeating pointless questions? Ji Qingyi felt both exasperated and amused as she replied, but it did help her snap out of her mood. She suspected the sudden surge of emotion had been the alcohol’s doing—now, with the wind blowing, she felt sober again.

 

 

Wen Yuchuan had seen Ji Qingyi’s moment of melancholy, but before she could offer comfort, the other woman had already returned to her usual self. The words died in her throat, and she simply followed along in silence.

 

 

“Let’s go back. The cat’s waiting at home.”

 

 

Ji Qingyi sighed and started walking again.

 

 

“Right, you have a cat and you’re still out this late… How cruel.”

 

 

…That’s cruel to the cat, not you. What are you acting pitiful for? Ji Qingyi thought, exasperated, as she watched Wen Yuchuan lower her eyes again, her voice tinged with grievance.

 

 

“Speaking of, why did you suddenly decide to get a cat?”

 

 

 

Wen Yuchuan pretended for a while, but seeing that Ji Qingyi wasn’t paying her any attention, she had no choice but to revert to her usual demeanor.

 

 

“Actually, I wasn’t planning to adopt it… but it just kept following me…”

 

 

Ji Qingyi recounted what had happened the day before.

 

 

“Huh? It likes you that much?”

 

 

“Or maybe it just wanted any owner and happened to pick me.”

 

 

“…That’s way too coincidental.”

 

 

Wen Yuchuan sighed. She thought again about the person Ji Qingyi had been drinking with earlier—something about everything happening around Ji Qingyi felt off.

 

 

But if she had to point out the most off-putting thing, Wen Yuchuan herself would be it. Hearing Wen Yuchuan’s words, Ji Qingyi inexplicably felt the urge to mock her.

 

 

“There are even more coincidental things, like what happened just last week.”

 

 

“……”

 

 

Wen Yuchuan had originally wanted to ask about Shen Xizhao, but Ji Qingyi’s remark left her speechless. For safety’s sake, it was better not to bring it up again now.

 

 

The two walked in silence, turning a few corners and passing several streets before finally reaching the entrance of their apartment complex.

 

 

“Want something to drink?”

 

 

Wen Yuchuan finally found an opportunity to speak as they passed a convenience store.

 

 

“No… Actually, lemon tea.”

 

 

Ji Qingyi had initially intended to refuse, but after eating grilled meat and drinking sweet wine, her throat felt a bit parched—she could use something to drink…

 

 

They entered the store together.

 

 

Last time, Ji Qingyi had deliberately come alone to avoid the other, but now they were here together. An inappropriately subtle emotion stirred in Ji Qingyi’s chest.

 

 

“What brand were the cigarettes you smoked last time?”

 

 

“Don’t remember.”

 

 

“Really?”

 

 

“…They were pretty mild. You want some?”

 

 

“Is that not allowed?”

 

 

“I thought you didn’t like mild ones?”

 

 

Ji Qingyi asked, puzzled.

 

 

“You know me so well.”

 

 

Wen Yuchuan smiled, leaning slightly forward. When Ji Qingyi turned around with her lemon tea, she met those pitch-black eyes again—narrowed slightly as they gazed at her.

 

 

“……”

 

 

Had all that talk just been leading up to this? Was this person really that sneaky?

 

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

 

“Nothing. Just find you a bit annoying.”

 

 

Ji Qingyi averted her gaze.

 

 

“Oh? Then who isn’t annoying?”

 

 

Wen Yuchuan adopted a pitiful tone, hinting at something.

 

 

Who wasn’t annoying? Everyone was annoying. Ji Qingyi sighed inwardly—her life never gave her a moment’s peace, constantly throwing trouble her way.

 

 

Ignoring Wen Yuchuan, Ji Qingyi walked past her and headed straight to the counter to pay.

 

 

“Let’s pay together.”

 

 

Wen Yuchuan grabbed a bottle of lemon tea and followed, pulling up her payment QR code.

 

 

“No need.”

 

 

“Together.”

 

 

“…Fine.”

 

 

Arguing pointlessly in public was downright embarrassing, Ji Qingyi thought. She could just transfer the money later—might as well include the meals from the past few days while she was at it. That way, she wouldn’t have to hold back when talking to Wen Yuchuan.

 

 

After paying, the two walked back to their apartment building together. As they reached their doors, Ji Qingyi was still calculating how much to transfer when Wen Yuchuan suddenly spoke.

 

 

“Let me see the cat.”

 

 

“Huh?”

 

 

“I want to see the kitten.”

 

 

Why did that sound so strange? Ji Qingyi sighed, looking helplessly at the person standing at her doorstep.