My Ex-Girlfriend Said She Was A Fairy - Chapter 22

Ji Qingyi woke up a bit earlier than usual. After freshening up, she saw a message from Wen Yuchuan inviting her over for breakfast. She didn’t refuse—after all, they’d be heading out together soon anyway.

 

 

After breakfast, they packed up the kitten’s supplies, cradled the little furball in their arms, and headed downstairs together.

 

 

Once everything was loaded into the trunk, Ji Qingyi settled into the back seat with the kitten. The car hadn’t changed—it was still the same rugged SUV as before. Wen Yuchuan used to drive it to all sorts of rough terrains for shoots, never caring much about the exterior. Now, it looked noticeably worn. Ji Qingyi recalled the scratches she’d noticed before getting in.

 

 

Has she gotten so poor she can’t even afford to fix the scratches? Maybe I should just get them repaired for her… That could count as repayment for the meals and other expenses from the past few days, and it’d be a clean break… if she refuses to answer any of my questions. The thought lingered in Ji Qingyi’s mind.

 

 

The matter had been tormenting her all night. Ever since she’d decided to demand answers about the past today, she couldn’t stop imagining how it would all play out.

 

 

She was already anticipating the possible reactions Wen Yuchuan might have after being confronted. She couldn’t accept this vague, inexplicable connection between them. There were only two options: either cut ties completely or provide a clear explanation—one that Ji Qingyi could accept.

 

 

Suddenly, Ji Qingyi wondered if she was overcomplicating things. The ambiguity was painful, but was it worth all this effort to uncover the truth? Realistically, there was probably only one outcome. She couldn’t imagine Wen Yuchuan offering any reasonable explanation.

 

 

No matter how she looked at it, the only choice seemed to be parting ways… Ji Qingyi sighed. Logically, she should’ve done this long ago. The only reason she’d tolerated this undefined connection was because she didn’t dislike Wen Yuchuan’s closeness—in fact, she liked it. But what now? Not knowing the truth was agonizing, yet separation would be just as painful…

 

 

Ji Qingyi rubbed the kitten’s soft white belly, then scratched under its chin. The little creature tilted its head up contentedly, nuzzling into her hand. The fluffy warmth was comforting, but Ji Qingyi’s expression remained somber.

 

 

This was supposed to be a pleasant outing. Closing her eyes and leaning back, Ji Qingyi wondered if she was overthinking their relationship—or lack thereof. Plenty of people pursued the thrill of ambiguity without defining anything. It wasn’t inherently wrong—just an unspoken transaction, except the currency wasn’t money but emotions.

 

 

…

 

 

But is this really okay? Wasn’t Ji Qingyi suffering precisely because she couldn’t be so casual about it? A dull ache tightened in her throat as she glanced at the driver’s seat, her expression tinged with sorrow.

 

 

They’d been reunited for a while now, yet Ji Qingyi still had no idea what Wen Yuchuan truly wanted. It was beyond her control—like standing in a mountain shrouded in mist, unable to see anything clearly. Every time Wen Yuchuan appeared, Ji Qingyi felt this way, as if being led toward some inevitable conclusion.

 

 

The kitten curled up in her lap. She stroked its fuzzy ears and took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. She was thinking too much—her head was starting to hurt. Shifting into a more comfortable position, she tried to relax.

 

 

 

Wen Yuchuan glanced in the rearview mirror and noticed Ji Qingyi had closed her eyes. He remained silent, keeping the car quiet as he focused on driving.

 

 

__

 

 

Ji Qingyi had fallen asleep. She rarely dreamed, and even when she did, she never remembered the dreams upon waking.

 

 

But now, she began to dream.

 

 

The scene in her dream was chaotic, shrouded in mist, like a hazy illusion.

 

 

Ji Qingyi stood frozen in place, her body heavy, as if even the slightest movement required immense effort.

 

 

Was there someone ahead? Her sluggish thoughts suddenly stirred as she finally saw something different from the blurry surroundings. A faint white figure appeared in front of her. Through the mist, she struggled forward, trying to catch up and ask where this place was. But no matter how hard she tried, the figure always seemed to drift further away. She kept walking, yet the distance between them never closed.

 

 

Eventually, Ji Qingyi felt she would never catch up. Her heavy body refused to move any further, and she stopped.

 

 

The mist still swirled around her, the indistinct scenery shifting, though she couldn’t make out the details. After what felt like an eternity, she suddenly sensed the figure drawing closer, stopping right behind her. A wave of fear washed over her—like the dread of turning a corner in a horror movie and seeing a ghostly face. Yet, stiffly, she turned around.

 

 

She saw nothing. Instead, a sudden fragrance filled the air—floral, like the scent of shower gel… Shower gel? The familiar smell sharpened her muddled thoughts, grounding her slightly in reality. She realized this was just a dream.

 

 

The surroundings began to collapse. Ji Qingyi felt herself falling, and when she hazily stood again, she found herself back in reality.

 

 

Had she woken up? Blinking dazedly, she confirmed she was indeed in the real world. Yet her body still felt heavy, her vision slightly blurred. Doubting whether this was still an illusion, she suddenly heard Wen Yuchuan’s voice.

 

 

“You’re awake?”

 

 

“I…”

 

 

Her throat felt glued shut. She opened her mouth with difficulty, barely managing a sound before he spoke again.

 

 

“Why are you here?”

 

 

What? Ji Qingyi stared at him blankly, her sluggish mind growing even more confused.

 

 

“You should go back… back to your…”

 

 

What? The scene began collapsing again. She couldn’t hear Wen Yuchuan clearly. She tried to run toward him, but her leaden body refused to cooperate.

 

 

A cat?

 

 

When Ji Qingyi snapped back to awareness, she had forgotten everything. The misty mountains and the retreating white figure were gone. All she saw now was a group of adorable kittens, and all she remembered was the present moment.

 

 

Fluffy little bundles tumbled and played before her. She held one in her arms—an orange tabby with crystal-clear blue eyes. Staring into them, she suddenly recalled reality. Gazing at those blue eyes, she thought, I’ll have to say goodbye to you soon.

 

 

__

 

 

Ji Qingyi jolted awake.

 

 

It wasn’t a startled awakening, just a disoriented one. Her mind was a tangled mess, the lingering haziness making it hard to sort out her thoughts. She couldn’t remember the dream’s contents, only that she had seemingly woken up several times within it.

 

 

 

It’s a chain of dreams. Having such dreams is the most exhausting, and for a while after waking up, it’s hard to distinguish reality. Ji Qingyi felt utterly drained. She gave the kitten in her arms another gentle squeeze, and the little orange ball immediately let out a soft whimper.

 

 

Even though she was holding it, there was still no sense of reality—as if it, too, was a product of the dream. Ji Qingyi thought hazily.

 

 

It wasn’t until Wen Yuchuan spoke that Ji Qingyi felt she had truly returned to reality.

 

 

“We’re almost there,” Wen Yuchuan said. The hour-long journey was nearly over.

 

 

“Mhm.”

 

 

Ji Qingyi looked down at the kitten in her arms. She hadn’t felt anything amiss before… No, she had sensed something off from the start, but she had unconsciously ignored that feeling. The kitten’s beautiful blue eyes gazed up at her, sweet and adorable, and for some reason, she began to feel dazed again, as if she were still trapped in the dream.

 

 

“Ji Qingyi.”

 

 

Wen Yuchuan called her name again.

 

 

“Mhm.”

 

 

“You look exhausted. Didn’t sleep well last night?”

 

 

“No… Well, yeah.”

 

 

She changed her answer mid-sentence, realizing there was no point in pretending otherwise. She studied the person in the driver’s seat, unable to articulate her emotions—part of her wanted to pull away, another part wanted to draw closer. She couldn’t tell whether fear of sinking deeper or the hope for comfort was stronger.

 

 

“Let’s find a place to rest for a bit, then.”

 

 

“No need. I’m not so tired that I can’t climb this mountain.”

 

 

Ji Qingyi finally released the kitten from her arms as she spoke.

 

 

Wanguo Temple was nestled on the mountainside. The slope wasn’t particularly steep to begin with, and thanks to tourism development, the path up had become quite manageable.

 

 

Once freed, the kitten curled up on the seat beside her but remained glued to Ji Qingyi, never straying far.

 

 

 

They arrived.

 

 

Wen Yuchuan parked the car in the lot, and the two of them stepped out.

 

 

The car had climbed a stretch of uphill road to reach the parking area, which was already quite close to the temple. Just a short staircase remained before they’d reach the temple grounds.

 

 

The shelter for stray cats wasn’t inside the temple itself but behind the mountain, so they took a different path up. This route happened to run opposite the usual tourist trail, and they passed by streams of visitors heading down. Fortunately, railings separated the ascending and descending paths, preventing any collisions.

 

 

After carrying the kitten for a while, Ji Qingyi eventually set it down to walk on its own, then helped Wen Yuchuan with some of the supplies. The kitten was well-behaved, sticking close behind. A few tourists tried to pet it, but it seemed shy, clinging only to Ji Qingyi’s side.

 

 

“Even on a non-holiday, there are so many visitors.”

 

 

Ji Qingyi watched the endless flow of people descending the mountain and murmured softly.

 

 

“Looks like they won’t be short on incense money,” Wen Yuchuan remarked, carrying the somewhat heavy equipment meant for the kitten, which they planned to donate directly to the shelter.

 

 

“Mhm…”

 

 

Ji Qingyi wasn’t in the mood to respond. She glanced upward—though the shade of the trees provided some cover, the glaring sunlight still pierced through the gaps in the leaves. She quickly lowered her head again.

 

 

After about ten more minutes of walking, they reached their destination without much trouble.

 

 

The shelter staff welcomed them warmly, first inquiring about the kitten’s condition, then completing a series of registrations. Once everything was settled, the little cat officially became a resident of the mountain.

 

 

“Goodbye.”

 

 

Ji Qingyi gave the kitten one last hug before waving at it. The kitten meowed twice in farewell.

 

 

And just like that, they parted ways.

 

 

 

“That was easy,” Ji Qingyi thought as she watched the staff accept the items they had brought. She let out a long sigh of relief—the task had been completed smoothly, and her heart felt a little lighter now.

 

 

“You can take a stroll around the temple. Wishes made here are said to come true,” a woman in a work uniform said to them with a smile.

 

 

“Wishes, huh…”

 

 

Ji Qingyi recalled the promotional material she had seen earlier. That was indeed one of the temple’s features, though it had been overshadowed by the ubiquitous presence of little cats.

 

 

“Let’s just walk around a bit.”

 

 

Wen Yuchuan considered that this could probably count as part of their date, so he suggested they continue upward.

 

 

“Alright, let’s go.”

 

 

Since they were already here, it would be a shame to leave so soon. Though Ji Qingyi had no intention of praying to the Buddha, she agreed to Wen Yuchuan’s suggestion, telling herself it would be a chance to learn about the culture.

 

 

And besides… she planned to clarify the nature of their relationship with Wen Yuchuan once they returned. But now, inexplicably, she felt a sudden fear of such honesty—afraid it might shatter everything. Even though her original intention had been to break things apart, she now found herself dreading that outcome… Her thoughts were tangled, her mind a mess.

 

 

Delaying their return, even just a little, was a relief to her.

 

 

“There really are cats everywhere here,” Wen Yuchuan remarked, watching a kitten lounging by the roadside.

 

 

“Yeah, so many of them.”

 

 

Ji Qingyi reached out to pet one casually. The cat, well-versed in such interactions, immediately nuzzled against her hand. But after a moment, realizing no treats were forthcoming, it flopped back down, ignoring her completely. Amused by the scene, Ji Qingyi finally cracked a smile.

 

 

“They should just rename this place ‘Cat Temple.’ It’d be way more appealing.”

 

 

“That wouldn’t work. The original name has over a hundred years of history behind it.”

 

 

Feeling more at ease, Ji Qingyi indulged in some playful banter with Wen Yuchuan. As they chatted nonsense, they soon arrived at the temple entrance.