Stealing My Ex's White Moonlight - Chapter 17

“Hurry!”

“Where’s Jiang You?!”

Youyou’s small hand felt warm in hers. The wind howled past their ears as they suddenly burst into a sprint, causing Lin Wanqing’s heart to pound rapidly.

They raced ahead, reporters hot on their heels.

It was a genuinely perilous situation.

Yet Lin Wanqing couldn’t help but slowly curl her lips into a smile.

It felt like stepping back into their high school days, when she and Youyou would sneak out to steal loquats.

Youyou climbed the tree with practiced ease, scaling it in a matter of seconds.

Lin Wanqing stood guard below, her nerves stretched taut as she scanned their surroundings. Fortunately, no one appeared while Youyou filled her pockets with the fruit.

Youyou plucked one, wiped it on her sleeve, and took a bite. “So sweet,” she declared, holding it out to Lin Wanqing. Trusting her friend completely, Lin Wanqing opened her mouth and bit into it. A sour, astringent taste flooded her tongue, her face twisting into a grimace as she spat it out twice.

“So sour!”

Youyou clutched her stomach, laughing so hard she could barely breathe. “Ouch, my stomach hurts!”

“You’re asking for it.”

The two girls wrestled, Youyou dodging while protecting the loquats in her pocket.

Suddenly, the loquat tree’s owner appeared, broom in hand. “You little brats! Stealing my loquats—”

“Run!”

Before Wanqing could react, Youyou grabbed her hand and bolted. Loquats spilled from her pocket, scattering across the ground until only a few remained.

After their senior year summer vacation, they occasionally stayed in touch but never met in person. As time passed, their connection gradually faded.

Wanqing had almost forgotten that chapter of her life.

Yet, an inexplicable voice guided her.

Until she met Youyou again, a tidal wave of memories surged back, accompanied by an inexplicable voice: Grab her.

Years had passed, and Youyou had become withdrawn and lifeless, like a withered vine succumbing to the winter’s frost.

Now, Youyou was back.

Lin Wanqing tightened her grip, her smile unrestrained.

Another wave of reporters surged up the stairs from the first floor, while a second group blocked the second-floor corridor.

Forced to flee, the two girls raced up to the third floor.

Taking advantage of Jiang You drawing the reporters’ attention, Cheng Yun slipped away faster than a rabbit.

The reporters, armed with their long-barreled cameras and microphones, pursued relentlessly.

“Just a word, please!”

“A statement, please!”

Cheng Yun cursed inwardly. Who the hell called these reporters here?

Unsure of the situation, she knew running was her best bet. Once these reporters latched onto her, she’d never shake them off.

Experience told her there would definitely be reporters staking out the back exit on the first floor. Going there would be a dead end.

Gritting her teeth, Cheng Yun sprinted toward another staircase. Fortunately, her regular workouts paid off, allowing her to run with ease.

“Sister Cheng…”

Song Wei had tried to slip out the back exit, but when she saw the entertainment reporters waiting there, she had to retreat back into the hotel.

She watched Cheng Yun’s face shift from cheerful to panicked the moment she spotted the reporters behind her.

The reporters swarmed like sharks smelling bl00d, their excitement reaching fever pitch.

“Song Wei!!”

“Song Wei’s here!!”

“Damn it! Quick, get the shots! This is huge!”

Seeing Song Wei frozen in place, Cheng Yun grabbed her wrist without hesitation. “Run!”

Song Wei, usually so arrogant and domineering, proved to be a complete weakling when it came to running. She quickly slowed down after only a short sprint.

“Sister Cheng, I… I…”

Cheng Yun glanced back at the reporters closing in. They’d all be caught if they stayed together. Splitting up would at least draw some of the heat away from Song Wei.

In an instant, she made her decision, hardening her heart. “Weiwei, I’ll stay here and distract the reporters. You run that way and find a place to hide.”

“Sister Cheng…” Song Wei was deeply moved.

As soon as Song Wei was gone, Cheng Yun slipped away.

The reporters indeed split into two groups. Seeing their numbers dwindle, Cheng Yun sprinted to the third floor in one breath.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Jiang You pulling Lin Wanqing up the stairs from the other side. The pair ducked into a warehouse. Just as she was about to follow, she heard the reporters’ heavy footsteps approaching.

Reluctantly, she decided to find a hiding spot first. She’d check on them after the reporters left.

After a while, confirming the reporters were gone, Cheng Yun cautiously emerged. Just as she was about to head toward the warehouse, Liang Yu called, demanding to know what was happening.

“The reporters were waiting for me at the reception, right on time. They must have gotten wind of something.”

Liang Yu was shocked. Cheng Yun had leaked the information himself—how could anyone else have known?

“You weren’t caught, were you?”

“No, I hid.”

Liang Yu breathed a sigh of relief. “I’ll look into it.”

After a moment, Liang Yu said, “I asked my media contacts. It seems Feng Zhimei was behind it. Strange… how is she involved?”

Cheng Yun had only told Song Wei about the leak. How did Feng Zhimei find out? Wait… there was also Jiang You.

In a flash, Cheng Yun realized the truth. “No need to investigate. I know Jiang You is behind this.”

“Sister Cheng, stay safe and avoid the reporters. I’m coming to pick you up now.”

“Okay.”

Cheng Yun’s gaze froze as she saw Lin Wanqing and Jiang You emerge from the warehouse, hand in hand. Lin Wanqing’s face was flushed with shyness.

Countless question marks slowly rose in Cheng Yun’s mind.

What exactly were they doing in the warehouse together?

Shi Mi grabbed Lin Wanqing and raced up to the third floor, ducking into a random room.

It looked like a storage room, piled with audio equipment, tables, and chairs. Clean cardboard boxes lay on the floor, likely temporarily stashed here by the janitor to sell later.

The two women leaned against the door, their ears straining to catch the chaotic footsteps outside. They could hear each other’s heartbeats, barely daring to breathe.

“Those two ran pretty fast.”

“Who’s that girl next to Jiang You? She looks so familiar—”

“Lin Wanqing?”

“Who exactly is Jiang You? Getting involved with the Best Actress? This is going to be huge!”

Unable to find their quarry, the sharp-nosed entertainment reporters quietly slipped away to investigate Jiang You. Whoever got the scoop first would hold the key to viral fame.

As the footsteps faded, Shi Mi let out a sigh of relief. She’d stoked Cheng Yuntian’s anger and nearly gotten burned herself.

Noticing Lin Wanqing smiling, she asked, “What are you laughing about?”

“I’m happy.”

Shi Mi: “?” Happy about being chased?

“Remember in high school when you took me to steal loquats? They were so sour, but you tricked me into eating them anyway.”

As if delivering belated revenge, Lin Wanqing reached out to tickle Shi Mi’s waist.

Shi Mi collapsed for a few seconds, as if a switch had been flipped. Laughing, she begged for mercy, “Stop tickling me… It’s so itchy…”

“I’m going to tickle you!” Lin Wanqing declared, her energy renewed, using both hands.

“Ha, ha, ha—hahaha—”

Shi Mi couldn’t hold back any longer and collapsed onto the cardboard, still laughing.

Lin Wanqing seized the opportunity, pinning her down. She held Shi Mi’s wrist with one hand while tickling her waist with the other, taunting, “See if you dare lie to me again!”

“I won’t, ha ha, ha—”

The warehouse was dimly lit, with sunlight streaming through the windows, adding a touch of warmth. Their hair tangled together as their soft bodies slowly drew closer, the atmosphere growing increasingly intimate.

Shi Mi, exhausted from the tickling, pleaded, “Spare me—I was wrong—”

“Hmph, and then you lied to me again later! You said it was sweet with such a straight face, and I believed you! But it was sour. And you even had the nerve to say—”

“Say what?”

Lin Wanqing noticed Shi Mi’s blank expression, her smile freezing as her voice gradually softened. “You… don’t remember?”

“Hmm, let me think.”

How could she forget such a pure and beautiful memory? She had confidently declared, “What’s in my mouth is sweet. If you don’t believe me, try it yourself.”

Seeing Lin Wanqing on the verge of tears, Shi Mi couldn’t bear to tease her any further. “Aiya, aiya, do you want to taste if my mouth is sweet?”

“You’re teasing me? How annoying!” Lin Wanqing demanded like a child begging for candy. “Then I want to taste it—”

“No way! Ha ha ha ha—” Shi Mi dodged frantically.

“Give it to me or not?” Lin Wanqing tickled her relentlessly.

“No, no…”

Exhausted from tickling, Lin Wanqing collapsed onto Shi Mi, muttering, “You’re such a stingy brat.”

After a moment’s rest, Lin Wanqing tried to stand up, but Shi Mi hooked her ankle, sending her tumbling back into her arms with a yelp.

As she braced herself to rise again, Lin Wanqing looked up and found herself drowning in Shi Mi’s deep, dark eyes, which burned with a fierce, leaping flame that threatened to consume her.

She realized Shi Mi’s arms were wrapped tightly around her waist, while her own hands were pressed against Shi Mi’s chest.

Her fingertips twitched, frozen in place. She awkwardly averted her gaze, saying, “Let’s go, let’s go. Sister Zhimei is…”

Shi Mi reached out and pulled her back down.

Pressed tightly together, the atmosphere shifted from playful teasing to an undeniable intimacy.

Shi Mi brushed her lips lightly against Lin Wanqing’s, like a dragonfly skimming the water’s surface, and asked with a smile, “Sweet?”

Lin Wanqing’s face flushed crimson as she stammered, “…Sweet.”

Feng Zhimei’s gaze darted between the two women. “What’s going on here?”

“Wanqing,” Shi Mi replied.

Lin Wanqing, still savoring the lingering warmth of their recent kiss, snapped back to reality. “Oh, oh! Youyou and I were just fooling around in the warehouse, and I accidentally ripped my clothes.”

Feng Zhimei was shocked. Are young people really this wild these days? In a warehouse? Was the door even locked? No, no, Wanqing is too careless. I need to have a serious talk with her later.

Noticing Feng Zhimei’s expression, Lin Wanqing realized her misunderstanding. As she recalled the scenes in the warehouse, she remembered how she and Shi Mi used to play like this back in high school.

But it was different now…

Back then, they were young.

Now, they were mature.

Lin Wanqing stole a glance at Shi Mi’s chest, recalling the feel of it. It seemed… quite large.

Shi Mi flicked her forehead. “Focus on the real issue.”