Stealing My Ex's White Moonlight - Chapter 26

The two arrived at the film set before they knew it, their conversation flowing easily.

Lin Wanqing tried to get off Shi Mi’s back, but Shi Mi wouldn’t let her. “Stay put,” she insisted.

This is… embarrassing, Lin Wanqing thought, her arms tightening around Shi Mi’s neck, a mix of shyness and sweetness washing over her.

The moment they entered the set, all eyes turned to them, a collective gasp rippling through the crew.

People gathered in small groups, gossiping. What happened in the time it takes to burn an incense stick?

“Did Lin Wanqing get hurt? Is that why her little follower is carrying her?”

“Can you be any dumber? The relationship between Lin Wanqing and her follower is clearly something special. Have you ever seen Lin Wanqing let anyone carry her before?”

“Exactly! Last time she got injured during a wire stunt, the male lead tried to help her, but she just called out, ‘Sister Zhimei!’ and the guy awkwardly withdrew his hand.”

“What male lead? Are you talking about Liu Zhicheng? He’s been head over heels for Lin Wanqing forever. I heard he pulled a lot of strings to get this role just to be with her.”

“How touching! If I were Lin Wanqing, I’d have said yes already. Liu Zhicheng is so handsome!”

“Pfft! Have you even looked at Lin Wanqing’s aura? She clearly comes from a wealthy family. What would she ever see in Liu Zhicheng?”

“If Liu Zhicheng wasn’t good enough, what makes her little sidekick think she’s any better? She’s just a hired hand—she’s reaching way above her station.”

“Hey, don’t be such a sourpuss…”

Lin Huanhuan’s gaze remained fixed on the two women. Could her cousin Wanqing, who seemed so aloof and otherworldly in Yunyang’s high society, really have such a girlish side?

Her expression darkened as she recalled the trivial tasks she’d performed for Wanqing these past few weeks, believing she was easing her cousin’s burdens and attending to her every need. Now, the whole thing seemed utterly ridiculous.

Wanqing would never remember any of it.

Shi Mi carried Lin Wanqing into the dressing room, fueling the crew’s gossip, though no one dared tease them openly.

The costume designer and her two assistants quickly changed Lin Wanqing into a new outfit: a high-collared, double-breasted long robe of jet-black brocade embroidered with gold, paired with a horse-face skirt and a dark blue cloud-shoulder cape adorned with floral patterns.

The ensemble exuded an aura of solemnity and unfathomable depth.

Lin Wanqing turned and smiled faintly at Shi Mi, adding a touch of warmth to her severe demeanor.

Liu Zhi hurried to touch up her makeup.

The reshoot focused on the scene where Qiu Hua, now Empress Dowager, confronts Prince Hou in the Golden Luan Hall while ruling from behind the curtain.

Prince Hou was portrayed by Chen Qiang, a veteran actor with classical training. His masterful delivery of the lines captivated the audience with its deep, commanding voice and palpable tension.

His imposing presence surged forward, yet it failed to overwhelm Lin Wanqing. Even during his minute-long monologue, she held her ground.

Her breathing remained steady, her rhythm unwavering yet forceful, a simmering anger barely concealed beneath her calm demeanor.

Their scene unfolded seamlessly, a rapid exchange with no pauses. For those watching both on and off set, there was only one word for it: exhilarating!

As Shi Mi watched with rapt attention, a flash of crimson caught her eye—Lin Huanhuan.

“I…”

She had mentally prepared herself before coming, but the words caught in her throat.

She thought of her father’s medical bills, her brother’s tuition and living expenses, her own education and daily needs… all provided by the Lin Family.

Without the Lin Family, she would still be trapped in that remote, isolated Lin Family Village.

Married in her early twenties, with one child in her arms and another on her back, she would be toiling in the fields with a hoe.

The Lin Family had merely extended a casual hand to their impoverished relatives in the countryside, yet she had brazenly claimed to be one of them.

Her brother was right: simply calling Wanqing “Cousin Wanqing” didn’t make her family. What right did she have?

Lin Huanhuan bowed deeply, her head lowered in a ninety-degree angle. “I’m sorry!”

The crew members glanced over, whispering among themselves. Under their collective gaze, Lin Huanhuan felt like she was sitting on pins and needles.

Humiliating herself so publicly, groveling before so many people, felt like a public execution. She was certain Cousin Wanqing wouldn’t hold onto such a trivial matter after this.

To her surprise, Wanqing remained utterly indifferent, not even lifting her eyelids.

Huanhuan’s elaborate but heavy headdress weighed her head down, the ornaments dangling heavily and straining her neck.

Yet she dared not raise her head.

She knew all too well that Cousin Wanqing, who appeared so amiable and easy to talk to, had a line that must never be crossed.

Wanqing had been the center of attention her entire life, and those who defied her had always met a grim end. A single word from Wanqing could strip her of everything she now possessed.

What right did Lin Huanhuan have to expect Wanqing’s forgiveness after her mistake?

Was she to be sent back to that backward, desolate Lin Family Village?

No!

A flicker of hatred flashed in Huanhuan’s eyes as she knelt heavily.

Assistant Chang Bing reached out to help her up, but Huanhuan pushed her away.

Huanhuan pressed her forehead against the cold ground. “I’m sorry! I was wrong!”

She felt as if she had regressed to the year she was ten, when her father fell gravely ill. Despite selling all their possessions to raise money for his surgery, it was still far from enough.

As the family faced utter desperation, her brother Lin Yuan proposed dropping out of school to work and earn the surgery funds. Grandma Lin struck his knee with her cane. “Nonsense!”

Grandma mussed up her neatly combed hair and dressed her in tattered clothes.

Pouting, she looked utterly unwilling and tried to change.

But Grandma scolded her, “If you want to save your father, you’ll have to endure this.”

They rode from the village to the town on a straw-filled hand tractor, then squeezed into a dilapidated minibus from the town to the county seat, and finally from the county seat to the city.

Stepping out of the bus station, she felt dizzy and listless.

A man in a black suit and leather shoes approached. “Are you Grandma Lin Aifang?”

Grandma tapped her cane on the ground. “That’s me.”

“The Old Master sent me to fetch you.”

As her strength returned, she felt a pang of curiosity. Isn’t “Old Master” a term from the old society? What era is this?!

The oddity quickly faded as a black sedan pulled up before them, its white cotton-linen curtains, soft amber seats, and faint fragrance creating an air of understated luxury.

She gazed out the window in wonder at the passing scenery: towering skyscrapers with blue-tinted glass reaching for the clouds, vibrant green flowerbeds—everything was so new and fascinating.

After a long drive, the car slowly came to a stop before a three- or four-meter-high wrought iron gate adorned with intricate carvings.

Beyond the gate lay a lush landscape of verdant trees, soft lawns, and sculpted fountains—a feast for the eyes.

As the car halted, she followed her grandmother out and was startled by the scene before her.

Four men in black suits, trousers, and shoes stood beside the two white jade gateposts carved with dragons and phoenixes, their faces stern and unsmiling.

Uneasy, she gripped her grandmother’s hand tightly as they entered the gate. Before them unfolded a scene of opulent grandeur: soaring ceilings three to four meters high, pure wool carpets, massive oval-shaped enamel windows, dazzling crystal chandeliers, and a two-meter-wide spiral staircase.

It was like stepping into a fairy-tale castle.

A woman in a black dress bowed to her grandmother. “Grandma Lin, the Old Master is waiting for you in the reception hall.”

In the reception hall, she saw the Old Master himself, his face kind and gentle. Yet, for some reason, she felt a pang of fear and instinctively shrank behind her grandmother.

Though her grandmother usually appeared frail, her grip was surprisingly strong. She seized the girl by the collar and pushed her forward.

“Brother Lin, it’s been too long. Your little sister has come to trouble you.”

Old Master Lin smiled warmly. “Please, sit.”

“Brother Lin, you’re a busy man, so I’ll get straight to the point. I’ve come here today, shamelessly, to ask for a favor.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Grandma pressed down on her back, and the two of them knelt heavily on the wool carpet.

Her knees ached, and she instinctively tried to rise, but Grandma firmly pressed her head down, her nose filling with the clean scent of the carpet.

“Huanhuan has had a hard life. Her mother abandoned her when she was just a child, and her father is in the hospital, unable to afford surgery. Her brother is still in school, and my old bones can’t earn any money. This is all I have left.”

“But this child is still young, with a long life ahead of her. Brother Lin, could you spare her a few meals?”

A long silence stretched out, making her knees ache from kneeling.

Old Master Lin didn’t offer to help them up. He sat upright in his chair, chuckling softly. “Sister, please rise and speak.”

“Brother Lin, how can I rise if you haven’t agreed to my request?”

Old Master Lin fell silent for a moment before asking, “Huanhuan is about the same age as Wanqing, isn’t she? Otherwise—”

Otherwise what? Huanhuan waited expectantly, only to hear a cold, clear voice cut through the air: “I don’t want her.”

She looked up to see a girl in a cream-colored cotton-linen dress, a head taller than her, with long, flowing hair. Those beautiful eyes gazed down at her with utter indifference and detachment.

Three simple words, spoken softly, that would determine the course of her life.

Grandma nudged her. “Huanhuan, call her Cousin Wanqing.”

Dazed, Huanhuan mumbled, “Cousin Wanqing.”

She could no longer hear what Grandma and Old Master Lin were saying, her mind filled with thoughts of the beautiful Cousin Wanqing. Grandpa Lin hadn’t even finished his sentence—why did she say no so quickly?

After repeated invitations from Old Master Lin, Huanhuan found herself honored to be seated at the dining table coveted by countless business elites, dining with Old Master Lin and the Lin Family’s heiress.

The long, ornate table was set with exquisite tableware and beautifully plated dishes. As she reached for her chopsticks, a servant approached with a golden tray holding a steaming white towel, reminding her to wipe her hands first.

She felt awkward and embarrassed by the servants’ attentiveness, wanting to take the golden tray herself, but the servant wouldn’t release it.

She instinctively glanced at her cousin Wanqing, who calmly wiped her hands, treating such service as perfectly normal.

Watching her, she felt like gazing at the moon reflected in a well—so distant yet so near.

The dishes looked beautiful, but they were all vegetarian, tasting like chewing wax. When the servant brought out steamed eggs, her eyes lit up, and she blurted out, “Grandma, I want to eat that steamed egg!”

Grandma scolded, “No manners!”

What were these “manners”? She was both frightened and aggrieved. At home, whenever the family hens laid eggs, her father and brothers would always let her have them if she wanted.

Why wouldn’t Cousin Wanqing even look at her, acting as if she hadn’t heard?

Old Master Lin said, “Have the kitchen prepare another serving.”

Later, she learned that the steamed eggs were double-yolked peacock eggs, four per box, wrapped in golden silk satin. A single serving cost more than three months of her university living expenses.

When the steamed eggs arrived, she ate them listlessly, secretly watching Lin Wanqing. Why didn’t she offer them to me? Does she hate me?

As they were leaving, she mustered the courage to approach Lin Wanqing and ask why she hadn’t wanted them, if she disliked her.

Lin Wanqing replied without emotion, “I don’t think much of you.”

There was no contempt or disdain in her voice, as if she were discussing the day’s weather—clear or rainy—a glance was all it took to know the answer.

For years afterward, she wondered what it would take for Cousin Wanqing to approve of her. How beautiful, how perfect her figure, how witty, or how noble her birth?

Even the Eldest Miss Chen of the Chen Family and Second Miss Xu, both of noble birth and possessing both beauty and talent, had relentlessly pursued Cousin Wanqing without success.

Sometimes, she even fantasized that she might be the one-in-a-million exception.

Ha.

Lin Huanhuan pressed her forehead against the cold ground, the corners of her mouth curling into a bitter smile, mocking her own foolish delusions.