The White Moonlight I Chased, the Divorce I Never Expected (GL) - Chapter 10

At just a glance, Chi Yi reacted instinctively, quickly turning her back. Hearing Wen Ranqing’s words, an indescribable sense of guilt surged within her, making her entire back stiffen.

“President Wen, why didn’t you resist?”

Chi Yi felt a sudden, inexplicable irritation. Had Wen Ranqing simply let her do as she pleased while she was asleep?

Wen Ranqing shifted slightly to sit at the edge of the bed, silently watching Chi Yi’s tense back. Pressing her lips together, she said softly,
“You looked unhappy even in your sleep. I just wanted to comfort you.”

Chi Yi had always been afraid of the dark. Back then, when she couldn’t bear it anymore, she would timidly knock on Wen Ranqing’s bedroom door and crawl into her bed. Every night afterward, Wen Ranqing would gently pat her to sleep. Even after their six months of living together ended, young Chi Yi cried herself to sleep for several nights, only finding occasional solace through video calls with Wen Ranqing.

Feeling her throat dry up even more, Chi Yi cleared it, lowered her head, and started searching for her phone, not intending to respond to Wen Ranqing’s words.

“Looking for your phone? It’s here.”

A cold object touched the back of her hand. Chi Yi paused briefly before taking it and quickly said,
“I’ll go check if the communication has been restored.”

Wen Ranqing answered gently,
“Alright.”

After taking a few steps, Chi Yi bit her lip and muttered,
“What happened today was my fault. Consider it that I owe you a favor, President Wen. You’d better remember it well.”

Hearing no reply from Wen Ranqing, Chi Yi grabbed an umbrella and stepped outside, only to run straight into the forest ranger uncle.

Seeing her, the ranger greeted warmly,
“You’re up, Xiao Chi. Perfect timing! I just finished stewing some wild boar meat. Come and eat.”

“And bring your friend along too.”

“Got it. Thank you so much,” Chi Yi nodded. “Is the communication back now?”

Because they had rushed to find shelter last night, the ranger had only gotten a rough idea of their situation — he knew they were members of a nearby geological survey team, stranded due to extreme weather and waiting for rescue.

He replied,
“I almost forgot. I got two calls just now, both looking for you. The road you took up the mountain is blocked, but they’re coming from the other side. The path is rough, so they’ll probably arrive by late afternoon.”

Noticing Wen Ranqing stepping out of the room, the ranger called out,
“Come eat!”

Chi Yi hadn’t wanted to turn back at first, but she suddenly realized that aside from the raincoat the ranger was wearing, the umbrella in her hand was the only other piece of rain gear available.

Helpless, she turned around — only to see Wen Ranqing already halfway there. Rain quickly soaked her thin jacket, and she sped up her steps.

With a faint smile on her face, Wen Ranqing walked under Chi Yi’s umbrella, consciously keeping a polite distance. Tucking her long hair behind her ear, she said,
“Sorry for troubling you.”

Hearing her speak so gently, Chi Yi froze for a moment, glancing at her unconsciously. She noticed that Wen Ranqing’s jacket was still half-dry — but one shoulder, left uncovered by the umbrella, was completely soaked.

Chi Yi frowned slightly and inched the umbrella closer toward her without saying a word.

“Sorry about this,” the ranger added, strapping on his tool bag and adjusting his raincoat. “I was hoping to eat with you both, but I need to head out for inspections. I already lost a day yesterday. I’ll be back in the afternoon.”

Noticing the intimate atmosphere between them, he asked bluntly,
“Xiao Chi, you were alright last night, weren’t you? Your friend said you went outside for some air very late. Did you find her in the end?”

Both of their faces flushed red. Chi Yi awkwardly nodded. Satisfied, the ranger waved goodbye, leaving the small courtyard to just the two of them.

The prepared meal was laid out under a nearby outdoor shelter. Clearing her throat, Chi Yi stared straight ahead and said,
“Let’s eat.”

“The rescue team will arrive by late afternoon. It’s already noon now — we won’t have to wait too long.”

“Mm, I heard just now,” Wen Ranqing replied.

Sharing the same umbrella, they walked through the rain. Though Chi Yi didn’t look at Wen Ranqing while speaking, she could sense that Wen Ranqing was still smiling — just as she had been earlier. Occasionally, Wen Ranqing’s damp sleeve would brush against her arm, which made Chi Yi feel a little irritated.

It was only a short distance. Chi Yi folded the umbrella and turned to see a short, somewhat aged wooden stool. Instinctively, she bent down and wiped it with her hand. Somewhere deep inside, she still thought that someone as refined as Wen Ranqing would find it hard to adapt to such rough conditions.

“I have another small stool here, Xiao Yi. Come sit.”

Wen Ranqing had already sat down. Her slender, fair legs were bent slightly because of the stool’s short height. Despite the rustic setting, she looked strikingly out of place — yet somehow, her movements were completely natural. She set out a pair of chopsticks for Chi Yi, a glimmer of expectation shining in her peach blossom eyes.

Chi Yi was momentarily stunned by the sight of Wen Ranqing. She silently put the small wooden stool back in place, opened her umbrella again, and walked into the rain.

“I’m going to grab something. President Wen, please start eating first.”

“Alright, I’ll wait for you.”

Wen Ranqing watched Chi Yi’s retreating figure, a faint smile unconsciously appearing on her lips. She kept smiling even after the door to their room was pulled open and closed again, then turned her gaze back to the heavy rain.

There had been many times in the past when Wen Ranqing was busy with work. Even though Chi Yi rarely had to wait too long, she would always patiently sit and wait for her, and the moment Wen Ranqing returned, Chi Yi would greet her with a bright, beaming smile.

Even though Wen Ranqing knew that Chi Yi’s smiles back then were probably not entirely sincere, they had still warmed her heart, offering a sense of healing — and along with it, a gradually growing, undeniable stirring deep inside her.

Hugging her knees, Wen Ranqing continued gazing toward the direction Chi Yi had gone. For the first time, she truly experienced what it meant to wait — even a short separation made her impatient to see her again.

Before long, Chi Yi returned, still holding an umbrella. Draped over her arm was a jacket.

Wen Ranqing was in the same position as when she left, which somehow made Chi Yi even more uncomfortable. She quickly averted her gaze and stiffly held the jacket out to her.

“Change into this.”

Chi Yi’s own windbreaker was only slightly damp and would dry quickly, unlike Wen Ranqing’s jacket, which was already soaked. She didn’t want Wen Ranqing to fall ill before they even made it down the mountain — it would be a huge hassle.

“Okay.” Wen Ranqing obediently took the jacket, a slight sweetness blooming in her heart at Chi Yi’s gesture. She docilely began removing her own wet jacket.

While Chi Yi sat down and tried to suppress her inner irritation, she waited for Wen Ranqing to finish changing so they could eat. A large bowl of braised pork sat conspicuously next to some stir-fried wild vegetables on the table, and she regretted not bringing the tea drinks from her bag.

Wen Ranqing struggled a little with the zipper while taking off her jacket. When Chi Yi glanced over, Wen Ranqing had just pulled off her outerwear, leaving her in a short-sleeved shirt — the fabric wrinkled conspicuously against her skin.

Chi Yi quickly looked down, pretending she hadn’t seen anything. A faint floral scent lingered in the air, teasing her senses. Even Wen Ranqing’s slightly clumsy movements as she tugged at the zipper seemed inexplicably provocative — let alone the fact that she was doing it right in front of her ex-wife.

Feeling increasingly agitated, Chi Yi blurted out without thinking,
“President Wen, do you feel cooler dressed like that?”

Wen Ranqing hastily quickened her movements, her face burning with embarrassment. Afraid Chi Yi would misunderstand and think she acted this way in front of others too, she hurried to explain,
“No, Xiao Yi.”

“The one you gave me — I tried it, but it’s too small. I couldn’t wear it.”

Her tone carried a slight hint of grievance, almost like a soft complaint. Chi Yi’s breath caught slightly, and her heart began to race uncontrollably at the ambiguous words, annoyed at herself for caring so much.

Whether Wen Ranqing chose to wear innerwear or not, whether she dressed casually in front of her or anyone else, it was no longer any of her business.

Chi Yi had always thought that some things didn’t need to be said out loud — that adults should understand these boundaries instinctively. Yet she found herself unable to remain unaffected by Wen Ranqing’s occasional, seemingly unintentional teasing. In fact, discovering this unexpectedly gentle side of Wen Ranqing only made her heart stir even more.

Frowning, Chi Yi turned away and held out a white handkerchief in front of Wen Ranqing.

“Here. Returning this to you.”

After a brief moment, Wen Ranqing recognized the handkerchief — it was the one Chi Yi had used to wrap her wedding ring and placed on the bedside. She had kept it with her all this time.

Seeing her confusion, Chi Yi explained while eating,
“Your younger brother gave it to me.”

“Did Junze say anything?” Wen Ranqing asked nervously, feeling a mix of hope and fear. She hadn’t known about this at all.

Wen Ranqing longed for Chi Yi to understand her feelings — but she was also afraid. Afraid that if she pushed too hard, it would all seem like a childish game in Chi Yi’s ears, rather than something genuine.

Wen Ranqing had never pursued anyone before. She had never even experienced an ordinary romance. She didn’t know the right way to approach someone she liked, nor how to slowly and steadily get closer.

She had never regretted inheriting the Wen family business — it was the legacy of several generations. But sometimes, Wen Ranqing couldn’t help but wonder: if she had allowed herself to step away from work just a little more, maybe… just maybe, her decision wouldn’t have come too late.

Chi Yi lifted her cold, sharp eyes and glanced at Wen Ranqing briefly before continuing to eat.

Did she truly not understand?
Or was she just pretending not to?

“He said that President Wen missed me,” Chi Yi said casually, as if trying to gauge Wen Ranqing’s reaction — half out of curiosity, half out of mischief.

Chi Yi spoke while lowering her head to focus on her meal. Wen Ranqing, caught off guard, couldn’t immediately tell whether Chi Yi was joking or being serious. A flush crept up along the tips of her ears.

If it was true, Wen Ranqing couldn’t deny it.
If it was a joke…

Their current relationship felt like that between a sharp, agile hunter and a prey that mattered little to the hunter — Chi Yi could act as she pleased, watching coldly as Wen Ranqing fell into a trap, while Wen Ranqing herself had no power to resist.