I’m the Moonlight White That the Former Movie Queen Secretly Loved 4

Chapter 4:

Ye Qianqian arrived just as the tow truck did.

Qi Sijia got out of her little yellow car and stood in the rain, holding a rusty umbrella, strands of hair sticking to her cheeks.

The three layers of her black mask were soaked through, dripping with rainwater. But its owner still kept it on her face.

Qi Sijia avoided the tow truck driver’s gaze and curtly confirmed the phone number with him.

At one point, she took out a bottle of pills, turned her back, and popped one into her mouth.

Ye Qianqian drove up beside Qi Sijia.

She rolled down the window. “Get in, quick.”

Recognizing her, Qi Sijia quickly got into Ye Qianqian’s passenger seat.

“This car is?” Her gold-rimmed glasses were covered in raindrops, blurring her vision. Qi Sijia slowly took them off and asked casually.

“Mine.” Ye Qianqian tossed her a tissue and then pulled a new towel from the car’s storage compartment for Qi Sijia.

Taking the items, Qi Sijia removed her hat and asked while drying her hair, “Where’s my Cullinan?”

“Don’t worry, it’s still collecting dust in the garage,” Ye Qianqian said with disdain.

“I sincerely suggest your dad put a little more thought into your next birthday gift. Is a Cullinan suitable for a girl to drive? The model is clumsy, and the color doesn’t appeal to me at all. It’s not as good as my Lamborghini.”

Qi Sijia’s expression remained neutral, but her tone was slightly more relaxed than when she was with strangers. “You can say that to Boss Qi’s face. Tell him to at least put some thought into his next gift, or maybe get a new assistant. His taste might improve.”

It was obvious Qi Sijia didn’t want to talk about Qi Jun.

Ye Qianqian neatly tucked her bob behind her ear and casually changed the subject. “How’s the treatment for your social anxiety going?”

Qi Sijia sighed and shook her head.

She used to have mild social anxiety. It wasn’t a major issue; she was just a quiet person who didn’t like to talk, but she could manage moderate social interactions and survive in crowded places.

But five years ago, after that incident, she couldn’t stay in crowded places for long.

Since she couldn’t accept hypnotherapy, the doctors were helpless.

For five years, Qi Sijia had shut herself away in an old house in the development zone, abandoning her innate talent for screenwriting. When her professor from M country called, she rarely participated in script creation. She hadn’t attended a single Qi family banquet.

Ye Qianqian had worried herself sick over Qi Sijia all these years, thinking it was a pity.

Five years ago, while still in college, Qi Sijia had written a script like Earth’s Destruction, which was screened at the 2018 Berlin Film Festival. Her English name was hailed as a rising star in the international screenwriting circle.

But no one knew what exactly happened afterward. When they met again, Qi Sijia’s social anxiety had worsened, and she never touched a script again.

None of her friends knew about Qi Sijia’s glorious past, but Ye Qianqian did. She couldn’t help but want to persuade her, but for the past few years, Qi Sijia had refused treatment, and no one could convince her otherwise.

Sighing as usual, Ye Qianqian said, “Alright, I’ve heard that fighting fire with fire works well for social anxiety. Kid, why don’t you come back to our circle, meet more people? Big sister will be here for you.”

Ye Qianqian was very serious.

Qi Sijia put her cleaned gold-rimmed glasses back on her nose and shook her head in refusal.

Her nose wasn’t overly sharp, just the right height, with a delicate tip. Her long fingers rested on it.

Ye Qianqian tilted her head and happened to see Qi Sijia push up her glasses with her finger.

A small, cinnabar-like mole on the pad of her left middle finger, rubbing against her pale skin, was simply seductive.

Ye Qianqian stared for a long time, then slammed on the gas, wanting to speed up to eighty miles per hour.

Qi Sijia had to remind her to slow down and let her drive.

The car fell silent. Ye Qianqian lowered her head, slightly lost in thought.

People with social anxiety are very sensitive to others’ emotions.

After hesitating for a few minutes, Qi Sijia asked awkwardly, “Are you dating a younger girl recently? Don’t call me ‘big sister’ and ‘kid’.”

“We broke up a long time ago,” Ye Qianqian said distractedly. “Huh? How did you know?”

Qi Sijia: “You’ve called me that several times. It sounds nice, but don’t say it again. My girlfriend might misunderstand.”

Ye Qianqian lowered her eyes. “…”

Seeing her silent again, Qi Sijia reminded her, “Fasten your seatbelt.”

In the garage.

At Qi Sijia’s repeated request, Miss Ye reluctantly agreed to stay in the car, feeling wronged.

“After you’re done, you have to bring her to my car for a quick look, right?” Ye Qianqian emphasized. “I’ll help you vet her.”

Qi Sijia really didn’t understand why Ye Qianqian would waste time that could be spent on a beauty treatment to meet her girlfriend. But knowing Ye Qianqian’s persistent nature, she had to agree.

So she nodded seriously. “Okay.”

Huaqing Garden was a teahouse with a serene environment, designed like a large courtyard. Two bronze ring handles adorned the antique-style double doors, and a gilded Song-dynasty style plaque above read “Huaqing Garden.”

Inside, there were small bridges, flowing water, and landscapes of plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums. A three-story, antique-style bamboo building stood by the river, a favorite spot for tea drinkers who loved its elegance and tranquility.

Perhaps because Qi Sijia was dressed too casually, the waiter in a Tang-dynasty style suit led her directly to the main hall on the first floor.

Fortunately, each tea room was separated by a screen. At this time, there were only a few tables in the first-floor tea room, and they were hidden by landscape screens, so she couldn’t see anyone else.

But she could hear conversations. Qi Sijia pressed her lips together. She would have preferred a private room on the second floor.

“Are there any private rooms?”

The words swirled in her mouth for three rounds until she met the waiter’s smiling, questioning dark eyes.

This kind of interaction with strangers made her very uncomfortable.

Qi Sijia didn’t want to speak. She pulled her black mask up slightly, her expression neutral, and sat down in silence.

“What kind of tea would you like, miss?”

“Plain boiled water.”

Waiter: “…”

Shu Ran was 35 minutes late.

Qi Sijia didn’t leave, even though she was already very uncomfortable. She had two refills of plain water, but still no sign of her.

She could only take out her phone and send a quick thank-you message to the top-ranking “Wealthy Peony” in the comment section.

Since she kept her head down, she didn’t notice the waiter looking at her with a hint of disdain.

It wasn’t until the charmingly dressed Shu Ran sat down opposite her that the waiter’s gaze finally shifted.

As Shu Ran sat down, a commotion erupted at the entrance. It seemed some big star had arrived. Even the waiter who had been standing behind their screen walked over with an excited look on his face.

Despite the commotion, neither Qi Sijia nor Shu Ran looked up.

Qi Sijia was because the crowd was growing. Even though no one was looking at her, she needed to take deep breaths to stay calm.

Shu Ran, on the other hand, was composing herself, preparing for a confrontation.

Taking a deep breath, Qi Sijia quickly started the conversation. “You have something to say to me?”

“Go on, be quick. I have to go back soon.”

Qi Sijia kept her head down, not even looking up as she spoke, her hurried words sounding perfunctory.

Shu Ran’s opening line got stuck in her throat. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes in disgust.

“You’re going home?” Shu Ran asked.

“Mmm.”

Qi Sijia noticed that Shu Ran’s eyes seemed particularly large today. Her features weren’t as sweet as usual; there was a fierce, almost ferocious look to them.

She blinked, thinking she must have been mistaken.

Before she could take a closer look, she saw Shu Ran take a cigarette from her bag and hold it between her slender fingers.

Qi Sijia frowned. “Smoking is bad for your health.”

She pushed a teacup towards Shu Ran. “Have some tea.”

Shu Ran sneered. “I’m not drinking. Sitting with you makes me lose my appetite. Let’s get to the point. I’m here to break up with…”

Before Shu Ran could finish, the commotion at the entrance, which had been distant, suddenly moved closer.

It was now about fifty meters from their table.

Screams interrupted their conversation.

“Ahhh, Jiang-Jiang, look here!”

“Oh my god, it’s really her!”

“Miss Meng, hello, I’m from the Beicheng branch of the Meng family—you’re even more beautiful in person than on screen.”

…

Qi Sijia and Shu Ran both looked over at the same time.

In the center of the crowd stood none other than Meng Jiang, surrounded by people.

Under the lights, she wore a long dress, her coat draped over her wrist. Her phoenix eyes swept over, making her look as reserved and noble as a jade statue.

The atmosphere in the teahouse instantly heated up!

Qi Sijia’s gaze inadvertently drifted over. Although they were separated by several landscape screens and she was clearly not in Meng Jiang’s line of sight, Meng Jiang, as if she had eyes in the back of her head, suddenly turned her head. Her phoenix eyes, smiling, met Qi Sijia’s.

Qi Sijia: “…”

Before she could react, Meng Jiang seemed to recognize her. A perfectly timed hint of surprise appeared in her eyes. Then, she turned on her heel and gracefully walked towards Qi Sijia’s table.

Her lips curved into a faint smile as she called out, “Qi Sijia.”

“It really is you!”

Qi Sijia’s face was wooden. She felt it was difficult to breathe. She raised her hand and took a sip of tea.

She didn’t reply. One, she didn’t feel there was anything to say to Meng Jiang. Two, there were too many people, and Qi Sijia felt her heart was under pressure.

Of course, Meng Jiang didn’t know what she was thinking. She walked to Qi Sijia’s table, blocking her exit. Whether intentionally or not, she politely extended her hand to Qi Sijia. “Long time no see. I didn’t expect to run into you here.”

“And this is?” Meng Jiang gestured towards Shu Ran.

Compared to Qi Sijia’s slow reaction, Shu Ran had been unable to sit still for a while. Her eyes were filled with a complex, unreadable expression. She muttered to herself, Qi Sijia is hiding things pretty well, she even managed to get involved with Meng Jiang.

The confrontation she had planned was now impossible to execute.

What worried Shu Ran even more now was if Qi Sijia would introduce her as her girlfriend. After all, the person standing opposite them was Meng Jiang, the mentor on the debut show she was about to participate in. If she could build a good relationship, it would mean more screen time and a smooth path to success.

“Teacher Meng!” Shu Ran adjusted her expression and looked up with a surprised smile, extending her hand. “What a lucky day to meet you here. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Qi Sijia’s friend, Shu Ran. Shu as in…”

Meng Jiang took a step back, and Chen Cheng shook Shu Ran’s hand on her behalf.

“Hello.”

Her tone was very faint, indicating no intention of getting to know her further.

After perfunctorily dealing with Shu Ran, Meng Jiang turned back to Qi Sijia.

Their eyes met, and the atmosphere was quiet for a second.

A meeting of first loves. The expected awkwardness, rage, and sarcastic remarks were all absent.

Meng Jiang’s expression was very natural, as if she had no other intentions, just politely saying hello.

Qi Sijia, however, couldn’t handle it as smoothly. She couldn’t stay in a crowd for long. Her gaze shifted to the entrance, glancing two or three times.

She managed to say, “It has been a long time.”

One was standing, the other sitting. Meng Jiang looked down, her eyes meeting Qi Sijia’s long, narrow ones. She asked with a half-smile, “Here for tea with a friend?”

She spoke casually, and the curious gazes of those around them immediately fell on Qi Sijia.

Qi Sijia took a deep breath.

Noticing her discomfort, a hint of surprise flashed in Meng Jiang’s eyes. She subtly shifted her position, using her back to block most of the surrounding gazes.

Only after she had calmed down did Qi Sijia look up.

Adult social interactions could be very troublesome. Even with an ex, you had to give each other the proper dignity.

Now that Meng Jiang had taken the initiative to greet her, in front of everyone, it was impossible for her to put Meng Jiang in a difficult position. She had to speak.

Qi Sijia pushed up her glasses with her finger, not looking at Meng Jiang’s face.

Her gaze was fixed on Meng Jiang’s shoulder. “Shu Ran is my girlfriend.”

“Oh.” Meng Jiang lowered her eyes and glanced at Shu Ran. “Is that so?”

“What are you talking about, Qi Sijia? I’m here to break up with you.” Shu Ran jumped to her feet, gritting her teeth in frustration. She gave her ex-girlfriend a warning look, telling her not to say any more.

But Qi Sijia had no mind to listen to what Shu Ran was saying. With Meng Jiang standing by their table, more and more eyes were focused on them.

Even though Meng Jiang had shifted her position to deliberately block many of the gazes, Qi Sijia’s social anxiety was worse than it had been five years ago. If there were a hole in the ground right now, she would have jumped in without hesitation to hide.

Her head was buzzing. Taking a deep breath, she managed to maintain the last shred of dignity. Qi Sijia decided to leave first and deal with it later.

“Is there anything else?”

The question was directed at Shu Ran. She couldn’t delve into what Shu Ran’s “we’ve already broken up” meant. Whatever it meant, it would have to wait.

There was no sadness on Qi Sijia’s face from being dumped. Her eyes were still cold.

It was as if she was meeting this scumbag for the first time.

Shu Ran frowned. Even with an audience, her mood turned inexplicably sour. She said with a cold face, “You have nothing to say about the breakup?”

“Nothing.” Qi Sijia said, “That’s all for today. I’m leaving.”

She put her teacup aside, avoiding Meng Jiang’s probing gaze from above, and left without another word.

As she walked towards the door and passed Meng Jiang, the familiar scent of Rubus rosaefolius, mixed with a hint of fruit wine, hit her.

Qi Sijia paused and said reflexively, “Don’t drink and drive.”

It was a habitual reminder, said without thinking, without even processing it.

Qi Sijia herself was stunned for a moment after saying it. Her mind was a mess.

She left without waiting for Meng Jiang’s reply.

Meng Jiang was a little dazed. She didn’t know what she was thinking, but she suddenly turned around stiffly. It wasn’t until Qi Sijia’s figure disappeared from sight that she put on her professional, fake smile again.