Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The replies below instantly exploded.

[No, seriously? It’s one thing to pave the way for your sons and grandsons, but now you’re paving the way for your white moonlight too?]

[Ms. Moonlight, please, keep talking. Otherwise I’m worried the helpful netizens won’t be able to dig you up.]

[If he’s old enough to pull strings for people, he’s probably married, right? Is OP playing the mistress under the banner of being his white moonlight?]

[Another cockroach standing out in the sun! What, do cockroaches also distinguish between white moonlight and cinnabar mole?]

…

The answerer wasn’t anxious at all. If anything, she sounded rather smug.

[I know you’re all poor and ugly. In real life, you can’t even solve the most basic problem of feeding yourselves, so all you can do is throw tantrums online.]

[I’m just lucky. Even as a divorced woman with a kid, someone still spoils me like a little princess. Stay mad! He’s getting off work later and coming to celebrate with me.]

That was the latest reply, posted two minutes ago.

I opened my phone. Xie Qingyue was pinned at the top of my chats.

Just two hours ago, he had told me he had a dinner with some high school classmates tonight.

As always, Xie Qingyue had sent me his location: [If anything comes up, come find me anytime.]

For the past five years, he had always taken the initiative to report his schedule to me.

Overtime. Dinner parties. Sudden business trips…

Even if it was only a few simple words, it was enough to put me at ease.

So much so that I had never once thought of going to see what he was like in front of other people.

But today, all of a sudden, I wanted to go take a look.

The wind and snow outside had grown heavier. As far as the eye could see, the lanes were filled with glaring red taillights.

The restaurant was near the lab, so it wasn’t hard to find.

Maybe because of the weather, there weren’t many diners.

I quickly found their private room.

Inside, the conversation was in full swing.

“Of all of us, Ah Yue is definitely the most successful now. What happened with Miss Fu wasn’t exactly a small matter, right? But look at him, handling it so easily…”

“Back then, you even said all he knew was burying his head in books. Look at him now. I’ve heard Brother Yue is highly valued at his workplace.”

“It was nothing. Just a small favor.”

Xie Qingyue’s voice was calm, as if he were saying the weather was nice today.

“Dinner’s on me today. Order whatever you like.”

The group showered him with another round of flattery.

“Fu Yao, you really won’t have anything to worry about from now on. Honestly, with you under Brother Yue, even if you don’t show up for work, no one would dare say a word.”

The girl called Fu Yao let out a cold scoff. “Listen to yourself. You make it sound like I’m relying entirely on Xie Qingyue. I researched this position ages ago. I only dared to submit my resume because I’m fully capable of doing the job.”

“Fully capable? This is one of the top two labs in Jiang City. In previous years, they wouldn’t even take anyone who wasn’t a PhD from Jiang University. What’s your educational background-”

“Fu Yao’s hiring fully complied with the recruitment process.”

Xie Qingyue raised his voice slightly, effortlessly rescuing Fu Yao from embarrassment.

“But Old Xie, aren’t you afraid the one at home will get angry if she finds out?”

The speaker was his college roommate, the only person present who could be considered somewhat familiar with me.

Xie Qingyue’s voice abruptly deepened. “What’s there for her to make a fuss about? I’m just helping an old classmate.”

“Besides, we’re about to get married. Even if she doesn’t work, I can still keep her fed, can’t I?”

Everyone chimed in, though I couldn’t tell whether they were sincere or not.

“To be honest, being able to marry you is probably the result of blessings accumulated by her ancestors.”

“If it were me, I’d definitely take good care of the man at home and keep him comfortable. Who would go looking for trouble for no reason?”

“Miss Fu, tell us, did you misjudge him back then? If you’d said yes to Ah Yue, you’d be the one enjoying all this now!”

A secret everyone knew plunged the private room into sudden silence.

“If someone’s willing to support her, what is there to make a fuss about? I’m honestly jealous of her now. If it weren’t for Nian Nian, who would willingly come out here and work like a dog?”

Fu Yao’s voice sounded muffled, with a hint of grievance.

“I heard that girl isn’t local. Your parents agreed to this too?”

The “your” referred to Xie Qingyue.

“…Mm.”

The person who spoke clearly didn’t want to continue the topic.

“Ah Yue, I’m only asking before you get married. If I-”

Xie Qingyue cut her off instinctively.

“There aren’t that many ifs in this world…

“Right now, I’m her only support in this city. And she comes from a divorced family. Girls born into families like that… you wouldn’t understand.”

I pulled my down jacket tighter around myself.

The heating in the hallway was so strong it was almost suffocating, yet my whole body was still trembling.

In that instant, I didn’t want to say anything at all. My heart went empty, and my emotions lodged in my throat.

I couldn’t spit them out, and I couldn’t swallow them down.

It made me a little sick.

So this was what Xie Qingyue was like in front of other people.

He would tell others about my private affairs as if they were a joke.

He would make me sound so shameless and clingy, belittle me until I was worth nothing at all.