So I Had No Choice But to Stop Being the White Moonlight – Chapter 127
by Little PandaI’m Not Going to Be the White Moonlight
This Position Is Perfect!
The cool evening breeze swept through the courtyard, rustling the bare branches and wrapping itself around Chi Qian.
Although it was already a very cold solar term1, because of the small flame dancing in her line of sight, Chi Qian felt warmer than ever before.
The candlelight leapt, its soft glow illuminating the smiles on everyone’s faces.
Chi Qian looked at Shi Jinlan and Chi Qingyan standing before her, the initial surprise in her eyes entirely swallowed up by joy.
Facts proved that when a person felt truly happy, they would want to cry.
In the dim environment, Chi Qian’s eyes were flushed by the candlelight, a ring of red bleeding outward.
She seemed to understand something. Choking on a sob, she asked Shi Jinlan, “Is that why you said you didn’t have time to see Ah Yuan and the others off?”
“Yes. This is a birthday gift from all of us.” Shi Jinlan nodded. Poked into the cake she was holding was a sticky note adorned with four hand-drawn cartoon characters.
This was entirely Song Tang’s style; Chi Qian recognized it at a single glance.
She leaned closer to the sticky note by the candlelight, taking in the four little figures drawn across it from left to right. Her lips curled upward uncontrollably, and her eyes grew redder still.
Chi Qian thought that compared to the life Yuan Ming had fabricated for herβwhere everything went smoothly, all her wishes came true, and she even got a 3N severance payout2βthis world she was in now held her true happiness.
“Alright, why are you crying on your birthday? Anyone who didn’t know better would think Xiao Lan was bullying you,” Chi Qingyan said, walking over to rub Chi Qian’s face.
His weathered thumb rested against her smooth skin, wiping away her overflowing tears as he spoke up on Shi Jinlan’s behalf: “Make a wish. Xiao Lan’s arms are going to get sore from holding that.”
Only when she heard this did Chi Qian realize that Shi Jinlan had been holding the cake up for a long time.
Given that she was a person who was always too lazy to lift a finger, persisting for this long was truly hard on her.
With this in mind, Chi Qian sniffled and stood squarely in front of the candles.
She brought her hands together in prayer. Under the watchful eyes of Shi Jinlan and Chi Qingyan, she slowly closed her eyes and made her wishes in silence.
My first wish: I hope Ah Lan is healthy and happy.
My second wish: I hope Grandfather can live to be a hundred.
My final wishβ¦
Having smoothly made her first two wishes, Chi Qian paused on the third.
She had given a wish to Shi Jinlan and a wish to Chi Qingyan. Logically, the third should be for herself.
But Chi Qian felt that she was already happy enough.
As long as they were all doing well, she would be doing well too.
She shouldn’t be too greedy.
Otherwise, the gods might take back her wishes.
Thinking this, Chi Qian suddenly remembered that among the family members who had just wished her a happy birthday, there was one more personβno, one more cat.
Thirteen.
With her head lowered, hidden from the candlelight’s reach, Chi Qian’s lips slowly curled into a smile. My final wish: I hope Thirteen can also live a long, healthy life, and doesn’t get any fatter.
“Meow~”
Who knew if it was because animals possessed a certain spiritual awareness, but Thirteen seemed to sense Chi Qian’s wish. Squatting on the ground, the cat reached out with a chubby paw and batted at Chi Qian, as if protesting.
γI’m not that fat!γ
γYou’re already eight jin3!γ
Chi Qian unceremoniously exposed Thirteen’s secret in her mind, her smile growing even wider.
She didn’t care about Thirteen’s protests. The wishes had already been made anyway, and they couldn’t be retracted. Once she was finished, she directly opened her eyes.
“Phewβ!” Breathing out a long exhale, Chi Qian crisply blew out the candles on the cake.
Her heart ached for Shi Jinlan having held the cake for so long. Feeling both expectant and tenderly protective, she hurried to say, “I’ve made my wishes. Let’s cut the cake!”
Shi Jinlan, however, was entirely unhurried. Following Chi Qian’s gesture to lower the cake, she suggested, “Before we eat the cake, should we take a family portrait first?”
For such a commemorative day, Chi Qian naturally agreed with both hands raised. “Okay! Where’s Grandfather?”
“It is time to take one,” Chi Qingyan nodded.
The lights in the main hall were flicked on, rendering it as bright as day.
Shi Jinlan set up the camera while Chi Qian found a suitable chair for Chi Qingyan. She motioned for him to sit first, then jogged over to the door to help Shi Jinlan.
“Is a seven-second timer okay?” Chi Qian asked, leaning against Shi Jinlan’s shoulder and watching as she adjusted the camera settings.
“That should be enough. If I move a little faster, it will be perfectly fine,” Shi Jinlan answered faintly, very confident in her own speed.
“Alright, seven seconds then,” Chi Qian nodded. She rested her chin in the crook of Shi Jinlan’s neck and rubbed against it gently a couple of times.
Her actions seemed stealthy, but the evening sunlight slanting in through the door did her no favors at all.
Their closely pressed shadows were painted blatantly across the floor tiles, their intimacy falling squarely into Chi Qingyan’s line of sight.
Chi Qingyan had just finished straightening out his clothes when he looked up and saw the young couple interacting.
Though it wasn’t exactly appropriate for broad daylight, it couldn’t really be called broad daylight anymore. He turned a blind eye and let it pass.
While he was pointedly looking away, Chi Qingyan suddenly felt something pawing at his trouser leg.
He looked down to see Thirteen. The little calico cat, who had grown more than a little chubby, was reaching up with a small paw, batting at him while blinking its large, liquid eyes. “Meow~” (Grandfather, Grandfather, I want to be in the picture too!)
Although Chi Qingyan couldn’t understand what Thirteen was saying, he could guess its meaning from the longing in its eyes.
After all, this cat was also a child Chi Qian had saved and brought back. Naturally, it was a member of this family, and it deserved a spot in the group photo too.
In a rare display of open-mindedness, Chi Qingyan smiled at the cat he had previously set so many household rules for. “Come here, I’ll hold you.”
With that said, Chi Qingyan bent down, scooped Thirteen up by its middle, and hauled its hefty body onto his lap. “Is this okay?”
Faced with a human inquiring if its position was suitable, Thirteen plonked its head right into the palm of Chi Qingyan’s hand and let out an endearingly lazy cry. “Meow~” (This fits this kitty perfectly!)
Chi Qian, however, could hear Thirteen’s inner voice. Watching from afar as Thirteen curled up comfortably in Chi Qingyan’s embrace, she felt a little jealous. “My, Thirteen, you really found yourself a nice spot.”
“Meow~” (Grandfather is good.) Thirteen lifted its head lazily, leaning against Chi Qingyan’s chest, and cried out to Chi Qian.
“Hmph, little fence-sitter,” Chi Qian scolded Thirteen playfully, moving to stand behind Chi Qingyan.
“Your posture is good, hold your expressions,” Shi Jinlan instructed, checking everyone’s framing through the lens.
With everything ready, Shi Jinlan pressed the shutter as she spoke.
She walked unhurriedly back to Chi Qian’s side, stood shoulder to shoulder with her, sought out her dangling hand, and laced their fingers tightly together.
The flash fired. Under the bright incandescent light, all three of them wore brilliant smiles.
Even Thirteen was leaning against Chi Qingyan’s chest, looking utterly endearing.
The night was quiet and peaceful. In the distance, the sound of ocean waves drifted in, ornamenting the evening.
The sound of washing up in the room abruptly cut off. Chi Qian looked at herself in the mirror; the corners of her lips on her damp face were still curved upward, as if they wouldn’t fall even when tomorrow came.
She truly loved today so much.
Just as she was thinking this, the sound of the bathroom door opening came from the side.
Mist squeezed through the crack in the door, rushing out to coil around and caress a delicate ankle. Shi Jinlan stepped out unhurriedly, wrapped in a bath towel. A light, sheer flush bloomed across her pale skin.
“You’re done washing,” Chi Qian said, turning to look at Shi Jinlan at the sound.
“Mm,” Shi Jinlan answered lazily, proceeding to lean herself against Chi Qian’s shoulder.
Her skin, cleansed by the warm water, radiated a layer of heat. The clean, crisp scent of her body wash drifted over, settling languidly against Chi Qian’s back.
Just as Chi Qian was secretly and greedily sniffing at Shi Jinlan’s scent, a light kiss landed on her back, laid bare by her simple camisole.
“I haven’t showered yet. I smell like sweat,” Chi Qian said, her body tensing. She looked into the mirror at Shi Jinlanβwhose languid expression seemed only surface-deepβand gently patted the back of her hand.
Shi Jinlan paid it no mind. She lifted her head slightly, brushing the tip of her nose against Chi Qian’s neck.
Her hot breath drifted down along Chi Qian’s back, until Shi Jinlan spoke: “It’s cream-flavored.”
Chi Qian was equally dismissive of that. She massaged Shi Jinlan’s hand, lifting it up in front of her. “This is what’s cream-flavored.”
“Then kiss me,” Shi Jinlan demanded, following Chi Qian’s words.
It wasn’t that Chi Qian refused, but rather: “Wait until I finish my shower.”
“I don’t want to,” Shi Jinlan stubbornly refused.
If Chi Qian wouldn’t give it to her, she would just take it from Chi Qian herself.
The incandescent light beat down on the surrounding tiles, glaring brightly.
The back Shi Jinlan had circled in her arms was laid bareβflat and slender, with the delicate protrusion of her butterfly bones4 looking truly just like the wings of a butterfly.
She simply followed the lines of Chi Qian’s back, kissing across her shoulder blades, then up to her shoulders, and along her neck.
Her thin, soft earlobes had no bone; caught lightly, they were easily claimed by teeth. The delicate nerve endings were kneaded and bitten, sending waves of electric tremors rippling through her.
“β¦Ah Lan.” Chi Qian’s heart raced as she was teased. She turned around, wanting to put a stop to Shi Jinlan’s brazen behavior.
The damp air brewed a heavy heat, while the ceramic sink carried a seemingly endless chill.
Shi Jinlan refused to let Chi Qian go. The stark contrast of hot and cold sapped Chi Qian of her remaining strength; she had no energy left to fight both her own rationality and Shi Jinlan at the same time.
Chi Qian could only let Shi Jinlan kiss her, those lingering, uncertain pauses making her heart tremble.
Every place she passed over was marked with a patch of heat. So much so that by the very end, Chi Qian’s rationality crumbled to dust, leaving behind only a pliancy that was slowly swallowed up by Shi Jinlan’s seduction.
Chi Qian lifted her eyelashes slightly, gazing at the person kissing her.
Leaning back against the sink, she exerted a bit of strength in her arms to embrace Shi Jinlan, pulling her tight against her chest as impenetrable heat mingled with the dampness.
Shi Jinlan kissed a tongue tip that was not her own. Like a fox that had gotten its way, her eyes curved into a slight smile.
She allowed Chi Qian to lead her, to hook her in. Her neck fell backward uncontrollably, just like a swan.
But the swan soon retracted its wings tightly.
Chi Qian’s knee pressed forward, and her expression quickly changed. “You aren’t wearing any?”
Shi Jinlan didn’t answer, only smiling lightly. A single syllable seemed wrapped within the hot air.
Chi Qian hadn’t heard it anyway. Her heart suffered a scorching burn, and she suddenly lost control.
Her skirt had bunched up around her knees. With a pathfinder having led the way, reaching the destination became much easier.
Shi Jinlan’s entire body leaned against Chi Qian. She abruptly realized that her unfocused eyes were meeting her own reflection in the mirror.
How embarrassing.
And yet, it made her blood boil.
Chi Qian’s lips swept low over Shi Jinlan’s collarbone. She lifted her chin slightly to kiss Chi Qian’s neck.
That was where the collar she had put on her used to sit.
In the stifling air, the water droplets clinging to the tiled walls slid down one by one, pooling onto the floor in a small, rushing stream.
Until a certain critical point.
Shi Jinlan abruptly clamped her teeth together, and Chi Qian felt her throat constrict.
She managed to lift her fingers to support Shi Jinlan’s waist. Lowering her voice, she asked near her ear, “Back to the bedroom?”
Shi Jinlan was completely sapped of strength. She nodded her head in agreement.
That long, raven-black hair hadn’t been dried; clinging with a layer of sweat, it lightly tickled Chi Qian’s ear.
The moon pulled a dark cloud over itself, hiding behind the empty sky.
The churning sound of ocean waves surrounded the island, washing in wave after wave.
The following morning, the sunlight spilled unobstructed through the window.
Chi Qian frowned, ultimately woken up by the harsh light.
She stared blankly up at the ceiling and habitually reached her arm out.
She felt the soreness and numbness, but she didn’t touch the person she wanted to touch.
Where was Shi Jinlan?
In an instant, Chi Qian’s eyes cleared.
She looked over at the empty space beside her and realized Shi Jinlan wasn’t in bed. The lights in the bathroom were off, too; it didn’t look like anyone was in there.
“Where did Ah Lan go?”
In the past, whenever they fooled around at night, Shi Jinlan would absolutely sleep in. It was perhaps the only contrast to her usually proper demeanor.
Chi Qian muttered to herself, not believing that Shi Jinlan would get up early for no reason.
And so, harboring this suspicion, she quickly dressed and walked out the door.
In the early morning, the fresh ocean breeze swept past, carrying a burst of moist, mild air.
She didn’t have to search for long. Following the sunlight spilling into the main hall, Chi Qian saw one old man and one young woman fiddling with something on the wall right by the entrance. They had even moved the long table that usually sat beneath it out of the way.
“What are you doing?” Chi Qian asked in confusion.
“Xiao Lan sent someone to have yesterday’s group photo developed and brought over first thing this morning. Take a look,” Chi Qingyan said, stepping aside to reveal Shi Jinlan, who was holding up the photo, trying to find the right position.
Printed on the photo was their family of threeβno, their family of four, all neatly arranged without a single one missing.
Chi Qian thought to herself: It wasn’t just her who was welcoming her twenty-sixth year.
Ah Lan, Grandfather, and even Thirteen had also ushered in brand-new lives.
“Is this position okay?” Shi Jinlan asked, turning to look at Chi Qian as she held up the photo she was about to mount on the wall.
Chi Qian looked at it from afar and gave Shi Jinlan an ‘OK’ sign. “This position is perfect!”
The ocean waves crashed ashore, washing the sandy beach smooth.
The sunlight swept past the window sill, scattering brilliantly and beautifully across the room, draping a layer of gold over Chi Qian and Shi Jinlan.
The morning sun brought new life.
This was exactly where they belonged.
The author has something to say:
The main story is complete! Thank you everyone for your constant company and support! Red envelopes for comments will be sent out tomorrow at the usual time!
There are currently three extras planned: Lazy Lanlan and Qianqian’s honeymoon trip; Regarding the time I accidentally entered the cultivation world and turned my shijie into a rabbit; and Xiao Ming and Tangtang’s love story (it will be very long, large portions to keep you full!)
Footnotes
- The traditional Chinese calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms (jiéqì) that mark seasonal changes.
- In Chinese corporate slang, severance is often calculated as 'N' (months of salary per year worked). '3N' represents an exceptionally generous or legally mandated punitive payout for termination.
- A traditional Chinese unit of mass. One jΔ«n (ζ€) is exactly 500 grams, so eight jΔ«n is 4 kilograms (about 8.8 pounds).
- 'Butterfly bones' (hΓΊdiΓ© gΗ) is a Chinese beauty and anatomical term for prominent, gracefully shaped shoulder blades (scapulae), likened to the wings of a butterfly.
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