So I Had No Choice But to Stop Being the White Moonlight – Chapter 131
by Little PandaLanlan and Qianqian’s Honeymoon Trip
Luxembourg
Flushed
Lush with the feeling of spring, greenery spread across the mountains and plains, growing along the riverbanks to surround the entire tranquil little town.
The scent of rain-soaked earth permeated the air. The weather in Europe always carried this damp, gloomy undertone.
The weather had not been great when Chi Qian and Shi Jinlan left Belgium last night, and it remained the same now that they had arrived in Luxembourg.
The waters of the Alzette River cascaded over a drop-off downstream, forming a small waterfall that painted streaks of flowing water across the camera frame.
The shadows of leaves and shrubs reflected on the river’s surface, intertwining in dense shades of green that seemed to dye the water itself emerald.
But as the camera zoomed in, one could see that the water here was incredibly clear.
Following the ripples, the green algae and moss at the bottom of the river were visible.
“You wouldn’t find these in the sea.”
Chi Qian zoomed in on the frame. A few tiny, unnamable fish fry darted out from the algae.
After plunging down the large drop, the river water became mild and gentle, providing a perfect cradle for nurturing life.
“These fry are too fragile. They’d be swallowed up in the ocean.”
Hearing this, Shi Jinlan expressed a different perspective. “That is the miracle of life. Every environment gives birth to seeds suited for it.”
“I suppose so,” Chi Qian said, nodding as she watched the little fry pecking at the algae.
In the still, windless weather, another cloud drifted over.
The sunlight, already filtered by a misty haze, dimmed significantly as the sun was obscured.
Chi Qian looked at the abruptly darkened screen and furrowed her brows for what must have been the umpteenth time today. “The natural lighting here is really terrible. When is the sun finally going to come out?!”
In response to Chi Qian’s complaint, Shi Jinlan offered an infuriatingly vague answer: “Anytime now.”
She was well-acquainted with the capriciousness of European weather, and she playfully continued to tease Chi Qian, “Want to go to the UK and experience it for yourself?”
“No, thanks.” The moment Chi Qian heard the country’s name, she politely declined.
Because she had grown up on the island1, the climate she was used to had always been bold and dramatic.
If there was sunshine, it should beat straight down; if there was a storm, it should sweep through like a howling gale.
“I much prefer to bask—in the sun!”
As Chi Qian was speaking, her tone suddenly lifted.
That last word wasn’t a statement of preference; it was a cheer.
The wind on the horizon picked up noticeably, rolling up the mist and thick clouds and pushing them away from the sun.
Sunlight pierced through the now almost invisible moisture, falling in distinct beams onto the Alzette River. The clear water refracted the glittering ripples, making the whole place feel like an entirely different world.
In that instant, Chi Qian felt she could finally breathe freely.
She decided that even though this endlessly drizzly city clashed with her vibe, it matched her in at least one respect.
—In this place, she could sit on the ground anywhere, at any time.
This sparsely populated little town was the picture of relaxation. Chi Qian pointed her camera at the sun, her entire figure bathed in radiant light.
Shi Jinlan turned her head to look at Chi Qian, who had sat straight down while speaking. Her gaze lingered on her for a long time.
She felt as if she were a bouquet of sunflowers, drawing vitality from her sun just by being close to her.
Chi Qian held up her camera, snapping photos of the rare, clear scenery for a while, before finally noticing Shi Jinlan’s stare.
That slender figure’s shadow fell across her shoulder, and at the end of it was Shi Jinlan’s cool yet gentle gaze, as though she had been watching her for ages.
Chi Qian paused, unsure why Shi Jinlan was staring at her so intently, and asked, “What is it? Is there something on my face?”
Hearing this, Shi Jinlan’s expression shifted slightly.
She simply gazed at Chi Qian for a long moment, watching until the other woman began to feel a flutter of nervous anticipation in her chest, before nodding. “There is.”
“What?” Chi Qian instinctively raised a hand to scratch her cheek.
But Shi Jinlan intercepted Chi Qian’s hand.
Holding Chi Qian’s hand with one of hers, she brought her other hand up to brush against Chi Qian’s cheek. “Here.”
The sunlight had not yet had time to warm Shi Jinlan’s fingers. They pressed against Chi Qian’s skin, carrying a layer of cool, tart tenderness.
Unable to withstand the lingering of this contrasting temperature, Chi Qian’s heartbeat gradually sped up. She was filled with apprehension and anticipation, even suspecting that there was nothing on her face at all—that Shi Jinlan was just using it as an excuse to tease her.
But in reality, there really was something on her face.
Her eyes clear and earnest, Shi Jinlan pinched a tiny willow catkin from the hair by Chi Qian’s cheek. As if seeing right through Chi Qian’s thoughts, she held it up to show her. “Here.”
That tiny tuft of white fluff, dampened by the ambient warmth, stuck to the pad of Shi Jinlan’s finger.
The spring day was slightly chilly. They leaned in extremely close, their mingling, warm breaths stirring the fine fibers of the catkin that would have otherwise been fluffy.
“What should I do if I kind of want to kiss you?” Chi Qian asked, looking up at Shi Jinlan. The shadow cast over her eyes masked the greedy desire within them.
Hearing this, Shi Jinlan unhurriedly lowered her hand.
She dipped her chin slightly. The sunlight striking her back draped her in a commanding aura, like a noble queen granting permission to her servant. “Then kiss me.”
That simple phrase instantly shattered Chi Qian’s rationality.
She reached around to the back of Shi Jinlan’s head, gripping that slender neck with one hand, and pressed her lips against hers.
Chi Qian was already intimately familiar with the soft, delicate touch of those lips.
She leisurely pried past Shi Jinlan’s teeth. The wind slipped in between them, swirling with the scent of the intense sun and the river water—crisp and damp, leaving their lips and teeth trembling.
It was quiet and deserted here. Because it wasn’t peak tourist season, very few people came by.
The river water plummeted off the drop, accompanied by sporadic birdsong, echoing wide and remote.
This was a sensation utterly unlike anything Shi Jinlan had ever experienced in the past. Her lowered hand slowly came up to rest on Chi Qian’s shoulder.
She was somewhat overwhelmed by Chi Qian’s few probing thrusts, yet this only made her indulge more fully in her kiss, wanton and completely lost in the moment.
Restraint tumbled into the babbling, passing river and sank like a stone into the icy depths, leaving only boiling blood to simmer their desires, embodying this spring day of awakening life.
After leaving the Alzette River, Chi Qian followed the map, taking Shi Jinlan to check off a few more famous local attractions.
But Luxembourg was a very small country. It took Chi Qian and Shi Jinlan barely five or six hours to see almost everything.
The sun was hanging halfway down the distant mountain range, looking as if it were about to set completely.
Chi Qian had done her homework. She had bought their high-speed train tickets from Luxembourg to the Netherlands for the perfect time; they arrived right as ticket inspection began after leaving their final scenic spot.
The trains in this region still retained an old-fashioned design, featuring massive windows that captured the surrounding scenery in its entirety.
Leaning against the window, Chi Qian raised her camera. As the train rolled along at a leisurely pace, she recorded the lush greenery of the journey.
Several houses that looked like they belonged in a painting from the last century unfurled along the perspective line of the window. A few small white sheep rested on the hillside.
The wind blew past, causing the shrubs to sway like a thick, deep-green carpet. It looked like a world that could only exist in a painting.
Chi Qian watched, momentarily lost in a daze. But she hadn’t raised her camera solely to film the scenery. Next, she pointed the lens at the assortment of sweets they had bought from a dessert shop while wandering the streets earlier. “Should we eat one?”
“Alright,” Shi Jinlan nodded. Within the camera frame, she picked up the small cake that Chi Qian had taken a liking to at first glance.
The vivid pink cake was garnished with edible seasonal flowers. Clustered in tiny bunches, they looked exceptionally bright and charming even on screen.
Chi Qian was always reluctant to eat beautiful, delicate pastries like this. Knowing her temperament well, Shi Jinlan picked up the spoon first, acting as the one to ruin the aesthetic perfection.
Watching a small flower being scooped away from the harmonious picture, Chi Qian felt a pang of heartache.
But then, she watched Shi Jinlan taste the cake and looked at her with brimming anticipation. “How is it?”
“Try it,” Shi Jinlan said, her expression entirely unchanging. It was impossible to tell whether it was delicious or terrible. With that, she forked a small piece and brought it over to Chi Qian, who was still holding the camera.
Chi Qian’s anticipation shifted from Shi Jinlan’s face to the spoon in front of her. She leaned forward and ate the bite of cake Shi Jinlan offered.
The camera moved with her action, panning from one hand wearing a ring to another hand wearing a ring.
There wasn’t a wasted second in the subsequent footage. The lens captured, without pause, Chi Qian’s expression scrunching up in sheer agony.
She questioned the intense sweetness exploding in her mouth, even wondering if something was wrong with her taste buds.
“God, how much sugar did they put in this?!” Chi Qian said in disbelief, hurriedly searching for water.
“I warned you at the time, but you wouldn’t believe me,” Shi Jinlan replied calmly, taking a leisurely sip from the only bottle of water they had opened.
“I thought Louis’s2 macarons were the absolute limit!” Chi Qian smoothly took the water from Shi Jinlan’s hand and gulped down more than half of it.
The little face that had been full of anticipation a moment ago instantly turned utterly miserable. Chi Qian stared at the cake box in her hands, more convinced than ever that beautiful things were always fraught with danger!
After picking through the rest, they found that aside from the lemon-flavored cake Shi Jinlan had chosen, none of them were edible.
Chi Qian rescued her own taste buds by helping Shi Jinlan polish off more than half of the lemon-mint cake.
Following the gentle slope of the mountain range, the sun finally slipped below the horizon.
The sunset filtered through the tree shadows and fell into the carriage, blanketing one side of the seats in a lazy, unhurried glow.
The camera bore witness as the horizon shifted from deep azure to golden orange. However, the person who had originally intended to record all this had long since leaned against her lover’s shoulder, having fallen asleep at some unknown point.
The elusive twilight gradient had been safely captured on film, and Chi Qian’s checklist for her Luxembourg day trip was fully complete.
Looking at the camera in her hand—which was still recording—Shi Jinlan slowly panned the lens toward the small face resting against her shoulder.
Pressed against her shoulder, that fair little cheek was squished, giving it a soft, fleshy plumpness.
This person never kept her guard up in her sleep. Her slightly parted lips were a pale, lush pink, plump and full like spring fruit, leaving one’s mouth watering.
…
“Mmn?”
When Chi Qian woke up, her lips felt damp—completely different from her usual dry mouth upon waking.
Sensing some movement, she groggily opened her eyes and looked at Shi Jinlan’s tranquil face beside her.
The scenery outside the window had stopped. Shi Jinlan was holding the cake box that should have been in Chi Qian’s hands and reminded her, “It’s time for us to get off.”
“Okay.” Hearing this, Chi Qian hurriedly got up from her seat and followed Shi Jinlan out.
As the sound left her throat, her lips pressed together.
She smacked her lips, bewildered by the moisture, only feeling that the wind in the Netherlands somehow carried the taste of lemon and mint.
It was only later, when Chi Qian was rewatching the video, that she realized Shi Jinlan had secretly kissed her.
Looking at her sleeping self—completely oblivious and devoid of all vigilance—she was practically drowning in embarrassment, her ears burning a flushed red.
Yet this level of blushing was still not Chi Qian’s peak.
Just as she was so embarrassed she wanted to turn the video off, it reached the very end.
The hum of the moving train cut through the phone screen, and at the final second, Chi Qian heard a gentle, smiling compliment: “Cute.”
With the video at its end, the audio from the phone abruptly stopped.
Chi Qian sat there, slightly stunned in front of the darkened screen, just as Shi Jinlan casually strolled out of the bathroom. “You heard it?”
“You play dirty3!” Chi Qian sat on the bed, flushed with shame but trying to look exceptionally righteous.
Seeing Chi Qian in this state, a pool of amusement couldn’t help but brim in Shi Jinlan’s eyes.
Feigning ignorance, she calmly walked over to the edge of the bed. “Then what should be done about it?”
“This!” Chi Qian suddenly raised a hand and yanked Shi Jinlan down onto the bed.
The travel-worn exhaustion had been entirely washed away by the running water in the hotel bathroom. The moonlight mingled with hot, rushing breaths, melting one to the bone as they drank each other in.
Footnotes
- Referring to Xiao Yu Island, Chi Qian's hometown, which experiences distinct, intense coastal weather patterns.
- Referring to Louis, Shi Jinlan's French business partner and friend. Macarons are notoriously sweet French confections.
- Literally 'you don't follow martial virtue' (nǐ bù jiǎng wǔdé). It is a popular Chinese internet slang phrase used humorously to accuse someone of making a sneak attack or playing dirty.
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