So I Had No Choice But to Stop Being the White Moonlight – Chapter 16
by Little Panda“You’re having a nosebleed.”
The lush, dark trees of the back mountain rose over the courtyard wall, draping a cluster of emerald green amidst the curling mist, the colors of spring languid and enchanting.
Shi Jinlan turned to look, the hot spring water stirred by her movement. Her arm, like jade grease1, was beaded with water as she rested it on the edge of the hot spring pool.
Her originally pale face was now flushed with a light pink. Her aloof eyes and brows lifted slightly, revealing a layer of bewitching allure beneath her cold clarity. Her long, thick, straight hair cascaded from the side of her face into the water, as if she were a water demon2 who had just taken form from the spring itself.
Chi Qian’s heart skipped a beat; she finally knew what the soul-snatching, spirit-reaping demons3 from the stories looked like.
And now, this water demon was inviting her to get in the hot spring with her.
Who could possibly refuse?
Gazing into Shi Jinlan’s deep and bewitching eyes, Chi Qian felt as if her soul had been hooked. Her body moved toward Shi Jinlan uncontrollably, as if she was going to press right up against her to soak…
Before her foot even landed, Chi Qian stopped abruptly.
Staring at Shi Jinlan’s eyes, she seemed to snap back to her senses. The fog in her pupils receded, replaced by a clarity tinged with a cold-sweat nervousness.
No, no way. How could I just go over there like that, and even fantasize about leaning against Shi Jinlan.
What kind of cannon fodder4 behavior, being bewitched by a demoness, is this!
Besides, she hadn’t even taken off her clothes yet. What water was she getting into?
Getting in would just make her a laughingstock.
“Wait a moment, I’ll go change,” Chi Qian said, her senses returned. She turned and went back into the house.
The door opened and closed, stirring a gust of wind.
Shi Jinlan leaned against the edge of the pool, her gaze still fixed on the doorway, as if a residual image of that person still lingered before the closed door.
Her face had clearly flushed and she’d even started to walk, yet her reason had suddenly returned.
The misty water suddenly rippled. Shi Jinlan tugged at the corner of her lip, and a faint laugh echoed in the damp, warm air.
Interesting.
Smiling at the thought, Shi Jinlan calmly pulled back from the edge of the pool, her figure soaking in the water, languid yet upright.
Her lashes, damp with steam, were lowered, exuding a cold sense of distance. It was as if that bewitching, alluring appearance from just now had never been on her at all; it was all just an illusion seen through the clouds and mist.
The steam curled upwards. Two figures soaked in the clear hot spring, tranquil and leisurely.
Unlike Shi Jinlan’s prim and calm posture, Chi Qian sat opposite her, soaking her entire body in the water with extreme enjoyment.
After looking forward to it for so long, Chi Qian had finally experienced soaking in a hot spring for the first time in her life.
She imitated the manga she had read, placing a folded towel on her forehead. Her pinned-up hair perfectly revealed her fair neck. The heat warmed her to the bone, a feeling of pure bliss.
【So comfortable~】 Chi Qian sighed in her heart.
【Host, do not forget the task of capturing5 Shi Jinlan just because you are comfortable. Now is an excellent opportunity.】 Thirteen’s voice popped up at a most inopportune time.
【Please don’t be a buzzkill system.】
Chi Qian’s face fell, and she immediately started to find fault with Thirteen: 【Why haven’t you been responding when I talk to you these past few days? Where did you go?】
【I went to World NO.238 to provide services for the host there. They are currently undergoing a very critical plot point.】 Thirteen replied.
Chi Qian’s closed eyes flew open: 【You have other hosts?!】
This feeling was no less than raising a cat with the best food and drink for a long time, only to suddenly discover one day that it wasn’t even yours!
Thirteen actually had other hosts!
They weren’t even in a 1v1 relationship!
【The current number of systems is relatively low, so a system can handle several low-level tasks at once.】 Thirteen explained.
But this did nothing to soothe Chi Qian. Instead, it annoyed her, who had been so anxiously doing her task: 【Are you saying my task is low-level?】
【Host’s task is B+】 Thirteen answered truthfully.
【…】
Chi Qian felt like Thirteen was trying to tell her that her task wasn’t low-level, but…
Thanks, that wasn’t very comforting.
Chi Qian frowned and pressed Thirteen in her mind: 【Then your other host, what’s her theme?】
Thirteen: 【Running with the ball6.】
Chi Qian didn’t think that task was harder than capturing the great villain: 【Also B+?】
【A-】
She had brought this humiliation upon herself.7
She wanted to go run with the ball, too.
She was working so hard, so anxiously, capturing the final boss before even leaving the novice village, and it turned out to be just a B+, not even an A.
Shi Jinlan, is that all you’ve got?
Chi Qian’s little head was extremely active. With the lower half of her face submerged, she looked like a crocodile lurking in the water, secretly turning toward Shi Jinlan.
If she were to run with the ball with Shi Jinlan, it would have to be in an ABO world8, right?
Don’t ABO worlds have pheromones?
Then, if she could borrow some courage from the pheromones to counteract the black flames on Shi Jinlan, she probably wouldn’t be so scared of her anymore, right?
A series of hypotheses expanded in Chi Qian’s mind, which suddenly made her think of a question.
Why was she so afraid of Shi Jinlan, anyway?
It seemed to be because of the dark flames emanating from Shi Jinlan’s body.
That damn golden finger9 had directly turned her sense of aloofness into a sense of oppression, leaving a deep shadow on her from their very first meeting.
But speaking of which, Shi Jinlan was actually a pretty good person.
The reason they could soak in the hot spring here was all thanks to her helping Auntie Zhou solve the insurance compensation issue. And the question she had asked her the other day, she had enlightened her with a single sentence.
Such a phrase popped into Chi Qian’s mind, and her gaze toward Shi Jinlan became even more brazen.
The spring day’s temperature was not as high as the hot spring’s, and the atomized water vapor filled the entire courtyard with a swirling mist.
Shi Jinlan sat in the center of the scene, her eyes slightly closed, her black hair spread out around her, her fair skin exuding a cool clarity.
Compared to her bewitching allure from before, she was now dignified and self-possessed, unstained by a single speck of dust11, just like a deity painted in a scroll.
And not some minor immortal offering orchids, but a great deity meant to be worshipped.
“You’ve been looking at me for a long time.”
Just as Chi Qian had labeled Shi Jinlan with such a gentle and approachable image in her mind, that cool and clear voice rang out without warning.
Chi Qian froze.
In the clouds of mist, the originally dignified and gentle immortal in the painting opened her eyes.
Her jet-black gaze pierced through the mist, looking straight over. The steamy heat suddenly turned cold, clinging to Chi Qian’s chest.
“Am I that good-looking?” Shi Jinlan asked unhurriedly, her voice faint.
“I wasn’t…”
Just as Chi Qian was about to answer, she felt a warm stream gush from her nasal cavity.
A drop of red fell into the water.
It quickly vanished into the pool.
Goddamn it!
She was having a nosebleed!
How could she get a nosebleed at a time like this!
Chi Qian was having a mental breakdown. She frantically tried to cover it up, only to hear Shi Jinlan say: “You’re having a nosebleed.”
Fuck, there’s no explaining this now.
“It’s too dry… too hot in here,” Chi Qian said, overcome with shame and anger, spouting random excuses as she grabbed the towel from her head to block her nose. “Um, let me help you up. The water’s not clean anymore.”
Not forgetting her duty, Chi Qian started walking toward Shi Jinlan.
But whether it was because of the towel or the fact that the surrounding heat was indeed accumulating, she didn’t know.
Chi Qian tilted her head back, feeling as if the clouds in the sky and the mist on the ground were all pressing in on her.
“You don’t look well. Take care of yourself first,” Shi Jinlan said, reaching out a hand to steady the approaching Chi Qian.
Chi Qian waved her hand. “I’m f—”
But before the word “fine” could leave her lips, Chi Qian felt the world spin.
The mist billowed, suddenly made wetter by a splash of water.
Chi Qian’s vision went black, and she plunged headfirst into Shi Jinlan’s arms.
The author has something to say:
This old mother wrings her hands: Cub, we can’t be this pathetic.
Qianqian: It’s because of the heat! ○^O!
Lanlan: Oh. -v-
PS: It will be S+ in the future. The foolish system will pay the price for its arrogance and contempt!
Footnotes
- Hanzi: 玉脂 | Pinyin: yùzhī | Explanation: Literally “jade grease” or “jade fat.” A classical descriptor for skin that is smooth, white, and lustrous, like fine white jade.
- Hanzi: 水妖 | Pinyin: shuǐyāo | Explanation: A water spirit, demon, or monster from Chinese folklore.
- Hanzi: 勾魂摄魄 | Pinyin: gōuhúnshèpò | Explanation: A Chinese idiom (Chengyu) describing something or someone so captivating or terrifying that it feels like they are stealing one’s soul. Often used to describe extreme beauty or horror.
- Hanzi: 炮灰 | Pinyin: pàohuī | Explanation: Literally “cannon fodder.” A very common term in Chinese web novels for a minor, disposable character whose purpose is to die or be defeated to advance the plot or highlight the protagonist’s strength.
- Hanzi: 攻略 | Pinyin: gōnglüè | Explanation: Literally “to strategize” or “to capture/conquer,” as in a strategy game. In web novels and otome games, it’s slang for successfully wooing or winning over a love interest.
- Hanzi: 带球跑 | Pinyin: dàiqiúpǎo | Explanation: Literally “running with the ball.” A popular and dramatic web novel trope, especially in romance genres. It refers to a character (usually female) who becomes pregnant and runs away from her partner without telling him, only to reappear years later with the child.
- Hanzi: 自取其辱 | Pinyin: zìqǔqírǔ | Explanation: A Chinese idiom (Chengyu) meaning to bring disgrace or humiliation upon oneself through one’s own actions.
- Hanzi: abo世界 | Pinyin: ABO shìjiè | Explanation: Refers to the “Omegaverse” fanfiction subgenre, which involves a society with a secondary gender hierarchy of dominant Alphas, neutral Betas, and submissive Omegas. It often features concepts like heats, mating bonds, and male pregnancy, which would be necessary for a “running with the ball” plot in a Baihe (F/F) story.
- Hanzi: 金手指 | Pinyin: jīnshǒuzhǐ | Explanation: Literally “golden finger.” A common web novel term for a “cheat” or special power/item given to a protagonist that gives them an unfair advantage, like a system, a magical artifact, or a unique ability.
- Hanzi: 冷面心善 | Pinyin: lěngmiànxīnshàn | Explanation: A phrase describing someone who appears cold, aloof, or stern on the outside but is actually kind and warm-hearted on the inside.
- Hanzi: 不染纤尘 | Pinyin: bùrǎnqiānchén | Explanation: An idiom meaning “not stained by a single speck of fine dust.” It describes something or someone as being spotlessly clean, pure, and untainted by the mortal world.
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