So I Had No Choice But to Stop Being the White Moonlight – Chapter 96

I’m Not Going to Be the White Moonlight

Ah Lan… So Soft.

The night wind caressed the courtyard, making the pomegranate tree sway.

That was the tree Chi Qingyan had planted the year he found Chi Qian. Back then, it was a small sapling he worried wouldn’t survive the winter. Now, its branches were lush and leafy. Pomegranate blossoms bloomed amidst the dark green leaves, flickering between light and shadow like an undying flame.

            

A child might be astonished or terrified by the unknown, their face paling in shock.

But Chi Qingyan was a man in his eighties. He was only stunned for a moment by the image that had suddenly appeared in his mind before his gaze returned to its usual calm.

When a person reaches a certain age, they come to know their destiny. He could sense the feeling that his life was nearing its end—it was real, yet also very distant.

            

Chi Qingyan’s gaze remained mostly on Chi Qian.

His movements were slow, partly due to his age and partly from a fear of disturbing her sleep.

This was the child he had raised with his own two hands. How could he not tell the difference?

            

So, that shadow he had just seen, the one that looked so much like Qianqian, was indeed not his Xiao Qian.

There were too many inexplicable things in this world. People often believed in ghosts and gods, attributing many things to reincarnation.

Between heaven and earth, there was birth, old age, sickness, and death, repeating in an endless cycle.

            

Chi Qingyan didn’t understand why he and Chi Qian, grandfather and granddaughter, would always be together, but he seemed to be luckier than his previous self.

He was still alive.

And he was living in such a sound and healthy state.

            

As a doctor, he was accustomed to the sorrows of parting in life and death, and Chi Qingyan felt that being sound of body was the most difficult thing to achieve.

The weight of life was sometimes so light it seemed to blow away with a gust of wind. Other times, it was so heavy it left one breathless. Even the smallest ailment could sometimes make life worse than death.

Compared to the social status measured by money in this world, health was often overlooked, relegated to a position far, far from the business of living.

            

Yet it was clearly the most important thing—something more precious than gold in Chi Qingyan’s eyes.

Looking at Chi Qian sleeping soundly beside him, Chi Qingyan felt as if he had returned to when she was a small child.

The nights back then were even milder than this one. He would wear clothes far cooler than these, holding a cattail leaf fan and waving it back and forth to drive away the mosquitos for the little one.

            

Back then, he had wondered when this little one would grow up.

Could he protect her properly until she was grown?

In the blink of an eye, more than twenty years had passed.

            

On many summer nights, Chi Qingyan had grieved in secret, thinking that days like this would never come again.

But now, she had grown up well.

And she had returned.

            

Chi Qingyan reached out to brush away the stray hairs on Chi Qian’s cheek, his aged hand touching the youth’s full face.

He suddenly looked up at the sky and let out a long breath into the blowing wind.

A ring of red rimmed his eyes, and his pupils, worn by time, were filled with emotion and melancholy.

            

A vibrant life was full of all sorts of possibilities, good and bad. But he had already grown old, standing at a point where he could see the end at a single glance.

A child had to walk her own path. He couldn’t pave the way for her for a lifetime.

“Da.”

            

A very light sound, the tap of a shoe heel on a step.

Chi Qingyan’s sharp hearing caught the noise, and he turned his head unhurriedly.

Under the lonely night sky, Shi Jinlan stood with a black shirt draped over her shoulders.

            

Tall and graceful, she resembled a shadow as she stood silently behind them.

“Not asleep?” Chi Qingyan’s tone with Shi Jinlan lacked the flattery of the other islanders. It was a simple, faint question.

“I heard some movement,” Shi Jinlan replied frankly and respectfully, taking the initiative to walk to Chi Qingyan’s side.

            

“You really are vigilant,” Chi Qingyan snorted, looking at the shadow that had approached him.

He still found it somewhat difficult to accept Shi Jinlan.

This person had allowed his granddaughter to be smashed to pieces. She hadn’t fulfilled a single one of the promises they had made.

            

But at the same time, he understood that Shi Jinlan would give everything for Chi Qian.

Misfortune is what fortune relies upon, and fortune is where misfortune hides.​¹ This person’s existence would bring endless danger to their family’s Xiao Qian, yet because of her, Chi Qian could live well in this world even after he was gone.

Often, when judging a person, you couldn’t look at what she said, but at what she did.

            

Shi Jinlan had failed to keep their agreement, yet three years later, she had brought Chi Qian back.

No one else could have done such a thing.

So be it.

            

Chi Qingyan closed his eyes briefly. The arm Chi Qian was using as a pillow shifted slightly. “Qianqian is asleep. I’m old now, I can’t carry her anymore.”

Shi Jinlan understood the meaning behind his words, but she didn’t quite agree with the latter half. She hinted gently, “She’s gained two pounds in the last two months.”

Chi Qingyan knew his own condition perfectly well.

            

He let out a “hmph” at Shi Jinlan’s somewhat deliberately fawning words. He thought about how insufferably arrogant and surrounded by admirers she was, yet she always acted humbly before him. He didn’t make things difficult for her any longer, only saying, “Don’t let her get too fat. It’s not good for her health.”

“I understand,” Shi Jinlan nodded. She walked over and lifted the sleeping Chi Qian into her arms.

Perhaps because she had no mission weighing on her, Chi Qian’s sleep was exceptionally good.

            

The medicinal scent on Chi Qingyan’s body made Chi Qian feel inexplicably at ease, as if countless leisurely evenings had gathered together. Back then, she didn’t have so many worries; her mind was only filled with what games to play at school the next day.

The long, drawn-out chirping of cicadas drifted through the torrent of her memories, merging with the sound of the wind.

It wasn’t until Shi Jinlan carefully picked her up, jostling her slightly, that Chi Qian showed signs of waking.

            

The fine fabric pressed against her cheek, its floral scent overpowering the smell of medicinal herbs.

Chi Qian subconsciously recognized the person holding her. She smacked her lips, her eyes still closed, and mumbled in a sleepy daze, “Ah Lan…”

“It’s me,” Shi Jinlan replied softly, hoping to reassure Chi Qian so she could continue sleeping.

            

But that response was more like a rising barrier gate.

Once Chi Qian confirmed who it was, her cheek pressed right against Shi Jinlan’s chest. Her soft hair rubbed wantonly against the fabric, just like she used to do when they were being affectionate.

“So soft.”

            

The words were like a delirious murmur, yet they carried a distinct hint of a smile.

Triumph, cunning, mischief, and an unspeakable sensuality were all contained within it.

The island at night was utterly silent.

            

A wave suddenly crashed against the reef on the shore, sending up a spray of white foam.

Chi Qingyan’s expression changed abruptly, his eyes widening.

He turned his head to look at Chi Qian with a complicated gaze, then at Shi Jinlan who was holding her. His just-relaxed expression tensed up again.

            

The old gentleman, who was usually so calm and unruffled, had a face that flushed red then turned pale, as if he were about to fly into a thunderous rage.

But the words turned over and over in his throat, and in the end, all that came out was a mild warning to Shi Jinlan. “Put her down and go back to your own room.”

Shi Jinlan was also struggling to maintain a calm facade. She looked at the instigator sleeping soundly in her arms, unsure what to do. She could only nod more respectfully at Chi Qingyan, assuring him, “You can rest assured.”

            

“I’ll be watching for the light in your room,” Chi Qingyan said, glancing at Shi Jinlan and then at his own good-for-nothing granddaughter. With that, he flicked his sleeves and left.​²

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Chi Qian’s room was still in its original location on the first floor. The neat and tidy room was lit by the same warm yellow desk lamp.

Shi Jinlan looked at the familiar room layout, holding Chi Qian in her arms. It was as if she had stepped back three years in time, to when she and Chi Qian shared a room.

            

Back then, this person hadn’t slept nearly so soundly.

She had been trembling with fear, cautious and careful, terrified of offending her.

At the time, Shi Jinlan had thought she was one of Shi Cheng’s people and had observed and tested her with such caution.

            

If she had known then that such a long separation was to come, she would have treated her well from the very beginning. That way, there wouldn’t have been so many regrets when they parted.

Shi Jinlan’s gaze was dark as she looked at Chi Qian lying on the bed.

She straightened the shoe that was dangling from Chi Qian’s foot at the end of the bed, then sat sideways on the edge of the bed and touched her cheek with the back of her hand.

            

Perhaps there would still be regrets.

Humans are insatiable creatures. Greed would make her want more and more, especially from a lover who was clearly with her but then left so heartlessly.

Shi Jinlan gently caressed Chi Qian’s cheek, feeling the vibrant sensation of the soft skin against the back of her fingers.

            

The light from the bedside lamp was not harsh. It gently enveloped one side of Chi Qian’s face in light while the other was submerged in darkness. This made her features appear more three-dimensional, etching them deeply into Shi Jinlan’s heart.

If she were to lose Chi Qian at this stage, Shi Jinlan thought she would go mad.

Even as the pillar of this small world, an inextinguishable protagonist, she would destroy it all for the System to see.

            

She was already a villain. Why did she need such high moral standards?

When had the System ever shown her any mercy?

At this thought, Shi Jinlan’s brow furrowed tightly.

            

The lights in the room flickered twice, as if the electrical current itself was in disarray.

Realizing her will was becoming uncontrollable, Shi Jinlan quickly reined it in, forcing herself to calm down.

Chi Qian was like her key. As long as she was here, she wouldn’t let her crumbling emotions spiral out of control.

            

“Good night.” Shi Jinlan’s gaze was deep as she watched the sleeping Chi Qian, the hand on her cheek remaining restrained.

She bid her good night in a soft tone and prepared to get up and leave.

Chi Qingyan’s warning was still ringing in her ears. She had just earned his approval; she couldn’t break the rules.

            

But while she couldn’t break the rules…

Someone else could rely on their power to bully people.

Just as Shi Jinlan was about to withdraw her hand from Chi Qian’s face, it was stopped by another force.

            

Chi Qian had woken up at some point and had grabbed her hand.

Her just-opened eyes were still a bit cloudy, and her tone was groggy, as if the grasping motion was merely a conditioned reflex. “Where are you going, Ah Lan?”

“Back to my own room,” Shi Jinlan replied. At this point, she still believed Chi Qian wouldn’t do anything out of line.

            

Chi Qian’s voice was soft, as if she hadn’t fully woken up. “Aren’t you going to stay and keep me company?”

“Grandfather won’t allow it,” Shi Jinlan stated the rule to Chi Qian.

But Chi Qian’s focus wasn’t on the rule at all. Her almond-shaped eyes widened. “You changed how you address him?!”

            

“Mn,” Shi Jinlan nodded.

“Then you must really cherish this opportunity, right?” Chi Qian asked, tilting her head.

At this point, her true intentions were about to be revealed.​³

            

Shi Jinlan looked into Chi Qian’s clear, cunning eyes and understood almost instantly what this person was up to. “Ah Qian, don’t you—mmph!”

With a tug of her arm, the hand Chi Qian was holding pulled Shi Jinlan down on top of her.

It was as if this person had fully recharged her energy. She cupped Shi Jinlan’s face with one hand, forcibly holding her close. “Don’t I what?”

            

The safe distance was suddenly reduced to single digits. To Shi Jinlan’s eyes, the warm yellow light flickered like changing frames in a movie.

She watched as Chi Qian spoke in a slightly deeper voice, their mingling breaths swirling and puffing against her lips with every word. “I haven’t forgotten what you did at the hot spring inn today, Ah Lan~”

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The author has something to say:

            

Qianqian: Hehehe, watch me seize this opportunity!

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