So I Had No Choice But to Stop Being the White Moonlight – Chapter 29

Shi Jinlan Seems to Be in a Very Bad Mood

For a moment, Chi Qian felt as if the world had gone silent.

Shi Jinlan was sitting right in the doorway. Her long, loose hair covered half her face, and her gaze cut through a fringe of thick, curled lashes.

The sun scattered specks of golden light in her pitch-black pupils, yet it did nothing to diminish their gloom and chill, like a riverbed in spring filled with melting glacial water.

Chi Qian didn’t know why, but she had the guilty conscience of someone caught cheating by their wife.

Her heart clenched. She wanted to run, but there was no escape.

But on second thought.

This feeling of being caught cheating by her wife was so strange. She and Shi Jinlan weren’t a couple.

Besides, she walked upright and sat straight¹. What was there to feel guilty about!

With that thought, Chi Qian felt a bit bolder.

Besides, she was already meeting Shi Jinlan’s gaze; it wouldn’t do to say nothing.

Mustering her courage again, Chi Qian looked at Shi Jinlan and said magnanimously, “Miss Shen, you’re here.”

It was this very poise that made Shi Jinlan, still at the doorway, give Chi Qian a deep, long look.

Only when she saw Yuan Ming stop what she was doing and look over did she wheel herself inside. “Mm.”

Yuan Ming had rushed back from school early this morning, so she wasn’t clear on what had happened and didn’t recognize Shi Jinlan. “This is…”

“Shen Lan, she’s Grandpa’s patient,” Chi Qian introduced them.

Perhaps it was due to the residual memories in the original owner’s body, but she spoke to Yuan Ming with a remarkable naturalness.

It was a familiarity that was absent when she was with Shi Jinlan, and it made Shi Jinlan inexplicably annoyed.

“Oh.” Yuan Ming had noticed her legs the moment she entered, so she now understood. She nodded and offered a friendly greeting. “Hello, Miss Shen. My name is Yuan Ming. I’m Ah Qian’s grandfather’s student.”

The annoyance in her heart had yet to fade when, upon hearing Yuan Ming’s introduction, Shi Jinlan’s gaze faltered.

She lifted her eyes and gave Yuan Ming a long look.

Her calm pupils were heavy with inscrutable emotions, their pitch-black depths reflecting none of the sun’s light. Yuan Ming, under her gaze, couldn’t help but feel her fingers grow cold.

Just as the chill was about to creep up her arm, Shi Jinlan retracted her scrutinizing gaze, extended her hand, and shook hers. “Nice to meet you.”

Hearing this, Yuan Ming gave a gentle smile. “Miss Shen, this isn’t our first time meeting.”

“When I returned just now, I happened to see you in Teacher’s room. Have you forgotten?”

Yuan Ming’s tone was light, and her eyes curved when she smiled.

Just like Chi Qian’s.

Shi Jinlan had once heard Ah Ning say that when people spend a lot of time together, some of their expressions and mannerisms start to resemble one another.

Green plums and a bamboo horse, ah.²

An emotion even more intense than annoyance swelled in Shi Jinlan’s chest.

She restrained herself, observing Yuan Ming with rational calm. Since she had arrived early this morning, she likely hadn’t witnessed last night’s commotion. That meant she didn’t know her true identity and wouldn’t tell Chi Qian.

Thankfully, her agreement with Chi Qingyan had not been broken.

It was the only silver lining in this whole mess.

“Did Grandpa call you in for a talk?”

Just as Shi Jinlan was feeling a pang of unease, she heard Chi Qian’s anxious voice.

She knew Chi Qingyan didn’t just “chat” with people lightly; she worried he was taking his anger over their disappearance out on Shi Jinlan. “What did Grandpa say to you? Did he blame you?”

The string of anxious questions brought a small measure of comfort to Shi Jinlan’s heart.

She couldn’t let Chi Qian know about her agreement with Chi Qingyan, so she shook her head and said nonchalantly, “It was nothing. We just discussed some things about my future treatment. Mr. Chi gained some new insights on his trip, and he thought they might be applicable to my case, so he asked for my opinion.”

“Is that so?” Chi Qian was a bit surprised; it didn’t seem like Chi Qingyan to say only that.

Or was it that Shi Jinlan didn’t want her to know what she and Chi Qingyan had discussed?

“Alright, drink your medicine first before you chat with Miss Shen. It’ll be even more bitter if it gets cold.”

Just as Chi Qian’s mind was racing, Yuan Ming brought the medicine over.

Billowing white steam carried the rich, bitter scent of herbs, making one feel as if they were facing a formidable enemy.³

The confusion that had occupied Chi Qian’s mind a moment ago was instantly washed away.

She let out an extremely reluctant “oh” and painstakingly took the bowl of medicine from Yuan Ming.

Though it was just drinking medicine, Chi Qian’s eyes held the tragic heroism of someone marching to their death.

She held the bowl, took a deep breath, then tilted her head back and downed it in one gulp. Her throat bobbed, and she didn’t pause for even a breath.

She didn’t dare stop.

Chi Qingyan’s past threats had never been empty, and Chi Qian’s fear of drinking medicine was not an act.

The thickly brewed decoction was more bitter than any pill. After finishing the entire bowl, Chi Qian’s complexion looked even worse than it had when she first woke up.

“Here.”

Just as she was grimacing, Chi Qian heard a soft sound beside her.

As if by conditioned reflex, Chi Qian handed the bowl to Yuan Ming with one hand and, with the other, took the preserved plum she had ready in her outstretched palm and popped it into her mouth.

The entire process was like moving clouds and flowing water⁴. In just a few seconds, every detail spoke of an unspoken, perfect understanding between them.

Shi Jinlan watched from the side. The window lattice blocked the sunlight, casting a dark line near her hand. Yuan Ming and Chi Qian were on the other side of that line.

Yuan Ming’s eyes always held a softness, and in the sunlight, she showered Chi Qian with her gentle affection.

It was silent, yet so beautiful it was blinding.

Shi Jinlan’s eyes suddenly darkened, black flames seeming to devour the golden specks of light around her.

Chi Qian, however, was completely oblivious. Being a bit of a foodie, she wanted another preserved plum.

But just as she reached out, Yuan Ming lightly slapped her hand. “No. You just took your medicine; it’s not good to eat too many of those.”

Chi Qian felt wronged. She had wanted an extra one back at the mountain stream, but at the time, she didn’t know how long they’d be trapped and couldn’t bring herself to ask Shi Jinlan for another. Now that they were out of danger and had achieved “preserved plum freedom,” why was she still being denied?

Unacceptable.

Chi Qian wouldn’t take no for an answer.

She kept her palm open, refusing to pull it back, and pleaded with Yuan Ming, her brow furrowed. “Just one. Just one more, please.”

With her pretty little face and apricot-like eyes, the way she looked at you could inexplicably soften anyone’s heart.

Yuan Ming had never been able to resist Chi Qian’s pleading, even as a child. She relented, “Alright, just one last…”

But before she could finish, another voice cut in. “Since you know it’s not good for you, you shouldn’t have any more.”

The voice was cold and placid. Chi Qian knew at once it was Shi Jinlan.

She had been on the verge of success; how could she give up now? She turned her head, ready to reason with Shi Jinlan.

But then she was met with the scorch of those raging black flames.

Shi Jinlan seemed to be in a very bad mood; the pure black flames she hadn’t seen in a long time had reappeared.

The bright sunlight streamed into the room, feeling like the heat radiating from those flames, searing and scalding against the back of Chi Qian’s hand.

Chi Qian caved instantly. “Fine, I won’t eat it.”

Just don’t be mad at me.

Chi Qian obediently retracted her hand, swallowing the last part of her thought.

She sniffled, her nose badly congested, and was instantly reminded of how close she had been to Shi Jinlan right before their rescue. Alarmed, she asked, “Are you okay, then? My cold seems pretty bad. Did I infect you?”

The sudden change in topic was jarring. Yuan Ming glanced at Chi Qian, then discreetly at Shi Jinlan, a peculiar look flashing in her eyes.

As the object of Chi Qian’s concern, Shi Jinlan’s first instinct was to reply with a cold “No.”

But this time, for some reason, as if moved by ghosts and gods⁵, she asked in return, “And if you did, what would you plan to do about it?”

Chi Qian hadn’t expected such a question. Her mind went blank, and she didn’t know what to say.

But it was a case of arriving at the right time rather than arriving early⁶; just then, the voices of Auntie Zhou and Chi Qingyan drifted in from the courtyard.

“I brought ten jin⁷ of eggs and a chicken.”

“Oh, you shouldn’t have.”

Auntie Zhou had a loud voice that immediately drowned out the conversation in the bedroom, causing everyone to involuntarily turn their attention to the window.

“It’s nothing. All that matters is that Qianqian gets well soon.”

“Qianqian should be awake by now. As long as the fever’s broken, she’ll be fine.”

“Oh, is that right? Then I’ll go in and see her.”

…

As the saying goes, “before seeing the person, one first hears their voice.”⁸ Everyone in the room knew Auntie Zhou was on her way, and sure enough, her plump silhouette soon appeared in the doorway.

Auntie Zhou didn’t stand on ceremony. Looking at the three of them in the room, she laughed, “Well, look at this, a full house! Yuan Ming, you’re back too.”

Yuan Ming nodded. “Auntie.”

“There you are,” Auntie Zhou replied, taking Yuan Ming’s hand and launching into small talk. “I just ran into your parents at the pier, and they were just talking about you. They didn’t mention you were coming back, though. Are you on break from school?”

“No.” Yuan Ming shook her head. “It was a sudden decision, so I didn’t have time to tell them.”

“…I see.” Auntie Zhou gave Chi Qian a meaningful look, then glanced at Shi Jinlan before turning back to Yuan Ming. “Well, you should still go tell your parents you’re back. You haven’t been home since the New Year; you have no idea how much they miss you. I heard your dad say this morning that a few days ago, your mom thought you’d come home and suddenly called out into the courtyard. It gave your dad quite a scare.”

“Why didn’t my dad tell me that?” Yuan Ming was surprised and filled with regret.

“How could he tell you? You wouldn’t be able to focus on your studies. You’d just buy a ticket and rush home overnight, like you did today.” As a parent herself, Auntie Zhou could easily empathize with Yuan Ming’s parents. “Since you’re back, spend some time with your mom. You’re her only daughter, and she really misses you.”

“I understand.” Yuan Ming’s heart ached with a touch of guilt. “I think I should go home first. I’ll come back to see you later.”

“No rush,” Chi Qian reassured her. “Auntie will definitely cook you a huge feast for lunch. It’s fine to come back after you’ve had a good meal.”

Yuan Ming couldn’t help but smile at Chi Qian’s description. “In that case, I’ll ask my mom to make some of your favorite rice cakes for you, okay?”

“Yes!” Perhaps the system took after its host, because Chi Qian was also a foodie.

She nodded and, as she spoke, gently pressed down on the medicine bowl Yuan Ming was about to clear away. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of this later.”

“Alright, I’m off then.” Yuan Ming smiled again, said her goodbyes to everyone in the room, and left.

Auntie Zhou watched Yuan Ming leave. In the courtyard, Chi Qingyan was staring at the chicken she’d brought with a troubled expression. “Goodness, Qianqian, I’m going to go deal with that chicken. It’s a feisty one; your grandpa might not be able to handle it.”

Hearing this, Chi Qian gave a thumbs-up, a wry smile on her face. “I’ve witnessed it firsthand. Your chickens are truly something else.”

“You stinky girl.”⁹ Auntie Zhou raised her hand to give Chi Qian a playful tap, then waved and left as well.

The once-crowded room now held only Chi Qian and Shi Jinlan.

The clean windowpanes let the sunlight stream into the room, and just like that, the feeling of displacement Chi Qian had felt after being away for several days vanished, replaced by a sense of belonging.

Perhaps because they had relied on each other to survive for several days and nights, Chi Qian felt more relaxed with Shi Jinlan than she had just now with Yuan Ming.

She secretly breathed a sigh of relief, lying in bed and savoring her long-awaited freedom. Even being sick didn’t feel so bad anymore.

The sun slowly climbed to its zenith, and a heavy cloud drifted across the sky.

Chi Qian didn’t get to enjoy this feeling of ease for long before her heart leaped back into her throat.

Shi Jinlan watched her every move from the bedside, her thin lips parting slightly. “You still haven’t answered my question.”

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The author has something to say:

Lanlan (with fried egg eyes)¹⁰: I’m not sad (takes out a small handkerchief to wipe her tears), not sad at all (dropping little pearls)¹¹, I’m the one who descended from heaven!¹² (wrings out her soaking wet handkerchief) (wipes her tears again)

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