So I Had No Choice But to Stop Being the White Moonlight – Chapter 48

A Disease Named “Like”

The ocean waves beat against the shore, pure white foam splashing under the sunlight.

Split into four, divided into five¹.

The moment Thirteen’s words rang out, Chi Qian’s mind went blank.

The whole world went quiet. The petals lifted by the wind were destined to drift down to the ground eventually, to be ruthlessly crushed by footprints and tire tracks.

Chi Qian had never forgotten that one day, she would jump off a cliff to protect Shi Jinlan.

But she had never imagined that this day would be so close.

She had clearly warned and reminded herself of this ending from time to time, yet she had also been constantly trying to forget it.

Her storyline was about to reach its end.

Chi Qian frowned tightly and looked into the crowd again.

But the spot where she had just seen that man was now filled by others. The very next second after the man realized she had seen him, he had vanished into the crowd, nowhere to be found.

This person was more formidable than the man who came to the island before; he possessed strong counter-reconnaissance awareness.

And with his disguise that could pass the fake off as the real², he was almost certainly a hitman or someone of that ilk.

The person Shi Cheng sent last time wasn’t a hitman, and Shi Jinlan hadn’t developed any deep feelings for her, so the System judged that it didn’t count.

Then why did it count this time?

Even if the man Shi Cheng sent now was a hitman, Shi Jinlan’s feelings for her were…

Thinking of this, Chi Qian suddenly froze.

Although the System was trash, it wouldn’t make a mistake. Perhaps the bystander sees clearly³, and what Auntie Zhou said wasn’t entirely a product of imagination.

She had moved Shi Jinlan’s heart.

She had made Shi Jinlan fall in love with her.

But why couldn’t she feel happy about it?

The long wind blew up Chi Qian’s wide sleeves; the thin, light clothing seemed to generate endless resistance.

She walked through the crowd, stepping on the patterned tiles of the sidewalk, and suddenly felt her footsteps become incredibly heavy.

When she first learned she had to perform such a mission, Chi Qian was a bit dazed, yet also somewhat eager to give it a try.

In the month before meeting Shi Jinlan, Chi Qian and Thirteen had planned so much: how to get along with Shi Jinlan, how to make Shi Jinlan fall in love with her, and how to make herself her irreplaceable White Moonlight⁴.

But the establishment of relationships between people is far more complex than between machines, or between humans and machines.

At the start, Chi Qian indeed treated Shi Jinlan as a Capture Target⁵, but gradually…

Her train of thought came to an abrupt halt, extremely familiar.

Chi Qian was subconsciously avoiding certain questions. She was holding a box containing a cat in her arms; as long as she didn’t open it, she wouldn’t have to face whether the cat inside was alive or not.

Yet the guilt could not be alleviated; obscure and heavy, it spilled out of her box.

Chi Qian could not avoid it.

She was truly hurting someone who loved her.

The waves beat ceaselessly against the shore, the tide submerging the reef rock closest to the land.

Chi Qian’s mind was in utter chaos, half drifting away holding the box, half filled with worry.

Since this hitman didn’t choose to make his move during the float parade, it meant his current plan was, at the very least, to eliminate Shi Jinlan without sound and breath⁶.

So, it could be said that she and Shi Jinlan still had time.

However, her home was likely no longer safe.

After failing to find Shi Jinlan, the first place that hitman would go would probably be her house.

She had to find a different place to hide Shi Jinlan.

But what excuse should she use?

Or should she just tell the truth and inform Shi Jinlan about seeing the hitman?

Chi Qian knew the nature of this broken System too well. To facilitate Shi Jinlan’s descent into darkness, it definitely needed her to die; she couldn’t escape this ordeal today.

But telling Shi Jinlan wasn’t to save her own life.

In the original text, she didn’t know that Shi Jinlan had already made contact with her people before this, but Chi Qian knew.

In the original text, she willingly died for Shi Jinlan, simply hoping the hitman would mistake her for Shi Jinlan, dying in her place to confuse sight and hearing⁷.

But Chi Qian was not her.

When she realized the hitman had arrived, the first thing Chi Qian thought of was how she should protect Shi Jinlan.

If her death couldn’t guarantee Shi Jinlan’s safety, she would absolutely not do it. Her power was too minuscule; she could only use her life to buy time until the people who could protect Shi Jinlan appeared.

Only then would her death achieve the maximum degree of perfection.

The churning white waves surged onto the shore and were pushed back again, going around and beginning again⁸, endless and unceasing.

Chi Qian suddenly raised her head, her eye color, haloed by the sunlight, filled with resolute determination.

Right!

She had to tell Shi Jinlan and have her contact her people to come over!

“Ah Lan!”

Trotting, Chi Qian pushed open the door to the lounge.

She deduced that no matter what, Shi Jinlan would definitely come back here to change clothes.

Facts proved she was indeed correct.

Shi Jinlan had returned to the lounge earlier than her, had already changed out of the float parade clothes, and was sitting on the sofa by the window.

However, also in that area were Chi Qingyan, Yuan Ming, and Auntie Zhou.

These people were sitting together, seeming to be discussing something.

Chi Qian was bewildered: “You guys are…”

“We were just discussing where to go for the celebration dinner later. We waited for you for a long time but didn’t see you come back, so we started talking first.” Yuan Ming smiled and motioned for Chi Qian to come over. “Auntie’s idea is to go to her place; everyone can soak in the hot springs while we’re at it—both sides complete and beautiful⁹.”

“What does Qianqian think?” Auntie Zhou turned to look at Chi Qian, frantically signaling her with her eyes.

Chi Qian first felt a blush on her face and subconsciously wanted to decline.

But then she realized this was a very good opportunity.

If Shi Jinlan wasn’t at home but went to Auntie Zhou’s hot spring inn, with so many rooms in the inn, it would take time for the hitman to find her.

So without hesitation, Chi Qian went along with Auntie Zhou’s wish and said loudly, “That’s great, of course! I agree with both hands and both feet!”

“Good!” Auntie Zhou was exceptionally delighted to see Chi Qian understanding and cooperating with her arrangement. “Then let’s set off now. I’ll have Old Wang stir-fry a few substantial dishes first.”

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She didn’t know if Old Wang had heard her inner thoughts just now, but the celebration banquet table was full of her favorites.

Sugar and vinegar spare ribs, roasted lamb chops, roast duck wraps… Chi Qian looked at this full table and was extremely moved.

—She didn’t expect her Severed Head Meal¹⁰ could be this good.

Chi Qian finished three big bowls of rice with tears in her eyes, leaving the others beside her a bit stunned.

And Thirteen had also turned into her cat form, pawing at Chi Qian to signal her to give her something to eat.

Chi Qian couldn’t help but smile looking at the cat—Thirteen—who, for the sake of gourmet food, didn’t hesitate to jump over the courtyard wall to get in, rationalizing her own behavior.

Thinking this was also her last meal with Thirteen, she treated Thirteen a bit better: “Dry-fried small yellow croaker?”

“Meow~” Thirteen nodded, her meow sounding more coquettish than ever before.

Chi Qian let out a scoff of laughter and placed the dried fish in her hand on the ground. “You really act like a cat.”

“What do you mean ‘act like’? Isn’t she a cat to begin with?”

Faintly, Yuan Ming’s voice came from beside Chi Qian’s ear.

She turned her head to look; Yuan Ming’s gaze was glued to her, gentle and soft, not attracting attention.

Because of this, Chi Qian was startled.

She didn’t expect Yuan Ming to hear her muttering to herself and explained stammeringly, “Yes, yes… I meant, a gluttonous cat, she acts like a gluttonous cat.”

“Oh.” Yuan Ming seemed convinced by Chi Qian’s explanation, nodded, and looked at the calico cat eating fish beside Chi Qian.

“Come, let’s toast today’s heroes, Qianqian and Miss Shen.”

While Chi Qian was nervously talking to Yuan Ming, Auntie Zhou raised her wine glass.

In that instant, Chi Qian felt like she saw a savior.

How could she have the nerve to accept a toast from the two elders present? She proactively poured herself a full glass and stood up, saying, “Auntie Zhou, what are you saying? I should be the one toasting you.”

“Thank you…”

The moment the glass turned toward Auntie Zhou, Chi Qian choked up.

The light refracted by the glass split the medium-sized private room into two. Chi Qian suddenly realized that today was not only her separation from Shi Jinlan but also from them.

Relationships between people are far more complex than those between machines.

Bonds are like tree roots; once established, they become twisted and intertwined. Looking back, one realizes they have long been inseparable.

Chi Qian thought this might be the reason the System needed humans to execute missions instead of androids.

She hadn’t expected that someone as insignificant as her could have such an irreplaceable existence.

Emotions surging, Chi Qian forced a smile at the corner of her mouth, spoke words of gratitude, and drained the wine in her hand: “Thank you for taking care of me these past few times. I wish you a booming business.”

“Oh my, this child. I’ll drink too.” Seeing Chi Qian’s manner, Auntie Zhou also drained her glass.

The spicy burn of alcohol in the throat made one unable to stop frowning.

But Chi Qian did not back down at all. She filled her glass again and looked at Chi Qingyan sitting opposite her: “And Grandpa, I must properly toast you a glass too.”

“This insensible Granddaughter of yours has done nothing but cause you trouble since childhood.”

Chi Qian didn’t know how the grief in her heart had bubbled up; she just couldn’t control herself when she saw the wrinkles on Chi Qingyan’s face, which had deepened by a few lines.

Even though she had only spent less than half a year with Chi Qingyan, she felt as if she and Chi Qingyan had been grandfather and granddaughter since a very, very long time ago.

“I really love you. Thank you.” From the bottom of her heart, Chi Qian said to Chi Qingyan.

Perhaps because he had raised her from childhood, Chi Qingyan’s eyes grew a few shades deeper hearing Chi Qian’s words.

He didn’t know where this child got such sentiments. He also picked up his wine glass and said to her earnestly, “Words are heavy and one’s heart is long¹¹, as long as you change for the better in the future, it’s fine.”

Hearing this, Chi Qian gripped her wine glass tightly, her eyes smiling bitterly.

She couldn’t change anymore.

She had no time left.

After several rounds of wine, everyone present sensed the strange atmosphere surrounding Chi Qian.

This person was clearly smiling, talking and laughing with the wind blowing¹² with them, yet hidden between her brows was a layer of sorrow that could not be relieved.

This celebration banquet started from sunset and barely ended when the moon rose to the treetops.

Auntie Zhou arranged the same room for Shi Jinlan and Chi Qian, even the same couple’s suite as before.

The keys and card clinked together. Chi Qian held the items in her hand up to the light and laughed for a good while.

Shi Jinlan felt Chi Qian was a bit strange tonight and couldn’t help asking, “What are you laughing at?”

But Chi Qian was a little drunk.

She swayed and pointed at the furnishings in the room, saying to Shi Jinlan, “We’re back again!”

“Yes, back again.” Shi Jinlan responded. Looking at the familiar furnishings in the room, she felt as if a generation has passed¹³.

Walking barefoot across the woven rattan mats, the warmth of the hot spring rose from beneath the ground.

White mist curled around Shi Jinlan’s fingers through the wide-open door between the living room and the backyard; the heat lingered, just like the last time they came here.

Shi Jinlan still remembered that the last time they came here, a certain someone had disappointingly fainted.

Those cheeks and shoulders wrapped in heat were flushed with a layer of pink; she had slept in her arms just like that, without a shred of defense or wariness.

“…”

“Ah Lan, didn’t you say before that you had something to tell me after it was over? What is it?”

Shi Jinlan was just about to smile when a puff of hot air carrying the scent of alcohol brushed past her ear.

Chi Qian looked around the room, hands behind her back, walked behind Shi Jinlan, and impatiently pressed her about the words she had said to her on the float.

The lukewarm breath hooked onto Shi Jinlan’s ear, like a wisp of white smoke blowing into her heart.

Feeling the figure standing behind her, her heart began to thump, thump-thump.

What words.

Of course, it was that she wanted to kiss her.

The straw mat made a few rustling sounds as Shi Jinlan turned around unhurriedly.

Her gaze, manipulated by that initial thought, fell leisurely onto Chi Qian’s lips.

Those lips were still stained with a bit of alcohol, crimson and glistening, like the most vibrant petal among thousands.

But in that very instant, Shi Jinlan sobered up again.

She tightly gripped her desire, not knowing if she should kiss her.

Not knowing if she, too, had been infected with the disease named “Like.”

“No?”

Murmuring, Chi Qian whispered very softly.

She looked somewhat disappointed; those almond-round eyes drooped darkly, looking pitifully at the silent Shi Jinlan.

The second hand ticked once, and then Chi Qian took a light breath: “I do.”

Before her voice had faded, Shi Jinlan’s arm was seized.

The heat generated a layer of white haze under the cold moon, blinding the eyes, as Chi Qian kissed her.

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