So I Had No Choice But to Stop Being the White Moonlight – Chapter 73

I’m Not Going to Be the White Moonlight

Weary Wrist

In that instant, Chi Qian felt as if a bullet had been fired—bang—striking her right between the eyes.

Her heart began to pound uncontrollably. It swelled, tight and suppressed, its frantic rhythm a mournful cry, wailing for the future she and Shi Jinlan might have had.

The person before her loved her.

Even without the memories, tears still fell, fat and heavy. The clear drops struck Shi Jinlan’s face, making it seem as if she, too, were crying.

The ache in her heart was unbearable; Shi Jinlan’s words had nearly taken half her life.

And the half that remained was still held firmly in Shi Jinlan’s hand.

!

Chi Qian sucked in a sharp, hurried breath.

Looming over her, she was caught off guard, defenseless as the hand Shi Jinlan had placed on the small of her back brushed past her lips. Chi Qian never expected such a move. The hand that had been struggling to hold Shi Jinlan down suddenly went limp.

The woman was an expert at pressing a victory¹. Before Chi Qian could react, she struck again.

Her once-straight posture collapsed, and she crumpled onto Shi Jinlan’s body.

She must have forgotten, Chi Qian thought. This wasn’t a conversation.

The bullet that had pierced her brow was now entwined with desire, tracing a path down her tailbone that made her want to curl into a ball.

“Ah… Lan…” Trembling, Chi Qian slowly tightened her arm around Shi Jinlan, whispering her name as if begging her to stop “teasing” her.

But how could this be called teasing?

Shi Jinlan didn’t think so. Her lips pressed against the cheek Chi Qian had lowered. “You were the one who rejected it first.”

Chi Qian’s shadow fell across Shi Jinlan’s face, obscuring the light. Her gaze was shattered yet fierce, her possessiveness running wild. “You owe me this. You’re going to pay me back right here.”

The morning air in the manor was pristine, untouched by dust. The sunlight was silent. The wind teased the lake’s surface into layers of wrinkles, sending waves rolling onto the shore, one after another. The sound of splashing water echoed continuously through the window.

“Ah Lan…”

Chi Qian murmured, her voice damp and intermittent, as if laced with mist. She could no longer tell if her tears were emotional or physiological. It felt like a torrential downpour was raging inside, drowning her. She no longer belonged to herself.

She belonged to Shi Jinlan.

Shi Jinlan pushed aside her dress, leaving the hem in disarray. With nowhere to plant her feet, she was forced to lean against Shi Jinlan’s shoulder, her arms instinctively hooking around her neck like a climbing, budding flower waiting to bloom.

The tightly closed petals were pried open by probing fingers, layer by layer, petal by petal.

Because its thorns had pricked the owner’s fingers, it was shown no pity. The delicate petals were kneaded repeatedly until they glistened with a watery sheen, a faint, trembling fragrance released from within.

“Ah Qian, do you want to see? There’s really so much…” Shi Jinlan’s soft sigh drifted past Chi Qian’s ear, warm and scorching like a puff of smoke, wrapping the word “water” within it.

The words made her face flush and her heart race. A wave of heat washed over her. She forced her head up, not to look at Shi Jinlan’s fingers, but to glare at her, overwhelmed with shame and anger.

How could she look at something like that!

But the woman acted as if she hadn’t heard, a hint of proud arrogance in her eyes. She freed her other hand and, following the line of Chi Qian’s raised head, kissed her.

Gone was any trace of the aloof asceticism that used to keep people a thousand li away². Shi Jinlan’s fingertips were tangled in Desire.

The brush of their noses and the exchange of breath was scorching hot. Short, heavy breaths came in trembling gasps. In the haze, Chi Qian felt her world enveloped in white, with only Shi Jinlan’s eyes fixed on her, watching her lose control and break down beneath her touch.

The taut lines of her long neck trembled, slick with a thin layer of sweat clinging to her damp hair. Dazed, she leaned against Shi Jinlan, her body drained of strength, overcome with an irresistible drowsiness.

Amidst a faint, salty scent, she heard Shi Jinlan let out a long breath beside her ear. Her lips, carrying that hot, moist breath, pressed against her ear. A long finger beckoned lazily as she said, “Next time, it’s your turn.”

The summer heat was like ocean waves, washing over her neck, shoulders, and back. The sensation was nostalgic, even familiar. Leaning on Shi Jinlan’s shoulder, she replied softly, “Okay.”

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Cicadas hummed, hidden among the leaves. The manor, bathed in sunlight, was as tranquil as a painted scroll.

Shi Jinlan moved through it all, the light hem of her dress fluttering like seafoam. She followed the bluestone path forward until she reached the courtyard behind the Western-style mansion.

Emergency Food³ had finished its breakfast and was now patrolling its territory. Its gray-blue eyes darted from side to side, watching Shi Jinlan approach, seemingly puzzled. Why hasn’t my other master come yet?

“Miss.” Madam Housekeeper was already waiting for Shi Jinlan. Seeing her approach, she went to meet her and lead the way.

Pushing aside a screen of lush greenery, they stepped onto a stone path that was washed daily, giving it a decadent sheen. At the end of the path stood the maid who had confronted Chi Qian the day before, trembling as she watched them approach.

“We’ve investigated. It was her.” Madam Housekeeper’s amiable expression vanished. Her presence loomed over the maid, her aura oppressive.

Before Shi Jinlan’s gaze could even fall on her, the maid began to babble, begging for forgiveness. “I—I’m sorry, Miss! I didn’t mean it! I’ve always respected Miss Chi, I…”

Smack!

The sharp crack of a slap echoed through the area, startling a flock of birds into flight.

The maid’s face burned as if on fire. She clutched her stinging left cheek, her hand trembling as she looked up at Shi Jinlan, who watched her calmly. Those dark pupils were filled with a raw coldness, the somber and vicious aura more potent than any anger.

The maid felt the ground collapsing beneath her. Barely able to stand, she crumpled to the floor.

Shi Jinlan watched, then crouched down to her level. Her eyes seemed devoid of emotion, yet they also seemed to hold a thousand feelings. She reached out and seized the maid’s face. Unlike the gentleness she showed Chi Qian, the force Shi Jinlan used on the maid was completely unrestrained. Her fingers dug into the bone of her jaw, nearly crushing the woman’s face.

The maid was terrified, certain she was about to die right there. She pleaded, trembling, “M-Miss…”

“Miss?” Shi Jinlan sneered. “Do you think that my authority as ‘Miss’ is less than the Old Master’s, so you obey his every command?”

“No, that’s not it! It—it was the Old Master, he gave me money… I only… I just had my heart-aperture confused⁴, I—I didn’t…” The maid was so frightened she started to sob, tears streaming from her eyes.

Shi Jinlan watched her, her brow twisting in disgust. Just before a tear could touch her fingers, she flung the maid’s face away.

“Take her away.” At this, Madam Housekeeper immediately signaled for the nearby bodyguards to come and drag the wailing maid off.

“Miss, no! Please spare me this once! I’ll never do it again!” The maid cried out, watching the much larger bodyguards approach, begging Shi Jinlan for mercy.

But how could Shi Jinlan agree?

One time disloyal, never used again⁵.

Her expression was blank; she didn’t spare the maid another glance. No matter how the maid wailed and begged, in the end, her tears were simply absorbed into the dirt.

The cicadas fell silent. After a long moment of quiet, Shi Jinlan spoke to Madam Housekeeper. “It’s time.”

“You should have done this long ago, Miss. You are still too soft-hearted,” Madam Housekeeper said respectfully.

But Shi Jinlan just laughed. She turned to the housekeeper she had personally chosen, thinking her quite astute. “You know it’s not because I’m soft-hearted.”

Madam Housekeeper didn’t try to hide it, stating plainly, “It’s because Miss Chi has returned.”

“Yes, Ah Qian is back.” Shi Jinlan’s voice was like a sigh of agreement. She had to eliminate anyone or anything that might threaten Ah Qian’s place by her side.

Shi Hongpin believed he still held power in the Shi family, but for the past few years, Shi Jinlan hadn’t moved against him simply out of laziness. These shackles had made her life difficult. The pain needed to continue so it wouldn’t be eroded by time.

She was completely self-destructing, all just to remember Chi Qian for one second longer.

A hot breeze rustled the treetops, and the cicadas’ hum suddenly grew louder.

Madam Housekeeper finished a call. “Understood,” she said, walking over to Shi Jinlan. “Miss, the patrol team by the lake just sent word. They found a cat in the water and are preparing to dispose of it.”

“A cat?” Shi Jinlan, who had been rotating a weary wrist, paused at her words.

Maintaining a deferential posture, her eyes watching the nose⁶, Madam Housekeeper relayed the details she’d been given. “The patrol isn’t sure where it came from. When they found it, it was swimming toward the center of the lake. It’s a Golden Shaded Munchkin cat⁷, and from its appearance, it seems to be a competition-grade purebred. They weren’t sure what to do, so they called to ask.”

“A Golden Shaded Munchkin cat, competition-grade purebred.” Shi Jinlan’s fingers gently rolled a leaf between them as she slowly repeated the expensive-sounding words, letting out a soft, mocking laugh. “Interesting.”

Seeing a playful smile emerge in Shi Jinlan’s eyes, Madam Housekeeper added, “The cat’s leg also appears to be injured. Should I call for Miss Yuan, Miss?”

“No need,” Shi Jinlan said, dismissing the idea. A sudden interest sparked within her, sweeping away her earlier gloomy mood.

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Knock, knock.

Sunlight streamed through the billowing curtains, filling the square room.

Chi Qian was still sound asleep when she heard a knock at the door. She habitually lifted her head, but the simple movement sent a jolt of pain through her entire body.

The morning’s events were too mortifying to recall. Just thinking about them made Chi Qian’s face burn and her heart pound erratically. She was still debating whether to answer when she heard Shi Jinlan’s voice. “Are you awake?”

Chi Qian went rigid, terrified that if she didn’t reply, Shi Jinlan would barge in. She quickly called out, “Just woke up! One moment!”

But as soon as the words left her mouth, she felt something was wrong.

It wasn’t her choice of words. It was her throat; something felt cinched around it. The vibration of her own voice against her neck felt distinct and strange.

Confused, Chi Qian looked toward the full-length mirror on the side of the room. The bright mirror reflected the light, outlining her figure in stark relief.

The scattered red marks on her collarbone were nothing compared to the most conspicuous item: the dark brown collar fastened around her neck.

It was finely crafted genuine leather, fitting so snugly it seemed custom-made.

A small lock rose and fell with each breath.

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The author has something to say:

Lanlan: AAA Genuine Leather Collar Factory. Purely handmade and customized. Satisfaction guaranteed. Comes with a complimentary chain for optimal pairing~

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