After Dumping the Scumbag, I Ended Up with His "White Moonlight” - Chapter 19

Before long, more than half of the recording sessions were over.

Su Yichen had already sent the movie script to Qiu Yuyi, who spent an hour or two every day meticulously studying it.

His role in this film was minor—likely less than ten minutes of screen time after editing—but the character was vital, serving as the emotional anchor for the entire story. He played Yu Yang, the illegitimate younger brother of the protagonist, Yu Jin. Born into a world that didn’t welcome him, Yu Yang was diagnosed with autism at age two. At eighteen, he is brought home by his father. The story follows the protagonist’s journey from initial rejection to eventual acceptance of his brother. Just as a happy ending seems within reach, Yu Yang is swept into a dangerous conspiracy. The protagonist enters a perilous operation to save him, but while the villain is defeated, Yu Yang is fatally wounded. His final words—“I longed for the sunlight, but I could only live in the darkness”—are whispered as he dies in his brother’s arms.

To do the role justice, Qiu Yuyi had been watching films about autism to learn. Because of a non-disclosure agreement, he kept these preparations private, practicing only when he was alone in his room.

Throughout this period, Xia Di’an’s persistent coldness had left Qiu Yuyi feeling dejected. Watching the baby-faced boy currently clinging to Xia Di’an only made the bitterness in his heart harder to swallow.

The new guest was Mi Chen, the youngest member of Xia Di’an’s former group. Because they were often paired together during their debut survival show, they had a massive following of “shipper” fans who dubbed the duo the “Shrimp (Xia-Mi) CP.”

Mi Chen had been there for five days. From the moment he arrived, he had been inseparable from Xia Di’an during all waking hours. While Xia Di’an treated him with the same polite distance he showed everyone else, he didn’t chase him away, allowing Mi Chen to follow him like a shadow.

“Please? Pretty please, Brother Di’an?” Mi Chen tried to grab Xia Di’an’s arm, but a cool glance from the older man forced him to retract his hand and pout instead. At twenty-two, Mi Chen had a small face and large eyes; his pouting was objectively cute rather than annoying.

“Don’t ask me. I’m not the one in charge of that.” Xia Di’an’s long fingers moved quickly as he peeled chestnuts, placing the clean kernels into a dish.

Seeing that Xia Di’an wouldn’t budge, Mi Chen huffed and walked toward Qiu Yuyi. The rest of the cast had retired to their rooms, leaving only the three of them on the first floor.

“Qiu Yuyi.”

Qiu Yuyi, who had been crouching by the rabbit enclosure while secretly keeping an eye on the other two, stood up quickly. “Is something wrong?”

For the past five days, Mi Chen had been sweet to everyone else, calling them “Brother” or “Sister.” He even called the younger Hu Shasha by her nickname. Only with Qiu Yuyi did he use his full name, cold and blunt. Qiu Yuyi didn’t understand why, but the feeling was mutual; he didn’t particularly like Mi Chen either.

“Let me play with July for a couple of days,” Mi Chen said demandingly.

“What?” Qiu Yuyi blinked.

“Move July’s bed and food to my room later. I’ve already discussed it with Brother Di’an, and he agreed.” Mi Chen lied without blinking.

Qiu Yuyi was so stunned by the audacity that he almost laughed. He usually came across as an easy target, and Mi Chen clearly didn’t expect a refusal. The younger boy turned to head toward the room to grab the dog.

“I won’t give July to you,” Qiu Yuyi said. His voice was gentle, but his tone was firm.

Mi Chen turned back, incredulous. “What did you say?”

“I said, I am not giving July to you.”

Mi Chen raised his voice. “I’m telling you this as a courtesy. Who do you think you are? Is July yours? What right do you have to refuse me?”

Qiu Yuyi opened his mouth to snap back at such shamelessness, but a voice beat him to it.

“He has every right.”

Both boys turned toward the speaker. Xia Di’an stood behind Mi Chen, hands in his pockets, his expression grim.

Mi Chen immediately shifted into a pitiable act. “Brother Di’an, Qiu Yuyi is being so mean! I just wanted to look after July for a few days and he refused. That dog isn’t even his.”

Qiu Yuyi stood to the side, his teeth biting into his lower lip so hard it paled. Mi Chen was right—July wasn’t his. He felt he had no standing.

Xia Di’an looked at Qiu Yuyi and froze. The boy’s eyes were shimmering with unshed tears, his rims red with a mix of anger and hurt. Xia Di’an’s gaze dropped, and his expression tightened. He strode over and tilted Qiu Yuyi’s chin up.

“Let go. You’re going to draw blood,” Xia Di’an said, his voice laced with uncharacteristic urgency.

Qiu Yuyi’s vision blurred. “Why do you care? I thought you weren’t talking to me anymore.” The weeks of pent-up grievance finally spilled over. He shoved Xia Di’an’s hand away and turned his head.

Xia Di’an sighed. He reached out again, taking Qiu Yuyi’s wrist and gently prying open his clenched fist. Seeing the deep crescent marks left by his nails in his palm, Xia Di’an’s eyes darkened. He rubbed the palm gently.

“You can be mad at me, but don’t hurt yourself,” he said softly. Qiu Yuyi gave a small huff but didn’t pull away this time.

Mi Chen’s face twisted with jealousy. “Brother Di’an, whose side are you on?”

Xia Di’an kept Qiu Yuyi’s hand enveloped in his own as he looked at Mi Chen. His gaze was icy. “I was never on your side. Don’t let me catch you bothering Qiu Yuyi again.”

Mi Chen stared at their joined hands, his voice turning shrill. “He has no right! That dog isn’t his, how can he—”

“He has every right,” Xia Di’an interrupted impatiently. “You’re welcome to ask the production team who July belongs to.” He watched Mi Chen’s “cute” face contort with malice as they walked away.

Xia Di’an led Qiu Yuyi to the sofa and handed him the plate of chestnuts. “These are?”

“Don’t you love them? I peeled them for you,” Xia Di’an said casually, as if it were a routine task.

“How did you know?” Qiu Yuyi hesitated before taking one. Only his parents knew he loved chestnuts; whenever he was sad, they would buy him a bag of roasted chestnuts to cheer him up. Since their passing, he hadn’t had the luxury of being picky—not even Su Yichen knew.

Xia Di’an pursed his lips. “I told you, I’ve been watching you for a long time.”

Qiu Yuyi’s ears turned red. “I thought you were joking.” Xia Di’an simply patted his hair.

“What did you mean earlier?” Qiu Yuyi asked. “Is July not the program’s dog?”

Xia Di’an fed him another chestnut before answering. “July was a rescue. On my second day here, I had my assistant handle the adoption papers. He’s my dog now.”

“Oh!” Qiu Yuyi was delighted, then confused. “Then why did you say I had the right to refuse? He’s yours, not mine.”

Xia Di’an pinched Qiu Yuyi’s cheek, his thumb lingering on the soft skin. He leaned in and whispered, “Because what’s mine is yours.”

“What are you saying?” Qiu Yuyi felt a surge of shy irritation mixed with irrepressible joy. The gloom in his chest finally began to lift. “Wait! We’re wearing mics! There are cameras everywhere! What if they recorded that?”

Xia Di’an didn’t look worried. He reached out and turned off both their microphones. “Don’t worry. I’ll handle the negotiations with the staff.”

Qiu Yuyi relaxed, but then he pouted. “You’ve been so cold to me lately, and you let that former teammate cling to you. You two have a lot of ‘CP’ fans, if I recall.”

“Are you jealous?” Xia Di’an laughed, catching his hand. “I thought we were just ‘ordinary friends.’ You’re being quite bossy for an ordinary friend.”

Qiu Yuyi swatted his hand away. “Fine, not ordinary friends. Best friends! Is that better?”

“Sure, whatever you say,” Xia Di’an teased. “Then as a ‘best friend,’ can you tell me what you and that Xiao Zhu were talking about so much?”

Startled by the sudden mention of Xiao Zhu, Qiu Yuyi’s eyes darted away. “Nothing, we weren’t talking about anything.”

“Nothing? Then why did she look at you like that?” Xia Di’an clearly didn’t buy it. “Are you going to tell me now, or should I come find you in your room tonight to hear it?”

His voice grew closer, his final words a soft, suggestive whisper that made Qiu Yuyi shiver. His ears turned a blood-red.

“I’ll, I’ll tell you tonight,” Qiu Yuyi whispered. He scrambled up and ran off, muttering something about needing to feed July.