After Dumping the Scumbag, I Ended Up with His "White Moonlight” - Chapter 5

The next day, Qiu Yuyi was jolted awake by Su Yichen’s “death-defying” string of back-to-back calls.

He squinted at the clock on the wall. It was already 2:00 PM; he had slept for a staggering twelve hours. Remembering the long, vivid dream from the night before, Qiu Yuyi felt a blur between reality and the dreamscape. He dazed for a few seconds before finally answering the phone.

“Xiao Yi, why weren’t you picking up?” Su Yichen spoke the second the call connected, his voice brimming with excitement. “I’ve got great news. The production team of Leisure Time just contacted me. They want you as a permanent guest.”

Leisure Time was a reality show about running a pet-friendly guesthouse. Six guests lived together in a small town, managing a B&B, hosting guests, and caring for two rabbits and a cat. When the first season aired last year, it was a massive hit. Audiences, exhausted by their own frantic lives, loved the slow pace and the stars’ interactions with animals. The six original guests saw their popularity skyrocket.

Now that Season 2 was in pre-production, it was under heavy public scrutiny. However, because the show required a solid month of filming with no leaves of absence allowed, many stars were hesitant to commit.

Su Yichen had done the math. The movie The Blind wouldn’t start filming until early September. If Qiu Yuyi finished this variety show, he’d still have two weeks of rest before the movie. He was tempted, but the headache was that Qiu Yuyi had always refused variety shows in the past.

During the first season, they had actually invited Qiu Yuyi. Back then, he had gained traction from his “tragic beauty” role, and his habit of posting homemade desserts on Weibo made him a perfect fit for a lifestyle show. But after a few days of consideration—and despite Su Yichen’s pleading—Qiu Yuyi had declined. It wasn’t just his own reluctance; when he had tentatively asked Shen Nian about it, the man had cut him off and forbidden him from going.

After the show became a blockbuster, Su Yichen was so furious he didn’t speak to Qiu Yuyi for a week.

Qiu Yuyi’s mind was currently a fog. Perhaps because he wasn’t fully awake, he didn’t immediately say no.

Seeing the silence, Su Yichen pushed harder. “This is a real opportunity. By the time the show finishes airing, your movie will be in production, and you’ll have consistent exposure. You’ll have more leverage to choose the roles you actually want.”

He was terrified Qiu Yuyi would suffer another bout of “love-brain” and reject it outright. If that happened, Su Yichen swore he wouldn’t speak to him for a month—for real this time.

But Qiu Yuyi didn’t give him the chance. Though his voice was hesitant, he agreed. “I, I want to join.” He paused, then asked, “Who else is on the cast?”

Su Yichen was stunned. He had prepared a multi-day lecture to convince him, but it had been surprisingly easy. Afraid Qiu Yuyi would back out, he spoke quickly. “Aside from you, Cao Ziping and Lin Xuemeng from last season are returning. The other three aren’t confirmed, but I heard the team is negotiating for a top-tier idol’s schedule.”

There were only two or three people who could truly be called “top-tier” right now. Excluding Xia Di’an, who had never done a variety show outside of his debut survival show, Su Yichen figured it was likely the rising star, Shen Jiashi.

Thinking of “top-tier,” Qiu Yuyi’s eyes flickered. The memory of last night’s dream made his emotions impossibly complex.

While it felt ridiculous to question Shen Nian’s love based on a dream, it had felt so visceral. Combined with Shen Nian’s unnatural behavior the previous night, Qiu Yuyi was no longer certain of anything. He thought about asking Su Yichen to investigate the history between Shen Nian and Xia Di’an, but he hesitated.

If the dream was true, what would he do? Ask for the truth, or play the ostrich and pretend nothing was wrong? If Shen Nian admitted it, would he have the strength to end it, or would he forgive him?

His dependence on Shen Nian and his fear of the future kept him silent. It’s just a dream, he told himself. How could it be real?

After Su Yichen nagged him to pack his bags for the contract signing the day after tomorrow, Qiu Yuyi hung up. It was the housekeeper’s day off, leaving him alone in the vast, silent house. Outside, the sky was a bruised gray; judging by the heavy clouds, rain was imminent.

Qiu Yuyi retreated under the covers and closed his eyes. The dream flooded back.

In the dream, Shen Nian couldn’t see him, even though he was standing right there. Based on Shen Nian’s hairstyle, Qiu Yuyi deduced it was from two years ago, right when they started dating.

Shen Nian was sitting in his trailer, looking irritable. His manager, Xu Sen, sat opposite him, looking equally grim.

“You’re in a relationship with Qiu Yuyi?” Xu Sen spoke, barely suppressing his anger. “Don’t you know you’re in a critical transition period for your career? If this leak, half your fans will drop you in a heartbeat.”

Qiu Yuyi was surprised to learn that Xu Sen had been so against them. When they first started dating, he had worried the manager would force a breakup, but whenever Xu Sen came to the house, he was never overtly hostile.

He pushed the surprise aside and kept listening. The setting sun cast long shadows over Shen Nian’s face, making his features look even sharper.

“His eyes, the color is beautiful,” Shen Nian said, his gaze deep and distant. He didn’t answer Xu Sen directly.

Eye color? Qiu Yuyi froze. Shen Nian was obsessed with his eyes. Many times, he had caught Shen Nian staring into them as if lost in a trance.

Xu Sen looked at Shen Nian with confusion, but then a realization hit him. His eyes widened. “You.”

Shen Nian’s expression softened. “Yes. Just like Xiao An’s.”

Xiao An? Xia Di’an?

Qiu Yuyi’s heart sank. No matter how cold Shen Nian was, he had never doubted him. But he wasn’t a fool. When he pieced it together, the answer was screaming at him. Xia Di’an’s eyes were also a light, honey-brown.

Qiu Yuyi felt as if he couldn’t breathe. He took several deep gulps of air, trying to stay calm.

“Shen Nian, this is unethical,” Xu Sen said, his disapproval clear. He had managed Shen Nian for years and knew about his long-term crush on the boy next door, Xia Di’an. He didn’t know what the conflict between them had been, only that after Xia Di’an went abroad, Shen Nian had been despondent and volatile for a long time.

Xu Sen had assumed Shen Nian was dating Qiu Yuyi for a fresh start. Now he realized Shen Nian was merely using the boy as a substitute. Even without knowing Qiu Yuyi personally, the manager felt a wave of pity. “Does he know? Is this fair to him?”

With a pale face, Qiu Yuyi turned to look at Shen Nian, wanting to see his expression. Part of him wanted the nightmare to end; the other part needed to hear the rest of the bloody truth.

Shen Nian thought of those eyes and remained silent for a long time. Finally, he spoke. “He doesn’t know, and he never will.” He lit a cigarette, his tone turning icy. “I don’t want him to hear a single word about this from you or Xiao Yang.”

The truth was laid bare. Qiu Yuyi finally understood. Why Shen Nian was so cold despite dating him. Why he was obsessed with touching his eyes. Why he was “too busy” for birthdays but cleared his schedule the moment Xia Di’an returned.

His heart throbbed with a dull, aching pain. He wanted to ask Shen Nian: In these two years, have you ever loved me for even a second?

“Understood,” Xu Sen sighed. “I’ll tell Xiao Yang to keep his mouth shut too. But a fire can’t be wrapped in paper forever. You’re on your own.”

Qiu Yuyi now stood at the door of the study. In his hand was the key Shen Nian had forgotten after coming home drunk. Shen Nian hadn’t noticed it was missing and hadn’t asked for it back.

The door had been locked for years. Shen Nian never allowed him inside.

He inserted the key into the lock. A voice in his head whispered that once this door opened, everything would be laid bare.

Faced with the choice of uncovering the truth or continuing to play the ostrich, Qiu Yuyi made his decision.

He could endure Shen Nian’s coldness, but he could never accept being treated as a mere shadow of someone else.

The key turned with a heavy click. Steeling his resolve, he pushed the door open.

The first thing that met his eyes was a large photograph hanging prominently on the wall.

In the picture was a boy of about eleven or twelve, sitting beneath a tree. Even with such youthful features, his delicate and refined beauty was already unmistakable.

Qiu Yuyi let out a bitter, hollow laugh.

Despite the boy in the photo being barely a teenager, he recognized him instantly. The child in the picture was, without a doubt, Xia Di’an.