Always Chasing My White Moonlight Omega - Chapter 43

Xu Zhiyi’s birthday happened to fall on a weekend. By Friday, Fang Yao had already skipped class to buy a ticket and travel to the city where Xu Zhiyi was holding her birthday celebration.

For some reason, Lu Yiye didn’t go. After the incident that night, the relationship between her and Lu Yiye had become noticeably strained.

The two hadn’t spoken since.

Saturday was Omega Equality Day. When Ruan Yang packed her things and left the school gate, she noticed that the streets were filled with images celebrating Xu Zhiyi’s birthday some were massive posters, while others were electronic screens hanging from tall buildings.

Even the display screen in the city center had been taken over by Xu Zhiyi.

In the screen, Xu Zhiyi smiled gently, wearing a red dress and holding a rose in her hand.

When Ruan Yang saw that rose, her lips tightened involuntarily.

She hailed a taxi and headed straight for the airport.

On the way, Jiang Jiang suddenly sent Ruan Yang a message, asking for her flight details so she could pick her up.

Ruan Yang sent the information. A few hours later, as night fell, the plane landed. When she walked out of the airport, Jiang Jiang was already waiting outside.

Ruan Yang got into Jiang Jiang’s car, and Jiang Jiang, sitting in the driver’s seat, greeted her with a smile.

“Long time no see, Assistant Ruan. Sister Zhiyi asked me to pick you up.”

Ruan Yang nodded and asked, “Has Zhiyi has Sister Zhiyi already gone to the birthday party?”

“Yes,” Jiang Jiang replied, starting the car and driving toward the venue. “Sister Zhiyi specifically took several days off from filming for this birthday party. She wanted to give her fans a perfect celebration, so she’s been incredibly busy these past few days.”

Ruan Yang’s gaze flickered as she looked out the window. “Was she very busy?”

“Quite busy. Sister Zhiyi barely slept these past few days. I could tell she was exhausted.” Jiang Jiang glanced at Ruan Yang in the rearview mirror, her tone meaningful. “But when she asked me to pick you up just now, she seemed to be in a very good mood.”

Ruan Yang’s expression froze for a second before quickly returning to normal.

Jiang Jiang drove quickly and brought Ruan Yang backstage at the birthday party venue. In Xu Zhiyi’s dressing room, there was a large screen showing the live feed from the stage.

It was synchronized with the live broadcast of Xu Zhiyi’s birthday party.

Jiang Jiang asked, “Assistant Ruan, would you like to go inside? There’s still an empty seat in the front row. If you want, I can take you there. The view is excellent, and Sister Zhiyi would definitely spot you right away.”

Ruan Yang glanced at the screen.

The host was already warming up the audience. The seats were packed, and Ruan Yang immediately noticed Fang Yao in the center of the front row, shouting “Xu Zhiyi!” at the top of his lungs, and the empty seat next to him.

She averted her gaze as if she didn’t recognize him and said, “No need.”

She had no desire to sit next to Fang Yao.

Since Ruan Yang declined, Jiang Jiang didn’t press further. “Alright then, Assistant Ruan, you can watch from here. I’ll go help Sister Zhiyi now.”

“Mm.” Ruan Yang nodded. After Jiang Jiang left, she sat down facing the screen.

On stage, Xu Zhiyi had already made her entrance. The venue erupted in excitement. Almost everyone in attendance was a die-hard fan of Xu Zhiyi, and they grew increasingly ecstatic at the sight of her.

Especially Fang Yao in the front row even through the screen, Ruan Yang could feel the sheer intensity with which he was screaming for Xu Zhiyi.

Fortunately, the camera only swept a glance over the audience before turning its focus to Xu Zhiyi.

There wasn’t much difference from a typical birthday celebration. Ruan Yang hadn’t really paid attention to what the host was saying to Xu Zhiyi; her gaze remained fixed on Xu Zhiyi’s face.

Xu Zhiyi looked exceptionally beautiful today, with makeup that enhanced her lively charm. Years of experience in front of the camera allowed her to appear graceful and composed on stage.

Every smile and frown captivated the audience.

Ruan Yang raised her hand, tracing the contours of Xu Zhiyi’s eyes and brows from a distance, as if it had been ages since she last saw her.

Yet the truth was, she looked at the photos and videos of Xu Zhiyi saved on her phone almost every day.

Now, with the real person standing just over ten meters away on the stage, Ruan Yang suddenly felt a sense of unfamiliarity.

About an hour and a half later, Xu Zhiyi’s birthday celebration was nearly over.

The live broadcast on TV was cut off. Two or three minutes later, she heard the sound of the doorknob turning.

Ruan Yang stood up and looked toward the door, just in time to see Xu Zhiyi push it open and step inside.

Xu Zhiyi closed the door and locked it.

She looked at the dazed Ruan Yang, a faint smile curling her red lips. After a few seconds, she teased, “What’s wrong? Are you so happy to see me that you’ve lost your wits?”

For a moment, Ruan Yang felt disoriented.

How could she describe this feeling?

Over the past three years, Ruan Yang and Xu Zhiyi’s relationship had been far from good it could even be described as hostile.

Every day, she had watched Xu Zhiyi through a screen, just as she had moments before.

But ever since she joined Wu Jun’s film crew, she had gradually grown accustomed to seeing the real Xu Zhiyi every day, witnessing firsthand her joy, dissatisfaction, and every other expression.

Lately, she had reverted to her previous state.

Yet now, Xu Zhiyi was standing right in front of her, smiling at her, making Ruan Yang feel, in that instant, that the chasm between them was slowly closing.

It wasn’t just her Xu Zhiyi was also turning and walking toward her.

Behind Xu Zhiyi, a clock ticked rhythmically, “tick-tock, tick-tock.”

Ruan Yang kept her eyes on Xu Zhiyi, waiting until the hour, minute, and second hands all aligned at midnight, marking the start of a new day, before she finally spoke: “Happy birthday.”

Happy birthday, Zhiyi.

Xu Zhiyi’s eyes shimmered with emotion, sparkling under the light.

She had heard those words countless times the day before, from morning till night. Everyone who saw her had said it to her.

Logically, Xu Zhiyi should have grown numb to those four simple words by now.

Yet, hearing them at this moment, she couldn’t help but feel a stir in her heart.

Almost everyone had been celebrating her fake birthday. There were many moments when even she began to doubt which day was her real birthday.

Until this very second.

Ruan Yang made her certain today was her true birthday.

Finally, she could shed all the constraints binding her and simply be Xu Zhiyi, celebrating her real birthday.

Her emotions shifted in her eyes as she stared at Ruan Yang for a long while before slowly saying, “Thank you.”

In that moment, it felt as though some invisible shackles had fallen away from Xu Zhiyi.

She took two more steps toward Ruan Yang.

“I’m a little tired, Ruan Yang,” she said.

Xu Zhiyi’s smile was no longer as flawless as it was in front of the camera; instead, it carried a noticeable weariness. “I’m really a bit tired.”

A chord in Ruan Yang’s heart was plucked heavily.

She raised her hand, her fingers pausing mid-air for two seconds, but in the end, she still lifted her arms and drew Xu Zhiyi into an embrace.

When their hearts pressed close together, the heavy thumping of their heartbeats, one after another, almost shattered Ruan Yang’s eardrums.

She thought it was her own, yet it also seemed like Xu Zhiyi’s.

Her hands remained loosely resting on Xu Zhiyi’s back, Ruan Yang constantly waiting for Xu Zhiyi to push her away. But after a long while, Xu Zhiyi merely raised her hand and pinched the corner of Ruan Yang’s clothes.

She then gently nuzzled her head against Ruan Yang’s neck.

Like a little fox that had just found its owner.

Ruan Yang’s heart softened in waves, and her hands finally settled firmly, tightening around the person in her arms.

She had no bottom line.

If she had to name one, Xu Zhiyi was her bottom line.

It was unclear how much time had passed, but just as the violently pounding heart in her chest began to calm down and Ruan Yang was about to say something, hurried footsteps echoed from the doorway.

The next second, the door to the lounge was pushed open forcefully, and Jiang Jiang’s voice followed: “Sister Zhiyi, the car I called is here. When are we heading back to the hotel?”

Jiang Jiang moved so quickly that neither of them in the room noticed her arrival. It wasn’t until Jiang Jiang finished speaking that Ruan Yang, as if startled, withdrew her hands and released Xu Zhiyi.

She took a step back, her gaze flitting away nervously, unsure where to look, and finally settled on Jiang Jiang’s face.

Jiang Jiang simply smiled knowingly, offering no questions about why they had been embracing.

Ever since she had witnessed Xu Zhiyi coming to pick Ruan Yang up last time, Jiang Jiang, for some reason, no longer seemed curious about the relationship between the two of them.

Probably Xu Zhiyi had told her something.

Ruan Yang tilted her head, her gaze falling on Xu Zhiyi’s face, which had inexplicably turned somewhat pale.

Xu Zhiyi kept her head down, not looking at anyone, and bit her lower lip as she walked toward the door. “Let’s go back now.”

Her steps seemed to carry a hint of fluster.

Ruan Yang stood rooted to the spot, momentarily unable to tell whether Xu Zhiyi was angry or not.

Jiang Jiang watched Xu Zhiyi walk past her and quickly followed.

But after a few steps, noticing no movement behind her, she turned back and peeked through the doorway at the dazed and somewhat flustered Ruan Yang.

She sighed helplessly and said, “Aren’t you coming, Assistant Ruan?”

Ruan Yang’s palms still seemed to retain the sensation from moments before. She glanced down at her hands and hesitated, “Am I coming with you too?”

This was the first time Jiang Jiang had seen Assistant Ruan so bewildered, and she found it quite amusing. She chuckled and said, “Of course. Otherwise, why would Sister Zhiyi ask me to book an extra room? Do you think she’s deliberately contributing to the empire’s economy?”

Ruan Yang regained some composure. “But—”

“No buts, Assistant Ruan,” Jiang Jiang continued. “Hurry up and come with me. Don’t keep Sister Zhiyi waiting downstairs.”

The words “I’ve already booked a hotel” were on the tip of her tongue, but they were swallowed back at Jiang Jiang’s remark. After saying her piece, Jiang Jiang dashed away. Ruan Yang pressed a hand to her chest for a few seconds before following her out of the room.

Xu Zhiyi was already waiting in the car, scrolling through her phone, her expression unreadable.

Jiang Jiang waved at Ruan Yang from the back seat. Hesitating briefly, Ruan Yang got in from the other side and sat next to Xu Zhiyi. Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at Xu Zhiyi, and when she received no reaction, she closed the car door.

The moment the door shut, Xu Zhiyi turned off her phone and turned her gaze out the window.

Unable to see Xu Zhiyi’s expression, Ruan Yang sat stiffly upright, her mind a battlefield of conflicting thoughts: “Zhiyi is angry” and “Zhiyi isn’t angry.”

The internal debate raged on throughout the ride, unresolved even as they arrived at the hotel Jiang Jiang had booked. Xu Zhiyi stepped out of the car almost immediately upon arrival.

Ruan Yang followed, with Jiang Jiang leading the way behind Xu Zhiyi. Staring at the petite figure ahead, Ruan Yang grew increasingly uncertain.

Perhaps sensing her gaze, Xu Zhiyi quickened her pace, widening the distance between them in an instant.

In the elevator, Jiang Jiang’s floor was different from Xu Zhiyi’s. After Jiang Jiang got off, only Xu Zhiyi and Ruan Yang remained.

Ruan Yang couldn’t help stealing glances at Xu Zhiyi, who seemed to have composed herself by then, revealing nothing of her earlier mood.

When their floor arrived, Xu Zhiyi stepped out. The entire floor was reserved for luxury suites, so quiet it felt almost eerie.

Xu Zhiyi walked to the room at the end of the corridor, pointed at the door, and turned back to say, “Jiang Jiang must have given you the key card already. You’ll stay in this room tonight.”

Her tone was calm, yet for some reason, she avoided meeting Ruan Yang’s eyes.

Noticing Xu Zhiyi’s evasive gaze, Ruan Yang pressed her lips together and asked in a low voice, “And you? Where are you staying?”

“Here,” Xu Zhiyi replied, patting the door opposite. She then turned her back and headed toward her own room. “It’s late. Get some rest.”

As Xu Zhiyi took out her key card to unlock the door, Ruan Yang frowned, about to ask directly if she was angry. But just then, Xu Zhiyi seemed to remember something.

She paused, turned back, and finally met Ruan Yang’s eyes.

In that single glance, Ruan Yang knew exactly what Xu Zhiyi was going to say.

She took a step back, her lower back pressing against the door handle behind her.

Seeing Ruan Yang’s reaction, Xu Zhiyi narrowed her eyes.

Unlike the Xu Zhiyi who had been in Ruan Yang’s embrace earlier, this version had regained her usual composure and detachment.

Step by step, she closed the distance. Ruan Yang had nowhere to retreat, her back now flush against the door.

Though Xu Zhiyi was slightly shorter, she braced a hand against the door, trapping Ruan Yang between herself and the wood. As she looked up, her presence seemed to overshadow Ruan Yang’s.

“I forgot earlier, but now I remember,” Xu Zhiyi said, the faint scent of cedar lingering around her. Her gaze locked onto Ruan Yang’s amber pupils. “My rose.”

“Where is my rose, Ruan Yang?”

Her warm breath brushed against Ruan Yang’s jaw, sending a faint, tickling sensation.

Ruan Yang turned her head away, took a few slow breaths, and then spoke softly, “I’m sorry.”

She recalled that afternoon when she went to find Shi Fangxuan, asking the florist if she could buy the same variety of roses.

The florist said it was possible, but just as he was about to wrap them for Ruan Yang, she suddenly raised her hand to stop him.

Just like now, although Ruan Yang’s tone was apologetic, there was a hint of determination in her eyes.

“It’s my fault. I didn’t take good care of your roses and let them get rained on and wilted. I’m truly sorry.”

What she should have done was tell Xu Zhiyi the truth, even if it meant Xu Zhiyi would be angry and refuse to forgive her.

But she absolutely could not deceive Xu Zhiyi with flowers bought so casually.

A long time passed after Ruan Yang finished speaking, and Xu Zhiyi remained silent.

The spacious hallway felt somewhat oppressive due to Xu Zhiyi’s silence. Ruan Yang blinked, watching Xu Zhiyi’s reaction intently, like a little puppy.

She would rather Xu Zhiyi be angry with her than say nothing at all, leaving her heart hanging in suspense.

“Wilted?” Xu Zhiyi finally responded after a long pause.

Her tone was devoid of emotion, making it impossible to discern whether she was angry or pleased.

Xu Zhiyi lifted her gaze, and the motion-activated light above them happened to dim at that moment.

Earlier, she had lost control and inadvertently revealed her vulnerable side in front of Ruan Yang.

For Xu Zhiyi, exposing emotional weakness to others was even harder to accept than revealing physical vulnerability.

Tonight’s behavior was fundamentally different from her usual deliberate displays of weakness.

She was accustomed to taking the initiative and keeping control in her own hands.

Just like now, as she watched the slight panic in Ruan Yang’s eyes, the unease and the gap that had emerged from that earlier embrace seemed to finally be filled.

She finally smiled.

“It’s okay,” she said. “My goal was never the bouquet of flowers in the first place.”

Ruan Yang’s pupils contracted in the darkness. She suddenly lowered her head, and her nose accidentally brushed against Xu Zhiyi’s.

The corners of Xu Zhiyi’s eyes lifted slightly.

“I’ve already seen my rose.”

Right in front of her.

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