Moonlight Allure - Chapter 19

Xiao Nianru reached out and tucked a stray lock of hair behind Jiang Xueyin’s ear, her tone calm. “I turned him down.”

She had told him that Jiang Xueyin was her Alpha. Since they weren’t officially divorced yet, using that title to ward off unwanted attention was perfectly reasonable. This cruise was full of all sorts of people, and she had no intention of getting involved with any of them.

Jiang Xueyin let out a breath of relief. “That’s good.”

Then she caught the teasing glint in Xiao Nianru’s eyes and scrambled to explain. “I didn’t mean to interfere in your private life! I was just worried about you being photographed. It could affect your career!”

Xiao Nianru gave a soft hum, a smile dancing in her eyes. “I know.”

Jiang Xueyin glanced back. The Frenchman was still standing nearby, stealing glances at them. She leaned closer to Xiao Nianru, blocking his line of sight, and whispered in her ear, “Niannian, is your French that good?”

“It’s alright. I know enough for daily conversation. I once filmed a movie that was set in France and lived there for a while.” Xiao Nianru dazed for a moment. That was the only time the “original” Jiang Xueyin had stayed with her throughout an entire production. Back then, they had just married, and the original Jiang Xueyin had cut ties with her family to follow her to France.

The original Jiang Xueyin was fluent in French; in fact, she was excellent. The phrases Xiao Nianru had just used were all taught to her by that person.

Xiao Nianru turned to look at the girl beside her. A surge of worry rose in her heart, this girl couldn’t hide a secret to save her life. What if the Jiang family realized she was an impostor?

“That’s amazing,” Jiang Xueyin marveled. “I’ve always felt like I have no talent for languages. My foreign language skills have always been terrible, especially my speaking.”

She trailed off, suddenly remembering that the “Scum Alpha” was supposed to be quadrilingual—fluent in English, French, and German in addition to her mother tongue.

Wait, didn’t I just expose myself?

At that thought, she looked up into Xiao Nianru’s gentle eyes with a mix of trepidation and anticipation.

“You’re being far too humble,” Xiao Nianru reminded her softly. As their eyes met, she felt the heat of Jiang Xueyin’s intense gaze. She took a breath and continued, “Not only are you fluent in four languages, but you’re also quite gifted at photography.”

“You know, don’t you?” Jiang Xueyin stepped forward, impulsively grabbing Xiao Nianru’s wrist. She was so full of holes; there was no way Xiao Nianru hadn’t noticed.

Xiao Nianru’s eyes crinkled with a smile as she nodded. “Yes. I know you can’t explain it openly. So, where did the original ‘she’ go?”

“I, I don’t know.” Jiang Xueyin hadn’t expected that once the truth was on the table, Xiao Nianru’s first question would be about the original Scum Alpha. Her expression dimmed as she murmured, “Do you still love her?”

Xiao Nianru turned her gaze toward the sea, her voice flat. “I let go a long time ago.”

It had been a long, agonizing process, like a frog being boiled in lukewarm water. By the time she finally asked for the separation, her heart had been nothing but still.

“If ‘she’ replaces you in your original world, will there be any consequences?” Xiao Nianru asked gently.

Jiang Xueyin looked up and smiled. “I only hope she enjoys causing trouble there.”

The two shared a knowing smile. After a moment, Xiao Nianru asked, “Can I hear about your past?”

“I don’t think I can say it directly. But I’ll find a way to tell you about everything that happened before. Once we’re off this ship, I’ll write a story for you.” Jiang Xueyin’s brows curved upward; her mood had brightened significantly.

“Alright.” Xiao Nianru smiled, running a hand through her dark curls.

A waiter passed by with a tray of drinks. Jiang Xueyin took two glasses of orange juice and handed one to Xiao Nianru. “Now, back to business. The heart of this cruise party is the auction on the fourth floor at 8:00 PM.”

“It’s still early. What do you plan to do until then?” Xiao Nianru took a sip of the juice. It was freshly squeezed, with plenty of pulp.

“Didn’t you want news about your sister? I’m going to take you to see someone.” Jiang Xueyin winked. Holding Xiao Nianru’s hand, she led her through the ship, scanning the crowd until she finally spotted a solitary figure on the deck: Lin Shan.

Lin Shan was the female Alpha of the Lin family, the only one of the Four Great Families currently headed by the younger generation.

“President Lin,” Jiang Xueyin called out after a moment of consideration.

Lin Shan had wine-red waves that cascaded down to her waist. Dressed in a black suit, she held a glass of red wine in one hand while the other was tucked in her pocket. She turned to face them, her fox-like eyes full of scrutiny. “Miss Jiang, Miss Xiao.”

Jiang Xueyin smiled. “Why is President Lin all alone? No companion?”

“It’s been a while, but it seems Miss Jiang has learned how to tease people.” Lin Shan curled her lips and took a sip of wine, dodging the question.

“I recall that a few years ago, there was always a young girl by your side. I heard she went abroad to study? I assume the engagement hasn’t been called off? I haven’t heard any news.”

Xiao Nianru shot a surprised look at Jiang Xueyin. As far as she knew, Jiang Xueyin and Lin Shan weren’t close. Why would she bring up such a personal topic?

“Of course it hasn’t been cancelled.” Lin Shan’s gaze sharpened as she looked down at the flickering shadows of people moving on the first deck.

“I thought as much. I wonder when I’ll get to attend the wedding?” Jiang Xueyin asked cheerfully.

Lin Shan’s expression shifted, her eyes becoming unfathomable. She drained her glass and said coolly, “If the date is set, you will both receive invitations.”

“Then I’ll thank you in advance,” Jiang Xueyin nodded.

Lin Shan brushed past them and walked in the opposite direction. Once she was out of earshot, Xiao Nianru asked in confusion, “Why did you bring me to see her?”

Jiang Xueyin gazed at the sparkling sea, tracing the cold rim of her glass. “Niannian, have you ever wondered why, despite you becoming famous at such a young age, your sister never came to find you?”

“Maybe she didn’t have the money to travel, or didn’t know the way home. Maybe she was trafficked to a place without TV or internet. Maybe, she doesn’t remember me.” Xiao Nianru paused. There was one other possibility: her sister was dead.

“No,” Jiang Xueyin interrupted her darkening thoughts. “She was sent away by your parents on purpose. You were lied to.”

“What?” Xiao Nianru froze, but she recovered quickly, letting out a hollow laugh. “That does sound like something they would do.”

Mixing her own memories with the plot of the novel, Jiang Xueyin revealed the truth. “Lin Shan was a premature baby and was sickly as a child. No hospital could help. In desperation, the Lin family turned to a fortune teller who told them they needed to find a girl born on a specific date to be raised as a ‘child bride.’ Your parents must have seen the news somewhere and sent your sister away in exchange for a large sum of money.”

“No wonder. No wonder they only blamed me when she went missing but never looked for her. No wonder they started playing mahjong even more frequently after that. How can people like that be called parents?” Xiao Nianru’s voice trembled.

She couldn’t understand. If they didn’t want the child, why give birth to her? And why use the child they threw away to emotionally blackmail the one they kept?

Xiao Nianru took a shaky breath. “So, my sister is with the Lin family now? Is she on this ship?”

“I, I’m not entirely sure. She might be, or she might not.” Jiang Xueyin bit her lip. How could she explain the rest?

In the novel, Lin Shan was also a “victim” of sorts. Her health had improved after Xiao Nianru’s sister renamed Lin Xi, meaning “The Hope of the Lin Family” arrived. The Lins intended for them to marry once they presented as Alpha or Omega. Eight years later, both presented as Alphas. They were still in love, but the Lin family refused to allow an Alpha-Alpha union and sent Lin Xi abroad. Lin Shan eventually seized control of the family and forcibly brought Lin Xi back, only for Lin Xi to kill her in her sleep and surrender to the police.

Jiang Xueyin couldn’t remember the exact timeline. She didn’t know if Lin Shan had already brought Lin Xi back. If she had, the girl was likely nearby.

“The young girl you mentioned to President Lin, is that my sister?” Xiao Nianru’s voice was barely a whisper.

Jiang Xueyin nodded. Looking into Xiao Nianru’s worried eyes, she promised solemnly, “Leave this to me. I will find your sister.”

“Thank you.” Xiao Nianru smiled softly, then changed the subject. “By the way, are you starting a photography studio?”

Jiang Xueyin’s eyes lit up. “How did you know?”

“I saw your post on your Moments.” Xiao Nianru sipped her juice. “If you run into any trouble, you can come to me.”

Jiang Xueyin had only posted that on her new WeChat account, which only Xiao Nianru could see. She asked hopefully, “Can I take your picture sometime?”

But then she remembered: in this world, Xiao Nianru was a superstar. Her rates were astronomical, and if the photos weren’t perfect, the fans would be ruthless. Jiang Xueyin’s excitement dimmed.