Moonlight Allure - Chapter 33

That night, years ago, she had been passing by a small pond when she rescued a younger student.

The light had been dim then; she hadn’t seen the girl’s face clearly or even asked for her name. But the girl’s voice—Jiang Xueyin’s voice—had been beautiful, leaving a faint, lingering echo in her mind.

When she first crossed over into this world and met the “Jiang Xueyin” here, she had found the voice vaguely familiar. At the time, she hadn’t given it much thought. As she grew accustomed to the sound, the memory slipped away entirely.

Until now.

Now, she finally understood: Xueyin’s feelings for her had never been the simple admiration of a fan for a star. It was the enduring heartbeat of a girlhood crush.

Nianru slowly closed her eyes. Her mind flooded with every interaction they had shared since her arrival, and an indescribable complexity of emotion swelled in her chest.

Jiang Xueyin returned quickly. Fearing that anything too greasy would upset Nianru’s stomach, she brought a bowl of light rice porridge with lean pork and greens.

“Sister, is there anything else you’d like?” Xueyin asked, setting the porridge down and worrying it wasn’t enough.

“This is fine. I don’t have much of an appetite; a bowl of porridge is perfect.” Nianru’s eyes softened. “What about you? Have you eaten?”

For the past two days, Xueyin had barely touched real food, often settling for a bottle of milk and a single slice of toast from the cafeteria.

“Not yet,” Xueyin admitted, feeling a strange prickle of guilt as she rubbed the back of her head.

“How can you bring me food and forget yourself?” Nianru said, her voice tender. “Go, get something to eat.”

“Okay.” Xueyin returned with a sandwich and some bread, sitting on the chair by the bed and taking small, quiet bites.

Suddenly, Nianru asked, “Are you leaving?”

Xueyin nodded, swallowing her mouthful of bread.

“Where are you going?” A flicker of hope rose in Nianru’s eyes. Even though her life here wasn’t terrible, she still harbored a deep longing to leave this world entirely.

“Country Y.” Xueyin paused, her gaze dropping as a sense of loss washed over her. “I’ll likely be studying there for three years. I’m leaving tomorrow.”

She felt a pang of sadness—why did Nianru look so happy to hear she was leaving?

“Country Y, I see.” The spark in Nianru’s eyes vanished instantly. “I thought, I thought you had found a way back.”

Hearing this, Xueyin’s gloom dissipated. She managed a small smile. “I made a deal with Jiang Jue. In exchange for my departure, he will send people to protect you.”

It was the best solution she could devise. As long as she stayed with the Jiang family, she lacked the power of someone like Lin Shan; she couldn’t sway the decisions of Jiang Tingshuo or Jiang Jue. If they decided to move against Nianru, she would be helpless.

She had to trade her own presence while she still held some value to them. Besides, staying by Nianru’s side only drew danger toward her. Time was the best medicine; perhaps in three years, the world would look very different.

“Xueyin, you should have a life of your own. Don’t do things you don’t want to do just for my sake,” Nianru said, her brow furrowed in a gentle concern.

“It’s not that I don’t want to. Studying abroad is a good opportunity to experience a new life,” Xueyin replied with a smile. “Besides, it was my lack of foresight that put you in danger. I should take responsibility. This ‘accident’ on set wasn’t an accident, but even if the culprit is caught, they likely won’t give up their employer. However, your parents, we might find the mastermind through them.”

“My parents? What did they do?” Nianru’s fingers tightened on the bedsheets.

After a long silence, Xueyin spoke: “They were incited by someone to kill you and inherit your estate.”

Nianru didn’t get angry; instead, she let out a hollow laugh. “It’s almost too ridiculous for words.”

She couldn’t even bring herself to be surprised. There was nothing they weren’t capable of. But then she looked at Xueyin, her expression turning serious. “Xueyin, there is something I want to ask you.”

The sudden shift in tone made Xueyin sit up straight. She nodded.

“I come from the same place as you. After my accident back there, what happened to my parents? Are they alright?”

She wasn’t asking about her parents in this world, but the ones she truly called her own.

“They,” Xueyin recalled the photos she had seen in the news in her past life. Her heart trembled, and she couldn’t bring herself to tell the truth. “They were devastated at first, but slowly, they accepted it. They adopted a small dog for companionship. They’re doing well.”

Nianru let out a long, relieved breath. “That’s good then.”

Fearing her lie would be discovered, Xueyin lowered her head. In reality, Nianru’s father had died of a heart attack the very day he heard the news, and her mother had been killed in a car accident on her way home from work shortly after.

After they finished eating, Xueyin cleared the table. When she returned to the room, she found Nianru staring at the sunset. The golden light outlined her gentle features as she gazed at the vibrant clouds.

Hearing the door, Nianru turned and smiled warmly. “You’re back.”

“Mhm.” Xueyin closed the door softly and walked to the other side of the bed so she wouldn’t block the view.

“Xueyin, since you’ve been here, have you been happy?” Nianru asked softly.

“Mostly, yes.” Xueyin met her gaze. She felt as though she were sinking into soft cotton candy, wrapped in a lingering sweetness. At the very least, she had been able to see the person she loved.

“I’m glad.” Nianru returned her gaze to the horizon.

“Sister Nianru, are you unhappy here?” Xueyin knew Nianru wouldn’t come with her, but she couldn’t help asking. “Do you want to come with me? Qingyu is in Country Y, too.”

As expected, Nianru shook her head. “My career is here. I can’t just leave. But I will come and visit you both.”

“Okay.” Xueyin thought about how her own career had stalled since arriving. She had wanted to build a studio with the Jiang family’s help, then tried to be an independent photographer, but one disaster followed another. Perhaps this was her chance to finally study what she loved. Relying on others was never a long-term plan; she had to become strong on her own.

A knock at the door interrupted them. It was Li Han.

Li Han glanced at Xueyin, her eyes flashing with a hidden meaning. “I have some things to discuss with Nianru.”

Xueyin stood up dutifully. “I’ll go grab some water.” She knew it was natural for Li Han to be wary of her, given the divorce.

Inside the Ward

“If it weren’t for this accident, your mark-removal surgery would be over by now,” Li Han said, her voice tense. “Now that everything has been delayed, you’ll likely have to endure another painful heat cycle.”

“It’s fine. I’ll just bear it,” Nianru said calmly. To her, physical pain was nothing compared to the exhaustion of the soul.

“Or.” Li Han glanced at the door. “You could let Jiang Xueyin help you through it. She seems different now. Is she pursuing you again? Did you say yes?”

Nianru couldn’t help but laugh. “Li-jie, she’s leaving tomorrow. She’s going to study in Country Y.”

“What?” Li Han was stunned. “She’s just leaving?”

“She has no choice.” Nianru shook her head. “She made a deal with Jiang Jue. He guarantees my safety, and in exchange, she disappears.”

“That works,” Li Han said, her expression a complex mix of emotions. “By the way, your parents were released due to insufficient evidence. However, I’ve already leaked their chat logs online. It’s enough to ruin their reputations permanently—no one will believe a word they say from now on.”

“Good,” Xiao Nianru said, letting out a long, weary breath. “It’s better this way.”

“What about the support payments you’ve been sending?” Li Han asked. “Do we continue the transfers?”

Nianru was silent for a moment. “Continue only what is legally required. If they demand anything extra, refuse them.”

“And if debt collectors come knocking?” Li Han pressed tentatively.

“Leave them to their own devices,” Nianru replied. She felt she had already fulfilled every shred of her moral obligation.

Li Han nodded. “Fine. Regardless, I’m increasing your security detail. You shouldn’t stay at your old apartment anymore; I’ll find you a place with better protection.”

“I thought the security there was decent?” Nianru asked, a look of confusion crossing her face. She was a creature of habit, rarely moving unless absolutely necessary. The only two times she had relocated were because of Jiang Xueyin—once for their marriage, and once for their divorce.

“It is, but.” Li Han hesitated before deciding to tell her about Xueyin’s experience. “While Jiang Xueyin was at the apartment alone, a stranger came and rang the doorbell multiple times.”

“She never mentioned that to me,” Nianru sighed heavily.

“She probably didn’t want to worry you.” Li Han paused to recall the details. “The timing of her telling me about that man was almost identical to the timing of your accident. Whoever was targeting you knew exactly which set you were on, so the person at the door was likely there for Jiang Xueyin. They wanted to confirm if she was staying with you. Either way, that apartment is compromised. I’ll arrange a new place for you once you’re discharged.”

“Alright. Thank you, Li-jie,” Nianru said with a slight nod.

“Don’t mention it.” Li Han glanced back at the ward door and waited a beat before asking, “Should I let her back in?”

Nianru drifted off for a second, then nodded.

When Jiang Xueyin entered, she sat obediently off to the side, listening intently as Nianru and Li Han discussed the recent developments on the film set. Fortunately, Nianru had woken up just in time; had she remained unconscious for even a few days longer, the production would have been forced to recast her role.

They talked for over an hour until Li Han checked her watch. Her gaze shifted to Xueyin, who had been listening with rapt attention.

The manager cleared her throat. “Miss Jiang, why don’t you head back and get some rest tonight? I can take over from here.”

“Let me stay,” Xueyin pleaded, looking at Nianru with a pained, puppy-dog expression. “I’m leaving tomorrow. Please?”

She knew her time here was running out, and she wanted to cherish every remaining second by Nianru’s side.