The Moon Shines Upon Me - Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Ink Wash

A sharp alarm suddenly pierced through the quiet car interior. Shen Yuan immediately covered her wrist, but instead of being muffled, the sound grew even louder.

“It’s broken,” Shen Yuan said, closing her eyes in a state of weary resignation.

“Let me see.” Gu Shiwei took Shen Yuan’s left hand. She tapped the watch a few times and discovered that besides an irregular heart rate, her blood pressure was also running slightly high.

Gu Shiwei frowned. “Shen Yuan, is anything feeling uncomfortable?”

Shen Yuan suddenly turned her head, facing the window. “No.”

The light inside the car was bright. Gu Shiwei looked at Shen Yuan and suddenly noticed that the tips of her ears were a vivid red.

Gu Shiwei’s movements stalled, her gaze lingering on the flush behind Shen Yuan’s ears.

So, her heart rate spiked because she’s shy?

The soft, warm sensation of poking Shen Yuan’s cheek still lingered on Gu Shiwei’s fingertips. Hadn’t she just given her a little poke? Why were her ears turning this red?

“Shen Yuan, have you really never been in a relationship?” Gu Shiwei’s eyes remained on her as she asked. It was truly rare for someone this beautiful to have never dated.

Shen Yuan lowered her gaze, her thick, long lashes casting a shadow over her eyelids. She pursed her lips and hummed a soft “Mm” through her nose.

Gu Shiwei didn’t know why, but her mood suddenly became exceptionally good. she swiped the car’s tablet a few times and played a cheerful English song.

As soon as the violin intro of Rather Be began, Shen Yuan looked over. It was indeed a perfect song for driving.

Since they had plenty of time, Gu Shiwei didn’t drive too fast. They reached the office building twenty minutes before work started.

The elevator dedicated to senior management was previously under repair, so Gu Shiwei had been using the regular elevators. Now that it was fixed, Gu Shiwei was about to swipe her card for the private lift when Shen Yuan stepped into the common one first.

Gu Shiwei tucked the card back into her bag and followed Shen Yuan inside.

Few people arrived at this hour, so it was just the two of them. Shen Yuan took her ID badge out of her bag to hang around her neck, accidentally pulling out a keychain. The keychain was printed with a chibi character that looked familiar, but Gu Shiwei couldn’t place where she had seen it.

Gu Shiwei picked up the fallen keychain and handed it to Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan seemed to treasure it deeply, blowing off the dust several times before putting it back.

Gu Shiwei: “Is that your OC (Original Character)?”

Shen Yuan: “No, it’s a game character.”

As she spoke, the elevator doors slid open. The two walked out one after the other.

To increase efficiency, the company utilized a centralized office layout with an open floor plan. Gu Shiwei’s office was at the very end of the corridor, while Shen Yuan’s station was in the middle of the opposite side.

Upon arriving at her desk, Shen Yuan took her thermos to the water dispenser to fill it with hot water, then used a wet wipe to meticulously clean her desk. Only after that did she turn on her computer and begin organizing her files.

Soon, other colleagues began to trickle in. Lu Qingwan spotted Shen Yuan and immediately rushed over.

“Sister Yuanyuan, are you okay? You scared me to death the other day. Thank God President Gu was there.”

Shen Yuan supported Lu Qingwan’s arm with one hand and moved her thermos with the other. “I’m fine now.”

“That’s good. Was it acute gastritis? Why didn’t you tell me you couldn’t eat spicy food? I was so scared something would happen to you.” Lu Qingwan had nearly cried that night. Without President Gu, she would have been lost in a panic.

Shen Yuan: “Don’t worry, it’s just an old problem. It flares up occasionally; the spicy food wasn’t the main cause.”

Lu Qingwan looked at her earnestly. “Really?”

Shen Yuan: “Mm.”

After comforting Lu Qingwan, Shen Yuan opened Word. She wrote her work log while exporting the records to her secondary email. Only after finishing these tasks did she open her drawing software to start working.

When Shen Yuan drew, she became completely immersed. She kept her head down all morning. By the time she looked up again, it was 11:30 AM. She had even forgotten to drink the water she fetched earlier.

Office hours ended at noon, so Shen Yuan saved her work and stopped. She spent the remaining time stretching her neck and wrists. She had developed tenosynovitis (tendonitis) from drawing too intensely back at her previous “Big Tech” firm; now, her hands would ache if she drew for too long.

Lu Qingwan noticed her stretching and sat beside her. Her eyes lit up when she saw the ink-wash style illustration on Shen Yuan’s screen.

“Sister Yuanyuan, you’re amazing! With just a few strokes, you’ve made the image look so lifelike.” Lu Qingwan sighed. “With this level of skill, being a Concept Art Assistant is a waste of your talent. What am I even doing trying to ‘train’ you? Waaaah.”

Lu Qingwan felt a bit discouraged. Although she had excellent grades in school, her drawings were worlds apart from Shen Yuan’s. Shen Yuan’s technique clearly had a solid foundation; it looked incredibly professional.

“Don’t say that. I don’t fully understand the company’s workflows yet. I still need your guidance.”

Shen Yuan hadn’t picked up a pen to draw in three years.

After leaving the tech firm three years ago, she never intended to return to the concept art industry. That was why she spent two years working odd jobs mindless tasks like scrubbing dishes, serving food, or making milk tea. If she hadn’t been diagnosed with depression, she might have lived that way forever.

“Ex… excuse me… who is Shen Yuan?”

There was a soft knock on the office door. Standing there was a girl with black-rimmed glasses and a low ponytail. Her face was flushed, and she nervously gripped the hem of her shirt as everyone in the office turned to look at her.

“I am.”

Shen Yuan stood up. By the time she walked out, the girl’s face was beet-red. Shen Yuan glanced at her name tag: Chen Ping CEO Assistant (Probation).

It was the position Shen Yuan had originally interviewed for.

Seeing her hesitation, Shen Yuan asked, “Can I help you?”

“Miss… Miss Shen, it’s like this… President Gu is looking for you.” Assistant Chen didn’t quite dare to look Shen Yuan in the eye. She kept glancing at Shen Yuan’s “Probation” badge, unable to reconcile the leadership aura this woman projected with the status of a new hire.

President Gu had just asked for Shen Yuan’s resume. Chen Ping had learned that this woman was a graduate of the Jinghai Academy of Fine Arts the top art academy in the country. She must be incredible; even President Gu was paying her special attention.

Shen Yuan glanced at her watch. “It’s still work hours. Ten minutes until the break. Did she say what she wanted?”

Chen Ping: “No… she didn’t. President Gu only told me to bring you over.”

Shen Yuan: “Alright. Let’s go.”

Shen Yuan followed Assistant Chen to the CEO’s office at the end of the hall. Upon entering, she saw Gu Shiwei sitting on the sofa.

“President Gu, I’ve brought her.” Assistant Chen led Shen Yuan to the sofa to sit, then stood to the side like a human statue.

Gu Shiwei looked up. “Assistant Chen, you can go back to your work.”

“O-okay.”

Chen Ping turned red and scrambled toward the door. Just before stepping out, she caught a glimpse of President Gu personally leaning over to pour a cup of tea for Shen Yuan.

Chen Ping stumbled. Her eyes filled with shock.

The CEO is personally pouring tea for a probationary employee? What on earth is Shen Yuan’s background?

“What do you want for lunch?” Gu Shiwei asked, handing the teacup to Shen Yuan.

Shen Yuan took a sip. “I’ll just eat at the cafeteria.”

“The cafeteria is under renovation this week,” Gu Shiwei said. “Should we go back to the house to eat?”

Shen Yuan’s “decision-making paralysis” flared up. After a moment of hesitation, she said, “You decide.”

Gu Shiwei: “Okay. Let’s go, I’ll take you out.”

“Mm.”

Shen Yuan followed Gu Shiwei out of the office. The sharp-eyed Assistant Chen saw them and immediately hurried over. “President… President Gu, is there anything I can help with?”

Gu Shiwei was about to say no, but her gaze fell on Shen Yuan and she changed her mind. “Follow us.”

Chen Ping nodded. “Yes, President Gu.”

Gu Shiwei took them to a Chinese restaurant near the company that specialized in Southern flavors. Assistant Chen, a pure Northerner, had never eaten here. She watched Gu Shiwei’s back, wondering if the CEO chose this place specifically to cater to Shen Yuan’s Southern roots, which she had seen on the resume.

The more Chen Ping thought about it, the more likely it seemed. But she couldn’t understand why the CEO would go to such lengths.

“Assistant Chen, are there any foods you avoid?” Gu Shiwei asked.

Chen Ping snapped out of her thoughts and waved her hands nervously. “No… no! Please order whatever you like, President Gu.”

“Mm.”

Gu Shiwei ordered roasted crispy pigeon, shrimp rice noodle rolls, fish maw with tomato and sponge gourd, and stir-fried beef ho fun. Then she handed the menu to Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan ordered crispy plum juice char siu buns, a sweet dessert soup, and a pot of Pu-erh tea.

When the menu reached Chen Ping, she felt overwhelmed. Seeing that nine dishes had already been ordered, she simply handed the menu back to the waiter without adding more.

Gu Shiwei: “Shen Yuan, are you going back for a nap after lunch?”

Zhaoyang’s policy allowed for a lunch break until 2:30 PM. Those living nearby could go home; those living far could nap at the office when the lights were turned off from 1:00 to 2:00 PM.

Shen Yuan lowered her head to rinse her bowl with hot water, not looking at Gu Shiwei. “No. Are you going back?”

Gu Shiwei: “I’m not either.”

Assistant Chen sipped her hot water while eavesdropping on their conversation. She wondered about their relationship they felt distant yet strangely familiar.

“Assistant Chen,” Shen Yuan suddenly patted her shoulder. “If you’re thirsty, you can call the waiter for tea. You’re drinking the water meant for rinsing the bowls.”

Chen Ping’s face instantly exploded in a deep red. “Huh? I… I’m sorry! I didn’t know this was…”

Shen Yuan: “It’s okay. It’s not harmful to drink.”

Chen Ping breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s… good.”

You can die any way you want, but please don’t let it be “social death”! Chen Ping felt like crying; she felt she wasn’t cut out for this job and would never make it past probation.

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