The Moon Shines Upon Me - Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Observation

Gu Shiwei: “You are an employee of Zhaoyang. As your boss, I have an obligation to care for your health. For the time being, you’ll stay at my place. Quit your part-time job. You can leave whenever your body has recovered.”

Shen Yuan: “Huh?”

Ignoring Shen Yuan’s confusion, Gu Shiwei directly lugged a large bag of items from outside and placed them by the bed.

“These are toiletries and clothes I bought for you. They’ve already been washed and dried, so you can use them right away. Let me know if you need anything else.”

Without waiting for a response, Gu Shiwei quickly walked out, as if afraid Shen Yuan would reject her kindness.

Shen Yuan sat on the bed clutching the quilt, staring blankly at Gu Shiwei’s retreating figure. Only after the silhouette completely vanished did she blink. Her dark eyes darted toward the bag by the bed.

Her gaze shifted from the bag to the steaming glass of water on the nightstand.

At this moment, a long-lost feeling of being cared for lingered in her heart.

It had been a very long time since anyone had looked after her so meticulously. Ever since she left the Shen family, she had been forced to become independent. Minor illnesses went untreated, and major ones were unaffordable; no one had ever prepared a bag of daily necessities for her like this.

After sitting for a few minutes, Shen Yuan shook the questions out of her head and got up to wash. The master bedroom had a separate bathroom. After brushing her teeth, she took a shower, changed out of her dirty clothes, and put on the new ones Gu Shiwei had bought.

A loose burgundy sweatshirt, white cotton lounge pants, and… a set of undergarments that fit her perfectly.

Shen Yuan’s ears turned red. She lingered in the bathroom for a long time before finally emerging.

Immediately, she was greeted by a rich, savory aroma. She followed the scent out of the bedroom and, a moment later, saw Gu Shiwei in the kitchen, seemingly cooking noodles.

“The noodles will be ready in a bit. Sit down for two minutes.”

Gu Shiwei took a moment to look at Shen Yuan after covering the pot. When she saw the clothes, her eyes crinkled into a smile. The outfit really did suit Shen Yuan; she had great taste.

The noodles were served shortly after. Gu Shiwei placed the bowl in front of Shen Yuan and poured her a glass of warm water.

“Thank you.” Shen Yuan looked up at her. “Aren’t you eating?”

Gu Shiwei smiled. “Miss Shen, I’ve already eaten.”

Shen Yuan: “Oh.”

Shen Yuan was indeed hungry. she took a bite; it tasted wonderful. The bowl was filled with noodles, vegetables, and a fried egg, looking as good as it tasted.

Swallowing the noodles, Shen Yuan looked at Gu Shiwei with a puzzled expression. “How do you know how to… cook noodles?”

Gu Shiwei: “I couldn’t get used to foreign food while studying abroad, so I specifically learned some simple cooking techniques. I often cooked for myself over there. How is it? Does it taste okay?”

Shen Yuan spoke truthfully: “It’s very good.”

“Then finish it. No leftovers.”

Gu Shiwei hadn’t made a large portion—slightly less than a standard serving for one. Since Shen Yuan had emptied her stomach the night before, she was hollow inside; the noodles and broth were gone within minutes.

“Great job. Your stomach will recover faster with a healthy diet.” Gu Shiwei gave an unreserved thumbs-up to the obediently eating Shen Yuan.

The praise made Shen Yuan’s ears feel warm. She intentionally changed the subject: “How much longer do I need to stay here?”

Gu Shiwei rubbed her chin, pondering for a moment.

Looking into Shen Yuan’s eyes, she suddenly said: “A month. I need to observe whether your physical condition can actually handle the requirements of a position at Zhaoyang.”

Shen Yuan hesitated. Her probation period would end in a month, so Gu Shiwei’s “observation” directly affected whether she could become a permanent employee. However, since she had never lived with anyone before, staying here for a month would be uncomfortable and require an adjustment period.

The conflict in Shen Yuan’s eyes was too obvious. Gu Shiwei broke the silence: “Shen Yuan, are you unwilling to accept my observation?”

Shen Yuan looked up sharply. “No, I’m just afraid of disturbing you.”

Gu Shiwei relaxed and smiled. “You won’t. I’m very adaptable; I’m not easily disturbed.”

“Then…” Shen Yuan gripped her chopsticks tighter. “Can I sleep in the guest room?”

Gu Shiwei’s eyes flickered. “You don’t want to sleep in my bed?”

How was Shen Yuan supposed to answer that? Answering ‘Yes’ would sound like she was repulsed by Gu Shiwei, and answering ‘No’ was… well, better left unsaid.

“I just returned to the country, so the guest room hasn’t been tidied up yet. Last night was an emergency, which is why I brought you to my room.” Gu Shiwei sighed and continued, “But if you want the guest room, then the guest room it is. I’ll go make the bed for you.”

Gu Shiwei changed the sheets and duvet covers for both rooms to fresh ones. She moved Shen Yuan’s things to the guest room and her own belongings back to the master suite.

By the time she finished, it was noon. Both were too tired to move and collapsed onto the sofa. Gu Shiwei called a housekeeper to come and cook lunch for them.

The housekeeper was skilled, preparing four dishes and a soup all nutritious. The chicken soup was infused with expensive tonic herbs. Under Gu Shiwei’s gentle coaxing and prodding, Shen Yuan finished two bowls and ended up slumped on the sofa, unwilling to move.

“Get up. Let’s go for a walk downstairs to help with digestion.”

Ten minutes later, Gu Shiwei grabbed Shen Yuan by the wrist to dig her out of the sofa.

Shen Yuan’s wrist was incredibly slender; Gu Shiwei could wrap her hand entirely around it. But she felt something wrong with the texture of the skin. Gu Shiwei looked down. As the sleeve of the burgundy sweatshirt slid back, it revealed a pale, thin wrist but on the inner side were several frightening scars.

They looked like… marks of repeated self-harm.

Shen Yuan… self-harms?

So that was why, that night when she touched Shen Yuan’s wrist on the way home from her part-time job, Shen Yuan had reacted so violently that she knocked over her milk tea?

She didn’t want anyone to know this secret.

The moment Gu Shiwei realized this, she immediately retracted her gaze. Pretending nothing had happened, she draped an arm around Shen Yuan’s shoulder and led her out of the apartment.

Yunjin Villa was a high-end community with beautiful greenery and full amenities. After their walk, Shen Yuan followed Gu Shiwei for two slow laps around the neighborhood and, unsurprisingly, ended up exhausted.

Her breathing quickened and her face turned paper-white, as if she might faint at any second.

Unable to bear the sight, Gu Shiwei sighed and half-carried her to a nearby bench to rest.

“You can’t sit immediately after exercising. Stand for a bit,” Gu Shiwei said, frowning. “Your stamina is too poor. From now on, you’re exercising with me every day.”

Shen Yuan’s stamina hadn’t always been this bad. When she first left the Shen family in her junior year of college, she could juggle school and four part-time jobs at once.

Later, after graduation, she entered a major tech firm (Big Tech). The pressure was immense; she stayed up every night and had no time to exercise. Eventually, her body broke down. During those three years, her health completely collapsed.

After leaving the firm, she spent two years working odd jobs with her shattered health to pay off debts. The day after the debts were cleared, she was diagnosed with depression. At that time, she had no money, no dreams, and no hope. She had broken down in her rental room many times, thinking of ending it all.

But fate is a trickster; she managed to survive, tattered as she was.

By chance, her depression was brought under control. It took Shen Yuan a year to slowly walk out of the darkness. Her doctor advised her to interact more with people and try a new environment. She thought of Jinghai—the city where she spent four years at university, the city that housed the game company she loved. It was the place in the world she wanted to be most.

“Shen Yuan? Are you listening?” Gu Shiwei reached out, hooking her hand around the back of Shen Yuan’s neck to pull her closer.

The forceful movement snapped Shen Yuan out of her painful memories. The images of suffering and humiliation shattered, replaced by the close-up of Gu Shiwei’s face.

Waking as if from a dream, Shen Yuan bit her lip, appearing to make a decision: “Okay. As long as you don’t find me a bother.”

Gu Shiwei promised: “I definitely won’t.”

They leaned against each other on the bench for ten minutes. Afterward, they returned to the apartment. Shen Yuan didn’t usually nap, but today she was so tired she could barely keep her eyes open.

“Take a nap and rest for a bit.”

Gu Shiwei helped her into the guest room, pulled back the soft quilt, and set the climate control.

Shen Yuan fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow. She slept until 6:00 PM. When she woke, it was dark outside.

Reaching under the pillow, her hand brushed something hard. She opened her eyes to see her phone. There were over a dozen unread WeChat messages.

She first messaged the manager at the milk tea shop, explaining she was sick and couldn’t work this month. The manager was kind, telling her it was fine and to just let her know whenever she wanted to come back.

Lu Qingwan had also sent five messages. After replying to those, Shen Yuan opened her chat with Fu Yao. She stared at Fu Yao’s messages for a while before finally telling her she was staying at a colleague’s place for a month. Fu Yao didn’t reply immediately likely rushing a daily update for her writing.

After finishing her messages, Shen Yuan walked out. The living room lights were on, but it was quiet except for the faint sound of a mouse and keyboard.

“You’re awake. What do you want for dinner?”

Gu Shiwei had moved her workspace to the living room so she could see Shen Yuan the moment she stepped out.

Shen Yuan yawned expressionlessly. Looking at Gu Shiwei, she said with a slight delay: “Anything is fine.”

“Okay.” Gu Shiwei stopped typing and picked up her phone to unlock it. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Shen Yuan approaching.

Shen Yuan sat opposite Gu Shiwei, hands placed neatly on her knees. She tilted her head back, blinking as she watched Gu Shiwei make a call.

Watching the dazed, post-nap Shen Yuan, Gu Shiwei suddenly thought she looked like a kitten that had just woken up slow to react, disoriented, and heart-clenchingly cute.

Under Shen Yuan’s gaze, Gu Shiwei made a call. Fifteen minutes later, the housekeeper arrived to cook.

Having slept well, Shen Yuan was in a good mood and even took the initiative to greet the housekeeper. Seeing this, a smile tugged at the corner of Gu Shiwei’s mouth, and her typing speed increased.

Gu Shiwei finished her work before dinner. When she washed her hands and sat at the table, Shen Yuan had already ladled a bowl of corn and pork rib soup for her. Gu Shiwei took a sip; it seemed a bit sweeter than usual.

Gu Shiwei praised: “Auntie Wang, your cooking is getting better and better. Today’s soup is delicious.”

Auntie Wang beamed at the compliment, and in the cheerful atmosphere, Shen Yuan also let the corners of her lips curve slightly.

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