The Moon Upon My Heart - Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Late Night

She couldn’t help but start giggling foolishly again.

By the time the two returned home, Shen Wangshu and Ji Fengyue had both regained their usual composure.

“Xiao Yue, come pick some clothes. What do you want to wear? You can choose anything you like!” Ji Fengyue led Shen Wangshu to the side bedroom. There was an entire wall-mounted wardrobe filled with brand-new summer clothes of every style imaginable; one could practically move the collection out and start a women’s boutique.

Shen Wangshu said in surprise, “Your mother prepared all of these?”

Ji Fengyue nodded. “My mom and cousin prepared them together. My mom opened a garment factory, and now she’s expanding into online shops. Since our city is a major transportation hub, and my cousin is very talented in this area, Mom let her manage that side of things.”

At this point, Ji Fengyue cleared her throat unnaturally and added, “She’s also acting as my guardian, looking after my daily life at my mother’s request. These clothes were picked out by the two of them and were sent over recently. I haven’t worn any of them. Xiao Yue, pick whatever you want!”

Shen Wangshu looked up at Ji Fengyue, then down at herself, and said gloomily, “Fengyue, with our current size difference, I don’t think we can share a wardrobe anymore.”

“There’s at least a ten-centimeter height difference. Even a T-shirt would probably be two sizes too big for me.”

Ji Fengyue’s expression stiffened. “Uh, just make do for tonight. It’s not like you can’t wear an oversized T-shirt and shorts. Tomorrow we’ll go buy new clothes, or I’ll have my cousin pick some out and send them over.”

Shen Wangshu sighed. “Don’t bother her. I’ll just go buy some at a nearby shop. It’s just two T-shirts and some pants; they’re all the same anyway.”

“That won’t do! Xiao Yue, you’re so cute; of course you should wear more suitable, pretty clothes! Ahem, I mean, you should wear clothes that fit your current age. A fifteen-year-old girlhood is the most beautiful time; you have to cherish it!”

Shen Wangshu gave her a sidelong glance. “You have a lot of nerve saying that to me. Aside from today when you dress up to go out, aren’t you usually the same as me?”

“Then starting today, that changes! Xiao Yue, I’m taking over your wardrobe! I won’t allow you to refuse!”

Ji Fengyue spoke tough, but she carefully took Shen Wangshu’s hand. Seeing no rejection, she pushed her luck and hugged her, smiling coaxingly. “Pretty please, Xiao Yue? I really want to see you in those beautiful clothes. You’ll definitely be super, super cute, yeah? Please, I’m begging you.”

Shen Wangshu was speechless. How had Ji Fengyue changed so much after being reborn? She used to be a perfectly normal person, but now she was as immature as an elementary schooler!

“Do you want to dress me up like a doll?”

“Uh, t-that… because you’re cute…” Sensing the shift in her beloved’s tone, Ji Fengyue didn’t dare hold her anymore. She lowered her head guiltily, looking even more like a student being scolded by a teacher.

Shen Wangshu couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “Fine, fine. Do whatever you want.”

“But let’s get one thing straight: I hate trouble. Since you want to dress me up like a doll, you’re responsible for everything from start to finish. I’m not lifting a finger.” Shen Wangshu still had faith in Ji Fengyue’s aesthetic; as for the dress-up sessions, she’d just treat it as a way to keep her happy.

Having received permission, Ji Fengyue’s eyes snapped bright, and a smile bloomed on her face. To Shen Wangshu, it looked like a purely foolish grin, though it was quite endearing.

In the end, Shen Wangshu just grabbed a printed yellow T-shirt and dark shorts from the closet. It wasn’t that Ji Fengyue didn’t want to pick something cuter, but the wardrobe simply didn’t have anything else suitable for her current size yet.

When she came out after showering, Ji Fengyue, who was waiting in the living room, felt her eyes light up instantly.

The colors of the top and pants were very flattering to her fair skin, and the slightly oversized fit didn’t look ridiculous; rather, it emphasized Shen Wangshu’s petite frame.

Her short hair, which had grown significantly since before, now reached her shoulders and looked silky and soft. Even though her face was expressionless, it only made her look cuter.

It wasn’t just a case of “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” for Ji Fengyue; she really was incredibly cute!

“What is it? Why are you staring at me like that? Is it weird?” Shen Wangshu noticed Ji Fengyue’s burning gaze the moment she stepped out, and she felt inexplicably self-conscious.

Ji Fengyue tried her best to hide it, but she couldn’t suppress her smile. “No, it’s very cute. I love it!”

Shen Wangshu gave a short “Oh” and replied, “You should go shower too. Didn’t you say you didn’t sleep well last night? Go to bed early today.”

“Okay~”

Ji Fengyue walked briskly into the bathroom. A light mist still lingered there, carrying the warmth of the steam and the lemon scent left behind after a bath. Although this was a scent Ji Fengyue was used to, she still felt an indescribable surge of excitement.

This was the daily life that Ji Fengyue had once taken for granted but later could never regain she and her Xiao Yue were living together again. Not the fifteen-year-old little Shen Wangshu, but her most familiar beloved, the one she had spent fifteen years with!

She didn’t have to worry about it being a dream, and there were no others to disturb them. They were living under one roof, sharing a private space, and they were about to share a bed. It was more intimate than before!

Ji Fengyue really wanted to cry, but she was smiling so brilliantly. Her smile hadn’t faded once since the afternoon; it was only a matter of being “happy” or “even happier.”

Could there be anything more exhilarating than a deceased lover returning to one’s side?

Ji Fengyue wanted to say a firm “no,” but then she thought of the rare shy look her beloved had shown at dusk. She felt that perhaps, there really could be something even more exciting than this.

She couldn’t help but start giggling foolishly again.

Quickly finishing her shower and drying her hair, Ji Fengyue quietly entered the bedroom. She saw Shen Wangshu sitting at the desk, intently browsing webpages on the laptop.

“Xiao Yue, what are you looking at?”

“Getting an idea of the recent market and policy conditions.” Shen Wangshu didn’t look back, her attention still fixed on the computer.

“You go to sleep first. I’ll just sit here at the head of the bed. When I’m done, I’ll lie down.”

Ji Fengyue walked up behind her and asked softly, “Why the rush?”

“I have nothing else to do, so I’m just looking around. Besides, since you’re going to be my ‘sponsor’ from now on, I have to do something to be worth the money you’re spending.”

“But your sponsor needs you to ‘sleep over’ right now,” Ji Fengyue chuckled. “Xiao Yue, stop looking at the computer. Go to bed early.”

“If it’s because you napped this afternoon and aren’t sleepy, then just chat with me, okay?”

Shen Wangshu turned to look at her but seemed scorched by her overly tender gaze. She immediately turned back and closed the laptop as a distraction.

“Fine. Since it’s the sponsor’s request, I have no choice but to comply.”

The two lay in bed with a small gap between them. The lights were off, and only the moonlight streaming through the window provided a bit of visibility. By unspoken agreement, they both stared at the ceiling, but neither spoke.

After a long while, Ji Fengyue broke the silence. “Xiao Yue, can you tell me why you rejected me when school first started?”

“Even if you didn’t want to reveal your identity, there was no need to resist my approach, right?”

Shen Wangshu sighed inwardly. She turned over, facing away from Ji Fengyue, and answered helplessly, “Because I didn’t want you to find out it was me.”

“Why?”

“…I wanted to be alone and quiet for a while to adjust my state of mind,” Shen Wangshu sighed deeply. “I didn’t want to become your burden again. Can you accept that answer?”

“I never thought of you that way! You are the most important person to me; doing anything for you is only natural!”

“That’s your way of thinking, but I can’t do it,” Shen Wangshu closed her eyes and replied softly. “We are two independent individuals, both with our own lives and futures. Even as family…”

Ji Fengyue interrupted her. “Then what do you think I should have done? Left you in the hospital and ignored you?”

Shen Wangshu sighed. “I wish you had.”

Ji Fengyue angrily grabbed Shen Wangshu’s arm. She squeezed the words out through gritted teeth: “Impossible!”

Shen Wangshu remained silent, but Ji Fengyue didn’t let go. She pressed further: “Xiao Yue, isn’t family supposed to help each other?”

“Whenever I faced difficulties, you always helped me. So when you face difficulties, of course I will.”

“So you wanted me to watch you wither away because of me, getting thinner and thinner, looking so gloomy you weren’t yourself anymore, yet still forcing yourself to act normal in front of me?”

“Fengyue, I could see it, and I could hear it. I knew everything.”

Shen Wangshu really didn’t want to talk about this painful subject anymore. She ended with the thing that hurt her most: “Even my parents didn’t want me anymore; only you were still willing to stay with me… so I wanted to drag you down even less, to avoid becoming the biggest burden in your life.”

“Stop asking, okay?”

“…I’m sorry.”

Hearing this, Shen Wangshu smiled silently. “But you won’t change, will you? If you encountered something similar again, you still wouldn’t consider my feelings, right?”

It was Ji Fengyue’s turn to fall silent.

“Don’t worry. From now on, I’ll work hard to have a good relationship with my parents. I won’t fall back into that situation again. If I solve the root problem, there’ll be no need to argue.”

“Is that your conclusion after two months of ‘quiet’? Probably not. If it were, why would you have cried today?”

Shen Wangshu was silent for a long time. Lying to a friend who knew her too well was futile, but what could she say?

Since she couldn’t say anything, she’d say nothing at all.

But the feeling of being watched was too obvious; Shen Wangshu couldn’t ignore her gaze. Moreover, Ji Fengyue’s breath was puffing against her neck, making her presence feel exceptionally strong.

If she didn’t get a satisfactory answer, Ji Fengyue might very well stare at her like this all night. She was truly capable of it.

Shen Wangshu let out another long sigh. “Once I’ve prepared myself and solved my own problems, I’ll tell you. Fengyue, can you wait for me a bit longer?”

“Oh.” This was the response Ji Fengyue only gave when she was angry—it signaled that she understood but didn’t want to agree, a form of silent resistance.

If possible, Shen Wangshu didn’t want to understand the subtext, but they knew each other too well; they understood without needing to think.

By the same token, Ji Fengyue also knew what Shen Wangshu’s silence meant at this moment.

“Xiao Yue, give me a hug.” Finally, Ji Fengyue conceded. She didn’t mind waiting; as long as Shen Wangshu was willing to give her a response, she could wait forever.

“As long as you can stay by my side, I’m willing to wait as long as it takes.”

The overly ambiguous words sent a jolt through Shen Wangshu’s heart, but she had been disappointed too many times. She didn’t have the courage to crave for more.

Shen Wangshu turned around slowly and edged closer to the friend behind her. She naturally entered Ji Fengyue’s embrace. The next second, she was hugged tightly her waist and back were held fast, and the breath at her neck was closer and hotter than before.

The one who wished to be hugged used an absolutely dominant movement to lock down the one who had been trying to escape.