The Moon Upon My Heart - Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Change

Could it not be a “must”?

Li Ming returned home near dusk, carrying bags of groceries; she planned to cook dinner herself. It never felt quite comfortable eating out, and she wanted to have a good chat with her daughter at home without outside interference. She figured her daughter’s mood might improve in a private setting.

To Li Ming’s surprise, Shen Wangshu proactively offered to help. Her movements were quick and efficient so much so that Li Ming couldn’t even find an excuse to tell her to go rest.

“Don’t worry, Mom. I specifically learned a few things from Ji Fengyue. I won’t be a bother,” Shen Wangshu said, lowering her head to wash the ingredients. Li Ming could hardly refuse and silently accepted her help.

The two worked in silence for a while before Li Ming finally broke the ice.

“You were chatting so warmly with Zhao Kuanning today. Weren’t you afraid that I… cheated during the marriage?”

Shen Wangshu’s hands paused for a moment in the water. She answered slowly, “I wasn’t worried. Because you aren’t that kind of person, Mom.”

“With your temper, Dad hasn’t come home or contacted us for so long—even if you had to go to court, you definitely would have divorced him first,” Shen Wangshu said, her voice dropping slightly. “I know you didn’t tell me because you didn’t want to affect my studies.”

“Actually, I guessed it long ago. That’s why I wanted to get into a school in the provincial capital to give you some private space…”

“But now, I don’t have to worry about you being lonely or working too hard anymore. Uncle Zhao seems to care about you more than Dad did, and you clearly like him. Seeing you with someone you like makes me very happy.”

Li Ming’s hand, holding the knife, froze in mid-air. She couldn’t believe these words were coming from her usually silent daughter. After a long silence, she softened her tone and gave a quiet “Mm.”

“You’re right. Your father and I divorced last year. I met Zhao Kuanning after that; he… caught me at a vulnerable time.”

“Are you going to share the story of how you were pursued with me?”

Li Ming lightly tapped her daughter’s head. “What are you thinking? If you want to know, ask him yourself. I don’t have skin as thick as his.”

Shen Wangshu kept her head down and didn’t reply. She wasn’t actually curious; she just knew that saying these things would make Li Ming feel better.

“You and Xiao Ji must have talked about a lot of things these past two days. Want to tell me about it?”

“We didn’t say much… She was just worried about me. She told me a bit about her parents and said that if a couple isn’t happy, instead of forcing themselves to live together, it’s better to divorce early. It’s better for everyone.”

Li Ming sighed with emotion. “She’s a very mature, good child.”

“Yes, and a very good friend.”

Feeling that the groundwork was sufficiently laid, Shen Wangshu finally moved to the topic she truly wanted to discuss: “Mom, since getting to know Ji Fengyue, we’ve been studying together, and my grades have improved a lot.”

“I know. I saw your teacher praising you in the parents’ group.”

“Ji Fengyue’s goal is the best medical school in the country. Now, I feel like I can also strive for a school of that caliber.”

“That’s great. I fully support you.”

“I feel like living in the school dorms isn’t very convenient for studying at night. Ji Fengyue feels the same. Her family is planning to rent a place for her near the school. She asked me if I wanted to co-rent. Two people studying together would be more motivating.”

Li Ming thought for a moment and asked, “Is there anyone from the Ji family who can go take care of you?”

Shen Wangshu shook her head. “No, just us. But her cousin works in the provincial capital and will visit her often.”

“Actually, you don’t need to worry. The only chore is laundry, and using a washing machine outside is more convenient than the dorm. We’ll eat at the cafeteria, and usually, we’ll be studying in the classroom anyway.”

“It’s basically the same life as being in a dorm, but renting a place is more convenient. We’d have private space, no interruptions, and we could sleep better at night.”

Li Ming’s expression grew serious. “Do you two have enough self-control? There are too many distractions out there nowadays…”

Shen Wangshu calmly interrupted her: “Mom, from the start of the holiday until now, we’ve gone to the library to study almost every day. We even practice English by the river together before the library opens. I think that proves our self-control.”

Li Ming was momentarily speechless. Her daughter was far more mature than she imagined, providing persuasive reasons at every turn. But how could she be at ease?

“Can you give me the contact info for Xiao Ji’s guardian? I’ll talk to them before deciding.”

“Xiaoyue, this isn’t a small matter. Two young girls living alone is dangerous. Just last week I saw news about a break-in. If there’s no adult around and you’re targeted by thieves, there’s no one to help in a crisis.”

“I know, Mom.”

“Let’s set this aside for now. I’m going to start stir-frying. Go sit in the living room and watch TV; we’ll eat soon.”

“Okay.”

Shen Wangshu wiped her hands, but she didn’t go to the living room. Instead, she went back to her bedroom. She sat at her desk, unconsciously squeezing the jellyfish plushie, lost in thoughts of her past life.

She had always known how to communicate well with her mother; she simply hadn’t wanted to, and she certainly hadn’t wanted to lower her head to her always-forceful mother.

Perhaps that’s how people are: the more you care, the harder it is to remain calm. Shen Wangshu’s love for her mother was real, her dislike was real, and her regrets were equally real.

At the end of her previous life, being abandoned by her parents had been a huge blow. But what was even harder to accept was seeing Ji Fengyue become increasingly haggard from the burden of taking care of her, eventually being unable to stay at the hospital and dying in a trance-like accident.

She refused to let that happen again. But if fate was hard to change and Ji Fengyue still insisted on pushing herself to the limit to care for her, having others to help would at least give Ji Fengyue more time to rest.

As for someone willing to care for her during an illness, Shen Wangshu could only think of her mother.

If she started communicating well with her mother now, perhaps the future could change. If Ji Fengyue could do it, so could she.

So far, everything was going smoothly. Shen Wangshu had easily shifted her mother’s attitude. It proved her mother still loved her, yet this realization only made Shen Wangshu feel more pain.

Wangshu: I’ve mostly succeeded. She’s softened, but she wants your guardian’s contact info to confirm the situation. It’s up to you now.

Lanyue (Ji Fengyue): Received! Don’t worry, absolutely no problem!

Wangshu: …

Wangshu: I miss you a little, Fengyue.

The phone rang immediately. Once Shen Wangshu picked up, she heard Ji Fengyue’s excited voice: “Xiaoyue, I miss you too!”

“Wait for me just a bit longer. In the future, we can live together! Just us, with no extra people to disturb us!”

“Mm, okay. I’m waiting for your good news.” Shen Wangshu’s eyes crinkled into a smile. Sure enough, just hearing her voice made her mood much better.

But for some reason, the voice on the other end suddenly turned piteous: “Xiaoyue, maybe I should just rush back and pick you up at your house tomorrow.”

“Pfft, what’s wrong with you? Throwing another tantrum?” Shen Wangshu laughed. “No need to be so impatient. Finish your business first. We’ll see each other in two days anyway. When there’s no one else around, you can act like a spoiled brat and hug me all you want.”

Ji Fengyue answered decisively: “No problem!”

“But the premise is that you must rest well. I can’t find out that you haven’t been sleeping.”

“I… I’ll try my best.”

Shen Wangshu’s eyes curved as she hugged the jellyfish plushie and fell back onto the bed. “Could it not be a ‘must’?”

“Xiaoyue, you’re making things difficult for me!”

“Must I be there for you to sleep well?”

“Yes~”

“Fine. When the time comes, I’ll sleep with you every night.”

“It’s a deal!”

“Xiaoyue, dinner’s ready!” Her mother’s voice called out.

Shen Wangshu quickly responded, “Coming, Mom!”

“Fengyue, I have to eat. Hanging up now. You eat well too, and try to rest tonight. I’ll worry otherwise.”

“Okay, I’ll be good and listen. Don’t worry.”

“Mm, bye.”

“Bye-bye.”

After the call ended, Ji Fengyue lingeringly sent two emojis begging for hugs. Lin Xuxi, sitting next to her, leaned over to look and was filled with a sense of revulsion.

“Are you always like this in front of your ‘wife’?”

“None of your business,” Ji Fengyue closed the chat and seriously corrected her wording. “She’s not my wife. Currently, we are just best friends and family members without blood relation.”

“But soon she won’t be, huh?”

Lin Xuxi’s mouth twitched. “Yes, yes, yes. I believe you’ll succeed soon. She’s willing to coax you like that; it’d be strange if she didn’t have feelings for you.”

“Hmph, I think so too. But she’s too dense; she hasn’t realized her own feelings at all. She just thinks we’re family.” Ji Fengyue gritted her teeth as she spoke.

In the past, she had nearly been frustrated into confessing directly countless times, but she held back every time.

Thanks to that, her patience had grown. She even had enough patience now to deal with colleagues and patients at the hospital who didn’t listen to reason. In other words, she could now patiently play a part in front of people she disliked.

Ji Fengyue pushed up her glasses and said seriously, “I’ll send your number over in a bit. Arrange the meeting and the house-viewing time with Li Ming. You know what to say, right?”

“I’ve got this, don’t worry,” Lin Xuxi gave a thumbs up. “I’ll say my work is busy and I want to find a friend for my ‘cousin’ to keep her company. I’ll urge her to decide on viewing the house as soon as possible. Since I’m the owner, I set the rent. I won’t give her any reason to refuse.”

Ji Fengyue nodded. Lin Xuxi then asked, “But you said before that for convenience, you’d let Aunt put the house in my name… was that actually so you could have an assistant right now?”

“Of course. My mom is in another province; it’s not convenient for her to come back. Besides, I don’t want her to know I’m buying a house near the school specifically to live with Xiaoyue.”

Lin Xuxi asked in shock, “Aunt doesn’t know you’re trying to pursue Shen Wangshu?”

Ji Fengyue gave her a strange look. “Even though my mom trusts me and listens to my advice, why on earth would you think she could accept her daughter being a lesbian?”

“I haven’t even won her over yet. I don’t want her holding me back. I’ll keep it hidden for now; we’ll deal with what comes after I’ve won Xiaoyue.”

“Uh, what if Aunt doesn’t agree?”

“Then let her disagree. It has nothing to do with me.”

Lin Xuxi was dumbstruck. “You… you aren’t thinking of cutting ties, are you?”

Ji Fengyue rolled her eyes. “I told you to read fewer novels. Be realistic; the law in our country doesn’t support ‘cutting ties’ of support.”

“If she objects, let her object. I don’t care about her thoughts. As long as she doesn’t appear in front of Xiaoyue and affect her mood, then whatever. She can’t control me anyway.”

“What about the money and the house… uh, never mind, forget I said anything.” Lin Xuxi thought to herself that Ji Fengyue didn’t need to worry about that at all; she could easily make more money. She certainly didn’t need to worry about her financial source being cut off.

“Aren’t you worried I’ll tell Aunt?”

Ji Fengyue glanced at her. “Heh, even if you did, it wouldn’t matter. But you won’t. You don’t want to see me fighting with her; there’s no benefit in it for you.”

Lin Xuxi, who had essentially gained a property title for free, gave an awkward laugh and nodded. “You’re right, you’re right.”

Ji Fengyue ignored her and looked down at the photos in her album. It was the group photo from yesterday. After Lin Xuxi sent it to her at noon, Ji Fengyue had looked at it over and over, never getting tired of it.

Seeing her so obsessed with just a photo, Lin Xuxi’s feelings were complicated. Clearly, in her heart, Shen Wangshu was a thousand times more important than her own mother.

Though it stood to reason, Lin Xuxi felt that if Shen Wangshu ever found out, she might not actually be happy… She had a feeling that Ji Fengyue’s path to “winning her wife” might still be a long one.