The White Moonlight is So Scheming - Chapter 26

Passing by Shen Juexia without a word, Ji Zhijie simply curled the corners of her lips in silence.

Shen Juexia’s little universe instantly ignited.

Biting the tip of her tongue lightly, she mustered all her strength and chased after Ji Zhijie with determination. “Ji Zhijie, what’s so great about—”

Before she could finish, Ji Zhijie interrupted her, “We’re not in a race. Just take it slow.”

The sharp retort Shen Juexia had prepared got stuck in her throat.

Unspoken.

She had thought Ji Zhijie would seize the chance to play dumb.

But instead, she was being so soft. She must be afraid of losing face if Shen Juexia overtook her by too much!

Pursing her lips, Shen Juexia stopped pushing herself to run faster and slowed her pace, matching Ji Zhijie’s rhythm as she adjusted her breathing.

Her ponytail swayed with each step.

The morning light refracted in delicate glimmers at the ends of her hair. A breeze occasionally loosened a few strands from behind her ears, but Ji Zhijie remained entirely unaffected.

Plip. The sky gradually cleared.

The dark clouds dispersed, and the midday sun pierced through, warmly drying the damp city.

“Ji Zhijie, how much longer do we have to walk?” Shen Juexia huffed, swinging her arms in frustration before planting herself stubbornly in place, refusing to move another step.

________________________________________

Shengde High School.

First floor, faculty dining area.

“The Qingming Festival holiday is next week. Are you going back to N City?” Li Yue picked up a bite of potatoes with her chopsticks and glanced at Xu Li, who sat across from her.

Chewing mechanically, Shen Juexia forced herself to eat. “I’m tired. I want to go upstairs and sleep for a bit.”

“Alright, do you need to request leave from—”

“No, I’ll still go to school as usual tomorrow.”

The soft thuds of bunny slippers echoed against the wooden floor.

A slow, muffled sound.

Shen Juexia paused at the corner of the second-floor hallway. Instead of turning left, she went right, walking to the end before twisting open the door to Shen Tinghan’s room.

The summer heat was stifling, even with the windows shut tight.

Warmth seeped in through unseen cracks.

Picking up the remote from the corner cabinet, Shen Juexia turned on the air conditioner. Her gaze swept across the room before settling on the large bed at its center.

This project involved collaboration with another company in M Country, requiring frequent business trips. The last time Shen Tinghan had returned home was half a month ago.

Though this bedroom had been unoccupied for a while, Xu Qing still changed the sheets weekly without fail.

Barefoot on the plush carpet, the moment Shen Juexia stepped inside, the familiar scent of iris blossoms gently enveloped her.

She walked straight to the bed.

Pulling back the covers, she lay down without hesitation.

The sun-warmed quilt carried a unique coziness, amplifying the faint fragrance of irises—less cool, more tender.

________________________________________

The two of them had come from the same second-tier city.

After years apart, fate had brought them back together as teachers at Shengde High School.

The spotlight above the island counter reflected off the marble surface.

The effect was slightly mottled.

Her phone screen still displayed the recent call log.

After personally calling to verify, she received the same answer as before yet Shen Tinghan remained unsatisfied.

She would have preferred it if Shen Juexia had lied to her.

Because then, at least, it wouldn’t have made her seem so inept.

The most ridiculous part was that even after getting a definitive answer, she still couldn’t shake the suspicion that Shen Juexia was hiding something from her.

Sitting alone by the window.

Her cool, phoenix-like eyes were tainted with a darkness that didn’t suit them.

With just a slight turn of her head, Shen Tinghan could have seen the bright moonlight, but she chose instead to raise her wrist, blocking her view.

Shifting her body, she let herself sink deeper.

The broad back of the chair gently cradled her slender frame. Shen Tinghan closed her eyes, tilting her face upward, surrendering her soul to the judgment of the night.

Her pale neck.

Like a sliver of moonlight cut by the evening breeze.

The silent darkness fragmented the faint glow, ruthlessly shredding the pure white silk. Light and shadow sliced across Shen Tinghan’s throat from afar, the woman reclining on the sofa resembled a swan choosing to end its own life.

What counted as deception?

No matter who Shen Juexia chose to befriend.

Who she liked, who she would end up with. She had no right to interfere.

Abruptly opening her eyes.

Shen Tinghan stared blankly out the window.

The moon remained in its original position, its pale glow like the gaze of a judge, peering down at the thorny fruit rooted deep within her heart, feeding on her flesh and blood.

A hazy white light emerged on the horizon.

Time slipped away unnoticed.

Her vision gradually blurred. Before succumbing completely to the darkness, Shen Tinghan aimlessly recalled. She seemed to have promised Xiaoxiao that she would trust her.

Holding a spoon, scooping up a bite of steamed egg, Xu Li shook her head. “It doesn’t matter whether I go back or not. As long as I send money on time, that’s enough. So, why should I go out of my way to make things awkward?”

Sighing, Li Yue twisted open a can of cola and pushed it toward Xu Li. “Are you really going to spend the holiday alone in your rented place? Why not come out with me for a couple of days? There’s a new summer retreat in the suburbs I heard the environment is pretty nice.”

Before she could respond to Li Yue.

Her phone suddenly vibrated in her pocket.

Pulling it out and seeing the caller ID, Xu Li grinned. “These scammers are getting really bold, huh? Even calling from the U.S.? Isn’t it, like, midnight there? Working the graveyard shift, scamming must be tough!”

“Just hang up. Earlier—” The last rays of sunset streamed through the window.

Lightly brushing the girl’s face.

Having not slept well all week, this stolen afternoon nap was Shen Juexia’s first proper rest in days.

Fluttering her long lashes, Shen Juexia hugged the blanket tightly, rubbing her face against it greedily until the familiar scent filled the void of longing in her heart. Only then did she rise, satisfied.

Smoothing out the blanket, she slipped on her shoes, turned off the air conditioner, and tiptoed back to her room, the weariness in her eyes slightly eased.

After composing herself, she sat at the desk.

Shen Juexia unplugged her phone and opened WeChat.

“Ji Zhijie, what are you up to?”

Accompanied by a sticker of a little rabbit popping up with a heart above its head.

Seated on a plastic stool beside the hospital bed, Ji Zhijie was peeling an apple when the special notification tone chimed. Her fingers paused, and the corners of her lips curled up involuntarily.

Half-leaning against the bed, Ji Wan asked curiously, “Why are you smiling so happily? Who’s messaging you?”

Handing the peeled apple to Ji Wan, Ji Zhijie pinched her slightly burning earlobe and whispered, “It’s that girl the one who paid for our surgery today.”

“Shh!” Xu Li pressed a finger to her lips, raising an eyebrow. “As an English teacher, I’m curious to see whether this scammer will speak to me in English or Chinese.”

Watching Xu Li’s eager expression, Li Yue shook her head helplessly, picked up a piece of spare rib, and focused on her meal.

“Hello, Teacher Xu.”

Oh! Impressive.

They even knew she was a teacher!

Raising an eyebrow at Li Yue, Xu Li turned on the speakerphone. “Hello, may I ask who’s calling?”

“Shen Juexia’s parent, Shen Tinghan.”

The chopsticks in Li Yue’s hand clattered onto the table. She stared at the phone in shock before glancing at Xu Li.

The hairs on Xu Li’s arms stood on end.

Her expression instantly turned serious.

Exchanging a look with Li Yue, Xu Li swallowed hard and cautiously asked, “Hello, Chairman Shen. May I ask what this is regarding?”

Glancing down at her phone screen, Ji Jiejie coaxed gently, “Just 350 meters left. How about you wait here while I go ahead to borrow a power bank? Okay?”

Shen Juexia pouted.

She gave a small nod.

Though she wasn’t entirely satisfied with this arrangement, there really wasn’t a better option at the moment.

What rotten luck! They’d just finalized the caregiver selection and paid the fees, only for her phone to die shortly after leaving. And all the nearby power banks were so far away!

This was all Ji Jiejie’s fault! She sighed.

Xu Qing nodded with a grim expression.

At this confirmation, Shen Juexia’s face instantly paled. “Did my sister say anything to you?”

“Chairman Shen only instructed me to drive to the hospital to pick you up. She didn’t say anything else.” Xu Qing opened the car door, his gaze lingering momentarily on Shen Juexia’s dark blue T-shirt before he looked away and bowed his head. “Second Young Miss, let’s get you home first.”

“Is there a charging cable in the car?”

“Yes.”

Hesitantly glancing in the direction Ji Jiejie had gone, Shen Juexia bit her lip and bent to enter the car.

The rainwater on the road hadn’t completely evaporated yet.

Speeding vehicles occasionally skimmed across puddles, sending ripples outward before the surface quickly stilled again, leaving only shimmering pools reflecting the blue sky and white clouds.

In her hand, Ji Jiejie carried a takeout bag with the milk tea Shen Juexia had mentioned being interested in a new flavor she’d discussed with Lin Jie in class.

Just one more intersection ahead.

Her lips curving upward, Ji Jiejie hooked a stray lock of hair behind her ear with her finger and quickened her pace.

She crossed the intersection eagerly.

Looking up ahead, Ji Jiejie was about to call out Shen Juexia’s name when she realized—the person who should have been waiting there was already gone without a trace.

The milk tea in her hand suddenly felt heavy, weighing down her fingers until the joints ached.

Her gaze gradually cooled.

Frowning, Ji Jiejie tossed the specially purchased milk tea into a roadside trash bin.

As expected, people shouldn’t presume too much.

These past few days, she’d been so distracted by Shen Juexia’s affairs that she’d even forgotten to charge her phone last night.

Crossing her arms, Shen Juexia stomped her foot in displeasure.

She looked just like a little rabbit whose food stash had been stolen, unhappy but powerless to do anything about it.

After searching the hospital several times with no success, Xu Qing decided to drive around the nearby area to look further. If all else failed, she would go to the police station to file a report.

The car crawled at less than 10 mph.

Even a random stray dog could easily overtake it.

Though she knew the chances of randomly running into Shen Juexia on the road were close to zero, Xu Qing remained utterly focused, searching with meticulous care. A job paying 400,000 a year if she got fired by President Shen, at her current age, she’d never find another one like it.

Her 400,000… where on earth could she be?

Her gaze locked onto a figure in the distance. Xu Qing’s eyes widened in disbelief as she hit the brakes, pulling over and rolling down the window. “Second Miss!!!”

Huh?

Did she just hear Aunt Xu’s voice?

Shen Juexia, who had been fidgeting with her hands, turned to look for the source of the sound. Spotting the familiar black car, she excitedly waved. “Aunt Xu! What a coincidence! What are you doing around here?”

Seeing Shen Juexia alive and kicking, Xu Qing suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to burst into tears.

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she shifted into park, turned off the engine, and rushed over to Shen Juexia. “Miss, why weren’t you answering your phone?! You scared me half to death!”

“My phone died.” Shen Juexia pulled out the now-useless brick from her pocket and tilted her head. “I’ve only been out of school for less than an hour. Why are you so worried?”

“The school called me saying you’d disappeared, and your phone was unreachable. I was afraid something had happened, so I—”

Shen Juexia’s lazy gaze sharpened instantly. She swallowed hard. “You didn’t call my sister, did you?”

________________________________________

Ji Zhijie flipped her textbook facedown on the desk.

Interrupted mid-sentence, Liu Yurou turned to look at Ji Zhijie and said, “Yeah, Zhijie, you should talk some sense into her too. Your family—”

“Stop.”

Her voice was as clear and cold as a mountain spring. Ji Zhijie gently moved Liu Yurou’s hand off Shen Juexia’s desk. “Juexia said she doesn’t want to perform.”

“What’s the big deal? I’m trying to help you here! Doesn’t your mom need…” The rest of her words died under the weight of Ji Zhijie’s piercing stare.

Meeting Liu Yurou’s eyes, Ji Zhijie shook her head.

Understanding the unspoken message, Liu Yurou huffed and turned away, slumping over her desk as her pen angrily scribbled crosses on a scrap of paper. “Fine, suit yourselves trying to help and getting bitten in return…”

Shen Juexia knew all too well.

Their argument had started because of her sudden withdrawal from the performance.

Her hands clenched tightly on her knees. She parted her lips, wanting to say something to ease the tension, but no words came to mind.

Ji Zhijie saw right through her.

Lowering her gaze, her long lashes veiling the shadow in her eyes, she spoke calmly. “Don’t force yourself to do things you don’t want to do.”