Moonlight Doesn't Reach | Chapter 14 | A New Eternity | Novela.app

Chen Jinyue first pulled open the rear car door and retrieved that forgotten, unopened bottle of mineral water. It was as if the resentment she had vented that day had been carried over to today, only to finally be soothed. Only then did she take her seat in the passenger side. Although Lin Yunsheng had never explicitly said the water was for her, now that she saw it and Lin Yunsheng didn’t deny it, it was settled. That was that. She twisted off the cap. Though she wasn't thirsty at all, she gulped down two mouthfuls. It wasn't enough; she had to hand it to Lin Yunsheng as well. Lin Yunsheng looked at the bottle being held out to her but didn't take it. She just watched her hold it there. "Am I thirsty?" she asked. "..." Chen Jinyue didn't know how to answer for a moment, feeling a bit awkward. Lin Yunsheng gave a light chuckle and said to herself, "How did you know?" She then took the bottle, drank a couple of sips, and handed it back. Only after Chen Jinyue tightened the cap and placed it in the cup holder did she reveal a satisfied, triumphant smile. Lin Yunsheng was a particularly quiet and old-fashioned person. The songs she played along the way were all slow-paced oldies, and she didn't speak much. Chen Jinyue had to admit she liked this atmosphere. She watched the streetscape and pedestrians receding outside the window. A feeling from her childhood resurfaced—the hope that this journey would never end. If she were sitting on the back of Lin Yunsheng's bicycle, then let the next corner come a little later. If she and Lin Yunsheng were on the bus home together, then let this bus never reach its stop. And now, she wanted to hold onto this gentle moment—so brief and hard-won compared to the six-year scale of time—for just a little longer. Even though the journey had clearly only just begun. The Sunday midday traffic was relatively smooth, and they reached the airport and parked in about half an hour. With no luggage to check, the two of them checked in and passed through security immediately. "Do you want coffee?" Lin Yunsheng was the first to ask. "I want something sweet." "Okay." It was still early for boarding, so Lin Yunsheng led her toward a beverage shop. To be honest, Chen Jinyue was shocked when she looked up at the menu on the screen. Having been away for six years, she hadn't realized the domestic catering industry had developed to a level that was completely incomprehensible even to a native speaker. "..." "Hello, what can I get for you two?" the server asked first. Chen Jinyue didn't respond for a long time. Lin Yunsheng turned her head toward her, puzzled. "...What is... Taro Mud Bobo?" Chen Jinyue asked Lin Yunsheng in a low voice, her face clouded with difficulty. Lin Yunsheng leaned in close to her ear and whispered, "I. Don't. Know. Either." After saying that, she laughed and left her to her own devices. She truly didn't know. She didn't like sweet drinks. On the rare occasions she needed to treat her team to milk tea, she would let the younger staff order everything together and she would simply reimburse them. "Hello, I'll have a Shengsheng Oolong." Since she couldn't understand any of it, she might as well order a familiar name. "Half sugar and light ice, is that okay?" "That's fine, thank you." After saying this, she smiled at Lin Yunsheng and asked if she wanted anything. Lin Yunsheng shook her head and naturally took out her phone to pay. The milk tea was prepared quickly, reaching Chen Jinyue's hand in just two or three minutes. She took a sip and found that the drink she'd picked blindly actually tasted quite good. She held it up to Lin Yunsheng's lips, letting her try it too, but Lin Yunsheng turned her head away, saying she didn't like this sort of thing. Oh. Chen Jinyue withdrew her hand dejectedly and put the straw in her mouth, taking a bite of a "Sheng." By the time they reached the boarding gate, passengers were already lining up. Lin Yunsheng took her wallet out of her bag to get her ID. "Wait..." Chen Jinyue's eyes swept over it and she seemed to see something. Holding her drink, she didn't have time to switch hands before she reached out to stop Lin Yunsheng's movement, accidentally chilling the other woman with the cold cup. "Hmm?" She pulled Lin Yunsheng's wallet open again. It was a bifold; several bank cards were neatly arranged in the slots, and in the bottom photo window—was a photo of her and Lin Yunsheng from years ago. It was the photo she had searched for in the albums on her first day back, only to find it missing. It was the photo taken by a passerby when she had been unable to sleep in the middle of the night and had pestered Lin Yunsheng to go watch the sunrise. There was only this one Polaroid, this single moment, and now it was tucked into Lin Yunsheng's wallet. She had kept it safe for many years. Lin Yunsheng felt a bit embarrassed because she had truly forgotten about this. If she had remembered, she wouldn't have let Chen Jinyue find it, but it was a bit too late for such thoughts now. "Thief..." Chen Jinyue pouted slightly, accusing her in a tone that sounded like acting spoiled. The boarding line moved slowly. Lin Yunsheng took the opportunity to pull out her ID, closed the wallet, and put it back in her bag. "You were the one who didn't want it..." she said softly, then followed the line forward. Chen Jinyue's words had been flirtatious, but Lin Yunsheng's response sounded genuinely a bit resentful. As soon as she said it, she regretted it, feeling she hadn't controlled her tone well. It sounded a bit too serious, which wasn't her intention. But if one had to be blunt, Chen Jinyue really hadn't wanted that photo back then and hadn't taken it with her. Lin Yunsheng had only discovered it while cleaning her room and had hidden it away for herself. She looked back at Chen Jinyue and found her head lowered again, her face clouded with a touch of grievance. They walked through the jet bridge into the cabin. Lin Yunsheng put the luggage up first, then waited for Chen Jinyue to come over, helped her stow her luggage as well, and then moved aside to let her take the window seat while she sat in the middle. Neither of them spoke again. Chen Jinyue looked down at the Shengsheng Oolong in her hand, feeling that this "Shengsheng" was cold, and that "Shengsheng" was too. What I didn't want was just a photo, but what about you? What you didn't want back then... was me. The more she thought, the more aggrieved she felt, yet the cold Lin Yunsheng still didn't speak. She turned her head as if casually to look at her, only to see Lin Yunsheng take out her phone, slide open the camera, adjust it to the front-facing lens, and gently hold it up. "What are you doing..." "Repaying you with one." After saying that, she looked at the lens and pressed the shutter. "I wasn't ready!" In the photo, Chen Jinyue was still pouting, looking at Lin Yunsheng huffily. The moment was recorded just like that. "Again!" Chen Jinyue snatched the phone and struck a new pose. "Smile a bit, Lin Yunsheng..." "Okay." Lin Yunsheng leaned in close to her, resting her head on Chen Jinyue's shoulder. Her hair fell down, scattering across Chen Jinyue's chest. *She smells so good—* she thought, her whole body enveloped once more in that woody fragrance. "You... seem to really like this perfume..." she said blankly. "Yes." Lin Yunsheng didn't deny it. She also reached out and propped up Chen Jinyue's hand—the one holding the milk tea—until it entered the camera's frame. "This 'Shengsheng' should be in it too." Having said that, she smiled at the camera. *Click—* The photo was taken, the moment frozen in time. Lin Yunsheng didn't lift her head again. She remained leaning against Chen Jinyue's shoulder and closed her eyes. She said, "I'm a little sleepy." "Mhm..." Chen Jinyue responded in a low voice. The flight to North City was fully booked, and the economy class seats were exceptionally cramped. But this distance was just right for her and Lin Yunsheng—just right to squeeze out those unpleasant moments, like venting bubbles from the body, leaving only a smoothed-over attachment. Lin Yunsheng leaned on her shoulder, her breathing shallow. Chen Jinyue turned her head slightly to look at her, not even daring to breathe too hard for fear of disturbing her dream. This journey would eventually reach its end, but for this moment, along with the Polaroid in the wallet and the photo in the phone, Chen Jinyue would tentatively treat them as a brand-new eternity. And she prayed the bus would reach its stop just a little later.