Moonlight Doesn't Reach | Chapter 21 | A Taste of Ambiguity | Novela.app

After returning to Haicheng from the business trip, Lin Yunsheng reverted to a state of being so busy her feet hardly touched the ground. Was she really that busy? Chen Jinyue had never worked in China, but she occasionally saw news reports about the country’s grueling "996" work culture. Yet Lin Yunsheng’s schedule seemed even more exaggerated than 996. "Mom, what time does Sis usually leave for work?" Chen Jinyue asked, clutching a savory stuffed pancake. She looked up at her mother, her mouth still full. Chen Fang stood by the table pouring milk. She thought for a moment and said, "Shengsheng? She usually heads out around seven or eight." "That’s not particularly early. How come I never see her?" Jinyue muttered. The milk gurgled as it flowed from the bottle into the glass. Chen Fang handed the glass to her daughter and pulled out a chair to sit beside her. She shot her daughter a look. "Oh, not early? You sleep until eleven or twelve every day, and you have the nerve to say your sister doesn't leave early?" "Mom..." Chen Jinyue immediately began to wheedle. "I finally came back home to rest, and here you are nagging me again." "Did you disturb your sister’s work while you were in North City?" Chen Fang picked up a piece of the pancake. North City... She probably hadn't disturbed her work, but the two of them... "I'm talking to you, Yueyue." Chen Fang waved a hand in front of her face. Chen Jinyue snapped out of it. "Ah... no, of course I didn't disturb her." She pursed her lips, crumpled the empty paper bag from her pancake into a ball, and stood up to toss it into the trash. "Mom, I’m going to Ren Xiaoxiao’s place in a bit. I probably won't be back for dinner." "Fine by me. I’m going to play mahjong with my friends this afternoon, so I’ll just stay for another round." Chen Fang was quite content with the arrangement. Chen Jinyue turned and went into her room. A few seconds later, she cracked the door open and poked her head out. "Then make sure you win big!" "You bet!" Chen Fang laughed heartily. By the time Ren Xiaoxiao arrived to pick her up, Chen Jinyue had finished changing. She grabbed her bag and headed downstairs immediately, not wasting a second. She pulled open the car door and sat inside, glancing around the interior. "What are you looking at?" Ren Xiaoxiao asked. "Your car is so similar to my sister's. White Audi. Though I only recognize the logo; I don't know anything else about cars." "Is that so?" "Why would I lie? Looking at the interior, I think even the model is the same." Ren Xiaoxiao didn't pursue the topic. "Oh. Where to?" "Let's just go to your place." "Hey, do you have sunglasses? The sun is pretty bright." Ren Xiaoxiao flipped down the glasses case from the ceiling, revealing a pair of gold-rimmed sunglasses. "Wear these." Chen Jinyue reached out, took them, and put them on. "Actually, let's go buy some milk tea first." "I just asked where you wanted to go, and you said straight to my place." Ren Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes behind her own sunglasses. "Oh, don't be so grumpy. My treat." "You definitely owe me. You left me all alone at the bar last time." Xiaoxiao grew annoyed just thinking about it. Chen Jinyue pulled the seatbelt across and buckled herself in. "My mistake, my mistake. Let's go." Ren Xiaoxiao chose the shop, which was located inside a mall. She parked the car and walked in with Chen Jinyue, asking her what she wanted to drink. Chen Jinyue looked up at the menu. Coincidentally, it was the same brand she had seen at the airport a few days ago. Without a second thought, she said, "Sheng Sheng Oolong, half sugar, light ice." Ren Xiaoxiao laughed the moment she heard the name, followed by a slightly disdainful click of her tongue. "What are you laughing at? This is good. If you don't believe me, try it yourself," Jinyue retorted defensively. Then, she turned to the cashier and added, "Two cups, please." She pulled out her phone to pay. "Hey, Ren Xiaoxiao, watching you drive just now... you really seemed like an adult," she remarked out of the blue. "We're both twenty-four. What are you thinking?" "So what if we're twenty-four? In my head, you're still that kid who gets food all over her face, haha." Ren Xiaoxiao reached out to pinch her cheek, but Jinyue dodged with a laugh. "But I've been gone for six years. It's normal for things to change. I know, I know." "A lot can happen in six years," Ren Xiaoxiao replied as she went to pick up the finished drinks. True. Six years. Jinyue pursed her lips, took the milk tea Xiaoxiao handed her, and took a sip. She took another "bite" of Sheng Sheng. "The taste is alright." Chen Jinyue reached out to link arms with her. "See? I told you it was good. And you were laughing at me." "Let's go, upstairs." "Huh? Why upstairs?" "To go home." "What? You live in the mall?" Ren Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes for the second time. "The apartments above the mall!" Oh. She's so grumpy today. Chen Jinyue followed Ren Xiaoxiao into the elevator with a pained expression, watching her press the button for the 26th floor. She wondered where things had gone wrong. When they were kids, Ren Xiaoxiao was the one who followed her around, the one she "bullied." Now, it was her turn to be snapped at. She couldn't figure it out. *Ding—* The elevator opened. She followed the person in front of her, watched her unlock the door with a fingerprint, and entered. "Wow, your place looks great." The apartment wasn't large—a studio loft—but it felt more spacious than a typical one. The living room had a full floor-to-ceiling window, and since the floor was high, it offered an unobstructed view of the city. "It's okay. My parents paid for it; otherwise, I couldn't afford to live here." "Oh, the code is 091916. If you want to stay over, just come by." "Huh?" "The door code." Ren Xiaoxiao changed her shoes and walked toward the sofa. As she passed Chen Jinyue, she lightly flicked her nose. "Waaaaah, Ren Xiaoxiao! It wasn't in vain that I protected you back in school. You really are my best friend." Ren Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes for the third time that day. Chen Jinyue followed her over and slumped onto the sofa. "How do you have time to hang out today? Aren't you working?" "I couldn't get up this morning, so I used some compensatory leave. Then you sent that text saying you were bored." Xiaoxiao picked up the remote and turned on the TV. She randomly picked a variety show and started playing it. "So, that night... how did things go between you two?" she asked, suddenly cutting to the chase. Chen Jinyue froze. "Huh?" Ren Xiaoxiao didn't elaborate. She turned to look at her, blinking, waiting for her to react. "Oh. She..." "She kissed me." This time, it was Ren Xiaoxiao who couldn't keep her cool. "What?!" "Are you two back together?" "No." "Then what was that?" "I don't know. She just kissed me once, and that was it..." Chen Jinyue set her milk tea on the coffee table, collapsed her body onto Ren Xiaoxiao’s lap, and sighed. "Then, while you were with her in North City..." Ren Xiaoxiao looked down at her. "...Nothing happened." Chen Jinyue sighed again. "You slept in the same bed for two nights, and nothing happened." "Impressive." Ren Xiaoxiao couldn't help but laugh. Chen Jinyue grabbed a throw pillow from the sofa and hugged it to her chest. "Stop laughing at me. Tell me, what does she mean by this?" "Just ask her directly. How should I know?" "Ren Xiaoxiao." "Yeah?" "Don't yell at me when I tell you this. I feel like things right now... are already better than I expected. So, I don't dare to ask her." "It's just... Lin Yunsheng is willing to hug me, and she cares about me. It's as if what happened six years ago never occurred... I'm already satisfied." "I'm afraid that if I ask, I won't even get a hug anymore." Having said that, she squeezed the pillow tighter and avoided Ren Xiaoxiao’s gaze. The other girl remained silent for a long while before speaking. "If it were just a problem between the two of you, doing this would be fine. But didn't you say the other day that she's about to start a relationship?" Right. There was still Jiang Haitao standing in the middle. Chen Jinyue buried her head in the pillow, letting out a muffled "Mhm..." Ren Xiaoxiao was right; this involved a third person. Even if she was willing to maintain this ambiguous relationship with Lin Yunsheng, Lin Yunsheng might not wait for her. She didn't exactly expect Lin Yunsheng to say she’d reconsidered and wouldn't be with Jiang Haitao for her sake. If Lin Yunsheng were the type to think like that, things wouldn't have reached this point. But if they stayed in this state of ambiguity, and one day Lin Yunsheng suddenly said she’d made up her mind to accept Jiang Haitao... wouldn't she be even more pathetic than she was six years ago? This time, she really would be a discarded doll. How frustrating. Ren Xiaoxiao placed her hand on the pillow and pressed down gently, pulling a gap open so Chen Jinyue wouldn't suffocate herself. "Your situation is a headache for anyone. My limited experience really can't help much." "How about we..." "What?" Chen Jinyue looked up at her, hoping for some effective advice. "Just watch the variety show." "Ren Xiaoxiao!" Fuming, Jinyue pulled the pillow away and swung it at her friend. Ren Xiaoxiao laughed and turned up the volume of the TV. She nudged her legs, signaling for the person lying on them to turn around and face the screen. The two of them watched the show, chatting idly about old classmates and Chen Jinyue’s life abroad. No one mentioned Lin Yunsheng again. *I'll deal with it later.* Active avoidance was an essential survival rule in life. Or so Chen Jinyue thought. She huddled on the sofa until after six o'clock. The heating in the room was so cozy she nearly fell asleep, only to be startled awake by a sound effect from the TV. She turned her head to see Ren Xiaoxiao scrolling through her phone. "What are you doing?" "Ordering takeout. Do you want spicy chicken?" "Yes." "Boiled beef in chili oil?" "Yes." "...Is there anything you *don't* eat?" "No cilantro. Oh, and add an order of hot and sour shredded potatoes." "Got it." ... The two of them sat on the rug and finished their takeout on the coffee table. Ren Xiaoxiao asked if she wanted to stay the night, but Chen Jinyue declined. She was thinking that, just maybe, Lin Yunsheng might come home early today. But she couldn't say that out loud. First, she was afraid she’d jinx it, and second, she didn't want to see Ren Xiaoxiao roll her eyes for the fourth time. "Alright then, I'll drive you." Ren Xiaoxiao twirled her car keys, grabbed her coat, and headed downstairs with her. ***