The laptop screen went black after a long period of inactivity. The living room grew a few shades darker, and in the gloom, one’s senses became exceptionally sharp. Chen Jinyue’s heart hammered against her ribs, the sound echoing clearly in her own ears.
She still didn't dare look up at Lin Yunsheng.
Perhaps Lin Yunsheng hadn't expected her sister to be so blunt; her finger remained suspended in her mouth, motionless. After a few seconds, she slowly lowered her hand, took the strawberry from Chen Jinyue’s right hand, and placed it back on the plate. Then, she moved the fruit tray to the edge of the rug.
Yet, she remained silent.
Chen Jinyue felt as though she could no longer keep her kneeling posture. A numbness crept up her thighs, snaking through her body until it reached the tip of her heart. Coupled with the shame of rejection, it invaded her mind. The tears she had held back all night finally welled up and filled her eyes.
As if sensing her sister’s trembling legs, Lin Yunsheng took hold of her free hand and gave it a gentle tug, pulling her to sit—right upon her own lap. Then, she turned her head to find the blanket, reached out to grab it, and slowly unfurled it, draping it over her sister’s shoulders.
"Only once," she said softly.
Before Chen Jinyue could react, Lin Yunsheng gripped the blanket and pulled her into her embrace. Leaning forward, she caught her sister’s breath.
And kissed her.
"Ah..." Unprepared, Chen Jinyue let out an involuntary gasp. Her eyes flew wide, and the tears she had been holding for so long finally spilled over.
When Lin Yunsheng said "once," she truly meant only once. She pulled away almost immediately. In the warm yellow light, she saw her sister’s tears. "Why are you crying...?"
"Lin Yunsheng..."
Chen Jinyue was in no mood to explain the tears. She reached out to grab Lin Yunsheng’s collar, trying to chase after that kiss.
Lin Yunsheng had pulled away far too quickly.
It wasn't fair.
She hadn't even tasted the strawberry on her lips.
"Sister..." she pleaded, her voice thick with a spoiled sweetness.
Lin Yunsheng placed her right hand on her face, wiping away the tear. She didn't let Chen Jinyue get any closer.
"Lin Yunsheng, no."
That was how she was—when she wanted something from Lin Yunsheng, she would call her "Sister," but when she realized she wouldn't get her way, she would use her full name and throw a tantrum. She gripped the collar, her body swaying on her sister’s lap, letting out exaggerated moans of frustration like a child who hadn't gotten her candy.
Helpless, Lin Yunsheng gave her a light peck on the spot where she had just wiped the tear away. She whispered, "Be good. Mom is still home."
What kind of excuse was that? Chen Jinyue pouted and looked at her. "Do you think Mom would be okay seeing me sitting on your lap like this?"
It was meant as a casual complaint, but she didn't expect Lin Yunsheng’s eyes to darken instantly. She turned her head away, falling silent.
It seemed this was the second time today she had said something she shouldn't have.
Chen Jinyue hurriedly hugged Lin Yunsheng. If they couldn't kiss, they wouldn't kiss, but she didn't want her to be unhappy.
"Then... does that mean it's okay when Mom isn't home?" she asked, leaning against her sister, her tone tinged with grievance.
Lin Yunsheng didn't answer. She reached out to hold her, patting her back rhythmically as she always did to soothe her.
"Lin Yunsheng..." she called her name softly.
In the tranquility of the night, she felt a sense of peace, even though the kiss had lasted only a moment.
"Hmm?"
"I missed you too."
She said "too" because she remembered that day in the car, when Lin Yunsheng had covered her eyes and whispered, "I missed you," before kissing her.
The response had reached Lin Yunsheng’s ears many days late.
In truth, it wasn't just a few days. It had been several years, crossing tens of thousands of miles over mountains and seas, just to be spoken to her.
Chen Jinyue craned her neck to look at the moon hanging outside the window. It was a sliver of a crescent moon, and even though a piece was missing, it felt whole because of Lin Yunsheng’s kiss and embrace.
Thinking this, she hugged her sister a little tighter.
She felt she could hang onto Lin Yunsheng like this all day—if only the living room hadn't suddenly grown brighter.
Her attention was drawn to the laptop screen, which had lit up again. Lin Yunsheng, however, let go of her in a momentary panic. It took her a few seconds to realize it was just the computer and not someone turning on the lights.
Chen Jinyue looked back at the screen. A new message had arrived. This time it wasn't from Jiang Haitao, but from Zhao Man.
She let go and climbed off her sister’s lap, briefly returning Lin Yunsheng to her work.
She sat to the side, hugging her knees. Zhao Man had sent a file and said something else, which took Lin Yunsheng some time to reply to.
*"Well, she is quite nice. However—"* That day, when she had tentatively asked Zhao Man if she was close with her sister, the other woman had been interrupted by Lin Yunsheng’s return to the hotel before she could finish her sentence.
However... however what?
During the ten or so minutes she spent waiting for Lin Yunsheng to finish, she kept pondering that question.
By the time Lin Yunsheng finished replying and turned her attention back to her, Chen Jinyue was still lost in thought.
"What's wrong?"
She rested her head on her knees, tilting it to look into Lin Yunsheng’s eyes.
"Are you and Sister Man... very close?"
Lin Yunsheng looked at her for a while. Her eyes held an emotion Chen Jinyue couldn't decipher; she didn't seem surprised by the question, but she didn't seem to like it either.
"You seem very interested in her?"
Chen Jinyue frowned. She had expected Lin Yunsheng to give a vague answer, but she hadn't expected her to counter with a question like that.
"What do you mean...?"
This time, Lin Yunsheng didn't wait for the screen to time out. She turned and snapped the laptop shut.
"You seem to like her a lot."
"Is there anything about her not to like?" Chen Jinyue didn't understand the point of the question.
"No, she’s very good."
"Zhao Man is my colleague, and also my friend."
"I see... A very close friend?"
"Yes." After saying this, Lin Yunsheng stood up. She looked down at her sister, who was still sitting on the floor. "It’s late. Go back to sleep, Xiaojin."
"Oh..." The romantic atmosphere in the room vanished without a trace. Chen Jinyue placed the blanket on the sofa and stood up as well.
Lin Yunsheng caught sight of the plate of strawberries by her feet. She leaned down to pick up the porcelain dish; the strawberry she had taken a bite of was still there, looking like a wilted red flower.
She picked up the strawberry and held it to Chen Jinyue’s lips. The younger girl obediently opened her mouth and took it.
Then, Lin Yunsheng left the living room first.
The one left behind looked up again to find the moon, only to see it had hidden behind dark clouds.
She bit into the half-strawberry. It was no longer as succulent as it had been earlier.
It felt as if it had expired.
Over the next few days, Lin Yunsheng remained extremely busy. Occasionally, she would return early once or twice to have dinner with Chen Fang and Chen Jinyue.
She had canceled her 6:30 AM alarm. Along with that, it was as if the events of that night had never happened—usually, Lin Yunsheng would return to her room immediately after dinner.
Chen Jinyue often felt that the emotional overflows she'd experienced since returning to the country were the result of her own over-interpretation. Had the tenderness and ambiguity really happened?
But whenever she doubted herself, she would remember those two kisses. At least the kisses were real, even if they were both too brief to truly savor.
Chen Jinyue lingered in this state of mind. Counting the days, she had been back for over half a month. In another half-month, it would be the Spring Festival, and after that... it wouldn't just be the strawberries that expired, but her own time here.
She shook her head, forcing herself to shift her focus.
Looking back, she didn't actually know how all of this had started since her return. It seemed to always be under Lin Yunsheng’s control; her joys and sorrows followed her sister’s lead. A single hug or kiss from Lin Yunsheng made her willingly stop dwelling on things that should have been scrutinized.
If she didn't know how it started, then so be it; she didn't want to go chasing shadows anymore. But if she didn't know how it would end... she had experience with that. Just like six years ago.
But it was precisely because she had that experience that she could not, and would not, go through that kind of pain again.
She sniffled and took out her phone. It was 3:30 PM on a Friday. She opened the chat window with Lin Yunsheng, which had been neglected for a long time.
「Sister, what time do you finish today? I’ll come pick you up from work.」
She pressed send.
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Moonlight Doesn't Reach | Chapter 24 | Under the Crescent Moon | Novela.app | Novela.app
