39. Feeling threatened now?

The room fell so silent that one could hear a pin drop, even the breathing became slow and steady.

Luo Yue was momentarily at a loss for how to respond.

She never expected Qin Zhaoyi to utter such humble words.

Humble to the point of being dust-like.

She also had no idea what Qin Zhaoyi had been thinking during the time she was away from Moon Island.

Perhaps she spent her days and nights in wild thoughts, freely speculating about Luo Yue’s thoughts.

Luo Yue was always good at concealing her emotions. Perhaps leaving her parents too early left her with no one to confide in, so over time, she grew lazy to share with others. Everyone on Moon Island showered her with affection, but she knew it was because she was good at studying, obedient, and gentle. She also disguised herself well.

Moreover, she always felt that Qin Zhaoyi was meant to leave, to go to the bright place that belonged to her. Meanwhile, she believed she would remain on Moon Island forever.

However, she never expected Qin Zhaoyi to be so unrestrained and passionate.

This humble attitude seemed more like an imminent gush of fervent affection, instantly setting Luo Yue’s heart on fire.

It burned so much that it was a bit painful.

Despite wanting to pretend to be indifferent and gloss over this matter, she couldn’t manage to force a smile.

Mocking someone who laid their heart bare, portraying themselves as a “foolish woman” to the other, wasn’t something a person could easily do.

Luo Yue was rendered speechless, her gentle hand falling onto Qin Zhaoyi’s hair, faintly sensing the stiffness in her spine.

After a while, Qin Zhaoyi took a deep breath and withdrew from her embrace.

Seemingly fed up with the silence, Qin Zhaoyi lowered her brows and said, “Luo Yue, I just want an answer.”

An answer powerful enough to make her like a moth to a flame.

However, Luo Yue, unfortunately, couldn’t provide her with an answer.

So, Luo Yue licked her lips, looked at her seriously, swallowed hard, but remained silent.

“I understand,” Qin Zhaoyi took a step back, creating some distance between them. When she looked at Luo Yue, there was a shimmer of tears in her cold, distant eyes. Those eyes now held a hint of emotion that others couldn’t quite comprehend. “From now on, I will guard the boundaries well and not let you be troubled.”

Qin Zhaoyi’s words sounded as if she wanted to cut ties with her completely.

This was entirely different from what Luo Yue had in mind.

Luo Yue placed her hands behind her back in a defensive posture. “You’re just retreating like this?”

Qin Zhaoyi nodded. “What else?”

Luo Yue chuckled with a hint of mockery. “But this doesn’t seem sincere at all.”

Qin Zhaoyi asked in return, “What would be considered sincere?”

Luo Yue’s voice turned colder. “When chasing someone, you only pursue for three days. If you can’t catch them, you say you give up. It doesn’t seem like genuine affection.”

Before Qin Zhaoyi could respond, Luo Yue raised an eyebrow, adding a touch of disdain, “Or is it that Miss Qin’s love can only last for three days?”

Qin Zhaoyi: “…”

How did she end up sounding like a heartless woman when it came from Luo Yue’s mouth?

Qin Zhaoyi frowned. “I didn’t say that love can only last for three days.”

She was just too anxious to get a response.

She didn’t want to be the only one tormented day and night, letting this ambiguous feeling consume her emotions.

It’s too hurtful.

“But your actions are just like that,” Luo Yue said. “You claim to pursue someone, yet you want them to respond without doing anything.”

Luo Yue lightly sneered, “This kind of affection is quite cheap.”

In the art of needling others, Luo Yue was also an expert.

She thought Qin Zhaoyi still had the patience to slowly navigate through this, but she didn’t expect Qin Zhaoyi to be like those stinking men who only wanted to sleep when it came to love – eager to chase today, date tomorrow, and get into bed the same night.

Yet, at the same time, Luo Yue feared that Qin Zhaoyi would truly give up.

If she gave up, there would be no turning back between them.

Luo Yue was also struggling to move forward in this vortex.

Caught off guard by the sting, Qin Zhaoyi hesitated for a moment. Unlike her usual confrontations with Zhong Ling, where she would unleash her aura at the slightest provocation, she dodged the edge of Luo Yue’s words this time.

“I just want to hear your answer,” Qin Zhaoyi said. “Whether you are willing to let me pursue. This is also important to me.”

Luo Yue was momentarily taken aback.

There was too much sincerity in those eyes, making it hard for anyone to doubt her intentions.

Clearly, Luo Yue had misunderstood her just now.

Luo Yue elevated her emotions to a high point, finding it difficult to come down from that stance for a moment.

But Qin Zhaoyi spoke gently, “I want to know if you also have a little bit of liking for me.”

Just a little would be enough.

That way, she would keep moving forward.

Qin Zhaoyi sincerely said, “I don’t know what kind of person you are, what experiences you’ve been through, whether you’re teasing me out of boredom or if there’s a bit of affection. But I always feel like you like me. However, sometimes I also feel that liking shouldn’t be like this.”

Luo Yue suddenly interrupted her, “Then, what do you think liking is like?”

Qin Zhaoyi paused.

This question had never been raised in her life for more than twenty years.

She, known in the martial world as the “Emotion Killer” and “Straightforward Iron Lady,” had never delved into matters of the heart.

Her only thought was to master the art of writing emotional scenes! As long as she could write a touching story to prove her excellence in writing, she could go through life without love!

But now, she unexpectedly expressed it on her own, as if those deeply immersed in emotions always tangled with these trivial details.

“Do you love me? How much do you love me? How long will you love me…”

The three classic questions in a relationship almost became Qin Zhaoyi’s daily routine.

Qin Zhaoyi took a deep breath and said earnestly, “Like me.”

Luo Yue: “…”

“But Qin Zhaoyi, not everyone has the same personality,” Luo Yue said in a deep voice.

Qin Zhaoyi looked at her.

Luo Yue said, “Some people are used to hiding it.”

“Do they need to hide it from outsiders and even the person they like?” Qin Zhaoyi asked.

Luo Yue paused and smiled bitterly, “Because you can’t like someone too much.”

People or things that are destined to be lost if you like them too much can be very painful.

Qin Zhaoyi didn’t understand, “Why?”

From childhood to adulthood, Miss Qin had lived too openly.

Even in this world where heterosexuality prevailed, she would openly express her affection for a girl, not caring about others’ opinions.

So, she didn’t understand Luo Yue.

Luo Yue didn’t expect her to understand. She vaguely said, “No matter when, those who stay in place are the most miserable.”

Qin Zhaoyi was left dumbfounded by the conversation, but she firmly redirected the topic, persistently seeking an answer.

Luo Yue gestured for her to come closer. “Come here.”

Qin Zhaoyi, wary, furrowed her brow. “What for?”

Luo Yue chuckled, revealing that gentle expression again, with a hint of playfulness. “Didn’t you say you’re like my dog? My dog never asks why.”

Qin Zhaoyi: “…”

Qin Zhaoyi didn’t move, pursing her lips. “I was just making an analogy.”

Without waiting for her response, Luo Yue moved forward and kissed her on the forehead. The warm touch caused Qin Zhaoyi to shiver involuntarily, and goosebumps appeared all over her body, even tingling at the tips of her heart.

Qin Zhaoyi was stunned. “You…”

Luo Yue placed a hand on the spot she had just kissed, slowly brushing over that inch of skin, her voice calm. “This is my answer.”

Luo Yue returned hastily, leaving in the middle of the night.

Cheng Shijing had been waiting outside and picked up Luo Yue right after she left Qin Zhaoyi’s house.

After coming out, Qin Zhaoyi asked her on WeChat: [So, it’s liking me, right?]

For the first time, Luo Yue gave a confident and sincere answer: [Yes.]

Qin Zhaoyi carefully inquired: [Do you agree to be my girlfriend?]

Luo Yue: [Not yet.]

Qin Zhaoyi: …

Qin Zhaoyi didn’t know what Luo Yue meant by “not yet.”

In her understanding, if you like someone, you should be together.

But Luo Yue always took half a step forward and then retreated, maintaining a vague distance.

Yet, Qin Zhaoyi was immersed in this kind of emotion and couldn’t extricate herself.

Luo Yue reminded her: [Go to bed early.]

Qin Zhaoyi had a lot of complaints and grievances to express, but fearing that they might return to the state of a cold war as soon as she left, she deleted the long paragraph in the chat box, replacing it with: [Take care on the way.]

Cheng Shijing happened to be going to meet a friend in Jiayi. After Luo Yue got in the car, she seemed absent-minded, only returning to her senses when her phone vibrated.

After replying to the message, she once again fell into a trance.

When she put her phone in her bag, Cheng Shijing timely spoke, “Why are you so absent-minded? What’s wrong? Did Miss Qin cast a spell on you?”

Luo Yue regained her focus, and subconsciously smiled, “What nonsense are you talking about?”

Cheng Shijing drove and chatted casually, “Ever since you left her house, you’ve been like this. Still want to argue it has nothing to do with her?”

Luo Yue hesitated, aware that she couldn’t hide her feelings from Cheng Shijing, but she didn’t want to talk about it. She casually brushed it off, “It’s related, but I don’t want to talk about it.”

Cheng Shijing: “…”

Cheng Shijing had a sense of propriety. He only advised, “Don’t wander around after arriving in Jiayi. Come back after the event is over.”

“Too late,” Luo Yue closed her eyes. “I saw him.”

Cheng Shijing was taken aback.

Although Luo Yue didn’t mention a name, both of them knew who she was talking about.

The car fell silent for a moment, and Cheng Shijing pursed her lips. “Did he see you?”

“No,” Luo Yue replied.

Cheng Shijing didn’t dare to give random advice, only asking, “What are you planning to do?”

“As he wishes,” Luo Yue’s voice was somewhat heavy, sounding displeased. “I now have a younger brother. Can you believe it?”

Cheng Shijing: “…”

This piece of news was indeed quite shocking.

“How old is he?” Cheng Shijing calculated her father’s age in her mind, furrowing her brows.

“Eight years old,” Luo Yue said. “Just started first grade.”

Cheng Shijing remained silent for a long time and jokingly said, “The old man is in good shape.”

Luo Yue chuckled, “Indeed, not bad.”

“He must have married someone quite young?” Cheng Shijing asked.

Luo Yue nodded, “A bit older than me.”

Probably less than forty, looking very young.

Her father was handsome, and apart from the sudden appearance of a lot of white hair the year her mother passed away, he hadn’t suffered much from the ravages of time. He even dyed his hair, making him look like he was in his forties, so the age difference between them wasn’t significant.

“How did you meet?” Cheng Shijing asked.

Thinking back to that day, Luo Yue and her colleague finished their meal in the cafeteria after class. Blending in with a group of college students didn’t make them stand out.

Her colleague happened to learn about the famous rose garden at Jiayi Foreign Language University and enthusiastically dragged her along to take a look.

Luo Yue didn’t want to join in the excitement but couldn’t resist her colleague’s enthusiasm, so she went along.

She was messaging Qin Zhaoyi at the time, walking with her head down. When they reached a teaching building, she suddenly heard a very familiar voice.

She stopped on the spot and looked not far away.

A person she hadn’t seen in a long time was wearing sportswear, holding a little boy with a Ultraman-patterned backpack on his back. The boy’s eyes were bright.

Although the man was quite old, he looked very energetic, exuding an air of refinement in his every move.

In comparison, the slightly mischievous boy seemed a bit wild.

He waved and greeted the students, nodded politely, and after the students left, the impatient little boy asked, “Dad, how much longer do we have to wait?”

“Mama’s still in class,” he patiently comforted the child, his soothing manner reminiscent of the way he used to comfort her many years ago. Perhaps after so many years, he had matured even more, displaying a few more degrees of patience and gentleness than before. “Let’s wait for your mom for another ten minutes.”

He handed his phone to the child, saying, “You can play a round of ‘Eliminate’ first.”

Luo Yue stood there, stunned, as if struck by lightning, her mind blank and motionless.

It wasn’t until her colleague nudged her arm and said, “What are you daydreaming about, Teacher Luo?” that Luo Yue snapped out of her daze. The person in question seemed to sense her continuous gaze and turned to look in her direction. Luo Yue immediately lowered her head.

“It’s nothing,” Luo Yue quickly walked away with her colleague, afraid of being discovered even a second later.

Unexpectedly, the other party glanced at her and then turned away. Shortly after, a sweet and gentle female voice was heard, “Why are you standing in the sun with your son? I told you to bring him to my office.”

Laughter echoed in the distance, and Luo Yue couldn’t help but shift her gaze in that direction.

The woman was beautiful and elegant.

The man had his arm around her shoulder, and the woman took away the child’s phone. The child complained, looking for his father to complain. The man then patted his head and indulgently promised to take him to McDonald’s.

This scene seemed familiar.

Time took away some things but left others.

The man’s posture had hardly changed over the years, only the people around him had changed.

Luo Yue watched and couldn’t help but shed tears, startling her colleague.

Handing her a tissue, the colleague asked anxiously what was wrong. Luo Yue wiped away her tears, shook her head, and said the sun had gotten into her eyes.

The trio quickly disappeared from their view.

Curious, Luo Yue casually asked her gossiping colleague, “Who was that just now? Looks quite pleasing to the eye.”

“Professor Luo from the Math Department and the Classical Dance Goddess,” the colleague, well-informed as always, had already grasped all the school gossip in just a few days. “I had a classmate in high school who went to this university, and they said Jia Da has a fairy-tale couple, and it’s them.”

Luo Yue acknowledged, “How old is their child?”

“Eight years old,” the colleague said. “When my classmate was a sophomore, the goddess was pregnant. Many male students were heartbroken at that time.”

Surprised, Luo Yue asked, “Is she very young?”

“No,” the colleague rolled her eyes. “It’s because she’s beautiful, down to earth, and seems to be in her forties, but you can’t tell at all, right? She looks younger than me, who is thirty.”

Luo Yue: “…”

She didn’t know how to refute that statement, but she also didn’t join in the agreement.

The colleague continued gossiping, “I heard that Professor Luo is also a well-known figure in the mathematical world. He was admitted to the Math Department at Jia Da with a full scholarship. He solved an internationally renowned mathematical problem just after graduation and almost won the Fields Medal. However, there were too many talents that year, and he didn’t get it. Originally, everyone thought he would continue to pursue this path, but suddenly one day, he disappeared from the public eye. Occasionally, he would release a set of college entrance examination papers. As long as he set the questions, the mathematics section of that year’s college entrance examination was sure to be horrific.”

Luo Yue listened quietly. Who else could understand those past events better than she did?

He disappeared because her mother was pregnant. Since then, the two of them lived a quiet and beautiful life on the Moon Island.

The colleague, in the midst of speaking, suddenly stopped and patted Luo Yue’s arm. “Come to think of it, you two seem similar.”

Luo Yue was puzzled. “Huh?”

The colleague said, “Both surnamed Luo, and both graduated from Jia Da’s Math Department.”

Luo Yue: “…”

Indeed.

She had followed in Professor Luo’s footsteps step by step.

Originally, when she applied to Jia Da’s Math Department, it was because her father had always talked about Jia Da since she was a child. When her father discovered her exceptional talent in mathematics from an early age, he was overjoyed.

Not to mention, even when compared to clever children like Cheng Shijing, who was a few years older than her, Luo Yue had already mastered solving quadratic equations and functions while Cheng Shijing was learning linear equations.

When Luo Yue applied to Jia Da, she didn’t take the route of being recommended. In a small place like Moon Island, talking about being recommended was simply a fantasy.

Even the teachers didn’t know about the recommended admission channels.

Cheng Shijing had always helped her by monitoring the national mathematics competitions and taking her to participate. Various summer camps also earned her additional points, with Cheng Shijing paying for her participation.

Luo Yue scored full marks in the math section of the college entrance examination.

The reason for her full marks was that the test paper only had a hundred and fifty questions.

After entering Jia Da, despite the abundance of talent, Luo Yue remained exceptionally gifted to the point of being unmatched.

Luo Yue had never shared these stories with anyone, and when faced with her colleague’s teasing, she just smiled.

The roses in the rose garden were extremely beautiful, but Luo Yue had no interest in admiring them. She took a quick glance and returned to the dormitory to rest.

For several consecutive days, she lacked interest and walked near the building of that day in a retaliatory manner but never encountered him again.

Thinking about it now, Luo Yue felt a headache coming on.

Seeing her silent, Cheng Shijing took a candy from the side and handed it to her. “Stop thinking about it.”

Luo Yue took the candy and slowly unwrapped it. “I went back to get something.”

Cheng Shijing asked, “What?”

Luo Yue took the book out of her bag. “The Little Prince.”

“What’s special about it?” Cheng Shijing frowned. “Isn’t this book available everywhere? Why did you come back just to get it?”

Luo Yue casually flipped through the pages, and almost every page was filled with notes.

“This one is different,” Luo Yue said. “He gave me this book before he and my mom got together. The first half is a love letter, the second half is a diary, and there are also his proofs for some mathematical processes.”

Cheng Shijing: “…”

“Do you want revenge?” Cheng Shijing asked.

Luo Yue shook her head. “I haven’t figured it out.”

She had thought about it at the time, but not thoroughly.

He had finally let go of the past to embrace a new life, wanting to live as if he didn’t have a daughter like her. So, being a good daughter, perhaps she should let him go.

But he had been absent from her life for so many years.

He left when she needed him, yet there was always a faint and elusive concern, like the gifts she received every year on her birthday.

Luo Yue’s feelings toward him were complicated.

“I thought you came back for your little girlfriend,” Cheng Shijing said.

Luo Yue didn’t hide it and smiled, “Half and half.”

Speaking of this, Luo Yue glanced at him askance. “Shijing Ge, can you protect your feathers a bit?”

Cheng Shijing was slightly puzzled. “What do you mean?”

Luo Yue opened her phone and pulled out the chat records with Grandma Shi Xi. She was still connected to Cheng Shijing’s car Bluetooth, so she played the voice messages.

“Xiao Yueliang, if you don’t come back soon, you won’t have a husband. Cheng Shijing is now having a passionate affair with that little fox spirit. He goes to the Little Red House every day, almost breaking their threshold.”

“Cheng Shijing is so useless. He can’t even walk straight when he sees a pretty girl. How about we kick him out and find you another man? I have a friend; her grandson is twenty-six this year. She showed me his photo, quite a handsome young man. Take a look…”

Luo Yue pressed pause and then looked at Cheng Shijing with a soft gaze. “What have you been doing behind my back? The whole Moon Island is talking about you cheating.”

Cheng Shijing: “…”

Cheng Shijing rolled his eyes. “I definitely won’t feel cold on my head this winter.”

Luo Yue paused. “What?”

Cheng Shijing said, “I’ve got hats covering my entire head.”

Luo Yue: “…”

The timely dark humor brought a lively atmosphere back to the car.

Cheng Shijing helplessly added, “Do you believe what they say? Don’t you know who I like?”

Luo Yue chuckled, “I don’t believe it; that’s why I let you hear it. Mainly, I wanted you to listen. It’s clear that it’s your lack of restraint, but everyone is scolding Qin Zhaoyi.”

Cheng Shijing: “…”

Cheng Shijing understood. Apparently, Luo Yue was indirectly defending her crush.

“Got it,” Cheng Shijing said, “I’ll keep my distance from her, won’t let rumors spread.”

After saying that, he added, “Don’t make me run errands for you again.”

Cheng Shijing found it ridiculous. Was he causing trouble while helping others?

But thinking about it, it made sense. Moon Island was small, and when something happened today, it could spread across the entire island tomorrow like wildfire.

Cheng Shijing, who spent his days oblivious to the outside world and avoided gossip at his clinic, was mostly unaware of these things.

Luo Yue, on the other hand, was different. She had good connections, and everything could reach her ears.

“What else have you heard?” Cheng Shijing asked.

Luo Yue paused, casually scrolling through the recent chat records. She shrugged and said, “Probably just that Miss Qin ran to the café to learn how to make coffee for you because you’re practically the only one who visits there every day. Also, you’re not only about to break through the threshold of the Little Red House but also having secret rendezvous with her at the coffee shop. You two are already flirting, and marriage is imminent.”

Cheng Shijing: “…”

Quite the creative storytelling.

Cheng Shijing looked at her. “Are you really not going back to see your little girlfriend?”

Luo Yue smirked, “She doesn’t fancy you, so I don’t feel threatened.”

Cheng Shijing: “…”

Having been teased, Cheng Shijing dropped her off at the gate of Jiaxi Foreign Language School and let her go back to the dormitory on her own. In the end, still feeling uneasy, he quickly walked a few steps to catch up with her.

Before parting, Cheng Shijing patted her shoulder. “No matter what you do, Brother will support you.”

Consider it moral support.

Luo Yue nodded, not taking it too seriously. “Sure thing, Brother.”

As Cheng Shijing watched her leave, he suddenly realized that there was a determination in Luo Yue that others couldn’t penetrate.

It was like back in the day when she carried thick theoretical books, repeatedly overturning and verifying them. Despite people’s advice, she insisted on joining the Mathematics Department at Jia Da, showing unwavering fondness for someone with impossible results.

All Cheng Shijing could do seemed to be her shield.

Luo Yue left that book deep in her luggage without giving it away.

The impulsive “revenge” came to an end in her heart two days later.

Because she never encountered him again, only occasional encounters with that “goddess” and the child.

The child’s name was Luo Xu. When they met on the playground, the child stared at her and praised her candidly when their eyes met, “You’re really beautiful.”

The woman tapped the child’s head, “Why are you so frivolous at such a young age?”

“Mom,” Luo Xu looked up and asked, “do you think my sister is as beautiful as her?”

The woman’s expression changed slightly, then she smiled, “When you grow up, go find her, and you’ll know.”

“Why can’t my sister live with us?” Luo Xu asked.

The woman shrugged, “Because Dad hasn’t contacted your sister yet.”

Luo Yue stood there quietly listening and even chatted with the woman for a few moments. In the end, when Luo Xu wanted to add her on WeChat, Luo Yue was surprised but ultimately declined.

It was as if she suddenly understood Professor Luo’s thoughts.

A unique father-daughter psychological connection.

On the day before this learning journey concluded, Cheng Shijing suddenly sent her a photo.

Qin Zhaoyi and a girl were walking by the seaside, intimately touching the girl’s hair.

The setting sun cast its lingering glow on the two figures, creating a scene as beautiful as an oil painting.

Luo Yue enlarged the photo and noticed that Qin Zhaoyi had a smile on her face, a kind of indulgent smile rarely seen. At least, Luo Yue had never seen it on Moon Island.

Cheng Shijing: [Lately, Miss Qin has been getting close to her.]

Luo Yue: [Who is she?]

She zoomed in on the photo several times before finally recognizing her. Wasn’t this the girl who was drawing by the seaside that day? Qin Zhaoyi had stared at her for quite a while.

Cheng Shijing replied: [Don’t know her.]

She was a newcomer to Moon Island.

Cheng Shijing also complained: [Why are there so many strangers coming to Moon Island recently?]

Luo Yue: […Are they close?]

Cheng Shijing clicked his tongue. “More than just close.”

Then he added with a bit of schadenfreude: “How about it? Feeling threatened now?”

Luo Yue: […]

Luo Yue immediately hailed a taxi to the port and bought a ticket back to Moon Island.

TN:

Seems her father is the reason Luo Yue refuses to leave Moon Island. Not wanting to meet him in Jiayi and not wanting to leave the memories of her mother and their family on Moon Island? Also I completely get QZY. Man she’s being pulled left and right with vague and ambiguous words and actions while she’s laying herself bare for LY. So frustrating!