Chapter 43: The White Moonlight’s Substitute (9)

With the Yun family gone, the air in the villa felt much fresher.

Tao Zijin carried Yao Rong’s luggage into her room and, as he was heading downstairs, Yao Rong called out to him. “The chef has already prepared lunch. Stay and eat before you go.”

“Then I won’t be polite,” Tao Zijin replied with a slight smile. “Hospital food can’t possibly compare to the five-star chef Aunt Yao hired.”

Yao Rong said, “I had the chef make your favorite squirrel fish. See if it suits your taste.”

Tao Zijin’s eyes lit up. “Aunt Yao, you always know me best.”

Sitting at the dining table, a bright smile spread across his face at the sight of the beautifully plated squirrel fish.

Looking at Yao Shiyun, who sat across from him, he said, “When the Yun family was around, I wasn’t able to drop by for meals.”

Back when Dr. Tao often visited the Yao family’s villa, Tao Zijin would always tag along.

Later, after Yao Shiyun’s grandparents passed away and the Yun family moved in, he stopped coming as frequently.

“You’re really shameless, always freeloading,” Yao Shiyun teased.

Tao Zijin protested, “That’s not fair! Haven’t I treated you to meals plenty of times?”

Yao Rong watched them banter with a smile, but a thought suddenly crossed her mind.

In the original story, not long after she passed away, Tao Zijin had an accident and died as well. Dr. Tao, devastated by Tao Zijin’s death, fell into poor health and was later taken abroad by his youngest son to retire.

Because Tao Zijin had died and Dr. Tao was overseas, when Yao Shiyun encountered trouble later on, she had no one to turn to for help.

“All right, let’s eat. The food will get cold,” Yao Rong reminded them.

After lunch, Tao Zijin drove back to the city hospital for work, Yao Shiyun went to tidy up her room, and Yao Rong took an afternoon nap.

In the afternoon when the sun wasn’t as harsh, Yao Rong and Yao Shiyun put on sun-protective clothing and hats, and headed to the garden to plant the newly delivered kapok sapling.

Carrying a small hoe, Yao Shiyun asked, “Mom, where do you want to plant it?”

Yao Rong surveyed the garden before pointing to a spot in the middle.

This location had no other trees nearby, only fields of flowers, with plenty of sunlight. More importantly, it would be visible from both her bedroom window and Yao Shiyun’s bedroom window.

“Great, let’s plant it there,” Yao Shiyun agreed.

She followed the cobblestone path to the center of the garden and started digging the hole.

Working together, the two quickly finished.

After placing the sapling into the hole, covering it with soil, and watering it adequately, the tree was officially planted.

“How long will it take for this kapok tree to bloom?” Yao Shiyun bent down slightly, carefully examining the sapling, which only reached her waist.

Yao Rong looked at her and replied, “It should bloom in about two years. But to grow into a sturdy tree that can withstand wind and rain, it will probably take eight to ten years.”

Yao Shiyun said innocently, “That’s quite fast actually.”

“Let’s go back inside.”

“That’s it?”

Dusting off the soil on her arms, Yao Shiyun quickly followed Yao Rong. But as they walked, she couldn’t help but turn back to look at the sapling swaying gently in the spring breeze.

She didn’t know why, but just looking at it filled her with happiness.

“All right, staring at it won’t make it grow faster,” Yao Rong said.

Hearing that, Yao Shiyun reluctantly turned back and followed her mother into the villa.

Back in her room, Yao Shiyun washed her hands and sat by the window to do her homework.

When choosing her major, her family hadn’t interfered, so she had picked fashion design, something she was truly passionate about.

Her grades weren’t top-tier, but she ranked in the upper middle of her class. Since she paid attention in lectures, the assignments weren’t particularly difficult for her.

Outside, the evening gradually deepened, the golden sun sinking westward.

Before long, the air grew heavy with an oppressive stillness, and the wind that blew in through the half-open window felt stifling.

A storm was approaching.

Finishing the last question, Yao Shiyun closed her notebook and walked to shut the window. As she glanced outside, she saw the kapok sapling swaying wildly in the fierce wind.

To increase its survival rate, many of its leaves had been pruned, leaving only the slender trunk trembling violently.

The way it shook made it seem like it might be uprooted at any moment.

Yao Shiyun thought: If it really topples over by morning, I’ll just dig a deeper hole and replant it.

The next day, she woke up and used the remote to draw open the curtains.

After the night’s torrential storm, the garden was a mess—fallen petals and leaves littered the ground. But the sapling she had worried about stood firm, its bark gleaming under the morning light, looking more vibrant than ever.

*

Today, Yao Rong planned to visit A University with Yao Shiyun.

During breakfast, she handed a warmed glass of milk to Yao Shiyun and casually mentioned the plan.

Surprised, Yao Shiyun paused mid-sip. “Mom, why are you going to A University?”

“I want to read in the library.”

As one of the country’s top universities, A University’s library housed an extensive collection.

Since mechanical engineering was one of A University’s strongest disciplines, there were bound to be plenty of specialized books that aligned with her interests.

“What kind of books?”

“I told you before—I want to divorce Yun Jun and kick the Yun family out of Yao Group. Remember?”

“I remember.”

She remembered more than just that. She also remembered how her scummy father had treated her mother as a mere stand-in for his white moonlight.

Following that thought, Yao Shiyun asked, “So, you’re studying business management?”

“Something like that. I’ll also read about mechanical engineering since Yao Group’s main business is automobiles.” To avoid startling Yao Shiyun, Yao Rong refrained from mentioning that what she really wanted to study was how to modify electric cars.

Yao Shiyun bit her straw, brows slightly furrowed, unable to hide her worry.

She supported her mother’s decision, but she wasn’t naïve.

Running a massive corporation like Yao Group was an enormous challenge. Her mother wasn’t in the best health and had been away from business matters for years. Even if she started studying now, it would be a difficult journey.

Sensing her daughter’s concern, Yao Rong smiled as she spread condensed milk on her toast. “Why don’t you study business management too?”

“Me?” Yao Shiyun pointed at herself, startled.

“Yao Group will be yours in the future. I won’t make you marry someone to take over, like I was forced to. If you can run the company, you should. If not, you can always hire a top-tier manager. But even if you do, you can’t afford to know nothing.”

“Besides—”

Putting down the condensed milk, Yao Rong wiped her hands with a napkin.

With a smile, she casually painted a very promising future prospect for Yao Shiyun: “Xiao Yun, you’re studying fashion design now. Don’t you want to create your own clothing brand one day?”

Now in her second year, Yao Shiyun sometimes thought about her future during lectures, but had never settled on a clear goal.

But now, her mother’s words opened up a new possibility.

Her own brand.

One that would bear her unique signature!

But… could she really do it?

After the initial excitement faded, doubt crept in from the depths of her heart.

Yao Shiyun’s enthusiasm dimmed, uncertainty clouding her eyes.

Throughout her life, her only strength had been good grades. She seemed to lack both the courage to stand on her own and the nerve to shoulder responsibility.

Creating a fashion brand meant essentially starting a business, being her own boss.

She…

She probably couldn’t do it.

Yao Shiyun instinctively denied herself.

But after that denial, another voice spoke up in her heart: Could she really not do it? To dismiss such a possibility so directly… she felt somewhat unwilling to accept that.

“Anyway, let’s start learning first. Whether you can do it or not, let’s leave that to time,” Yao Rong spoke up at the right moment, rescuing Yao Shiyun from her uncertainty.

“Okay!”

Yao Shiyun sighed in relief, temporarily pushing aside all those troubling questions.

Putting down her empty milk glass, she stood up. “I’m done eating. I’ll go get my backpack first, Mom, take your time eating.”

Watching her daughter’s retreating figure, Yao Rong lowered her head and took a small bite of her whole wheat bread covered in condensed milk.

Yao Shiyun didn’t need to set a goal so early.

She was only in her second year. Even if she didn’t decide until her fourth year, or after graduation, or even after she turned thirty, it wouldn’t be too late to create a fashion brand.

Right now, Yao Rong just wanted to plant a seed in Yao Shiyun’s heart.

Perhaps when the time was right, this seed would take root and sprout.

Of course, if the seed didn’t sprout, that would be fine too.

During this process of exploration, Yao Rong believed that Yao Shiyun would find what she truly wanted, and would also realize that her seemingly fragile frame actually contained amazing strength.

She could do it, couldn’t she?

When Yao Shiyun came downstairs with her backpack, Yao Rong had finished her breakfast too.

The driver had already prepared the car, and both mother and daughter got into the back seat.

The villa district was quite far from A University’s new campus, and with traffic along the way, by the time they arrived, Yao Shiyun was almost late for class. She naturally couldn’t accompany her mother to the library.

She hurriedly pressed her student card into Yao Rong’s hand. “Mom, you can use this to enter the library. You go ahead, and I’ll find you after class.”

After these quick instructions, Yao Shiyun grabbed her backpack and ran toward the teaching building.

“Slow down,” Yao Rong called out to her retreating figure.

Yao Shiyun didn’t turn back, just raised her right hand in a wave to show she’d heard.

“You can head back first, come pick us up in the afternoon,” Yao Rong told the driver who had opened her door.

“Yes, madam.”

Perhaps because it was close to class time, there were many students running across campus.

Yao Rong avoided them, following the signs to the library.

After swiping the student card to enter, she found the reading room dedicated to mechanical engineering books and began selecting materials.

Soon, she had three books in her arms. Finding a corner sofa, she sat down and began scanning through the pages at a rapid pace.

*

Meanwhile, Yao Shiyun made it to class just before the bell rang.

The front rows were already full, so Yao Shiyun chose an empty seat in the back and placed the homework she’d completed last night on the podium.

Maybe it was just her imagination, but she felt like many of her classmates were watching her.

When she glanced their way, they quickly avoided her gaze.

Before she could dwell on it, the professor walked in.

After one class ended, Yao Shiyun packed her books and pens into her bag and hurried to another building for her next class.

Walking alone on the path, that feeling of being secretly watched grew stronger.

Yao Shiyun frowned and quickened her pace.

Arriving at the classroom, she deliberately sat down next to her roommate.

Her roommate was rapidly tapping away at her phone keyboard, so absorbed in chatting that she didn’t notice Yao Shiyun until she took out her books and placed them on the desk.

“You scared me!” The roommate instinctively turned her phone screen away.

Yao Shiyun noticed this small gesture, and an ominous feeling rose in her chest. “What were you chatting about?”

“Ah… well…” The roommate scratched her head, stammering, “Did you break up with Senior Lu?”

Even though several days had passed, hearing Lu Xinghua’s name still made her heart ache.

She quietly drew in a breath, trying to suppress her unease.

“Yes.”

Her roommate continued, “Did you initiate the breakup?”

“…Yes.”

“Uh.” The roommate hesitated, then gritted her teeth and directly opened a forum post. “I was unsure whether to tell you, but since you asked, you might as well see for yourself.”

Yao Shiyun already had an ominous feeling rising in her heart.

She lowered her gaze slightly, her eyelashes dark as crow feathers casting faint shadows beneath her eyes, as the title of the post came into view.

「Expose: That Heartless Bai Fumei from the Fashion Design Department Who Plays with People’s Feelings」

Playing with people’s feelings?

Just from the title alone, Yao Shiyun couldn’t connect this post to herself at all.

“Send me the link to this post, I want to look at it,” Yao Shiyun heard herself say.

The teacher entered the classroom and the bell rang, but all of Yao Shiyun’s attention was focused on this post.

The post was made last night.

Perhaps because A University hadn’t had any other exciting events recently, or perhaps because the title was indeed attention-grabbing, either way, this post had undoubtedly gone viral.

OP^[1]Original Poster: 「Today I accidentally heard some gossip.

Does everyone still remember that post about the legendary senior from the fashion design department? The one who persistently pursued a junior for a whole year and finally won her heart?

Well, I can now confirm—they’ve broken up!

And it was the junior who initiated the breakup!」

OP (First Comment):「That senior is truly pitiful. Over the past year, he turned down countless confessions for her. Every morning, he brought her breakfast, saved her a seat in the library—he was basically the perfect, devoted boyfriend.

But not long after they got together, she broke up with him. Of course, the senior was furious and said some harsh words, hoping she’d change her mind and take him back.

Yet, after all these days, not only has she not reached out, but when he asked to get his things back—clearly an excuse to see her one last time—she outright refused. She even went as far as skipping classes to avoid him.

P.S.: From what I know, she only applied for leave after rejecting him~」

The forum was full of people who had read the original post.

「No way, they broke up just like that?」

「I told you, simps never win.」

Some “helpful” users even linked the original post, allowing more people to catch up on the drama.

Yao Shiyun wasn’t paying attention to the replies. Her eyes were locked on the original poster’s post.

Yes, she had initiated the breakup.

But what was with all these twisted, exaggerated analyses?

Reading this, anyone would think she was completely at fault while Lu Xinghua was the ultimate victim.

But wasn’t Lu Xinghua the one who played with her feelings?

It was absurd.

Utterly ridiculous.

“Shiyun? Are you okay?” Her roommate nudged her arm, looking concerned.

Shiyun snapped out of her daze. “I’m fine.”

But her pale face said otherwise.

Her roommate hesitated, about to say more, when the professor glanced in their direction. She immediately lowered her head, not daring to get caught whispering.

Shiyun pressed her lips together, trying to stay calm.

Just then, her phone screen lit up with a new WeChat message.

As expected, it was from Lu Xinghua.

Lu Xinghua:「 If you don’t want to return those things, just throw them away.」

A surge of anger flared within her.

Yao Shiyun: 「Did you or someone close to you post that thread?」

Lu Xinghua: 「What thread?」

Yao Shiyun: 「You really don’t know? Stop pretending.」

The post contained details only someone close to the situation would know.

If Lu Xinghua hadn’t leaked them, how else would the OP have found out?

Lu Xinghua: 「Sigh. You don’t have to be so unreasonable.」

Shiyun: “…”

She knew he wouldn’t admit it.

If he did, it would mean handing her proof of his involvement.

Still, she couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

Yao Shiyun: 「I thought the way you acted on the day we broke up was already disappointing enough. I didn’t think you could make it worse.」

Yao Shiyun: 「I’ll bring your stuff after this class. After that, let’s not contact each other again.」

She put down her phone and slumped onto her desk.

It was Lu Xinghua who had confessed first.

It was also Lu Xinghua who started the silent treatment.

He had broken her confidence, left her hurt and exhausted, yet still expected her to be the villain in the story.

Did he ever even love her?

If not, why chase her for a whole year?

The questions kept piling up, but before she could sort through them, the class bell rang.

“Shiyun, want to grab lunch?” her roommate asked.

Shiyun shook her head. “I need to stop by the dorm first.”

“I’ll go with you then. I was gonna eat instant noodles anyway.”

The two of them shouldered their backpacks and joined the stream of students leaving the lecture hall.

After walking in silence for a while, her roommate finally spoke up. “So… what are you going to do about that post?”

Shiyun’s voice was quiet. “I haven’t decided yet.”

“If you need help, just ask.”

“Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it. Others might not know the truth, but as your roommate, I do.” Her roommate hesitated, then asked, “How’s your mom doing?”

Hearing this, Shiyun’s expression softened for the first time. “She’s much better now. She can even go outside again.”

“Hey, isn’t that Yao Shiyun?”

Lu Xinghua and his friend, Ling Bai, had just finished class when Ling Bai pointed at a familiar figure in the crowd.

Lu Xinghua followed his gaze and said calmly, “Yeah, it’s her.”

“Why are you so chill about this?! You’re telling me you’re not mad?” Ling Bai was indignant. “Look at you, all moody these past few days, while she’s over there laughing with her friends, living her best life.”

Lu Xinghua gave a wry smile. “What’s the point of being angry? To her, I’m already a thing of the past.”

Ling Bai scoffed. “Oh, now you’re acting all nonchalant? Who was the one drowning in booze last night?”

“I know you’re looking out for me,” Lu Xinghua patted him on the shoulder. “You go grab some food—I’m just going to get my stuff from her.”

“Aiya, aiya, aiya.” Ling Bai watched him stride off and kept sighing.