12. Are you interested in me?

After Qin Zhaoyi’s comment, she felt the atmosphere in the room become somewhat awkward.

For a long while, so long that Qin Zhaoyi was contemplating how to break the ice, Luo Yue spoke first, “Well… isn’t it just artificial respiration?”

Qin Zhaoyi: “…”

Luo Yue rested her arm on the table, her gaze when she looked over was very gentle, and she lightly smiled. “Or perhaps…”

Her tone paused slightly, as if she was whispering into Qin Zhaoyi’s ear, “Do you like girls?”

Qin Zhaoyi: “…?”

Qin Zhaoyi had denied this notion of liking girls numerous times in the past, especially to Zhong Ling. But now, when Luo Yue asked, Qin Zhaoyi found herself at a loss for words.

However, Luo Yue’s gaze was tinged with a hint of teasing, which made Qin Zhaoyi suddenly widen her eyes and retort, “Absolutely not!”

Luo Yue turned her chair around, took a sip of her drink, and smiled, “Then why did you interpret so much?”

Qin Zhaoyi: “…Well…”

“What?” Luo Yue interrupted her, “Are you trying to say that we went from artificial respiration to kissing?”

Qin Zhaoyi: “…”

The things she had been contemplating all day were now said so bluntly, and in such a trivial tone. Qin Zhaoyi’s confusion and inner turmoil had turned into a joke.

A heavy feeling settled in Qin Zhaoyi’s chest. “Isn’t it?”

Luo Yue shook her head without facing her, then stood up and walked towards Qin Zhaoyi, almost at eye level with her. It was a perfect distance for kissing. However, Luo Yue maintained a balanced posture and said, “Little Friend, don’t joke around.”

Qin Zhaoyi: “?”

“Are you much older?” Qin Zhaoyi asked.

Luo Yue raised her lips slightly. “Just a little older than you.”

“In that case…” Qin Zhaoyi was displeased. “Stop calling me that way.”

“What should I call you, then?” Luo Yue asked.

After a moment of thought, Qin Zhaoyi said, “My friends call me ‘Zhao Zhao.'”

In reality, no one called her that way. Her father usually called her “Little Qin,” her mother affectionately called her “*baby,” Zhong Ling sometimes called her “Yi Jie” when she needed her help, and when nothing was going on, she was addressed by her full name. During school, because of her somewhat introverted personality and lack of many close friends, almost everyone called her by her full name. Only Zhou Xi occasionally called her “Qin Author” or “Xiao Yi.”
*bao bei – treasured object/baby/darling

Luo Yue nodded, “Alright.”

“What should I call you, then?” Qin Zhaoyi asked, completely unaware that the topic had already been sidetracked, and she still hadn’t obtained the answer she wanted.

Luo Yue chuckled, “Haven’t you already called me something?”

During the day, she called her Luo Yue, and in the evening, she teased her as “Luo Teacher.”

Qin Zhaoyi’s ears perked up, “That doesn’t count.”

Luo Yue raised an eyebrow, “Why not?”

“I told you a…*pet name,” Qin Zhaoyi said.

*xiu ming( 小名) – pet name of a child/childhood name
*ni cheng( 昵称) – nickname/term of endearment

The word “nickname” almost slipped out but was held back.

It felt too intimate.

Luo Yue understood, “So you want to know my pet name?”

Qin Zhaoyi nodded, looking at her expectantly.

“Yue Liang,” Luo Yue said.

“What?” Qin Zhaoyi subconsciously looked out the window, and the moon’s reflection was right on the windowpane.

Luo Yue twisted her face playfully, “Not that moon.”

The cool touch of her fingers made Qin Zhaoyi shiver, and then, somehow, her cheeks rapidly flushed. Her throat tightened as she stared at Luo Yue.

She didn’t know what Luo Yue was about to do.

But Luo Yue only made brief contact.

At the moment when she removed her hand, Qin Zhaoyi clearly saw the disappointment in her eyes.

“It’s me,” Luo Yue pointed to herself. “You asked for my pet name, right? Yue Liang.”

Only then did Qin Zhaoyi understand, and she muttered, “Yue Liang.”

“I’m here,” Luo Yue replied.

Qin Zhaoyi stared at her intently and then pretended to speak indifferently, “Quite poetic.”

Luo Yue was puzzled, “Huh? Isn’t it just a common name?”

“Not the same,” Qin Zhaoyi said, “There’s only one moon.”

“It’s already hanging up in the sky,” Luo Yue replied.

Qin Zhaoyi hesitated for a moment, “There’s one more in the room.”

Luo Yue chuckled. Her laughter was full of indulgence as if Qin Zhaoyi were a child, and she was the doting elder sister.

Qin Zhaoyi didn’t like that kind of laughter; it made her feel distant.

Finally, she realized that Luo Yue hadn’t told her how old she was.

“How old are you, actually?” Qin Zhaoyi asked.

“Older than you,” Luo Yue said. “If you’re not used to calling me by my nickname, you can also call me ‘jiejie.'”

Qin Zhaoyi furrowed her brows, “Jiejie?”

Luo Yue nodded, “That’s right.”

“Impossible,” Qin Zhaoyi said. “I don’t have an older sister.”

“An only child?” Luo Yue asked.

“Yes. I have a tang ge and a biao ge,” Qin Zhaoyi answered honestly. “And also a tang mei and a biao mei.”

*tang ge – older male patrilineal cousin
*biao ge – older male matrilineal cousin
*tang mei – younger female patrilineal cousin
*biao mei – younger female matrilineal cousin

But she didn’t have an older sister.

There was no such term in her list of relatives.

“Then it’s up to you,” Luo Yue didn’t mind. “You can call me whatever you want.”

“You still haven’t told me how old you are,” Qin Zhaoyi insisted.

“Is it really that important?” Luo Yue countered.

Qin Zhaoyi pursed her lips and then looked at her with a slightly oppressive gaze. She spoke slowly, “It’s not that important.”

Age wasn’t important.

But Luo Yue’s evasive attitude was.

Qin Zhaoyi couldn’t tell if Luo Yue was naturally guarded or if there was a hidden personality beneath her gentle and beautiful exterior.

She spoke in a roundabout way, never giving a straightforward answer.

In contrast, Qin Zhaoyi had laid all her cards on the table in a single day through her words.

She had almost revealed her pen name.

But she believed that it was because Luo Yue didn’t want to know.

If Luo Yue wanted to know, the books of “Sicily” might appear on Luo Yue’s desk tomorrow morning.

With this thought in mind, Qin Zhaoyi became more cautious and alert towards her. Even though she felt that there might be a trap ahead, she continued to tread carefully.

“Then you…” Luo Yue was about to continue her inquiry.

“But I want to know,” Qin Zhaoyi straightforwardly expressed her request, “The exact date of your birth.”

Luo Yue was taken aback.

Apart from interacting with Cheng Shijing, and his sister, Luo Yue had a good relationship with the café’s owner, Yan Ci. They were of similar ages and had similar interests. On their days off, they would go to her café for a cup of coffee and some casual conversation. However, they never talked about things that the other person might not like, and they never probed into each other’s privacy.

As for the other people on this island, they were either elderly or children. Luo Yue had a way of talking that could easily steer them away from topics they didn’t want to discuss. She could just smile or make a joke, and the matter would be forgotten.

Qin Zhaoyi was a different type of person, and Luo Yue had never encountered someone like her before. It was quite refreshing.

Luo Yue blinked, “March 20, 1996.”

With a clear answer, Qin Zhaoyi finally relaxed her expression, “It would have been nice if you had said that earlier.”

“But why do you want to know so much?” Luo Yue raised an eyebrow, took a step closer, and called her with a hint of intimacy, “Zhaozhao, are you…interested in me?”

Qin Zhaoyi’s sudden proximity had thrown her off balance, and she swallowed hard but didn’t step back. Her heart raced like a beating war drum.

“What?” Qin Zhaoyi asked in a dry voice.

Luo Yue chuckled, her eyes sparkling like scattered starlight, and her voice as sweet as honey, “Are you interested in me?”