22. Can I Kiss You Again.

Qin Zhaoyi didn’t know how to respond to Yan Ci, feeling somewhat awkward.

However, she was used to wearing a poker face, and her expression didn’t reveal her discomfort.

Seeing her reaction, Yan Ci changed the topic, saying, “The scenery here is quite nice.”

It was a rather abrupt transition, but Qin Zhaoyi replied, “Not bad.”

After that, Yan Ci didn’t speak anymore, leaving Qin Zhaoyi sitting at the bar, absentmindedly running her fingers along the edge of her glass, lost in thought.

If Luo Yue was attracted to women, everything that happened after Qin Zhaoyi arrived on Moon Island could be traced back to her feelings for Qin Zhaoyi.

Luo Yue was acting this way because of her feelings for Qin Zhaoyi, just as Qin Zhaoyi had been somewhat out of character lately.

At the moment when Yan Ci asked, Qin Zhaoyi had actually wanted to retort with, “Do I look like one?” But the words took a turn on her tongue and ultimately dissolved in her throat.

She didn’t dare to ask.

She didn’t dare to discuss it.

In reality, for Qin Zhaoyi, being attracted to women was not a big deal.

Her family wasn’t that conservative.

Even her mother knew that Zhong Ling liked girls and privately asked her if she was dating Zhong Ling.

Qin Zhaoyi looked flabbergasted and then yelled that she would sever her friendship with Zhong Ling. But her mother just smiled and said, “People like that, their souls are free.”

Her words were filled with appreciation.

That’s because Qin Zhaoyi’s mother believed that Zhong Ling’s free-spirited soul allowed her to create so many great works. At a young age, she had established herself in the entertainment industry and become a prominent director among the new generation.

Qin Zhaoyi sat in the café for a while, and her latte had cooled down, with only half of it consumed. In the end, she couldn’t resist asking, “What is Luo Yue into?”

Yan Ci hesitated for a moment, feeling guilty about revealing Luo Yue’s secret earlier. Therefore, she was especially cautious in answering this question.

“Are you asking about her interests or her type?” Yan Ci asked, weighing her words.

Qin Zhaoyi furrowed her brow and replied, “Both.”

Yan Ci smiled, “Why not ask her in person?”

Qin Zhaoyi: “She’s busy.”

“But you’re not busy,” Yan Ci said with a knowing smile, revealing the underlying message, “If you want to know things related to Luo Yue, it’s better to ask her directly.”

“Then you just mentioned that she likes women?” Qin Zhaoyi’s tone turned cold, carrying a hint of interrogation.

Yan Ci shrugged, “I don’t know.”

Qin Zhaoyi: “…”

The question was back to square one. However, Qin Zhaoyi leaned more towards the affirmative, as her inner balance seemed to tip slightly.

After a moment of silence, Qin Zhaoyi got straight to the point, “Today is Luo Yue’s birthday, and I want to give her a gift.”

Yan Ci was not stingy and suggested, “Stationery, maybe?”

Qin Zhaoyi asked, “Paper? Pen? Planner?”

Yan Ci considered, “All of them would work, but she seems to like pens more.”

Qin Zhaoyi glanced outside. The sun hadn’t set yet, but it cast a hazy, golden light on the sea’s surface. There was a mist at the horizon where the sky met the sea, making it hard to see into the distance.

Qin Zhaoyi asked, “Is there a place in town to buy them?”

“There’s a nice stationery shop in town,” Yan Ci said, “Luo Yue often goes there.”

After asking her question, Qin Zhaoyi left, but as she reached the door, she realized she didn’t have her car. She couldn’t go to town without it. She turned back to look at Yan Ci.

Yan Ci was wiping her coffee cup with a vague sense of foreboding. Qin Zhaoyi asked, “Do you have a car?”

Yan Ci: “…”

Yan Ci’s car was parked outside, an unassuming white Geely sedan with a simple and elegant appearance.

Yan Ci tossed the car keys on the table. “Do you have a driver’s license?”

Qin Zhaoyi responded, “Yes.”

After picking up the car keys, Qin Zhaoyi asked again, “Are there any car dealerships in town?”

Yan Ci: “…You want to buy one?”

Qin Zhaoyi hesitated slightly, “I want to buy a means of transportation.”

Yan Ci fell silent for a moment but eventually offered sincere advice, “If you’re not planning to stay here for long, I wouldn’t recommend buying a car. If you know how to ride an electric bike, you can get one of those.”

Qin Zhaoyi remained silent. She didn’t know how to ride an electric bike, but this was not something she wanted to discuss with Yan Ci. After some thought, she said, “I’ll go take a look at the cars.”

Yan Ci accompanied Qin Zhaoyi to the town since she didn’t know her way around. In the morning, Luo Yue had taken her to the southern part of the town, but the stationery store Qin Zhaoyi wanted to visit was in the northern part of town. She also wanted to buy a car.

Yan Ci stayed with her while she shopped for pens. Qin Zhaoyi was indecisive when choosing from an array of pens. It was difficult for her to make a quick decision, as she was worried Luo Yue might not like her choice. It took her a whole hour to make a purchase, settling on a beautiful steel pen.

However, when it came time to buy the car, Qin Zhaoyi readily purchased one for 100,000 yuan. The process was relatively straightforward – she provided her identification, made the payment, and completed the necessary procedures, allowing her to pick up the car on the same day.

By the time the paperwork was done, it was already evening. Qin Zhaoyi treated Yan Ci to dinner in the town.

During dinner, Yan Ci was also quite silent. But after a while, she asked Qin Zhaoyi a question, “Why did you come to Moon Island?”

Qin Zhaoyi told the truth, “To find my grandmother.”

She went on to explain everything about her grandmother sending her text messages, including the address of her residence.

Yan Ci hesitated slightly and said, “Seems like it’s a rather fateful connection.”

Qin Zhaoyi: “What?”

Yan Ci: “Didn’t you see? Luo Yue’s house is at 63 Taoyuan Lane.”

Right next to her grandmother’s house.

Qin Zhaoyi was astonished, “I really didn’t know that.”

Yan Ci shrugged, “The small red mansion is one of the iconic buildings on Moon Island.”

The small red mansion was right next to Luo Yue’s home.

“So, my grandmother bought it?” Qin Zhaoyi asked.

Yan Ci nodded, “Originally, it belonged to the Luo family.”

Qin Zhaoyi: “…”

“So, my grandmother bought it from Luo Yue?” Qin Zhaoyi inquired.

When it came to Luo Yue, she had a lot of questions.

Yan Ci, full from her meal, propped up her chin, and tapped her fingers on the tabletop. “To be precise, it was purchased from her father.”

Qin Zhaoyi wanted to ask more, but Yan Ci preemptively anticipated and declined, saying, “I don’t know any more details. If you’re interested, you can ask Teacher Luo.”

Qin Zhaoyi: “…”

She settled the bill and drove back with Yan Ci.

Qin Zhaoyi’s car in the garage cost seven figures or more. It was the first time she drove such an inexpensive car, and she felt like it was lacking in every way, but at least it was a means of transportation.

Yan Ci’s café closed in the afternoon, and Qin Zhaoyi even offered to compensate her for any losses in her shop. Yan Ci casually replied, “Does it look like anyone came?”

Qin Zhaoyi: “…”

“Then why did you choose to open a café?” Qin Zhaoyi asked.

Yan Ci didn’t turn her head, “Cultivating one’s character.”

Unintentionally, this exchange brought the two of them closer.

As soon as Yan Ci entered the house, the yellow dog jumped on her.

Yan Ci rubbed the dog’s head and mumbled, “Your owner probably forgot about you today.”

Qin Zhaoyi followed behind without saying anything, just tidying up her computer and then walking out. But two minutes later, she came back inside.

Yan Ci was comforting the dog, and the dog’s eyes, initially excited, turned disappointed, perhaps thinking that it was Luo Yue coming to pick it up, but then realizing it wasn’t.

Qin Zhaoyi felt a twinge in her heart, seeing her own reflection in the dog, for some inexplicable reason.

Before she could distance herself from this emotional turmoil, Yan Ci asked, “What’s the matter?”

Qin Zhaoyi bit her lip, and the color on her lower lip deepened.

After a while, she asked in a cold tone, “How can you determine whether you genuinely like someone after you’ve been intimate, or if it’s just the result of hormones?”

Yan Ci was taken aback.

Qin Zhaoyi thought she wouldn’t get an answer, considering that this question was rather out of place to ask someone she had only known for a short time.

But Qin Zhaoyi believed that coming to Moon Island itself was a bizarre thing.

Frustrated, Qin Zhaoyi turned to leave, saying, “Never mind.”

As soon as she said that, Yan Ci’s voice chimed in, “Kiss them again.”

Qin Zhaoyi: “…”

She thought only Zhou Xi would provide such an unreliable answer.

On her way back, Qin Zhaoyi kept thinking about this question.

What made Yan Ci more reliable than Zhou Xi was her well-founded explanation of kissing again.

Change to the least likely place to fall in love, change to the least likely time to fall in love, if kissing the same person still makes your heart race and fills you with anticipation, then it’s love.

Because no one thinks about kissing at the wrong time and place.

Of course, at that moment, Qin Zhaoyi fled in confusion.

She drove all the way back to Luo Yue’s home.

After driving for a while, she found herself at No. 64, Taoyuan Village, the place where her grandmother wanted her to live.

When Qin Zhaoyi returned to Luo Yue’s home, it was cold inside. Luo Yue wasn’t home, and she hadn’t gone to pick up the dog either.

Moonlight bathed the cold steps, adding a sense of chill to the atmosphere.

Moon Island Elementary School had long since let out, which meant that Luo Yue had finished work for the day.

Where had she gone? Qin Zhaoyi didn’t know.

She wanted to ask but didn’t have any way to contact Luo Yue. So, she sat on the steps and waited.

The evening breeze carried a bone-chilling cold, but Qin Zhaoyi felt neither bothered nor cold.

After an unknown amount of time had passed, the door finally creaked open.

The figure that had been circling in her mind appeared at the door. Qin Zhaoyi gazed at her intently and caught a whiff of a sweet, fragrant alcohol scent.

Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, and before she could speak, Luo Yue had already approached her.

“Why didn’t you come inside?” Luo Yue spoke with a slight nasal tone, and her voice sounded even more tender after having a bit to drink. There was a hint of admonishment in her words.

Qin Zhaoyi’s eyebrows furrowed even tighter. “Have you been drinking?”

It sounded like a reprimand between lovers.

Luo Yue hesitated for a moment. “Are you angry?”

Qin Zhaoyi remained silent, just staring at her.

Luo Yue also stood still in front of her. She had already taken down the high ponytail she had worn during the day, and her long, lustrous hair was held back with a chopstick, giving her a somewhat obedient appearance.

But her behavior was anything but obedient.

Suddenly, Luo Yue flashed her signature smile. “Don’t be mad. Come home with me.”

Like coaxing a child.

Qin Zhaoyi just stared at her.

Luo Yue reached out her hand towards her, and Qin Zhaoyi’s gaze remained fixated on her hand, but she didn’t reach out to hold it, even though it was quite enticing.

After a few seconds, Luo Yue grasped the air and then withdrew her hand. She said, “It seems like you’re contemplating life. I’ll go back to sleep.”

Qin Zhaoyi extended her hand to her side, feeling the biting cold, and her voice was icy as she said, “Wait.”

Luo Yue stopped in her tracks, her back turned to Qin Zhaoyi. She asked, “What’s up?”

Her voice carried that unique sweetness of a Southern girl.

Qin Zhaoyi stood up, and the wind tousled her long hair.

After a long while, Qin Zhaoyi said, “Luo Yue, do you like women?”

The gentle smile that Luo Yue had maintained while facing away from her vanished in an instant.

“What…” Luo Yue was about to engage in a verbal battle with her. However, before the word “meaning” could leave her lips, she felt Qin Zhaoyi’s hand on her waist. Upon closer inspection, her hand was trembling slightly. Qin Zhaoyi moved forward, coming extremely close to her, driving the wind away.

Qin Zhaoyi’s voice was deep and almost whispered into her ear, asking, “Luo Yue.”

Luo Yue’s body became rigid.

Qin Zhaoyi’s hot breath was felt on her ear, and she slowly and gently asked, “Can I kiss you again?”

Luo Yue said nothing.

The moonlight was dim, and the evening breeze carried a slightly intoxicating scent. Qin Zhaoyi licked her lips, and Luo Yue could even hear her swallowing. Her long hair brushed against her neck.

To be honest, it was difficult for anyone to resist.

Qin Zhaoyi noticed that Luo Yue was silent, and she softened her voice further, carrying a hint of pleading as she whispered into her ear, “Just once.”