40.1 I like you, I miss you.

Qin Zhaoyi didn’t expect to encounter Zhong Yu here.

She had watched her for a long time by the seaside that day, feeling a sense of familiarity, but she never expected her to be Zhong Ling’s younger sister, still in her senior year of college.

The last time they met was on Zhong Ling’s birthday. Qin Zhaoyi had brought a cake to Zhong Ling’s house, but the sisters had a disagreement, and the little girl cried, her nose and eyes turning all red, looking like a small white rabbit.

Zhong Ling and Zhong Yu had contrasting personalities— one extremely outgoing, the other extremely introverted. However, they shared a common interest: a love for art.

Perhaps it was because their mother was a famous actress, both of them inherited some artistic genes, but their preferences in art were divergent.

Influenced by Qin Zhaoyi, Zhong Ling became a director.

For Zhong Yu, the first time she expressed her own ideas at home was to learn painting.

With the Zhong family’s wealth, they directly hired a top art teacher for her. By the end of her senior year, she had already become a rising star in the art world, and she later joined the fine arts department at Jia Yi Media University.

In the last semester of her senior year, approaching graduation, the graduation thesis for the fine arts department was an art piece. Internship locations were also chosen by the students themselves. Zhong Yu had already completed her work early, and even the teacher praised her exceptional talent, destined to be a rising star in the art world.

Having finished her graduation tasks early, Zhong Yu chose Moon Island as the place for her artistic inspiration.

It was indeed a coincidence.

Of course, that was Zhong Yu’s own explanation.

Qin Zhaoyi encountered Zhong Yu in a coffee shop.

She happened to be there, holding the script Zhong Ling sent her, planning to sit there and make revisions. At the same time, she sent a message to complain about the bugs in Zhong Ling’s script.

Zhong Ling replied casually.

Just as Qin Zhaoyi was about to send a voice message to scold Zhong Ling mercilessly, Yan Ci, in the background of a Cantonese song, gently said, “I don’t accept little kids who run away from home here.”

A soft and hesitant voice followed, “Jie jie, I’m already an adult.”

“Your ID?” Yan Ci extended her hand, asking for it.

The little girl suddenly became speechless.

Qin Zhaoyi was still thinking she might be a scammer from somewhere, but when she looked up, she was surprised. “Zhong Yu?”

“Zhaoyi Jie?” Zhong Yu was even more surprised. After calling out, she immediately lowered her head, looking like a quail that had done something wrong.

Qin Zhaoyi: “…”

So it turned out that Zhong Yu had lost her ID after coming to Moon Island, nowhere to go. In the middle of the night, she sat alone on the beach, lost in thought.

Without going far, during the day, she set up an easel near the coffee shop not far away to paint. At night, she sat on the rocks, staring at the sea, like a sculpture.

Yan Ci, with a soft heart, picked her up.

Then, by chance, she overheard Zhong Yu arguing with her family on the phone, unable to reach an agreement. She thought Zhong Yu had run away from home and urged her to return home as soon as possible. That’s how this conversation came about.

Qin Zhaoyi gave Zhong Yu enough face in front of Yan Ci, saying she was the sister of a close friend. She also cared about whether Zhong Yu had money.

Zhong Yu said she did, but Qin Zhaoyi still transferred thousands to her and gave her five thousand in cash, as it was more convenient to spend cash on Moon Island.

With Qin Zhaoyi’s guarantee, Yan Ci didn’t say much but asked Qin Zhaoyi to take Zhong Yu away.

However, Zhong Yu insisted that she didn’t want to live with Qin Zhaoyi. She said she could stay in Yan Ci’s small loft.

Helpless, Qin Zhaoyi had to entrust Yan Ci with Zhong Yu.

In private, Zhong Yu confessed to Qin Zhaoyi.

Indeed, she had a dispute with her family about her employment.

Both of her parents wanted her to go to an art museum because her father had recently invested in one and wanted her to be in charge. However, she felt she couldn’t handle it and wasn’t suitable for the competitive art scene. She just wanted to quietly stay at home, paint, and occasionally go out for inspiration, which made her happy.

But her parents thought that such a life wasn’t suitable for her.

In a fit of anger, she bought a train ticket and left Jia Yi. As a result, she got off at the wrong stop, wandered around the unfamiliar city until evening, and eventually ended up in the unfamiliar harbor, buying the last ferry to Moon Island.

Qin Zhaoyi: “…”

Zhong Yu pleaded with Qin Zhaoyi not to tell her family about her situation here. She just wanted to quietly go through her graduation season.

In exchange, Zhong Yu promised not to tell Qin Zhaoyi’s family about her situation here.

Zhong Yu naturally cared about what had happened to her sister’s good friend recently and knew that Qin Zhaoyi had come to Moon Island to hide.

The inexperienced young girl thought she had the power of speech and negotiated with Qin Zhaoyi in a serious manner.

Qin Zhaoyi couldn’t help but smile and flicked her forehead, “What are you thinking?”

Zhong Yu covered her forehead, pouting, feeling like she was about to cry.

Qin Zhaoyi then remembered that Zhong Ling usually couldn’t do anything with this sister. She always complied with her requests.

She immediately restrained her teasing thoughts and said seriously, “I’m not afraid if people know I’m here.”

Zhong Yu: “…”

Zhong Yu, with a helpless expression, rubbed her hands and pleaded, “Can you keep it a secret for me? Sister Zhaoyi.”

Her voice trembled, as if she would cry the next second if Qin Zhaoyi didn’t agree.

Helpless, Qin Zhaoyi said, “One month.”

Qin Zhaoyi promised to keep it a secret for only one month. If Zhong Yu hadn’t told her family after a month, Qin Zhaoyi would tell Zhong Ling.

Zhong Yu, as if granted amnesty, thanked Qin Zhaoyi repeatedly.

She was afraid that Zhong Yu, after arguing with her family, would be unable to bear it. After all, Zhong Ling said her sister had been sensitive since she was a child. When painting, she would even close the curtains in her bedroom and only turn on a dim light. It was like shooting a horror film. One time, when Zhong Ling entered her room without permission, Zhong Yu got very angry and even burned the painting she had done that day.

Burned it right at the doorstep.

Zhong Ling was almost scared to take her to see a psychologist.

But when Zhong Yu told her, she just simply disliked others intruding on her privacy.

Zhong Yu was stubborn, and Zhong Ling didn’t dare to force it. Except for that one time, Zhong Ling had never entered her private territory again, and Zhong Yu had never gone crazy again. Everything was normal.

But when Zhong Ling told Qin Zhaoyi about this, it also startled her.

As creators, there were some commonalities.

Qin Zhaoyi also disliked others silently barging in when she was writing, and it would also make her feel annoyed. However, she would never take her completed works to vent her frustration.

At that time, Qin Zhaoyi also suggested that Zhong Ling take Zhong Yu to see a psychologist.

As a result, Zhong Ling shrugged and said, “If you can take that ancestor to see a psychologist, I’ll give you one million.”

Qin Zhaoyi: “…”

Qin Zhaoyi felt that there were some sums of money not worth earning.

So, that matter was put on hold, but Qin Zhaoyi always felt uneasy about it.

As a result, she would visit Yan Ci’s coffee shop more frequently than before, going to observe Zhong Yu painting after finishing her manuscript.

Qin Zhaoyi didn’t understand painting, but she could always sense sadness when looking at Zhong Yu’s works.

She wondered why a child who had been well-fed and loved since childhood would feel sad.

Perhaps having someone familiar on this unfamiliar island made Qin Zhaoyi feel less lonely, and she would take Zhong Yu out for meals.

Both she and Zhong Yu were kitchen idiots, so they would go to good restaurants.

Occasionally, they would also eat at Yan Ci’s place.

Yan Ci lived upstairs, and the loft was a small space, just over twenty square meters.

Zhong Yu’s room was sixty or seventy square meters, and she had never lived in the dorms during school because her family had a house right across from Jia Chuan.

Zhong Yu lived alone.

Qin Zhaoyi wondered how Zhong Yu could endure it.

However, Qin Zhaoyi understood it as Zhong Yu having a fight with her family, so she didn’t want to stay in the same space as her. Moreover, the two of them had no experience of being alone together, and in the past, Zhong Ling was always there to lighten the atmosphere.

Now that Zhong Ling was absent, with one being aloof and the other being socially anxious and introverted, just thinking about it made Qin Zhaoyi’s scalp tingle.

She even felt fortunate that Zhong Yu firmly declined.

With her mind settled in the past few days, Qin Zhaoyi quickly finished editing Zhong Ling’s script and asked for her address to send it to her.

Zhong Ling directly sent her the address without saying anything else.

Qin Zhaoyi sensed something unusual and asked, “Have you been struck by frost?”

Zhong Ling didn’t refute and replied, “Mm.”

Qin Zhaoyi: “?”

Zhong Ling sent a voice message, “I’m a bit busy on my end. Have fun playing!”

Qin Zhaoyi: […]

She scolded Zhong Ling: [You’re quick to *kill the donkey when the grinding is done.]
*get rid of somebody once they’ve ceased to be useful

Zhong Ling: [Yi Jie, why are you scolding yourself when you’re free from work?]

Qin Zhaoyi: “…”

She almost sent Zhong Ling a block package.

Although Zhong Ling had regained some energy, Qin Zhaoyi still felt that something was off about her.

She talked about it with Zhong Yu, who shrugged, “Maybe she got upset with some actor.”

Qin Zhaoyi, “…”

That could also be a possibility.

With her mind preoccupied about the day when Luo Yue would return, the initial estimation was three to five days. Three days had already passed.

On the third night, Qin Zhaoyi sent a message to Luo Yue, asking, “Are you coming back tomorrow?”

Luo Yue helplessly replied, “Not finished yet, have to wait until the day after tomorrow.”

That meant the fifth day.

Qin Zhaoyi felt a bit annoyed but softened when she heard Luo Yue’s tired voice.

Luo Yue was very busy and exhausted.

This realization made Qin Zhaoyi feel a bit sympathetic, so she tentatively asked, “When will it end? Should I pick you up?”

Luo Yue refused, “No need, I’ll take the boat back with my colleagues.”

Qin Zhaoyi asked again, “Do you have any plans after returning? Want to watch a movie together?”

Luo Yue still refused, “I’ll probably be back at night, no chance to watch a movie.”

Qin Zhaoyi wanted to suggest watching at home, but thinking about how tired Luo Yue must be after the journey, she probably just wanted to take a shower and go to sleep when she got back.

So, she held back her words and said helplessly, “Okay.”

Luo Yue asked her, “Are you angry?”

Qin Zhaoyi typed: [No.]

Luo Yue’s voice was gentle, like the distant bright moon seen from the window, “Don’t be upset.”

It sounded a bit like a coquettish tone.

It instantly healed Qin Zhaoyi’s somewhat disappointed heart.

Qin Zhaoyi said, “I’m not angry, just a bit disappointed.”

Luo Yue laughed softly in the voice message, “There’s no way, I have to work.”

Qin Zhaoyi paused, slowly poking on the screen: [You can also not work.]

Luo Yue: “?”

Qin Zhaoyi: [Don’t you know?]

Luo Yue: [What?]

Qin Zhaoyi: [I’m pretty rich. I can support you.]

Luo Yue: [“…]

In the tired voice of Luo Yue, there was a hint of laughter, and a bit of teasing, “What are you doing? Planning to use money to win me over?”

“If it works, then why not?” Qin Zhaoyi asked, “Do you fall for that?”

Luo Yue pretended to think, “If the money is enough, it’s not impossible to consider.”

Qin Zhaoyi: “How much is considered enough?”

Luo Yue stated a figure, “Ten million, maybe.”

“That’s fine.” Qin Zhaoyi asked straightforwardly, “Cash? Bank transfer or cheque?”

Luo Yue: “…”

Luo Yue was startled by her serious tone, and helplessly laughed, “Miss Qin, are you really afraid that others won’t know how much money you have?”

Qin Zhaoyi shrugged, “Well, it’s not considered little.”

She had more than enough, considering both ends.

Qin Zhaoyi valued the spiritual world more than material possessions, so she didn’t have such strong material desires.

Since she earned a lot of money at a very young age, the accumulation of zeros in her bank account often lacked a sense of reality. So, buying an expensive bag worth millions was quite casual for her.

But since she met Luo Yue, she almost never spent money.

Buying that commuter car for her was, for Qin Zhaoyi, equivalent to not spending money at all. Even if she didn’t work now, there would still be a constant stream of royalties flowing into her account.

Not to mention the income from intellectual property.

Luo Yue reminded her, “Don’t show off your wealth, Miss Qin.”

Qin Zhaoyi said, “It’s not showing off.”

Luo Yue frowned, “Then what are you doing?”

Qin Zhaoyi replied naturally, “You’re not an outsider.”

Luo Yue: “…”

Luo Yue teased her with a smile, “What does that count as? An insider?”

“Future girlfriend,” Qin Zhaoyi said.

Luo Yue: “…”

“You’re quite confident,” Luo Yue laughed, “How are you so sure that I will agree?”

Qin Zhaoyi was sitting by the window, enjoying the moonlight. The gentle moonlight spilled down, reflecting on the vast blue sea. The light from the lighthouse and the moon complemented each other, creating an unbelievably beautiful scene.

However, in her mind, there was only the face of Luo Yue.

As if she would return by stepping on the moon.

Qin Zhaoyi, speaking into the receiver, with a voice both lingering and ambiguous, said, “I miss you.”

It had nothing to do with the previous topic about the wind, ox, and horse with Luo Yue.

Luo Yue was also taken aback, then heard Qin Zhaoyi reply, “Because once you’ve crossed the vast sea it’s difficult to do with water.”
TN: Don’t know if this part is correct (因为曾经沧海难为水)

The next line was “Apart from Mount Wu, there are no clouds.”

Luo Yue instantly understood her meaning, but no matter how she listened, it sounded a bit narcissistic. So, she teased, “How do you know I won’t meet someone better? For example, Yan Ci?”

Qin Zhaoyi said, “She’s not as young as me.”

Luo Yue deliberately provoked, “Maybe I have an older sister complex.”

Qin Zhaoyi immediately got angry, “No way.”

Luo Yue said leisurely, “You should know that in lesbian circle, on average everyone has an older sister complex.”

Qin Zhaoyi: “…?”

Luo Yue’s cunning plan succeeded, as she waited for Qin Zhaoyi’s indignant retort. After waiting for a long time, she received a ten-second voice message.

The first eight seconds were the sound of rolling waves, and only in the last two seconds did Qin Zhaoyi’s voice come through. Her chilly voice, set against the backdrop of the ocean waves, sounded particularly aggrieved, “Luo Yue, no more older sister complex.”

This threat didn’t sound scary at all.

Qin Zhaoyi sent another message, “You’re not allowed to like anyone else.”

That night, Luo Yue and Qin Zhaoyi talked on the phone until they fell asleep. The next morning, Luo Yue woke up early and finally hung up the phone after a conversation that lasted more than seven hours.

Having spent a pleasantly sleepless night, Qin Zhaoyi was in an exceptionally good mood the next day. On her way to the coffee shop, she ran into Cheng Shijing, greeted him with a cheerful wave, and smiled. However, Cheng Shijing stared at her in shock as if he had seen a ghost.

Suppressing her laughter, Qin Zhaoyi rolled her eyes at his retreating figure.

Feeling good, Qin Zhaoyi sat by the seaside and watched Zong Yu paint. She even offered a rare suggestion, “How about adding some sunshine to it, little sister?”

Interrupted by this sudden change of topic, Zong Yu slowly turned around, her gaze somewhat blank. “What should I paint?”

“Just those bright tones, like sunshine, rainbows, and little white horses, for example.” Qin Zhaoyi picked up a stone, threw it into the sea, creating a big splash.

Zong Yu pursed her lips, looking somewhat hesitant. “I’ll give it a try.”

After agreeing, she continued to paint the gloomy-toned artwork she was working on.

Qin Zhaoyi, on the other hand, was idly skipping stones.

By the time Zong Yu finished her painting, it was already evening. Lunch had been a hasty affair by the seaside, and dinner definitely couldn’t be compromised. So, Qin Zhaoyi invited her to dinner, but Zong Yu said she needed to wait.

Qin Zhaoyi even advised her, “Even if you love painting, you can’t neglect your health.”

These were the usual words her mom used to persuade her not to stay up late, but now she was using them to advise her little sister. Indeed, humans subconsciously care for those weaker than themselves.

Zong Yu didn’t even turn her head and replied, “I’m painting one for Jie.”

“What are you painting?” Qin Zhaoyi asked in surprise. “Do you want me to be your model?”

Zong Yu shook her head. “No need.”

Then, Zong Yu, holding a paintbrush, started to draw with a completely different mindset compared to when she was sketching earlier. The strokes were bold and the composition entirely different. Five minutes later, Zong Yu took the drawing paper off and handed it to the stunned Qin Zhaoyi.

“Jie, this is for you,” Zong Yu said.

Qin Zhaoyi looked at the “sunshine, rainbow, and little white horse” on the paper, feeling a headache coming on. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Zhong Yu, like dealing with assignments, drew out all the elements she proposed, but her style was very inconsistent

But when she handed her the drawing with a sincere look, so sincere that Qin Zhaoyi couldn’t tell if Zong Yu was being sly or genuinely drawing for her. Qin Zhaoyi raised her hand and tapped Zong Yu’s forehead, messing up the girl’s bangs, then reached out to fix them.

Qin Zhaoyi smiled and said helplessly, “It’s okay if you don’t want to paint. I was just making a suggestion. Why handle it like this?”

Zong Yu widened her eyes and immediately shook her head, “No, I really wanted to make you happy.”

Qin Zhaoyi thought to herself, “No happiness achieved.” However, she still rolled up the painting and said, “Okay, I’ll treasure this painting. When you become famous, we can exchange it for a valuable one.”

Qin Zhaoyi walked away, and Zong Yu chased after her, saying, “Sister, you got it wrong. When I become famous, this painting will be the most valuable.”

Qin Zhaoyi was puzzled, “What do you mean?”

“Because a mature artist, while valuable paintings are rare, the most valuable ones are the ones that have mistakes. For example, this painting has the most collectible value.” Zong Yu explained, “When I become famous, this one will be the most valuable.”

Qin Zhaoyi said, “Don’t fool me. I may not understand art, but don’t try to deceive me.”

Zong Yu stuck out her tongue, “No, I’m serious.”

Qin Zhaoyi looked at her hair tousled by the wind, compelled by her perfectionism, she reached out to fix it, “Enough, your sister is an expert at fooling people, don’t learn from her.”

Zong Yu pouted, “Why don’t you believe me?”

Qin Zhaoyi did want to believe, but she also knew that those famous paintings were rarely flawed. Just as she was about to chat with Zong Yu, her phone rang.

Qin Zhaoyi checked the caller ID: Yao Yao Ling.
*yao – witch
*ling – zero

“Your sister,” Qin Zhaoyi spread her phone open, made a hushing gesture towards Zong Yu, and then answered the call.

Zong Yu suddenly perked up, her eyes round and eager, hands clasped together, looking pitiful.

Qin Zhaoyi patted her hands to make her behave.

Zong Ling hadn’t received the script she sent, asking if she could provide an electronic version.

Qin Zhaoyi was speechless, “Why didn’t you give me the electronic version earlier? You sent me a physical copy, and now you want me to send you the electronic one. What are you thinking?”

Zong Ling smacked her forehead, “I thought you didn’t bring your computer. Besides, didn’t your eyes bother you recently?”

Qin Zhaoyi said, “There’s no electronic version.”

Zong Ling let out a long sigh.

As friends for many years, Qin Zhaoyi instantly sensed that her friend’s emotions were off. She furrowed her brow and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Zong Ling instinctively replied, “Nothing.”

Qin Zhaoyi asked, “Really?”

Zong Ling hesitated for a moment and sighed, “It’s just some trivial matters.”

Qin Zhaoyi didn’t fully believe it. According to Zong Ling’s personality, it didn’t seem like she would bother with trivial matters. Moreover, in just one minute of the call, she sighed three times, as if she were forced into a corner.

The more Zong Ling remained silent, the bigger the issue seemed to be.

“Are you going to tell me?” Qin Zhaoyi asked.

After a long pause, Zong Ling finally said, “My sister ran away from home, and we can’t contact her.”

Qin Zhaoyi, “…”

Zong Yu had already moved closer, naturally overheard it, and her body stiffened slightly, feeling a bit guilty.

“If she didn’t want to go, she could have just said so,” Zong Ling said. “My parents arranged a job for her, but instead of discussing it with me, she just ran away. She’s quite capable.”

Qin Zhaoyi, “…”

Trying to probe the situation, Qin Zhaoyi asked, “Perhaps she told them, and your parents disagreed?”

Zong Ling sighed helplessly, “If that were the case, wouldn’t I be there for her? When I wanted to make movies back then, my parents also disagreed, but in the end, they compromised, right?”

Qin Zhaoyi said, “Maybe running away from home is a way to force them to compromise?”

Zong Ling, like a firework suddenly lit, exploded, “Qin Jie, do you even realize what you’re saying? She, a severe social anxiety patient who stumbles over her words and blushes when saying hello to others, has hardly gone anywhere far from home. Starting from the age of twenty, she decides to run away from home? Do you find that reasonable?”

Qin Zhaoyi, “…”

Qin Zhaoyi looked at Zong Yu, realizing that Zong Yu didn’t seem as socially anxious as Zong Ling described.

Beneath her introverted appearance was a rather wild heart.

But Qin Zhaoyi didn’t want to upset Zong Ling and patiently comforted her, “Take your time to find her. Maybe she’ll reconsider and come back.”

Zong Ling suddenly stopped, “Did she go to find you?”

Qin Zhaoyi, “…”

F*ck.

Qin Zhaoyi never expected that the relationship between her and Zong Ling had reached such a level, where she could judge Zong Ling’s current situation through her tone even through a screen, and Zong Ling could quickly discern her abnormality.

Zong Ling still argued, “When have you ever done something like this? Unless you have a guilty conscience.”

“…” Qin Zhaoyi covered up her guilty conscience, cleared her throat, and pretended to be imposing, “I’m just used to scolding you; you won’t listen otherwise, right?”

Zong Ling instantly lost her arrogance, “Fine, I misunderstood you.”

Qin Zhaoyi, “…”

Barely getting away with it, Qin Zhaoyi didn’t dare to say much more, afraid of giving herself away. She hurriedly hung up the phone.

It was the first time Qin Zhaoyi had done something like this. After hanging up, she immediately sighed in relief and warned Zong Yu, “Don’t make me do something like this again in the future.”

Zong Yu obediently nodded, “I know.”

“Your sister is really worried about you,” Qin Zhaoyi said. “And she loves you a lot.”

Zong Yu lowered her head and remained silent. Seeing that she wasn’t interested in hearing more, Qin Zhaoyi didn’t say anything further.

She didn’t want to be the annoying elder.

However, after a while, Zong Yu slowly said, “I don’t want my sister to quarrel with my parents again.”

Qin Zhaoyi was surprised, “What?”

“When she came out to our family, there was a big fight at home,” Zong Yu said. “And when she filmed ‘Rumors,’ even though she succeeded, it was something she wanted to do on her own. Now that I’ve grown up, I want to handle my own affairs.”

Fight for your own rights.

Qin Zhaoyi didn’t know that Zong Ling had so many conflicts with her family. She thought that Zong Ling’s coming out had gone smoothly.

Looking at Zong Yu, she felt a sense of “my little girl is growing up,” and she casually touched her hair, “Your sister does everything for your sake because she’s your sister.”

Zong Yu felt the intimacy and held onto Qin Zhaoyi’s arm, saying, “Thank you, Sister Qin.”

Qin Zhaoyi almost couldn’t stand this kind of intimacy, and fortunately, Zong Yu quickly let go.

Qin Zhaoyi wanted to say a few more words of advice, but she heard a call from behind, “Qin Zhaoyi.”