45. Princess Qin, I like you.

Cheng Shiyu came to resolve the misunderstanding with Luo Yue but hadn’t anticipated the untimely arrival.

She had never eavesdropped by the wall before, but now standing at the doorway, her ears were perked up.

She heard faint footsteps and turned around.

Luo Yue was just about to raise her hand, preparing to pat Cheng Shiyu’s shoulder as usual.

Their eyes met, and Luo Yue’s hand awkwardly hung in the air, her fingers curling a few times, her expression subtle.

She had shown too much surprise that day, which might have hurt Luo Yue’s feelings.

Cheng Shiyu pursed her lips and took the initiative to speak, “Sister Yue, I brought a watermelon.”

Luo Yue’s hand dropped, “Let’s go to the office and talk.”

Cheng Shiyu’s gaze involuntarily drifted past her, landing on Qin Zhaoyi, who was sitting on a small stool organizing books.

Though Qin Zhaoyi had a book in her hand, she hadn’t made any movements for a while, clearly indicating that her mind was elsewhere.

Luo Yue was afraid that Cheng Shiyu’s probing gaze might disturb Qin Zhaoyi, so she blocked Cheng Shiyu’s view in Qin Zhaoyi’s direction and urged in a low voice, “Let’s go.”

Cheng Shiyu was tall, even gaining a few centimeters after the age of twenty, reaching 171 cm.

If she really wanted to look, Luo Yue wouldn’t be able to stop her.

But sensing Luo Yue’s protection, Cheng Shiyu withdrew her gaze.

However, in that moment of withdrawal, Qin Zhaoyi happened to lift her head, and their cold eyes met, as if short-handed soldiery fighting one another.

There was an inexplicable hostility.

Cheng Shiyu even felt a chill creeping up her spine, which was truly unusual under the scorching sun.
Luo Yue took the lead in stepping outside, raising her hand to block the sun.

As Cheng Shiyu turned around, Qin Zhaoyi stood up and asked, “Can I come along?”

Luo Yue’s steps halted, about to refuse.

She didn’t know what kind of conversation would unfold between Cheng Shiyu and her.

Although she knew Cheng Shiyu wasn’t unreasonable, for Cheng Shiyu, Luo Yue was not just a neighbor but also a potential sister-in-law, so she had never considered this possibility before.

If Luo Yue had been honest with Cheng Shiyu when she confessed to Cheng Shijing, perhaps Cheng Shiyu wouldn’t have reacted so strongly.

Unfortunately, facing reality head-on had caused even greater shock.

In such a situation, involving Qin Zhaoyi would only add fuel to the fire.

However, before Luo Yue could say anything, Cheng Shiyu straightforwardly met Qin Zhaoyi’s gaze and said, “Sure.”

Qin Zhaoyi was already prepared, waiting for Cheng Shiyu to criticize Luo Yue from a moral high ground, intending to counter with both Zhong Ling and her past relationship.

But unexpectedly, Cheng Shiyu smiled and remarked, “This watermelon is so big, Yue Jie and I can’t finish it by ourselves.”

Qin Zhaoyi: “…”

It felt like punching cotton; Qin Zhaoyi’s momentum dissipated instantly.

The three of them walked together to Luo Yue’s office. It was lunch break, and the entire teaching building was quiet.

The southern spring was particularly brief; after several continuous rains, the temperature had risen significantly, hastily transitioning into summer.

Moon Island was no exception.

There was only a utility knife in the office, which Luo Yue wiped with a wet towel before handing it to Cheng Shiyu.

Cheng Shiyu’s movements were swift and decisive. After cutting the watermelon, she handed it to Qin Zhaoyi first, with a hint of goodwill, making it impossible for anyone to dislike her.

Before she came in, Qin Zhaoyi was wary of her, but after she entered, the hostility vanished.

The watermelon Cheng Shiyu brought had been soaking in ice water, still icy cold, and each bite was filled with the sweetness of summer.

The three of them ate a few bites of watermelon, and there was no awkwardness or silence like before.

Cheng Shiyu finished eating first, wiped her mouth with a piece of paper, and then handed another piece of paper to Luo Yue.

Luo Yue threw the watermelon rind into the trash can, mentally preparing herself, and asked in a solemn tone, “What do you want to talk about?”

“You.” Cheng Shiyu was straightforward, her gaze shifting from Luo Yue to Qin Zhaoyi, and she added, “Both of you.”

Love was never just about one person, after all.

Qin Zhaoyi was more open than Luo Yue. “I’m pursuing her, but she hasn’t agreed yet.”

Luo Yue frowned and whispered, “I also have feelings for her.”

There was no reason for Qin Zhaoyi to bear Cheng Shiyu’s questioning alone.

Luo Yue stood in front of Qin Zhaoyi, bearing the burden. “As you can see, the person I like is a girl.”

Admitting it to Cheng Shiyu was far more complicated than confessing to Cheng Shijing.

She remembered when she confessed to Cheng Shijing, it was just a casual remark during a meal.

Cheng Shijing was stunned for a moment but didn’t bring it up again afterward.

However, Cheng Shiyu represented those who had been kind to her on Moon Island.

Because she had accepted their kindness, she couldn’t ignore their opinions.

So, she felt trapped here.

This thought had been circling in Luo Yue’s mind for two days, waiting for an opportunity to explain it to Cheng Shiyu.

But she didn’t expect Cheng Shiyu to come to her first.

Words carried an immeasurable weight before they were spoken. Once said, the weight disappeared, and the person felt much lighter.

Cheng Shiyu was momentarily taken aback, then awkwardly smiled. “I came to apologize to you.”

Luo Yue was caught off guard, her expression bewildered.

Cheng Shiyu pinched her earlobe, feeling embarrassed as she said, “I overreacted that morning. I’m sorry, Sister Yue.”

Luo Yue: “…”

“If I’ve hurt you in any way, please forgive me.” Cheng Shiyu continued.

Luo Yue hesitated, “Did Shijing Ge call you?”

Cheng Shiyu shook her head, “No.”

“I just felt that this situation between us was too awkward.” Cheng Shiyu shrugged, “It’s not a big deal, right?”

Luo Yue didn’t expect Cheng Shiyu to take this matter so lightly as well.

She was somewhat moved by this sudden change in attitude.

But before she could respond to Cheng Shiyu, she heard Qin Zhaoyi’s faint voice from the side, “Indeed, anyway, it’s not just her who likes girls.”

Luo Yue glanced at her sideways, fearing she might mention Yan Ci, and coughed softly to signal her not to drag others into this.

However, Cheng Shiyu didn’t catch her meaning and bluntly said, “Mmh, there’s still you.”

Luo Yue: “…”

Fortunately, Cheng Shiyu was rather obtuse in this regard.

But Qin Zhaoyi raised her eyebrows slightly. “Aren’t you?”

Cheng Shiyu: “…?”

The atmosphere in the office became subtle with this statement. Luo Yue reached out and poked Qin Zhaoyi’s shoulder.

Qin Zhaoyi lowered her brows and eyes, playing with the flowers on Luo Yue’s desk.

The flowers had been there for a few days and were starting to wilt.

Qin Zhaoyi’s slender fingers plucked the withered flowers and tossed them into the trash can, asking casually, “What kind of flowers are usually grown on Moon Island?”

“Roses, camellias.” Luo Yue didn’t know why she suddenly changed the subject but still answered, “The roses on Moon Island are famous for their beauty, especially the pink roses and champagne roses.”

“Alright.” Qin Zhaoyi said, “I did see them at the morning market before. But…”

She looked up at Cheng Shiyu, smiling as if probing, “I thought lilies were all over Moon Island.”

Lily is used to refer to GL.

Cheng Shiyu: “!”

Luo Yue: “…”

Cheng Shiyu didn’t realize that Luo Yue was hiding her true identity, just as Luo Yue didn’t realize the same about her.

On Moon Island, her secret was even deeper than Luo Yue’s.

At least Cheng Shijing knew about Luo Yue’s identity.

But Cheng Shijing had always thought that Cheng Shiyu had had a boyfriend in the past.

Her only relationship had confidently occupied her passionate youth, yet even the gender of her lover had been confused.

So Cheng Shiyu kept silent about her past relationships here.

In recent years, there have been people coming one after another to propose marriage to her mother, but she compromised once before and never compromised again.

Plus, with Cheng Shijing as the “male heir” supporting her, Cheng Shiyu also put this matter aside.

She never expected that her long-hidden secret would be seen through by a stranger.

Perhaps if she hadn’t known Luo Yue since childhood, she might have intuitively recognized it at first sight.

But because they were too familiar, she had never thought about it.

The same goes for Luo Yue.

So after Qin Zhaoyi finished speaking, Luo Yue frowned and asked, “What do you mean?”

Qin Zhaoyi shrugged, “For specifics, ask her.”

Cheng Shiyu: “…”

“You too?” Luo Yue asked discreetly.

Cheng Shiyu pursed her lips, not answering.

But in this situation, silence was the best answer.

Because if it weren’t true, she would definitely deny it.

But Cheng Shiyu let out a sigh, “My brother doesn’t know yet.”

Luo Yue promised, “I won’t tell.”

Cheng Shiyu looked at Qin Zhaoyi, “How did you find out?”

Qin Zhaoyi pondered for a moment, “Guessed.”

Although Zhong Ling had talked to her a lot about her ex, Qin Zhaoyi didn’t think she could get involved in their relationship without Zhong Ling’s knowledge.

Besides, she wasn’t stupid.

After Zhong Ling and Cheng Shiyu broke up, who knows if they were like enemies as exes?

Knowing that Luo Yue cared a lot about Cheng Shiyu’s feelings, what if Cheng Shiyu found about her being Zhong Ling’s best friend and said bad things about her in front of Luo Yue?

In the spirit of “1die a teammate, don’t die as a poor Taoist”, Qin Zhaoyi “2placed righteousness before family”.

1- not hesitating to harm other people’s benefit for your own benefit
2- ready to punish one’s family if justice demands it.

But a lingering sense of conscience made Qin Zhaoyi ask for Zhong Ling, “Have you ever been in a relationship before?”

Before Cheng Shiyu could answer, Luo Yue preemptively asked, “So the person you dated before was also a girl?”

Cheng Shiyu: “…”

What was originally intended to resolve the misunderstanding and offer blessings turned inexplicably into a “three-hall joint hearing”.

These two were clearly adopting the stance of “lenient if you confess, strict if you resist”.

Cheng Shiyu took two steps back but was held back by Luo Yue.

Luo Yue asked, “If you don’t talk, how can I help you?”

Cheng Shiyu: “…”

It was obviously an empty promise, but coming from Luo Yue’s mouth made it strangely trustworthy.

In reality, she didn’t really need any help.

It had been so long since she separated from her ex.

She didn’t even know if the other person still remembered her.

Perhaps with her promiscuous nature, she had already had countless girlfriends.

Or maybe she had already gone abroad and gotten married.

Who knows?

But Cheng Shiyu had no reason to blame her.

She had chosen to leave without a word, disappearing without a trace, all of her own accord.

Cheng Shiyu had also prepared herself for a lifetime of solitude.

But after Luo Yue spoke, what came to Cheng Shiyu’s mind was unexpectedly the scene of leaving Jia Yi back then.

The heavy rain poured down, and yet she managed to catch a boat back to Moon Island in the dead of night.

The wind and waves rolled on the sea, and the wind almost blew over people standing on the deck. That day, she was thinking, why doesn’t the boat just capsize and bury her under the sea?

It would be better than being a *”breaking faith and abandoning right” kind of person.

*treachery/betrayal

But unfortunately, the boat didn’t capsize. She only ended up drenched in rain all night, feverishly collapsing in the cabin.

If only someone had come to help her that day.

But unfortunately, no one did.

Cheng Shiyu was lost in memories, her mind elsewhere, until Luo Yue reached out and shook her in front of her eyes, snapping her back to reality.

But before she could speak, a tear fell from her eye.

The crystal-clear teardrop was like a tiny pearl, landing perfectly on the back of Luo Yue’s hand.

Luo Yue’s mouth fell open in surprise, wanting to comfort her but unsure of what to say.

Qin Zhaoyi silently observed from the side, and at the right moment, she remarked, “It seems you can’t forget your ex.”

Cheng Shiyu shook her head, “I have.”

“Then why are your eyes red?” Qin Zhaoyi asked. “Thinking about her?”

Cheng Shiyu let out a sigh, her voice changing, “It’s just that the water in my brain flowed into my eyes.”

After hastily saying she had to go, almost as if fleeing, she left the school.

Even when she ran, it seemed like she was afraid that the more tears flowed, the more they would come.

Once Cheng Shiyu’s figure disappeared from view, Luo Yue crossed her arms and calmly scrutinized Qin Zhaoyi, asking in a warm tone, “How do you know about her?”

Qin Zhaoyi’s excuses might fool Cheng Shiyu, but not her.

Clearly, she only developed some awareness of love after coming to Moon Island. How could she guess that Cheng Shiyu liked women?

There must have been some clues she noticed.

Qin Zhaoyi pursed her lips, preparing to respond with silence.

Hoping to skip over the topic with it.

But she didn’t expect Luo Yue to stare at her so directly, with no intention of letting her off the hook.

“I don’t want to say,” Qin Zhaoyi replied.

If it was her own privacy, Luo Yue would never pry further.

But it involves Cheng Shiyu.

Luo Yue couldn’t shake off the feeling of unease.

After all, Cheng Shiyu was the younger sister she had watched grow up since childhood.

If Cheng Shiyu treated her better than her own biological sister, then she reciprocated that kindness to Cheng Shiyu.

With a slight pause, Luo Yue lowered her voice and threatened, “You won’t talk, huh? Then don’t expect to know what really happened that night.”

After Qin Zhaoyi got drunk and passed out, her memories were extremely fragmented, and she had asked Luo Yue about that night, but Luo Yue had remained silent.

Even on her own, Qin Zhaoyi probably wouldn’t be able to recall much.

But every time that night was mentioned, Luo Yue’s expression became somewhat inscrutable.

And she always felt like she was missing something very important.

The more she didn’t know, the more anxious she became.

Luo Yue’s somewhat threatening tone had an effect on Qin Zhaoyi.

Qin Zhaoyi countered, “If I tell you, will you tell me?”

Luo Yue lowered her brows, “Depends on your sincerity.”

It felt like negotiating at a conference table.

Qin Zhaoyi then asked, “Is what happened that night very important?”

“It should be,” Luo Yue replied.

Qin Zhaoyi: “…”

It had to be said that Luo Yue always knew how to handle Qin Zhaoyi.

This somewhat ambiguous answer only piqued Qin Zhaoyi’s curiosity even more.

A few minutes later, Qin Zhaoyi beckoned to Luo Yue, “Come closer.”

Luo Yue approached with suspicion, but Qin Zhaoyi suddenly kissed her on the cheek.

Luo Yue was taken aback and instinctively looked around to see if anyone was watching.

After confirming no one was around, she gave Qin Zhaoyi a sideways glance. “What are you doing?”

Qin Zhaoyi wasn’t that foolish. After taking advantage, she immediately played innocent. “Cheng Shiyu’s ex is my friend.”

Qin Zhaoyi diverted Luo Yue’s attention with Cheng Shiyu’s matters. “She showed me Cheng Shiyu’s photos before, but she had short hair back then.”

At the police academy, long hair wasn’t allowed, so Cheng Shiyu kept her hair short and neat.

Although Cheng Shiyu’s hair hadn’t grown longer now, it was much better than before.

At least it reached her shoulders, and when tied up, it could be done slightly.

It was innocent, contrasting with her personality, so she usually tied it up in a bun or wore a hat.

Qin Zhaoyi continued, “I didn’t recognize her at first, only confirmed it when we went camping that day.”

Luo Yue wasn’t entirely convinced by this answer, but Qin Zhaoyi seemed sincere.

“Well, the world is indeed small,” Luo Yue still probed. “You two are quite lucky.”

Qin Zhaoyi shrugged helplessly. “Yeah, really lucky.”

She couldn’t even explain it to Zhong Ling.

Having hidden both her sister and her ex.

There was nothing she could do. With so many places called Moon Island in the country, Qin Zhaoyi never imagined that the Moon Island Zhong Ling mentioned was the one she was currently on.

Thinking of Zhong Ling, Qin Zhaoyi felt like their longstanding friendship was on shaky ground.

Luo Yue caught Qin Zhaoyi’s momentary distraction. “Looks like even deceiving me requires careful consideration.”

Qin Zhaoyi: “…I didn’t deceive you.”

Luo Yue didn’t intend to delve any deeper. She had her first class in the afternoon.

The students’ lunch break was about to end, and the school would soon become lively.

Luo Yue urged Qin Zhaoyi to leave the office. Footsteps echoed in the corridor, getting closer and closer.

However, Qin Zhaoyi held onto Luo Yue’s wrist, lightly stroking the blood vessels with her fingertips as if sensing the flow of her blood.

Luo Yue frowned. “Don’t act recklessly at school.”

She couldn’t be sure if a colleague would walk in the next second.

Luo Yue tried to pull her wrist away, but Qin Zhaoyi’s grip was stronger.

For a moment, a red mark appeared on her wrist.

Qin Zhaoyi’s voice was cold but with a hint of playfulness. “Then, how about at home?”

Before she could finish her sentence, the office door was pushed open.

Qin Zhaoyi instantly released Luo Yue’s wrist, stepping back half a step, with one hand on the desk, appearing distant yet polite.

The coldness on her face remained unchanged.

The teacher who entered was the same one who had attended the training session with Luo Yue before. They were quite close, and Luo Yue often asked her to cover classes when needed.

As she entered and saw the unfamiliar visitor, she paused for a moment before smiling. “Hello, Teacher Luo.”

“Mm.” Luo Yue responded.

The colleague then sat down at the desk and started flipping through a book, not looking their way.

Qin Zhaoyi glanced at Luo Yue. “I’m leaving.”

“Okay,” Luo Yue said.

Qin Zhaoyi paused, then raised an eyebrow at her. “Not seeing me off?”

With a hint of provocation, her gaze seemed to say — if you don’t see me off, who knows what I might do?

Luo Yue pursed her lips, feeling a bit vulnerable. Reluctantly, she said, “I’ll see you off.”