53. You are more important.

Qin Zhaoyi glanced at her phone, ignoring the flood of WeChat notifications popping up at the top of the screen.

“It’s nine-thirty,” Qin Zhaoyi said.

Luo Yue stretched her neck, the sound of her joints cracking was particularly clear in the quiet environment.

Qin Zhaoyi asked, “Are you okay?”

Luo Yue shook her head, looking as if she still hadn’t fully recovered her energy from the day.

She rolled down the car window, letting the sea breeze blow in through the open window, carrying a salty scent.

In the distance, the faint sound of waves crashing against the shore could be heard, as if Moon Island was welcoming its returning traveler.

The island was exceptionally quiet at night, with only the sea breeze, waves, and stars. Everything was familiar, and even if she closed her eyes and walked, she wouldn’t get lost.

After being blown by the wind for a while, Luo Yue’s thoughts slowly started to settle.

“Thank you for your hard work,” Luo Yue’s voice returned to its usual softness, still gentle but with a detached tone lacking any vitality. “Go back and rest early.”

After speaking, she opened the car door and got out.

She was completely different from the person who stood crying outside Jiada Affiliated Hospital in the afternoon, asking for a hug.

Back in her safe zone, she could be herself again.

She raised her walls once more.

Qin Zhaoyi also got out of the car, following closely behind her.

They entered the courtyard, and Qin Zhaoyi waited at the door as Luo Yue unlocked it.

Luo Yue had just finished unlocking the door when she turned around and saw Qin Zhaoyi silently standing behind her, startling her.

“Do you need something?” Luo Yue asked.

Qin Zhaoyi stared at her intently.

Their eyes met, and Luo Yue bit her lip, her expression troubled. “I know what you want to ask, but I don’t want to talk about it right now.”

It was nothing more than what she had experienced at the hospital and whether she had quarreled with her father.

But returning to Moon Island was her way of escaping.

Tearing open her bloody wounds over and over wouldn’t change reality.

For Luo Yue, those memories were left behind in Jiayi.

In that city she so despised.

She wished never to set foot in that city again.

Qin Zhaoyi continued to stare at her, as if trying to see through her thoughts and uncover the things she wanted to hide.

Luo Yue softened her tone and explained, “Qin Zhaoyi, everyone has secrets.”

“Did I say I wanted to pry into your secrets?” Qin Zhaoyi retorted.

Afraid of having her secrets pried into, she even grew distant in her demeanor, as if she wanted to write “Don’t ask anymore” on her face.

Qin Zhaoyi wasn’t someone without a sense of boundaries. She hoped Luo Yue could be closer to her, share all her secrets, and consider her the most special person. But if that caused Luo Yue pain, Qin Zhaoyi was willing to take a step back.

Luo Yue was stunned by her retort and immediately realized she was overreacting. In Jiayi, it seemed like she and Qin Zhaoyi were star-crossed lovers, with Qin Zhaoyi bringing her back to Moon Island, her only lifeline at sea. But once they were ashore, she couldn’t distance herself fast enough.

Luo Yue’s mind, still muddled from just waking up, began to think independently.

After putting herself in Qin Zhaoyi’s shoes, Luo Yue silently cursed herself for being so unreasonable.

Yet, she still kept herself on a pedestal, making it awkward to step down. In the end, she didn’t want Qin Zhaoyi to humble herself too much to get closer. Lowering her gaze, she softly said, “I’m sorry.”

“I’m a bit sensitive,” Luo Yue explained. “I thought you wanted to know something.”

“I do,” Qin Zhaoyi admitted frankly. “But if you don’t want to say, I can also not know.”

Luo Yue responded just as plainly, “I don’t want you to know.”

It was too humiliating.

This might be something she would drunkenly confide in Cheng Shijing when she was sad and couldn’t find an outlet for her emotions. But in front of Qin Zhaoyi, she wanted to be the stable, gentle, and beautiful Luo Yue.

Not a failure, an escapist.

That made her feel defeated.

Once her mood dropped, it was hard to lift it again. Luo Yue’s tone remained somber as she spoke to Qin Zhaoyi, making it sound like they were discussing something very serious.

Qin Zhaoyi wanted to change the topic but didn’t know what to ask.

As someone who wasn’t good with words, her mind was filled with one question: Why don’t you want me to know?

This question lingered in her mind, and although she knew it might make the other person feel pressured and possibly annoyed, after a long silence, she finally asked it.

When she asked the question, Qin Zhaoyi looked particularly uneasy.

Luo Yue leaned against the door, the dim streetlight casting a faint glow on Qin Zhaoyi’s slender shoulders.

The moon hung high in the sky, the sky as blue as the sea. Due to the visual angle, it seemed to rest just beside Qin Zhaoyi.

Luo Yue silently watched her.

For a long time, so long that Qin Zhaoyi thought she might not get an answer and would have to endure a tough night, Luo Yue softly called her, “Good baby, because I’m like you.”

This term of endearment, uttered from Luo Yue’s somewhat cold and distant tone, left Qin Zhaoyi momentarily dazed.

She had only ever heard Luo Yue call her that in moments of intimacy at night or when she was not fully awake, never imagining that Luo Yue considered it a nickname.

Luo Yue’s gentle voice, mingling with the sea breeze, lightly drifted into Qin Zhaoyi’s ears. Qin Zhaoyi felt her ears warm up instantly.

Luo Yue lowered her voice and said, “Good baby, I always want to show my best self in front of the person I like.”

—

When Qin Zhaoyi got home, she felt as if she were walking on clouds, with a surreal feeling. Even though she had been turned away at the door by Luo Yue, she felt no sadness from it.

On the contrary, she was elated. She couldn’t stop smiling, and as she sat on the couch, her mind was filled with Luo Yue calling her “Good baby.”

Qin Zhaoyi pinched her own mouth, trying to force herself to stop smiling, but it hurt, so she quickly let go. She sank into the couch, feeling completely content.

Sweetheart, sweetheart, sweetheart~

Every time Luo Yue called her that, Qin Zhaoyi felt like she was going to melt into her. Luo Yue’s gentle voice had a magical way of making people obey.

Moreover, Luo Yue said: in front of someone she liked.

Luo Yue liked her.

Although Luo Yue had said it a few times before, it had never been serious. Today was the first time Luo Yue spoke about it with such a serious tone, as if liking her was as common as eating a meal.

Qin Zhaoyi went back to her bedroom, and the first thing she did was bury herself in the bed and laugh quietly. After laughing enough, she sat up and patted her face, silently scolding herself for being so useless. But she was genuinely happy.

Yet there was no one to share this happiness with.

Qin Zhaoyi even tried calling Zhong Ling, but his phone was still off.

The usually inactive group chat had already seen five or six hundred messages since Qin Zhaoyi had gone to send Luo Yue home.

Qin Zhaoyi quickly scrolled through the messages. She found that her family was already discussing where the two girls should get married, where the wedding should be held, whether it should be announced publicly, and other such matters.

Professor Qin occasionally chimed in to try and curb the excessive behavior of the family, such as whether Qin Zhaoyi’s girlfriend should be given a gold bracelet or a red envelope when brought home the first time. He said it was too extravagant, but he was met with fierce opposition from the rest of the group, especially from his father-in-law.

Initially, the person most resistant to this idea was Qin Zhaoyi’s grandpa. However, after a good talking-to by her grandma, he accepted it quite well.

Her grandma had two daughters, and her aunt used to be an advocate for staying single until she met her husband at the age of 35, which was considered quite late by others. At that time, her husband was already forty. Due to her aunt’s poor health, she didn’t have any children and instead adopted a pair of twins by chance, who are now in their first year of high school.

With no need to help raise children, her grandma spends her days either dancing in the square or traveling with her grandpa. Needless to say, their life is very happy.

Qin Zhaoyi was quite grateful that her grandma was so understanding.

By the time Qin Zhaoyi scrolled down, she had been mentioned over twenty times.

[Grandma: When are you bringing your friend home? I’ll make Buddha Jumps Over the Wall for her. @QX]

[Ren Ermei: When are you bringing your friend home? I want to eat Buddha Jumps Over the Wall too. @QX]

[Er Meifu: I second that.]

…

[Grandma: Is your friend from Jiayi? If not, we can meet somewhere halfway. Does she like square dancing? @QX]

…

The old lady had a knack for stirring things up, and the people in the group loved it.

Before long, the two kids from her aunt’s family joined in on the fun.

[Yang Shu: @QX, Jie, you came out of the closet!]

[Yang Zhi: So cool, so cool, so cool.]

[Yang Shu: That’s awesome! So should I call her sister-in-law or brother-in-law?]

Qin Zhaoyi: …

These people usually couldn’t find a way to tease her, and now that they had a chance, they wouldn’t let it go.

Yang Shu’s absurd question made Qin Zhaoyi unable to hold back and respond: [Just call her sister.]

[Yang Shu: So, Jie, when can we meet that Jie?]

That Jie?

What a weird way to address her.

[QX: Why are you so curious about her?]

[Yang Zhi: Mainly curious about who could tolerate my Jie’s bad temper! What kind of saint is she?]

[QX: The autograph of Shen Zhaoya you asked for last time, forget it. @Yang Zhi]

[Yang Zhi: No, no, no! Jie! My dear Jie! I was wrong, wuwuwu. Please, I need it for this semester. Without her autograph, I’ll die of sorrow before the midterms! You’re kind and beautiful, please have mercy on your little sister who’s about to have exams!]

With Yang Zhi’s request for an autograph exposed, her aunt and uncle both chimed in. The topic quickly shifted to Yang Zhi’s dropping grades and her obsession with chasing stars, turning the group’s attention away from Qin Zhaoyi.

Qin Zhaoyi, however, didn’t let them continue with their nonsense. She explained that her relationship was not stable at the moment, and she would introduce her partner to them when the time was right. She even threatened that if they kept pressing, she would never bring her partner home. The group chat finally quieted down.

–

Qin Zhaoyi stood by the window, feeling the breeze, and found Cheng Shijing’s number in her contacts. Without considering the time, she called him.

Cheng Shijing, who had just taken a pill and fallen asleep, was awakened by the vibration. Irritated, he answered with a grumpy tone, “Hello?”

“Do you have Cheng Shiyu’s phone number or WeChat?” Qin Zhaoyi asked.

Cheng Shijing was puzzled for a couple of seconds before sitting up, “Qin Zhaoyi?”

“It’s me,” she replied.

Cheng Shijing’s tone softened a bit, “Why do you need Cheng Shiyu’s number? Do you have something to discuss with her?”

“Mmh,” Qin Zhaoyi had a vague suspicion since yesterday, but she had been busy with Luo Yue’s matters and hadn’t had the time.

She thought it would be easy to get Cheng Shiyu’s contact from Cheng Shijing, but he replied coldly, “Her phone is off.”

Qin Zhaoyi: “?”

Oh man.

What was only a 70% suspicion now became a certainty.

“You didn’t look for her yesterday?” Qin Zhaoyi asked.

Cheng Shijing: “…”

This question hit a sore spot for Cheng Shijing. He had indeed looked for her, but they ended up having a huge argument, and Cheng Shiyu threw her phone into the sea right in front of him. It was too embarrassing to tell Qin Zhaoyi, so he just vaguely said they had a disagreement.

Qin Zhaoyi didn’t press further and told him to go back to sleep. However, after hanging up, Cheng Shijing found it hard to fall asleep again.

The drowsiness induced by the medicine was gone, replaced by thoughts of yesterday’s argument.

When he went to find Cheng Shiyu, she had just come out of a hotel and he wanted to take her home. 

But Cheng Shiyu was stubborn and refused to go. Cheng Shijing threatened to tell their parents, and she wavered, especially when a guy appeared behind her.

Cheng Shijing threatened to tell their parents if she didn’t come home, and only then did she waver.

Especially when a girl appeared behind her.

The girl was very pretty, sweet, and charming, with a docile appearance.

Upon closer inspection, she resembled the quiet and withdrawn art student who stayed at the café and painted all day.

However, Cheng Shijing didn’t look closely, only hearing the girl say, “Cheng Shiyu, who is this?”

Her tone was flippant, completely mismatched with her appearance.

Cheng Shijing also asked, “Your friend?”

Cheng Shiyu avoided his gaze but remained silent.

“If you have guests, just bring them home,” Cheng Shijing said. “It’s not like we don’t have rooms. Do you really need to disappear?”

Cheng Shiyu, who was tall, didn’t introduce them and instead stood between them.

To be precise, she deliberately blocked Cheng Shijing’s view of the girl.

The girl asked again, “Your brother?”

Cheng Shijing responded, “Yes, hello.”

“Then you two talk,” the girl said rudely and walked away. But as she passed by Cheng Shiyu, she was pulled back. “Let me introduce you,” Cheng Shiyu said, her voice dry and seemingly on the verge of tears.

Cheng Shijing, feeling sorry for her, asked, “What’s wrong?”

Cheng Shiyu closed her eyes and then, with a look of guilt, said softly, “This is my brother, Cheng Shijing.”

Cheng Shijing frowned and stared at her, not understanding why the usually cheerful Cheng Shiyu looked so conflicted.

Then he heard Cheng Shiyu say, “Zhong Ling, my ex-girlfriend.”

Cheng Shijing stood there in silence.

Cheng Shiyu continued, “Ge, I’m not going back. Let me stay outside for a few more days.”

Cheng Shijing was momentarily at a loss, unsure whether to be more shocked that Cheng Shiyu, like Luo Yue, was into girls, or that the person who had caused Cheng Shiyu so much pain—making her lose ten pounds after returning to Moon Island—was actually a woman, or that this person was now standing right in front of Cheng Shiyu.

There were so many surprising things that piled up, they all seemed calm in comparison.

Cheng Shijing firmly shook his head. “You’re coming home with me.”

No matter what, he couldn’t let Cheng Shiyu be with someone who had once hurt her.

Zhong Ling, not wanting to see them argue in the street, lightly said, “Why don’t you find a quieter place to talk? I need to go buy something.”

With that, she left, not caring about the siblings.

Her indifferent attitude infuriated Cheng Shijing even more.

The person he cherished so much was being treated so lightly, yet Cheng Shiyu didn’t seem to mind at all.

It was classic emotional manipulation.

Cheng Shijing couldn’t stand by and let Cheng Shiyu be bullied like this.

They went to the seaside to talk. Perhaps because Cheng Shijing’s attitude was a bit forceful, he only gave Cheng Shiyu two options: either she brings Zhong Ling home to live under his watchful eye to ensure she isn’t mistreated, or Zhong Ling stays where she is, and Cheng Shiyu can visit her after work but must return home at night.

Cheng Shiyu rejected both options, stubbornly insisting on staying there.

Cheng Shijing called her stubborn and criticized Zhong Ling for abandoning her in such an ugly breakup. Why was she still hung up on her? Just because she came to Moon Island and beckoned, did Cheng Shiyu have to go to her?

Cheng Shiyu didn’t argue but stubbornly refused Cheng Shijing’s proposals.

Cheng Shijing then threatened to tell their parents and let them decide.

He even said that once their parents knew her ex was a girl, it wouldn’t be as simple as it was now, with only him knowing.

Neither soft nor hard tactics worked on Cheng Shiyu, but when Cheng Shijing initially tried to persuade her gently, Cheng Shiyu just remained silent.

As soon as Cheng Shijing’s attitude hardened, especially when he mentioned their parents, Cheng Shiyu reacted as if her sore spot had been touched, shouting, “Go ahead! Tell them I like women! Tell them my ex is here now, and tell them I’m a pervert! Go ahead and say it, and I will never contact you again for the rest of my life! Don’t even try to find me.”

With that, she threw her phone into the sea and walked away.

Cheng Shijing tried to catch up but was brushed off.

The unpleasant experience caused him to lose sleep all night. He bought a new phone for Cheng Shiyu and asked Zhong Ling to deliver it, but he didn’t receive any response.

Cheng Shiyu’s reaction was too extreme, and Cheng Shijing was too wary to provoke her again.

He was left to dwell on his thoughts alone.

His mind was spinning, and he took a pill in frustration, hoping to rest and approach Cheng Shiyu calmly afterward.

At that moment, Qin Zhaoyi’s call jolted him awake, and his disoriented mind barely remembered what had happened.

Throughout the ordeal, he hadn’t thought much of Cheng Shiyu’s interest in women—it seemed quite ordinary, especially with Luo Yue in the picture. For his own sister, it felt like just another commonplace occurrence.

What mattered most was that person had hurt Cheng Shiyu.

And the hurt was ongoing.

Cheng Shijing stared into the night, trying to call the long-uncontacted number.

Just before the call was about to end, the other party answered.

With a choked voice and a guilty heart, Cheng Shijing asked, “Luo Xing, how are you doing?”

Moon Island had been sunny for three consecutive days.

Cheng Shiyu had been missing on the island for three days, with her work handled by her colleagues.

When asked, Cheng Shijing covered for her, saying, “She went to help me with some errands.”

As usual, Luo Yue went to school, prepared lessons, taught classes, and stayed at school to work until the students were dismissed before heading home at sunset.

Qin Zhaoyi would wait on the route home from her work, walking back together with her.

Occasionally, she would also walk the big yellow dog early.

Life went on without any major disturbances.

No one mentioned Luo Yue’s trip to Jiayi anymore.

Only Cheng Shijing inquired about it, and upon learning that nothing serious had happened, he let the matter drop.

Yet, there was still a lingering gloom on the island.

Zhong Yu frequently asked Qin Zhaoyi where her sister had gone and if she was okay.

Qin Zhaoyi could only reassure her, “She should be fine.”

Luo Yue also asked Cheng Shijing about Cheng Shiyu, but Cheng Shijing always shook his head with a composed expression.

Everyone was hiding their own secrets.

They hoped to bury them on Moon Island.

On Friday, Luo Yue received a text from Zhou Jia, providing the time for Luo Tianming’s surgery and asking if she would like to accompany him.

Luo Yue politely declined, while expressing her humanitarian concern and wishing him a successful surgery.

Unfortunately, the old principal contacted her just before school ended on Friday, giving her an address and asking her to go to Jiayi the next day to deliver handwritten thank-you letters and a drawing from the children.

Mailing it would miss the recipient’s birthday, so the school could only entrust it to Luo Yue.

The address was for a previous donation made to their school for a teaching building and books.

Luo Yue couldn’t refuse and had to schedule a trip to Jiayi.

This time, she didn’t have Qin Zhaoyi see her off but left the big yellow dog with her, asking Qin Zhaoyi to take care of it for a few days.

Qin Zhaoyi saw her off at the port, watched her board the ship, and then walked the coastline with the big yellow dog for a while.

It felt like watching a girlfriend leave home.

Until the big yellow dog became too tired to move, lying lazily on the beach to sunbathe. When the sea washed over and wet its fur, it didn’t even bother to shift its position, just squinting its eyes.

It had a sense of weariness that came with age.

Qin Zhaoyi stayed with it quietly for a while, then looked out at the sea.

Only then did she head home.

The small red building stood quietly on the island, the sea calmly brushing against the beach.

Qin Zhaoyi still hadn’t found the right moment to ask Luo Yue about their current relationship.

It felt like the calm before a storm.

That evening, Qin Zhaoyi sent a text to her grandmother, whom she hadn’t been in contact with for a long time, saying she was happy and fulfilled living on Moon Island, but hadn’t seen her yet. She hoped her grandmother would call her back after reading the message.

The next day, it rained on Moon Island.

After waking up, Qin Zhaoyi opened the window and sent a message to Luo Yue: [It’s raining, how’s Jiayi?]

At that time, Luo Yue was in a taxi heading to the address given by the old principal, and Jiayi was sunny.

Luo Yue replied: [Not raining, remember to walk the dog early.]

Qin Zhaoyi was dissatisfied with her response: [So the dog is more important than me?]

Luo Yue stared at the screen.

Qin Zhaoyi: [Fine, I’ll take it out.]

Luo Yue: [Wait until the rain stops.]

A few seconds later, Luo Yue sent a voice message, “Princess Qin, you’re more important.”

In the background, the driver’s voice could be heard saying, “No. 36 Chenghua Avenue, we’ve arrived.”

Qin Zhaoyi’s heart skipped a beat.

Wasn’t that her studio?

Author’s Note:

It seems that Puppy Qin’s good deeds couldn’t be hidden for long.