Chapter 9: The Returned White Moonlight (9)

Chapter 9: The Returned White Moonlight (9)

"Indeed."

Yun Jinqiu noticed the wine and glasses on the table.

"Moon-gazing with wine—what a delightful ambiance."

Shang Wenyi smiled faintly, saying pleasantly, "Care to join me for a drink?"

"Of course," Yun Jinqiu nodded. "But have you eaten? Drinking on an empty stomach isn't advisable."

Shang Wenyi fell silent at the question.

Yun Jinqiu understood. "You haven't eaten, have you?" On a whim, he offered, "How about I cook something for you?"

Shang Wenyi's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Of course," Yun Jinqiu affirmed, opening the refrigerator and surveying its contents.

Steak, lobster, sea cucumber, abalone...

"Quite the lavish ingredients," he mused, though he knew how to cook none of them.

"Are there no noodles or wontons?" he wondered, thinking how simple and convenient it would be to just boil them.

"There should be," Shang Wenyi replied, though he wasn't entirely sure.

Yun Jinqiu rummaged further and found a packet of fresh wontons, likely prepared by the housekeeper.

"Then I'll make you some wontons?" Yun Jinqiu said, taking the wontons and heading into the kitchen.

"Okay." Shang Wenyi followed closely behind him.

Yun Jinqiu rarely cooked. He filled a pot with water and then searched online for instructions on how to prepare wontons.

Shang Wenyi leaned against the doorframe, watching Yun Jinqiu busy himself in the kitchen, a warmth spreading through his heart.

"Need a hand?" Shang Wenyi offered, stepping closer.

"Sure," Yun Jinqiu replied, handing him a kitchen knife. "You can chop the scallions."

"Alright." Shang Wenyi gripped the knife, the sharp blade twirling deftly in his hand.

"Oh, showing off your skills?" Yun Jinqiu raised an eyebrow.

Fifteen minutes later, a steaming bowl of wontons was ready.

"Quick, try it and tell me how it tastes. I followed an online recipe for the broth. It shouldn't be too bad."

"Okay." Shang Wenyi carefully scooped up a wonton, blew on it to cool it, and placed it in his mouth.

"How is it? Is it good?" Yun Jinqiu asked.

"Delicious," Shang Wenyi smiled and nodded, then quickly devoured the entire bowl. With food in his stomach, he indeed felt much better.

After dinner, Yun Jinqiu and Shang Wenyi drank heartily under the moonlight. Soon enough, Yun Jinqiu was drunk. After a moment's hesitation, Shang Wenyi carried Yun Jinqiu back to his own room. Yun Jinqiu, who always fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow, didn't care where he was, hugging the blanket and closing his eyes.

Shang Wenyi sat by the bed, watching over him for two hours, before finally retreating to the guest room.

In the middle of the night, Yun Jinqiu awoke with a jolt. After a moment, he registered his surroundings and realized where he was. He ruffled his messy hair, reluctantly got out of bed, and headed to the kitchen for a Coke or some juice.

The villa was eerily silent in the dead of night, not a soul stirring.

After finishing his juice, Yun Jinqiu prepared to return to bed. As he passed the dark attic on his way upstairs, he inexplicably paused. Should he seize this opportunity to take a look inside? After all, no one was around.

Yun Jinqiu tiptoed over.

The attic was at the end of the hallway, usually obscured by potted plants. One would easily miss it without a careful look.

Yun Jinqiu gripped the doorknob and pressed down. As expected, the door was locked. But he remembered that as a child, Shang Wenyi used to hide the key to their "secret base" under the rug. He wondered if that was still the case.

Yun Jinqiu bent down and lifted the rug. Under the faint light, he saw a gleaming key. Yun Jinqiu was utterly surprised.

After all these years, Shang Wenyi hadn't changed one bit.

Yun Jinqiu chuckled softly and picked up the key.

The key weighed only a few grams, yet it felt heavy in his hand. Was this the weight of their childhood?

Holding his breath, Yun Jinqiu slowly pushed the door open—not for any particular reason, but mainly to avoid stirring up dust.

The attic was pitch black. Yun Jinqiu fumbled around until he found the light switch.

As the light flickered on, the room was suddenly revealed.

However, upon closer inspection, Yun Jinqiu realized the attic was different from what he remembered.

As a child, this attic had been filled with toys. Now, it was covered in photographs. Countless pictures were pasted on the walls and hung from the beams, so densely that Yun Jinqiu felt a chill run down his spine. He stepped closer to examine them and was shocked to discover that every photo was of him.

Him eating, him sleeping, him painting, him swimming. Him participating in various competitions. Every significant—and insignificant—moment of his life had been meticulously captured and preserved in frames, arranged chronologically.

Yun Jinqiu recoiled in horror.

Who had taken these photos? From what angles? Why had he never noticed?

A chilling sense of being watched washed over him. Yun Jinqiu swallowed hard.

There was no doubt in his mind—the person who had taken these photos and stored them in the attic could only be Shang Wenyi.

But why would Shang Wenyi...

Yun Jinqiu regretted his curiosity. It would have been better if he had never come in.

No matter who had taken them, these photos were utterly disturbing.

Suppressing his complex emotions, Yun Jinqiu slowly backed out of the room.

He would pretend nothing had happened today. After all, he was leaving tomorrow.

Exiting the attic, he gently closed the door and let out a long sigh. But as he turned, he unexpectedly bumped into a solid figure.

Startled, Yun Jinqiu looked back. Shang Wenyi stood there, pale-faced, staring at him.

Yun Jinqiu's heart raced. "You..."

"You saw everything?" Shang Wenyi's voice trembled.

Yun Jinqiu was momentarily speechless, trying to figure out how to respond. Then, he raised his hand and slapped Shang Wenyi across the face.

"I never imagined you'd be this kind of person. You're a pervert!"

Yun Jinqiu pushed Shang Wenyi away and turned to run downstairs. Shang Wenyi snapped out of it and immediately grabbed Yun Jinqiu's arm.

"You know why I did all this—it's because I like you! I love you!" Shang Wenyi yelled frantically. These words had been buried in his heart for so long that he thought he would take them to his grave. Now, he had finally spoken them aloud.

Yun Jinqiu stiffened at these words and wrenched his arm harder to break free from Shang Wenyi's grip.

"That's disgusting! I thought of you as a brother, but you—"

Shang Wenyi's face turned so pale it seemed almost transparent, as if he might disappear at any moment. He tightened his grip on Yun Jinqiu's arm, afraid that Yun Jinqiu would leave. He knew that if Yun Jinqiu walked away now, he would never forgive himself.

"Let go!" Yun Jinqiu snapped, frowning.

Shang Wenyi took a deep breath, made up his mind, and pulled Yun Jinqiu into a hug.

Yun Jinqiu went rigid and struggled frantically.

"Let me go! I want to go home!"

Shang Wenyi clenched his jaw without a word, scooped Yun Jinqiu up, and carried him into the bedroom. He locked the door behind him.

Yun Jinqiu’s panic surged as he eyed Shang Wenyi warily, asking, "What are you trying to do?"

Shang Wenyi let out a bitter chuckle and gently laid Yun Jinqiu on the bed. His slender fingers softly stroked Yun Jinqiu's hair as he spoke.

"It's too late now. You should rest well. I'll stay here with you."

Hearing this, Yun Jinqiu felt a chill run down his spine. "No, I don’t need you to stay. I just want to go home."

Shang Wenyi was silent for a while, acting as if he hadn’t heard.

"We'll talk tomorrow."

"Shang Wenyi!" Yun Jinqiu sat up in bed. "What exactly do you want?"

Shang Wenyi faced away from Yun Jinqiu and closed his eyes. He said softly, "I should be asking you that. What exactly do you want?"

"Why? We’ve been so close since we were kids. Just because I like you, you start hating me, giving me the cold shoulder. Why?"

Shang Wenyi looked at Yun Jinqiu with sorrow. The red mark from the slap on his face was especially visible under the dim nightlight.

Yun Jinqiu opened his mouth but found himself at a loss for words. He could only give a cold laugh.

"Is this how you treat someone you like? Who sneaks pictures of the person they like and collects them?"

"Shang Wenyi would," Shang Wenyi said firmly.

Yun Jinqiu: "..." He had always suspected that Shang Wenyi might not be entirely stable mentally. Now, after seeing those photos, he was even more convinced. Perhaps Shang Wenyi should see a therapist.

"Just let me go..." Yun Jinqiu said, trying to stay calm. "If you let me go, I’ll pretend nothing happened. We can still be good brothers in the future."

"No," Shang Wenyi shook his head, dejected. "You’re lying to me. If I let you leave now, you’ll never speak to me again."

Yun Jinqiu fell silent. He had to admit, Shang Wenyi knew him well.

"Fine, I’ll sleep now. Don’t wake me," Yun Jinqiu conceded. He lay down, turned over, and pulled the blanket tight around himself.

Seeing this, Shang Wenyi let out a sigh of relief. He reached out and patted Yun Jinqiu’s back. "Sleep well."

Yun Jinqiu closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep. Within half an hour, he was sound asleep.

Listening to Yun Jinqiu’s even breathing, Shang Wenyi felt a warmth in his heart. Just like when they were children, he took off his shoes, climbed onto the bed, and hugged Yun Jinqiu from behind, reveling in the quiet.

The next morning, Yun Jinqiu woke up feeling something heavy on him. Suspicious, he glanced back and saw Shang Wenyi’s handsome face. Everything that had happened the night before flooded back to him, leaving him speechless.

Shang Wenyi had always been a light sleeper, especially in situations like this. Even the slightest movement from Yun Jinqiu could wake him.

"Awake?" Shang Wenyi asked gently.

Yun Jinqiu nodded.

"Then I’ll make you breakfast," Shang Wenyi said, getting up. Yun Jinqiu originally thought he would finally be able to leave, but Shang Wenyi locked the door behind him, leaving no chance to escape.

Yun Jinqiu: "Are you planning to keep me locked up forever?"

Shang Wenyi looked conflicted. "I don’t know."

Author's Note: