Chapter 18 The Moon Is Beautiful Tonight

Chapter 18: The Moonlight Is Beautiful Tonight

Lin Xishan pulled the USB drive out of his computer, spun it between his fingers a couple of times, then tucked it into the innermost compartment of his backpack.

He wasn't in a hurry to confront Ye Jiaonan.

The reason was simple—he still couldn't be a hundred percent sure that when he faced Ye Jiaonan in person, that "people-pleaser persona" wouldn't rear its head again.

Pei Zhi wasn't always by his side. He needed a safer, more foolproof plan.

On Friday afternoon, Lin Xishan went to Professor Chen's project team as usual.

The atmosphere in the meeting room was slightly strained.

A few grad students looked at him with a look of hesitant curiosity, as if they wanted to ask something. Shen Zhiyi, for her part, greeted him openly, but didn't bring up the forum post.

It was Professor Chen who asked him to stay after the meeting.

"Xiao Lin," Professor Chen said, taking off his reading glasses and looking at him. "I saw the post on the school forum."

Lin Xishan hadn't expected Professor Chen to pay attention to something like that. He froze for a moment. "Professor, those are all just—"

"I know they're just rumors," Professor Chen interrupted, his tone calm. "I've lived a long life—I can tell what kind of person someone is at a glance. You joined my project team because you have the ability, not for any other shady reasons."

"Thank you, Professor," Lin Xishan said with genuine sincerity.

"Don't thank me." Professor Chen waved a hand. "I didn't ask you to stay to comfort you. I wanted to tell you something."

He looked Lin Xishan in the eye, speaking slowly and deliberately: "In academia—and everywhere else, for that matter—you'll run into this kind of smear campaign more often. You can choose to endure it, or you can choose to fight back. But no matter what you choose, remember this: your talent is your trump card. As long as you hold your ground, those rumors can't hurt you."

Lin Xishan nodded seriously. "I'll remember that. Thank you, Professor."

As he walked out of the office, his phone vibrated. He pulled it out and saw a message from Pei Zhi:

"Gig tonight. You coming?"

Lin Xishan remembered what happened in the rehearsal room last time, and the corner of his mouth lifted involuntarily:

"Didn't you say you needed to focus on writing a new song this week and that I shouldn't come bother you?"

"Did I say that? Don't remember."

Lin Xishan stared at that line and couldn't help but laugh. What a bold "don't remember"—shamelessly going back on his word.

"Lin Xishan: Alright, what time?"

"Pei Zhi: Nine. Same place."

"Lin Xishan: Got it."

At nine o'clock that evening, Lin Xishan arrived at "Undercurrent" right on time.

Same corner. Same bouquet of daisies.

Pei Zhi's performance tonight was crazier than usual.

The crowd shouted his name, the noise nearly blowing the roof off.

Lin Xishan stood in the corner watching him, and suddenly remembered the Pei Zhi in that shabby rental—curled up under the blanket, only half his head visible, sleeping as peacefully as a cat with its claws tucked in.

Two completely different versions of Pei Zhi, and only he had seen both.

After the show ended, Lin Xishan took the flowers to the backstage area. This time, he went straight to the dressing room door.

Pei Zhi happened to walk out right then.

He saw Lin Xishan, stopped mid-stride, and his gaze landed on the bouquet of daisies in his arms.

"For you." Lin Xishan handed the flowers over.

Pei Zhi took them, glanced down, and said flatly: "Daisies again."

"You don't like them?"

"...No, I do."

He walked ahead holding the flowers, with Lin Xishan trailing after him. They passed through the corridor and exited through the back door.

Outside the back door was a narrow alley, with a motorcycle parked under a streetlight. Pei Zhi set the flowers down carefully, then swung onto the bike and turned to look at Lin Xishan.

"Get on," he said bluntly.

Lin Xishan climbed onto the back seat, his hands naturally resting on Pei Zhi's waist.

Pei Zhi's body stiffened slightly, but he didn't say anything. He fired up the engine.

The motorcycle didn't head toward Pei Zhi's rental. It turned down a street Lin Xishan didn't recognize, finally stopping in front of an unfamiliar apartment building.

Lin Xishan took off his helmet, looked at the building, then looked at Pei Zhi: "Where is this?"

Pei Zhi locked the bike, took the flowers out of the under-seat storage, and walked toward the building without looking back: "My place. Didn't you say last time I should move somewhere that isn't so drafty?"

Lin Xishan was stunned.

He had said that. The first time he visited Pei Zhi's rundown rental, he'd casually mentioned "at least move somewhere that isn't so drafty."

He thought it was just a throwaway comment. He didn't think Pei Zhi would take it seriously.

Lin Xishan followed Pei Zhi into the building, took the elevator up to the twelfth floor. Pei Zhi stopped in front of apartment 1203, pulled out his keys, and unlocked the door.

The moment the door opened, Lin Xishan thought he'd walked into the wrong apartment.

The apartment wasn't big—a one-bedroom—but it was clean and bright, fully furnished, and even had a small balcony. No tape patching up the windows, no peeling wallpaper, no concrete floors.

Lin Xishan walked in and looked around: "Pei Zhi, you didn't have to move just because I said something—"

"It wasn't because of you." Pei Zhi cut him off, looking away. "That place needed to be replaced anyway. Cold in winter, leaky in summer. Uncomfortable to live in."

He was lying.

Anyone could see it, but Lin Xishan didn't call him on it.

"Fine." Lin Xishan sat down on the sofa and patted the spot next to him. "Come here."

Pei Zhi hesitated for a moment, then walked over and sat down beside him. Then, out of nowhere, he said: "About the forum post—what are you planning to do?"

Lin Xishan turned to look at him, genuinely taken aback this time: "You know about that too?"

"Zhou-ge told me." Pei Zhi's fingers tapped on his knee. "He has a friend at your school too."

Lin Xishan leaned back into the sofa. "I'm figuring something out."

"Want me to help?"

"No. I already know who did it."

Pei Zhi's gaze darkened. "Ye Jiaonan."

It wasn't a question. It was a statement.

Lin Xishan looked at him, surprised. "How did you know?"

"Just a guess. The way he looks at you—not like a person, but like something that belongs to him." He paused, then added, sounding a little smug, "But you're already mine, so of course he's going crazy."

Lin Xishan found it funny and couldn't help laughing. "Ha, alright, alright, I'm yours. I'll handle this myself—stay out of it."

Pei Zhi frowned. "Why?"

"Because if you get involved, it'll—" Lin Xishan paused, choosing his words, "distract me."

Pei Zhi stared at him for a few seconds, then looked away. "Fine. But if you can't handle it, I'm stepping in."

That sounded exactly like what his brother would say.

Lin Xishan couldn't help but smile. "Why do you two say the same thing?"

"Who else?"

"My roommate."

Pei Zhi's expression changed instantly. "That 'roommate' of yours?"

Lin Xishan realized he'd slipped up and quickly tried to backtrack. "Just a normal roommate. We get along fine. He saw the forum posts too and said he'd help me."

"A guy?"

"Yeah."

Pei Zhi fell silent.

The air suddenly got a little tense.

Lin Xishan could feel Pei Zhi's mood drop—like a dog whose bone had been stolen, radiating displeasure from head to toe.

"Pei Zhi," Lin Xishan sighed, "you're not seriously going to be jealous of my roommate, are you?"

"Who's jealous?" Pei Zhi stood up and walked to the balcony, turning his back to him. "I just think you should handle your own problems. No need for others to get involved."

Mm, what a noble excuse. He almost believed it.

Lin Xishan didn't call him out on it. Instead, he followed him onto the balcony.

"Pei Zhi," Lin Xishan called out.

Pei Zhi didn't respond, but his ear twitched.

Lin Xishan leaned on the railing next to him, their arms almost touching.

"Thanks for caring about me," Lin Xishan said.

Pei Zhi's lashes fluttered slightly. His voice was soft: "Mm."

After a moment of silence, Pei Zhi spoke up. "Lin Xishan."

"Yeah?"

"Why aren't you afraid of me?"

Lin Xishan turned to face him.

Pei Zhi wasn't looking at him. His eyes were fixed on the distant night view, his voice flat. "The first time I met you, I was covered in injuries, getting beaten up in an alley. A normal person would've walked away seeing that. But you didn't. Not only did you not walk away—you helped me fight those guys off, carried me to a hotel, and even paid for the room."

He paused.

"Then later, when I said I wanted to keep you, a normal person would've thought I was crazy and stayed as far away as possible. You didn't. You refused, but you didn't run."

Finally, he turned to look at Lin Xishan.

Moonlight fell on his face. Those phoenix eyes held caution and confusion.

"Why aren't you afraid of me?" he repeated.

"Pei Zhi," Lin Xishan looked up into his eyes, "it's not that I'm not afraid of you. I just think you need someone who isn't afraid of you more than I need to be afraid."

Pei Zhi's body stiffened.

He looked at Lin Xishan, his lips moving like he wanted to say something, but in the end, nothing came out.

He just reached out and grabbed Lin Xishan's wrist.

Not hard, but his fingers were trembling slightly.

The same grip as the first time in that alley, when he'd grabbed Lin Xishan's wrist before passing out.

Lin Xishan didn't pull away. Instead, he turned his hand and laced his fingers with Pei Zhi's.

Pei Zhi's breath caught for a moment. He didn't speak, and he didn't pull away.

The two of them stood there on the balcony, hands intertwined, gazing at the sea of lights in the distance.

After a while, Pei Zhi spoke again. "The forum thing—how are you planning to handle it?"

Lin Xishan didn't withdraw his hand, his tone as casual as if he were talking about what he'd had for dinner. "I have a plan, but it needs time."

"What plan?"

Lin Xishan thought for a moment, then answered, "Let the bullet fly for a while."

Pei Zhi frowned. "What does that mean?"

"It means," Lin Xishan turned to him with a smile, "rumors like this—the wider they spread, the more flaws they reveal. When it can't hold itself up anymore, I'll poke through it. That works better than rushing to clear things up from the start."

Pei Zhi watched him smile, his Adam's apple bobbing as he looked away.

"Whatever you say," he said.

But he didn't let go of Lin Xishan's hand.

The moonlight was beautiful tonight.