Chapter 17: The Moon Never Closes Its Eyes

Page 1 of 3

Chapter 17: The Moon Never Closes Its Eyes

In the gentlest tone, he said words that allowed no refusal.

Then he placed the sliced fruit in her hands. “Take it and eat.”

Bai Li accepted it instinctively.

The warmth of the boy’s fingers still lingered on the top of her head.

For a moment, her mind went blank. Her cheeks grew faintly hot as she struggled to suppress the surge of emotion rising within her.

She did not know what was happening to her, and in her panic, she tried to find the most reasonable explanation for this strange feeling.

Perhaps this was simply the charm of a handsome man.

Even as his little sister, she could not help being dazzled by him.

Without realizing it, she followed his instructions and left the kitchen.

Once Bai Li had gone out, Fang Ye quietly slid the glass door shut.

He found it rather novel. While everyone else was racking their brains trying to make children more sensible and obedient, he was the only one doing his best to make this child a little more reckless and unruly.

At such a young age, youth could not be allowed to consist only of frustration and sorrow.

…

Bai Li crouched gently in front of the kitten.

She carefully lifted it out, stroking its white fur with one hand while eating a slice of red-fleshed watermelon with the other. All the while, she kept replaying Fang Ye’s words in her mind.

Was that so? What a pity that we aren’t biological siblings.

She felt a little sad in the face of that reality.

Only now, after all these years, had she realized that the two people who had been closest since childhood did not even share the faintest trace of blood relation.

But perhaps because she was in a different environment, her state of mind had shifted ever so slightly.

A voice began to sprout in her heart and quickly took root, breaking through the dull gloom.

So what?

A biological mother could treat you like a stepmother, while a stepbrother with no blood relation could still be a true older brother.

…

Fang Ye was reheating the dishes.

She played with the cat alone. Though she still felt somewhat awkward, the restless unease that had plagued her was gone.

Time passed second by second.

“Bang!”

Chengzi and the others suddenly shoved open the front door. The rattling of the door startled Bai Li.

“Oh no, you’re far too rough. You scared our little sister.”

Seeing the frightened look on Bai Li’s face, Chengzi pretended to glare unhappily at the people who had come in behind him. He patted her head soothingly, though his touch was much heavier than Fang Ye’s.

Page 1 of 3

Page 2 of 3

“You shameless bastard. Who was it that opened the door?” Little Bai burst out laughing. He was carrying several bottles of drinks, which he casually set on the table before saying to Bai Li, “Little sister, see if there’s anything you’d like. If not, I’ll go buy something else.”

Bai Li rose to her feet with a polite smile. “Thank you. Anything is fine.”

As soon as Little Bai arrived, the kitten stepped on Bai Li’s hand and leaped onto him.

It truly was his cat. The two of them embraced each other with extraordinary familiarity.

Little Ying had also brought a chocolate cake. He plopped himself down on the sofa and said, “Thanks for inviting us to dinner.”

Bai Li wanted to deny it.

From shopping for the ingredients to preparing the meal, everything had been Fang Ye’s doing. She had contributed nothing at all.

She was just about to speak when Fang Ye came out and interrupted her.

He glanced at the three of them and said flatly, “Dinner’s ready.”

The dining table had been set up in the backyard, and there were an astonishing number of dishes. It truly looked like a proper thank-you banquet.

Bai Li instinctively felt that their usual meals probably were not so elaborate. Fang Ye had deliberately created this level of formality, making it seem as though she had arranged everything.

Chengzi opened the beer and poured a glass for everyone.

Just as he had done before, he poured one for Bai Li as well.

While Fang Ye was upstairs getting cigarettes, Chengzi coaxed her with a beaming smile. “Little sister, want to try some?”

Bai Li had never tasted alcohol in her life. She had heard the older girls who were always boasting behind her in class say that alcohol was bitter and unpleasant.

Yet whenever her mother’s life became unbearable, she would yearn for a single glass late at night.

That contradiction made Bai Li curious.

She boldly took the glass and had a sip. Her expression barely changed.

It really was not very good. Besides the bitterness, there was a faint sourness to it.

But calling it unpleasant seemed a little too harsh. It was not so difficult to swallow.

Teenagers were especially wary of forbidden things they were not supposed to touch.

She thought that since she had already drunk it, she might as well have another taste and figure out what it was supposed to taste like.

She drained the entire glass.

Still, she could not understand what was supposed to be good about it.

Holding the empty glass, she looked up at Chengzi, trying to ask for more.

But Chengzi held the bottle out of reach and refused to pour another glass. Wearing the standard grin of a villain, he said, “That’s enough. One taste is all you need. You’re obviously drinking for the first time. Have any more and you’ll get drunk.”

Bai Li was willing to listen. She set down the glass and began eating her rice.

But two minutes later, the alcohol began to take effect. Her ears turned so red they seemed capable of dripping blood.

It felt as though something damp and heavy had lodged itself in her chest. Breathing became difficult, and she felt unbearably stifled.

She was not dizzy, and her hands were not trembling. Her emotions were merely running a little high.

She could still eat as though nothing were wrong.

When Fang Ye came downstairs, he was quickly pulled into the drinking. He held a glass in his hand, the corner of his eye falling on the girl’s glass.

Page 2 of 3

Page 3 of 3

A thin layer of foam clung to the empty glass.

A little beer remained at the bottom.

It was the coolest part of midsummer, and the weather was hardly hot enough to be oppressive. The girl quietly ate her meal, occasionally lifting her head to listen to the young men’s boasting with those bright, limpid eyes. She smiled politely, but two unnatural patches of red stained her cheeks.

He withdrew his gaze and emptied his glass.

Then he pulled several more bottles of liquor from behind him, opened them one after another, set them before Chengzi, and repeatedly clinked glasses with him.

Everyone around them had long since grown tired of Chengzi’s trick of coaxing a child into drinking. They formed a united front and began drinking against him from all sides.

An hour later, Chengzi had been thoroughly defeated. His eyes were barely open as he hugged the bottle and giggled.

“Brother Ye, let me off.”

Fang Ye had drunk just as much, yet he seemed completely unaffected. His gaze remained mild, and he never once looked at Bai Li.

“I think you hold your liquor rather well.”

A drinker should never be praised. One compliment, and they would float straight into the heavens.

Chengzi raised his glass. “It’s rare for you to praise me. Damn it, drink!”

Bai Li could not help laughing.

The students around her were all crushed beneath the weight of their studies, struggling even to breathe. It was rare for her to witness such a vivid, lively scene.

While marveling at Fang Ye’s capacity for alcohol, she also felt that he was different from the other boys.

He did not possess quite so much youthful fervor. Even when he was happy, his happiness was never complete.

One thing was certain: his past had not been easy.

Every scar on his body seemed like evidence that life had secretly left behind for him.

She lowered her head and thought, When people drink too much, they tell the truth afterward, don’t they?

Hopefully, she would get the chance to talk with Brother Chengzi about what things had been like in the past.

So whenever Fang Ye suggested that Bai Li go inside to rest and stop sitting outside in the breeze, she refused each time on the grounds that she had not eaten her fill.

Fang Ye did not say whether he believed her. He simply let her remain seated beside him.

From time to time, he refilled her glass with coconut milk.

He also told her to go upstairs and get some clothes if she became cold.

When the drinking finally ended, Chengzi was completely drunk. He lay sprawled over the table, surrendering with a raised white flag.

Little Bai and the others ignored him. Laughing and shouting, they went into the living room, intending to let him sober up in the breeze before taking him away later.

Bai Li sat in the living room for a while, then quietly slipped out of everyone’s sight.

Fang Ye raised an eyebrow, taking in every detail of her little maneuver.

To all the dear readers who would like to support the novel, please try to keep following it as much as possible. I’m begging you—these numbers are very important.

Tomorrow’s events are sure to be even more exciting.

Do you think the story is good? I’m a little nervous about this update and would love to hear your thoughts.

End of Chapter