Moonlight Left Behind chapter 2
The key in Lin Qinzhou’s hand was for room 202, right next to the small terrace, which could be said to be the best-positioned room in the whole guesthouse. He didn’t know how he got so lucky to snag such a good deal.
He remembered wanting to stay in this room as a child, but his grandmother wouldn’t allow it because good rooms were meant for guests.
He had arranged to meet Tang Jingyu in the lobby at 6:30. With some time to spare, he quickly tidied up his luggage and went to the small terrace to enjoy some fresh air. When it was almost time, he took his phone and keys and headed downstairs.
The stairs were wooden, creaking as he walked. When he was younger, he was scared of that sound, always thinking the boards might suddenly break, and he would fall and get hurt.
As he grew older, he loved stepping on the stairs, laughing and having fun. If his memory served correctly, he should have had a friend who often played with him, but that friend seemed to dislike his antics, always chasing after him, telling him to quiet down.
But Lin Qinzhou would never listen. The more he was told not to play, the more energetic he became. The nickname “Coral Island’s Mischief Maker” wasn’t given for nothing. He wondered how that friend ever tolerated him.
Later, they lost contact, probably because the other person was fed up with him.
Now, the lobby was mostly empty; Tang Jingyu hadn’t come down yet, and only the receptionist was chatting with another girl sitting nearby.
Lin Qinzhou stole a glance and realized that the person speaking with the receptionist was actually a young man, hidden behind the front desk, so he couldn’t see him clearly—only a glimpse of his long, sleek black hair.
As he got downstairs, he realized he had made a big mistake. The person talking to the receptionist was actually a young man.
However, this man had a face that was more beautiful than most girls, with dark eyes, slightly red at the corners, naturally raised eyebrows, and when he looked over at Lin Qinzhou, his gaze seemed lazy and relaxed, reminiscent of a cat basking in the spring sun on a roof.
He seemed to have very noble lineage.
Lin Qinzhou felt inexplicably flustered, walked over to greet the receptionist, and nodded at the man. That was when he realized the man was actually sitting in a wheelchair.
Such a handsome man…
Should one say that heaven is fair or unfair? Lin Qinzhou felt some inexplicable frustration, his brows furrowing deeply.
The man’s gaze lingered on his face for a moment before withdrawing, turning to the receptionist, “Is this the new guest?”
“Yes, boss, this is Mr. Lin who checked in half an hour ago.”
Boss.
So he was the current owner of the guesthouse.
The man’s eyes lightly swept over Lin Qinzhou’s face again, then he extended his hand and politely nodded, “Hello, Mr. Lin. I’m the owner of Fubai, my surname is Qin. I’m very glad you chose our guesthouse among so many guesthouses. I wish you a pleasant stay.”
Boss Qin’s hand was as attractive as his face, with prominent wrist bones and long, slender fingers, even his nails were a beautiful pink.
Lin Qinzhou unconsciously stared at this hand for a long time until the man called him again, “Mr. Lin?” He quickly touched the other’s hand, “Hello.”
“Lin Qinzhou, why are you down so early?” Tang Jingyu leaned over the second-floor railing and shouted at him, then hurriedly ran down. The wooden stairs creaked under his feet, making a sound that was somewhat grating to the ears.
He also saw the guesthouse owner sitting in a wheelchair, curiously observing, “Who is this?”
The receptionist introduced them again. Tang Jingyu had loved beautiful things since childhood, and upon seeing such a handsome man as Boss Qin, he couldn’t help but take a few more glances. As he looked, he lost his composure and said, “Boss Qin, your leg—”
Boss Qin glanced at his own leg, following Tang Jingyu’s line of sight, and smiled, “It’s nothing, I had an accident when I was in my twenties, and it got disabled.”
His expression was calm, as if he really didn’t care about such matters. However, Lin Qinzhou felt a sudden stab in his heart and shot a warning glance at his friend. The latter also realized that his question was offensive and repeatedly apologized.
“It’s okay, Mr. Tang need not worry. I’ve gotten used to it over the years.” Boss Qin had a very good temper and comforted him in return, making Tang Jingyu feel even more embarrassed.
After chatting for a few more sentences, Boss Qin learned that they were planning to go out for a meal, so he said, “I’m about to eat with Xiao Yao. If you don’t mind, why don’t we eat together?”
After a day of traveling, they were already hungry and tired, so they naturally welcomed the owner’s suggestion.
Tang Jingyu: “Sure, that would be great!”
Since the dishes were prepared for himself, they were all simple home-cooked styles: each person had a bowl of satay noodles, a plate of thin pancakes, a plate of stir-fried seasonal vegetables, and a bowl of seafood soup.
The four of them sat around a small square table. Tang Jingyu quickly grabbed the seat opposite the receptionist, Xiao Yao, so Lin Qinzhou naturally sat face to face with Boss Qin.
Tang Jingyu was quite talkative, quickly making Xiao Yao laugh continuously, while Lin Qinzhou remained overly quiet. Boss Qin kept his head down eating, not looking towards Lin Qinzhou, as if he hadn’t heard Tang Jingyu’s cold jokes at all. His expression was calm and quiet.
However, Lin Qinzhou couldn’t help but keep glancing at him, only to find himself staring again.
For some reason, he always felt an inexplicable familiarity with the boss, but despite thinking for a long time, he couldn’t find a reason for it in his memory.
It must be an illusion. After all, someone like the boss would leave a deep impression if they had truly interacted before—something unforgettable for a lifetime.
He was just too handsome.
No one who saw someone like him could forget.
“What’s wrong, Mr. Lin? Is the food not to your liking?” Perhaps he finally sensed the gaze fixed on him, Boss Qin raised his head while finishing his portion and flashed Lin Qinzhou a proud yet polite smile, “Sorry for inviting you without asking.”
Lin Qinzhou wanted to say no.
In fact, this simple dinner was very much to his taste, especially the bowl of satay noodles in front of him. In the first few years after leaving Coral Island, he often thought about this place and would run to Chinatown or other Chinese restaurants to order satay noodles.
The result was, of course, disappointing; no matter how well-decorated the restaurant was, they couldn’t make a bowl of authentic satay noodles.
But today’s bowl tasted very much like what his grandmother used to make.
Unfortunately, while the taste was right, his mind wandered, causing him to eat somewhat tastelessly.
Lin Qinzhou felt a bit guilty, lowered his eyes to pick up a chopstick of noodles, and endured the scorching pain in his cheeks, pretending to be calm as he said, “No, it’s very delicious. I’m just a bit seasick and my stomach feels uncomfortable.”
Boss Qin seemed surprised by his answer, raising his eyebrow slightly. “Really?” His voice was very soft, almost a whisper.
This made Lin Qinzhou suddenly feel a strange sensation, as if Boss Qin was not satisfied with his response and was somewhat annoyed.
But this was too puzzling. Lin Qinzhou thought, what does it matter to the boss whether I feel seasick or not? Why would he be unhappy about such a thing?
Lin Qinzhou felt like he was losing his mind. He resisted the urge to look at the boss again and slowly continued to eat the noodles.
However, he wasn’t entirely lying to the boss; he had emptied his stomach at the dock, and now, putting food in was making him feel uncomfortable.
“If you can’t eat, don’t force yourself.” Suddenly, a hand reached over and intercepted his bowl of noodles. “The kitchen is making millet porridge; I’ll have Xiao Yao bring you a bowl later.”
Xiao Yao, who was chewing on a pancake, paused her movements, “Boss?”
Boss Qin cast her a glance, and Xiao Yao immediately understood: “Ah, yes, Mr. Lin, just tell me when you want to drink it, and I’ll bring it over for you!”
“Actually, there’s no need to go to so much trouble; I’m not very hungry,” Lin Qinzhou didn’t notice the small exchange between them and lightly placed his chopsticks back into the bowl, his gaze unintentionally brushing over Boss Qin’s face again.
He had never realized he was such a visual person, but he found himself inexplicably attracted to Boss Qin. He didn’t know if he had been infected by Tang Jingyu.
“It’s no trouble at all. Xiao Yao tends to be heavy-handed and cooked too much. If you don’t drink it, it’ll be a waste.”
Since the host said so, Lin Qinzhou couldn’t refuse any longer. “Then I’ll trouble you. Thank you.”
Boss Qin didn’t respond, slightly turning his head to stare at the big banyan tree in the courtyard, as if lost in thought. After a moment, he turned back and nodded to Lin Qinzhou and Tang Jingyu, saying, “You two take your time; I’ll excuse myself first.”
“Hey, Boss Qin, can’t we chat a bit more? It’s still early,” Tang Jingyu urged.
It was indeed still early; Lin Qinzhou glanced at the time on his phone—just past 7:30. He hadn’t expected that their meal had lasted an hour.
“No, I can’t stay up too late,” the man replied.
“Really…?” Tang Jingyu was momentarily taken aback. It was just this early, and he said he couldn’t stay up? What about people like him who slept at one or two in the morning?
But thinking of the boss’s legs, he understood. The boss probably wasn’t in good health. “Well then, Boss Qin, see you tomorrow.”
“Hmm, see you tomorrow.” He directed his response at Tang Jingyu, but his gaze swept past Lin Qinzhou’s face, lingering for two or three seconds.
Lin Qinzhou felt his face heat up inexplicably, his ears burning as if they were on fire. Boss Qin had a small black mole under his left eye, near the bridge of his nose, which Lin Qinzhou found himself staring at, feeling as if that little mole had landed on his heart with the man’s fleeting glance.
He heard himself whisper softly, “See you tomorrow,” followed by “Good night.”