Moonlight Left Behind chapter 7

But the next day, Lin Qinzhou didn’t see Xiao Yao. She had been called home late at night, and it was Boss Qin who made breakfast again.

It was during breakfast that Lin Qinzhou learned more about Xiao Yao’s family situation. She was the eldest of four, with three younger brothers.

Her father had an accident years ago while fishing and had been in poor health ever since. Her mother stayed home to care for him and the children, and the family of six depended on Xiao Yao’s job at the guesthouse.

“Back then, Xiao Yao had just finished middle school, and I had only recently taken over the guesthouse. We…” Qin Yue, who was sitting nearby and peeling some lotus seeds, paused and smiled helplessly. “We were a paralyzed rookie and a little girl barely ten years old. It’s a miracle the guesthouse didn’t go bankrupt under our care.”

It was rare for him to show such visible emotion. Lin Qinzhou listened quietly, feeling as if a hand was gently squeezing his heart, making it ache a little.

It wasn’t hard to imagine how tough that time must have been for Qin Yue.

But he also noticed something: “A rookie? Was that when your legs…”

He knew it was rude to ask, especially since they weren’t even friends yet, but he couldn’t help it. He was dying to know.

Qin Yue gave him a long, deep look but said nothing, continuing to peel the lotus seeds.

The seeds had dried from their original bright green to a dark green, almost black. Qin poured them from a small bamboo tray into a sachet-like cloth bag, tied it up, and placed it on the table, pushing it toward Lin Qinzhou.

Lin Qinzhou froze for a moment, hesitant to take it. “For me?”

“Yes, steep it in water. It’ll calm your mind and help you relax.”

Only then did Lin Qinzhou tightly grasp the small sachet in his hand. “Thank you.”

Qin Yue simply smiled and didn’t respond. Lin Qinzhou knew this meant he didn’t want to discuss the topic any further.

But did that mean he was indirectly confirming it?

If so, it was all too coincidental. His grandma had passed away, Qin Yue had been injured, Lin Qinzhou had left Coral Island due to illness, and then his grandma transferred the guesthouse to Qin Yue… everything had happened around the same time.

Was there a connection? Did his grandma transfer the guesthouse to Qin Yue first, or did Qin Yue get injured first?

So had his grandma known Qin Yue for a while? Or had Lin Qinzhou known him before?

Lin Qinzhou’s mind was a mess, with countless questions swirling around, making his head spin. His palms started to sweat, but this time it wasn’t from nervousness, it was from discomfort.

He hadn’t taken his medication in a while, but now he felt he needed some paroxetine.

“Mr. Lin?” Boss Qin wheeled closer to Lin Qinzhou and placed his hands on his shoulders. “Are you alright, Mr. Lin?”

“I’m fine.” Qin Yue’s voice soothed Lin Qinzhou’s emotions instantly, and he instinctively placed his hand over the one on his shoulder. Qin Yue’s hand was still cold, an unusual temperature for the season.

But he soon pulled his hand back discreetly, looking at Lin Qinzhou. “You don’t look well, though.”

“Maybe I didn’t sleep well last night.”

“I see.” Qin Yue didn’t seem to fully believe him but still looked at him for a while before lowering his gaze. Then, looking at Lin Qinzhou’s fingers, he smiled and said, “Very cute.”

Lin Qinzhou had forgotten about the injury on his hand until now. Following Qin Yue’s gaze, he moved his fingers and laughed, “Yeah, it must take a pretty interesting person to pick such a cute design.”

His band-aid had a corgi print, something you’d expect a girl to like. If Xiao Yao hadn’t snitched, Lin Qinzhou never would’ve associated that box of band-aids with Qin Yue.

That small, flat box had somehow pulled Boss Qin down from his lofty pedestal, making him seem more grounded and approachable. Suddenly, he didn’t seem so far away.

“Probably,” Qin Yue replied softly, more to himself than in response to Lin Qinzhou. Lin Qinzhou found it strange but couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

Did Boss Qin not think of himself as an interesting person? Lin Qinzhou thought that was some serious lack of self-awareness.

“If you’re not feeling well, you should stay in and rest today. Coral Island will still be here, it’s not going anywhere.”

Lin Qinzhou had noticed something: when Qin Yue didn’t want to talk about something, he’d either go silent or abruptly change the subject.

Sure, many people did that, but Qin Yue had a way of doing it so naturally that you couldn’t even be mad at him.

The weather forecast had predicted a cloudy day, but during breakfast, it suddenly started pouring rain outside. Many tourists stood at the doorway watching the rain, grumbling about how it might ruin their plans for the day.

Lin Qinzhou stacked the bowls and plates, his hands still trembling slightly. In this state, it really wasn’t a good idea to go out; he needed to go back to his room and take his meds.

“Alright then.”

Qin Yue nodded slightly. “No need to move those, I’ll handle it.”

“Boss Qin,” Lin Qinzhou looked him in the eye, “if you keep treating me like this, I’ll start to feel like I’m special to you.”

These words were simply too bold and too impulsive, like a rash young man who had just fallen in love. However, if you overlook the strange abbreviation on the guitar, he truly hadn’t liked anyone before. Approaching 30, it seemed understandable for him to act on impulse.

Isn’t there a song that says, “If you don’t go crazy now, you’ll be old soon”?

Suddenly, he really wanted to go crazy for once.

Qin Yue fell silent again, staring at him with a heavy gaze. It was very dark outside, and the warm orange lights illuminated the hall. The pouring rain gradually cooled down Lin Qinzhou’s restless heart.

He knew there was no way to expect the answer he wanted to hear. So, he said, “I’ll head back to my room first,” and then carried the bowls and dishes into the kitchen.

When he came out, Qin Yue was no longer in his original spot, nor was he in the front desk. Lin Qinzhou couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

Tang Jingyu probably overslept, as it was already a quarter past nine and he still hadn’t come down. So, Lin Qinzhou gave him a call.

It took a while for the other side to pick up: “Uh, Lin Qinzhou, wait for me. I’ll be down in a minute!” His voice was muffled, as if he was brushing his teeth.

“It’s fine, no rush. I just wanted to let you know that it’s raining heavily outside, and I’m not feeling well. Maybe we should rest for half the day. Or if you still want to go out—”

“Go out? In the rain? To get soaked? No thanks, it’s perfect weather to sleep in.” Tang Jingyu spat out the foam and said, “But Lin, I’m really tired of your politeness. Do you think just because you’re a PhD now, you’re on a different level and need to distance yourself from me?”

The two of them were under the same mentor during their graduate studies and had always had a good relationship. But after graduating, Tang Jingyu returned to China while Lin Qinzhou continued with his PhD, only returning this month. The person who picked him up from the airport was none other than Tang Jingyu.

Lin Qinzhou had already reached the door, but stopped in his tracks: “What are you talking about? I just feel bad that I’m affecting your plans.”

“Don’t feel bad, man. If we’re friends, let’s cut the nonsense.” Over the phone, there were sounds of shuffling, as if Tang Jingyu had thrown himself back onto the bed. “Besides, I’ve always felt you’re not really like this.”

Lin Qinzhou smiled more openly: “Then what should I be like?”

“I don’t know, but just not like this. I’ve always felt that way since we first met.” Tang Jingyu said.

Unlike Lin Qinzhou, who had lived abroad since finishing high school, Tang Jingyu had never been overseas before graduate school.

His once proud English faltered when faced with a crowd of blue-eyed, blonde foreigners. Even when buying food at McDonald’s, he had said “pipe” instead of “straw,” leaving the server confused for ages about what he wanted.

There were also two other Chinese people behind him, laughing at him loudly and openly. Tang Jingyu was so embarrassed he didn’t know what to do. The more nervous he got, the blanker his mind became. Apart from that damn “pipe,” he couldn’t think of any English words and was about to flee.

—If Lin Qinzhou hadn’t stepped in to save him.

At the time, Tang Jingyu hadn’t recognized the person in the line to his left. It wasn’t until Lin Qinzhou walked up to him, handed him a straw, and said in Chinese to the two people behind him, “I hope you both have smooth sailing in life and never face any difficulties where you’d need help from others.”

It sounded like a blessing, but… well, the Chinese language is profound and nuanced.

The faces of the two Chinese students behind them turned dark with anger, but Tang Jingyu felt vindicated and happily followed Lin Qinzhou out of the McDonald’s.

Lin Qinzhou, who seemed unapproachable, was actually very good-tempered. He even gave Tang Jingyu his phone number and said he could call if he ever needed anything. From then on, they gradually became close, eventually becoming good friends.

Although, over time, Tang Jingyu realized that Lin Qinzhou’s true personality was very different from what he’d shown that day at McDonald’s, he never expected Lin Qinzhou would get such an illness.

“So, what’s wrong with you? Are you okay?”

“It’s nothing major, just didn’t sleep well last night, so I’ve got a bit of a headache. A nap will fix it.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Alright then, so today’s plan is to sleep. As for the afternoon… we’ll see.”