Moonlight Left Behind chapter 13

Compared to many times before, his honesty this time was quite remarkable. However, Lin Qinzhou became more demanding and still felt unsatisfied. He squatted down to meet Qin Yue’s gaze directly:

“Boss Qin, do you come to send off every guest leaving the island, or just us?”

Qin Yue’s expression didn’t change, and the hint of urgency in his demeanor had long faded. He calmly replied, “I just happened to pass by.”

“Is that so?” But Lin Qinzhou clearly didn’t believe it. “So you happen to pass by every time a guest leaves?”

This question was indeed too rude, bordering on aggressive. Even Tang Jingyu, who was nearby, couldn’t stand it and came over to pull on his arm. “Lin, what are you talking about?”

Lin Qinzhou, however, remained unmoved. Tang Jingyu felt extremely awkward and could only smile awkwardly as he explained to Qin Yue: “Haha, um, Boss Qin, please don’t mind him. He just woke up on the wrong side of the bed and isn’t thinking straight this morning. Please don’t take it to heart!”

Qin Yue replied indifferently, “I won’t.”

Beep—beep—beep—

With three horn blasts, the ferry had docked, and the tourists waiting on the shore began to line up to board the ship. Lin Qinzhou stayed squatted down, maintaining his gaze on Qin Yue, as if he was waiting for an answer.

Qin Yue did not avoid his gaze and continued to look at him. Eventually, it was Lin Qinzhou who could no longer hold it, averting his eyes and standing up.

He felt that he didn’t understand this person. Sometimes he felt that Qin Yue treated him like an ordinary guest, while other times he sensed that he held a unique place in Qin Yue’s heart. Just like how he rushed over to see him off, but he would not do the same for other guests.

Lin Qinzhou was certain of this.

But what could he do? Qin Yue wouldn’t admit it, and he had to leave.

The weather on the island was unpredictable; it had been sunny just a moment ago, but suddenly dark clouds rolled in, making Lin Qinzhou feel heavy in his chest, and speaking became laborious. He had one hand behind his back, his nails digging into his palm, already feeling a slight prick of pain.

His physical condition had stabilized, and he hadn’t taken medication for many years. Otherwise, Lin Long would never let him return to the country alone. Yet because of the person in front of him, he repeatedly lost control.

Lin Qinzhou didn’t know whether this was good or bad for him.

“I’m leaving,” he said.

Qin Yue nodded calmly, “Mm.”

The ferry was about to set sail, and the staff on the ferry began calling out to the remaining tourists still waiting to board. Tang Jingyu grew anxious and came over to pull Lin Qinzhou, who wasn’t prepared and stumbled back a couple of steps, bumping right into the stone pier.

The person in the wheelchair visibly changed expression but quickly turned his gaze away before Lin Qinzhou could look over, staring down at the blue-and-white cloud-patterned blanket draped over his lap.

The blanket was quite old, with many areas worn down and faded in color. Lin Qinzhou hadn’t thought much of it before, but now he felt a spark of realization: “Is this blanket a gift from your friend?”

Qin Yue quickly admitted, “Yes.”

A blanket had been kept close for so long—now that was quite affectionate. Lin Qinzhou sneered inwardly, turning around and striding toward the boarding area.

Tang Jingyu was puzzled by the strange atmosphere between the two but since the boat was about to leave, he had no choice but to set aside his curiosity and quickly bid farewell to Qin Yue before chasing after Lin Qinzhou, saying, “Hey, Lin, wait for me—”

“Lin.” Qin Yue repeated the word, chuckling after a moment, “It sounds really intimate.”

As the ferry gradually sailed away, Lin Qinzhou stood on the deck, watching the person on the shore grow smaller and smaller until they became just a tiny dot, yet they never really left.

“What were you thinking just now, talking to Boss Qin like that? If someone didn’t know better, they’d think a little wife was interrogating her husband,” Tang Jingyu mimicked, pinching his voice in a strange tone, “Husband, are you just giving me one, or are you giving it to other girls too?”

“Years ago, when the apricot blossoms fell in the light rain, you said you’d see me off at the dock. Maybe I shouldn’t have believed you; actually, you must have sent off thousands of other girls…” He gestured dramatically, covering his face with one hand, pretending to cry, “In the end… it’s my fault, sob sob sob…”

Lin Qinzhou looked at him like he was an idiot: “Are you crazy?”

“Ah, I just wanted to cheer you up,” Tang Jingyu finally returned to normal, putting his arm around his friend’s shoulder, “Look, you’ve been so gloomy these past few days. Do you feel reluctant to leave here?”

Lin Qinzhou opened his mouth, reluctantly admitting, “Yeah.”

“Of course, after all, it’s a place where you lived for so long during your childhood. It’s easy to get emotional when you see it again. It’s natural to feel reluctant, but don’t worry; I’ll come back with you next summer vacation. Seriously, apart from the tricky weather, this place is really nice. The people are beautiful, and the scenery is beautiful too. Who knows, maybe when I’m old, I could move here to retire.”

The figure on the shore had completely disappeared, and Lin Qinzhou closed his eyes, forcing himself to turn away. “Yeah.”

That night, around seven, the two of them arrived tired and dusty in Licheng, checking into an inn in the old town.

They stayed there for almost a week, visiting several of the most famous attractions and experiencing the unique bar culture. Lin Qinzhou was even approached by several people, including two men, who invited him for drinks.

Tang Jingyu found it both funny and annoying, teasing him that he was popular with both genders. Lin Qinzhou, on the other hand, felt helpless and indifferent; no matter if they were men or women, he only had to reject them mercilessly.

The night before leaving Licheng, the two of them were at a bar, listening to a singer strumming a guitar and singing a beautiful folk song. Lin Qinzhou had just rejected a man who wanted to buy him a drink and was absentmindedly twirling the glass in his hand.

“Actually, I’m quite curious about what kind of person you’d like. I feel like I can’t imagine it,” Tang Jingyu joked.

Before going back home, not only Tang Jingyu but even Lin Qinzhou himself wouldn’t have known what kind of person would capture his heart, nor could he imagine living closely with someone.

But now, a specific person had taken shape in his mind. When it came to liking someone or feeling a spark, the first person he thought of was this individual.

He couldn’t forget the look Qin Yue had given him at the dock. At the time, he didn’t have the chance to discern it, but in countless memories afterward, it suggested an exhilarating possibility.

—Qin Yue actually didn’t want to part with him either.

That gaze clearly held a heavy concern, an emotion that Qin Yue had never shown in front of him but accidentally leaked at the moment of their parting.

He increasingly felt that Qin Yue was lying; in fact, they had known each other long before.

In recent days, snippets of memories had been flashing through his mind, all moments spent with Qin Yue from a long time ago.

Back then, they were both around the age that Lin Qinzhou dreamt about, sixteen or seventeen, singing and playing the guitar under a banyan tree in a small courtyard, helping his grandmother tidy the kitchen and organize the rooms. They would sneak out at night to the seaside to collect shells and catch little crabs…

They were all scattered fragments, the faces not so clear, but he could vaguely recognize that it was him and Qin Yue.

However, those images flashed by too quickly for him to confirm whether they had truly happened or if they were just figments of his imagination.

But once the seed of doubt was sown, it was hard to pull out. Lin Qinzhou finished the drink in his glass, glancing at the stage, where the folk singer continued to sing:

“… people like me who are confused, people like me who are searching…”

Once again, Qin Yue’s face flashed before his eyes; the man in the wheelchair looked up at him.

“Jingyu, I’m not going back to Dongcheng with you tomorrow,” he suddenly said.

Tang Jingyu didn’t catch it: “What?”

Lin Qinzhou repeated, “I’m not going back to Dongcheng tomorrow.”

“Ah? Then where are you going?” Tang Jingyu was completely bewildered.

Lin Qinzhou set his glass back on the bar counter. “I’m going back to Coral Island.”