"Like the Moon in the Sky" - Chapter 4
Shen Qinghuai’s WeChat account had a distinctly professional vibe.
His username was simply the capital letter “S”—the first initial of his surname. There was no personal signature, and his Moments were sparse, featuring only a few shared articles about artificial intelligence.
The only lively touch was his profile picture: a white dove perched on an outstretched palm, wings slightly spread as if about to take flight.
Zhu Jinyue almost wondered if he had added her using a work account.
It wasn’t entirely impossible—after all, during their meeting yesterday, he hadn’t asked for her contact information.
Shen Qinghuai seemed gentle and approachable on the surface—
Though not exactly warm on the outside and cold on the inside, he certainly wasn’t easy to get close to.
Ten years ago, when he was just sixteen, she had already found it difficult to read his thoughts, let alone now.
Zhu Jinyue exited his Moments and saved his contact under his full name.
Mingchan hadn’t arrived yet, and her stomach was empty, so she ordered a few pastries first.
The server brought them over quickly. Zhu Jinyue picked one up and had just taken a bite when Shen Qinghuai’s message came through.
Shen Qinghuai: 【Her name is Chu Ruíhé. She’s your brother-in-law’s sister.】
Zhu Jinyue: “?”
She didn’t bother finishing the pastry, holding it between her teeth as she typed rapidly.
Zhu Jinyue: 【Are you kidding me??】
Zhu Jinyue: 【Since when does my brother-in-law have a sister?】
Zhu Jinyue: 【He doesn’t even have a cousin, let alone a biological sister】
There was a brief pause on the other end.
Shen Qinghuai: 【She’s born out of wedlock.】
The pastry nearly fell out of Zhu Jinyue’s mouth.
The Xu family has an illegitimate daughter?
Does her sister know?
Zhu Jinyue exited Shen Qinghuai’s chat and opened her conversation with Zhu Qinghao. She considered making a WeChat call but glanced at the time and decided against it.
Zhu Qinghao, that workaholic, was lucky to squeeze out time for lunch and a nap—better to bring this up tonight.
Given Xu Xing’s capabilities, an illegitimate daughter wouldn’t really affect him, let alone her sister. Besides, Xu Xing’s parents had long been divorced, and since he could bring her out to discuss business with Shen Qinghuai, there probably weren’t any major grudges between the older generation.
Zhu Jinyue reopened her chat with Shen Qinghuai.
After slowly finishing the pastry in her mouth, she sent two more messages.
She grabbed a tissue to wipe her hands.
One mystery solved, but another remained.
Zhu Jinyue typed slowly: 【Are you and my brother-in-law close?】
Shen Qinghuai: 【We’ve collaborated before.】
The world really was strange.
In one way, it felt small—she and Shen Qinghuai hadn’t seen each other in ten years.
In another, it felt vast—Shen Qinghuai seemed connected to everyone in her life.
Her phone vibrated again with a new message.
Shen Qinghuai: 【Anything else you’d like to know?】
Probably not?
As long as it wasn’t an affair, it was fine.
Zhu Jinyue: 【That’s all.】
Zhu Jinyue: 【Thanks.】
Shen Qinghuai: 【Just a matter of convenience ^^】
Zhu Jinyue stared at the little emoticon at the end. It felt cute and oddly suited him.
She didn’t reply further.
No more messages came from the other side.
It was as if adding her was just a casual gesture to help her with a small favour.
“Who are you texting so intently?”
A voice suddenly broke through her thoughts. Zhu Jinyue looked up to find Mingchan already in the private room—she hadn’t even noticed.
“Boyfriend?” Mingchan teased.
Zhu Jinyue shook her head. “No, just a—”
She paused mid-sentence.
Zhu Jinyue realized she wasn’t quite sure how to define Shen Qinghuai.
A friend?
Back at No. 1 High School, she had once felt they were friends, but she couldn’t be sure if he saw her the same way.
Even if they were friends then, after ten years with no contact, they probably weren’t anymore.
Her boyfriend’s longtime buddy?
Too complicated and awkward to explain.
“An old classmate,” Zhu Jinyue finally settled on.
Mingchan sat down beside her. “An old classmate? You were so focused, you didn’t even notice me come in.”
“He told me something I didn’t expect.” The matter of Xu family’s illegitimate daughter was somewhat private, so Zhu Jinyue changed the subject. “Anyway, what exactly do you need my help with that requires treating me to a meal first?”
“Fashion Week is coming up,” Mingchan said. “If you have time, I’d like you to help me with the final selections.”
…
After finishing the meal with Mingchan, as they left the private room, Zhu Jinyue ran into Shen Qinghuai and his group emerging from another room.
Shen Qinghuai was half-turned, his back to her.
Xu Xing’s illegitimate sister stood in front of him.
Earlier in the lobby, Zhu Jinyue had only seen her from behind, but now she noticed the girl was quite beautiful.
The beautiful girl waved her phone at Shen Qinghuai. “How about adding me on WeChat separately, Mr. Shen? If you have time later, we could explore the area together?”
Zhu Jinyue, “…”
He was still as popular as he was in high school.
Given his current status, he might even be more popular now.
“Sorry,” Shen Qinghuai declined, his tone as calm and unhurried as ever. “I don’t mix emotional entanglements with business partners.”
It was hard to say whether he was genuinely optimistic about this “match,” but Zhu Jinyue heard her usually stern and reserved brother-in-law interject with a joke.
“Why don’t you switch to a different project, then?” he said to Chu Ruíhé.
Chu Ruíhé didn’t hesitate for even a second, immediately putting her phone away. “Forget it. I’m only interested in this project. Money is more important than men. My mother never understood that, which is why she suffered for most of her life.”
Mingchan, who had just broken up with her boyfriend, couldn’t help but laugh in agreement. “Well said.”
The group ahead turned to look at them.
Zhu Jinyue’s gaze met Shen Qinghuai’s as he turned around.
Perhaps because the private room was relatively warm, the single button on the man’s peaked lapel suit jacket was undone. However, the buttons on his French shirt remained perfectly fastened, all the way to the top, giving off a refined, almost ascetic vibe.
“Finished your meal?” he asked gently.
Zhu Jinyue nodded.
“Yueyue,” Xu Xing also noticed her, “you’re eating here too?”
Zhu Jinyue nodded again.
“Brother-in-law,” she greeted him, then glanced at Chu Ruíhé. “And this is…?”
Although Shen Qinghuai had already informed her privately about Chu Ruíhé’s identity, since they had run into each other, it was only proper to go through the formalities.
“Chu Ruíhé,” Xu Xing introduced briefly. “It’s a long story—you can ask your sister about it later.”
Meaning Zhu Qinghao was already aware.
Since Zhu Qinghao knew, Zhu Jinyue couldn’t be bothered to dwell on it.
She wrinkled her nose and complained to Xu Xing, “That’s only if I can actually see her. I’ve been back for two months, and I’ve only met her a handful of times.”
“Has your sister not told you yet?” Xu Xing said.
Zhu Jinyue was puzzled. “Told me what?”
“She turned down dinner with me, saying she was going home to spend time with you tonight.” Xu Xing glanced at his watch. “She’s probably almost home by now.”
Zhu Jinyue, “!”
Her business with Mingchan was already settled, and upon hearing that her sister was home, Zhu Jinyue didn’t linger. She quickly returned home.
As soon as she entered the villa’s living room, she ran into Aunt Yang, one of the live-in housekeepers.
“Yueyue, you’re back. Qinghao just arrived not long ago,” Aunt Yang greeted her with a smile, raising the plate in her hand. “The moment she got home, she asked me to wash some fruit for you.”
Zhu Jinyue asked, “Where’s my sister?”
“In the study on the second floor,” Aunt Yang said.
“Let me take the fruit.” Zhu Jinyue took the plate from her. “I’ll bring it up.”
Carrying the fruit, she quickly went up to the second floor. At the door, she slowed her steps, pretending to be calm as she knocked on the study door.
Zhu Qinghao, her shoulder-length hair straight, was typing away at her keyboard.
Zhu Jinyue mentally sighed: Even when a workaholic comes home, it’s just to work in a different location.
Zhu Qinghao looked up at the sound. “Why are you knocking? Just come in.”
“Didn’t want to disturb CEO Zhu,” Zhu Jinyue said as she walked in. “What brings you home today?”
Zhu Qinghao replied, “Didn’t I say I’d make up all the missed meals?”
Zhu Jinyue set the fruit plate down, pulled out a chair, and sat down backward, resting her chin on her hands. “I ran into brother-in-law at Ruìqí today. He was with a woman I didn’t recognize.”
She deliberately paused.
Zhu Qinghao looked up, a slight raise in her brow.
Zhu Jinyue continued slowly, “Brother-in-law said her name is Chu Ruíhé and told me to ask you for the rest.”
Zhu Qinghao replied indifferently, “His father’s romantic debt from his youth. Chu Ruíhé’s mother didn’t know he was married at the time. After she found out, she cut off contact but couldn’t bring herself to abort the child. Her mother passed away recently, and his mother had long since divorced and doesn’t care about these things. His generation has no girls, and the girl herself is quite outstanding, so his grandfather decided to bring her back. It doesn’t affect your brother-in-law anyway.”
Zhu Jinyue was satisfied with the general idea and didn’t probe further. Instead, she cupped her chin and asked, “Why do I feel like you were actually quite happy when you heard brother-in-law brought a woman to the hotel?”
Zhu Qinghao continued typing, stealing a moment to reply, “Our prenup states that whoever cheats first has to pay the other 100 million.”
Zhu Jinyue, “?”
“You never told me that!”
“Didn’t I?” Zhu Qinghao didn’t look up. “Maybe you were too young back then—”
She paused.
“But you’re not young anymore. I should tell you now.”
Zhu Qinghao finally looked up. “So, how are things with Fu Zhiwang?”
Zhu Jinyue immediately pursed her lips.
After unexpectedly reuniting with Shen Qinghuai last night and nearly misunderstanding her brother-in-law today, she had completely forgotten about her argument with Fu Zhiwang.
Could it be considered an argument?
“What?” Zhu Qinghao stopped working. “Did he upset you? If he makes you unhappy, just dump him. There are plenty of men out there.”
Zhu Jinyue opened her mouth to respond when she suddenly heard a knock at the door.
She turned around.
It was Aunt Zhao, another live-in housekeeper.
“Mr. Fu is here. He’s downstairs and wants to see Yueyue.”
Zhu Jinyue immediately turned back. “I don’t want to see him.”
Aunt Zhao added, “Mr. Fu said if you refuse, I should give you this.”
Zhu Jinyue turned again and saw a black velvet box in Aunt Zhao’s hand.
Zhu Qinghao spoke up, “Bring it in.”
Aunt Zhao brought the box in.
Zhu Jinyue opened it to reveal a Kashmir royal blue sapphire. Under natural light, it shimmered with a dazzling, iridescent beauty.
Zhu Qinghao glanced at it. “The price is secondary. Kashmir mines are exhausted, and an unheated gem of this quality and size is genuinely hard to come by. It shows some sincerity. Will you see him?”
Zhu Jinyue closed the box. “Fine, I’ll go down and hear what he has to say.”
Heading downstairs, she spotted Fu Zhiwang leaning casually against the stairwell. He wasn’t wearing a suit today but a black flight jacket, looking as laid-back and carefree as ever.
Seeing her descend, he gave her a once-over. “Still mad?”
“If you came all this way just to spout nonsense, forget it.” Zhu Jinyue turned to leave.
“Of course not.” Fu Zhiwang laughed and pulled her back. “I came specifically to apologize. Whatever our little princess wants to ask, I’ll answer everything, okay?”
Zhu Jinyue finally stood still in front of him. “Tell me about that ex-girlfriend of yours.”
Fu Zhiwang, “We were college classmates, dated for three years, broke up after graduation, and haven’t been in contact since. What else do you want to know?”
“Why did you break up?” Zhu Jinyue asked.
Fu Zhiwang, “Incompatible personalities. We had different plans back then—she wanted to stay in the U.S., and I wanted to return to start a business. So, we broke up.”
“But—” Zhu Jinyue looked at him, “I heard from others that you broke up due to family pressure and that she’s your white moonlight.”
“Who spread such rumors?” Fu Zhiwang laughed, his shoulders shaking. “If I want to do something, my family can’t stop me. If I don’t want to do something, my family can’t force me. Breaking up with her was my choice, and going on a blind date with you was too.”
Zhu Jinyue nodded. “Alright.”
As long as she wasn’t his white moonlight, she didn’t care enough to ask more.
“Satisfied now?” Fu Zhiwang looked down at her. “You seem so sweet and gentle, but you’ve got quite a temper. One wrong word, and you’re off without giving me a chance to explain?”
His words reignited her irritation. “How dare you say that! How long has it been since last night? And you didn’t even come after me last night. You knew I took your car there!”
For some reason, Fu Zhiwang quite enjoyed seeing her throw a small tantrum. He leaned against the wall and smiled. “I had to wait for this sapphire to arrive, didn’t I? And besides, didn’t someone else see you down the mountain last night?”
Zhu Jinyue paused slightly. “You asked Shen Qinghuai to take me home?”
“Not exactly,” Fu Zhiwang said. “Shen Qinghuai happened to have business down the mountain, so I asked him to give you a ride. If I had gone myself, you probably wouldn’t have wanted to get in my car anyway.”
Zhu Jinyue, “…”
That was true.
“Happy now?” Fu Zhiwang asked.
Zhu Jinyue replied half-heartedly, “It’s alright.”
“How about dinner tonight?”
Zhu Jinyue refused without hesitation. “You go ahead. My sister is back.”
Fu Zhiwang laughed in exasperation. “So I always come after your sister, is that it?”
“Of course,” Zhu Jinyue said matter-of-factly. “Even my brother-in-law comes after me.”
“Fine.” Fu Zhiwang nodded. “How about celebrating our birthdays together in a few days?”
Their birthdays happened to fall on consecutive days: Fu Zhiwang’s on January 14th and hers on January 15th.
It was only after their grandfathers accidentally brought it up in conversation that they learned about this coincidence, which eventually led to their “blind date” two months ago.
“You have time to celebrate your birthday?” Zhu Jinyue asked. “And don’t you need to spend the holiday with your family that day?”
His birthday happened to fall on the northern Little New Year this year.
“The Little New Year comes every year,” Fu Zhiwang said. “If you want to celebrate our birthdays together, I’ll make time. We can invite Ye Qian and Qinghuai too?”
Zhu Jinyue wasn’t in the mood for empty promises.
“Let’s talk when you actually have time.”