Chapter 15: The Moon Never Closes Its Eyes

Chapter 15: The Moon Never Closes Its Eyes

When Bai Li saw that he had agreed, a smile appeared on her face. “Big Brother, do you have any restaurants to recommend? Something with good value for money, perhaps? I only have a thousand yuan.”

Fang Ye turned around. A drop of water the towel had missed slid from the tip of his nose, tracing the smooth contours of his face before disappearing into his collar.

He replied casually, “Then let’s eat at home.”

“Huh?”

Bai Li was a little bewildered. How could she treat them to a meal at home?

After thinking it over, she decided he must mean that she should buy ingredients and cook. That would certainly be cheaper, and it would show more sincerity.

Besides, Chengzi and the others did not seem particularly fussy.

Her cooking was fairly good, too. Whenever the housekeeper had a day off, she was almost always the one who cooked for her younger sister.

With that in mind, Bai Li said nothing more and watched his back disappear down the stairs.

That night, she had no time to draw. She turned off the lights and went to bed early, trying to summon sleep.

But with the important task of preparing a meal for her guests weighing on her mind, she tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

She kept considering what dishes to make. She had no idea what the people of Lingjiang liked to eat, but she was determined to prepare steamed lotus-root slices. She remembered that Fang Ye loved them most.

At the same time, she wondered what had happened on the land of Lingjiang all those years ago.

How bitter must life have been to force a gentle-eyed little boy into becoming someone covered in thorns?

She had no way of knowing. Fang Ye certainly would not tell her.

But perhaps, on the day of the meal, she could ask Chengzi?

The more she thought about it, the more feasible it seemed.

Chengzi was a decent person. He ought to tell her at least a little.

…

For two days in a row, Bai Li did not leave the house.

The weather in Lingjiang was changeable.

Once the torrential rain passed, the sky cleared again at dawn.

At eight o’clock on the morning of the day she was to host the meal, the ancient town was still veiled in a thin mist. The sun had risen long before and was diligently shining over the entire earth.

At the farthest edge of the sky, a brilliant red cloud glowed.

Standing on the balcony and wiping her face with a warm towel, Bai Li looked at the towering elm trees lining both sides of the street. She caught a faint, delicate fragrance.

After searching around, she realized that the roses planted by the family opposite had bloomed.

The flowers were growing in lush, splendid clusters, bringing with them the loveliest midsummer.

Her eyes curved into a smile.

Only then did she realize that the biological clock that had once been absurdly accurate was slowly losing its power.

Touching her warm cheeks, Bai Li thought:

Perhaps life here was simply too peaceful.

Even after that terrible incident, she could still feel the taut string inside her gradually, secretly loosening.

From the bottom of her heart, she hoped there could be more mornings like this—many more.

…

Since the meal would be in the evening, she did not need to hurry out to buy groceries.

After watering the white jasmine and feverfew she had planted in the backyard, she pruned the dead leaves from the rose branches.

The weather was especially fine that day, so Bai Li brought out her drawing board and sat quietly in the backyard, sketching from the photographs of her classmates on her phone, stroke by stroke.

At the end of June, only the light of early morning and evening was gentle.

When Fang Ye came downstairs, he saw the girl absorbed in her drawing.

Even from a distance, he could make out the figure on the white paper: a girl with two braids, wearing the exuberant, radiant smile unique to a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old student.

It was a smile that had not appeared on Bai Li’s face these past few days.

He leaned against the edge of the porch and watched for a long while before turning around, taking a key, and leaving.

Bai Li was patient and focused when she worked. She did not notice whether he stayed or went.

People paid her to draw their portraits. She had no reason not to make the picture as perfect as possible.

By the time she finished, it was already three in the afternoon.

Only after finding no flaws in the drawing did she take a photograph, roll up the paper, tie it with a small red cord, and set it aside to mail when she had time.

She opened WeChat and sent the photograph to her deskmate, He S岁岁.

The next second, the girl sent her a red envelope, along with an eight-second voice message.

She must have been satisfied with the drawing.

Bai Li let out a soft breath and tapped the voice message. The girl’s high-spirited voice emerged from the phone.

“Pear, this drawing is amazing! Could you draw my idol for me too?”

Bai Li blinked. She considered the few commissions she already had and replied:

“Sure, but it might take a while.”

He S岁岁 did not mind. She was a veteran fan of celebrity groups who followed overseas boy bands obsessively. She could wait more than a month for an album.

“No problem. I’ll wait for you.”

After confirming the details with her, Bai Li opened the WeChat red envelope.

It contained the forty yuan they had agreed upon earlier. It was not much, but it was the highest price a middle-school student could afford.

If she charged more, the other person would feel it was not worth the money.

Having a photograph printed would be more economical.

After putting away her phone, Bai Li stretched, set aside her drawing board, and prepared to go out for groceries.

Her only white handbag was dirty and had not yet been washed, so she could only carry the money in her hand.

The moment she stepped outside, she froze.

On the clean blue-stone path, sunlight filtered through the gaps between the leaves, casting scattered patches of light and shadow.

And there stood Fang Ye.

He was carrying more than a dozen takeaway containers, a cigarette clenched between his teeth. He tried repeatedly to pull out a lighter, but kept failing.

His left hand was occupied with a cage containing a small white cat.

Tall trees lined both sides of the alley, their branches intertwining overhead to form a natural canopy.

From time to time, cicadas called out, while birds circled and hopped among the branches.

The ancient path, the green wilderness, the boy with his exquisite features—

Everything struck Bai Li’s eyes so vividly that she stood stunned for a moment.

By the time she came back to herself, Fang Ye had already noticed her. His narrow, striking eyes were fixed on her, as though asking, Are you not coming to help?

Bai Li unconsciously held her breath and hurried to his side, reaching for the heaviest takeaway container.

“Tsk.”

Fang Ye frowned, moved his hand away, and handed her the cage containing the kitten instead. “You carry this.”

“Ah, all right.”

Bai Li took the cage in a daze. The white cat had a pair of blue eyes and was lying lazily atop the cage, exceptionally cute and docile.

She was delighted, and her eyes widened slightly. “Whose cat is this?”

Without looking back, Fang Ye walked past her. “Little White’s. He asked you to look after it for two days.”

Bai Li lowered her head. The kitten’s innocent, endearing appearance opened the door to a long-sealed memory.

She vaguely remembered that she had loved cats as a child. Her mother would not let her keep one, and Bai Li had never dared disobey.

So whenever she was unhappy, her older brother would take her along streets and alleys, searching for cats kept by other families.

There were calicos, orange tabbies, and tortoiseshells. She could spend an entire afternoon watching them.

But Fang Ye had always kept a great distance.

He said he did not like cats.

Only after she had had her fill of admiring them would he come over, gently brush the cat hair from her clothes, and smile.

“Come on. Let’s go home.”

Now, it seemed he did not dislike cats quite so much anymore.

But whenever Bai Li saw a cat, she was still happy.

Unable to stop herself, she kept murmuring to the cage, “Kitty, kitty.”

When he saw her standing there without moving for such a long time, Fang Ye cast her a sidelong glance. In his languid, cool voice, he imitated her tone and urged her on.

“Little White Pear, let’s go home.”

Bai Li stared blankly for a moment. Through the bars of the cage, she stroked the kitten’s ear, and her smile gradually widened.

“Coming.”

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The End of the Chapter