The Moon Runs to Me

“Elder sister, Sang Sang has been back for so long and we still haven’t seen each other. She’s not hiding from her auntie, is she? Oh, young people can’t just sleep in all day, can they? How about I go call her?”

They still lived in the old house, because it held memories of the three of them together. After Qin Dahai passed away, Wen Shuyu hadn’t wanted to move, so they’d made do. Two years ago, the roof had leaked and mold had spread in many places.

Wen Shuyu seemed gentle, but she was stubborn. Even with the leak, she’d only replaced the colored roof tiles—she refused to touch anything else, afraid of destroying the last remnants of Qin Dahai’s presence in this world.

The only downside to the old house was its poor soundproofing. Early in the morning, voices from the living room carried easily, and the woman’s sharp tone grated on the eardrums.

Qin Sang lay still for a while, staring at the patch of green mold in the corner. Sunlight slanted into the room, hitting her swollen eyelids and making her eyes sting.

She blinked instinctively. The woman outside continued: “That’s not how you should look at it. She’s not young anymore—she should start thinking about marriage. Look at Xiao Yan, she’s even a few years younger, and she’s already talking about weddings.”

“Xiao Yan has a hearing impairment—even someone with a disability can find a partner. With Sang Sang’s great qualifications, staying single would look bad, wouldn’t it?”

Qin Sang pressed a pillow over her head, but it still couldn’t block out that annoying voice.

She sighed, threw off the covers, and got up. Opening the door, she caught her aunt saying: “A woman’s youth is so short. She’s already twenty-six—she’ll be thirty before she knows it. By then it’ll be really hard to find someone. Look at you—you settled for someone incapable and it ruined your life and your child’s.”

“Aunt Minzhu,” Qin Sang said coldly, “my father’s been dead for over seven years—his bones are cold. Please stop picking at old wounds and saying hurtful things. The dead shouldn’t be troubled, and the living should be mindful. Life is unpredictable. Even if my father wasn’t as capable as Uncle, he loved us more than himself. As for Uncle…”

“Oh, Aunt Minzhu,” Qin Sang asked with a thin smile, feigning curiosity, “why didn’t Uncle come back with you this time?”

When she was young, she hadn’t understood. It was only later that she realized why Wen Minzhu and Cousin Penny had always stayed at the Wen house—it was because her aunt and uncle’s marriage was troubled. They fought constantly, bickering every few days and having major blowouts every week. They’d only stayed together for Penny’s sake.

Now that Penny was grown, there was no reason left to hold on. Her uncle had stopped pretending altogether—not only did he not come home, but he was planning to divorce Wen Minzhu. That was probably why she’d moved back to Ningjiang from Hong Kong.

Wen Minzhu’s expression shifted, barely holding together, but she forced herself to keep up appearances. “Your uncle’s been busy with work—lots of things to handle. He couldn’t make it. Once the year ends and things slow down, he’ll come pay his respects to your grandparents.”

“I see.” Qin Sang feigned sudden realization. “No wonder I saw Uncle deep in conversation with a lady at a charity gala the other day. Must have been about work, I suppose. With Uncle so busy, and Cousin Penny overseas all year, you must get lonely, Aunt Minzhu. No wonder you have time to worry about other people’s business—coming over first thing in the morning to stir things up.”

“You…”

Wen Minzhu was left speechless, stunned for a long moment before forcing out: “Why are you so rude? If I weren’t your real aunt, would I care about your marriage?”

“Fine, fine.” She stood up angrily. “I see now—you just don’t like me no matter what. I try to help you out of kindness and you won’t even appreciate it. Truly, no good deed goes unpunished.”

Qin Sang tilted her head, leaning against the doorframe with a smile, playing dumb. “Aunt Minzhu, isn’t it strange? We don’t keep a dog at home, yet I keep hearing one barking all morning. It’s quite a nuisance.”

“Sang Sang.” Wen Shuyu shot her a warning glance.

Wen Minzhu was furious. Turning away, she started to cry. “Elder sister, how can Sang Sang talk to me like this? I was only trying to help—you poor widow and orphan. I’ve heard about this young man—he comes from a good family, works for a classified government unit, has a stable job. Only his grandfather is in the picture, no complicated family drama. Once they marry, no in-law troubles to interfere with their lives. Such a catch—most people couldn’t find someone like that even with a lantern. Why can’t she see how good it is?”

“Minzhu, Sang Sang speaks without thinking. I apologize on her behalf. Please don’t take it personally.” Wen Shuyu tried to smooth things over.

Wen Minzhu grabbed her bag and headed for the door. “No, I can’t accept it. Your daughter’s too sharp-tongued. If it weren’t for Big Brother asking me to help, I wouldn’t have bothered to meddle.”

“Minzhu…”

“Don’t try to persuade me.” Wen Minzhu couldn’t stand to stay another minute. “It’s hard to be a good person these days. Just pretend I never came today. Consider my kindness wasted—fed to an ungrateful beast.”

Wen Minzhu stormed out, and Wen Shuyu couldn’t stop her. Turning to Qin Sang, she sighed. “You shouldn’t be so blunt. Minzhu is your elder after all. If word gets out that you treated her like this, people will gossip about you.”

“Let them talk.” Qin Sang was resigned, curling up on the sofa, miserable. “My reputation’s never been good anyway. What’s a few more people saying bad things about me?”

Wen Shuyu smiled helplessly. “You really are just like your father.”

At the mention of Qin Dahai, a shadow of sadness crossed Wen Shuyu’s face. Qin Sang’s heart clenched. “I’m sorry, Mom. I made things hard for you.”

“It’s not your fault. Your aunt’s always been spoiled—willful, sharp-tongued, and hurtful. But…”

She glanced at Qin Sang. “She’s not a bad person at heart. These past few years, because of your uncle, she’s had a hard time. You know how reckless your uncle can be. Before, for Penny’s sake, she held on, and your uncle held back a little. Now that Penny’s abroad, he’s gotten worse. And your aunt is proud—she’s taken her fair share of blows.”

“In the future, when you see her, just apologize. Even if you dislike her, be polite to your elders. Don’t give anyone ammunition to gossip about you.”

Qin Sang muttered a reluctant “Mm.” “I get it—if I can’t beat ’em, I’ll avoid ’em. I’ll just steer clear.”

Wen Shuyu leaned down and smiled gently at her. “Alright, don’t make such a long face. Go get some more sleep. We’re having dinner with your uncle tonight—don’t let people see you’ve been crying at your age.”

Qin Sang’s head snapped up. “Uncle’s back?”

“Yes.” Wen Shuyu explained softly. “He flew in last night, transferred to a train and got back to Ningjiang early this morning. He wants to see you—have a meal together. It’s fine if you don’t want to see Minzhu, but your uncle dotes on you. You can’t hide from him too, can you?”

Apart from Wen Minzhu, the rest of the Wen family had always treated her well. Her grandparents might have favored Cousin Penny—which was understandable, since Penny had grown up by their side. They were closer. It wasn’t unusual.

Elders always said they treated everyone equally, but in reality, hearts always leaned one way. They just didn’t notice it themselves.

But her uncle was different. He was a diplomat, frequently posted abroad. He rarely stayed in the country, and he treated both nieces fairly.

When she was little and stayed at the Wen house, her uncle would teach her to read when he had time. Sometimes he’d even take her to the observatory to look at the stars.

In her memory, he was a refined and gentle gentleman—courtesy and upbringing etched into his bones, always knowing exactly how to handle people.

“Then I’ll go get ready.”

She looked terrible at the moment—unfit to be seen.

Luckily, dinner was in the evening. By the time she’d cleaned up, her eyes still showed a faint trace, but unless someone looked closely, they wouldn’t notice she’d been crying.

Qin Sang followed Wen Shuyu to the reserved restaurant. Ningjiang’s economy had boomed in recent years, and this place was a newly opened establishment—built in a pseudo-classical style, elegant and tasteful.

At the meeting, the older generation exchanged pleasantries. Qin Sang stood quietly beside her mother, smiling demurely and nodding when acknowledged.

An auntie took Qin Sang’s hand and looked her over. “This is Sang Sang, isn’t it? She’s grown up so fast! Look how beautiful she is—our family doesn’t have any girl as pretty and fair as her.”

It was a family gathering, and Qin Sang had taken some care with her appearance before leaving—unlike at home where she’d been lazy and casual. She wore an oyster-pink cashmere coat over a white knit dress, her hair smooth and straight, with a light pink felt hair clip pinned on the right side. Her eyes sparkled, her brows were dark and elegant—she looked clean, gentle, and refined.

“Of course—she’s a big star, always looking down on everyone else.”

Wen Minzhu had come too. Still bitter about the morning’s argument, she sneered and turned away the moment she saw them. When someone praised Qin Sang, she couldn’t help but add a cold, sarcastic remark.

Wen Shuyu gave Qin Sang a look. After a brief pause, Qin Sang stepped forward, offering tea, and said quietly, “Aunt Minzhu, I was wrong this morning. Please forgive me—don’t hold it against me.”

Wen Minzhu glanced at her, snorted, and said, “I couldn’t possibly accept that. I’m afraid if I drink your tea, I’ll have indigestion.”

“Perfect timing—I’ve been parched from the trip. If you don’t mind, this old man would be honored to savor this cup on your behalf.”

Wen Hengyu arrived last. But he wasn’t alone—the elderly man beside him had a sharp, spirited look in his eyes, an authoritative presence that commanded respect. Yet when he looked at her, his gaze was gentle.

He smiled and waved. “Little girl, come here.”

Qin Sang blinked, confused, and looked at her uncle for guidance. Receiving a subtle nod from Wen Hengyu, she stepped forward and offered the tea.

The old man took the cup, sipped, and seemed very pleased. “This tea is excellent.”

Still not understanding, Qin Sang glanced at Wen Hengyu, who introduced with a smile, “Sang Sang, this is Grandpa Xie from Jingcheng—you can call him Grandpa Xie.”

At that, the others began to whisper.

“The Xie family of Jingcheng? Isn’t that the retired old commander? I’d heard he moved to Ningjiang after retiring—thought it was just a rumor. Turns out it’s true.”

“Why would he be here? And he seems familiar with Hengyu.”

Qin Sang was stunned for a long moment. The Xie family of Jingcheng—that meant…

“Sorry I’m late.”

A familiar voice came from behind.

Grandpa: My future granddaughter-in-law’s tea is delicious.