Chapter 526: Extra - Yuan Shiyao: Under the Moon and Before the Stars (4)

The air fell silent again.

The two stared at each other, their green eyes flashing with mutual dissatisfaction.

Caught between them, Jiang Qingli felt her scalp tingle with anxiety.

‘How could it be such a coincidence!’

Before leaving this morning, Jiang Qingli remembered asking Yuan Shimo about his plans for the day. He’d said he would be working late at the lab, so she hadn’t worried.

‘Who knew they would run into each other!’

When she heard someone call out “female master,” she had assumed it was Yuan Shiyao. That guy always pretended to be dazed from a kiss and call her “female master,” then act all flustered when she caught him.

A combination of factors made the scene unbelievably awkward.

A tiny version of Jiang Qingli was weeping waterfalls and pounding the floor inside her mind.

Before she could dwell on her misery, Jiang Qingli felt both hands holding hers tighten, as if urging her to declare her position—to make a choice.

She let out a dry laugh. Looking at Yuan Shimo, she asked in a calm voice, “What are you doing here?”

Yuan Shimo smiled gently, his tone just as calm. “The curator is a friend of Teacher Meng’s. They’re having a moon-viewing event, and I finished up at the lab early, so I came over.”

“So Qingli brought me here to see the moon,” Yuan Shiyao said with a smile. “Brother, did you come alone?”

Yuan Shimo acted as if he hadn’t heard his younger brother interrupt, his gaze fixed solely on Jiang Qingli.

Yuan Shiyao started to speak again but was stopped when Jiang Qingli squeezed his hand hard.

The movement was a little too obvious. Yuan Shimo’s eyes followed the motion to their intertwined fingers, and the smile on his lips faded even more.

“I see…” Jiang Qingli almost pulled her hand back but stopped herself, afraid of showing favoritism. Forcing herself, she asked, “Did you come alone?”

Yuan Shimo said, “No.”

He didn’t sound upset.

Jiang Qingli breathed a sigh of relief and asked, “Who did you come with, then?”

“Chen Zhi.” Yuan Shimo showed his ticket to Jiang Qingli. “He should be here soon.”

Jiang Qingli nodded. “Oh, okay. Should we get our tickets checked and go in then? They’ll start letting people in in about ten minutes.”

Yuan Shimo smiled. “Alright.”

He was standing in front of two people, but he only spoke to Jiang Qingli.

It was as if Yuan Shiyao didn’t even exist.

This wasn’t the first time. In any similar situation where the three of them were present, Yuan Shimo always had this attitude.

He wouldn’t make things difficult for Yuan Shiyao, but he wouldn’t acknowledge him either.

After a moment of silence, Yuan Shiyao voluntarily let go of the girl’s hand.

Jiang Qingli felt her hand suddenly become empty. She turned to see Yuan Shiyao take a step back, creating distance between them.

The dark-haired young man’s tone was normal as he asked Jiang Qingli, “I’m going to buy some drinks. What would you like?”

“Just water is fine for me.”

“Okay. You two go get your tickets checked. I’ll be back in a bit.”

Yuan Shiyao nodded and calmly walked over to a nearby vending machine, leaving the two of them alone.

After buying the water, he just stood in front of the vending machine, staring at the dazzling array of products as if in thought, but his eyes were vacant.

Jiang Qingli frowned slightly. She had just started to move when someone called out to her, “Excuse me, miss.”

“Are you two a couple?” A staff member, noticing the tickets in their hands, smiled at them. “We’re holding a photo event for couples. You can take a picture together in a virtual space, and you can also enter a prize draw!”

Yuan Shimo asked, “Shall we?”

Passersby were already looking their way. Jiang Qingli pulled her mask up a little higher and nodded.

The event’s photo corner was not far from the entrance, located in a small, enclosed space.

Jiang Qingli and Yuan Shimo entered the space.

Cartoon versions of various celestial bodies floated in the air, ready to interact with participants. A staff member took photos from a short distance away.

A small, cartoon moon from the previous couple’s photo shoot was still lingering in the space.

As they entered, the little moon floated over to Jiang Qingli and circled around her.

Jiang Qingli tapped the moon.

Yuan Shimo watched her every move. “Want to take a picture?”

Jiang Qingli nodded, then paused to think. “You don’t seem to like the moon, do you?”

“I don’t,” Yuan Shimo said. “It’s just a dead thing that can’t produce its own light.”

“That’s a harsh take,” Jiang Qingli said. “Unlike Shi— I mean, I remember you seem to prefer the sun?”

Yuan Shimo looked at her for a moment before saying softly, “Yes.”

The two of them took a photo with the little cartoon sun character.

In the few minutes they waited for the photo to print.

Jiang Qingli glanced at her terminal. No new messages.

As if guessing her intention, the young man’s voice sounded. “He won’t come to bother us.”

Jiang Qingli started and looked up at him.

“I don’t like the moon, but Yuan Shiyao likes it very much.” The young man reached out to tidy a strand of her hair. “The person you originally wanted to take a photo with… was him, wasn’t it?”

Before Jiang Qingli could reply, Yuan Shimo’s fingers were already on her lips. “Today was a genuine coincidence. I didn’t know you two would be here.”

“My only purpose in coming here was to attend the event.”

Yuan Shimo was telling her directly that he wouldn’t interfere with her and the other person.

A flutter went through Jiang Qingli’s heart. “I thought you’d be angry…”

“I am, a little.” Yuan Shimo’s eyes curved into a smile. “So, I’ve decided to get my revenge.”

Before Jiang Qingli could even wonder what he meant, he cupped her face, lowered his head, and his lips brushed against her cheek.

It was an intimate and suggestive gesture.

From a distance, it would look like they were kissing.

It was completely out of character for Yuan Shimo.

Realization dawned on Jiang Qingli. She turned her head and saw Yuan Shiyao standing not far away, holding three bottles of water.

Yuan Shimo let go and casually straightened her collar.

As Yuan Shiyao drew closer, he took a bottle of water, twisted it open, and handed it to Jiang Qingli. “Rinse your mouth, female master.” The last two words were spoken with perfect clarity.

Jiang Qingli: “…”

She glanced at Yuan Shiyao. His expression was normal, but he was gripping the water bottle in his hand so tightly it looked like it was about to burst.

Luckily, the water here was astronaut-grade, with tough packaging.

–

As they walked out of the photo corner, Chen Zhi was just coming in through the ticket gate.

Seeing them, Chen Zhi waved and walked over. “Perfect timing. Let’s grab dinner together. The event will start right after we eat.”

The four of them went to dinner together.

During the meal, Yuan Shimo thoughtfully served food for Jiang Qingli, while Chen Zhi gushed about what a perfect couple they made.

Yuan Shiyao’s expression was grim, and he barely ate a few bites.

「Before the event started.」

The crowd was trickling towards the moon-viewing venue on the top floor.

They had just arrived when an announcement came over the speakers: “Dear guests, we sincerely apologize. Due to a sudden light rain tonight, the moon-viewing event has been temporarily suspended. We have prepared a special film for you, which will begin in five minutes…”

A staff member hurried over and asked them to take their seats in the adjacent screening hall.

Jiang Qingli followed the crowd through a dim corridor.

She hadn’t taken more than a few steps when a hand suddenly grabbed her wrist, pulling her into a utility closet just off the corridor.

A gentle presence fell upon her lips.

Jiang Qingli’s eyes widened. “Your brother is still out there.”

The rest of her words were cut off by his lips.

“It doesn’t matter.”

The young man’s kiss was frantic and hurried. He spoke quickly in the brief moments he came up for air, as if afraid she would run away if he lost focus for even a second.

“It’s dark in here. It’s okay if you pretend I’m my brother.”

“It’s not your fault…”

“Sister-in-law…”