Chapter 28: The Moon Hangs on the Treetop

The next day was bright and sunny, with a gentle breeze and clear skies.

As soon as Cheng Simin opened her eyes, she let out a groan of pain from the sofa.

Her head hurt, her eyes hurt, her throat hurt, and after the high fever, her muscles were extremely sore. There wasn’t a single part of her body that felt okay.

She lay on her side on the sofa, whimpering for a while before slowly turning her eyes toward the ceiling and calling out for her dog.

Yesterday, after encountering Chen Xiaofen, she had nightmares all night, reliving the distressing events of the past.

After the college entrance exam, due to unsatisfactory results, Cheng Simin asked her parents if she could repeat a year. That year, because the exam was difficult, many students in her class chose to repeat. So, Cheng Simin naturally assumed her parents would agree.

On the day the results came out, Cheng Wei and Chen Xiaofen closed their shop early and left. Cheng Simin stayed home alone, checking group messages and her scores. She took the bus to school to discuss things with her homeroom teacher and inquired about her classmates’ scores and university preferences. On the way home, she held back tears, trying her best to console herself.

Although this score was far from her expectations, Cheng Simin was determined to improve it next year. Her teacher had said her science scores were consistently good; her weak points were English and Chinese, subjects that could be improved with repeated practice.

She thought she had a long life ahead of her—not just this one chance. If she worked hard for another 340 days, she could still aim for her dream university.

At eighteen, Cheng Simin didn’t want to attend the nearby Xicheng University. Her worldview was so naive and narrow, her dreams drawn from distant TV and radio broadcasts.

Like sunflowers reaching for the light, she was vibrant and eager to go to a modern metropolis, to attend a prestigious university envied by everyone. She longed to experience homesickness far from home, to see skyscrapers and bustling streets she had never seen before.

With these thoughts, Cheng Simin got off the bus and walked back to “Guangfeng Bedding Home Textiles” in the urban village. But the shop door was closed, and no one was home.

She called her mother’s mobile phone using the landline and learned that her mother had gone to the hospital for a threatened miscarriage after being pregnant for several weeks and was now under observation.

In the hospital ward, Cheng Simin hadn’t fully grasped the reality of her mother carrying a new life. However, upon learning that the doctor had diagnosed Chen Xiaofen with a lack of progesterone and an incompetent cervix, requiring bed rest and injections until delivery even after discharge, she viewed the pregnancy very negatively.

A high-risk pregnancy, risking her life, months of bed rest possibly leading to blood clots and muscle atrophy—what was the point of having a child at such a cost?

Chen Xiaofen lay in bed eating fruit, while Cheng Wei sat on a stool holding a milk carton with a straw for his wife.

The couple discussed potential nicknames for the baby in Chen Xiaofen’s belly. Cheng Simin, completely disinterested, stood at the foot of the bed, thinking repeatedly about wanting to repeat a year.

She wanted to do more test papers, study harder, sleep less, and even join the English tutoring classes her classmates attended.

Cheng Simin just stood there like an invisible person until the nurse finished administering progesterone for the day and began urging family members to leave. Only then did Cheng Simin voice her request to her parents.

To her surprise, Cheng Wei didn’t even look up before rejecting her.

“Why?” Cheng Simin’s personality wasn’t straightforward; she had a stubborn streak. She knew she had options, but before giving up entirely, she always showed a stubborn persistence.

“Why can’t I repeat? My score has room for improvement. Another year could add forty points. My homeroom teacher said so!”

“Do adults need so many reasons?” Cheng Wei sneered. “Isn’t your homeroom teacher the one who teaches English privately and runs a tutoring class? I know her—she’ll say anything to make money.”

“Are you stupid? If repeating could get you into Tsinghua, wouldn’t all students do that?”

“Always boasting. Can you weigh yourself before speaking? You know how lazy you are. Every day you’re either primping in front of the mirror or hiding in your room listening to the radio. We should thank our lucky stars if you get into Xicheng University!”

“Your mother and I thought you’d bring home a zero.”

Cheng Simin’s eyes immediately reddened, and she stamped her feet in frustration. “Our homeroom teacher isn’t like that.”

“When have I ever been lazy? Who washes the dishes every time? As soon as I come home from school, I mop the floor. I finish all the chores before studying! I haven’t listened to the radio in ages—I’m doing listening exercises!”

Her emotional breakdown didn’t move Cheng Wei. He turned his head, looking at her with disdain. “Look at you. Your mother and I work so hard to earn money. Is it worth mentioning that you do a few chores at home?”

“Have you no shame?”

Cheng Wei, carrying a thermos, walked past Cheng Simin. Seeing her tears, he impatiently stopped her crying. “Don’t disturb your mother’s rest. Have some sense. Don’t you hear that your mother is pregnant? We need money everywhere. How much does it cost to repeat for a year? Do we have mountains of gold or silver?”

“Damn it, even the cheapest tuition at Xicheng University costs five to six thousand a year. How much do I earn in a month working myself to death? If you’re filial, find a summer job and start earning money to support your mother.”

“It’s only because your mother spoils you.”

“If it were up to me, find a job at a factory. What can you achieve by going to university? Will you become a national leader or fight on the battlefield?”

Cheng Wei cursed as he went to fetch hot water. Chen Xiaofen, pale and lying in bed, looked at her daughter for a while. Helplessly, she beckoned to Cheng Simin, who had started sobbing, and pulled her arm. “Minmin, let’s not repeat. Xicheng University is good too. It will be convenient for you to work locally. Your father and I are satisfied with your score.”

“Your mother worked hard to save enough for your university tuition.”

“Don’t set your expectations too high. Having something to study is already good.”

“Be practical. We are an ordinary family. We can’t always think about reaching for the stars and the moon.”

Misunderstood, scolded, rejected, underestimated, untrusted, and unappreciated, Cheng Simin’s carefully constructed mental safety net shattered that day. Tears fell onto her mother’s hand, and snot dripped down in strings.

So she couldn’t hear her mother’s comforting words and suddenly blurted out the rebellious statement: “We’re just an ordinary family. We can’t afford to repeat. Why do you insist on having this child?”

That evening, when Cheng Wei returned, he slapped Cheng Simin, causing her face to turn aside. With each mistake she made, Cheng Wei never failed to launch into a tirade of insults.

He demanded apologies—from her, to Chen Xiaofen, and for the baby in Chen Xiaofen’s belly—but Cheng Simin refused.

Biting her teeth through the beating, Cheng Simin’s tongue was cut by her teeth. Pushing through the crowd of onlookers in the hallway, the sweet, metallic taste of blood flowed into her throat.

Perhaps she swallowed too much nauseating blood.

When she walked out of the hospital gate, Cheng Simin, feeling car-sick, squatted by the flower bed and vomited. She cried as she vomited, and after crying her fill, wiped her swollen cheeks and continued walking home.

That day, Cheng Simin, who had failed the college entrance exam, walked for a long time in Banshan City. Her toes blistered from her canvas shoes, and it wasn’t until the moon hung high on the treetops that she used the key around her neck to unlock her parents’ shop.

Last night, Cheng Simin relived these heartbreaking scenes in her dreams. She wandered repeatedly in unfamiliar streets, unable to find her way home.

Soon, Beibei stood up from the tiles beside the sofa, wagging his tail and resting his head and neck on her stomach. Cheng Simin, feeling like she had survived a disaster, hugged Beibei’s head, sniffing his scalp deeply and planting kisses on his cheeks and eyelids.

Beibei hadn’t bathed in a month. The artificial scent of shampoo had faded, leaving only the smell of UGG snow boots. Cheng Simin didn’t mind at all; instead, she found the smell of this fur coat comforting.

While kissing, Cheng Simin heard the rice cooker in the kitchen beep to indicate it was on keep-warm mode. She suspiciously surveyed her surroundings.

On the coffee table were a few opened medicine packets. Outside on the balcony, the clothes she wore yesterday swayed on the drying rack. The blanket covering her, the neatly arranged delivery boxes by the door—all signs indicated someone had been in her house last night.

Cheng Simin abruptly sat up, clutching her head and wincing in pain. On the tea table’s most prominent spot was a sticky note.

She tore it off and brought it close to her eyes. The note was from Shi Ying.

He wrote: “Take your medicine on time. Porridge is in the rice cooker, and there’s fruit in the fridge. If you need anything, send me a message, and I’ll bring it back after work.”

Ah, it was her kind neighbor, Shi Ying. No problem—it was probably something he bought while coming over for dumplings yesterday.

Cheng Simin crumpled the note and threw it in the trash. The next second, she lay back on the sofa, but as she moved her legs slightly, the bare sensation made her sit up again. Pulling back the blanket, she looked at her inadequately clothed state and her features began to contort.

Soon, under Beibei’s curious gaze, Cheng Simin, dragging her semi-disabled body, scrambled around the house looking for her phone. Unlocking the screen, she opened the smart home app and checked the living room camera’s footage from last night.

Before midnight, everything seemed normal. Even though she had kicked Shi Ying to the ground and snored through a scolding, she remained calm.

Clearly, even though inadequately dressed, Shi Ying showed absolutely no romantic interest in her. His actions were purely humanitarian care, which aligned with Cheng Simin’s expectations. Like helping an illiterate elder scan a code on the subway, holding doors open for pregnant women in malls, or picking up toys for unfamiliar children at restaurants.

She usually did good deeds willingly, driven by the psychological satisfaction of helping others. Shi Ying, however, lacked this reflex. If he did help, it was reluctantly.

But judging by actions rather than intentions, having known him for so long as a childhood friend, Cheng Simin understood him well. Although Shi Ying lacked empathy, he cared about his reputation. Turning a blind eye to someone in need wasn’t his nature.

However, as the orange progress bar approached 1 AM, the living room lights were turned off, and the footage turned black and white. Shi Ying still sat on the sofa, watching over her. This made her feel uneasy.

Zooming in on the sofa, she closely examined Shi Ying’s blurred features. She didn’t understand why his expression lacked any coldness, appearing overly warm and emotional.

Dragging the progress bar, when Shi Ying approached to take her temperature, Cheng Simin sighed in relief.

Shi Ying was probably afraid she’d die in the house and implicate him. Rich kids were cautious, overthinking every move—it was understandable. Some people appeared deeply emotional when thinking hard. Wasn’t it often said that men look attractive when they’re focused on work? Anyway, she really needed to thank Shi Ying today.

A distant relative is not as good as a close neighbor.

Feeling relaxed, Cheng Simin dragged the progress bar again. The next moment, she let out a sharp shriek, startling Beibei, who was drinking water nearby, causing him to leap into the air.

In the surveillance footage at 1:23 AM, it looked like she was a lustful creature, hugging Shi Ying’s neck and giving him a whirl of passionate, storm-like cheek kisses.

________________________________________

Cheng Simin froze, her face a mix of shock and embarrassment. The memory—or rather, the lack of it—hit her like a ton of bricks. She had no recollection of this moment, but the evidence was right there on the screen, undeniable and vivid. Her cheeks flushed red as she replayed the scene in her mind, trying to piece together what had happened.

She remembered being delirious from the fever, her thoughts muddled and her actions driven by emotion rather than reason. But this? This was beyond anything she could have imagined. Cheng Simin buried her face in her hands, groaning in mortification. How could she have done something so… so forward ? And with Shi Ying of all people!

Beibei, sensing her distress, nudged her arm with his nose, his tail wagging uncertainly. Cheng Simin absently patted his head, still staring at the phone screen. Her mind raced with questions. What must Shi Ying think of her now? Would he avoid her after this? Or worse, would he feel obligated to act differently around her?

She sighed deeply, trying to calm herself. It wasn’t as if she had done it intentionally. She was sick, out of her mind with fever. Surely, Shi Ying would understand that. He wasn’t the type to hold a grudge over something like this, was he?

Still, the thought of facing him made her stomach churn. Cheng Simin glanced at the clock. It was still early, but she knew Shi Ying would be coming home from work soon. She needed to prepare herself for an awkward encounter—or at least figure out how to broach the subject without dying of embarrassment.

For now, though, she decided to focus on getting herself together. She dragged herself off the sofa and shuffled to the bathroom, Beibei trailing behind her. After splashing cold water on her face and brushing her teeth, she felt marginally better. She changed into clean clothes and wrapped herself in the blanket again, retreating to the safety of the sofa.

Her phone buzzed on the coffee table. Startled, she picked it up and saw a message from Shi Ying.

Shi Ying: “How are you feeling today? Have you taken your medicine?”

Cheng Simin hesitated, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. Should she bring up last night? No, definitely not. Not via text message. She settled for a simple reply.

Cheng Simin: “I’m feeling better, thank you. And yes, I took the medicine.”

A few moments later, another message appeared.

Shi Ying: “Good. Make sure you eat something. The porridge should still be warm. If you need anything else, let me know.”

Cheng Simin stared at the screen, her heart softening slightly. Despite everything, Shi Ying was being considerate and kind. Maybe—just maybe—things wouldn’t be as awkward as she feared.

________________________________________

Later that evening, there was a knock at the door. Cheng Simin’s heart skipped a beat. She knew who it was before she even opened the door. Taking a deep breath, she stood up and smoothed her hair, trying to look as composed as possible.

When she opened the door, Shi Ying stood there, holding a plastic bag filled with groceries. His expression was calm, almost neutral, giving nothing away.

“Hey,” he said, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. “I brought some things you might need.”

Cheng Simin nodded, avoiding eye contact. “Thank you. You didn’t have to do that.”

“It’s no trouble,” he replied, setting the bag down on the kitchen counter. He began unpacking it, revealing fresh fruits, bottled water, and a couple of pre-packaged meals. “I figured you wouldn’t feel like cooking, so these should tide you over for a while.”

Cheng Simin murmured another thanks, her cheeks heating up. The silence between them grew heavier, and she knew they couldn’t avoid addressing the elephant in the room forever.

Finally, summoning her courage, she blurted out, “About last night…”

Shi Ying paused mid-motion, his back to her. For a moment, he said nothing, and Cheng Simin braced herself for the worst. Then, slowly, he turned around, his expression unreadable.

“What about it?” he asked, his tone casual.

Cheng Simin blinked, caught off guard by his nonchalance. “I, um… I don’t remember much, but…” She gestured vaguely toward the living room, where the camera footage had captured her embarrassing display. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry if I… did anything inappropriate.”

Shi Ying raised an eyebrow, then chuckled softly. “Inappropriate? Hardly. You were sick, and I was just making sure you were okay. Nothing to apologize for.”

His words were reassuring, but Cheng Simin couldn’t shake the image of herself clinging to him like a lovesick teenager. “But I…” she started, only to trail off when she saw the amusement flickering in his eyes.

“You were having a nightmare,” he explained gently. “You woke up disoriented and panicked. I stayed to make sure you didn’t hurt yourself or get worse. That’s all.”

Relief washed over her, though a small part of her wondered if he was downplaying what had happened. Either way, she decided to let it go—for now.

“Thank you,” she said sincerely. “For everything. I really appreciate it.”

Shi Ying shrugged, as if helping a sick neighbor was no big deal. “Don’t mention it. Just focus on getting better.”

They shared a brief smile, the tension easing somewhat. As Shi Ying prepared to leave, Cheng Simin called out impulsively, “Wait!”

He turned back, eyebrows raised. “Yes?”

“I… uh…” She fumbled for words, suddenly nervous. “If you’re free sometime, maybe we could grab dinner or something? To thank you properly.”

Shi Ying studied her for a moment, his lips curving into a faint smile. “Sure. Let me know when you’re feeling up to it.”

With that, he walked out, leaving Cheng Simin standing in the doorway, her heart pounding. Whether it was from relief, gratitude, or something else entirely, she wasn’t sure. But one thing was certain: life in Huangheyuan was about to get a lot more interesting.