TNSFC – Chapter 109

After the New Year, Gu Shanxue took Que Yining to see her mother.

The woman who had died of illness in a foreign land never forgave her husband nor found peace with herself, even in the final moments of her life. Even the photo on her tombstone was calm and indifferent.

She was very beautiful; Gu Shanxue’s eyes and brows somewhat resembled hers.

Que Yining stood before the tombstone, meeting her gaze, and offered her a bouquet of flowers.

Gu Shanxue held her hand, a very faint, almost imperceptible smile on her face, tinged with a hint of sorrow.

“Mom, this is Ningning. I brought her to see you.”

Gu Shanxue spoke softly, introducing her lover to her mother, gazing quietly at the tombstone, her eyes holding a hint of inscrutability.

She had many things she wanted to say to her mother but never spoke them aloud, stating them in her heart.

Her parents’ love story, which ended so dismally, hadn’t been so unbearable at the beginning. It was beautiful and passionate, sweet and tender. Unfortunately, it couldn’t withstand the fickleness of human hearts, nor the erosion of love.

Because of this influence, Gu Shanxue didn’t actually believe in love. She didn’t even know how to love someone correctly. It was as if there was an invisible barrier between her and the world. She didn’t convey her emotions outward, nor did she trust any affection that came from the outside.

It will always change in the end—this was her reason for rejecting everyone.

But when she met Que Yining, she realized that if you truly fall for someone, the emotions are like a flash flood, an avalanche, a tsunami—so powerful and unstoppable, overwhelming a person’s defenses like a landslide. You can’t think about anything else; even rejecting it would be excruciatingly painful.

Fortunately, the person she loved was so bright and dazzling, she never hesitated to express her words of love for her, giving her a sense of security, giving her the courage to love and be loved.

She remained silent for a long time, meeting the gaze of her mother in the tombstone photo, gently caressing her eyes and brows with her fingers, as if to smooth away the frown lines she remembered between her brows.

“I’ve done many things. I haven’t let go of a single one of those people you detested. They will suffer a hundred times more than you did,” Gu Shanxue paused for a moment before continuing, “From now on, they will no longer exist in my life. I have things better than hatred to look forward to in the future.”

“My choices are never wrong, are they?”

The woman in the black and white photo had indifferent eyes and brows. The winter wind rustled the leaves of the evergreen trees, as if in response.

While Gu Shanxue was speaking softly to her mother, Que Yining had the people waiting outside come in.

Their visit this time wasn’t just to see Gu Shanxue’s mother; they also had an important task: to relocate the grave.

Although her mother had lived in this country for decades, Gu Shanxue knew she still wanted to return to her hometown. It was only because there were people in her homeland whom she detested and couldn’t forgive that she had been reluctant to go back. Now that the turmoil had subsided, it was time to return to her native land.

For the reburial site, Que Yining had specially found a master to assess the feng shui.

She used to not believe in ghosts, gods, or feng shui, but after experiencing certain things herself, she had developed a sense of reverence.

What surprised Que Yining somewhat was that on the day the master arrived, he was accompanied by someone.

Her face was haggard, thin, and withered. It was Que Zixi.

She had changed so much that there was no trace of her former vibrant self.

“I haven’t been feeling well these past few days and was recuperating at the temple. I wanted to come out and see today, so I came along.”

Before Que Yining could ask, Que Zixi explained first.

She coughed a few times, her face paler than paper. In the biting chill of the late winter and early spring, she resembled a piece of floating ice on a river, ready to melt at any moment.

“You…”

After uttering the first syllable, Que Yining suddenly didn’t know what else to say.

Que Zixi shook her head, signaling that she didn’t need to say anything.

She looked at Gu Shanxue in the distance and suddenly asked, “Aren’t you going to let her know?”

From another world, reincarnated in another’s body—bizarre and convoluted.

“The me she sees is me, the me she fell in love with is me. All that came before, whether I tell her or not, what’s the need?”

Que Yining didn’t really have the concept of ‘telling’ or ‘not telling’ in her mind. Because she didn’t want to do it deliberately. If Gu Shanxue asked one day, she would tell her. If Gu Shanxue didn’t ask, she wouldn’t say. It didn’t affect their lives anyway.

Even though they were lovers, it wasn’t necessary to reveal every detail of their pasts to each other. They hadn’t deceived or pretended; they had fallen in love with each other’s true selves.

Que Zixi nodded, somewhat dazed, turned her head to the side, and said no more.

After the master left, Que Zixi also left with him.

Que Yining watched her retreating figure, lost in thought. Gu Shanxue walked over and took her hand, which was slightly cool from the wind.

“Are we done? Shall we go home?”

“Mm.”

Que Yining nodded, gathering her scattered thoughts.

The wind had picked up. It was time to go home.

---

Life went on as busy as usual. Que Yining went to Que Corporation less often, her focus shifting back to Lingyao, searching for new promising ventures.

Galaxy Watch was approaching its first anniversary, and new skins needed to be planned. When it came to deciding, there wasn’t much debate, and everyone made a unanimous choice.

On the day of the first anniversary, the game released limited edition skins for Afra and Hillary—Shining Twin Stars.

Cyberpunk style, beautiful models, exquisite posters, an engaging backstory, and most importantly, completely free. Players only needed to log in, collect items, and complete tasks to obtain them.

@SilverWhiteShedsDaily: Sob sob sob, how can these beautiful jiejies be so gorgeous! I reasonably suspect these are couple skins, but damn it, Afra and Hillary are from two different factions! Two factions! This means you can’t even pick them together qwq

@Daydreaming: Even though they’re not in the same faction, fate brings lovers together across a thousand miles! I just queued for a match today. We can’t get them yet, right? But you can get trial cards. Our Afra and the Federation’s Hillary totally hit it off, okay? Leaving a bunch of jealous folks behind.

@KissMeAgain: Afra has new clothes again! I used to joke that she was Qingyun’s favorite daughter, now I know, she’s Qingyun’s dad! The design is so gorgeous!

@YueGuiIsReal: Official fluff, it’s the deadliest! I’m shipping it so hard, wuwuwu! I feel like they’re really a couple, wuwuwu!

@QiuqiuStopShowingOff: Sisters shipping the CP, be confident, remove the ‘I feel like,’ they are a couple. My senior’s friend knows the boss’s cousin. The cousin confirmed that CEO Gu is also his ‘jiejie’ oh, savor that slowly.

@EnergeticGirlFighting: Hahahaha it’s true! Sisters shipping the CP, be more confident, it is true! My sister works at the front desk of CEO Gu’s main company. She was lucky enough to see Boss Que in person. She raved to me about it for ages. She’s even more beautiful in person than in photos, a stunning beauty with incredible charisma. My sister was struck by her beauty. When calling the secretary’s office, her mind blanked and she blurted out, ‘The boss’s wife is here.’ Boss Que gave her an appreciative glance with a smile 【my sister’s exact words】. And then, hahahaha, CEO Gu even gave her a raise!

Que Yining and Gu Shanxue being together was no secret in Lu Su City. Anyone in the upper circles who wasn’t completely out of the loop knew. The employees of Que Corporation, Lingyao, and Gu Group—who hadn’t gossiped about it, who hadn’t benefited from CEO Gu and CEO Que’s generous treats?

Life went on like this, and in the blink of an eye, it was the Qixi Festival.

On Qixi Festival, Que Yining gave all her employees a bonus, let them off work early, and happily went to pick up her girlfriend.

“Sorry, I might be a bit later, maybe around ten o’clock. Can you go home and wait for me first?”

Miss Gu’s voice was a little cautious, as if worried she would be angry.

The smile vanished from Que Yining’s face. Hadn’t they agreed yesterday to leave work early together today and celebrate Qixi?

She frowned, muttered a sullen reply, and turned the steering wheel.

Que Yining actually felt something was off. Because Gu Shanxue was someone who paid great attention to details and a sense of occasion; she cared more about these festivals than Que Yining did. So why today…?

Besides, would anyone really be so tactless as to ask someone to resolve issues or discuss business on Qixi Festival?

Given Miss Gu’s personality, she would have definitely postponed it, at least until tomorrow.

Que Yining drove on. She had deliberately left work early to avoid the evening rush hour, and the roads were clear, but her mood grew increasingly worse.

She didn’t think Gu Shanxue would cheat on her. She was just wondering, had her charm towards Gu Shanxue actually diminished?

How could this be?

Que Yining even considered whether she should go on a business trip for a month, to create some distance between them, so they could experience that ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’ feeling, like a second honeymoon.

Lost in thought, Que Yining returned home. The moment she opened the door, a party popper went off in her face.

Colorful confetti drifted down in front of her, refracting magnificent light.

“Surprise!”

Qiao Yuchu laughed heartily, while Yu Tao set off another party popper beside her.

“What are you all doing here?”

Que Yining was pleasantly surprised. She looked at the friends gathered in her home: old friends like Bian Ji’an, Jiang Xiaowan, and Kunna, as well as some new friends she had made this year. Anda and Zhang Shiyu were also there.

The house was decorated in soft pinks, with balloons, small lights, and photo hangings.

Que Yining looked up; every photo was of her and Gu Shanxue.

She almost immediately understood what was happening, a wide smile spreading across her face.

“So, she wasn’t actually at a social engagement?”

“How could she go to a social engagement on Qixi? All of us, whether single or taken, were roped into helping her out.”

Bian Ji’an scattered a handful of rose petals, impromptu cosplaying as a flower girl.

Gu Shanxue walked over from behind, holding a bouquet of flowers. Her face was slightly flushed, but her eyes were bright.

“Whose idea was this retro move?”

Que Yining suppressed a laugh. Though she said that, her expression showed no disdain at all.

“I told you, shouting ‘I love you’ while bungee jumping would be more romantic!”

Kunna eagerly suggested from the side, but was pushed back by Jiang Xiaowan.

“Oh, come on, you’d be lucky if anyone could hear you. How about on the sea? A cruise ship proposal, that’s more romantic.”

“Retro is classic, okay?”

“CEO Gu gets seasick, so…”

Anda tried hard to defend her boss; it wasn’t that her boss wasn’t romantic enough.

Everyone was laughing and joking, but the moment Gu Shanxue walked up to Que Yining, they all fell silent in unison.

Beads of sweat unknowingly formed on Gu Shanxue’s palms. Before today, she had thought of many plans, but none of them felt adequate. After seeking various opinions, everyone gave their suggestions, until Qiao Yuchu said, the simplest way is the best way.

Que Yining was already someone who stood at a high place; what kind of scenery hadn’t she experienced? There was no need for too many flashy displays. What could move her would undoubtedly be your sincerity. With that, everything else was just an accessory.

Gu Shanxue offered the flowers to Que Yining, her heart pounding rapidly.

“Ningning, Happy Qixi Festival.”

Que Yining accepted them with a smile. She was about to say why make such a big fuss for Qixi, but then she saw Gu Shanxue conjure up a small box as if by magic.

A sparkling ring, refracting eternity in the light.

Gu Shanxue knelt on one knee, looking up at her equally radiant lover.

“Miss Que, are you willing to spend the rest of your life with me?”

Gu Shanxue asked with seriousness and certainty, her eyes focused, just like every moment she gazed at her.

Their friends cheered and teased. Time seemed to slow down, and everything became a backdrop to this moment.

Que Yining also knelt on one knee, pressing her forehead against Gu Shanxue’s.

“Of course, I am willing. From the first moment I saw you, my heart responded this way.”

Que Yining gazed into those affectionate eyes, her own eyes filled with a smile.

She kissed Gu Shanxue’s lips, the bouquet of roses pressed between them, their fragrance filling the air.

To spend the rest of their lives together, until death do them part.

---

When Miss Rose first saw Miss Moon, she fell in love.

She secretly resolved to stretch out her branches and leaves, shed her dull petals, and remove old scars. She wanted to burst with vitality, to bloom even more brilliantly and dazzlingly, so that the wind could carry her sweet fragrance to Miss Moon.

Miss Moon quietly sniffed the scent, but shyly hid behind the clouds, sending Miss Rose a sky full of stars.

Rose thought this was a rejection. She lowered her head, but then raised it again, even more proudly.

She thought, as long as her branches and leaves one day covered this land, Miss Moon would eventually see her.

She bloomed and bloomed and bloomed with all her might, but suddenly discovered that every night, her world was as bright as day.

The Moon was holding a lamp for her.

What she thought was a secret approach was merely the Moon’s increasingly indulgent permission.

— Rose and Moon

【The End】