The Moon Shines on Me (GL) - Chapter 20

Xie Tingxin rushed to the basement of the Shen family’s old house at the fastest possible speed. With just a glance, she spotted the figure that was conspicuously out of place in the dirty, messy environment.

Mingyue was curled up in a corner, trembling, her face pale, her eyes blankly staring at the staff moving back and forth.

Xie Tingxin coldly surveyed the dark, deep room, then turned her steps and walked toward Mingyue.

Mingyue’s usually radiant face was now covered in tear streaks. She was clutching an old iron box. Xie Tingxin had seen this box before; it had always been hidden deep in a cabinet by Ms. Jiang, but since it was perpetually locked, Xie Tingxin never knew what was inside.

“Mingyue, what’s wrong? What happened?”

Xie Tingxin pulled Mingyue up to her feet. She originally intended to take Mingyue away immediately, but Mingyue remained rooted to the spot. Clutching the iron box with both hands, she said haltingly, “Tingxin… I’m sorry… Aunt Jiang told me before she died… I’m not the Shen family’s eldest daughter… you are… our identities were switched twenty years ago.”

Boom—

Xie Tingxin felt a sudden, loud ringing in her head. The world she had built over the past twenty years collapsed instantly. She was stunned for several minutes before she managed to regain her senses.

Xie Tingxin eagerly opened the iron box in Shen Mingyue’s hands, frantically pulling out a birth certificate and two paternity test reports. The reports showed:

Xie Tingxin had no bl00d relation to the Jiang couple.

And the second report—the instant she saw that line of text, countless thoughts flashed through Xie Tingxin’s mind: joy, relief, resentment, hatred…

It turned out she wasn’t the nanny’s daughter, and Mingyue wasn’t the rich young lady. She should have had everything Mingyue possessed, but due to Ms. Jiang’s deliberate concealment of her identity, she was left to struggle outside for a full twenty years. If it weren’t for that disgusting couple, she would have had a wonderful life in the Shen family.

And all the things that should have belonged to her had been occupied by the person in front of her for the past twenty years.

Xie Tingxin looked at Shen Mingyue’s innocent face, a twisted smile curving her lips. It turned out the “nanny’s daughter” identity that had troubled her for over a decade, making her sensitive, self-conscious, and wish she could die, was completely fake. While she was struggling in cramped, airless basements, Shen Mingyue was enjoying the deep love of her biological parents, wearing beautiful, expensive dresses at grand banquets and receiving everyone’s blessings.

Shen Mingyue said, “I’m sorry, Tingxin… I just found out, too. If I had known earlier…”

Hearing this, Xie Tingxin took a deep breath and interrupted her: “Don’t say anything.”

They stood in wordless confrontation for a long time. The Shen couple, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, took them and the iron box out of the basement. Mingyue was led away in a daze to have her hair cut and bl00d drawn. She heard the doctor say they needed to perform paternity tests on both her and Xie Tingxin.

The test results would take a minimum of three hours. Because of this unexpected incident, Mingyue’s birthday party was temporarily canceled, and all the guests were asked to leave the Shen family’s old house.

Mingyue silently watched her parents, who were lavishing concern on Xie Tingxin. Tears welled up in her eyes but were forcefully held back. Even though the test results weren’t out yet, they seemed to have already concluded through the iron box that Xie Tingxin was their biological daughter.

This sudden turn of events was too abrupt. An hour ago, Shen Mingyue was the dazzling star of the banquet; now, there wasn’t a single person by her side. The servants kept their distance, her parents were hesitant and unsure around her, and even Xie Tingxin hadn’t looked at her since leaving the basement.

Mingyue had never felt three hours were so agonizing. Her heart sank a little more with every passing moment while waiting for the news.

.

10:00 PM Jiangcheng, Shen Residence

“Madam, the test results are out.”

Shen Hui walked in quickly, holding a transparent bag. His face was slightly flushed with excitement, and the joyful smile on his lips was the familiar curve Mingyue knew so well.

“Madam, Tingxin really is our child.”

For some reason, hearing the news, Shen Mingyue felt a sense of relief. She looked at the three people opposite her on the sofa, hugging each other and crying, slowly got up, and left the hall.

When Mingyue reached the door, the housekeeper stopped her. “Miss, where are you going? It’s very late.”

Mingyue, stopped short, said blankly, “I… I’m going back to school.”

She wasn’t a member of the Shen family; her identity was stolen. She couldn’t stay here any longer. No one here welcomed her, and she had to leave immediately. But apart from the Shen family and school, she didn’t know where else she could go.

“Mingyue, wait, we have something to talk to you about.”

Shen Hui’s voice came from behind Mingyue. Then, his steady footsteps slowly approached. Mingyue felt her wrist being held. Looking bewildered, she followed Shen Hui to stand in front of Xie Tingxin.

“Mingyue, here’s the thing. We want to adopt you.”

Ms. Jiang was the mastermind behind the true and false heiress scheme, and as Ms. Jiang’s biological daughter, it was clearly inappropriate for Mingyue to continue holding the title of the Shen family’s eldest daughter. However, Mingyue had lived with them for a full twenty years. Furthermore, considering she was also kept in the dark and didn’t know the truth, the Shen couple, after careful consideration, decided to keep Mingyue.

But since it was confirmed that Tingxin was their biological daughter, they naturally had to welcome Tingxin back into the family. Tingxin had suffered a lot over the past twenty years, so they didn’t want her to feel wronged. They could only change Mingyue from a biological daughter to an adopted daughter.

Although the vile actions of the Jiang couple had created an unavoidable rift between them and Mingyue, Mingyue hadn’t graduated from university yet. Besides, she had been spoiled and well-cared for the past twenty years. Letting her leave the Shen family would undoubtedly be sending her to her doom.

“So, Tingxin, would you like Mingyue to be your sister? This way, you can be together every day.” Shen Hui smiled and lowered his head, asking Xie Tingxin for her opinion.

Xie Tingxin sat upright on the sofa, her hand tightly clasped by Mrs. Shen. Everyone’s eyes turned to her.

But contrary to everyone’s expectations, Xie Tingxin shook her head and firmly said, “No, I do not wish for Mingyue to become my sister.”

Shen Hui and Mrs. Shen hadn’t anticipated that Xie Tingxin would object to them adopting Mingyue, especially since their close relationship was obvious to all.

However, from Tingxin’s perspective, Mingyue was the culprit who stole her twenty years of happiness. It was understandable that she didn’t want to see Mingyue in this house.

Shen Hui and Mrs. Shen both sighed, saying regretfully, “In that case, we respect Tingxin’s decision.”

“Thank you for your kindness, Uncle Shen, Mrs. Shen.”

Mingyue bowed deeply to them.

Later, the housekeeper escorted Mingyue out of the Shen residence. She left the Shen house with nothing but her phone. Everything that belonged to “Shen Mingyue” was left behind in the room on the second floor of the Shen residence.

Perhaps when people are unlucky, it really does pour when it rains. Halfway through her walk, a heavy rain began to fall, accompanied by thunder and lightning. Most stores were closed at this hour. Mingyue was completely drenched. She stood in the pouring rain, lost, with no idea where to go.

The previous nineteen years had been smooth sailing, but her twentieth birthday delivered a fatal blow.

How cruel fate was.

Mingyue couldn’t help but wonder if the family of three in the Shen residence were now immersed in the joy of their reunion.

.

Jinghai City, Yunjin Villa

Shen Yuan, lying in bed, suddenly opened her eyes. In the darkness, her eyes were as calm as still water. After a moment of disorientation, her pupils slowly focused, her gaze fixed on the gray ceiling in the dark.

She had that dream again.

Shen Yuan checked the time on her phone—3:00 AM.

She was about to turn off the screen when she suddenly received a text message. Seeing the content of the message, Shen Yuan’s hand violently shook.

The text message read:

“Mingyue, how have you been lately?”

“Cough, cough, cough, cough, cough”

Shen Yuan coughed instantly due to emotional agitation. In the dark, she tried to reach for the water cup on the nightstand, but when her fingers touched the cup, she accidentally knocked it to the floor.

“Smash—”

The crystal-clear cup shattered into pieces, and water and sharp shards scattered on the floor, making a clear, piercing sound.

Shen Yuan gasped a few times and was about to turn on the light and get out of bed, but the next moment, there was a knock on her bedroom door.

“Shen Yuan, what’s wrong? Did you have a nightmare? Can I come in and check on you?” Gu Shiwei held a cup of hot water in one hand and propped open Shen Yuan’s bedroom door with the other, asking with a slightly unsteady breath.

Her voice wasn’t loud, but it was clear enough for Shen Yuan to hear.

“Cough, cough, cough… Come… Come in.”

After receiving Shen Yuan’s permission, Gu Shiwei turned the doorknob and opened the second bedroom door. Once inside, she turned around and pressed the switch, and a warm yellow light snapped on.

“Shen Yuan, did you have a nightmare?”

Gu Shiwei frowned and walked over. She set down the hot water she was holding, then looked at Shen Yuan, who was sitting on the bed, her face covered in tears from coughing.

“Sort of, cough, cough… Why are you still awake so late?”

Gu Shiwei pointed to the hot water she brought in. “I was thirsty in the middle of the night, so I came out to pour a glass of water. I heard movement in your room, so I came over to check.”

“Mmm… I’m fine, cough, cough, cough, cough, cough.”

“Don’t talk for now. I’ll go pour you a fresh cup. Drink this one.” Gu Shiwei handed the water to Shen Yuan.

Shen Yuan’s throat was burning from coughing. She didn’t stand on ceremony with Gu Shiwei, taking the cup of hot water and sipping it. Only after the tickle in her throat completely disappeared did she put down the water cup and stare blankly, hugging the quilt.

While Shen Yuan was zoning out, Gu Shiwei had already cleaned up all the broken glass shards. She sat on the edge of the bed, intently observing Shen Yuan, as if wanting to peer into her past from her pale face.

Gu Shiwei asked, “Shen Yuan, do you have nightmares often?”

Shen Yuan: “Occasionally.”

Gu Shiwei: “There are still three hours until dawn. Go back to sleep. Don’t be afraid. I’ll stay here with you.”

Shen Yuan paused: “No need…”

Gu Shiwei: “If you feel bad for me, you could invite me to sleep with you.”

Shen Yuan: “?”

Gu Shiwei blinked with a serious expression: “Don’t worry, it’ll just be purely sleeping under the covers. I won’t do anything to you. Besides, don’t you want to know the extent to which you can accept a girl?”

Shen Yuan’s lips parted and closed, parted and closed, several times, but she couldn’t utter a word of refusal. She expressionlessly extended two fingers, grabbed Gu Shiwei’s sleeve, and gently tugged: “Come up.”

This should count as an even more intimate action than kissing, right? If she could accept sleeping in the same bed with a girl, then she might really be a lesbian.

Shen Yuan mourned her dead straight-girl cognition of the past two decades for two seconds, then turned her back, her ears flushed.