The White Moonlight Who Went Mad in Silence [Rebirth] - Chapter 10

After dinner, Ming Lan completed her nightly routine with Yi An’s help. She now leaned against the headboard, watching as Yi An once again applied ointment to her ankle. Yi An carefully wrapped the area with protective gauze to keep it from rubbing against anything while she slept.

“It’s still early,” Ming Lan said as she gently held Yi An’s sleeve to stop her from leaving. “Stay and talk with me for a bit. I left in such a hurry back then, and we lost contact afterward. Tell me what your life has been like these past few years.”

In their previous life, they had reunited too late. By then, Ming Lan had been in a terrible state and barely even recognized Yi An. They had hardly spoken. Ming Lan realized she had never truly gotten to know her.

Yi An sat back down at the edge of the bed. She paused for a moment as if collecting her thoughts, then slowly began to speak without brushing the question aside.

“The last letter we exchanged was right after I finished the college entrance exam. You told me you were going abroad for treatment, and I wrote back that I had been accepted into a university in B City. You wished me a bright future, and I wished you a full recovery. Do you remember that?”

“I do,” Ming Lan replied. “When I got your letter, I was already overseas. I still remember you refused the computer I sent you. My mother told me you only kept the butterfly ribbon from the wrapping. You didn’t accept the gift itself.”

Ming Lan had helped many people and sent out countless gifts over the years, but this incident had always stood out in her memory. She had never met someone like Yi An.

Hearing how clearly Ming Lan remembered, a rare smile appeared on Yi An’s face.

“The foundation had already provided me with a computer. I didn’t want to be greedy.”

“But that one was from me. It’s not the same.” Ming Lan’s tone was gentle. The gift she had picked out herself was naturally of higher quality than the ones given out by the foundation. Yi An could have returned the sponsored one and kept hers, but she hadn’t.

“I understand. That’s why I accepted your thoughts and your kind wishes. I still have that ribbon, you know.” Yi An had moved several times and lived through uncertainty, yet she had always kept that small ribbon safely tucked in a box.

Ming Lan’s eyes widened slightly. She had given away many things and never paid much attention to how they were handled afterward. Once a gift was given, she believed it was up to the recipient to decide what to do with it. But hearing Yi An had cherished something so small made her feel genuinely warm inside.

For the first time, she understood what her parents meant by “goodness comes back around.” Maybe everything she had done wasn’t meaningless after all.

They continued chatting. Yi An spoke calmly about her four years at university in B City and her two years of working afterward. Then she turned her gaze back to Ming Lan.

“But let’s not just talk about me. What about you?”

“Me? Well, since I was recovering overseas, I studied there too. I majored in philosophy. After graduation, I went on a short trip, and I’ve only just returned to the country.”

Thinking back, the past few years of her life had been rather uneventful. Nothing really stood out. She could only offer a general summary since she couldn’t recall many specific details.

“Have you fully recovered now?” Yi An asked, her tone serious.

That was the question she cared about most. Ming Lan looked perfectly healthy now, but in Yi An’s memory, just over two years later, she had fallen gravely ill again when an old condition returned.

“For the most part, yes. I can live a normal life. But doing everything like a completely healthy person is still a bit difficult. I’m already very grateful, though. Things will continue improving with time.”

Ming Lan could hear the concern in Yi An’s voice and felt touched. She remembered everything about her health, even after all these years.

Yi An nodded. She had a clearer picture now. Ming Lan needed proper care, and the relapse in her past life must have had its reasons.

They chatted a while longer until Ming Lan let out a soft yawn. Yi An stood up so she wouldn’t disturb her.

“Get some rest. I’ll head back to my room.”

“If you’re free tomorrow, would you come out with me for a bit?” Ming Lan asked, curling up under her blanket. She was clearly getting sleepy.

“Your ankle is still injured.” Yi An hesitated. The doctor had said she needed plenty of rest.

“It’s fine. I just want to go to the mall. I’ll have someone bring over a wheelchair, so I won’t be walking much,” Ming Lan explained. “I’m starting at the company on Monday, but I don’t have anything prepared yet. I don’t even have the right clothes. I need to go shopping. Come with me, please?”

“You’re going to start working?” Yi An looked at her in surprise. “Is it at Qinglan Group?”

“Yes. I’ll be temporarily acting as deputy general manager at headquarters,” Ming Lan said with her head resting on the pillow. She looked at Yi An with a soft smile and raised her eyebrows playfully.

Yi An was caught between a dozen thoughts. On one hand, it seemed sudden. On the other, it somehow made perfect sense.

“Alright. I’ll go with you tomorrow.”

Now that the plan was set, Ming Lan pulled her blanket up to her chin.

“Good night. See you tomorrow.”

“Good night.”

Yi An walked over and turned on the small lamp on the nightstand. Then she switched off the main light and gently closed the door behind her.

Ming Lan, who had been on the verge of sleep, was suddenly struck by a sense of déjà vu. In her past life, when she had been staying at Yi An’s place, this was exactly how Yi An would check in on her each night before quietly leaving.

Was it just her imagination?

She couldn’t say for sure. A small gesture like that shouldn’t mean much. Still, with her thoughts swirling, Ming Lan eventually drifted off to sleep.

The next day was Saturday. Ming Lan woke up naturally and stretched lazily in the soft morning sunlight. After taking her time getting out of bed and freshening up, she stepped into the dining room. While pouring herself a glass of water, she finally noticed Yi An in the kitchen.

Her sleepy brain took a few seconds to catch up. She stared at Yi An wearing an apron.

“You’re cooking? In my house? I should be the one doing that, not you…”

She took a step toward the kitchen, then suddenly realized she had no idea what she was doing in there. Luckily, Yi An gently stopped her.

“It’s almost done. Just stay out here. The kitchen’s not a safe place if you’re not familiar with it.”

Yi An watched Ming Lan fumble awkwardly at the doorway and knew right away she was not the type to cook. She quickly stepped in to take control.

After a simple breakfast, Ming Lan had to admit that Cheng Yurong had been right. Yi An’s cooking was genuinely delicious. It tasted nothing like the refined, stylized food made by professional chefs. It was warm and comforting in a way that felt like home.

In her previous life, Yi An had hired a professional medicinal chef to prepare meals for her, so Ming Lan had never actually had the chance to taste Yi An’s cooking herself.

When the driver arrived downstairs and brought the wheelchair up, Yi An helped Ming Lan into it and pushed her downstairs.

At the nearest shopping mall, Yi An wheeled Ming Lan directly to the clothing stores. Inside a private lounge, Ming Lan looked at rows of neatly displayed business attire, but her expression showed a clear lack of interest.

“Miss Ming, these are all part of our autumn collection. Do any of them appeal to you?”

The store manager kept a close eye on Ming Lan’s reactions, sensing that the answer was probably no.

Ming Lan glanced around the room. Her eyes finally landed on Yi An, who was sitting quietly on the sofa. She looked at the clothes again. They might not suit her, but they matched Yi An’s temperament perfectly—composed, modest, and understated.

“Get these sets in my friend’s size. I’ll take them all.”

The store manager had not expected much but instantly brightened upon hearing that.

“Right away. I’ll have them prepared for you immediately.”

Yi An had simply been waiting quietly for Ming Lan to finish browsing. Then she noticed the store manager and a few assistants suddenly walking toward her.

“Miss Yi, we’ll need to take your measurements.”

Yi An paused.

They were supposed to be here to shop for Ming Lan, yet now the bodyguards were carrying several large bags filled with clothes in her size. Something felt off.

While the bodyguards loaded the bags into the car, Yi An continued to wheel Ming Lan around the mall. As Ming Lan began eyeing something else for her, Yi An finally spoke up.

“Ming Lan, we agreed we’re just friends, didn’t we?”

Ming Lan turned around, a little confused, and nodded.

“Then please don’t keep buying things for me. It makes me feel really uneasy. This isn’t how normal friends treat each other.”

Yi An knew Ming Lan’s intentions were good. She wanted to be generous, to repay kindness, but with such a vast gap between their family backgrounds, this way of giving wasn’t appropriate. If this had been the old her, Yi An probably wouldn’t have had the courage to say these words out loud. She would have simply returned everything in secret and quietly withdrawn from Ming Lan’s life.

Looking at Yi An’s serious expression, Ming Lan finally realized that in trying to make up for everything Yi An had done for her in the past, she had completely ignored Yi An’s feelings in the present.

This was still the same Yi An who had refused to move into her home. The same Yi An who carefully laundered and returned a simple set of borrowed clothes. How could someone like that be happy with extravagant gifts?

But then, what could she give her?

What could she offer Yi An that she would be willing to accept, something that would not make her feel pressured or uncomfortable?