The White Moonlight Who Went Mad in Silence [Rebirth] - Chapter 8

After dinner, the clothes were delivered. It was already quite late, and it was time to rest.

Yi An helped Ming Lan back to her room. Just as she was about to leave, she noticed a hesitant expression on Ming Lan’s face. Her eyes landed on the gown Ming Lan was wearing, and she immediately understood.

“Do you need help?”

Ming Lan had no other choice. She gave a small nod.

She took off her jacket and stood up with her back to Yi An.

“Just help me unzip the back.”

As she spoke, she lowered her head and gathered her long hair to the front, revealing her slender neck. The zipper of the backless gown started just above her waist and followed the curve of her spine down past the small of her back.

The zipper was very fine. Yi An carefully pinched it with two fingers, using her thumb to press down on the fabric so she could guide it more smoothly. It was then that she noticed just how slim Ming Lan’s waist was. Her open hand could almost wrap around it entirely.

Lost in the thought for a moment, she accidentally let go of the zipper. The gown, already halfway undone, loosened and revealed Ming Lan’s entire back and waist.

“Is it done?”

Ming Lan asked casually as she turned her head, startling Yi An slightly.

“Not yet. My hand slipped.”

“The zipper’s really small. It’s alright. No rush.”

Ming Lan comforted her with a gentle tone, clearly understanding.

Yi An quickly pulled herself together, located the zipper again, averted her gaze, and quietly tugged it all the way down.

“All done,” she said, letting go.

“Okay. I’m going to take a shower now.”

Ming Lan picked up the pajamas that had been placed nearby and told Yi An before hopping slowly toward the bathroom, steadying herself on the wall.

“Are you sure you can manage a shower like this?” Yi An asked, clearly concerned.

“I’ll be fine.”

Ming Lan stepped inside and shut the door.

Yi An knew she should probably return to her room, but her eyes kept drifting toward the bathroom door. What if Ming Lan slipped and fell? The floor would be wet, and she might forget about her injured ankle. It wasn’t safe at all.

Still uneasy, Yi An raised her voice slightly.

“Don’t get your ankle wet. I’ll be right outside. Just call me if you need anything.”

“Alright,” came the reply from within.

Yi An sat quietly in a chair nearby and instinctively opened Ming Lan’s profile on her phone. The avatar was a paper airplane under a blue sky. It was clean, bright, and full of life.

Unlike Yi An’s empty profile, Ming Lan’s account was full of posts—snapshots from daily life, even photos of pretty leaves she came across. Most of the images were of landscapes or small objects, all captured through a lens that made everything look charming and warm.

As she scrolled, Yi An found herself smiling unconsciously. Then she stumbled upon a selfie of Ming Lan. She still looked a little young and had a slightly pale complexion, but her smile was bright and genuine. She stood in the sunlight, arms wide open, face lifted toward the sky. The caption read, “New Life.”

She glanced at the timestamp and realized she had unknowingly scrolled several years back.

Closing her phone, Yi An felt a bit guilty, as though she had peeked into something too private. Her heart thudded unsteadily.

Just then, the sound of running water stopped. Ming Lan must have finished showering.

“Yi An, are you still there?”

Ming Lan’s voice came from inside the bathroom.

“Yes, what is it?”

“Can you help me? I don’t feel safe walking.”

Yi An immediately agreed and went over to open the bathroom door.

Ming Lan had just barely managed to get dressed, though the clothes she had changed into were damp from the surrounding water. She sat beside the bathtub, frowning at the wet floor.

“Are you okay?”

Yi An walked in and helped her up, making sure she didn’t accidentally put pressure on her injured foot. She supported Ming Lan around the waist, lowered her own stance, and gave her more balance and strength.

“I’m fine. My ankle didn’t get wet.”

Ming Lan clung to Yi An as she slowly moved one foot forward.

Eventually, they made it back to the bed. Both of them let out a breath of relief.

“You should go back and get some rest. Don’t you have work tomorrow?”

Ming Lan felt guilty for troubling Yi An so much tonight. When she saw Yi An pick up the hairdryer to help her dry her hair, she quickly offered to do it herself.

“It’s alright. It won’t take long,” Yi An said gently from behind her. “By the way, will you be okay staying home alone tomorrow?”

“I’ll have the housekeeper come over to take care of me. Don’t worry.”

Ming Lan couldn’t possibly keep Yi An from going to work.

That gave Yi An some peace of mind.

Once she finished drying Ming Lan’s hair, Yi An stood up to leave.

“Do you need me to turn off the lights?”

“No, it’s fine. I still need to change clothes,” Ming Lan replied with a small shake of her head.

She watched Yi An walk out and quietly close the door. Ming Lan knew that Yi An in this life was still not quite the same as the one from her past.

Letting go of her thoughts, she changed clothes and, noticing how late it had gotten, quickly turned in for the night.

The next morning, she woke up naturally just before noon. The housekeeper had already arrived, and as expected, both Ming Yu and Xie Jin had found out what happened.

After repeatedly assuring them that it was nothing serious and that she only needed a few days to rest her sprained ankle, and with the housekeeper taking care of her, they finally calmed down enough to go on their business trip.

When Ming Lan stepped out of her room, lunch was already prepared.

She glanced toward the guest room.

“Aunt Chen, was my friend still here when you arrived?”

“You mean the young lady who stayed over? She left around eight this morning after she saw me come in.”

The housekeeper answered while tidying up.

“Alright. Let’s prepare dinner a bit later tonight. And make sure there’s enough for one more.”

Ming Lan left the instructions, thinking that Yi An would likely get off work late. Delaying dinner slightly would be just right.

After lunch, Ming Lan had nowhere to go because of her injury. She stayed home and began reviewing some company documents sent by Fang Yixing. It was a good chance to start familiarizing herself with the material.

She spent the whole afternoon reading until her eyes began to blur. Rubbing them and stretching her arms, she glanced outside. The sun had already set. She picked up her phone and sent Yi An a message.

What time do you get off work today?

In the office, Yi An’s phone chimed. She glanced at the screen, saw the message was from Ming Lan, and accidentally typed two wrong characters in a fluster.

She quickly deleted them, then picked up her phone to look again before carefully composing a reply.

Not sure yet.

No, that sounded too cold. She deleted it and started over.

After editing her message several times, she finally opened her chat with Cheng Yurong and borrowed a cute emoji of a girl resting her chin in her hands.

Probably around eight [resting chin.jpg]

Ming Lan looked at the time. It was only a little after five.

What would you like for dinner? I’ll have the housekeeper prepare it.

Yi An stared at the message, a bit unsure how to respond. It felt like Ming Lan was inviting her to stay over again. But…

She couldn’t agree. It wouldn’t be appropriate to keep staying at Ming Lan’s place.

I’m really sorry. I’ll probably be busy for the next few days and might disturb your rest. I think it’s better if I don’t come over.

She stared at the message for a long time before finally hitting send. Then, feeling something was missing, she searched for an apology emoji from Cheng Yurong but accidentally sent one of a cartoon figure bowing and begging for forgiveness. Panicking, she quickly recalled it.

Ming Lan saw the little bowing character disappear instantly. Her mood, which had been sinking a little, lifted again. She looked once more at the cute emoji Yi An had sent earlier and couldn’t help wondering how someone as serious as Yi An could send something so adorable.

Forget it. She couldn’t push too hard. The weekend was just around the corner anyway. If she brought it up then, Yi An probably wouldn’t be able to say no.

Ming Lan told the housekeeper there was no need to prepare an extra serving for dinner. Meanwhile, over at the office, Yi An found herself distracted. Tasks that she normally handled with ease were going wrong one after another.

At last, the workday ended. She took the subway home and returned to the apartment she shared with Cheng Yurong.

Cheng Yurong’s latest job opportunity had fallen through again thanks to Xiao Shaoyan, so she had spent the entire day submitting resumes. When she looked up and saw Yi An come home, her eyes immediately landed on her outfit.

Unlike her usual sweatshirt and jeans, Yi An was dressed in a black turtleneck sweater. The soft material fit her perfectly, and the simple black pants emphasized her long legs. The cashmere coat over it all made her look calm and elegant, her whole presence refined and graceful.

“Wow! You look amazing in this outfit. And I bet it’s expensive too, right?”

Cheng Yurong stood up and circled around Yi An, eyes wide with curiosity.

“That coat you’re wearing is one of the few brands I actually recognize. I think it costs tens of thousands.”