After the Early-Deceased White Moonlight of a Wealthy Family Returns (GL) - Chapter 12

“Su Wu! You’re cheating!”

After Meng Xi had her forehead flicked by Shen You’an for the eighth time, she let out a cry of despair.

Tang Lin snickered on the side, while Shen You’an turned to look at Su Wu.

Su Wu was organizing the remaining cards for her, saying without looking up: “Is counting cards considered cheating now?”

“I can’t take it!” Meng Xi yelled. “I’m banning high IQs from participating in card games!”

“You’an didn’t even hit you that hard,” Su Wu noted.

Meng Xi: “Does my pain come from the kid hitting me? My pain comes from being outmaneuvered by you!”

She refused to back down: “Let’s play something else! Something that requires no brain, just luck!”

“How about this—electronic dice? High roller wins. Whoever loses…” Meng Xi’s eyes drifted toward Su Wu’s wine cabinet; she had been eyeing that bottle of Grand Cru Burgundy for a long time. “Whoever loses drinks a glass. How about it?”

Su Wu saw through her little scheme instantly. She tilted her head and asked Shen You’an, “Want to play?”

Shen You’an nodded.

It had been a long time since she had been in such a lively, “human” atmosphere.

Selfishly, she hoped this game would last a little longer.

Furthermore—

Shen You’an’s eyes followed Meng Xi’s gaze to the red wine.

“You drink juice,” Su Wu said.

Shen You’an: “…”

Meng Xi spoke up for her: “Xiao An is eighteen now! It’s her birthday! What’s wrong with letting her see a bit of the world?”

Shen You’an nodded like a chick pecking at grain.

Su Wu couldn’t resist her eager gaze and relented: “Just one small glass.”

With that promise, Shen You’an spent the entire round hoping she would lose.

Unfortunately, it seemed heaven was always on her side.

For a full forty minutes, Shen You’an didn’t lose a single hand. Tang Lin’s luck was average, while Meng Xi and Su Wu were basically the “Crouching Dragon and Fledgling Phoenix” of bad luck—both losing miserably.

“Haha, I am satisfied.” Meng Xi got her wish. Checking the time, she and Tang Lin prepared to leave. Before heading out, she gathered up the trash and a pile of streamers to take with her.

Su Wu hadn’t intended to see them out, but Shen You’an was too polite; worried about the danger of the late hour, she insisted on escorting them to the gate, waiting until the designated driver took Meng Xi’s car away before returning.

The two walked back toward the apartment complex entrance.

The night was quiet. The wind blew through the leaves, bringing the scent of golden osmanthus in a soft rustle.

Shen You’an and Su Wu walked side by side, with a one-person gap between them.

The girl would take two steps, stop, catch up, and then pause again.

Su Wu came to a halt. “What do you want to ask?”

Shen You’an: “Nothing much, really.”

She kicked at the leaves in front of her and whispered, “It’s just too quiet. I wanted to talk to you.”

Su Wu was silent for a moment before asking, “Am I very boring?”

Without Meng Xi, the air around them had cooled.

Shen You’an immediately protested: “Not at all!”

She felt that Su Wu was like her name (Wu means Mist); even standing right beside her, Shen You’an felt she couldn’t see through the woman’s thoughts. It was as if only when the sun was bright and the wind scattered the mist could one gradually explore the depths of the fog to find the woman standing there.

It was a bit dangerous; her wild instinct told her that once the mist cleared, there might be a precipice of ruins beneath her feet.

But subtly, Shen You’an actually enjoyed this danger.

It became the only place she could find a faint resemblance to the environment of the apocalypse since returning to this world.

“Sister Su, how did you spend your eighteenth birthday?” She was curious about Su Wu, curious about her changes over the past ten years, and curious about her past.

Shen You’an remembered Shen Huaijin’s eighteenth. She was only fifteen then, clamoring to attend the coming-of-age party. Shen Huaijin refused no matter what, only taking her “fair-weather friends” to an island for a few days. The photos sent back were full of youthful wildness and abandon.

Su Wu had been there too, standing in the far corner of the group photo, like a ghost.

“My eighteenth?” Su Wu lowered her eyes, reminiscing. Her mother’s breakdown still echoed in her ears. She said coldly, “Nothing special. Just an ordinary day.”

“You can’t say it like that,” Shen You’an said. “I think being able to live through an ordinary day is already very impressive!”

“Finishing every ordinary day—that is the length of a lifetime. Sister Su, just as you said, our fear of life and the pain within it might never disappear, but having walked through that fear and pain, the version of you standing here now is also very impressive.”

Shen You’an spoke a lot from the heart. When she looked back from the sky, she found Su Wu staring deeply at her. She hurriedly waved her hands in a panic: “Of course, I’m just talking nonsense.”

“Sister Su, you’re smiling!”

Su Wu withdrew the faint curve of her lips.

“What? Was what I said that funny?” Shen You’an pouted, acting a bit spoiled.

The child was very good at capturing others’ emotions, thereby identifying who she could get away with being more unreasonable around. Having grown up cherished and loved, even though she had successfully entered the prime age of eighteen today, she still retained this skill carved into her DNA.

Su Wu’s slight, inexplicable indulgence was something Shen You’an could capture very keenly; thus, she relaxed a little.

“It wasn’t funny,” Su Wu said. “It was quite cute.”

“…”

Now it was Shen You’an’s turn to be speechless.

“You can think seriously for a while longer about what I said today,” Su Wu continued. “Tomorrow, I’ll go arrange the identity processing.”

“I know.” Shen You’an peeked at Su Wu. “Sister Su, if I stay with you for the time being, will it be a bother?”

“Any option I proactively suggest means I have already considered the outcome and have the ability to ensure I can do it.” Su Wu looked seriously into Shen You’an’s eyes. “So, you don’t need to let that point influence your judgment.”

For some reason, Shen You’an felt flustered by the gaze. She looked away and gave a soft “oh.”

She’s so strange.

What’s wrong with me?

To bypass the inexplicable feeling in her heart, Shen You’an thought of something else: “Sister Su, I’ll tell you a secret.”

“What is it?”

“When I was making my wish just now, I realized I didn’t have anything special that I wanted.” Her mother’s health, her sister’s safety far away—those were already reality. “So I whispered to the Birthday God, asking if He could transfer my wish to you. If I blew out the candles in one breath, it would mean He agreed.”

“As it turns out, He accepted the proposal very readily.”

“So—!”

The girl stepped in front of her, skipped twice, turned back, and smiled at her with her hands behind her back: “Sister Su, as a thank-you for helping me celebrate my birthday, I’m giving this wish to you. I hope all your heart’s desires come true.”

The moon in the night sky curved like her eyes.

Su Wu actually didn’t dare to look.

She lowered her gaze, stepped forward, and tucked the girl’s knit cardigan closer against the wind.

“The wind is picking up. Let’s go home.”

Shen You’an let out a soft “eh” and chased after the woman who had walked ahead of her. She asked by her side, “That’s it? Sister Su, don’t you have any wishes?”

Su Wu shook her head: “Not for now.”

Shen You’an muttered, “True, you’re beautiful, talented, and rich. Fine, then I’ll just leave the wish here for now.”

Su Wu said okay.

She looked sideways at the girl’s vivid face.

Before this, Su Wu never believed in gods.

After this…

Oh, gods.

Her greatest wish had already come true; how could she dare to ask for anything else?