I Really Didn't Want to Have a Happy Ending with the Black Moonlight Female Lead - Chapter 4

The wind swept across the large rose garden, echoing with the unrestrained laughter of the women gossiping about their families.

The rarely clear sky was azure and cloudless. The sunlight cast a comfortable, leisurely feel after the busy autumn work.

However, the bright daylight could not illuminate the world of pitch darkness.

What can one do while living in darkness?

Xu Shiyue didn’t know.

This was her third month without her eyes.

The color red, which she hated the most, was now the only color she could intensely perceive.

“Tsk, what exactly is wrong with her? I heard she used to be some rich young lady?”

“Hah, what good is the past? She’s still burned out of it, isn’t she, planting flowers and grass for others here?”

“Do you remember that plot of land north of our village? They took it last year.”

…

The women initially kept their gossip to a controlled volume, but as they spoke, they completely let loose.

The wind pushed these conversations across Xu Shiyue’s earlobes. The roses swayed in the wind, like flames spreading and drifting.

The sound of burning wood and the sirens, coming from far away and close by, restlessly stirred Xu Shiyue’s memory. The rose thorns slowly pressed into her fingertips, almost piercing through.

Just then, a warmth suddenly covered her arm.

A black silhouette blocked the light falling from behind her, instantly extinguishing the flames burning in her vision.

The person’s warm palm temperature pressed against Xu Shiyue’s icy forearm without obstruction, bringing a trace of warmth to her body, which had been chilled by the autumn wind, and helped her stand up from the ground.

The sun was slowly climbing to the zenith. The daylight made Xu Shiyue feel somewhat dazed.

She couldn’t believe that someone here would still reach out to help her, but the moment she heard the person’s voice the next second, her expression turned cold.

Lu Shizhen: “This is not something you should be doing.”

A cold scoff flashed in Xu Shiyue’s mind.

Isn’t this exactly what Lu Shizhen made her do?

What kind of act was she trying to pull now?

Whether it was warmth or a sense of security, it all dissipated and vanished the moment Xu Shiyue realized the person was Lu Shizhen.

She pulled her arm back, trying to slip her wrist out of Lu Shizhen’s grip.

Her resistance was obvious, and even the system couldn’t help but warn her: “Host, I think Xu Shiyue is very resistant to physical contact with you.”

Lu Shizhen glanced at it.

She was well aware of Xu Shiyue’s disgust. That damned original owner had accumulated too much hatred before she arrived, causing Xu Shiyue to be utterly repulsed by even touching her now.

But what could she do?

Xu Shiyue couldn’t see, and she didn’t have a cane to guide her. If Lu Shizhen wanted to lead her out of this rose garden without injury, she had no choice but to hold her wrist.

She was truly not some pervert trying to take advantage of someone.

When she felt Xu Shiyue trying to struggle free a second time, Lu Shizhen steeled her nerve and adopted the original owner’s tone to warn her: “Xu Shiyue, how many roses do you plan to ruin before you stop?”

As the words fell, Xu Shiyue indeed stopped struggling.

Lu Shizhen instantly felt a surge of joy, but a sudden mechanical voice sounded in her ear: “-1.”

The system’s alert was flat and emotionless, yet Lu Shizhen felt it was the most heartbreaking sound in the world.

In that instant, she felt the pain of having her arm broken in the future.

Lu Shizhen looked at the small sphere in disbelief. The small sphere was also confused and analyzed with difficulty: “Perhaps… the Host’s words were a little too much like the original owner?”

But you systems told me to maintain the original owner’s persona!

Lu Shizhen instantly felt frantic. The small sphere immediately comforted her: “I think the point deduction is mainly because Xu Shiyue’s impression of the original owner is extremely poor. At this stage, there’s a high chance you’ll lose points no matter what you do. But! As long as you continuously show kindness and change Xu Shiyue’s attitude toward you, her favorability score will definitely increase!”

Lu Shizhen understood the system’s reasoning.

However, watching her already “bugged” negative score decrease by another point, her heartbreak was immense.

That wasn’t just a score; that was her lifeblood!

To prevent her already non-affluent score from getting worse, Lu Shizhen chose to remain silent for the rest of the walk.

The long wind gently drifted between the two, one in front and one behind. Xu Shiyue’s long hair, loosely tied at the back of her head, moved slightly.

She walked lightly through the ridges of the rose field, but she wasn’t focusing enough.

The one who actively held her arm was Lu Shizhen.

The one walking ahead to clear the path for her was also Lu Shizhen.

But…

A slight frown was faintly visible between Xu Shiyue’s eyebrows. Her empty eyes followed her slightly turning head and rested on Lu Shizhen’s arm.

The grip was perfectly appropriate, holding her suspended arm without a controlling strength. The momentum made her steps feel more grounded.

The person who would usually take the opportunity to touch and grope her was not Lu Shizhen.

This didn’t match the person’s usual behavior.

What exactly was she planning?

This behavior clearly contradicted Xu Shiyue’s predictions, causing her prepared vigilance to fall flat.

She disliked things that deviated from her judgment experience, and her calm, indifferent expression concealed deep wariness.

After an unknown period, Lu Shizhen slowly led Xu Shiyue out of the rose field.

In the distance, the women were engrossed in their conversation. Lu Shizhen’s light chuckle incongruously cut through the laughter of the women who hadn’t noticed their arrival.

“Ladies, is the sun nice today?”

The teacup, covered with a lid, shook violently in the woman’s hand. The gossiping women instantly froze.

The leading woman’s eyes widened. She slowly and incredulously looked up at the shadow cast over their heads.

Lu Shizhen was smiling at them, but there was no friendliness in her slightly narrowed eyes.

She still remembered how Xu Shiyue had been bullied by these women just now, and their malicious words were deeply offensive.

The sun had already climbed to the zenith, shining even brighter than before, yet the woman’s fingers were thoroughly cold.

She looked at Lu Shizhen, who stood in front of Xu Shiyue, and stammered, unable to speak a complete greeting: “M-Mi-Miss…”

Lu Shizhen did not acknowledge her “Miss.” Her voice was low: “So you know I’m the Miss? I thought this house already belonged to you, and you were the one to decide my moods.”

The woman’s heart immediately seized up. She knew Lu Shizhen had heard the conversation she had just had with Xu Shiyue. She explained incoherently: “It was you, Miss, you said a few days ago that you wanted Miss Xu to take care of the garden…”

“Yes, and Miss Xu ruined too many roses yesterday. We were too busy for a moment, so we called Miss Xu over to help.”

As the woman explained, another woman also stepped forward to agree, their words entirely focused on shifting blame.

As if having more people say the same thing would make a non-existent matter become fact.

As the other center of the storm, Xu Shiyue merely stood behind, listening coldly to their words.

Her pale pink lips were slightly pressed together, showing no inclination to reveal the truth.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want the truth.

It was that she knew the blurred silhouette, haloed by the light, could not give her the justice she deserved.

No one would seek justice from a crazy pleasure criminal.

Moreover, this lunatic was a pervert who would stop at nothing to possess her.

The sunlight was slightly skewed by the wind. Lu Shizhen’s laughter rang out exactly as Xu Shiyue had predicted.

But she hit the wrong target. The next second, what Xu Shiyue heard was Lu Shizhen’s question directed at the women: “Did your ‘calling’ involve verbal abuse?”

Because of the slight amusement in her tone, Lu Shizhen’s words didn’t sound entirely like a rebuke, but the women couldn’t lift their heads at all.

As a minor supervisor in the backyard, she knew their Miss’s unpredictable emotions were not normal. The wider Lu Shizhen smiled, the more terrified she became.

But still wanting to salvage her highly paid job, the woman quickly capitulated: “I’m sorry, Miss, we know we were wrong. We absolutely will not do it again.”

“No.” Lu Shizhen shook her head and said softly, “You shouldn’t be apologizing to me.”

A thin cloud obscured the slanted sunlight. The smile on Lu Shizhen’s face cooled and receded.

She couldn’t imitate the original owner’s perverse habit of always smiling when angry. Her voice dropped a few degrees.

The surroundings were silent for a few seconds. Then, several quick-witted women immediately turned to Xu Shiyue.

They dared not confront Xu Shiyue, lowering their once haughty postures, apologizing profusely.

“Miss Xu, we know we were wrong. Could you please plead for us with Miss?”

“I’m sorry, Miss Xu, I’m sorry. My child just started high school, and it’s the age where everything costs money. Please be kind and help me. Can you forgive me this one time? I promise I will never say those things again.”

…

The apologies were trembling with fear and regret, sounding somewhat remorseful.

But Xu Shiyue understood that these people were only lowering their heads to her because they wanted to keep their jobs.

They were not genuinely feeling guilty or regretful about the verbal humiliation they had just inflicted.

The thin cloud was pushed by the wind, covering the sun, and then slowly moving away. Xu Shiyue remained silent the entire time.

Suddenly, one woman’s voice sharply cut through the surrounding noise, standing out clearly: “Miss Xu, I didn’t say anything just now. Do you remember me? I’m innocent!”

Her words were desperate, and her voice was full of innocence. Xu Shiyue’s lips moved slightly upon hearing this.

The woman saw this and thought she had a chance of being forgiven. The next second, this vague hope was shattered.

“But I can’t see, so how can I know if you’re telling the truth?”

Xu Shiyue’s voice was very soft, polite, and delicate.

But it was like a knife, sharply stabbing the woman’s heart.

Not saying “I forgive you” meant she didn’t forgive them.

The system had been observing all along and couldn’t help but feel worried: “Host, is Xu Shiyue being a little too vengeful?”

Lu Shizhen naturally understood the system’s meaning, adding another layer of bitterness to her worries about her score and future.

But she only expressed these feelings internally. In reality, she immediately waved her hand at the women and said very decisively: “Since that’s the case, then send them all away.”

No one could forgive anyone on behalf of a victim, even if that forgiveness was meant to secure their own future.

Lu Shizhen could understand Xu Shiyue’s decision.

The main perpetrators were criminals.

And did the passively observant mob have no responsibility?

Autumn always carried a gentle mellowness. The sun could warm everyone pleasantly.

But precisely this most infectious element could not illuminate Xu Shiyue’s calm and hollow eyes. It could only powerlessly bring out her bloodless pallor, born from being tormented by fate.

Lu Shizhen genuinely felt in her heart that she shouldn’t have to endure these things.

Thinking of Xu Shiyue’s ordeal over the past six months, Lu Shizhen gently squeezed her hand and seriously advised her: “If anyone ever treats you like this again, remember to tell me.”

The girl’s hand rested on the back of her cold hand, and then she carefully let go.

The autumn wind blew. Xu Shiyue could feel the warmth transferring from that hand.

Lu Shizhen was like a passing celestial being, raising a hand and dealing with the people who had insulted her.

According to the mythology, those who receive grace should be deeply grateful and thankful.

But Xu Shiyue hadn’t forgotten.

The person who truly caused her to suffer this humiliation today was also this celestial being.

Next time?

Did she mean to save her in a self-directed rescue after pushing her into a predicament again?

Hmph.

The breeze swept through the roses, passing between the two people, each preoccupied with their own thoughts.

Lu Shizhen hadn’t yet received a reply from Xu Shiyue when Sun Yi, the housekeeper, stepped off the shuttle car and quickly walked toward the rose field.

“Miss, Doctor Qin brought an ophthalmology expert for Miss Xu. Should we go now?”

The conversation was interrupted, but Lu Shizhen showed no displeasure.

In fact, a hint of delight flashed in her eyes.

This was her powerful tool to increase Xu Shiyue’s favorability!

Perhaps she could even boost her score and fix the bug because of this!

Without hesitation, Lu Shizhen immediately nodded: “Of course, let’s go now.”

The attitude of the owner truly influences the attitude of the household staff.

Sun Yi, seeing that Lu Shizhen was genuinely serious about Xu Shiyue, also became much more careful and attentive.

The roses swayed, seeing Lu Shizhen and Xu Shiyue off. The group got into the family shuttle car.

Without the square walls acting as barriers, the wind brushed over the rose petals, and a taste of freedom seeped into the slight coolness.

Lu Shizhen remembered how she had stood up for Xu Shiyue and dealt with the garden servants who had verbally abused her. She looked at the small sphere beside her with some expectation and asked in her mind: “How is it? Did I get my score back?”

“But the score system didn’t alert me, alas…” The small sphere scratched its face, and before it finished speaking, it lit up excitedly: “It’s displayed! This broken bug seems to have caused a system delay.”

The breeze swept past the slowly starting car. Lu Shizhen straightened up, ready to welcome the first point increase in her mission history.

However, the next second, the smile that had just bloomed on her face froze.

The small sphere pulled up the record and read: “The score system shows that at 9:55:36 AM, the Host had one point deducted.”