Chapter 108: The Bright Moon Enters My Embrace (3)

On a sunlit Saturday noon, Shi Pengpeng arrived at the reserved restaurant a touch earlier than planned, her steps light with anticipation.  

To her surprise, Ding Liushui was already there.

As she stepped out of her car, she caught sight of him descending from a discreet black van, his familiar figure framed by the midday glow.  

“Old man!” Shi Pengpeng bounded forward, wrapping him in a hug and letting out a playful whine.

“I’ve missed you so much!”  

“You little rascal, always with the sweet talk,” Ding Liushui said, his brows knitting in mock reproach.

“If you really missed your grandpa, why haven’t you come home to visit in all this time?”  

“Oh, please!” Shi Pengpeng shot back, her voice brimming with righteous indignation.

“You’re the one who disappears into the mountains for months on end! I can’t even get a phone call through. And with my crazy work schedule, you’re the one in your prime, gallivanting around the world. Shouldn’t you be the one visiting me? So, tell me, whose fault is it really?”  

“Alright, alright,” Ding Liushui chuckled, his eyes crinkling with warmth.

“It’s all my fault.”  

Shi Pengpeng planted her hands on her hips, triumphant.

“That’s more like it!”  

A hearty laugh broke through from nearby.

“Hah! Years apart, and Pengpeng’s still got the old man wrapped around her finger with just a few words.”  

Shi Pengpeng turned to see a white-haired elder and an elegant middle-aged woman stepping out from the other side of the van and the driver’s seat, respectively.  

Her eyes lit up as she recognized the speaker.

“Grandpa Yan? You’re here too?”  

The old man was none other than Yan Fengshu, Yan Jing’s grandfather.  

“Just my luck, just my luck,” Yan Fengshu said with a wave of his hand, his voice rich with mirth.

“I only found out this morning that this old codger was in Xiluo. I thought I’d treat him to a meal, but he said you’d already invited him. When I heard there was a free lunch in the mix, I shamelessly tagged along. You don’t mind, do you?”  

“Mind? I’m thrilled to see you!” Shi Pengpeng laughed, her tone warm and teasing.

“Just make sure you order a few extra dishes, okay?”  

Her words carried genuine affection.

After all, if it hadn’t been for Yan Fengshu’s generous red envelope back then, she might still be scraping by.

His encouragement had also paved the way for her to launch her new business venture.  

The middle-aged woman smiled warmly and chimed in.

“You must be Pengpeng. I’m Yan Jing’s mother. I’ve heard so much about you from the old man and Yan Jing. You’re every bit as lovely as they said.”  

Shi Pengpeng flashed a sweet smile.

“Nice to meet you, Auntie.”  

Though it was their first meeting, Shi Pengpeng’s name had long echoed in Yan Jing’s mother’s ears.

When Yan Fengshu had taken Yan Jing to Ding Liushui’s home for a summer years ago, he’d come back with endless stories of Yan Jing and Shi Pengpeng’s playful squabbles.

Every mention of Shi Pengpeng’s name seemed to darken Yan Jing’s mood, much to his mother’s amusement.  

She’d always assumed the girl who could ruffle her proud son’s feathers must be a force to be reckoned with.

She’d even teased Yan Jing about Shi Pengpeng during their recent talks of marriage, just to needle him.

But meeting her now, she was taken aback.

This girl, with her delicate features and gentle demeanor, was far from the terror Yan Jing had painted her to be.  

‘Yan Jing’s taste in girls is hopeless’, she thought, shaking her head inwardly.

‘No wonder he’s been single all these years.’

She’d heard he’d recently mentioned a girlfriend, but that had fizzled out without a trace, and he’d dodged every invitation to bring her to dinner.

She couldn’t help but wonder if it had all been a fabrication.  

The group exchanged warm greetings as they entered the restaurant and settled at their table.

Moments later, a waiter ushered in another guest.  

Shi Pengpeng’s eyes widened, “Big Bro!”  

“Pengpeng?” Yan Jing blinked, clearly caught off guard.

“What are you doing here?”  

His gaze flicked to Ding Liushui, and the pieces fell into place.

Yan Jing had already booked a restaurant, but just before leaving, his mother had texted him about a last-minute change of venue.  

He hadn’t thought much of it—his grandfather was notorious for chasing trends, scouring Maozhao for the latest hot spots and falling for influencer traps with unwavering enthusiasm.

Yan Jing had assumed this was another of his whims.

He hadn’t expected to run into Shi Pengpeng.  

As it turned out, Yan Fengshu and Yan Jing’s mother had come to Xiluo for an antique auction and learned by chance that Ding Liushui was also in town.

The old friends decided to share a meal, especially since their younger kin had recently reconnected and seemed to be getting along.

It was the perfect excuse for a gathering.  

“We made the plan on a whim, so we didn’t get a chance to tell you,” Yan Fengshu said with a grin, glancing between Yan Jing and Shi Pengpeng.

“You two aren’t still fighting, are you?”  

Shi Pengpeng’s expression turned mock-serious.

“If you want a show, I can put on a performance just for you.”  

“Oh, I’d love to see that,” Yan Jing’s mother said with a playful lilt.

“I’ve heard this boy gets tongue-tied around you. I’ve been dying to witness it for myself.”  

“Pure slander!” Shi Pengpeng protested, shaking her head.

“Someone’s out to ruin my reputation!”  

The elders burst into laughter.  

Yan Jing, meanwhile, muttered under his breath, “Troublemaker,” as he slid into the seat beside his grandfather.  

Once the dishes were ordered, the table buzzed with lively chatter.

Yan Fengshu and Ding Liushui regaled them with tales of their secluded mountain retreats, then turned the conversation to the younger pair, probing about their recent endeavors.  

Both Shi Pengpeng and Yan Jing stuck to the highlights, painting their lives in rosy hues.

Yan Jing, ever the cool and composed figure in public, was impeccably polite with the elders, answering their questions with measured care—especially around Ding Liushui, where he made a point to exude reliability.  

Shi Pengpeng watched, half-stunned, and couldn’t resist sneaking him a message.  

[AAA Specialty Retail: Bro, you possessed or what?]  

[Yan Jing: …]  

‘This little witch has no conscience’, he thought, ignoring the jab.

Did she not see how hard he was trying to impress?  

Yan Jing’s mother observed their exchange with keen interest, a smile tugging at her lips.

“Is this what they call burying the hatchet with a smile? When Grandpa told me he’d asked Pengpeng to look out for our Little Jing, I could hardly believe it. With that temper of his, I thought he’d never agree. I even mentioned Pengpeng once, and he nearly bit my head off. But look at you two now, thick as thieves.”  

Yan Jing froze.

‘Why are we digging up my old embarrassments?’  

He stole a glance at Shi Pengpeng, who raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued.

“Really, Auntie? What did you say about me?”  

Yan Jing’s heart sank.

‘This is not a topic we need to explore!’  

“Oh, you know…” his mother began, but Yan Jing swiftly intervened, pouring tea into her cup with a practiced calm.

“Mom, have some tea. No need to dredge up the past.”  

She paused, eyeing her son with mild surprise.

‘Is he actually embarrassed?’

But she let it go, sensing that their old squabbles were best left buried now that the two seemed to have found common ground.  

Yan Fengshu, however, was not so easily deterred.

“Hah, say what you will, but I know how to bring people together. These two are closer than ever now. Just the other day, when I came down from the mountains, Little Jing even joked about marrying Pengpeng!”  

The words landed like a thunderclap, stunning the table into silence.  

“What’s that?” Ding Liushui roared with laughter.

“Now that’s progress!”  

Yan Jing, caught utterly off guard by his grandfather’s betrayal, felt his vision blur.

“Grandpa, you…”  

“What?” Yan Fengshu blinked, puzzled by his grandson’s reaction.

“Wasn’t it you who made that joke? Can’t I mention it?”  

“I—I didn’t…” Yan Jing stammered, his confidence faltering as he risked a glance at Shi Pengpeng.  

Her eyes met his, wide with confusion.

‘What’s going on, Bro?’  

Yan Jing’s mind raced.

It wasn’t a hard topic to dodge—he could just laugh it off, say it was a joke, and move on.

But as he met her gaze, something held him back, leaving the air between them charged with unspoken questions.

Faced with Shi Pengpeng’s gaze, Yan Jing found himself utterly tongue-tied.  

It wasn’t just that his words to his grandfather hadn’t been a joke.

More than that, he couldn’t bear the thought of Shi Pengpeng thinking he’d only been teasing.  

“You silly boy, have you no sense of propriety?” Yan Jing’s mother frowned, her tone laced with disapproval.

“You’ve already got a girlfriend, and here you are making such jokes about Pengpeng? Honestly, it’s only because Pengpeng’s kind enough not to hold it against you.”  

Yan Jing: “…”  

The others: “…”  

Yan Fengshu’s eyes widened in surprise and he asked, “Little Jing has a girlfriend? Why didn’t you tell me?”  

“He mentioned it a while back,” his mother said, exasperation creeping into her voice.

“Right around the time you came down from the mountains. He promised to bring her to meet us, but it’s been ages, and we haven’t seen so much as a shadow. Tsk, young people and their secretive love lives.”  

“Uh…” Shi Pengpeng’s eyes flicked to Yan Jing, a mix of shock and confusion swirling in her gaze.

“Bro, you…?”  

“It’s not like that,” Yan Jing said quickly, his voice edged with urgency.

“It was a misunderstanding.”  

“A misunderstanding?” Shi Pengpeng’s tone was skeptical, her brows knitting.

“What kind?”  

As she spoke, a dull ache settled in her chest—part irritation, part bewilderment.

Shi Pengpeng liked to think she knew Yan Jing well enough.

Sure, he could be prickly, but he was no playboy.

His character was solid, the kind you could trust.

If he’d said he liked her, pursued her, it wasn’t some game.  

Yet Yan Jing’s mother spoke with such conviction, as if this girlfriend was no fabrication.

So who was this supposed girlfriend?

And it sounded like they’d been together for a while?  

Wait.

Yan Jing’s mother had said this “girlfriend” came up right after Yan Fengshu returned from the mountains.

That was just after they’d come back from Biannan, wasn’t it?  

They’d been practically inseparable during that time.

Yan Jing had been busy with company matters, and the only woman by his side had been… her.  

No way…  

A sudden clarity struck Shi Pengpeng, her mind racing back to that period.

Yan Jing’s odd behavior flooded her memory: his unexpected attentiveness, showing up at her place to look after her, bringing her takeout, gifting her flowers, casually offering to hand over his money, saying strange, earnest things, and always looking faintly wounded when she didn’t catch his drift.  

Every moment, now that she thought about it, had crossed the line of mere friendship.

She’d been puzzled at the time, but then one day, Yan Jing had reverted to his old self, and she’d chalked it up to him being extra caring because she’d been under the weather.  

‘It can’t be…’  

If she wasn’t mistaken, the “girlfriend” Yan Jing had mentioned… was her?  

But they hadn’t even started dating…  

The three elders sensed the shift in the air, their teasing falling silent as they noticed the tension between the two.  

Yan Jing’s mother, seeing the kaleidoscope of emotions on Shi Pengpeng’s face, assumed she was upset by Yan Jing’s jest.

She hurried to smooth things over.

“Pengpeng, don’t take it to heart. This boy’s never been in love before and doesn’t know how to watch his words. I’ll give him a proper talking-to later.”  

“Mom, please, stop,” Yan Jing groaned, his entire being radiating defeat as he squeezed his eyes shut, looking like a man half-dead.

“The ‘girlfriend’ I told you about… it’s Pengpeng.”  

The table fell silent, the air thick with astonishment.  

Shi Pengpeng’s heart skipped a beat, a quiet ‘I knew it’ echoing in her mind.  

“Huh?” Yan Jing’s mother blinked, certain she’d misheard.

“What did you say?”  

Yan Jing met the bewildered gazes of the three elders, then glanced at Shi Pengpeng, his face a mask of resignation.

“I… misunderstood what Pengpeng meant back then…”  

“What does that even mean?” His mother’s confusion deepened, her eyes darting between him and Shi Pengpeng.

“So, are you two dating or not?”  

“No…” Yan Jing began, ready to spill the whole story about misinterpreting Yan Fengshu’s message.  

But before he could finish, Shi Pengpeng let out a soft laugh and cut in, her voice clear and steady.

“Yes, Auntie. Yan Jing and I are dating.”