In my former world, Shan Cheng —who now goes by Master Yang in this strange, celestial realm —was no ordinary man. He was a legend in the making. A name carved into the skyline of Shanghai.
Not just respected. Revered. Feared. Admired.
The youngest tycoon to rise from the Shan family's golden roots, he walked through crowds like a star cutting through darkness. Wherever he went, eyes followed. Whispers trailed him like perfume. Shan Cheng. The heir with a gaze like winter glass and a heart no one could touch.
And me? I was no nobody.
The Li family—my family—had their own empires, built not on banks or fashion, but on the stars themselves. We were innovators. Dreamers who made reality tremble. The name "Li" shone brightest when spoken alongside our crowning achievement: a spaceship design that made headlines across the globe. Some called it China's answer to NASA. Others called it impossible. We proved them all wrong.
Ours were the kind of families written about in textbooks. And when two dynasties rise like suns in the same sky, there's only one logical conclusion: merge them.
A marriage alliance.
Me and Shan Cheng.
It had been arranged since I was young. I was told the moment I turned eighteen, I would be his bride. It was destiny, they said. I didn't question it.
Back then, I thought fate was a well-dressed man knocking politely on your door. Now, I know it kicks the door open and drags you through, whether you're ready or not.
I lay on the unfamiliar silk sheets of this moonlit room, a thin blanket wrapped around me like a cocoon. The scent of jasmine smoke curled from the incense burner near the window. Still, I could not sleep.
Yesterday, I managed a few hours—drifting off sometime around 4 PM when my mind could take no more. But now, everything felt like it was spinning again. Too many thoughts. Too many questions.
"Ahyiiiii," I whispered into the darkness, letting the frustration out in a long sigh.
Even here... in this realm of gods and ghosts and glowing sticks... He's still the same. Composed. Respected. Sharp as ever.
What kind of karmic thread ties us together like this? To follow me across worlds... even if he doesn't know it.
A chill swept over my skin.
What if... What if he's not just a nobleman or a respected master?
What if he's the Moon King?
The one spoken of in hushed stories and moonstone prophecies. The one I'm supposed to find—or be found by.
My heart stuttered in my chest. BaAabaAm. BaAabaAm.
No. No, that can't be.
And yet...
Even here, even now, the pull between us is undeniable. Are we meant to fall in love again?
My heart—traitorous and eager—answered before my mind could.
I shut my eyes, and instead of the Moon King, or Master Yang, I saw him as I knew him once.
Shan Cheng. My childhood friend.
Back then, he was five years older than me. A whole world apart when you're still learning to tie your shoes and he's already being sent to international boarding schools.
I was a baby when he was a wild little boy tearing through the Li family garden, laughing with reckless joy. Even then, he walked like he owned the wind.
He treated me like a sister. Maybe even more than his real sister, Shan Xinyi, who was born two years after me. But me? He called me "little tail"—because I always followed him around, clumsy and wide-eyed.
His mother once told mine with a soft laugh, "Cheng begged for a younger sibling so much, I gave him Xinyi. But he still acts like your daughter's his."
He'd braid my hair when the maids weren't looking. He'd bring me wildflowers and say, "You're too boring. These make you prettier."
I'd huff. He'd smirk.
He was my sun.
**Flashback to my former world**
I was twelve. He was seventeen. It was winter. Cold enough that the air bit your nose and made your cheeks sting.
Shan Xinyi and I were walking out of school, bundled in matching scarves. He had promised to pick us up. I remember clutching my books tight against my chest when a mocking voice rang out.
"Hey, Miss Li," said the Su family's eldest son, his lips curled into a sneer. "I thought you were one of those high-class girls with brains. Turns out you're just high-class."
His brother chimed in, snickering. "Flunked your Maths test, didn't you? Can't even spell 'technology,' I heard."
The sting of their laughter made me freeze. I wasn't someone who cried easily. But that day, I felt the tears prick the edges of my vision. Not because of what they said. But because I believed it.
Then the Pei family's son, always the fake gentleman, stepped forward. "Don't listen to them," he said, voice syrupy. "They're just joking. But, you know... there's some truth hurt in every rumor."
He made a face like he pitied me.
I clenched my fists.
I wasn't weak.
I wasn't.
Just as I took a breath to speak—to fight back—
A shadow crossed the ground.
A familiar voice, low and sharp, cut through the cold.
"Who dares to bully her?"
The world froze.
The Su boys blinked. "Who are you?"
"Who am I?" Shan Cheng stepped into the light, coat flaring like a general's. His eyes were steel. He didn't shout. He didn't need to.
Even at seventeen, his presence crushed noise like thunder.
The boys turned pale.
"M-Mr. Shan," one of them stammered. "We didn't mean it! Really!"
"Then buzz off."
They ran.
Everyone stared.
He turned to me, his expression unreadable. "Come," he said, extending his hand.
I stared at it. Warm. Steady. Real.
I placed my trembling fingers in his. "Okay," I whispered.
That was the day something cracked inside me.
For years, I thought I loved him because of that moment. Because no one else had ever protected me so fiercely.
But now, I understand something deeper.
Love isn't just about someone who shields you.
Love is someone who sees all your broken pieces—and doesn't flinch.
Love is quiet sometimes. Like a glance. Like breath.
When he went abroad for business school, our lives drifted apart like boats set loose in opposite rivers. We sent fewer messages. Eventually, none at all.
Then he returned.
And suddenly, we were strangers in the same room. Wearing polite smiles. Hiding all the unsaid things between us.
And that was when our parents began pushing harder for the engagement.
Now
And now, here I am in the Moon Realm, asking myself what kind of fool falls in love with the same boy twice.
Me.
Apparently, I do.
"Han Pu!" I shouted into the still room.
A flicker of moonlight—and he appeared with a tired groan, hair wild as always. "Again?" he muttered. "What now?"
"Sorry, Pu'er," I said, using the nickname sweetly.
He blinked. "Did you just call me... Pu'er?"
I nodded, grinning.
He narrowed his eyes. "Thought I misheard. Fine. What do you want?"
"Can you get me a book about the Great Sipa Stick?"
He muttered something about moonlight addicts but disappeared. Moments later, he returned with a dusty tome.
"Master Yang said he took it," he mumbled.
My heart leapt. "Took what?"
"The stick's heart or whatever," Han Pu yawned. "Said you'd get it. Can I go now?"
"Yes. Thank you."
He vanished with a shimmer.
I opened the book. Its pages were lined with silver ink that shimmered like starlight.
There it was—the tale of the Sipa Stick.
Forged during the First Eclipse. A sacred tool. A curse. A key.
I read:
The Handle of Remembrance. The Crescent Socket. The Spine of Starlight. And finally—
The Red Diamond.
I froze.
Because I suddenly remembered I didn't see the red diamond this morning.
I ran to the shelf, pulled the Sipa Stick from its resting place.
My breath hitched.
The Red Diamond was missing.
He took it.
But why?
Frantically, I flipped through the pages.
A golden heading shimmered into view: "The Meaning of the Red Diamond."
My fingers trembled as I turned the page.
"The Red Diamond is the Moon's Will. It responds only to love not declared, to hearts bound by destiny but torn by time. Whosoever takes it must either complete the circle... or break the realms."
It is the symbol of the Moon's love bond, tied to the two souls destined to change fate.
I dropped the book.
Complete the circle... or break the realms?
I touched the empty socket.
A jolt of energy exploded from the stick.
I fell backward with a gasp.
A vision:
Shan Cheng—no, Master Yang—kneeling inside a glowing circle. His voice, breaking: "I took the diamond to protect her from..."
And then darkness.
I sat in the silence, breath shaking.
He took it... for me.
Always protecting me.
Always alone.
And now... the stick without the diamond isn't just incomplete.
It's hollow. Like me.
Was this love?
I didn't know.
But I knew this:
The Red Diamond wasn't just a piece of the stick.
It was the key to our story.
And he had it.
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*Welcome to Episode 6! This episode holds a special place in my heart, as it delves deeper into XiWang's inner thoughts and emotions. As she navigates the complexities of the Moon Realm and the mystery surrounding Yuzhe/Shan Cheng, there's a lot of reflection on her past, the bonds she's formed, and the growing uncertainty about her future.
I've tried to layer this episode with more emotional depth, rich descriptions of the Moon Realm, and hints of secrets yet to be uncovered. The interactions with Han Pu also take a more personal turn as they share moments of banter and tension, which I hope you'll enjoy.
As always, thank you so much for reading! Your support means the world to me, and I'm so excited to hear your thoughts on this chapter.
Happy reading!
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Thank you for your support dear Moon light travelers!
Stay tuned for more chapter on sunday🌝🌝🌝
— Li Yuxin