The house had grown quiet.
The kind of quiet that only comes after dishes have been washed, doors have been latched, and the last lamp in the hallway has been turned off.
Outside, the night had fully settled over the courtyard, replacing the orange glow of evening with a deep, velvety blue. The moon hung high and round in the sky, luminous and unhurried, silver light spilling gently across rooftops, brick walls, and through the thin curtains of Jia Lan's bedroom window.
A faint breeze slipped inside, stirring the curtains in slow, lazy waves. It carried with it the distant scent of night-blooming flowers and cooling earth.
Jia Lan lay on her bed, hands folded neatly over her stomach, eyes open and fixed on the ceiling.
Sleep would not come.
Every time she closed her eyes—
She saw him.
Shen Mingrui, standing stiffly at the courtyard gate.
His shoulders squared as if facing an exam.
Hands clenched at his sides.
Ears burning red.
Eyes bright with panic and hope.
"I like you, Lan Lan."
Her heartbeat stumbled again just remembering it.
She turned onto her side, pulling the blanket slightly higher to her chin, as though hiding from the memory would calm her.
"…Fine. I'll give you a chance."
The words echoed in her mind, softer now, almost unreal.
Had she said it too quickly?
Had she said it too calmly?
Her heart began beating faster the more she replayed the moment. It was strange — she had answered with such composure, yet now her pulse fluttered like a trapped sparrow inside her chest.
She pressed her face into her pillow, muffling a small, embarrassed sound.
Why did he list his entire family like he was reporting to the police?
Grandfather. Grandmother. Father. Uncle. Aunts. Salary. House.
He had practically recited his background as if afraid she would reject him on technical grounds.
The image of him blurting everything out in one breath made her lips twitch despite herself.
"…So stupid," she murmured into the pillow.
But the warmth spreading in her chest betrayed her words.
Because beneath the clumsy rush of facts and promises, she had heard something else.
Sincerity.
He hadn't spoken like someone trying to charm her with poetry.
He had spoken like someone afraid of losing something precious.
As though she were already precious.
Her fingers tightened slightly around the edge of the blanket.
She had known he liked her.
She had seen it in the way he matched his bicycle speed to hers without asking.
In the way he quietly noticed when she was tired.
In the way his gaze lingered just a second too long, soft and unguarded.
In the way he looked at her as if she were sunlight.
But liking someone…
And promising a lifetime…
Those were not small things.
"Did I make the right decision?" she whispered to the dark room.
She wasn't afraid of him.
If anything, she was afraid of the word forever.
The moonlight shifted as a cloud drifted
past, painting faint shadows across her face. The room felt suspended in silver calm.
She thought of her current life — the steady rhythm of mornings, her supporting family, Aunt Li's warm meals, the peaceful routine she had grown used to.
She had finally found stability.
Finally found a place that felt safe.
Could she trust someone enough to share that safety?
Her mind replayed his expression again — that hopeful, trembling look. The way his voice shook, but he didn't look away.
The butterflies in her stomach returned, softer now, spreading like warmth through her limbs.
He had not spoken of romance in exaggerated words.
He had spoken of responsibility.
Of salary.
Of housing.
Of giving her security.
In this era… that mattered more than sweet talk.
Slowly, the tension in her thoughts began to loosen.
He hadn't promised her the moon.
He had promised her a roof.
He hadn't sworn eternal passion.
He had sworn steady effort.
And somehow… that sincerity felt more romantic than anything else.
A faint warmth bloomed low in her chest.
"…He's really stupid," she whispered again.
But this time, she smiled into the darkness.
Her heart fluttered once more — not with fear.
With something softer.
Something fragile.
Something new.
Across town, under a single dim yellow bulb, Shen Mingrui was also wide awake.
He lay flat on his back, staring at the wooden beams of his ceiling.
Then he rolled to his side.
Then onto his stomach.
Then back again.
The thin mattress creaked softly beneath him.
Sleep had completely abandoned him.
"She said yes."
He whispered it into his pillow, just to hear the words again.
"She said she'd give me a chance."
His chest tightened with disbelief. He suddenly sat up, dragging both hands through his hair, which was already messy from rolling around.
His heart was still racing as if he had sprinted all the way home.
The memory of her standing in the moonlight — calm, composed, yet looking at him — replayed again and again in his mind.
When she had said yes, his whole world had gone silent for a second.
As if the sky itself had paused.
But after the rush of excitement came something heavier.
A quiet, sobering thought settled over him.
Can I really give her everything she deserves?
The foolish grin on his face slowly faded.
Jia Lan was bright. Educated. Elegant in the way she carried herself.
People listened when she spoke.
People respected her.
And him?
He worked at the Machinery Bureau. The job was stable. The pay was steady.
But steady… was that enough?
He rubbed his face slowly, the warmth of excitement cooling into responsibility.
If she married him one day—
Would she have warm winters?
Would she never worry about rice and oil prices?
Would she have comfortable clothes, good bedding, a house filled with laughter and safety?
He had spoken so boldly.
"I'll give you all my salary."
But what if his salary wasn't enough?
The thought made his chest tighten painfully.
He lay back down and stared at the ceiling again.
His grandfather's stern voice echoed in his memory:
"A man must first be steady before he speaks of marriage."
Was he steady?
He clenched his jaw slightly.
He wasn't afraid of working harder.
If overtime was needed, he would take it.
If he needed to learn new mechanical skills, he would.
If he needed to save every single coin, he would.
He wasn't afraid of exhaustion.
He wasn't afraid of hardship.
He was only afraid of one thing—
Disappointing her.
The thought alone made something twist sharply in his chest.
He turned his head toward the window.
Moonlight spilled across the floorboards, pale and quiet.
Somewhere, under the same moon, she was probably sleeping.
Or maybe… thinking.
The idea made his heart flutter again.
"…I won't let her regret it," he whispered firmly into the night.
His fingers curled against the bedsheet.
"I'll build something good. For her."
Not just excitement.
Not just foolish courage.
Something solid.
Something dependable.
Something that would make her feel safe choosing him.
Slowly, the restless energy in his body settled into quiet determination.
Across the sleeping town, beneath the same silver moon, two hearts lay awake.
One questioning softly, butterflies stirring gently in her chest.
One promising silently, resolve forming quietly in his.
Neither of them knew what tomorrow would bring.
But tonight—
For the first time—
Their thoughts were intertwined.
And in the hush of that shared moonlight,
Their separate dreams had begun to lean toward each other.
And that—
Was enough.
Neither of them knew what tomorrow would bring.
But tonight—
For the first time—
Their thoughts were no longer walking separate paths.
The night deepened.
The air grew cooler.
The moon climbed higher, its light turning softer, paler, almost tender.
Eventually, the weight of the day and the storm of emotions caught up with them both.
Minutes passed.
Then more.
The town fell into complete stillness.
And after a long while—
Jia Lan's lashes rested gently against her cheeks, her breathing deep and even, moonlight spilling across her face like a silver blessing.
At nearly the same time, in a room not far away, Shen Mingrui finally surrendered to sleep as well, one arm resting over his eyes, moonlight tracing the outline of his features.
Two separate rooms.
One shared sky.
The same moonlight falling softly onto their sleeping faces.
And in that quiet glow—
The beginning of something new rested peacefully between them.
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