A Lonely Night and Moon

The typhoon lasted much shorter than Clo had expected. Although the soda she had stockpiled ran out a day ago, and she had spent the last two days drinking bland bottled water, she felt as though her life no longer lacked those doses of sugar and caffeine.

A week passed quickly. Clo looked at the email on her phone; the hospital had resumed operations yesterday, and the airport was gradually opening up to travelers from all over. Though she hadn't actively looked into it, she could tell from the occasional melancholy on Li Yue’s face that these peaceful, lovely days were coming to an end. Soon, they would return to their tedious, mundane routines.

“My father is catching a flight back the night after tomorrow. He should be on the same one as your parents,” Li Yue said softly. There wasn't the slightest ripple of emotion in her voice as she rhythmically chopped vegetables. The game in the living room was still paused; she wondered if they would even have the chance to finish it before she left.

“The boring routine is coming back, isn't it?” Clo let out a long sigh. Over the past two days, Li Yue had begun reviewing the pieces she had previously learned. Solitary melodies flowed from her fingertips, and Clo, acting as her audience, finally understood why the champion of classical music was always this girl.

The souls of those pieces were awakened in her hands, much like the Master of the Underworld awakening lost spirits. She understood their pain yet perfectly concealed her own sorrow, letting it flow out bit by bit as the music unfolded. Clo always listened by her side, never offering her own opinions.

“There’s only a little bit of time left. Is there anything else you wanted to do?” Li Yue looked into Clo’s eyes, as if trying to read something from them.

“Hmm...” Clo looked at the somewhat messy room behind her. Playing cards, game cards, and war chess pieces were scattered across the floor. It felt like they had experienced everything friends should do, yet it still felt like something was missing.

“Oh, right,” Clo said suddenly. Li Yue looked at her with a hint of surprise, her eyebrows arching slightly as if she had finally regained a sliver of interest.

“We haven't finished the game yet.” Clo lightly punched her palm with one hand, as if she had just remembered a crucial task.

“You...” Li Yue couldn't help but roll her eyes, looking at her with an exasperated expression.

“Well, just like a novel, every story needs an ending,” Clo said with a smile. “Don’t you want to know what happens to those two prisoners?”

“Escaping is nothing more than wishful thinking. Won't their final destination still be prison?” Li Yue raised an eyebrow slightly. “One of them is a police mole. A so-called 'good ending' is impossible.”

“But if we don’t finish it, I won’t get the completion achievement.” Clo looked at Li Yue pleadingly. The latter sighed and pouted slightly in dissatisfaction. She picked up a piece of green pepper and stuffed it into Clo’s bowl, smiling with a touch of mischief.

“Eat this, and I’ll play with you.”

“Ugh...” Clo’s energetic momentum instantly withered. She looked at the dinner Li Yue had prepared, wondering how the girl had managed to eat such tasteless food for so long. If it were her, she would definitely feel a sense of loss after eating, a feeling that would haunt her into the night and keep her from sleeping until she satisfied it with some heavy-flavored takeout.

As for why she was still able to maintain her figure, she had no idea.

Clo’s expression slumped, but she still obediently began to eat the food she hated. In contrast, Li Yue’s expression grew increasingly cheerful. The fluttering sensation she hadn't felt in a long time seemed to return. She thought about the things she held tightly in her grasp, and her expression became even more subtle.

...

Late at night, the television screen in the living room remained lit, playing the game's ending cinematic. The survivor of the two went to visit the other's family before restarting their own life—a life of freedom. Li Yue watched it all in silence, her face showing no obvious emotion.

“Just now... did you go easy on me?” Clo put down the controller and stretched, looking at Li Yue with surprise.

“Not entirely...” Li Yue thought for a moment. “I just felt that if only one of us could live, I’d rather it be you.”

“But being alive is also a kind of shackle, isn't it?” Li Yue shrugged, feigning indifference. “Go to sleep. It’s getting late.”

Clo watched Li Yue’s back, replaying those last two sentences in her mind. For some reason, she felt a sense of déjà vu, as if these scenes had happened before. She shook her head slightly, clearing her messy thoughts, and tidied up the living room. Tomorrow—or rather, in a dozen hours—Li Yue would be gone from her life. Thinking of this, Clo actually wished the storm that had trapped them would last a little longer.

A cage full of shackles, yet a utopia brimming with freedom. The thought felt strangely absurd to her.

She settled her emotions. Although it was past her usual bedtime, her body didn't feel particularly tired. She crawled under the covers, feeling a touch of insomnia.

She adjusted the back of her pajamas. She was currently facing away from Li Yue, as she had been every night lately. Occasionally she would wake up to find her sleeping position had changed, but it was usually just a simple turn; her habit of tossing and turning at night seemed to have been cured.

She tugged at the fabric on her back, feeling a strange sensation there. Then, she felt a faint warmth, like tiny insects crawling across her skin, yet it was soft and carried a slight itch. She turned over, intending to place the duvet between them to block Li Yue’s hot breath.

She grabbed the duvet, only to be met by Li Yue’s burning, bright red eyes that shimmered even in the dark. She froze for a moment, and then felt a pair of warm arms pull her into a firm embrace. A series of strange sensations washed over her.

“Li... Li, mmm!” Something pressed against her forcefully, firmly sealing her lips. Strange sensations radiated from every part of her body. Clo resisted weakly for a few moments, but then her body shuddered violently. Her tone shifted from initial shock to a soft, muffled sound. A series of faint, delicate gasps filled the room, and a lingering intimacy permeated the air on this... lonely night and moon, just as the heavy rain was about to stop.