Crescent Moon Beach

Liu Muye took Han Juyou to a high-end restaurant owned by his family for dinner.

After the meal, Han Juyou's mood had improved considerably.

Seeing her in better spirits, Liu Muye asked, "Can you tell me what happened now?"

Instead of answering, Han Juyou made a quiet request: "Could you... take me somewhere else?"

"Where to?" Liu Muye countered.

"To the hospital," Han Juyou said, meeting his gaze. "My mom is there."

"Does your mom work at the hospital?"

That was Liu Muye's first thought—he didn’t recall mentioning Han Juyou’s mother’s occupation in the novel.

Han Juyou shook her head. "No, she’s sick. She’s hospitalized."

Hearing this, Liu Muye’s heart sank. Suddenly, he was reminded of his own mother.

Liu Muye’s mother had passed away from cancer when he was in middle school. Back then, he was too young to do anything but watch helplessly as the person who loved him most in the world slipped away, leaving an irreparable void between life and death.

Liu Muye grew agitated. "What’s wrong with her? Is it serious?"

"My dad borrowed money for gambling, and debt collectors came to our house. They beat my mom up—multiple fractures all over her body."

As she spoke, fury flickered in Han Juyou’s eyes. She hated her worthless father with every fiber of her being. If not for him, her mother wouldn’t have suffered so much, and her own life wouldn’t have been so miserable.

Liu Muye stood up. "Alright, I’ll go with you to see your mom."

"Wait—let me grab a takeout box to bring her some food." Han Juyou started toward the door.

Liu Muye stopped her. "Don’t pack leftovers. I’ll order two fresh meals for her."

"But..." Han Juyou glanced at the barely touched dishes on the table and shook her head. "It’s too wasteful not to take these."

With that, she dashed out of the private dining room.

Liu Muye sat back down, staring at the spread of food, lost in thought...

Han Juyou didn’t waste a single bite, packing everything into two full bags.

"You’re really something..." She looked up at Liu Muye, holding the overflowing containers. "Why did you order so much for just the two of us?"

"Wasn’t sure what you liked, so I got a variety," Liu Muye said with a shrug. "I’ve got money—a few dishes won’t bankrupt me."

"Yeah, yeah," Han Juyou rolled her eyes. "You’re the young master who’s never known hardship. You wouldn’t understand how us penny-pinchers feel."

"..."

Her words left Liu Muye momentarily speechless.

How could he not have known hardship?

He pressed his lips together in a bitter smile.

Driving Han Juyou to the hospital where her mother was staying, Liu Muye didn’t go upstairs.

First, Han Juyou didn’t want him to—she feared her mother might misunderstand their relationship.

Second, Liu Muye felt awkward intruding on a private mother-daughter moment.

So he waited in the hospital lobby.

Han Juyou hadn’t been upstairs long before she hurried back down.

"That fast?" Liu Muye asked curiously.

"Can you... lend me some money?" Han Juyou mumbled, avoiding his eyes.

"How much?" He pulled out his wallet.

Han Juyou held up one finger. "A little over a thousand."

Liu Muye frowned. "How much is 'a little over'?"

"One thousand and eighty-two yuan, fifty fen," she specified down to the decimal.

Liu Muye counted out eleven bills. "No change. Take eleven hundred."

"Thank you."

Han Juyou rushed off with the money.

Soon, she returned clutching a handful of coins. "Seventeen-fifty. Your change."

"Keep it," Liu Muye waved her off.

"What, you look down on seventeen-fifty?" She pocketed the money. "This buys more than a pound of meat."

"Then go buy pork," he said.

"I’ll go say a few more words to my mom. I’ll pay you back for this and last time once I earn enough from work."

"Whatever." Liu Muye dismissed it with a casual hand gesture.

After settling the medical bill, Han Juyou spent a little more time with her mother before rejoining Liu Muye—not keeping him waiting too long.

Leaving the hospital, Han Juyou seemed unsure where to go next.

So Liu Muye drove her to a place—Crescent Moon Beach.

This was where the novel’s main couple officially confessed their feelings, and also where he had first appeared after transmigrating into the story.

Parking by the roadside, he kicked off his shoes and socks, leading Han Juyou onto the sand.

The soft grains yielded beneath their feet, the cool seawater lapping at their toes, sending refreshing shivers up their spines.

The nighttime ocean stretched endlessly, a vast expanse of inky darkness swallowing all noise and chaos.

Only the moonlight spilled gently across the shore, painting the sand in a dreamy silver glow, like a scene from a fairy tale.

Overhead, stars twinkled like gemstones scattered across the heavens, keeping the full moon company in a breathtaking coastal nightscape.

Liu Muye finally broke the silence. "Now, can you tell me why you were upset earlier?"

"You really want to know?"

Han Juyou tilted her head slightly. Under the moonlight, her fox-like eyes—deep and alluring—glistened with an irresistible charm. The heart-shaped teardrop mole at the corner of her eye sparkled like a precious jewel, tempting one to lean in and kiss it.

"Yes," Liu Muye nodded eagerly.

"..."

After a pause, Han Juyou suddenly flashed a teasing grin. "Not telling."

"Hey! I, the great young master of the Liu family, wasted my whole evening with you, and now you’re messing with me?"

"Hahaha!"

Han Juyou laughed wholeheartedly.

"Take this!" Liu Muye playfully kicked seawater at her, and she darted away.

They chased each other along the shore, their laughter mingling with the sound of waves.

Exhausted, Liu Muye gave up and flopped onto the dry sand, hands behind his head, gazing at the stars.

Han Juyou lay beside him, also staring skyward.

"Liu Muye," she called softly.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think a prince falling for Cinderella could ever happen in real life?"

"Dunno. Maybe."

"You know what was written in that notebook I tore up?"

Liu Muye's ears perked up, suddenly intrigued. "What is it?"

"Actually, it's a novel I wrote."

"A novel?!"

The moment Liu Muye heard that word, his attention sharpened.

He tilted his head slightly, studying Han Juyou.

Moonlight traced the flawless contours of the girl's face.

For a moment, Liu Muye found himself momentarily dazed.

She's just a vicious supporting character, after all!

Why did I have to write her so beautifully?

...