She is the most beautiful rose

Chapter 349 Her Moon
Long ago, one summer, Shen Duanwen took his two young daughters to Lincheng to visit an old friend. He called it a visit, but in reality, he wanted to curry favor with him.

An old friend hosted a banquet at the Summer Palace, inviting many people, not just Shen Duanwen. However, because he had no children of his own and loved children very much, Shen Duanwen brought his ten-year-old daughter Shen Manzhi and seven-year-old daughter Shen Luo to squeeze into the center of the group.

Ten-year-old Shen Manzhi stood quietly beside Shen Duanwen, watching the older uncle hold the well-behaved, sweet, and charming Shen Luo. She was overjoyed. Everyone surrounded the three of them, chatting and laughing, to the point that she was squeezed out of the crowd.

Little Shen Manzhi sat in the corner and watched for a long time.

It was a hot summer day, and the Shen family father and daughter were also invited to stay overnight. There weren't many rooms left near the host, so Shen Duanwen led Shen Luo into the main building with his old friend. He turned to Shen Manzhi and said, "You go stay over there with your friend for the night. Your sister is shy, so it's good for her to stay here and be looked after."

Before Shen Manzhi could respond, he picked up Shen Luo and walked away with his old friend, chatting and laughing. Shen Luo leaned on Shen Duanwen's shoulder and looked back at her, feeling both timid and a little smug.

She had no friends here; all the people her age were much older than her. They played downstairs for a long time before she returned to her unfamiliar and empty guest room early, shutting herself out of the noise outside.

This happened more than once. She didn't know when it started, but even in the midst of a lively scene, Shen Manzhi would suddenly feel lonely at certain moments.

Only last year's New Year's Eve...

Shen Manzhi lowered her eyes, finished the last sip of wine, and turned to walk towards the pavilion.

Qin Yanfeng sent a message ten minutes ago, saying that he would be staying at the old house tonight.

Shen Manzhi leaned back on the sofa and stared at it for a long time before finally making a phone call.

She didn't expect the call to connect. After ringing for more than thirty seconds, she ran out of patience and was about to hang up when a familiar voice came from the other end.

"Zhizhi."

Shen Manzhi held her breath for a moment, then slowly calmed down and said, "Mmm."

Qin Yanfeng's voice was soft, as he always treated her gently, "Are you outside?"

The noise from the event was still going on. Shen Manzhi walked over and closed the door. "I'm at the tea house. I'll be having dinner with my friends later."

"Wear something warm and be careful."

Shen Manzhi responded softly.

Then both sides fell silent.

Qin Yanfeng seemed to smile, his voice gentle, "What's wrong?"

Shen Manzhi lowered her eyes slightly, "Did you call me suddenly at noon because of something urgent?"

"I miss you, don't I?"

His tone was languid, as if he were gently teasing her from the front.

Shen Manzhi had her own thoughts, but she didn't expose him. She casually said, "Then I'll come to the old house to keep you company."

She sensed a distinct pause on the other end, followed by his indulgent laughter, "Why are you so clingy? I'll be back tomorrow morning."

Shen Manzhi frowned slightly. "Qin Yanfeng."

"I'm here."

Shen Manzhi could vaguely sense that he was hiding something from her, but she wasn't quite sure.

Sometimes, she couldn't figure out what this person was deliberately trying to hide.

Previously it was because of the old man's serious illness, but what is it this time?
Seeing that she didn't speak, Qin Yanfeng's voice became clearer, "What's wrong?"

She looked up and composed herself. "Get some rest."

"Okay, you too."

Shen Manzhi hung up the phone and leaned against the door, lost in thought for a while.

After all, she was keeping her affairs a secret from Qin Yanfeng.

The opening show of the event downstairs had ended, but the lively atmosphere continued. Shen Manzhi sent a message, picked up her down jacket, and left the tea house.

Apart from the wide main street, the East District is full of narrow streets and alleys. Many residential buildings have been converted into shops, and internet cafes, chess and card rooms, and other places frequented by young people are everywhere.

Shen Manzhi put on a hoodie and left the square behind the tea house, then, wearing a mask, skillfully slipped into a dark alleyway covered with colorful neon signs.

Reaching the last quaint shop at the end of the alley, she glanced at the empty space at the other end before stepping inside.

Before its owner, a beautiful tricolor Border Collie came to greet her, wagging its tail and circling around Shen Manzhi's legs with its handsome appearance.

A cool, clear voice came from behind the screen, "Come in."

After finishing its "greeting" duties, the Border Collie lay down on its special sofa by the door.

Shen Manzhi lifted the hanging curtain and went inside.

The boss was a young woman dressed in a simple, light-colored outfit, with her long hair styled up with a jade hairpin, exuding a cool and aloof air.

Turning around and seeing the person who had come, a faint smile appeared in her phoenix eyes. "It's been a long time since I've seen you."

Shen Manzhi stood to the side and said calmly, "It's been a year."

“Yes,” Yin Qing put on gloves and gestured for her to go inside, “What kind of tattoo do you want this time?”

Shen Manzhi took off her coat. "The usual."

Yin Qing frowned slightly and went into the inner room. Sure enough, she saw a small plastic bag on the table containing a tiny chip about two or three millimeters in size.

"Can it be done in half an hour?"

She turned around and saw that Shen Manzhi had already taken off her clothes and was lying on the seat, her flawless white back as beautiful as a painting.

Yin Qing pulled over a chair and sat down, then picked up the toolbox and placed it aside. "A small moon is no problem."

She draped a clean blanket over Shen Manzhi's back, exposing the area above her shoulder blades, where one could feel the slight undulations when touched.

She remembered that when this person first came here, there was a deep wound that had scabbed over and fallen off, so she got a crescent moon tattooed to cover up the wound.

Later, it was cleaned up, and after a while, I got a tattoo again, this time with an implantable chip attached.

I can't remember how many times I got the tattoo or how many times I had it removed.

The tattoo artist's skill was superb, greatly reducing the pain even in areas with thinner fat layers. He drew a crescent shape with lines one millimeter in diameter, then glanced at the woman's serene profile, handing her a thick fold of cloth. "It will hurt a little, bear with it."

Shen Manzhi refused, saying, "It's alright."

She was used to bleeding, so this was insignificant to her.

Yin Qing followed her lead, focusing intently on deepening the needle insertion in the center of the pattern. She then opened the plastic bag and carefully removed the tiny chip with tweezers.

Half an hour passed quickly. After the membrane was removed, the tattoo was complete. Yin Qing packed up the tools and gave her some instructions.

Shen Manzhi transferred the money to her, saying, "Thanks."

The long street was deserted, and she was momentarily at a loss for where to go.

Before, she would stop wherever was closest, but after being with Qin Yanfeng, she mostly went straight back to Blue Bay.

Since he wasn't coming back tonight, I decided to go to the tea house anyway.

The atmosphere in the hall returned to its usual gentle and pleasant state. Shen Manzhi glanced around and headed up to the attic.

Afei and his friends called her from downstairs. Accompanied by tonight's performance guests, he strode up the stairs. "Sister Zhi, let's go eat. Let's have a couple more drinks tonight to celebrate our tea house trending on social media again!"

Shen Manzhi raised an eyebrow, "So fast?"

Afei described with great enthusiasm, "It's trending in the city! The event wasn't even over yet and people were already uploading videos. We've become a little popular again. Your dance video is going viral, and the singing part at the end is also getting a lot of attention. So many people in the comments section are asking for my and Jiangzai's homepage links!"

Looking at his beaming smile, Shen Manzhi gently curled her lips and said, "Go ahead, have a couple more drinks tonight."

Afei paused slightly, "Aren't you going?"

"Avoid alcohol and spicy food. I'll drink with you guys in a couple of days."

The people downstairs were still waiting. Seeing that Afei was about to show a wronged expression, Chen Lin came up and pulled him down, saying, "Sister Zhi, we're leaving now. See you next time."

The smile in Shen Manzhi's eyes slowly faded, and she turned and went back to the attic.

The soundproofing was excellent when the door was closed, and it instantly became quiet. Shen Manzhi took off her coat and then her hoodie. Although the room was small, it had been heated a long time ago because she used to stay here often.

She walked to the table, opened the drawer, and casually took out a pack of women's cigarettes. Just as she was about to tear it open, she got bored and tossed it back, then casually turned on the music player.

He lay back on the sofa and called Minglan. "Is everything alright?"

"No, not for now, don't worry."

"Afei and the others have gone out to eat. Keep your men close to them."

Minglan asked her, "What about you? Should I send someone to follow you?"

"Your men can't keep up with me."

"Tsk, you should at least leave some clues. With your counter-surveillance awareness, shaking off people wouldn't be a piece of cake, would it?"

Shen Manzhi lowered her voice, "I'm inside the building, I'm fine."

"Okay, let me know if I have anything to do."

She tossed her phone aside, raised her eyes slightly, and looked out through the skylight at the deep gray-blue sky.

Like many nights before, it was truly quiet and cold.

She suddenly remembered many things from the past.

For example, on the eve of the Lunar New Year last year, Qin Yanfeng personally went to an internet cafe on a street in the East District to pick her up and take her back to the old house for dinner; another example is that in the evening in the new city, he set off a fireworks display for her and gently kissed her under the beautiful Milky Way.

For example, every time he looks into her eyes, he sincerely says the three words "I love you".

She had walked this path alone for over twenty years, never imagining she would meet someone like this, who, like the moon high in the sky, seemed to favor her, casting its silvery light upon her, becoming her Achilles' heel, and the reason she wanted to live again.

She wasn't a free person, so it was fine before that she didn't care, but whether she lived or died was her own business.

But now that they care, and don't want to be surrounded by wolves, the only option is to eliminate them completely.

Although the cost may be high, the word "later" is just too tempting.

Perhaps next time Qin Yanfeng brings it up again, she won't change the subject or avoid it, but will respond to him with the same gentleness.

The premise is that she can come back alive.

Her heart pounded slightly, and she felt a dull ache that was even more intense than the pain in her shoulder. Shen Manzhi raised her hand to her forehead and sighed almost inaudibly.

The moon peeked out from the clouds and hung in the sky, its reflection illuminating Shen Manzhi's eyes. At that moment, the silvery moonlight shone through the small skylight and once again lovingly showered upon her.

Just like the lyrics say.

There's somethin' bout your love baby,

(Your love is very unique)

Somethin' I would die for,

(I'm willing to go through fire and water for it)

It makes me feel alive, though.

(This fills me with vitality)
I'm cravin' for your love baby,

(My darling, I crave your love)
It keeps me up all night.

(It kept me up all night)

Oyeah, we caught the vibe.

(The unique atmosphere between us)

The wind chimes by the door swayed, and she turned her gaze slightly, her eyes glistening with tears, and she saw her own moon reflected in them.

I actually conceived of this part of the plot several months ago, but I wrote it too slowly. Now that I've actually gotten to this point, I still can't finish it because my writing skills are lacking and I can't describe it properly.