《Starlight in the Cracks》

Chapter 7

He didn’t have the courage to tell Luna the truth—that the emergency surgery had kept him busy for twelve hours, filled with countless critical moments. Deep down, he didn’t dare imagine how Luna would view his negligence if he had confessed everything at that crucial moment.

A few days earlier, in the corner of the hospital’s duty room, Luna’s painting tools were piled up. A night-shift nurse joked, "You’re so talented, you should hold an exhibition. Don’t waste it." She smiled bitterly and shook her head: "Art can’t feed you, but it can save your soul."

Though she said this, Luna rented a studio at a gallery and began pursuing her passion for art.

Alex sometimes teased her: "How’s our artist doing?" But he also said seriously, "I’ve always seen how much you love painting. I believe in you and support you." Luna was overjoyed and more determined than ever.

One day, Luna was organizing her paintings in the gallery studio. Sunlight poured through the skylight, illuminating the scattered paints and brushes. Her phone rang—it was a video call from Alex.

"You’re at work, don’t film," she said wearily but still answered.

On the screen, Alex looked haggard, his eyes bloodshot. He was leaning on a bench in the hospital corridor, holding an unfinished medical report.

"Luna," his voice was low and apologetic, "I know I lied to you yesterday."

Luna’s fingers trembled, and the brush slipped from her hand, leaving an unintended mark on the canvas. She looked up at Alex on the screen, her throat tightening.

"I... didn’t mean to," Alex’s voice shook slightly, "There was an emergency at the hospital. It was really urgent."

Luna didn’t speak. Her gaze fell on the cherry blossom tree outside the studio window, its pink and white petals falling in the breeze. Suddenly, the petals seemed to mock her—what a beautiful day, what a gentle lie.

"You didn’t mean to?" she finally spoke, her voice tinged with sarcasm, "Then why lie?"

Alex was stunned. He hadn’t expected Luna to confront him like this.

"I thought you’d understand," his voice was filled with exhaustion and helplessness, "After all, you’re an artist. You know how much creativity needs inspiration and time."

"Do I?" Luna’s cold laugh came through the screen, "So you chose to protect your professional ethics with a lie?"

Her words cut like a knife, straight to Alex’s heart. He had never imagined Luna would see his actions this way.

Alex fell silent. He knew Luna was right—by hiding the truth, he was essentially "protecting" her, trying to balance work and life with a well-meaning lie. But he hadn’t expected this approach to make Luna feel dismissed and misunderstood.

"I’m sorry," he finally said, "I didn’t think you’d feel this way."

"You don’t need to apologize," Luna’s voice remained cold, "I just feel... our relationship seems more and more like I’m forcing myself to understand your choices."

Alex’s chest felt like it was weighed down by a boulder. He knew Luna was right—in this relationship, it was often her who accommodated and understood him. This time, her disappointment was like a mirror, reflecting the subtle emotional imbalance between them.

"Luna..." his voice choked, "I really didn’t mean to hurt you."

"Hurt?" Luna’s laugh turned sharp and piercing, "This isn’t hurt. It’s disappointment. I’ve gotten used to your busyness and absence, but what I can’t accept is—not even an honest explanation."

Alex closed his eyes. He knew Luna was right, but he couldn’t help defending himself: "I’ve never stopped loving you, Luna. Every choice I make is because I want to give you a better life."

"Really?" Luna’s voice remained icy, "Then why can’t you give me the most basic respect?"

Alex fell silent on the other end of the call.

He didn’t know how to respond. He knew Luna was right, but the damage had already been done.

When the video call ended, Luna looked out the window at the falling cherry blossoms and suddenly felt a pang in her heart. She had never imagined she would care so much about whether someone’s choices were honest.

As for Alex, sitting on the hospital corridor bench, he felt a deep sense of helplessness for the first time—he finally understood that loving someone wasn’t just about sacrifice and effort, but also about learning to listen and understand their feelings.

He didn’t know if their relationship could ever return to what it was, but he knew that from today onward, he had to learn to face Luna with more honesty.

The air in late spring carried a hint of sultriness, and sunlight streamed through the large floor-to-ceiling windows of the gallery, casting a golden glow on the floor.

Deep in the drawer of the clinic desk lay a crumpled equity transfer agreement. Every time his father called, Alex would unconsciously rub the gilded title of "Executive Director of Hengyuan Group" on the document until his fingertips were cut by the paper's edge.

Luna stood in front of the unfinished canvas, her fingers gently tracing the brushstrokes. The colors seemed to come alive in her eyes, pulsating with her soul.

"Alex, what do you think of the exhibition design plan?" she turned and asked, looking at Alex, who was leaning against the wall flipping through a folder. She eagerly awaited his opinion. This was their first time collaborating on an art exhibition, and Luna was full of enthusiasm for the project. As her partner and boyfriend, Alex was naturally invited to participate.

Alex looked up, his eyes scanning Luna's sketches. His understanding of art wasn't as pure as Luna's, but he tried to show respect nonetheless. "I think it's good, but we need to consider the market's reaction."

"What do you mean?" Luna frowned slightly, feeling somewhat disappointed by his response.

"It's simple. The exhibition needs to attract an audience and generate traffic," Alex walked over to Luna, tapping the folder lightly with his fingers. "Otherwise, it will be difficult to recoup costs, let alone promote your work."