Chapter 13: Finally comforted by the shopkeeper

“…AS…”

The same?

Unable to speak, her vision blurred by tears, Lu Weizhu couldn’t make out Bai Lu’s expression—she only felt utter despair.

“…Be good, meet me at the usual place tomorrow night.”

A shadow flickered in those eyes. 

The girl, crying with her cheeks streaked with tears, only made Bai Lu feel delighted. 

Perhaps, in some ways, her tastes were similar to Ning Wan’s.

“Weizhu, listen to me, okay? This check is for fifty thousand yuan. As long as you do as I say, everything will be fine.”

She reached out and gently touched the colorless lips of the girl.

“Mmm, mm!”

Bai Lu lowered her head and kissed Lu Weizhu. 

The lips were soft and cold, with a hint of citrusy sweetness. 

Compared to Ning Wan, it was a completely different taste.

A different sensation.

A different feeling.

Embracing her stand-in in a place hidden from her White Moonlight, the forbidden thrill made Bai Lu feel exhilarated. 

Unlike Lu Weizhu, Bai Lu didn’t reject this kind of thing.

She savored this subtle flavor.

“Mmm! I…I’ll do as you say, just let me go…Please, let me go first!”

In the end, Lu Weizhu chose to agree to Bai Lu’s demand.

“Two-timing,” such a phrase surfaced in Lu Weizhu’s mind. 

Her morals made her despise this behavior, yet reality forced her to accept it.

Her heart on the verge of shattering, Lu Weizhu was incredibly fragile at this moment. 

She had developed self-destructive tendencies, but the existence of Lu Weiyu was the only thing keeping her tethered.

At this moment, she wished she could be a scoundrel with no conscience.

“A wise choice.”

Their lips parted. 

Bai Lu stroked her own lips with her fingertip; after being moistened by saliva, the girl’s lips looked even more enticing.

“I have to go back to the Hospital. Tomorrow…I’ll come over, just don’t hurt Weiyu.”

Lu Weizhu turned her head away.

“Of course, as long as you listen, I won’t touch that little girl.”

Bai Lu finally let go of Lu Weizhu.

“Remember, eight o’clock tomorrow night—I want to see you.”

Turning away, savoring the lingering taste in her mind, Bai Lu couldn’t help but smile.

She walked away slowly, leaving behind only her tall silhouette.

The demon inside Lu Weizhu’s heart grew another head.

After Bai Lu left, Lu Weizhu lingered at the street corner for a long, long time. 

She still hadn’t figured out how to face life from now on. 

Dealing with Ning Wan alone was already exhausting; now there was Bai Lu, too.

Whether her body could handle it was one thing, but what if Ning Wan and Bai Lu both wanted to see her at the same time? 

What would she do then? 

If her double-dealing was exposed, not only she but her sister would be dragged into it, too.

“The future is pitch black…”

The pain in her palm had faded. 

Lu Weizhu wandered aimlessly.

Feeling stifled, she wanted to find someone to confide in, but she didn’t know who to turn to.

Lu Weiyu was in surgery. 

Ning Wan and Bai Lu were the source of her suffering. 

She had no friends, no other family.

“Why am I such a failure?”

She wandered without direction. 

Perhaps it was her subconscious guiding her, or maybe just coincidence, but in the end, Lu Weizhu found herself at the Café where she worked.

There were no customers inside. 

Bai Yun was lying on the sofa, killing time.

Almost like she was possessed, Lu Weizhu pushed the door open and went in.

The cool breeze from the air conditioner dispelled the summer heat. 

Lu Weizhu stood blankly at the entrance.

“Hm? Xiao Lu? Weren’t you supposed to be with your sister? What brings you here?”

Bai Yun noticed Lu Weizhu and called out to her.

“She…she’s already in the operating room.”

Lu Weizhu hesitated for a moment before answering Bai Yun’s question.

“How did I end up here?”

She muttered to herself and shook her head, finding it a bit funny—how did she end up here?

“Well, since you’re here, why not sit for a while?”

Bai Yun patted the sofa beside her.

“Mm.”

She wanted to refuse, but her body accepted Bai Yun’s invitation before her mind could.

Lu Weizhu sat down next to Bai Yun.

Now that they were closer, Bai Yun could see Lu Weizhu’s face clearly.

Her delicate, petite face was streaked with tears, her eyes swollen and red.

In those beautiful blue eyes was confusion and pain that was plain to see.

“Did something happen?”

The girl beside her looked like a pitiful, homeless kitten. 

Bai Yun’s protective instincts were stirred, and she gently patted Lu Weizhu’s shoulder.

“It’s nothing.”

Lu Weizhu shook her head. 

She didn’t dare tell anyone about her predicament.

She wanted to be comforted, wanted to confide in someone, yet she was too timid to open her mouth. 

The contradiction was laughable.

Lu Weizhu lowered her head.

She was always lowering her head.

“Lift your head, Xiao Lu. Be a little more confident.”

Bai Yun pinched Lu Weizhu’s ear.

“Did something happen with your sister? You can tell me, you know. I might not be able to help much, but maybe I can give you some advice?”

The warm words echoed in her ears, and Lu Weizhu’s shoulders trembled slightly.

She opened her mouth.

“Yun Jie, if someone is forced to do something immoral for a really important reason, do you think that person is terrible?”

In the end, she still couldn’t tell the truth, so she asked what seemed like an unrelated question.

“Hm?”

Bai Yun frowned.

Seeing Bai Yun frown, Lu Weizhu could guess the answer.

Such a person would definitely be despised, right?

Lu Weizhu lowered her head even more.

“Sorry.”

She apologized.

“Huh? Why are you apologizing?”

Bai Yun tilted her head.

Looking at the heartbroken, pitiful girl beside her, she had some guesses. 

Maybe this girl had done something for her sister’s sake.

“Everyone has their own difficulties. As long as it’s not illegal, who has the right to say anything? Just try to relax.”

Bai Yun stood up and, all of a sudden, hugged Lu Weizhu from behind.

Maybe her words didn’t match her true beliefs, maybe she was even saying them against her will, but she was willing to comfort the girl beside her.

They hadn’t known each other long, but Bai Yun believed her employee would never do anything truly excessive or cruel.

“Mm…Eh? Yun, Yun Jie?”

Being hugged by a not-so-familiar benefactor, Lu Weizhu panicked a little.

“Mm? I’m here. Let me hug our little Catgirl Lu.”

Her words were light-hearted, a tease as always, but for some reason, Lu Weizhu didn’t feel any resistance.

A faint warmth seeped into her heart, and a trace of light appeared in her dull eyes.

“Xiao Lu, if you’re unhappy, do you want to learn baking with me? I can teach you how to make cakes. Once you learn, you can make something nice for your sister to eat.”

The joke ended. 

Bai Yun’s tone turned serious as she let go of Lu Weizhu.

“Ah…okay.”

Lu Weizhu nodded. Receiving kindness and warmth from her not-so-familiar boss, her expression softened.

She staggered to her feet.

“Thank you, Yun Jie.”

She thanked her sincerely, clenching her hands to hide the wound that cut across her palm.

“No need to thank me. And you don’t have to use honorifics with me—we’re equals.”

Bai Yun waved her hand.

“Come on, let’s go to the kitchen. I’ll teach you how to make something delicious.”

Bai Yun walked toward the back kitchen of the Café, and Lu Weizhu hurried after her.

Just a bit of kindness was enough to pull a self-destructive heart back on track. 

Is Lu Weizhu’s life laughable or pitiful? 

Who can say.