Her vision was pitch black.
With her knees pressed close to her chest and her arms wrapped tightly around them, Lu Weizhu was forced to curl up inside the box.
The box was unbearably small, her joints scraping painfully against its walls.
She didn’t dare speak, hugging herself tightly as she closed her eyes.
Breathing felt somewhat difficult in such a cramped space.
“…”
Summoning some strength, she pushed the lid open just enough to create a tiny gap.
A faint stream of light and air trickled in, making her feel a little better.
“…Ah…why did it have to be like this?”
The embroidered Gift Bag she held was squashed into a messy bundle.
Through the narrow slit, she stared blankly at the Mu Ban beneath the desk.
She clearly only wanted to deliver a Birthday Gift, to slightly please the detestable Patron, so why was she always unlucky?
She dazedly watched time crawl by.
She couldn’t check her phone—maybe Bai Lu hadn’t been gone long—but for Lu Weizhu, the wait was especially agonizing.
It was obvious.
She didn’t know how long had passed before footsteps echoed outside.
She quickly closed the lid back into place.
Darkness engulfed her vision once more.
Perhaps because the box had been used to store documents before, Lu Weizhu could smell the faint scent of Zhumao Wan.
In this sealed space, the smell was even stronger.
Afraid to make a sound, Lu Weizhu quietly listened to the footsteps coming from downstairs.
“Ah Wan, why did you come over?”
“Hm? It’s my girlfriend’s Birthday—I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
The voices of Ning Wan and Bai Lu drifted up, causing Lu Weizhu to zone out a bit.
“You don’t have to make such a big deal about it; after all, there’s a Birthday every year. Ah Wan, why didn’t you tell me earlier? I could have prepared in advance.”
Bai Lu’s tone was a mix of joy and melancholy.
“I wanted it to be a surprise. You’ve been so busy and tired, haven’t you?”
“Sigh…being tired is inevitable. Those two old geezers went on vacation, so everything’s fallen on me.”
Bai Lu sighed deeply.
They climbed the stairs, the sound of their steps crystal clear.
The footsteps grew closer and closer until the study door swung open.
“Come to think of it, it’s been a while since I’ve been here.”
Ning Wan sat down in the chair behind the desk, resting her hands behind her head.
“Yeah, you’ve been away for so many years.”
Bai Lu leaned on one corner of the desk, glancing sideways at the white Storage Box beneath it.
Just thinking about the mistress she was keeping hidden right in front of her childhood friend and girlfriend made her nervous.
A surge of resentment toward Lu Weizhu welled up inside her—didn’t she say she wouldn’t just barge in?
Why did she suddenly come here?
Wanting to vent but unable to do so in front of Ning Wan, Bai Lu swallowed her anger and frustration.
“You’re a little mean.”
Looking at Ning Wan, Bai Lu’s words carried a teasing tone.
She thought, if it weren’t for her girlfriend going so far away and not returning for years, she probably wouldn’t have ended up searching for a substitute like this.
Lovesickness was truly hard to resolve.
“Haha…It was unavoidable. I didn’t want it either, but back then I was young and couldn’t disobey my family’s wishes.”
Ning Wan smiled apologetically.
Inside the Storage Box, Lu Weizhu covered her mouth tightly, listening to their conversation.
Their emotions were unexpectedly calm, quite different from what she had seen before.
Ning Wan was serene, while Bai Lu sounded much softer than usual.
Well, it made sense—they were lovers to each other, while she was just a plaything.
“………”
As Lu Weizhu felt sorrowful in secret, Ning Wan rested her leg atop the box, causing the lid to press down slightly and squeeze her arm’s joint painfully.
Her heart nearly leapt into her throat; she bit her lip hard.
What should she do?
Was she about to be discovered?
Would she die?
No, please…
Anxiety flooded her, and she silently prayed in her heart.
“Hm? What’s inside this box?”
Ning Wan noticed something hard inside, tilting her head in confusion as she looked at the Storage Box.
Lu Weizhu’s heart clenched tightly.
Fear gripped her like an ice cellar, and her body trembled slightly.
Hearing Ning Wan’s question, Bai Lu became nervous too.
Could it be that they were about to be found out?
If they discovered she was keeping a mistress, she would definitely be severely punished.
Bai Lu moved closer to Ning Wan and picked up a stack of forms.
“Some books I plan to read and paperwork to handle. Mostly personnel appointments and documents needing my signature. The desk was a bit cramped, so I put them in the box.”
Despite her inner panic, Bai Lu kept a calm facade, far more practiced in lying than Lu Weizhu.
“Ah? You’re this busy every day?”
Ning Wan picked up several contracts Bai Lu had already signed and skimmed them quickly before losing interest.
“Not every day is like this, actually just the past few days piled up. After all, if I don’t get things done in advance, how could I find time to spend with my dear Ah Wan?”
Bai Lu wrapped her arms around Ning Wan’s neck from behind, causing the chair to rock slightly.
Involuntarily, Lu Weizhu felt the pressure on her arm increase.
What made it worse, she was starting to have trouble breathing.
Her head spun a little—maybe it was the cramped space, or her anxiety—but Lu Weizhu’s condition was deteriorating.
The darkness around her felt like an invisible hand ready to snatch her away at any moment.
Bai Lu rested her head on Ning Wan’s shoulder, eyes fixed on the Storage Box beneath the desk.
She wasn’t sure how much longer that reckless, damned little thing could hold out.
She needed to quickly get her girlfriend to leave—whether sending her home or moving somewhere else to rest, the point was she couldn’t stay in the study.
Bai Lu’s eyes flickered as she pondered her plan.
“Ah Wan, why don’t you head back first? I still have so much work to do here.”
Bai Lu’s tone was gentle, but to Lu Weizhu, it sounded insincere.
This wasn’t how she treated her normally…
Of course, Lu Weizhu had no right to compare herself to Ning Wan.
Having been curled up for so long, her waist and back ached.
To avoid making noise, Lu Weizhu turned her head and bit the collar beside her.
The tips of her long hair brushed against the bottom of the box, producing a faint rustling sound.
Because Bai Lu was on edge, she heard the noise clearly and her expression darkened.
Fortunately, Ning Wan was relaxed and didn’t notice anything unusual.
“What, am I disturbing Xiao Bai’s work? So I’m a burden now? Waa…how hurtful.”
Ning Wan’s exaggerated acting annoyed Bai Lu, but she still played along.
“Because I like Ah Wan too much. When you’re here, I can’t stop thinking about you and can’t focus on work.”
Not very romantic, but sincere words of love.
Ning Wan smiled contentedly.
“All right, all right, Xiao Bai, I’ll go for now. I’ll come find you again tomorrow. Mm-hmm~”
With a light hum, Ning Wan stood up and walked out of the study with a cheerful step.
Although a little regretful she hadn’t shared an intimate moment with her beloved, hearing those sweet words was still nice.
Holding this thought, Ning Wan didn’t stay long in the Zhuangyuan before leaving.
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This is the same Chappie 58?