Chapter 45: Gift selection

Sitting next to Ning Wan, Lu Weizhu was stiff as a wooden stake.

Ning Wan glanced at the girl beside her, realizing she had probably scared her badly.

Not knowing what to say, Ning Wan absentmindedly poked at Lu Weizhu’s shoulder.

Every now and then, a slight pain came from the shoulder, and Lu Weizhu shrank her neck.

Seeing that Lu Weizhu didn’t respond at all, Ning Wan lost interest.

She stood up.

“Give me the key, I’m heading back first. Bai Lu is still waiting for me at home.”

Shrugging, Ning Wan held out her hand.

Her palm was fair and clean, unlike Lu Weizhu’s.

Ning Wan neither had to do manual work nor was she bullied by anyone.

Lu Weizhu cautiously lifted her head and looked at Ning Wan’s outstretched palm.

“Um…I only have one key.”

She touched the key in her pocket and spoke timidly, afraid of angering Ning Wan.

But even if she had two keys, she wouldn’t give one to anyone else.

Though this place had become a birdcage, she still wanted just a bit of privacy.

She definitely didn’t want to one day open the door and find the benefactor sitting on the sofa, watching her with a smile—that would be terrifying.

“Really?”

Ning Wan looked at Lu Weizhu suspiciously.

“Yeah! I really only have one key, sorry.”

Lu Weizhu nodded repeatedly.

She wouldn’t lie, and what she said was the truth, so it was irrefutable.

Ning Wan stared at her for a moment but saw nothing unusual.

“Alright…then you should get a duplicate made in the next few days. I won’t be coming over this week, I’ll come see you next week.”

Ning Wan stood up.

Having given Lu Weizhu an order, she walked out of the rental apartment slowly.

Bai Lu’s birthday was coming up soon, and Ning Wan planned to spend more time with her girlfriend.

“Phew…finally, she’s gone?”

Shortly after Ning Wan left, Lu Weizhu got up.

She went to the living room door and looked outside; the hallway was empty.

“…Ha, finally gone.”

She closed the door and turned around.

Leaning against the iron door behind her, she broke out in a cold sweat during the time she sat next to Ning Wan.

Fortunately, Bai Lu’s bite marks from yesterday hadn’t been discovered.

If the bite marks were found, her life would probably be over…

Just thinking about showing any signs of avoidance already got her chased back to the rental apartment.

What if it was discovered that she was still in contact with someone else…

Lu Weizhu thought, maybe Ning Wan would really strangle her to death.

Biting her lower lip, Lu Weizhu saw Ning Wan as a ticking time bomb that could explode anytime.

She couldn’t escape and could only pray the bomb wouldn’t blow her to pieces.

“That’s terrifying, that person…”

Slowly sliding down, Lu Weizhu wiped her forehead with the back of her hand.

After zoning out on the floor for a while, feeling sticky all over, she went to the bathroom to wipe herself down with a towel.

Leaving the bathroom, her mind was still blank.

Recalling the feeling of being pinned down by Ning Wan, Lu Weizhu pressed her lips together.

She rubbed the spot on her neck that had nearly been bitten through, panic and disgust flooding her heart.

Rubbing the skin over and over, but the feeling wouldn’t go away.

She collapsed helplessly on the sofa.

“…”

Sighing, Lu Weizhu looked at the ceiling.

Half of the ceiling lamp in the living room was broken, with only half still lit.

“…Whatever, it still works fine, doesn’t matter.”

She picked up her phone and checked the time.

It was eight in the evening; the takeout she ordered had already gone cold.

“…”

For now, she pushed aside those disgusting feelings and sat up, beginning to eat the takeout.

“Hope that delivery guy doesn’t know anything…”

Muttering to herself, she bit hard into a chicken leg, imagining the fried chicken in front of her was Ning Wan, even chewing with a little extra force.

Because it was cold, the taste wasn’t very good, but Lu Weizhu could barely accept it.

“Bai Lu’s birthday is coming soon, what should I prepare?”

Her thoughts jumped around.

After finishing the fried chicken, Ning Wan was pushed far from her mind, and Lu Weizhu started considering what kind of gift to give Bai Lu.

“Anyway, flattering them is definitely effective…”

Lu Weizhu was sure both benefactors responded better to softness than hardness.

Though her situation was miserable, today’s outcome was actually not bad.

If she hadn’t swallowed her pride to please Ning Wan, she would probably have suffered even more physical pain…

“Can I ask, what do you like?”

Lu Weizhu messaged Bai Lu.

The reply was a red exclamation mark.

“…DEDE…”

Feeling embarrassed, Lu Weizhu realized she probably meant nothing to the other party.

With no way to ask Bai Lu, she had to come up with ideas on her own.

“………”

After thinking for a long time, Lu Weizhu sighed.

She still had a bit of money, but it was nothing to Bai Lu, and she couldn’t possibly spend all her money.

Lu Weizhu was stuck on a dilemma: gifts too cheap felt unoriginal, and too expensive was unaffordable.

But this problem didn’t trouble her for long.

“If it needs to be thoughtful but not too expensive, then why not make it myself?”

Lu Weizhu clapped her hands.

One problem solved, but another immediately followed.

What should she make?

A sweater?

A scarf?

After a moment of thought, some unrealistic ideas were dismissed.

She quickly came up with a good idea.

Embroidery.

She could make Bai Lu an embroidery piece.

It wouldn’t be as outdated as a sweater or scarf, and it was simple.

Simple but time-consuming, and it would show sincerity.

“Probably…no problem?”

Lu Weizhu thought for a moment and saw no fault in it.

Suddenly enlightened, she bought a two-meter Bamboo Painting online, planning to embroider it herself after it arrived.

After placing the order and urging the seller to ship it, Lu Weizhu walked slowly to the balcony.

The street below was brightly lit, bustling with traffic; this daily scene unfolded like a living painting.

“Hmm…”

She glanced at her phone.

It was just nine o’clock, the start of the nightlife.

Ning Wan had just left, and Bai Lu certainly wouldn’t come looking for her.

She had a safe, breathing space for now.

After hesitating for a moment, Lu Weizhu left the rental and headed to the supermarket.

She still couldn’t forget her Pressure Cooker.

“Can’t just prepare gifts for that person, I have to get something for my little sister and Bai Yun too.”

Talking to herself, even though their birthdays were still far off and there were no upcoming festivals.

She wanted to cook a Chicken Soup for Lu Weiyu, and also wanted Bai Yun to try the dishes she made.

Her mood wasn’t great, but not bad either as she walked steadily.

She soon arrived at the supermarket.

Having bought a chicken and a Pressure Cooker, and two Bed Sheets on the side, Lu Weizhu walked home.

Passing the Overpass, she spotted the chestnut stand across the road and a yellow figure standing in front of it.

The same scene as yesterday.

“Is this the fourth time I’ve seen that Express Courier?”

She wondered quietly why it was such a coincidence, then kept walking.

Unlike yesterday, she didn’t have time to buy chestnuts today.