Something was missing inside her, and Lu Weizhu felt completely unmoored.
Last night’s nightmare replayed over and over in her mind, the shadow refusing to leave.
“Was I too weak?”
It was as if she’d lost the person she used to be.
Listlessly wandering, Lu Weizhu now just wanted to see Lu Weiyu and Bai Yun. As long as she could see them acting normal, maybe the nightmare’s shadow would finally fade away?
Her slow walk turned into a jog, then a full-on sprint.
Ignoring the strange looks from passersby, Lu Weizhu ran with everything she had.
She really wanted to dash straight to the hospital in one go, but sadly, her frail body simply couldn’t handle it.
After just over a hundred meters, her heart started to ache sharply. Forcing herself to keep going a bit further, she eventually had to slow down.
“Huff… huff…”
Gasping, her chest heaved violently, and for a moment her vision went black, only returning to normal after a few seconds.
Her body couldn’t take such intense exertion, but Lu Weizhu kept trying to speed up. She only paused at the convenience store closest to the hospital, where she bought a pen and a diary, then kept running.
She arrived at the hospital, jogging into the inpatient ward.
“Cough… cough… cough…”
Bent over, hands on her knees, Lu Weizhu coughed violently. She shoved open the door.
Inside the hospital room, Lu Weiyu was standing in front of the window.
Seeing that slender back, Lu Weizhu hurried over in three quick steps, then suddenly rushed forward and hugged Lu Weiyu tightly from behind.
“Weiyu!”
Choking back tears, Lu Weizhu didn’t dare move, afraid that Lu Weiyu would disappear just like in her nightmare.
“Big sis!? Wuwah, what are you doing… cough, cough… I can’t breathe.”
Surprised by the sudden embrace and squeezed so tightly, Lu Weiyu was having trouble catching her breath.
Still… even so, she was happy that her sister had hugged her first.
“Mm, sob, sob… sorry… I’m sorry…”
Lu Weizhu relaxed a little, but still didn’t dare let go completely.
“Hoo—”
Finally able to breathe again, Lu Weiyu twisted around in her sister’s arms and looked up at her.
“Sis? What’s wrong?”
She couldn’t remember ever seeing her big sister so flustered.
“Don’t leave me, don’t abandon me…”
Lu Weizhu pressed her face against Lu Weiyu’s and closed her eyes.
“Mmm… I won’t, Sis. Can you tell me what happened? Did someone bully you?”
Lu Weiyu gently patted her back.
Her big sister really was such an idiot.
“No, nobody bullied me. I just… had a nightmare…”
Lu Weizhu’s voice trembled. It was just a dream, but she took it so seriously—there was a reason for all this. If her relationships with the two patrons were ever revealed, the nightmare would become reality.
“I dreamed… I dreamed you jumped off a building.”
Lu Weizhu left out the most important detail.
“Hmm? Jumped? How could I? I love you the most, Sis, there’s no way I’d do something so stupid and leave you forever.”
Lu Weiyu looked helpless.
Getting so worked up just over a nightmare? Her big sister really was getting dumber and dumber.
Hmm… a reliable idiot.
“Honestly, you’re such a dummy, Sis.”
Lu Weiyu pouted.
“Fine, call me an idiot. Maybe I really am the biggest fool in the world. Weiyu, promise me, okay? Never do anything reckless, never ever—please.”
Compared to losing Lu Weiyu, being abandoned herself would be far easier to accept.
“Mm, I promise, Sis.”
Lu Weiyu nodded, finding it funny.
At most, she’d be leaving the hospital and going back to normal life within a year. At such a critical time, how could she possibly do anything rash?
“Alright, alright, let me go already.”
Lu Weiyu was a little exasperated.
“Mm… okay.”
Reluctantly, Lu Weizhu let go.
She placed the pen and diary on the bedside table.
“Um, Weiyu, I’m going out for a bit—I’ll be right back.”
She gave Lu Weiyu one last lingering glance, then left the room and hurried toward the café.
Still giving it her all, she soon arrived, breathless, outside the café and pushed open the door.
Inside, Bai Yun was at work as usual, with a basket of white lilies on the counter.
There were more people inside than yesterday. As soon as Lu Weizhu walked in, all the unfamiliar faces turned to look at her.
“Yun-jie.”
Lu Weizhu walked up to the counter.
“Hmm? If it isn’t our dear Weizhu. Want some dessert?”
Bai Yun smiled, trying to sound witty and playful.
Lu Weizhu wasn’t moved. She went around behind the counter, glanced left and right, then pinched Bai Yun’s waist, tugged her hair, and finally poked her cheek.
Lu Weizhu’s constant fussing left Bai Yun red-faced. “What on earth are you doing, Weizhu?”
Being teased like this in front of everyone, Bai Yun’s voice even sounded a bit embarrassed.
“Hoo—”
Without answering right away, Bai Yun first let out a breath.
She was still Bai Yun—the gentle, kind Bai Yun—not the cold, distant manager from her dream.
“Weizhu?”
Bai Yun was more confused than ever.
“Yun-jie, you’re not going to fire me, are you?”
Clutching Bai Yun’s sleeve, Lu Weizhu asked cautiously.
“Huh?”
Seeing how nervous Lu Weizhu looked, Bai Yun couldn’t help but laugh.
She really had no idea what went through this girl’s head.
“Why would you think that?”
Though getting her head patted in public felt a little humiliating, Bai Yun couldn’t resist messing up Weizhu’s hair.
She managed to get Lu Weizhu’s long hair all tangled.
Of course, Lu Weizhu didn’t mind such little things.
“I had a nightmare…”
Lu Weizhu bit her lip. “You dreamed I fired you?”
“Pfft… Weizhu, you’re an adult now—still believing in dreams?”
Bai Yun shook her head.
“I know I’m stupid… So, Yun-jie, are you really not going to fire me?”
Lu Weizhu stared unblinkingly.
“Haha, don’t worry. Unless you commit a crime and get arrested, I’m not firing you—I promise.”
Seeing how serious Lu Weizhu looked, Bai Yun still raised her hand and made a promise, even though she thought it was silly.
“…Thank you. Thank you, Yun-jie.”
She spoke from the heart. Getting the answer she needed, some of the darkness inside her was dispelled, and Lu Weizhu was ready to head home.
She left the counter.
“Huh?”
Watching Lu Weizhu walk toward the door, Bai Yun was a little stunned.
“Weizhu, won’t you stay a bit longer? Have lunch? Keep me company for a while?”
Bai Yun had thought today would be just like yesterday—they’d spend the whole day together.
“No, Yun-jie, I need to go back to the hospital to be with my sister. I’ll come by again another day.”
Waving goodbye and politely turning down Bai Yun’s invitation, Lu Weizhu left in a rush.
For some reason, the other customers looked at Bai Yun with sympathy. Those looks made her feel even more annoyed.
She glanced at the lilies on the counter.
“Oh well… The flowers look nice here anyway.”
That was all Bai Yun could do to comfort herself.