On the balcony of the rented apartment, dew from the early morning clung to her hair as Lu Weizhu groggily opened her eyes.
Beside her was the still-sleeping Lu Weiyu. Last night, the two of them had nestled together on the balcony, watching the twinkling stars, and had unknowingly fallen asleep.
“Hoo—”
Lu Weizhu took a breath of fresh air and stood up.
“It’s a little cold…”
She was dressed a bit thinly. A gust of wind blew by, making her legs feel chilly.
Lu Weizhu rubbed her hands together and nudged Lu Weiyu’s shoulder, waking the girl up.
“Mmm… Mm? Wha… What is it, Sis? Yawn~”
Rubbing her eyes, Lu Weiyu stretched lazily, still half-asleep.
“It’s time to go back.”
Lu Weizhu ruffled the top of Lu Weiyu’s head.
Originally, she had just wanted to bring Lu Weiyu out for some fresh air, but somehow, they had ended up spending the whole night outside.
Lu Weizhu tidied her clothes and helped Lu Weiyu up.
“I’ll bring you out again another time, okay?”
She gently stroked Lu Weiyu’s forehead with her thumb.
Taking a patient out without permission—she’d probably get scolded by the doctor, right? Well… she supposed she really was a rather unqualified older sister. Feeling a tinge of melancholy, Lu Weizhu looked up at the sky.
“Okay.”
She didn’t really want to return to that hated hospital, but she wanted even less to cause trouble for Lu Weizhu.
Lu Weiyu leaned against Lu Weizhu’s chest.
She nuzzled her head against Lu Weizhu’s chest.
“Stop being spoiled. Let’s go back to the hospital.”
Lu Weizhu was a bit helpless.
Why was her little sister so clingy?
Though she was happy, Lu Weizhu didn’t think she could walk all the way back to the hospital carrying Lu Weiyu like this.
Without a word, Lu Weiyu simply hugged Lu Weizhu’s arm.
The two of them returned to the hospital together.
Inside the ward, Lin Li was squatting at her mother’s bedside, silent.
Hearing Lu Weizhu’s footsteps, she turned her head.
“You’re back.”
Lin Li’s gaze paused on Lu Weizhu’s arm, which was being hugged by a young girl. Her eyes drifted down, landing on Lu Weizhu’s skirt and legs.
A lively, youthful girl—so different from herself. Lin Li lowered her head, then glanced down at her own yellow uniform.
“I thought you were discharged.” “Ah, it’s still too early for that. Weiyu hadn’t been out in a long time, so I took her out for some fresh air.”
Lu Weizhu explained.
“Weiyu, I have to go to work now. Will you be all right on your own?”
Settling Lu Weiyu in, Lu Weizhu left the ward.
After a moment’s hesitation, Lin Li chased after her.
She also needed to get back to work.
“Hey… Weizhu, why are you and your sister so close?”
Walking side by side with Lu Weizhu, Lin Li wasn’t used to such familiar forms of address; she didn’t have friends.
She quietly asked Lu Weizhu for the secret to getting along with her sister. Her own sister hated her, but Lin Li yearned for that kind of family bond too.
Images of the two girls pressed close together floated through her mind, filling her with envy.
If only she and her sister could be that close…
“Um… I’m not sure. I just did what an older sister should do. Besides, isn’t that how sisters are supposed to be…? Ah, sorry, I wasn’t thinking.”
Suddenly recalling the bits and pieces Lin Li had mentioned before, Lu Weizhu immediately realized her mistake.
She bent down, lowering her head in apology.
Lin Li stopped walking and glanced at Lu Weizhu.
“Well… I’m going to work now. We’ll talk another time.”
Having said the wrong thing, Lu Weizhu felt mortified and quickened her pace.
Lin Li watched her back as she walked away. “Is that really how it’s supposed to be?”
Lin Li muttered to herself.
From Lu Weizhu’s apologetic tone, she could genuinely feel the girl’s remorse.
“Moo…”
With a sigh, Lin Li tried not to dwell on it. Whenever she thought of the monthly cost of medicine, hospital bills, and her sister’s living expenses, she could hardly breathe.
“If only I could be as pretty as her.”
She envied Lu Weizhu’s life once more.
“When I get the chance, I’ll apologize properly.”
Leaving the hospital, Lu Weizhu slowed her pace, temporarily setting aside her guilt towards Lin Li.
At the same time, Bai Yun’s figure began to appear in her mind.
“Sis Yun… She’ll probably be angry, right?”
Uneasy, Lu Weizhu walked very slowly, counting the seconds in her head.
It was September 1st—the day most schools started. There were far more people on the streets than usual.
Wearing her thin dress, Lu Weizhu felt a prickling unease on her back, as if the eyes of passersby were on her. Most of those gazes came from students, open and unrestrained.
Nervous and embarrassed, Lu Weizhu wanted to hurry to the café, but her anxious heart made it impossible to move quickly.
Walking fast at times, slow at others, she finally arrived at the café with only a minute to spare before she would have been late.
“Weizhu!”
Today, Bai Yun wasn’t standing behind the counter as she usually did. As soon as Lu Weizhu walked into the café, Bai Yun suddenly popped out from a corner.
“Ah… Haha… Yun, Sis Yun. Long time no see.”
Startled, Lu Weizhu stammered.
“Yeah, it’s been a while.”
At that, Bai Yun’s tone turned cold.
Lu Weizhu’s heart tightened.
She really is angry, isn’t she?
Suddenly, Lu Weizhu regretted it. Even if she didn’t want their relationship to progress, she could’ve handled it differently, right?
“Sis Yun?”
Head lowered, lips pursed, Lu Weizhu didn’t know how to apologize.
“You haven’t come to see me for so long. I thought you didn’t want to work here anymore.”
There was a hint of resentment in Bai Yun’s voice.
Then, she noticed Lu Weizhu’s outfit. Her gaze lingered on the girl’s snow-white legs.
No longer wearing those plain short-sleeved shirts and long pants, the girl before her was even more pleasing to the eye.
She fell silent. “Ahem… Anyway, I missed you so much I was dying.”
Swallowing, she suddenly hugged Lu Weizhu tight.
That much, at least, was true. Every day without seeing Lu Weizhu had been agony.
She had thought about reaching out first, but after Lu Weizhu hadn’t come for a few days, Bai Yun worried she might have been disliked, and so she didn’t dare make the first move.
She had just waited in torment.
Luckily, she hadn’t received a resignation notice from Lu Weizhu. Her cutest employee had returned after getting well.
“Ha… Haha…”
In Bai Yun’s embrace, Lu Weizhu laughed awkwardly.
Feeling Bai Yun’s warmth and how much she cared, Lu Weizhu knew she ought to be happy.
But knowing such affection stemmed from feelings she could never accept, Lu Weizhu only felt troubled.
She couldn’t respond to Bai Yun’s feelings—she would only end up hurting her.
“Um, Sis Yun, I’ll go change into my work clothes first.”
Guilt towards Bai Yun kept Lu Weizhu from pushing her away. Stammering, she poked Bai Yun’s shoulder.
“…Ahem…”
Bai Yun started coughing again, the image of those snowy-white legs appearing in her mind.
Great legs… No, so white… No, that’s not it… “Cough cough… Cough cough…”
Letting go, Bai Yun’s face flushed bright red.
“Sis Yun, did you catch a cold? Do you need to go to the hospital?”
Lu Weizhu knew about Bai Yun’s feelings, but she could never have guessed what Bai Yun was actually thinking.
“No, no need.”
Bai Yun waved her hand and wiped her mouth.
“You look so cute as you are now. Why not just wear that? You’ll be even more popular.”
Bai Yun returned behind the counter.
“Uh…”
Lu Weizhu glanced at her sleeves.
No matter how she looked at it, these clothes didn’t really fit the theme of a maid café, did they?
Though doubtful, she couldn’t refuse Bai Yun’s suggestion. After all, she was the manager.
Lu Weizhu quickly regained her usual composure and began her day’s work.