Her limbs felt a bit stiff as Lu Weizhu returned to the dressing room.
“Damn it…”
Standing inside, staring at her full-length reflection, Lu Weizhu bit her lower lip.
“What exactly, what exactly should I do?”
She touched the bruise on her forehead; such a small injury was utterly useless.
“Calm down, calm down, there’s still a chance.”
Taking a deep breath, Lu Weizhu adjusted her hair, trying hard to steady herself.
“I can’t let Bai Lu get suspicious.”
Not daring to waste any more time, she quickly changed into regular clothes.
Wearing a white shirt and light blue pants, her heart grew increasingly chaotic as she finished dressing.
“Are you ready?”
Bai Lu’s voice came from the front hall, sounding a little impatient.
“Almost!”
Lu Weizhu hurriedly replied.
She trembled as she pushed the door open.
Inside the back kitchen, she noticed the round table in the middle of the room.
On the table were two place settings; usually, she and Bai Yun would have lunch here.
The table wasn’t one piece, but made up of a tabletop and a metal frame.
Silent, Lu Weizhu bit her nails.
At this point, it seemed she no longer had time to think about what made sense or not.
“Not ready yet?”
From the front hall, Bai Lu pressed again, impatience now clear in her tone.
Without replying, Lu Weizhu walked over to the table and pushed it.
As the tabletop tilted, the two sets of tableware slid off onto the floor.
A crisp crashing sound followed as plates and teacups shattered to pieces.
“Ah!?”
Without hesitation, Lu Weizhu fell forward, landing among the shards of broken porcelain.
Pain shot through her sharply as she cried out, her eyes narrowing.
Her hands pressed down onto the pile of shards, afraid to move.
“What happened?”
Hearing the scream and the sound of breaking dishes, Bai Yun entered the kitchen.
Bai Lu followed closely behind.
What greeted their eyes was Lu Weizhu kneeling on one knee, her right forearm on the ground, left palm pressing down.
The tabletop had rolled a short distance away, and the girl’s body trembled slightly, the faint smell of blood lingering in the air.
“Weizhu, what happened to you?”
Bai Yun approached and helped Lu Weizhu up.
“Hiss…Sorry, my mind’s a bit scattered. I tripped over the table and…”
As she straightened up, shards embedded in her right knee dropped to the floor, and Lu Weizhu gasped sharply.
Her voice trembled with pain; she had overestimated her tolerance.
Slowly, she pulled her hands back.
The palm of her left hand was pierced by scattered fragments, but her right hand was far worse.
Her hands were slashed in several places, with more than a dozen shards stuck in her forearm.
The pure white porcelain reflected the light, looking quite alarming.
Red blood traced chaotic lines down her pale skin, a shocking sight.
Tears welled in her light blue eyes, physiological tears that she could not hold back amid the continuous pain.
Drip, drip, blood fell to the floor, forming scattered red stains on her white shirt.
Her face grew pale.
“Sorry, Yun-jie, I’ve troubled you again. I’ll pay for the broken dishes.”
Sorry, sorry, sorry.
In her heart, Lu Weizhu kept apologizing to Bai Yun.
For ruining her property and constantly causing trouble because of herself, Lu Weizhu felt utterly hypocritical.
“Let’s talk about that later. This is serious—let’s get you to the hospital.”
Seeing the ceramic shards sticking out of Lu Weizhu’s hands, Bai Yun found no words to scold her.
Behind Bai Yun, Bai Lu’s gaze fixed on the bloodstained porcelain on the floor.
The table was in the center of the room.
After changing clothes, how did Lu Weizhu manage to bump into it?
The table was clearly some distance from the back kitchen’s aisle.
Her eyes darkened slightly, and Bai Lu grew displeased.
“Hmm…”
Quietly watching Bai Lu’s expression, Lu Weizhu grew uneasy.
Would she see through her act?
What would she do?
Take her to the hospital or forcibly drag her back to the apartment?
Enduring the pain, Lu Weizhu lost herself in thought.
She cautiously walked up to Bai Lu’s side.
“Um, Bai Lu, I might not be able to go back with you…”
Testing the waters, Lu Weizhu carefully watched Bai Lu’s face.
She saw a shadow flicker in Bai Lu’s eyes.
No reply came, and Lu Weizhu’s heart thumped loudly in her throat.
“What are you waiting for? The hospital isn’t far. I’ll just take you there.”
Seeing Lu Weizhu so timid, Bai Yun grew a little annoyed.
She was injured and still worrying about what others would do?
Her own health mattered more than a friend’s opinion, right?
Grabbing Lu Weizhu’s left wrist, which was in better shape than her right hand, Bai Yun spoke firmly.
“This guest, you’re Weizhu’s friend, right? She’s injured now and probably can’t leave with you. Maybe you can catch up another day?”
Her words carried the pretense of a question, but she wasn’t actually seeking permission.
Supporting Lu Weizhu, Bai Yun left the café and headed toward the nearby hospital.
“Ugh…”
Bai Lu’s face grew colder as she glanced at her watch.
Her mood soured.
She had even postponed a date with Ning Wan just to meet Lu Weizhu, and this was the result.
As the patron, she felt utterly defeated.
Closing her eyes briefly, Bai Lu recalled Lu Weizhu’s earlier expression.
Fear mingled with unease—there was no doubt she was afraid of her.
But why was she afraid now?
Their relationship had lasted a long time.
Why had she never been scared before?
Bai Lu crouched down and picked up a piece of porcelain.
“Waste of time.”
Her face dark, Bai Lu left the café.
At the café entrance, she saw Bai Yun and Lu Weizhu’s backs in the distance.
Every few meters on the floor, a drop of bright red blood stained the ground.
Her little darling was becoming less obedient.
Getting into the car, Bai Lu drove home empty-handed, her mind swirling with thoughts of Lu Weizhu.
Her mood was a mess.
If only she could keep her like a cat—humans were really no match for cats and dogs, after all.
Cats and dogs never overthink things.
“Thank you, Yun-jie.”
At the hospital, Bai Yun accompanied Lu Weizhu to the emergency room.
Her wounds were treated; shards were removed, and the injuries disinfected.
Sitting on a hospital bed, Lu Weizhu thanked Bai Yun.
Her pale face forced a weak smile, looking fragile.
Bai Yun didn’t know what to say.
She sat beside Lu Weizhu, her gaze resting on the bandages covering the girl’s forearm and palm.
The faint smell of iodine lingered at her nose.
After hesitating, Bai Yun lightly flicked Lu Weizhu’s forehead.
A muffled grunt escaped Lu Weizhu, but she didn’t block it.
Now, she only felt the relief of surviving.
She had really escaped Bai Lu’s grasp!?
If she could just meet Ning Wan afterward, this crisis would be over.
Forgetting the pain for a moment, Lu Weizhu smiled absentmindedly.
Her injuries were not minor.
The doctor had extracted over twenty shards from both hands, and porcelain had pierced her right knee as well.
Fortunately, her pants protected her leg; the wound was shallow and wouldn’t affect her movement.
“You’re so stupid.”
Seeing Lu Weizhu’s silly grin, Bai Yun sighed.
“I really don’t know what you’re thinking.”
Bai Yun stood up.
“It’s getting late; I have to go. The café isn’t closed yet.”
She didn’t waste time dwelling on anything else or question whether Lu Weizhu’s injuries made sense.
She just felt drained.
“The cost will be deducted from your salary.”
Glancing at Lu Weizhu, Bai Yun thought she had been far too lenient with the employee.
“Mm, Yun-jie.”
Lu Weizhu nodded vigorously.
“I’ll treat you to a meal another day.”
Waving her left hand, Lu Weizhu said goodbye to Bai Yun.