Chapter 35: Everyone wants to be number one?

Standing in the corner of the room, Lu Weizhu quietly watched the workers carry the furniture inside.  

The sofa and coffee table made the previously empty living room feel cozier, and two mattresses were delivered to the two bedrooms respectively.  

The wooden round table was placed not far from the kitchen entrance. 

The workers then began installing the gas stove and range hood.  

Leaning against the wall, Lu Weizhu was lost in thought. 

Now that her house was known to the Patron, what consequences would that bring?  

“The house isn’t bad, just a bit small.”  

After circling the house once, Bai Lu stood in front of Lu Weizhu.  

She wore a knitted cardigan over a blouse, paired with a short skirt—her outfit less formal than usual.  

“…It’s actually enough for one person to live here.”  

In truth, even two people living here would be more than enough. 

When renting, Lu Weizhu had hoped that Lu Weiyu could occasionally come back to stay for a couple of days.  

They were standing close enough that Lu Weizhu could smell the lavender fragrance on Bai Lu.  

Had she not changed her bath gel brand yet?  

Somehow, this thought came to her mind, and Lu Weizhu lowered her head, not wanting to look at Bai Lu’s face.  

“Hmm, maybe.”  

Bai Lu took two steps closer, the much shorter girl now within arm’s reach.  

Her face was hidden by her bangs. 

Bai Lu reached out to brush aside the white strands, revealing a face that resembled Lu Weizhu’s lover.  

Pursing her lips, Bai Lu pinched the girl’s cheek gently.  

She and Ning Wan were in love, but Ning Wan was dominant. 

In front of Ning Wan, Bai Lu never got her way.  

“Are you avoiding me?”  

Bai Lu noticed Lu Weizhu’s displeasure. 

After returning home that day, she had replayed the scene of Lu Weizhu falling over many times, increasingly suspecting it was intentional.  

“I…am not.”  

Lu Weizhu shook her head.  

With the height disadvantage becoming apparent as Bai Lu moved closer, Lu Weizhu started to panic.  

“…You are avoiding me.”  

Bai Lu grew more certain.  

She couldn’t understand why the person before her was avoiding her. 

She had already given her a lot of money, hadn’t she? 

She hadn’t really bullied her either.  

Burning with inexplicable anger, Bai Lu grabbed Lu Weizhu’s wrist, trapping her between herself and the wall.  

“Ah?”  

Lu Weizhu’s panic escalated as a faint pain spread across her wrist.  

What was she trying to do? 

This was her own home; the workers were still installing furniture. 

What exactly did Bai Lu want?  

Her mind in chaos, Lu Weizhu instinctively tried to break free.  

“…Don’t avoid me.”  

Her eyes dark as ink, Bai Lu used her knee to press against Lu Weizhu’s leg.  

Supporting Lu Weizhu’s chin, Bai Lu stared at her for a moment. 

Perhaps considering the others nearby, she loosened her grip.  

“Da…”  

Back to freedom, Lu Weizhu breathed a sigh of relief.  

Rubbing her wrist, she shrank back a little as she looked at Bai Lu.  

“I’m not trying to avoid you, please believe me.”  

“…Mm.”  

Bai Lu responded absentmindedly and sat down on the newly arrived sofa.  

Not wanting to reveal any awkwardness, Lu Weizhu sat next to Bai Lu to ease her guard.  

They sat in the living room for a while. 

By the time the workers finished setting up all the furniture, night had completely fallen.  

The lights in the living room and kitchen were on as Lu Weizhu saw off the two workers.  

“I’m home.”  

Back inside, Lu Weizhu called out.  

Bai Lu didn’t reply.  

Closing the door, Bai Lu silently returned to the sofa.  

Lu Weizhu felt at a loss, perhaps because she had been spending more time with Ning Wan lately, she found Bai Lu’s silence unsettling.  

“Are you done with your work?”  

After a long silence, Bai Lu finally broke it.  

“Um…can I come to your place now?” 

Lu Weizhu scratched the top of her head, feeling a bit embarrassed.  

“Right here.”  

Bai Lu’s words were firm; she had already made up her mind.  

“Ah!? Just…here?”  

Lu Weizhu wasn’t too keen on doing anything in her clean little nest.  

“Yeah, I’ll see you here from now on.”  

Not only to avoid Bai Lu discovering anything, but also to exert more control over Lu Weizhu.  

“Th…that’s not appropriate, um…wait…”  

She wanted to say more, but Bai Lu pressed her down, lying on the sofa, all her previous panic washing away.  

Bai Lu’s cold and beautiful face was right before her eyes. 

Up close, Lu Weizhu could see the faint fine hair on her cheeks.  

“Wait…wait…hehe…I’m a little hungry, I’ll order food first. President Bai, you haven’t eaten either, right?”  

The face came closer and closer, almost about to kiss her when Lu Weizhu hastily pushed Bai Lu’s shoulders away.  

Feeling uneasy, Lu Weizhu’s resistance irritated Bai Lu.  

She was convinced Lu Weizhu was scheming something.  

“Fine.”  

But since she was already here, one more moment wouldn’t hurt. 

Bai Lu agreed to Lu Weizhu’s suggestion.  

Though she knew the girl was avoiding her, Bai Lu refused to believe she could run away right under her nose.  

“Phew…thanks, thank you?”  

Feeling embarrassed, Lu Weizhu awkwardly got up, wanting to escape but too afraid to move too far and anger Bai Lu. 

She stayed put.  

“What do you want to eat?”  

The atmosphere was especially strange, and Lu Weizhu was somewhat troubled. What exactly was going on?  

Bai Lu in front of her was nothing like the domineering Patron; she resembled more someone who found out about a betrayal and wanted to catch the culprit but couldn’t say anything.  

“!?”  

Startled by her own thought, Lu Weizhu lowered her head.  

Damn it, why would she think such strange things?  

Her mind grew even more chaotic as she opened the takeout app and stared at the endless list of restaurants.  

“You pick. I don’t care.”  

Bai Lu shrugged.  

She never cared much about food preferences.  

“Ah…okay.”  

Lu Weizhu nodded.  

She randomly ordered a few dishes. 

With Bai Lu there, she didn’t dare be too simple and quickly spent over two hundred yuan.  

Feeling a bit guilty, she glanced sideways at the Patron beside her and pondered.  

How should she please Bai Lu?  

After hesitating for a moment, she carefully hugged Bai Lu’s small arm.  

Having maintained a relationship with Bai Lu for a year, Lu Weizhu roughly remembered what Bai Lu liked.  

She liked to be depended on.  

As for why? 

Lu Weizhu honestly didn’t know. 

After all, her own status wasn’t significant enough to dare ask the Patron about such things.  

“…”  

Noticing Lu Weizhu’s small gesture, Bai Lu’s tone softened.  

Without making any extra moves, Bai Lu rested her hands on her thighs.  

“I’m here, President Bai.”  

The way Lu Weizhu addressed her troubled her, as it sounded awkward and inappropriate.  

“Don’t avoid me.”  

Bai Lu had no issue with the title and patted the girl’s shoulder.  

“No matter what you’re thinking, don’t avoid me.”  

Bai Lu’s thoughts were actually similar to Ning Wan’s.  

She spent so much money; why should she yield to anything else?  

“You should put me first. After all, I’m the one paying your sister’s medical bills.”  

Her tone was gentle but carried a veiled warning to Lu Weizhu.  

“…Mm, got it.”  

Lu Weizhu thought, this woman really was Ning Wan’s lover. 

Their personalities differed somewhat, but their goals weren’t all that different.  

“Last time, you hurt yourself on purpose just so you wouldn’t have to leave with me? I’m not going to ask what you had to do, but I don’t want there to be a next time.”  

When her words ended, Bai Lu stopped talking.  

Lu Weizhu only softly responded with a hum, unsure what else to say.  

She felt troubled.  

Both Bai Lu and Ning Wan wanted to be number one, but she was only one person and couldn’t be split in two.  

What if next time they both came for her at the same time? 

What was she supposed to do?  

“…”  

With a barely audible sigh, Lu Weizhu carefully rested her head on Bai Lu’s shoulder.