Chapter 52: Don’t hide from me

The afternoon sunlight was harsh, and Lu Weizhu held her breath as she arrived outside the café.

She peered through the glass door, but Bai Yun was nowhere to be seen.

Pressing her lips together, she bit her teeth and pushed open the door to enter the café.

If Bai Yun wasn’t in the front area, she was most likely in the kitchen, either eating or baking desserts.

Lu Weizhu stepped into the kitchen.

Inside, Bai Yun was stirring cake batter, with an unfinished lunchbox sitting on the table.

Even after Lu Weizhu’s arrival, Bai Yun’s mood didn’t improve; it only seemed worse.

She had little appetite.

Was she hated?

Was her tone too harsh?

Would Bai Yun quit outright?

These questions flickered through her mind as Bai Yun drifted absentmindedly.

She didn’t notice someone had appeared behind her.

“Yun-jie!”

Lu Weizhu called out from behind her.

Her heart pounding fiercely, almost as if it was a last-ditch gamble, Lu Weizhu’s voice was a little too loud.

“!”

Startled, Bai Yun’s hand trembled, the spatula slipping into the cake batter.

Her fingers lost grip on the iron bowl, which clattered to the floor, accompanied by a crisp sound as milky white cake batter splattered everywhere.

“Wei, Weizhu? You’re back so soon?”

With shaky hands, Bai Yun turned around.

Her yellow apron was stained with white cake batter, making her look a little disheveled.

At the first glance after turning, the girl’s face was filled with grievance, crashing into Bai Yun’s vision.

An untimely image flashed again in Bai Yun’s mind.

She took a step back, her waist pressing against the sharp edge of the cabinet, sending a slight ache through her.

She panicked.

“Yun-jie…”

Lu Weizhu looked at her, realizing she had caused trouble.

Her voice softened, though still laced with a palpable sense of grievance.

What was going on?

Did Bai Yun know what ugly thoughts she’d had?

She shouldn’t—she only thought them in her mind, never spoke them aloud.

Faintly recalling a terrible dream, Bai Yun felt a twinge of guilt.

“Cough, cough. What’s wrong? You didn’t say a word when you came in. You scared me.”

After coughing twice, Bai Yun forced herself to appear calm, wearing a serious expression.

“…Yun-jie, do you hate me?”

Lu Weizhu lowered her head and asked the question that had troubled her for a long time.

Bai Yun opened her mouth but was left speechless.

She was stunned, completely unprepared for this question.

How could she hate her?

If anything, she liked her…cough cough, but better not ask what kind of “like” that was.

Seeing Bai Yun fall silent, Lu Weizhu’s heart ached.

“You do hate me, right? Could you tell me where I went wrong? If you don’t like me, I can leave. I just hope you can tell me what’s wrong.”

Lu Weizhu clenched the hem of her skirt.

Where had she gone wrong?

Going over the past few days’ events one by one, she realized she had made so many foolish mistakes.

Skipping work, leaving early due to illness, breaking the café’s utensils…

It was only natural that she was despised.

Mentally exhausted, Lu Weizhu sank into self-loathing again.

Seeing Bai Yun still not answer, Lu Weizhu wondered if there was any reason left for her to stay.

In this situation, maybe she should just quit and give the position to someone more capable.

She thought this, but couldn’t bring herself to act on it.

Even moving her fingers was difficult.

Lu Weizhu really didn’t want to leave.

She wanted this job, wanted to hold on to the friendship she had barely gained.

“Mm.”

Driven by the desire deep inside, Lu Weizhu took two steps forward and grabbed Bai Yun’s hand.

“Yun-jie…”

Hunched over, head bowed, her white hair hid her face.

Bai Yun could only hear a hint of a sob in her tone.

The girl’s fingers wrapped softly around her wrist, warm and comforting.

The fingertips were roughened by long hours of work, with callouses that brushed against Bai Yun’s skin, tickling her slightly.

Bai Yun lowered her head and peered through the gaps in the hair.

She saw the girl’s tear-streaked face and was overcome by a wave of guilt.

Although Bai Yun didn’t yet understand why Lu Weizhu looked so distressed.

Until Lu Weizhu spoke again.

“Yun-jie, can you tell me where I went wrong? I’ll change. I promise I will change. Please don’t avoid me without saying a word.”

Lu Weizhu couldn’t be firm.

She didn’t want to lose this job, this friendship.

She begged humbly.

Why?

Why had it come to this?

Why was she always the one begging?

While begging, Lu Weizhu questioned herself in her heart.

She longed to be treated as an equal, but one thing after another forced her to lower her stance.

Maybe she was born to be humble, born to be a lowly person…

More than once, Lu Weizhu felt utterly powerless.

“Ah…ah!?”

Suddenly realizing, Bai Yun finally understood why Lu Weizhu looked so wronged.

Thinking it over carefully, she admitted her own behavior had been a bit off, indeed giving the impression of ignoring her.

“Weizhu.”

After a moment’s thought, having figured out the reason behind everything, Bai Yun helped Lu Weizhu to stand steadily.

Although she found the touch of the girl’s wrist comfortable and her tearful face pretty, Bai Yun didn’t want her to continue feeling this way.

If she kept silent, she might really lose this staff member—well, just a staff member.

Absolutely nothing more than an ordinary staff member, with no strange thoughts in her heart.

Muttering a lie she couldn’t deceive herself with, Bai Yun gently patted Lu Weizhu’s back.

“I need to make one thing clear first—I don’t hate you, and you haven’t done anything wrong.”

She wiped the tears from the girl’s eyes, taking the opportunity to pinch her cheek.

Soft, cool, and she wanted to keep touching it forever.

But that would be too weird, so Bai Yun reluctantly withdrew her hand.

“Really?”

Lu Weizhu stared at her with pale blue eyes, her gaze fixed and a little dazed.

Ah, no, that staff member was always a bit dazed.

“Yeah, really.”

Bai Yun nodded.

“Then why have you been avoiding me?”

The next question from Lu Weizhu stumped Bai Yun.

“De…De…”

Bai Yun was momentarily at a loss for words.

Her avoidance of Lu Weizhu was far too obvious and frequent to just bluff her way through.

“It’s…it’s just because you’re too pretty.”

Turning her head slightly, Bai Yun glanced at Lu Weizhu out of the corner of her eye.

She didn’t see the imagined blush on the girl’s face, only a frown.

“Pretty?”

Lu Weizhu couldn’t understand why Yun-jie would avoid her because of her looks.

“Ahem.”

Bai Yun cleared her throat twice, unwilling to let Lu Weizhu think too much about it.

If she realized the truth, her reputation would be utterly ruined.

“In any case, just remember you didn’t do anything wrong, and I don’t hate you.”

Bai Yun tried to smooth things over.

“………”

Lu Weizhu didn’t want to ask further.

If Bai Yun was lying, she would only hurt herself.

“Yun-jie, please, don’t avoid me.”

Lu Weizhu looked at her cautiously.

“You really mean a lot to me.”

Her words caused Bai Yun’s heart to race.

Obviously, she had underestimated how important she was to Lu Weizhu.

“Alright, I promise.”

Bai Yun nodded solemnly.

“You silly Weizhu.”

At the same time, she couldn’t help but mutter softly.

To care so much about a boss you’ve just met—how easily fooled.

Honestly, Bai Yun worried about Lu Weizhu’s future.