Curled up inside the cramped box, Lu Weizhu’s consciousness gradually grew hazy, her chest rising and falling faintly, a dull ache spreading through her lungs.
Her head spun, and she slowly lost the strength to hold her knees.
Her limbs stretched out, brushing against the box’s wall, which let out a distinctly hollow sound.
Bai Lu lowered her head, coldly staring at the box containing the person.
Ning Wan had left; now was the time to interrogate—interrogate Lu Weizhu.
Though the situation had been barely escaped without incident, Bai Lu could not help but be furious that she had ended up in danger all because of Lu Weizhu.
She kicked the storage box.
Clack.
The box shook, and Lu Weizhu felt a wave of nausea.
She stifled a groan.
Ning Wan…ah…
Ning Wan seemed to have already left?
She should be able to come out now, right?
With that thought, Lu Weizhu tried pushing open the lid of the box.
The space under the desk was extremely narrow; Lu Weizhu only managed to pry open a gap just wide enough to stick out a finger before the lid pressed against the wooden underside of the desk.
Fortunately, even that tiny slit was enough.
Weak light and fresh air flooded in.
“………”
Finally breaking free from the darkness, Lu Weizhu breathed heavily, struggling to inhale the air.
The dull pain in her lungs gradually eased.
Bai Lu sat in the chair, quietly watching the box’s lid pushed open slightly, and the four slender, pale fingers that peeked out from the gap.
“…”
Inside the box, Lu Weizhu had already recovered some composure.
“Miss Bai…can I come out…ugh!?”
A faint voice came from inside the box, just as she was about to ask if she could leave, her soft inquiry suddenly turned into a sharp, piercing scream.
Go.
Filled with resentment and anger, Bai Lu mercilessly stomped on the box lid.
The result was that several of Lu Weizhu’s fingers were brutally pinched, the sharp pain causing her to scream aloud.
Before Lu Weizhu could react, Bai Yun slammed her foot hard on the narrow box again, causing it to spin and fly out from under the desk.
“Ugh!”
Another bout of dizziness.
Her body slammed back and forth inside the box, making Lu Weizhu feel sick.
She gripped the bag of embroidery in her arms tightly until the box crashed against the wall near the Study’s doorway, at which point she found the strength to lift the lid and crawl out with difficulty.
Her right-hand fingers trembled as she stood unsteadily, her face pale from the sharp pain in her hand.
“Bai…Miss Bai.”
Lu Weizhu looked at Bai Lu.
Bai Lu’s expression was blank, but her brows held clear anger.
Lu Weizhu was frightened.
Her intuition told her that staying here any longer would not end well.
“Sorry! I’m leaving now.”
She had no time to deliver the gift. Glancing at the open Study door, Lu Weizhu just wanted to escape this ishewei zhi di and the furious Bai Lu.
She regretted coming here.
She shouldn’t have been so presumptuous, trying to please the Patron.
She only needed to be a retreating turtle for a few months, so why had she foolishly come out?
Feeling utterly stupid, Lu Weizhu hurriedly turned to leave.
“Just want to leave after coming? Hmph.”
With a cold sneer, Bai Lu grabbed Lu Weizhu’s right wrist the moment she took a step away.
She moved so swiftly that Lu Weizhu had no time to react.
Bai Lu held her wrist tightly, looking down at the girl before her.
“How did you find out where I live? And why did you come here?”
Bai Lu squeezed with force.
The pain radiated through Lu Weizhu’s skin to the bones in her wrist, making her scrunch up her face.
Being shorter than Bai Lu already, she now appeared even more fragile as her body bent from the pain.
“Ah…I…”
Even though they were all Human, how could these people be so strong and so fast? Lu Weizhu couldn’t understand at all.
She struggled to pull her right hand back.
To Bai Lu, Lu Weizhu’s anxious behavior only made her more suspicious.
No one so afraid of her would actively investigate her address and show up at her door.
She must have bad intentions.
Looking at the girl, Bai Lu’s eyes darkened.
The resentment and anger buried deep inside her heart now broke free.
“Don’t reach for things you can’t have. Accept your place, and don’t do what you’re unworthy of.”
Before Lu Weizhu could explain, Bai Lu tightened her grip.
Crack.
A crisp sound rang out, and Lu Weizhu froze.
For a moment, she lost her voice, her mouth opening with nothing to say.
The world went pale.
The only thing she could feel was pain—deep, bone-piercing pain.
When Bai Lu finally released her, Lu Weizhu’s right wrist hung limp.
After a long moment, tears streamed down her cheeks, and she finally found her voice.
“Pain…it hurts so much…ugh, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts…”
She repeated it over and over, staring blankly at her hand.
Was it a fracture?
A break?
She didn’t know.
How could Bai Lu’s strength be this great?
She had no idea.
“Why won’t you answer me? Why did you come here? What exactly do you want?”
No matter what, there was no bond or friendship between Bai Lu and Lu Weizhu.
It was difficult for Bai Lu not to doubt Lu Weizhu’s intentions.
Grabbing the girl’s shoulder, Bai Lu shoved her hard against the wall.
The impact was painful, but compared to the agony in her wrist, it was nothing.
Pressed against the wall, Lu Weizhu’s left hand dropped the Gift Bag, which made a faint sound as it hit the floor.
Bai Lu glanced at the bag with some confusion.
Lu Weizhu’s head swayed slightly, her vision blurred by tears.
These people never seemed to listen when she spoke.
Her explanations were always meaningless, and no one ever wanted to hear them.
Hmph, they say they want answers but don’t even give her the chance to explain…
Of course, she was just a Toy—why would anyone care?
Even if she died, nothing would happen, right?
“………”
She gasped through the pain, closing her eyes.
“I just…I just wanted to give you a birthday gift…”
At last, she had the chance to say her purpose.
“…Birthday gift?”
Bai Lu was stunned for a moment.
The resentment and anger faded temporarily.
She released her grip, and Lu Weizhu’s body slumped weakly.
The girl sat in the corner, wiping away tears with her left hand.
“How did you know my birthday?”
Glancing at the Gift Bag on the floor, Bai Lu’s mood became complicated.
Being given a gift should have been a joyful thing, but she didn’t feel that way now.
Because it seemed she had presumptuously ruined everything.
She shook her head slightly as an indescribable feeling welled up inside her.
Few people remembered Bai Lu’s birthday, and even fewer celebrated it.
She was wealthy, but cold and distant in front of others, making most afraid to approach or flatter her.
In past years, only Ning Wan and a handful of close friends from her youth had sent her gifts.
Standing where she was, Bai Lu was lost in thought, feeling helpless.
Emotions fermented deep within.
Lu Weizhu remained silent, not answering Bai Lu’s question.
She slowly rose.
“Sorry…I won’t be presumptuous and come around again…”
She glanced at the Gift Bag, wiped her tears, supported her weak right wrist, and slowly left the Study.
A Toy would only ever be a Toy.
No matter how much she tried to please, what could really change?
Her footsteps were light, gradually fading away until she disappeared from sight.
Bai Lu bent down and picked up the Gift Bag.
Opening it, she found a neatly folded embroidery piece inside.
Running her fingers over the surface, she realized it wasn’t expensive, but she could feel the girl’s sincerity.
“……”
Bai Lu felt a bit dizzy.
She placed the embroidery on the desk, left the Study, and soon caught up to the girl.
Probably because of the pain, the girl walked slowly.
“…I’ll take you to the hospital.”
After saying this, Bai Lu gave Lu Weizhu no chance to refuse.