On a summer night, the abandoned garden echoed with the song of cicadas, their calls ringing in the ears.
The evening breeze swept through the wild grass, the swishing sound weaving a melodious nocturne together with the cicada cries.
Yet to Lu Weizhu, the sounds felt unbearably noisy.
It was all over.
She sat numbly at the foot of the bed.
“You can go now. Bai Lu is coming to see me tomorrow, so come back the day after. You remember the way, right? Never mind, here’s my business card. Take it.”
With that, Ning Wan tossed a hard business card to Lu Weizhu and stood barefoot by the window.
Outside, the garden was a tangled mess, but if you looked closely, it held a certain unconventional beauty.
Perhaps not everything needed to follow the rules?
Catching a glimpse of Lu Weizhu behind her out of the corner of her eye, Ning Wan rubbed her fingertips together.
With a strange sense of satisfaction and guilt, she could somewhat understand what feelings Bai Lu had when spending time with Lu Weizhu.
She never expected to stay here forever.
Struggling to her feet, Lu Weizhu put on her shoes, straightened her hair and dress, and slowly left the bedroom.
Holding the cash she had picked up from Ning Wan that afternoon and clutching the business card, Lu Weizhu limped as she walked.
Unlike Bai Lu, Ning Wan’s actions were purely for revenge and torment—
Lu Weizhu couldn’t take it anymore.
The only thing to be grateful for was probably not having to prepare any contraception?
In this world of only women, whether one got pregnant or not depended solely on whether there was love in the heart.
Step by step, Lu Weizhu hunched over, her body far too thin, as if she could fall apart at any moment.
In the faint reflection of the window, Ning Wan saw Lu Weizhu’s wretched figure.
“Tsk.”
She shook her head indifferently. In the end, she was just a plaything brought in on a whim, only to satisfy a small desire for revenge.
What did it matter to her what happened to Lu Weizhu?
“I’ll give you this month’s money when you come to see me the day after tomorrow. If you want money, don’t run away.”
Without caring whether Lu Weizhu heard her or not, Ning Wan left for another bedroom.
Step by step, Lu Weizhu left the villa and walked along the road on the outskirts of the city, clutching the cash in her arms even tighter.
She found a public restroom by the roadside, washed her hair with water from the sink, and checked herself in the mirror above it.
The slap mark on her face had completely disappeared.
Except for some redness at the corner of her eye, there were no obvious traces left.
As for the wound on her right hand…that was easy enough to explain.
After making sure there was nothing strange on her body, Lu Weizhu finally felt relieved.
Afraid her wet hair might trouble others, she walked for a long time until her hair dried a bit, then hailed a taxi back to the city center’s hospital.
“…Taxi fares are so expensive.”
After getting out, Lu Weizhu looked at the cash, now one bill short, feeling a pang of regret.
Unlike the outskirts, even late at night, the city center was still bustling with people.
“Think positive, it’s not so bad. There are plenty of people worse off than me in this world.”
Probably.
Comforting herself, Lu Weizhu headed to the inpatient wing.
She hadn’t eaten or rested all day, and was physically and mentally exhausted.
Her stomach ached with hunger, but she was too tired to buy food, so she went straight to Lu Weiyu’s ward.
“Big sister?”
Her light footsteps were especially noticeable.
Just as she reached the door, a surprised voice called out from inside.
Lu Weizhu frowned slightly.
She carefully put away and straightened her money, then pushed open the door to the ward.
The lights were off, but by the light from the corridor, Lu Weizhu could see her younger sister’s face.
Her complexion was pale, and her lips were cracked.
“You’re still awake?”
Seeing her only family, Lu Weizhu finally relaxed a little.
She sat on the chair beside the bed, poured a glass of water for Lu Weiyu, and handed it to her.
“Weiyu, your health isn’t good. You should rest early.”
While comforting her, Lu Weizhu was calculating in her mind.
Lu Weiyu’s surgery was scheduled for the same day she was supposed to meet Ning Wan.
The money she had now was still not enough for the surgery.
It was only after leaving the villa for so long that Lu Weizhu realized she had forgotten something so important.
“If I go early and come back early, I should make it in time?”
Full of worry, Lu Weizhu tried to recall—the surgery seemed to be in the afternoon.
“In time for what?”
Lu Weizhu’s voice was soft, but Lu Weiyu still caught it.
She drank the water her sister poured and looked at her most respected sister.
Her body was just as frail as her own, her face showing countless traces of exhaustion.
“It’s nothing, just work stuff. I’m working two jobs at the same time.”
Lu Weizhu forced a smile.
She didn’t want Lu Weiyu to know the truth.
“Sis, actually, you don’t have to work so hard.”
Lu Weiyu put down the cup.
Her eyes dimmed.
She thought, as expected, her sister was running herself ragged for her illness again.
Guilt and heartache twisted tightly in her heart as she turned on the light.
With the light on, the wound on Lu Weizhu’s hand caught Lu Weiyu’s eye.
“What happened? Did you get hurt!?”
Propping herself up on the bed, Lu Weiyu sat up abruptly, grabbing Lu Weizhu’s right hand and gently pressing her palm, carefully touching the skin around the wound.
The dark red scab looked ugly, and Lu Weiyu’s eyes were full of pain.
“Ah, I just fell accidentally. I’m fine.”
Feeling guilty, Lu Weizhu pulled her hand back and hid it behind her.
“This too…was for me, wasn’t it…”
Lu Weiyu’s voice trembled.
Tears glimmered in her eyes.
Seeing her little sister on the verge of tears, Lu Weizhu was at a loss.
“Big sister! Please don’t keep doing this. You’ve already done so much for me.”
The girl’s voice choked with sobs as she threw her arms around Lu Weizhu.
“…Weiyu, I’m okay.”
After a moment of silence, Lu Weizhu returned the hug.
She gently stroked her sister’s hair and let out a barely audible sigh.
“Wu wu…Sis…I don’t want treatment anymore. I just want you to relax. I want to see you smile.”
Crying, her tears soaked through Lu Weizhu’s clothes, but Lu Weizhu said nothing, only holding Lu Weiyu quietly.
It was only when the girl gradually calmed down that Lu Weizhu pinched her cheek.
“Silly girl. Only if you get better can I truly smile.”
Lu Weizhu closed her eyes.
Her sister’s concern soothed the wounds in her heart.
In her world, only Lu Weiyu cared about her.
Precisely because of this, she couldn’t just watch her beloved sister slip towards death.
Taking out the cash she got from Ning Wan, Lu Weizhu handed it to Lu Weiyu.
“Weiyu, don’t worry about me. I can earn money, everything will be fine.”
Lu Weizhu tucked Lu Weiyu back into bed.
She wiped the tears from her sister’s face with her sleeve.
“Rest, Weiyu. Sleep early. I’ll stay with you.”
Patting her sister’s forehead, Lu Weizhu climbed onto the bed.
“Mm.”
Maybe she had cried enough, or maybe she had finally realized how much she meant to Lu Weizhu—
Lu Weiyu didn’t fuss anymore.
She closed her eyes, having waited for Lu Weizhu for so long, and soon fell into a deep sleep.
With her back to her sister, Lu Weizhu couldn’t fall asleep for a long time.
Clenching her fingers, a single tear slid down, landing on the hospital bed’s sheet.
“Weiyu, I will definitely save you!” Â
She whispered this promise, and as time passed, Lu Weizhu finally drifted into sleep.Â