Chapter 60: Being a qualified toy

The night deepened, and the scattered streetlights outside the car window cast a warm yellow glow.

Under the lights, countless specks of dust and unnoticed little insects fluttered about.

Lu Weizhu sat inside Bai Lu’s car, hugging her right arm and resting her head against the window.

She stared blankly at the rapidly passing scenery outside.

Be obedient.

She no longer thought about trying to please her benefactor.

It wouldn’t end well anyway.

No matter what she did, it seemed like it was always wrong in their eyes.

Hurt indiscriminately, the feeling called grievance fermented quietly in her heart, and she felt increasingly bitter.

She originally didn’t want any more contact with Bai Lu, but for money, even if it was humiliating and painful, what else could she do?

She had to behave obediently.

Her thoughts multiplied, but most of them belittled herself.

There was no expression on Lu Weizhu’s face.

Bai Lu drove while glancing at Lu Weizhu through the rearview mirror.

A nameless emotion grew heavier in her chest, leaving her restless.

What should she do?

Should she apologize?

Did the person in front of her really deserve an apology?

Or what kind of compensation could she offer?

What would the girl even want?

Her mind was in chaos, and Bai Lu shifted her gaze away.

“…D…”

She sighed softly. If she were to offer compensation, it would probably be money, right?

Bai Lu didn’t want to give her more money.

It wasn’t because she was stingy, but because having spent a year with Lu Weizhu, she understood that as soon as Lu Weizhu saved enough money, she would leave.

Bai Lu didn’t want to let go.

At first, she had only found a substitute for Ning Wan, then pursued someone weak and opposite to Ning Wan’s personality…as for now, Bai Lu herself wasn’t quite sure what she wanted.

The car sped along, and soon the two arrived at the City Center Hospital.

Bai Lu silently got out with Lu Weizhu.

They entered the hospital together, and Bai Lu accompanied Lu Weizhu to register and get an examination.

She said nothing the entire time.

After all, it was her fault the injury happened, and saying too much would seem hypocritical.

Due to her identity, Bai Lu couldn’t bring herself to apologize, so in the end, she stood there awkwardly.

The examination results came out quickly: a dislocated wrist and a minor bone fracture.

The doctor helped reset the joint, applied medicine, and put on a splint.

After the treatment, Lu Weizhu sat quietly on a bench in the corridor, placing her aching right hand on her lap, while her left hand rested beside her.

Bai Lu stood next to her, looking down at her from above.

The girl’s face was still pale, streaked with tear marks.

Fragile. But Bai Lu no longer had the desire to tease her; at this moment, she only felt irritated.

“…I’m leaving.”

She glanced at Lu Weizhu before turning around.

No apology was given, nor any mention of compensation.

Lu Weizhu thought that was only natural.

After all, she was just a toy.

It was already incredible that Bai Lu had brought her to the hospital.

How could she expect an apology or compensation?

If compensation were given, it would be an admission of fault.

Lu Weizhu didn’t believe either of her benefactors would admit they were wrong.

She lowered her head.

Even though she understood all this, she still felt a sting in her heart.

“I’m sorry…”

Just as Bai Lu was about to walk away, Lu Weizhu whispered an apology.

Her long white hair fell down, obscuring her gaze, her dull eyes unseen by others.

She didn’t think she was at fault, yet she still apologized.

How ridiculous was that?

“Hmm?”

Bai Lu heard her and turned back, not quite catching what Lu Weizhu had said.

“Sorry…for troubling you.”

Lu Weizhu turned her head away.

What was Bai Lu thinking right now?

She probably thought she was a nuisance, right?

After all, she took Bai Lu’s money, did things she disliked, and still had a temper.

“I’ll restrain my emotions. From now on, I’ll be a proper toy.”

Her voice was light, afraid of being heard, but Lu Weizhu still wanted to say it out loud.

Not for Bai Lu to hear, but for herself.

She seemed a little strange.

Bai Lu stood quietly, her heart strangely heavy.

She took out her phone.

She unblocked Lu Weizhu’s messages.

Cautiously, messages began to pop up—one after another.

They were mostly questions about her likes, her address.

“Did you find her address and birthday by scrolling through her Moments?”

Feeling complicated, Bai Lu sat down beside Lu Weizhu.

Noticing Bai Lu’s approach, the girl trembled slightly.

Bai Lu saw her reaction.

Her discomfort deepened.

“…Um…sorry…”

Another apology, and the girl lowered her head.

The other party didn’t want her to message her, so how could she accept her gift?

Lu Weizhu thought she was just too foolish.

Sitting next to Bai Lu, afraid of the person beside her, Lu Weizhu did not get up to run away.

Someone like her wasn’t even qualified to hold a grudge against her benefactor.

Hearing the answer from Lu Weizhu’s lips, Bai Lu clenched her phone tightly.

They sat in silence, neither speaking.

After a long moment, Bai Lu finally spoke.

“Sorry.”

Her ears burned as she apologized, then stood up and turned toward the hospital exit.

After leaving the hospital, Bai Lu didn’t get in the car.

She sat on a stone block by the hospital entrance, staring blankly at the brightly lit city.

It felt like she really had done something wrong…

“Maybe I shouldn’t have been so reckless.”

Looking down at the stone pavement, a line of ants passed by, carrying crumbs of food.

Bai Lu couldn’t help but wonder—what exactly was it that she wanted?

Someone else’s kindness, someone else’s goodwill, someone else’s attention—or simply put, someone else’s love, any form of love.

“…”

Her heart felt heavy.

Bai Lu still hadn’t figured out how to compensate the girl she had misunderstood.

If she couldn’t give money, what else could she offer?

Other than money, it seemed she had nothing.

Her thoughts were tangled mess as Bai Lu got back in the car.

Gripping the steering wheel, she drove while trying to organize her thoughts, but even as the car reached the city outskirts, she still hadn’t sorted through the chaos.

“Forget it. I’ll think about it after these few days.”

Leaning back in her seat, she rubbed her temples.

This year’s birthday, barring surprises, would only be hers and Ning Wan’s.

After Bai Lu left, Lu Weizhu stayed in the hospital for a while longer.

The effects of the anesthetic gradually wore off, and the pain in her hand grew more obvious.

“…I haven’t cooked for Wei Yu today, and I don’t know if I’ll be able to work tomorrow. The month isn’t over yet, how many days have I taken off?”

Lu Weizhu didn’t have time to be sentimental.

Before she could escape the sorrow, she had to face the trivialities of life.

Not everyone had the luxury to focus on psychological issues.

Wobbling to her feet, Lu Weizhu slowly made her way to the inpatient ward.

A dislocated wrist would take one to two weeks to heal properly.

During this time, she probably couldn’t work or cook normally.

“Wei Yu might have to eat takeout for a while again…Yun Jie won’t know how to explain this either. Will I get fired like this?”

Worried, with red, swollen eyes, Lu Weizhu climbed the stairs one step at a time.