Lu Weizhu rushed out of the ward, but Bai Yun was nowhere to be seen.
She felt a little panicked.
Navigating through the empty corridor, Lu Weizhu spotted Bai Yun descending the stairs in the distance.
She quickened her pace to catch up.
“Yun-jie! Yun-jie…huff…huff…”
Her stamina was too weak; she started gasping for breath after running only a short distance.
Fortunately, she still managed to catch up with Bai Yun.
“Yun-jie…”
Patting Bai Yun’s shoulder with her left hand, Lu Weizhu bent over,
“Da…a…” she panted heavily.
With her back to Lu Weizhu, Bai Yun stopped and listened to the girl’s labored breathing, her mind wandering for a moment.
If her stamina was this poor, she’d probably be bullied into tears if she stayed bedridden, right?
Ahem, she quickly dismissed the lewd thought in her head.
It was obviously too early to be thinking about such things now.
“Yun-jie…sorry, Wei Yu is still too young and speaks without thinking. Please don’t take it to heart or get angry.”
Fearing that Wei Yu’s sudden bad temper might upset Bai Yun, Lu Weizhu cautiously apologized on her sister’s behalf.
Inwardly, she also felt a bit resentful toward Wei Yu—she wasn’t a child anymore, so why would she do something like shooing guests away?
Obviously, Lu Weizhu had no idea of Wei Yu’s true intentions.
“I’m not angry at all.”
Bai Yun turned around, grabbed Lu Weizhu’s shoulders, and helped the girl straighten up from her bent posture.
“It’s just that you don’t want to go out, and little Wei Yu needs to rest. I’m not someone who can just sit idle, and staying in the ward would only disturb her, so I planned to head back first.”
Bai Yun tidied Lu Weizhu’s slightly messy hair.
“Don’t worry, I’m really not mad.”
She smiled gently.
In her heart, Bai Yun was sincerely grateful to Wei Yu.
Without her, she definitely wouldn’t have been able to get Lu Weizhu out.
Though she might have succeeded if she begged a bit, Bai Yun couldn’t quite bring herself to do that.
Her goal was to be a qualified husband, not a delicate and soft wife.
Lu Weizhu fell silent.
“Yun-jie, where do you want to go? I’ll go with you.”
After a long moment, Lu Weizhu relented.
Having accepted Bai Yun’s invitation, she felt awkward letting her leave alone.
“Hmm…just wandering around, no particular destination.”
Bai Yun turned once more.
“Okay, got it.”
Lu Weizhu trudged along behind her, feeling a little downcast.
Her injured hand hung limply at her side as they left the hospital and strolled together under the night sky.
The late summer evening wasn’t too hot; an occasional breeze even brought a slight chill.
The streets were less crowded than expected.
Lu Weizhu kept her head down, quietly counting the tiles beneath her feet.
Occasionally, ad boards and bicycles cluttered the nearby tactile paving—a bit inconsiderate, but a common sight.
Bai Yun walked on Lu Weizhu’s left side.
Thanks to Wei Yu’s impromptu efforts, she had successfully lured Lu Weizhu out.
But what to do next was a new problem—
Bai Yun had never been in a relationship before.
“Is there anywhere you want to go, Wei Zhu?”
Bai Yun looked up at the bright Moon in the sky.
“I don’t know.”
Lu Weizhu shook her head.
“Isn’t it you who wanted to come out to clear your mind? Why ask me?”
The two fell silent again.
They walked farther from the hospital until reaching an intersection.
Lu Weizhu looked up and saw a café across the street, its doors already closed.
“…I should be able to return to work soon.”
A faint smile appeared on Lu Weizhu’s lips.
“No need to rush so much. Your position will be waiting for you. Come back when you’re fully recovered.”
Bai Yun lightly patted the girl’s shoulder.
“Not really rushing. I’m not that badly injured.”
Lu Weizhu gently touched the splint on her right hand.
“If you’re bored, you could come to the café to hang out and chat with me instead of working.”
Lu Weizhu remained silent.
She felt Bai Yun’s kindness.
Should she accept Bai Yun’s goodwill unconditionally?
Or, what was Bai Yun’s expectation in being so good to her?
Had she given Bai Yun anything in return?
Lu Weizhu pondered quietly.
“Da…”
With a sigh, Bai Yun continued walking.
They walked a long while together, crossing through the busy city.
Traffic thinned considerably, and the roadside trees rustled in the wind.
Crossing another intersection, they came to a pedestrian stone bridge.
In stark contrast to the city’s bustling scene, the rustic stone bridge exuded a sense of historical weight.
Lu Weizhu stopped on the bridge and sat on a stone pillar by the railing.
She lightly ran her fingers over the rough surface.
“What’s wrong, Wei Zhu?”
“Uh…we’ve been walking too long. My legs are numb; I need a break.”
Lu Weizhu’s cheeks flushed.
“Sorry, my stamina is really poor.”
“Pfft.”
Bai Yun raised her hand to cover her laughter.
Under the Moonlight, her curved brows and eyes quietly entered Lu Weizhu’s heart.
“There’s nothing to be sorry about.”
She glanced around; at the far end of the bridge were two barbecue stalls with scattered pedestrians nearby, probably also out for a walk like them.
“I’ll go get some skewers. You rest here.”
Bai Yun left.
Lu Weizhu turned and looked through the railing’s gaps down at the river below.
The several dozen meters-wide river wasn’t completely calm, ripples occasionally forming.
She gazed at the Moon’s reflection in the water, savoring the memory of Bai Yun’s smile.
Before long, Bai Yun returned.
“I didn’t know what you liked, so I bought a bit of everything.”
Carrying two plastic bags, Bai Yun brushed the dust off the stone pillar and sat down beside Lu Weizhu.
“Isn’t this a bit too much?”
Lu Weizhu turned and looked.
The bags were packed with at least thirty or forty skewers, both meat and vegetables.
“Not at all. You can never get enough barbecue. Here, take some.”
Bai Yun smiled and handed Lu Weizhu a few roast lamb skewers.
“Thank you, Yun-jie.”
Taking the skewers with her left hand, Lu Weizhu looked up at the Moon.
Bai Yun glanced at Lu Weizhu’s profile.
The moonlight bathed the girl’s already gentle face, adding even more softness.
Bai Yun pursed her lips, mustering courage.
She leaned slightly closer and rested her shoulder against Lu Weizhu’s.
“The Moon is beautiful, isn’t it?”
Bai Yun slid one hand from behind Lu Weizhu’s back, lightly touching her waist.
Not applying pressure, just a gentle embrace, Bai Yun suddenly felt a sense of satisfaction.
The sensitive touch on her waist sent an unfamiliar sensation through Lu Weizhu.
Her left hand gripping the skewers tightened until her knuckles whitened.
She instinctively thought the person beside her was a sugar daddy, panicked for a moment, but then quickly regained composure.
“Wei Zhu, you’re even more beautiful.”
Bai Yun spoke hesitantly, unsure how her words would be taken.
Now wasn’t exactly the right time to confess, but the idiot beside her probably wouldn’t pick up on it, right?
Right?
Lu Weizhu stayed silent, the scent of spices from the skewers lingering near her nose.
The touch at her waist and Bai Yun’s sudden, inexplicable compliment both felt off.
Is she trying to hit on me?
If she liked her, then maybe that would explain all the kindness.
“…Haha, no way…”
Lu Weizhu shook her head and forced out two dry laughs.
She dared not look at Bai Yun and had no intention of asking directly.
If the answer was no, her image would probably be completely ruined—
Yun-jie might think she was a narcissist?
Lu Weizhu decided to observe a while longer.
But she thought she should try rejecting Yun-jie’s kindness.
She was destined to never have a romantic relationship with anyone, so accepting gifts so rashly would be too cruel.
Lu Weizhu remembered the roses she had received tonight.
Should she return them?
The first gift she had received in all these years—should she give it back?