Chapter 9: After the work was over, the dilemma was known

Hiding in the corner of the Café, Lu Weizhu took off her gloves and gently touched the scabbed wound on her hand.

“Thank goodness…nothing serious.”

She put her gloves back on and glanced at Ning Wan and Bai Lu out of the corner of her eye.

“Come on, ah…”

In her line of sight, Ning Wan was using a spoon to feed a small piece of mousse to Bai Lu.

“Hmm?”

Bai Lu tilted her head slightly, brushed aside the hair at her cheek, and swallowed the cake from the spoon.

“It’s delicious.”

She squinted her eyes.

“Of course, since I fed you myself.”

Ning Wan smiled too, and unlike the cold smile she usually showed herself, her smile toward Bai Lu was gentle.

“Her attitude is totally different…”

Lowering her eyes, Lu Weizhu stared at the floor.

“But I guess that’s only natural.”

After all, they grew up together as childhood friends, and they’re also a couple.

Come to think of it, why is it that even after Ning Wan found out about Bai Lu’s cheating, they’re still getting along so well? 

It’s so strange, Lu Weizhu couldn’t figure it out. 

She’d never dated anyone her whole life, and probably never would.

“I’m really envious.”

Watching the two patrons smile at each other, Lu Weizhu closed her eyes.

If Sister hadn’t gotten sick, and she hadn’t ended up as someone’s so-called lover, maybe she too could have someone she loved?

On the other side, Ning Wan was already lost in her own world, as if nothing else existed.

“Let me see if you’re sweet.”

As she spoke, Ning Wan reached out to cup Bai Lu’s face and tried to kiss her.

“Ah Wan, save it for when we get home.”

Bai Lu pulled away from Ning Wan’s hands.

“It’s getting late, I still have things to handle at the Company. Time to go home.”

“Ah, you’re such a pain. I’ll let you off today.”

Ning Wan frowned, but her impatience quickly vanished without a trace as she left the Café side by side with Bai Lu.

At the door of the Café, Bai Lu glanced at Lu Weizhu, who was slumped over the table in a daze.

A hint of gloom flashed in her eyes, and she left.

In her relationship with Ning Wan, it was clear she was in the weaker position. 

Maybe after spending so much time with Lu Weizhu, she now preferred to control the other person’s feelings?

“Phew, they’re finally gone.”

After the two had walked away, Lu Weizhu let out a sigh of relief and forced herself to perk up.

“Xiao Lu, what were you muttering about just now?”

A cup of milk tea was set down by her face as Bai Yun appeared behind her.

“Ah!?”

Lu Weizhu jumped in fright, not having heard any footsteps, and whipped her head around.

Hiss—

Her forehead bumped into Bai Yun’s chin, and she cried out in pain.

Bai Yun just grunted, taking two steps back.

“Sorry, sorry…I’m so sorry, I just got startled.”

Standing up, Lu Weizhu bowed repeatedly in apology.

She carefully studied Bai Yun’s face, afraid that her carelessness would get her fired.

Ning Wan and Bai Lu’s appearance had made her a bit jumpy, to the point where she was always worried Bai Yun would notice something.

“…It’s fine.”

Rubbing her chin, Bai Yun looked at Lu Weizhu, who kept apologizing, and instead of getting angry, she just found the girl adorably clumsy.

“My fault.”

Shaking her head with a smile, Bai Yun sat down beside Lu Weizhu.

Lu Weizhu sat down in silence. 

Compared to Ning Wan, Bai Yun was much more forgiving.

If she’d accidentally bumped into Ning Wan, she would probably have been scolded or even hit, right?

“I’m still really sorry…Sister Yun.”

Lu Weizhu accepted the milk tea Bai Yun handed her but didn’t dare to drink it.

“So, what were you muttering about just now?”

Bai Yun asked again. 

She couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something fishy between Lu Weizhu and those two earlier customers—the atmosphere between them was just odd. 

As soon as Lu Weizhu left, the two of them immediately became all lovey-dovey.

“Ah? It’s nothing.”

Lu Weizhu shook her head.

“If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine.”

Bai Yun frowned slightly, but though she was curious, she decided not to pry into her employee’s private matters if Lu Weizhu didn’t want to share.

The nervous Lu Weizhu panicked the moment she saw Bai Yun frown. 

The fear Ning Wan and Bai Lu brought her was just too great, causing her to lose her composure.

Lately, she was always falling into panic and helplessness.

“Uh, actually, I was just complaining. I know those two, but I’m not on good terms with them. It’s not that I don’t want to talk about it, it’s just kind of embarrassing, Sister Yun.”

Was this a lie?

Probably not, right? 

She was telling the truth.

“Oh, I see.”

Bai Yun didn’t press any further.

Lu Weizhu glanced at Bai Yun a few more times, then finished the milk tea Bai Yun gave her.

It was already time to get off work, and she needed to go home.

“Sister Yun, my shift is over. Can I leave now?”

After finishing her milk tea, Lu Weizhu felt a little guilty.

“If you need me to work overtime, I can stay.”

That guilt pushed Lu Weizhu to want to do something to make herself feel better.

“No need, it’s closing time. I need to go home and rest early too.”

Bai Yun patted the Cat Ear Hair Clip on top of Lu Weizhu’s head.

A soft touch came from her hand, but it was just a decoration after all. 

The person in front of her probably didn’t feel anything real.

“Ah…okay.”

As soon as she spoke, Lu Weizhu fell silent.

After a long pause, she spoke again.

“Um, Sister Yun, can I take a day off tomorrow?”

She’d just accidentally bumped into her boss and barely avoided punishment, and now she was asking for leave for personal reasons.

Honestly, Lu Weizhu felt a little bad.

“Take a day off? Is there a reason?”

Bai Yun was stunned.

Though she was easygoing, asking for leave on your second day of work was a bit much.

Bai Yun felt a little uncomfortable, but that discomfort soon faded.

“My sister is having surgery tomorrow. I want to be with her.”

Lu Weizhu hung her head. 

She was always like this, never able to hold her head up in front of anyone for various reasons.

Her reason for leave was indeed her sister’s surgery, but she hadn’t mentioned the other things.

She’d have to go ask Ning Wan for money early in the morning.

Hospitals in this world weren’t very humane. 

If you couldn’t pay before the surgery, the operation would be delayed or even canceled.

Lu Weizhu couldn’t accept her sister’s condition getting worse because of her.

“Surgery?”

Bai Yun was shocked.

“Yeah, she has stomach cancer. She’s still in the hospital.”

Lu Weizhu’s eyes dimmed.

Falling silent, Bai Yun didn’t know what to say, but her gaze toward Lu Weizhu was now tinged with sympathy.

“Then go be with your sister. I’ll approve your leave.”

Her chest felt tight—cancer…that was a heavy topic. 

Bai Yun didn’t know what else to say.

But as someone who’d only just met her, she couldn’t offer any real help. 

All she could do was approve Lu Weizhu’s leave and not dock her pay.

“Thank you, Sister Yun, really, thank you so much.”

Lu Weizhu nearly wanted to kneel down. 

Without a doubt, Bai Yun was the best person she’d met in a long time.

“No need to thank me, Xiao Lu. Go change and head home. That little girl must be waiting for you.”

Bai Yun supported Lu Weizhu.

She could tell Lu Weizhu didn’t have much money, probably couldn’t afford a caregiver. A young girl coming out to work—her family probably didn’t have anyone else.

Feeling even more sympathy for Lu Weizhu, Bai Yun’s mood grew heavy.

“Okay.”

Bathed in kindness, but also stung by it in her fragile heart, Lu Weizhu nodded. 

She went to the changing room, got changed, and hurried back to the Hospital.

Her first day of work ended on a rather unhappy note.