My Sweet Little Flower Turned Out to Be a Sinister Ghost - Chapter 10

[Bai Qingyu: Yuehua, I’ve been thinking, could we try it out for a while first?]

Song Yuehua was overjoyed. She quickly closed the annoying chat window with Song Yuelan and opened Bai Qingyu’s.

[Song Yuehua: Sure, sure!]
[Song Yuehua: I’m just glad you’re willing to come.]
[Song Yuehua: [Shy][Blushing]]

Now that Bai Qingyu had agreed, Song Yuehua had no choice but to follow through with Song Yuelan’s request and send her address.

But before she could finish typing the message, a new one from Song Yuelan popped up.

[Song Yuelan: She hasn’t agreed yet?]
[Song Yuelan: Did you not offer enough money?]
[Song Yuelan: Isn’t she pretty short on cash? Offer more, and she’ll definitely say yes.]

Song Yuehua: …

Well, maybe Bai Qingyu just appreciated her generosity.

She sighed, afraid that if she didn’t reply soon, Song Yuelan would send something even more outrageous. Quickly, she sent her apartment address.

Song Yuelan only replied with a “1,” as brief as a work instruction.

Song Yuehua rolled her eyes at the screen, then immediately shifted her attention back to Bai Qingyu’s chat.

[Song Yuehua: So, when do we start?]

[Bai Qingyu: How about 7 to 9 p.m.?]
[Bai Qingyu: I have some things to do during the day.]

[Song Yuehua: That works, but… is it safe?]

She thought of Bai Qingyu’s slender figure and soft-spoken manner and couldn’t help feeling a little worried.

[Bai Qingyu: It’s fine.]
[Bai Qingyu: I used to tutor around this time before, so I’m used to it.]
[Bai Qingyu: Besides, your apartment isn’t in a remote area. There are still plenty of people out at 9 p.m. Don’t worry～]

Song Yuehua: Okay.

She decided to respect Bai Qingyu’s opinion.

[Bai Qingyu: Then, could you organize the topics you’re struggling with today? I’ll bring my laptop tomorrow evening, and we’ll go through them step by step.]

Reading this, Song Yuehua felt a sudden chill at the back of her neck, as if she’d just been assigned homework by a teacher. She quickly straightened her posture.

[Song Yuehua: Sure, sure! I’ll make sure to get it done!]

After sending the message, Song Yuehua stared at the open textbook on her desk.

There was no way she was going to let Bai Qingyu think she was a hopeless idiot!

She tried her best to reduce the number of things she didn’t understand.

But after struggling for hours, she had only managed to grasp a few concepts. Her pen had even poked a small hole in the paper out of frustration. Defeated, she slumped over the desk, her cheek pressed against the cool surface.

Whatever. Maybe it wasn’t so bad to be seen as a fool in Bai Qingyu’s eyes.

Sighing at the ceiling, she found her self-comfort skills were getting better and better.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Song Xiaomi tiptoeing slowly across her bedroom floor on patrol.

A mischievous impulse struck Song Yuehua. She sat up abruptly, scooped the kitten into her arms, and vigorously ruffled its fluffy head.

“Meow~ Meow~” Song Xiaomi squirmed, baring its teeth and flailing its tiny paws in the air, letting out delicate cries.

A few minutes later, Song Yuehua finally took pity and set the kitten down.

The moment its paws touched the floor, Song Xiaomi darted away in a flash.

Left with no choice, Song Yuehua obediently returned to her desk to continue studying.

That night, she didn’t stay up late and went to bed early.

The next day, after class, Song Yuehua hurried back to her apartment and thoroughly cleaned every corner of her room.

After tidying up the room and taking a shower, she blow-dried her hair and carefully combed it smooth in front of the mirror.

The reflection was the familiar face she knew, except for the faint dark circles under her eyes, a telltale sign of staying up late to study over the past few days.

She suddenly leaned closer to the mirror, brushing aside the stray strands of hair on her forehead until her nose almost touched the glass.

Staring back at her own reflection, she noticed a dazed look in her eyes, and Song Yuehua suddenly felt her heart skip a beat, as if she were about to be pulled into the mirror in the next second.

“That was close,” she muttered, rubbing her flushed cheeks and shaking her head to dispel the strange sensation. “I almost really believed I was the Song Yuehua of this world.”

She quickly tied her hair into a neat ponytail, picked up a textbook, and settled on the sofa to read.

Song Xiaomi, her cat, circled around her feet, observing her “strange” owner.

Catching a glimpse of the fluffy orange furball from the corner of her eye, looking like a soft, squishy loaf of bread, Song Yuehua couldn’t resist the temptation.

She quickly glanced at the closed door to confirm that Bai Qingyu hadn’t arrived yet, then immediately dropped her book, scooped the kitten into her arms, and showered its belly with kisses.

“Meow~”

“Ding-dong, ding-dong.” The doorbell suddenly rang.

“Alright, alright, perfect timing to introduce you to your Sister Bai.” Song Yuehua quickly released the mischievous kitten, slipped on her slippers, and hurried to the door with Song Xiaomi in her arms.

As soon as the door cracked open, Bai Qingyu was greeted first by a pair of round, curious cat eyes, followed by Song Yuehua peeking out from behind.

“Look who’s here?” Song Yuehua gently waved Song Xiaomi’s paws, and the kitten let out a cooperative “meow.”

“Hurry and welcome Sister Bai~”

Bai Qingyu couldn’t help but smile, bending down to extend a hand and lightly scratch Song Xiaomi’s chin. “Thank you for the welcome, Xiaomi.” She was wearing a cream-colored knit sweater, and though her eyes showed traces of weariness from a busy day, her expression remained gentle.

“Come in, Senior!” Song Yuehua set Song Xiaomi down on the floor and dashed to the kitchen, quickly returning with two cups of warm water. The mugs were printed with slightly crooked kitten designs. “Just poured, still warm and perfect for drinking.”

Bai Qingyu took a small sip from her cup, her gaze falling on the textbook lying face-down on the sofa. “How far have you gotten?” she asked, setting down her cup and lightly tapping the spine of the book.

Song Yuehua hurried over, flipped the book open, and pointed to a page. “I’ve studied up to here.”

“You’re making fast progress.”

“Not really,” Song Yuehua stuck out her tongue, a little embarrassed. “I skipped over the parts I didn’t understand.”

“That’s fine, I’ll teach you slowly,” Bai Qingyu said softly. “Would you prefer to study in the living room or the bedroom?”

“The living room!” Song Yuehua replied immediately. “It’s brighter here, and Xiaomi can keep us company so it won’t feel too stuffy.” With that, she ran into the bedroom, gathered a stack of books and notebooks, and brought them out to place on the coffee table.

The coffee table was a bit low, making it awkward to write while sitting on the sofa. Song Yuehua simply sat cross-legged on the rug and spread her books out in front of her.

Bai Qingyu settled on the sofa, leaning forward slightly to look at the open notebook, her long hair cascading over her shoulders as she moved.

Fortunately, since it was only her first year of university, there weren’t too many topics to catch up on, just some foundational concepts she had missed and key points for the final exam.

She was flipping through her book when she suddenly noticed a few test papers tucked among the stack of academic books, the edges of the pages printed with the words “Confidential Exam.”

“What are these…?” Bai Qingyu picked up the papers and examined them, her brows slightly furrowing.

“Oh, these are study materials I bought from the bookstore near the school. The owner said they’re super useful!” Song Yuehua leaned over to look, but before she could finish speaking,

Bai Qingyu said, “You won’t need any of these.”

Song Yuehua puffed out her cheeks, feeling a bit wronged. “Huh? But he charged me quite a bit for them…”

Bai Qingyu was amused by her pouting expression. “These questions are too obscure and don’t align with our exam focus. I’ll make you a practice test instead, it’ll help me see which areas you’re struggling with.”

“Really?!” Song Yuehua’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Bai Qingyu.

“You’re amazing, Senior.”

Bai Qingyu chuckled and gently pressed her palm against Song Yuehua’s head, guiding her back to the book. “Be good and study first. I’ll prepare the questions right away.”

Song Yuehua immediately straightened up and buried her head in the book, diligently absorbing the material. Bai Qingyu sat down on the carpet beside her, picked up Song Yuehua’s pen, and began sketching out questions on paper.

Ever since returning from the pet store, Song Yuehua had placed all the cat trees she bought for Song Xiaomi in the living room.

As the two studied in the living room, Song Xiaomi leaped up and down the cat trees, thoroughly enjoying herself.

When she grew tired, she curled up into a ball and dozed off on the coffee table.

Song Yuehua lay sprawled on the carpet, working on the test paper, her pen hovering mid-air as she struggled with a difficult question. Stumped, she secretly glanced at Bai Qingyu beside her.

Who could have come up with such tricky questions?

“What’s wrong?” Bai Qingyu had already noticed her gaze and stopped writing to look up at her.

“Nothing, nothing.” Song Yuehua shook her head like a rattle drum.

Difficult? Not at all! It was all her own fault.

“Finished?” Bai Qingyu asked.

Song Yuehua glanced at her mostly blank test paper, feeling guilty.

“It’s okay.” Bai Qingyu reached out and took the paper. “I’ll explain the questions you couldn’t solve. Once you understand them, that’s all that matters.”

Song Yuehua slowly pushed the paper over. “Then… I guess I’m done.”

While Bai Qingyu was looking down at the questions, Song Yuehua quickly propped her head up and turned away, scrunching up her face at the carpet.

But her frustration didn’t last long, she was soon distracted by Song Xiaomi.

The cat had woken up at some point and was now batting her eraser with its paw, its round body wobbling as it played.

“Yuehua?” Bai Qingyu called out after reviewing the paper. When there was no response, she lightly tapped Song Yuehua’s arm with the pen.

“Ah?” Song Yuehua turned her head abruptly, her cheeks still carrying a trace of unrefined innocence. “You’re done?”

“Mm.” Bai Qingyu replied, “Let me go over your mistakes first.” She glanced at the cat-shaped clock on the wall, the hands had quietly slipped past eight. “We’ll just finish reviewing this paper today. When I get home, I’ll organize a targeted study plan for you and bring it tomorrow.”

“Okay.” Song Yuehua secretly scanned the paper in Bai Qingyu’s hand and, not seeing the expected red crosses, felt a flicker of delight.

Had she actually guessed a lot correctly?

But when Bai Qingyu spread the paper out in front of her, Song Yuehua belatedly blushed.

It wasn’t that she had done well, it was just that Bai Qingyu was too kind. The mistakes were densely scattered, yet Bai Qingyu hadn’t used a red pen to mark them. Instead, she had gently corrected everything with a black pen.

Song Yuehua: …

“What are you thinking about?” Bai Qingyu’s voice remained gentle, yet her eyes held a seriousness that brooked no distraction.

Seeing Bai Qingyu’s expression, Song Yuehua immediately felt ashamed and resolved not to let her mind wander again.

“Nothing.”

Bai Qingyu always had perfect timing when explaining problems. Just as she finished clarifying the reasoning behind the last incorrect question, the kitten-shaped clock on the wall pointed exactly to nine o’clock. She closed her notebook and placed the pen into her canvas bag.

Song Yuehua stood up as well, nervously picking at the hem of her clothes as she quietly confirmed, “So… does this mean you’ve agreed to tutor me long-term, senior?”

“Mm.” Bai Qingyu nodded.

“Then let me walk you out.” Song Yuehua felt a little thrill of excitement inside.

When they reached the neighborhood entrance, Bai Qingyu stopped and said, “This is far enough. Look, there are still plenty of people on the street.”

Song Yuehua wanted to accompany her a bit further, but meeting Bai Qingyu’s firm gaze, she could only obediently nod. “Then please be careful on your way home, senior. Send me a message when you arrive.”

“Alright.”

The following days felt like soaking in warm water. Every night at seven, Bai Qingyu would always appear punctually at the apartment door, her canvas bag filled with organized notes and newly prepared practice questions for Song Yuehua.