My Sweet Little Flower Turned Out to Be a Sinister Ghost - Chapter 15

Bai Qingyu’s gaze lingered softly on Song Yuehua’s face, her fingertips lifting slightly as if about to brush against the soft strands of her hair.

Just then, Song Yuelan’s voice suddenly reached her ears. Her hand paused, instinctively withdrawing.

Turning her head, she saw Song Yuelan standing not far away, having changed into a sleek light-gray windbreaker.

“Sis, you’re here,” Song Yuehua said, having just shaken off her lingering fear. Seeing her sister, she quickly composed herself, her tone carrying a barely noticeable hint of nervousness.

Song Yuelan gave a slight nod and addressed only Bai Qingyu: “Shall we go?”

Bai Qingyu responded softly with an “Okay,” tightening her grip on Song Yuehua’s arm once more.

“Um…” Song Yuehua couldn’t help but ask, “Did we pack everything for camping? The tent, sleeping bags, and all that?”

Song Yuelan glanced at her sideways, her tone indifferent. “Everything’s here.”

“Then let’s hurry up and go!” Bai Qingyu chimed in, seemingly oblivious to the subtle tension between the two.

The camping trip had been Song Yuelan’s idea, and she had prepared everything from the tent to the cooking gear. Song Yuehua and Bai Qingyu followed her into the car, noticing it was entirely different from the sedan Song Yuelan usually drove, much more suited for camping.

As the car smoothly pulled away from the street, Song Yuehua didn’t dare ask about their destination.

Assuming Bai Qingyu would eventually voice her curiosity, she leaned back in her seat, watching the passing cityscape outside the window, waiting for her companion to speak.

But after a long while, the person beside her remained silent.

Puzzled, Song Yuehua turned her head to see what Bai Qingyu was so lost in thought about, only to unexpectedly meet her gaze.

Bai Qingyu’s facial features weren’t particularly soft; her jawline carried a sharp, clean angle. If one focused solely on the contours below her brows, there was even a hint of subtle coolness, a departure from her usual gentle warmth.

Yet her eyes were large and round, her pupils dark and bright like inkstones submerged in water. They usually brimmed with laughter and warmth, and paired with her soft tone, they cleverly concealed that sharp edge.

But when Song Yuehua turned to look, the warmth in Bai Qingyu’s eyes was gone. Her dark pupils stared straight at her, like a lake thinly frozen over, calm yet inexplicably chilling.

Song Yuehua’s heart skipped a beat, an inexplicable chill creeping up her spine.

The moment Song Yuehua turned, the icy coldness in Bai Qingyu’s eyes instantly melted away. The corners of her lips curved into her familiar gentle smile, and that sharpness was thoroughly washed away by tenderness.

“What’s wrong? Still thinking about that guy from earlier?” Song Yuehua attributed the strange feeling to her own imagination and asked with concern, assuming Bai Qingyu was too distracted by the earlier incident to speak.

“Not at all,” Bai Qingyu replied with a shake of her head and a smile. “I was just thinking about how fun camping might be.”

Just then, Song Yuelan, sitting in the front seat, interjected abruptly, “What guy?”

“Um…” Song Yuehua hesitated, realizing she hadn’t mentioned the earlier incident to her sister. As she pondered how to explain, Bai Qingyu took the initiative: “While we were waiting for you, a guy came over to hit on me. Even after I turned him down, he kept pestering me. Yuehua stepped in front to protect me, and later, three other girls helped chase him away.”

After saying this, she playfully winked at Song Yuehua.

Alright.

Song Yuehua felt touched. Bai Qingyu never missed an opportunity to mend the relationship between her and Song Yuelan.

Song Yuelan’s grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly as she glanced at Song Yuehua through the rearview mirror, her tone unreadable. “You did well.”

Song Yuehua let out an awkward chuckle.

Song Yuehua asked, “Did you run into them while waiting for me?”

Song Yuehua replied, “Yeah.”

Song Yuelan said, “I see.”

See what?

Song Yuehua was puzzled, feeling that now was the time to show concern for Bai Qingyu instead.

Trying to shift Song Yuelan’s attention, Song Yuehua spoke cautiously, with a hint of sympathy in her voice, “Senior, do you often run into people like this?”

The thought of Bai Qingyu’s gentle nature, even her refusals were soft-spoken, made Song Yuehua’s heart ache, wondering how much she had silently endured in private.

“It’s not too bad,” Bai Qingyu turned her head and smiled, her tone as light as if she were talking about someone else. “Most people are quite polite. Once I say ‘it’s not convenient,’ they usually nod and leave.”

“That’s because you’re too kind,” Song Yuehua couldn’t help but frown, her tone turning serious. “You’re always thinking about not making others uncomfortable, but you end up bottling things up. That must be exhausting. Try being a little ‘selfish’ sometimes, put your own feelings first. If someone keeps bothering you, it’s okay to be a bit firmer. You don’t always have to sacrifice your own comfort.”

She paused, then added, patting her chest, “If you’re not sure how to be assertive, I can teach you! I’m really good at standing up to people!”

Bai Qingyu, watching her indignant expression, recalled how Song Yuehua had stubbornly defended her earlier and couldn’t help but smile.

Did she think speaking loudly meant being firm?

Bai Qingyu chuckled to herself.

If anything, the words of the three girls in the back had been far more cutting.

Still, she obediently nodded, her eyes brimming with amusement. “Alright, I’ll count on you to teach me how to be more ‘formidable’ from now on.”

Only then did Song Yuehua relax, secretly glancing at Song Yuelan to hear her opinion.

To her surprise, Song Yuelan, gripping the steering wheel, cast a cool glance into the rearview mirror and said with her usual haughtiness, “It’s just rejecting someone, why make such a fuss?” She then turned her gaze directly to Bai Qingyu. “You’re too soft. If you can’t even handle something this trivial, no wonder you’re always letting yourself get hurt.”

She declared arrogantly, “How about I have the driver pick you up and drop you off every day starting tomorrow? That way, certain people won’t get the chance to bother you.”

“No, no need!” Bai Qingyu insisted. “Really, President Song, there’s no need to trouble yourself. I can handle it.”

Song Yuehua, hearing this and forgetting Bai Qingyu was beside her, sighed and rubbed her temples in frustration.

She couldn’t believe these words had come from Song Yuelan.

“What’s wrong? Do you have a headache?” Bai Qingyu asked.

Song Yuehua quickly lowered her hand, scrambling for an excuse. “N-no, it’s nothing. I just feel a bit carsick, maybe the window was open too wide earlier.”

“Would you like me to massage your temples? I’ve learned a bit about massage techniques,” Bai Qingyu offered.

“No, no need!” Song Yuehua waved her hands hurriedly. “I’ll just lean back for a bit. It’s fine.”

The silence in the car lingered until Song Yuelan stepped on the brake. She turned to look out the window. “We’re here. Get out.”

“We’re here. Get out,” Song Yuelan repeated.

They had arrived at a specially designated outdoor campsite. As soon as the car door opened, a breeze carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees swept in. Song Yuehua took a deep breath, instantly enveloped by the long-missed embrace of nature.

For the past several dozen days, I had been cooped up at home studying. Aside from attending classes, I spent most of my time in my room, rarely getting the chance to connect with nature.

The autumn sky was a deep, clear blue, stretching endlessly without a single cloud. The afternoon sunlight slanted across the gravel path.

They stood on an open platform, where in the distance they could see rolling mountain ridges. Looking down, an expanse of green stretched as far as the eye could see, trees and grass woven together like a soft blanket, swaying gently in the breeze.

As they passed by, Song Yuehua caught sight of a few wooden cabins not far away, likely the emergency assistance points for the campsite.

“Wow,” she exclaimed, running a few steps to the edge of the platform. Gazing at the sea of green stretching to the horizon beneath her feet, she couldn’t help but spread her arms and take a deep breath, her voice brimming with excitement. “It feels so refreshing!”

But there was no response from behind. Song Yuehua turned around and realized that the person following her wasn’t Bai Qingyu, it was Song Yuelan, who stood with her hands tucked into her windbreaker pockets.

Song Yuehua quickly averted her gaze and scanned the area for Bai Qingyu, only to find her still standing by the car, unmoving.

She immediately jogged over. “Senior, come take a look! The scenery is absolutely gorgeous! From the edge, you can see the mountains stretching so far into the distance!”

Bai Qingyu followed her gaze toward Song Yuelan in the distance before turning her attention back to Song Yuehua’s excited face.

Is she still trying to set me up with Song Yuelan?

Bai Qingyu didn’t move, a faint gloom passing through her heart.

Such clumsy acting, such clumsy methods. Only someone as “naive” as me would play along.

A gentle smile quickly surfaced in her eyes as she shook her head lightly. “It is beautiful, but it’s getting late. We should hurry and unpack.”

Too bad I still have to keep up the act.

“Oh, right!” Song Yuehua slapped her forehead as if suddenly realizing something, silently musing to herself: Maybe Senior is afraid of heights? That’s why she doesn’t want to stand at the edge. Well, everyone has their little worries.

She didn’t press further and simply nodded cheerfully.

Song Yuehua turned her attention to the trunk.

With a soft beep, the trunk lid clicked open, revealing neatly arranged equipment inside.

Bai Qingyu and Song Yuehua stepped forward to unload everything.

The items were much heavier than they looked. A few metal frames and storage boxes strained their arms, requiring both of them to lift together.

After finally managing to haul down the heaviest tent bag, Song Yuehua was already sweating at her temples.

She set the load down on the ground, straightened up, and placed her hands on her hips, panting heavily.

If I’m this exhausted, Bai Qingyu must be struggling too, right?

She glanced over, only to see Bai Qingyu standing opposite her, her bangs barely ruffled, breathing as calmly as if she’d just returned from a leisurely stroll. A faint smile lingered on her face, with no trace of fatigue.

Noticing her gaze, Bai Qingyu pulled out a pack of tissues and offered one. “Need to wipe your sweat? I brought some.”

“Th-thank you.” Song Yuehua took the tissue and wiped her face haphazardly. Watching Bai Qingyu turn back to the car to fetch more items, she sighed inwardly.

I really need to step up my workouts. Just a little labor and I’m panting like an ox.

As the two made their way back to get the remaining items, Song Yuehua caught a glimpse of Song Yuelan sitting in the shade of a nearby tree, head bowed as she stared at her phone.

Song Yuehua silently made excuses for her in her mind.

By the time the two of them had moved all the equipment, set up the tent, and even after Bai Qingyu had already set up the small stove and started chopping vegetables, Song Yuelan remained in the same position, not even lifting an eyelid. She didn’t lift a finger to help, nor did she bother to ask, “Do you need any help?”

Song Yuehua: …

Fortunately, Bai Qingyu didn’t seem to notice, focusing instead on working together with Song Yuehua.

Song Yuehua followed her instructions, bustling back and forth, completing tasks quickly and efficiently. She didn’t feel particularly tired and gradually forgot about Song Yuelan’s laziness.

Once the table was set and the kitchenware put in place, Bai Qingyu quickly stir-fried the dishes, the aroma making their stomachs growl.

Song Yuehua brought the food to the table and, noticing Song Yuelan still lounging in the shade of the tree, resignedly walked over to call her.

Song Yuelan glanced up at her, her expression indifferent and slightly impatient, before slowly rising and making her way to the table to sit down.

Song Yuehua felt as though she and Bai Qingyu were like hired help for Song Yuelan’s camping trip.

After taking a bite, Song Yuelan remarked, “I didn’t expect your cooking to be this good.”

Bai Qingyu tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “It’s nothing special, just simple home-style dishes.”

“I own a house with a particularly large kitchen. I could give it to you,” Song Yuelan offered.

“No, no, that’s not necessary,” Bai Qingyu declined.

Rejected, Song Yuelan’s expression visibly darkened.

“Oh, I just remembered, when we were setting up the tent earlier, I didn’t look closely, but it seems like there are only two inflatable mattresses inside? Did we accidentally bring the wrong ones?” Song Yuehua suddenly interjected.