My Sweet Little Flower Turned Out to Be a Sinister Ghost - Chapter 16

As soon as she spoke, a strange tension crept into the silent air.

The displeasure on Song Yuelan’s face instantly faded. She cleared her throat lightly and said, “Then… perhaps my assistant brought the wrong ones.”

Song Yuehua fell silent at once.

She had just been glancing around the car earlier, thinking the mattress might have been left in some corner and not unloaded. It never occurred to her that they simply hadn’t brought enough.

Three people, two tents. Song Yuehua stole a glance at Song Yuelan and noticed a faint, almost imperceptible hint of anticipation on her face.

She knew what Song Yuelan was thinking, but would Bai Qingyu agree?

If both of them had feelings for each other, it would be fine, being together could spark some romantic tension.

The problem was, she didn’t think Bai Qingyu had any interest in Song Yuelan at all!

Song Yuehua quickly turned to look at Bai Qingyu, wanting to gauge her reaction.

Sure enough, Bai Qingyu frowned slightly and said, “Huh? Then what do we do? There are three of us, and it’s almost dark now. Is there still time to go back and get one?”

They had spent the whole afternoon moving things, setting up the stove, and preparing ingredients. Time had slipped unnoticed from noon to dusk.

The sun was mostly hidden behind the distant ridge, casting a golden-orange glow across the grass. Even the clouds on the horizon were dyed a warm, radiant tangerine, so beautiful it was hard to look away.

“There’s no time,” Song Yuelan said firmly. “It takes an hour and a half to drive here. By the time we make the round trip, it’ll be morning.”

She knew perfectly well that the actual drive wasn’t that long. She had simply exaggerated the time, counting on Bai Qingyu’s tendency to avoid inconveniencing others.

“I see,” Bai Qingyu replied.

Because she had been carsick, Song Yuehua hadn’t checked her phone and had no idea Song Yuelan had stretched the truth. She could only nod along. “It really is too far…”

“Then let’s forget it,” Bai Qingyu relented. “The two of us can probably squeeze in together.”

Song Yuelan’s eyebrow twitched almost imperceptibly, and a flicker of delight flashed in her eyes. “Who’s squeezing with whom?”

“Yuehua and me,” Bai Qingyu replied naturally, pointing at Song Yuelan. “President Song always seems to prefer peace and quiet. You probably aren’t used to sharing a space with others, right? Yuehua and I can share a mattress, it’s no trouble.”

Song Yuelan lowered her head and fell silent for a moment, as if weighing her words. When she looked up again, she said, “No need. I’m not that delicate. I can share with someone.”

“Great,” Bai Qingyu said.

“Yuehua can squeeze in with President Song,” Bai Qingyu said with clear, innocent eyes.

She even glanced at Song Yuehua with an encouraging look, as if to say, “This is a great chance to mend your sisterly relationship. Go for it!”

For a moment, Song Yuehua couldn’t fathom how Bai Qingyu could be so naive. The way Song Yuelan had been looking at Bai Qingyu earlier practically spelled out “I want to sleep with you” on her face.

“I…” Song Yuehua opened her mouth, fully aware that Song Yuelan would not be happy to share with her, but the words caught in her throat.

She had been maintaining the persona of “wanting to repair their sisterly bond” in front of Bai Qingyu, how could she possibly come up with an excuse to refuse now?

Seeing her hesitate, Bai Qingyu furrowed her brow slightly, a hint of confusion in her eyes.

Under that gaze, Song Yuehua lost all courage to fabricate an excuse. She could only turn awkwardly to Song Yuelan.

But Song Yuelan merely curled her lips, a trace of impatience flashing in her eyes, as if she found this back-and-forth utterly tedious.

If I had known it would be like this, I shouldn’t have listened to Song Yuehua’s advice to “take it slow.” It would have been so much easier to just go with my own approach.

She let out a soft scoff and casually offered an excuse: “Oh, I don’t like the way she smells. I’ll sleep alone.”

Even if she had to spend the night alone, there was no way she would share a tent with Song Yuehua.

Smell? Song Yuehua froze, instinctively lowering her head to sniff her sleeve. The faint, clean scent of laundry detergent lingered around her, there was no strange odor at all.

Her cheeks flushed slightly with embarrassment as she pursed her lips. Did she really have some odd smell? Just as she was about to ask, she saw Song Yuelan stand up.

“My assistant just messaged me, there’s work to handle,” Song Yuelan said, setting down her barely touched bowl. “I’m heading back to my tent.” Without another word or a backward glance, she turned and walked toward her own tent.

Song Yuehua sat there, stunned, staring at her retreating figure while unconsciously poking at the rice in her bowl with her chopsticks.

This was already the third time.

She had given Song Yuelan so many opportunities to get closer to Bai Qingyu, yet each time, Song Yuelan failed miserably. Her words and actions were always rigid and self-centered, never considering others’ feelings. How could someone like that ever deserve the gentle and kind Bai Qingyu?

She suddenly recalled the descriptions from the book. Most of what was written about Song Yuelan focused on her decisiveness with subordinates and her ruthlessness toward antagonists. There were hardly any details about her everyday interactions.

Since transmigrating into this world, Song Yuehua had personally experienced how difficult it was to communicate with Song Yuelan in daily life. Who wouldn’t be annoyed by her “the world should revolve around me” attitude?

Originally, she had been indifferent toward the character of Song Yuelan in the book, but now she had completely turned against her.

In contrast, Bai Qingyu was gentle, kind, and considerate even when rejecting others. After spending time with her these past few days, Song Yuehua had gone from being a fan to an absolute die-hard supporter.

She no longer wanted to play matchmaker for Bai Qingyu and Song Yuelan.

Let Bai Qingyu shine on her own!

As these thoughts swirled in her mind, Song Yuehua’s expression gradually grew serious.

Bai Qingyu noticed this subtle change, a flicker of amusement in her eyes before she replaced it with a gentle smile. She lightly patted Song Yuehua’s shoulder and said, “Yuehua, let’s share a tent tonight, then.”

The touch on her shoulder snapped Song Yuehua out of her thoughts. She turned to look at Bai Qingyu and quickly nodded. “Oh, sure.”

“It seems President Song was just humoring me earlier when she said my cooking was delicious,” Bai Qingyu sighed, a hint of playful disappointment in her tone. “She barely took two bites before leaving, and even you, Yuehua, have been spacing out. Was my cooking really that bad?”

“Not at all!” Song Yuehua hastily scooped up a mouthful of vegetables, swallowed quickly, and looked up with bright, sincere eyes. “It’s super delicious! I’m not lying at all!” Worried that Bai Qingyu might not believe her, she hurriedly explained, “I was just lost in thought earlier, that’s all.”

“That’s a relief,” Bai Qingyu said. “Eat up, or the food will get cold.” As she spoke, she pushed the plate closer to Song Yuehua.

“Mm-hmm!” Song Yuehua eagerly picked up a large bite of vegetables and buried her face in her bowl of rice, her cheeks puffed out like a little hamster seriously devouring its meal.

Bai Qingyu watched the top of her lowered head, her dark hair tinged with a soft golden hue by the setting sun. She gazed quietly for a few seconds before picking up her chopsticks and slowly continuing her meal.

After the meal, the two of them set up camping chairs outside the tent to enjoy the view.

Camping was mostly like this, living in a different place, breathing different air, even time seemed to slow down. Apart from the lack of a mattress, Song Yuelan had prepared all the camping gear quite thoroughly.

Song Yuehua and Bai Qingyu each sat in a canvas chair, with a small wooden table between them holding freshly brewed hot tea. Wisps of steam gently dissipated in the cool air.

In the distance, the setting sun was gradually sinking into the mountain valley. The breeze carried the scent of grass and soil, fresh and tranquil.

The two of them didn’t speak much, but this silence wasn’t the awkward kind that came from having nothing to say, as it often was with Song Yuelan. Instead, it was a comfortable, relaxed quiet.

Song Yuehua glanced sideways at Bai Qingyu, who was gazing at the sunset in a daze. Her profile was softly outlined by the warm light, a faint smile gracing her lips, and even her eyelashes seemed dusted with gold.

“Yuehua, aren’t you going to invite President Song over for a cup of hot tea?” Bai Qingyu tentatively suggested. “It’s rare that we’re out camping. She’s always cooped up in the office, she must be exhausted. It would be nice to have her relax a bit.”

Song Yuehua, who had just started to rise, paused mid-motion, her bottom not yet fully off the chair. A thought suddenly struck her: Hadn’t she long since given up on trying to bring these two together? Why would she voluntarily seek out Song Yuelan now?

She settled back into her chair, shifting it slightly to find a more comfortable position, and rested her arm on the backrest.

Bai Qingyu’s lips curved into an almost imperceptible smile, fleeting as an illusion.

“Forget it,” Song Yuehua said, deliberately casual as she watched the distant mountains fade into the twilight. “She said she has work to do. Let’s not disturb her.”

“You’re right,” Bai Qingyu nodded in agreement. “Managing such a large company, President Song must truly love her work. It’s only natural she’d still be thinking about it even while we’re out having fun.”

As if by unspoken agreement, the two of them stopped mentioning Song Yuelan and began chatting back and forth.

The sky darkened quickly. The distant ridge blurred into a grayish-blue, and the nearby tree shadows gradually merged into indistinct shapes. Only the rustling of leaves in the wind broke the silence.

Song Yuehua and Bai Qingyu efficiently cleared away the dishes and small table, then carried the camping lantern into the tent.

The tent Song Yuelan had brought was indeed luxurious, much more spacious than expected, divided into two smaller areas, ample enough for three people to sleep comfortably. The camping lantern hung from the ceiling, casting a warm yellow glow that illuminated the interior clearly.

In the adjacent area, Song Yuelan was indeed working.

A folding table stood in the corner, holding an open laptop whose cold screen light reflected on her face.

Song Yuehua glanced over and noticed that the items inside hadn’t been moved, though the table had been repositioned by Song Yuelan.

“When are you going to rest?” she asked softly, careful not to disturb her.

Song Yuelan didn’t look up from the screen, replying without lifting her head, “You two go ahead and sleep.”

Song Yuehua glanced at Bai Qingyu, unsure what to do.

The mattresses brought from the car were clearly different sizes, one was a double large enough for two people, the other a single.

Originally assuming Song Yuelan would choose the single mattress since she was sleeping alone, Song Yuehua naturally headed toward the double mattress.

But as soon as she took half a step forward, Song Yuelan’s voice came from behind, abrupt and sharp, as if she had eyes on the back of her head: “I’ll sleep on this one.”

Song Yuehua’s foot froze mid-air, and she had no choice but to retract it. She looked helplessly at Bai Qingyu, her eyes filled with the unspoken question, “What do we do now?”

Bai Qingyu gently tugged at her wrist and leaned in close to her ear. “It’s fine, I can sleep anywhere,” she said softly, her tone gentle and considerate. “President Song is probably used to a wider bed. Let’s give her the mattress. The single mattress is still quite spacious, we can squeeze in without any trouble.”

Song Yuehua thought it over and realized she was right. She had never been picky about where she slept, and besides, all the supplies had been brought by Song Yuelan. There really was no reason to argue.

Although it was called a “single” mattress, it was much wider than a typical single bed at home. There was definitely enough space for two people to lie side by side, even if it meant being a little closer than usual. She nodded and followed Bai Qingyu toward the single mattress.

As she bent down to tidy up her things, Bai Qingyu happened to meet Song Yuelan’s gaze. Bai Qingyu’s expression remained calm, and she offered her usual faint smile before lowering her head again.

When they had first moved the mattresses in, they hadn’t bothered arranging them properly since they wouldn’t be needed until nighttime. The single mattress, being lighter, had been pushed to the far end of the tent, while the heavier double mattress was placed closer to the entrance, not far from Song Yuelan’s small table.

Once everything was settled, Song Yuehua and Bai Qingyu lay side by side on the inflatable mattress. It was indeed just enough space for the two of them, though their shoulders and arms occasionally brushed against each other.

The tent had a square skylight cut into the top. When the outer fabric was pulled back, a layer of transparent plastic was revealed, offering a clear view of the night sky.

In the rush of setting up earlier, they hadn’t noticed it, but now, lying flat on their backs, they could see a few exceptionally bright stars scattered across the dark expanse, like a handful of crushed diamonds sprinkled overhead.

Song Yuehua lay quietly on the soft air mattress, gazing up at the night sky, but her mind couldn’t help drifting back to Song Yuelan’s cryptic remark from earlier that day.

“I don’t like the scent on her?”

What scent?

She instinctively twitched her nose but couldn’t detect anything unusual. Then again, she was lying so close to Bai Qingyu now, what if there really was an odd smell? Would Bai Qingyu have noticed it already?

Was the scent… unpleasant?

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, Song Yuehua felt restless. She tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

Her mind preoccupied, she became fidgety, smoothing the stray hairs on her forehead one moment, rubbing her cheek the next. Even her breathing seemed more uneven than usual.

Bai Qingyu, ever perceptive, had already noticed her restlessness. After waiting a little longer and seeing her still shifting about, she softly asked, “Yuehua? What’s wrong? Are there bugs in the tent?”

Song Yuehua, who had been about to touch her neck, froze mid-motion, her hand hovering in the air. After a moment of silence, she slowly lowered her hand and replied in a muffled voice, “No.”

“Are you having an allergic reaction, then?” Bai Qingyu didn’t wait any longer. She turned slightly, propping her head up with her elbow. Her smooth black hair cascaded over her shoulder, and the concern in her eyes was as warm as soaked water. “I noticed you’ve been moving around a lot.”

“I’m not allergic,” Song Yuehua shook her head and turned to look at her.

Bai Qingyu’s eyes shone brightly under the warm glow of the camping light, their innocence and worry unmistakable. Seeing this only deepened the turmoil in Song Yuehua’s heart.

She lowered her gaze, her fingers tracing light circles on the cushion. After hesitating for a while, she finally spoke softly, “Senior, do you… smell anything strange on me?”

“What?” Bai Qingyu paused, as if she hadn’t quite heard, and leaned in slightly. “What smell are you talking about?”

Song Yuehua took a breath, her voice growing quieter but clearer. “The smell on me, have you noticed anything unpleasant?”

Bai Qingyu blinked, thinking carefully for a moment, then shook her head with certainty. “No, I haven’t noticed any strange smell.”

Still somewhat uneasy, Song Yuehua furrowed her brows slightly. After hesitating a few more times, she finally looked up at her, her voice tinged with uncertainty. “Maybe… could you lean in and take a closer sniff?”