My Sweet Little Flower Turned Out to Be a Sinister Ghost - Chapter 18.2

Bai Qingyu didn’t respond. Instead, she quietly turned her head, her gaze drifting toward the pitch-black night outside the window. Her eyelashes lowered like a small curtain, concealing the turmoil in her eyes.

Mrs. Bai gazed at her daughter’s stubborn profile, her chest rising and falling faintly. “Qingyuan… her exams are coming up soon, right? Don’t let her know about my condition just yet. Keep it from her for as long as possible.”

The words seemed to drain all her energy. As her voice faded, her eyelids drooped slowly, and even her gaze grew unfocused.

“I know.” Bai Qingyu leaned in closer, afraid to let her exert herself further. “Qingyuan is staying with the Qin family. Aunt Qin takes good care of her, so we can definitely keep it from her until her break. We’ll tell her slowly after her exams are over.”

“That’s good…” Mrs. Bai finally relaxed, her eyes closing completely as her breathing softened.

Bai Qingyu gently closed the door and turned around, only to meet Song Yuehua’s worried gaze. Her throat tightened, but she didn’t speak first. Instead, she walked toward the bench at the end of the hallway.

Song Yuehua hurried to follow. The hospital at night was quieter than during the day, and the evening breeze slipped through the window, carrying a biting chill.

The two of them sat on the bench. Nearby, a family member of another patient was sobbing softly. A nurse pushed a treatment cart past, the wheels rumbling loudly in the empty corridor.

Song Yuehua watched Bai Qingyu, who sat with her head bowed. Strands of her hair were blown against her cheeks by the wind, but she made no move to brush them away. Her shoulders were stiff and straight, like a taut string that dared not loosen.

Earlier, when “he” was mentioned, Bai Qingyu’s expression had darkened, cold and unfeeling, like a piece of jade freshly pulled from icy water.

Song Yuehua had a good idea who “he” was. After all, she had read the book and knew what kind of person Bai Qingyu’s father was. But she wasn’t supposed to know yet, so she cautiously asked, “That ‘he’… is it your father?”

Bai Qingyu was silent for a few seconds before softly replying, “Hmm… but not since three years ago.”

Her eyes were veiled with an unyielding coldness. “Actually, it wasn’t always like this. Before Qingyuan was born, when he still had a job, our family was relatively happy.”

“But after Qingyuan was born, expenses increased, and he was laid off when the factory downsized. He lost his livelihood overnight. After that, he stayed home all day drinking. When he was drunk, he’d smash bowls and cups, his temper growing worse and worse. Eventually, he started hitting people.”

Her voice dropped even lower. “He hit Mom first. When she tried to protect Qingyuan and me, he’d shove us around too, never holding back. I remember once, Qingyuan was only five when he pushed her, and she hit the corner of a table. A huge bump swelled on her forehead. Mom held Qingyuan and cried, but he just stood there cursing.”

“Later, Mom was diagnosed with a serious illness. The doctor said it would take a lot of money to control her condition, and she’d need long-term medication. One night, I got up and saw him packing his suitcase. He walked out the door and never came back.”

By the end, a barely perceptible bitterness had seeped into the coldness in Bai Qingyu’s eyes.

Song Yuehua’s heart clenched. She remembered the book had only mentioned the abusive father and the family’s financial struggles, but it never went into these details.

So, this was the hardship and fear Bai Qingyu had faced since childhood.

Watching Bai Qingyu’s profile as she calmly recounted her story with underlying fierceness, Song Yuehua suddenly understood why she always wore a smile.

“My mom was always afraid he’d come back, afraid he’d cause trouble again.” Bai Qingyu lowered her head, her voice soft as a sigh.

Song Yuehua reached out and gently covered Bai Qingyu’s cold hand. “Don’t worry.” She paused, then added, “If… if that uncle dares to come back, don’t face him alone. I’ll stand with you. If he dares make trouble, we’ll call the police.”

Bai Qingyu turned her head. In the corridor light, she could see the complete seriousness in Song Yuehua’s eyes, without the slightest hesitation.

All these years, she had grown accustomed to protecting her mother and sister alone. No one had ever said “I’ll stand with you” even Aunt Qin would just advise her “don’t stoop to his level.”

The warmth from Song Yuehua’s palm now made her eyes feel moist. She nodded gently. “Mm.”

Song Yuehua didn’t say anything more, just quietly sat with Bai Qingyu on the bench.

Since her mother was diagnosed with serious illness, Bai Qingyu had lost count of how many times she had sat like this, staring into the night.

Before, she would always clutch the medical records alone, waiting out the night in the corridor until dawn, with no one to talk to. But now, with Song Yuehua beside her, even the air seemed to carry a sense of steadiness, no longer filled with overwhelming coldness.

“About the money…”

Song Yuehua’s voice suddenly emerged, kept very low, its tail end still carrying traces of lingering hesitation.

She knew Bai Qingyu’s nature too well, gentle on the surface but stubborn to the core, never willing to trouble others easily.

These words had rolled around in her throat several times, nearly tying her tongue in knots, before she dared slowly voice them.

Bai Qingyu wasn’t particularly flustered. She was no longer the student from years ago who had to scrape together tuition fees. Through freelance software development and creating data modules for companies, she had managed to save up some reserves.

Not to mention the medical data management software she and Shi Li had been working on for over three months, they had just reached preliminary agreement with a tech company last week. If it went through, the advance payment alone would cover most of the surgery costs.

Turning these thoughts over in her mind, she didn’t respond immediately, just nodded gently.

But Song Yuehua mistook her silence for helplessness.

“Don’t worry! I have money!” Song Yuehua said. “It’s from my usual living expenses I’ve been saving, nearly a hundred thousand. Don’t think it’s too little, maybe it can help pay Auntie’s surgery deposit.”

As she spoke, Song Yuehua’s eyes darted around, not daring to look directly at Bai Qingyu. She was afraid Bai Qingyu would detect a tone of “charity,” even more afraid she would stubbornly refuse.

Before Bai Qingyu could speak, she quickly added, her tone almost pleading: “Just… just consider it a temporary loan! You can slowly pay me back after you start working and earning money. I’m really in no hurry!”

Only then did Bai Qingyu snap out of her thoughts. Looking at Song Yuehua, the chill brought by the night gradually melted away, replaced by warmth.

She couldn’t help but curve the corners of her mouth: “No need, I’ve saved up some money, enough to pay the deposit first.”

“You have money?”

Song Yuehua’s eyes widened instantly. Her previously tense shoulders relaxed slightly, yet she leaned forward with a hint of disbelief: “Really? Don’t push yourself too hard! If it’s not enough, I can still try borrowing a bit more from friends…”

She found it hard to believe. After all, in the book, Bai Qingyu had always lived a tight-fisted life, constantly taking on odd jobs because of her lack of money, unable to afford treatment when her mother fell seriously ill, and eventually forced to endure humiliation and stay by Song Yuefeng’s side, all due to financial struggles.

Bai Qingyu said, “Still, I want to thank you, Yuehua. I’m really touched that you’re willing to lend me your savings.”

Only then did Song Yuehua snap out of her thoughts. She took a closer look at Bai Qingyu. With her eyes lowered, her lashes cast faint shadows beneath them, and there wasn’t a trace of reluctance in her tone, it almost seemed as though she genuinely didn’t need that deposit.

What was going on? Why didn’t the events in the book match reality?

As she pondered this, she heard Bai Qingyu speak again: “Oh, by the way, it seems I’m still a bit short.”

She paused briefly, a faint trace of amusement flickering in her eyes. Without specifying how much was missing, she simply looked gently at Song Yuehua.

“No problem, no problem! However much you’re short, I’ll lend it to you!” Song Yuehua cut in anxiously before she could finish, afraid she might try to tough it out.

Since Bai Qingyu needed to stay at the hospital to watch over her mother, Song Yuehua headed home first.

Before leaving, Bai Qingyu told her exactly how much she was short.

Upon hearing the amount, Song Yuehua was stunned.

How had Bai Qingyu managed to earn so much money?

Having grown up in an orphanage and often squeezing in part-time jobs even during university, Song Yuehua’s savings were meager in comparison. What’s more, Bai Qingyu had to support her mother and put her younger sister through school, yet she had still managed to save so much. Song Yuehua couldn’t help but marvel.

Seeing Song Yuehua’s wide-eyed, startled expression, Bai Qingyu couldn’t hold back a soft laugh. “So? Still thinking about switching majors?”

“Of course!” Song Yuehua snapped back to attention but didn’t lose her clarity. After all, to earn that much, one had to be exceptionally capable.

“Go on back now, it’s getting late.” Bai Qingyu gently smoothed Song Yuehua’s wind-tousled hair, her voice softening. “Get some rest early, and don’t worry about me.”

“Mm!” Song Yuehua nodded emphatically, then couldn’t resist adding, “Don’t stay up too late either. I’ll bring you breakfast tomorrow.” With that, she reluctantly walked toward the elevator, glancing back every few steps.

When she got home, Song Yuehua turned on the living room light. The warm yellow glow illuminated the room, still exactly as they had left it when they went out that evening. She let out a soft sigh.

Early the next morning, Song Yuehua spent over half an hour following a recipe on her phone to prepare chicken soup. Along with the soup, she steamed millet congee and tossed a refreshing cucumber and wood ear mushroom salad, packing everything into insulated containers before hurrying to the hospital.

When she pushed open the door to the hospital room, Bai Qingyu’s mother was still asleep. Bai Qingyu sat in a chair by the bed, a laptop resting on her knees. Every few minutes, she would look up, her gaze first sweeping over her mother’s face before settling on the monitor. Only after confirming everything was fine would she lower her head again to check her code.

As Song Yuehua drew closer, she noticed the faint red streaks in Bai Qingyu’s eyes and the slight puffiness at their corners.

“Did you stay up all night? Your eyes are as red as a rabbit’s.”

Bai Qingyu closed her laptop and looked up, a faint smile tugging at her lips. She didn’t directly confirm it. “It’s fine. Why are you here so early? The sun’s only just risen.”

“It’s not early at all!” Song Yuehua set the thermal food container on the bedside table, and as she bent down to open it, steam wafted out carrying the aroma of chicken soup. “It’s already breakfast time. You should eat while it’s hot, then rest a bit on the empty bed. I’ll watch over your mom for you.”

Bai Qingyu watched as Song deftly laid out the millet porridge and side dishes, then ladled soup into a ceramic bowl and handed it to her. Only then did she speak slowly, “I’m not tired yet. By the way, aren’t finals coming up? Shouldn’t you be studying at home?”

“How could I be that kind of person?” Song Yuehua glanced at Bai Qingyu. “Although finals are important, you’re important too.”

Bai Qingyu took the soup bowl, the warmth spreading from her fingertips to her palms.

Song Yuehua asked, “Is it good?”

Bai Qingyu replied, “It’s good.”

While Bai Qingyu ate, Song Yuehua tidied up Bai Qingyu’s computer and prepared the nearby empty bed.

Bai Qingyu sipped her soup while watching Song Yuehua bustle about with small, efficient movements.

It seemed she had no choice but to rest.

Thinking this, Bai Qingyu unconsciously curved her lips into a slight smile.

Though she was constantly running back and forth to the hospital, Song Yuehua hadn’t neglected her studies. Whenever she encountered something she didn’t understand, she brought it to Bai Qingyu for help.

After the last class before final exams, Song Yuehua didn’t return to her apartment. Instead, she grabbed some freshly bought fruit and took a taxi straight to the hospital.

But as soon as she stepped out of the elevator, she saw two people standing outside the hospital room door.

They stood facing each other, the atmosphere tense and confrontational.