My Sweet Little Flower Turned Out to Be a Sinister Ghost - Chapter 2

“Oh dear! Where has Miss Bai gone?”…

“Have a seat first.” Song Yuehua released her hand and turned to sit on the nearby velvet sofa.

The warmth that had enveloped her abruptly vanished. Bai Qingyu instinctively curled her fingers, the lingering heat from the other’s palm still faintly perceptible at her fingertips.

With her gaze lowered, she quietly walked over and sat on the single-seater sofa closest to Song Yuehua.

“Perhaps I misunderstood…” Bai Qingyu bowed her head, her hands clasped uneasily on her knees. “But I can’t stay away for too long. My mother is waiting for me at the hospital, I need to take care of her.”

Song Yuehua raised an eyebrow, a trace of curiosity flickering in her eyes.

“I accidentally spilled coffee on CEO Song, so she brought me here,” Bai Qingyu explained. “Later, she said she had work to attend to and left first. Maybe… maybe she just forgot I was still here.”

Song Yuehua nodded thoughtfully.

It seemed that Bai Qingyu’s impression of Song Yuelan wasn’t too bad at this point.

In the novel, Bai Qingyu was a kind and innocent person. Though her difficult family circumstances made life hard for her, it never diminished her goodwill toward others. Even during the early stages of her confinement by Song Yuelan, Bai Qingyu believed it wasn’t intentional.

It wasn’t until Bai Qingyu received a call about her mother’s critical condition and, due to Song Yuelan’s confinement, missed the chance to see her mother one last time, that she finally lashed out at Song Yuelan with harsh words.

This plot point had sparked heated debates in the comments section. Readers condemned Song Yuelan for her obsessive and cold-blooded behavior while expressing sympathy for Bai Qingyu’s plight. In the end, the author had no choice but to add a supplementary explanation: “At the time, Song Yuelan was dealing with a family crisis and was afraid Bai Qingyu might encounter danger if she went out.” This barely managed to quell the controversy.

Recalling this, Song Yuehua discreetly observed Bai Qingyu.

The latter was gazing at her intently with clear, earnest eyes, clearly awaiting her response.

Their eyes met, and for a few seconds, the air seemed to freeze. In the end, it was Song Yuehua who yielded first, slowly shifting her gaze away.

Bai Qingyu and Song Yuelan were the main characters in the novel. Logically speaking, no matter how many twists and turns they faced, they should end up liking each other, right?

All Song Yuehua wanted was to help Bai Qingyu avoid the tragic experiences from the original story and spare her from Song Yuelan’s obsessive treatment. Surely, that didn’t count as breaking up the couple, did it?

She silently comforted herself with these thoughts.

In the kitchen, Aunt Li had already prepared tea and pastries. Holding the tray, she peeked cautiously from the doorway, observing the two in the living room.

Seeing them sitting quietly on the sofa, with Song Yuehua not throwing a tantrum or giving Bai Qingyu a hard time as she had feared, Aunt Li finally breathed a sigh of relief and stepped out with the tray.

“Miss, Miss Bai, please help yourselves.” Aunt Li gently placed the items on the coffee table, then stood to the side with her hands clasped respectfully in front of her.

Song Yuehua pushed the tray slightly toward Bai Qingyu, gesturing for her to try the refreshments.

Bai Qingyu quickly waved her hand. “I’m not hungry.” Then, she cast an apologetic glance at Aunt Li, as if afraid of disappointing her thoughtful gesture.

“Aunt Li, there’s nothing else that needs doing here,” Song Yuehua said.

“But… what about Miss Bai?” Aunt Li hesitated.

For those who worked in the Song household, everyone knew exactly what the second young miss of the Song family was like.

“I won’t do anything.” Song Yuehua said.

“Alright.” Aunt Li carried the things out.

After Aunt Li’s figure disappeared from sight, Song Yuehua said, “I’ll take you out.”

“Thank you.” Bai Qingyu looked at Song Yuehua gratefully, her bright eyes sparkling with light.

“It’s nothing.” Song Yuehua felt a bit embarrassed under her gaze and said softly, “Just follow behind me later. We should be able to get out smoothly.”

Bai Qingyu nodded.

Fortunately, Song Yuehua had a decent sense of direction and led Bai Qingyu through the neatly trimmed garden.

When they reached the main gate, two bodyguards in black suits were standing stiffly. Seeing them approach, they immediately extended their arms.

“Sorry, you can’t leave,” one of the bodyguards said expressionlessly.

Song Yuehua’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, her face was filled with a haughty expression, her chin slightly raised. “Do you know who I am?”

As she said this, she deliberately pitched her voice higher, making it sharp and shrill, putting on an arrogant act.

Bai Qingyu behind her seemed startled by the situation and instinctively took a small step forward, pressing tightly against Song Yuehua’s back, her fingers clutching the hem of Song Yuehua’s clothes.

“Y-yes, we know,” the bodyguard on the left stammered, his tone noticeably weaker.

“If you know, then why aren’t you letting me out?” Song Yuehua raised her head and widened her eyes.

“You can leave, but the young lady behind you cannot,” the bodyguard on the right insisted, his gaze fixed on Bai Qingyu.

“Doesn’t what your boss Song say matter?” Song Yuehua frowned, crossing her arms in front of her chest, deliberately making her tone sound more impatient.

“This…” The two bodyguards exchanged uneasy glances, their faces showing hesitation.

Boss Song had clearly instructed them not to let Miss Bai take even half a step out of the gate. Why would the second young lady say otherwise?

“Do you think I have nothing better to do than to guide her out?” Song Yuehua abruptly glanced back at Bai Qingyu, a disdainful curl at the corner of her lips, but her eyes quickly flashed a reassuring signal.

The arms of the two guards blocking their way visibly relaxed.

The bodyguard on the left exchanged a meaningful look with the one on the right.

“Then please proceed carefully.”

“That’s more like it.” Song Yuehua took Bai Qingyu’s hand and deliberately swaggered forward.

After walking a distance, Song Yuehua released Bai Qingyu’s hand and let out a long, heavy sigh.

“Yuehua, did Boss Song send you a message saying I could leave?” Bai Qingyu looked up at her.

Song Yuehua’s heart softened under her gaze, and the lie she was about to tell suddenly stuck in her throat.

She scratched the tip of her nose, her voice dropping slightly. “No, I lied. In that situation, we couldn’t have gotten out if I hadn’t said that.”

Afraid that her words might tarnish Song Yuelan’s image in Bai Qingyu’s mind, she quickly added, “It’s mainly because my sister is too busy with work. Even if I sent her a message, she might not see it in time. Actually, if I had explained it to her properly, she would have agreed. There’s really no difference.”

“Mhm.” After hearing this, Bai Qingyu not only didn’t seem angry but instead showed a faint smile. “Thank you so much, Yuehua.”

Song Yuehua raised her hand to scratch the back of her head, the tips of her ears quietly turning red.

“This place seems quite remote, with no buses or subway access. Let’s just take a taxi,” Song Yuehua changed the subject, her gaze sweeping over the empty road.

“Alright,” Bai Qingyu nodded and opened a ride-hailing app on her phone.

After placing the order, she looked up at Song Yuehua and asked, as if suddenly remembering something, “Yuehua, do you have a good relationship with your sister?”

“Huh?” Song Yuehua’s pupils widened abruptly, and her eyes shifted nervously. “Yeah, it’s fine,” she said, quickly averting her gaze.

The sky is so blue today.

Bai Qingyu didn’t notice her subtle reaction and continued, “Then could you tell your sister that I really don’t have any interest in dating right now? Also, I’ll pay her back for the shirt as soon as possible.”

“Ah?” Song Yuehua’s mouth fell slightly open.

No interest in dating?

Her eyes darted around.

“Can you do that?” Bai Qingyu asked, looking at her pleadingly.

“Y-yes,” Song Yuehua nodded with difficulty. What was she supposed to do now? Bai Qingyu had clearly rejected Song Yuelan through her.

Song Yuehua felt that in the book, Bai Qingyu’s hardships were partly due to her terrible family circumstances and partly because she had met Song Yuelan.

Song Yuelan did like Bai Qingyu, but her affection was too selfish. She loved herself more, which was why she had imprisoned Bai Qingyu in a villa against her will, not even allowing her to see her family one last time.

It seemed she would have to take things slowly.

Song Yuehua thought: The top priority was to stabilize Song Yuelan first, then create some natural opportunities for them to spend time together, so they could become a normal couple.

“Alright,” Song Yuehua nodded.

“I’m two years ahead of you in school. If there’s anything you don’t understand, you can always ask me,” Bai Qingyu said.

“Mm-hmm,” Song Yuehua flashed a bright smile. “Then don’t get annoyed with me.”

“Of course not,” Bai Qingyu looked at her with clear, bright eyes. “The first time I saw you, I thought you were a kind person.”

Was the first time they met at university?

Song Yuehua had no memories of her original self, only the personality and experiences of “Song Yuehua” she had read about in the book.

But judging from what had just happened, she must have acted correctly.

She hadn’t spent much time with Bai Qingyu, so there was no need to put on an act in front of her.

So, Song Yuehua smiled shyly.

“My ride is here,” Bai Qingyu said, looking at a white car approaching on the distant road.

“I’ll head back then,” Song Yuehua said.

The taxi pulled up in front of them.

Bai Qingyu opened the door and got into the back seat.

As the door closed, the window rolled down, revealing her strikingly beautiful face under the streetlight.

“Oh, by the way,” Bai Qingyu suddenly remembered something, “Aunt Li gave me this outfit. Will you be at school tomorrow? I’ll wash it and return it to you.”

“What about your original clothes?” Song Yuehua asked casually.

“I forgot to bring them with me,” Bai Qingyu said regretfully.

“I’ll be back at school tomorrow. I’ll message you then,” Song Yuehua said.

“Do you have my WeChat?” Bai Qingyu asked.

“No,” Song Yuehua replied, somewhat embarrassed.

Logically, since Bai Qingyu had been their class’s substitute teacher, her original self should have added her on WeChat. It seemed the original Song Yuehua really didn’t like Bai Qingyu.

“Then let’s add each other.” Bai Qingyu didn’t seem to notice her embarrassment at all, swiftly opening WeChat and holding the add-friend screen in front of Song Yuehua.

“Done,” Song Yuehua said after completing the action.

“Goodbye?” Bai Qingyu tilted her head and smiled at Song Yuehua.

“Goodbye,” Song Yuehua replied softly.

The driver started the car and drove away.

Song Yuehua stood in place, watching the taxi’s silhouette gradually shrink to a tiny dot in her vision.

Inside the car, Bai Qingyu turned slightly and gazed through the rear window at the figure growing increasingly distant.

Song Yuehua stood straight, her posture so proper it was almost endearing. Bai Qingyu recalled how she had bared her teeth and pretended to be arrogant in front of the guards.

Even though her eyes betrayed nervousness, she insisted on holding her chin high. Bai Qingyu couldn’t help but curl the corners of her lips into a smile.

It wasn’t until the figure was completely out of sight that Bai Qingyu slowly straightened up.

She lowered her head and brushed her fingers over the dress she was wearing, one that didn’t belong to her. Her dark eyes swirled with complex emotions, like ink dissolving in water, gradually spreading and quietly settling.

…

Back at the villa, Aunt Li came to clean the living room and was startled to see only Song Yuehua walking in through the door.

“Oh my! Where is Miss Bai?”

Song Yuehua flinched at her reaction and replied guiltily, “I sent her away.”

“What are we going to do now?” Aunt Li slapped her thigh anxiously, her face pale. “If Madam Song asks about it when she returns, how am I supposed to explain?”

“I’ll talk to her,” Song Yuehua said.

Aunt Li gave her a skeptical glance.

Song Yuehua straightened her posture.

“Ah,” Aunt Li sighed.

She had witnessed the interactions between Madam Song and the young lady. The young lady’s importance in Song Yuehua’s eyes wasn’t as significant as one might think.

“By the way, Aunt Li, where are the clothes Bai Qingyu changed out of?” Song Yuehua asked.

“Oh, I put them away,” Aunt Li replied, immediately turning serious when it came to work. “I washed them as soon as she changed, and they’re almost dry now.”

“Give them to me. I’ll bring them to her tomorrow.”

Aunt Li went to the guest room and returned with a transparent plastic bag.

Inside were a faded white T-shirt, its collar frayed with fine threads, and a pair of black trousers.

Song Yuehua set the items aside and sat quietly on the sofa, waiting for Song Yuelan to return.

“Young lady, what would you like to eat tonight?” Aunt Li asked.

“Anything is fine,” Song Yuehua replied, unsure what the original host liked to eat.

“Alright,” Aunt Li said before heading to the kitchen to busy herself.

The television in the living room was on, with guests on a variety show laughing heartily. But Song Yuehua’s attention was entirely fixed on the entrance door. She didn’t even register who was speaking on TV.

What should I do? Can I avoid giving myself away in front of Song Yuelan later? She is the original host’s biological sister, someone who has lived with her day in and day out for years. She must know “Song Yuehua’s” habits inside out.

And the original host must have parents too, right? Although Song Yuelan’s parents didn’t appear much in the book, interactions with them would be unavoidable. Wouldn’t I be exposed then?

The more Song Yuehua thought about it, the more panicked she became. Her originally relaxed posture on the sofa gradually straightened.

“Madam Song,” Aunt Li’s respectful voice suddenly sounded from a distance.

Song Yuehua whipped her head around to look at the door.

A tall figure stepped inside. Song Yuelan had shoulder-length hair trimmed into a clean, sharp bob, her black suit impeccably pressed without a single wrinkle. A mechanical watch adorned her left wrist, while a briefcase hung at her side in her right hand. Her posture was erect, her gaze as sharp as an eagle’s.

Song Yuehua nervously pressed her lips together.

“You may leave now,” Song Yuelan’s voice carried the unyielding chill of someone just stepping out of the corporate world.

Aunt Li hurriedly nodded and retreated into the kitchen.

Song Yuehua drew a sharp breath.

“Song Yuehua.” Song Yuelan tossed her briefcase onto the coffee table. She lifted her eyes to meet Song Yuehua’s, her tone cold as ice.

Song Yuehua instinctively rose to her feet, her hands clasped tightly in front of her.