My Sweet Little Flower Turned Out to Be a Sinister Ghost - Chapter 21

Song Yuehua was jolted back to reality by Bai Qingyu’s voice, giving a slight tremble.

Her gaze darted toward the Maybach stopped at the red light. The dark tinted windows were veiled in a cold haze, making it impossible to see inside. Song Yuehua immediately grabbed Bai Qingyu’s wrist, pulling her quickly across the street. “Let’s talk after we cross!”

Bai Qingyu matched her pace, her peripheral vision catching Song Yuehua’s tense profile, even her jawline was rigid with stress. Though her confusion deepened, she didn’t press further, silently keeping up.

While crossing, Song Yuehua glanced back every few steps, her eyes locked on the Maybach’s door handle as if expecting it to click open at any moment, unleashing someone to snatch Bai Qingyu away.

Only when they reached the opposite sidewalk and the Maybach remained motionless, windows still sealed, did the knot in Song Yuehua’s chest begin to loosen.

Amid the bustling street, surrounded by chatter and advertisements, Bai Qingyu followed her gaze back to the black car. Puzzled, it was just an ordinary Maybach, why did it unsettle Yuehua so? Noting her eased expression, she ventured lightly, a hint of laughter in her tone, “Do you like that car?”

“No!” Song Yuehua took a moment to respond, then stepped forward abruptly, gripping Bai Qingyu’s arms. “You have to be careful lately, absolutely, under no circumstances go out alone!”

Bai Qingyu’s brows furrowed slightly, her eyes filled with bewilderment. “Not alone? Why are you saying this all of a sudden?”

“Wait…” Song Yuehua paused, realizing “not alone” was too strict. Bai Qingyu had part-time jobs and needed to go home, how could she always have company?

Her voice softened but remained firm. “How about I go with you from now on? Wherever you go, I’ll tag along. I don’t have much else to do anyway.”

“What’s really going on?” Bai Qingyu held her shoulders, giving a gentle shake to make her meet her eyes, her tone soothing. “Tell me, okay? The way you were staring at that car, it was like you’d seen something terrifying.”

Song Yuehua pressed her lips together, swallowing back the words, “The book says Song Yuelan will use that car to kidnap you.” She couldn’t reveal she knew future events, so she stuck to what was plausible.

“I think Song Yuelan won’t let this go! She threatened you with surgery before, and since she didn’t get her way, she’s bound to come after you again!”

“If she comes, it’s fine.” Bai Qingyu smiled, reaching out to ruffle her hair reassuringly. “I can handle it. Didn’t I hold my own against her outside the elevator last time?”

“Ah, you don’t understand.” Song Yuehua struggled to explain that Song Yuelan was a lawless rogue who’d kidnap without hesitation!

She knew Bai Qingyu too well, soft-hearted and trusting. If Song Yuelan spun some excuse, she might actually go along.

“I do understand,” Bai Qingyu corrected gently, looking at Song Yuehua.

She sighed inwardly, unsure whether it was because she had played the part of “naive and kind-hearted” too convincingly before, or because Song Yuehua was inherently soft-hearted and simple-minded. In Song Yuehua’s eyes, she had become someone who couldn’t even recognize the dangers of human nature.

Bai Qingyu, of course, knew she wasn’t like that. But revealing too much all at once might be hard for Song Yuehua to accept, so she had to take it slow. Dropping her usual politeness toward Song Yuelan was the first step in her “slow and steady” plan.

Song Yuehua stared at her for two seconds, her brows still slightly furrowed, her eyes still filled with disbelief.

Seeing this, Bai Qingyu leaned in closer, her voice softening further: “If you don’t tell me, how will you know I don’t understand?”

Song Yuehua bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, and then, feeling that keeping it a secret wasn’t a solution, relented. Her voice lowered slightly: “Did you know? When Song Yuelan took you to the villa back then, it was actually to imprison you… And she never once mentioned letting you go. The last time I brought you out of the villa, I did it secretly without discussing it with her.”

Bai Qingyu’s lips parted slightly, a perfectly measured look of surprise flashing in her eyes. This was something she truly couldn’t pretend to “understand,” as she had intentionally acted as if she trusted Song Yuelan completely back at the villa.

Seeing her reaction, Song Yuehua’s face clearly read, “See? I told you; you wouldn’t get it.”

“That’s exactly it! She never had good intentions from the very beginning!”

Bai Qingyu blinked, her tone tinged with a hint of sudden realization and light mockery: “So President Song had this in mind from the start, no wonder she grew less and less urgent later on, even dropping basic courtesy.”

“Exactly!” Song Yuehua quickly agreed, but as she spoke, her gaze dropped, and her voice took on a note of dejection: “Speaking of which… I owe you an apology.”

“Why?” Bai Qingyu feigned confusion.

Song Yuehua hung her head even lower, her fingers unconsciously rubbing the hem of her clothes, her tone full of self-reproach: “At first… I thought Song Yuelan genuinely liked you and had just made a mistake out of impatience. That’s why I kept trying to bring you two together before.”

Bai Qingyu: “So, was your desire to reconcile with President Song genuine?”

Bai Qingyu, of course, knew it wasn’t, after all, it was an excuse she had suggested to Song Yuehua to see what she was really up to.

She continued probing.

Song Yuehua nodded guiltily, “At the time, I just thought… if I created more opportunities for you and Song Yuelan to be together… maybe you’d gradually come to like her.”

As she spoke, she rubbed the back of her head, her eyes shifting uneasily, “But back then, you clearly didn’t like her. I really had no other choice, so I had to use that excuse.”

“Just because Song Yuelan said she liked me, you wanted us to be together?” Bai Qingyu’s voice grew softer, her eyes clouded as if veiled by a thin mist, revealing just the right amount of hurt.

Song Yuehua was instantly flustered.

She panicked, waving her hands frantically, her words stumbling: “No! That’s not what I meant!” Her mind raced anxiously.

There was no way Song Yuehua could tell Bai Qingyu that she had transmigrated into this story and knew that, in the original plot, they were the official couple, which was why she had taken it for granted that they should be together.

Nor could she say that, at first, her mind was completely occupied with the “original novel’s setting.” She thought that no matter how obsessive Song Yuelan was, her feelings were genuine. If they took it slow, Bai Qingyu might eventually accept it, and they could avoid the terrible ordeal of being imprisoned later.

But now, seeing Bai Qingyu like this, she belatedly regretted it: Why hadn’t she realized sooner that Song Yuelan’s “affection” was nothing but selfish possessiveness?

“I understand,” Bai Qingyu said softly, cutting her off before she could finish. She lowered her eyes, her long lashes casting faint shadows beneath them, and said nothing more.

Song Yuehua bit her lip so hard it nearly left marks, cursing herself a thousand times in her heart.

Stupid brain! Why couldn’t she explain it clearly? She couldn’t mention the transmigration, but she also couldn’t let Bai Qingyu misunderstand that she was “pressuring her for someone else’s sake”!

Just as she was on the verge of tears from frustration, a flash of inspiration struck her mind like a lifeline.

Song Yuehua took half a step closer, her voice tinged with urgency: “I… I just thought you were working too hard! Song Yuelan has money and says she likes you, so I foolishly thought that if you were with her, maybe you wouldn’t have to struggle so much?”

Her tone was earnest: “But once I realized what kind of person she really is, I never tried to bring you two together again. More than what Song Yuelan wants, what I want most is for you to live well and truly be happy.”

“Really?” The faint mist in Bai Qingyu’s eyes slowly dissipated, replaced by a soft warmth.

Seeing the unreserved sincerity in Song Yuehua’s eyes, a wave of emotion washed over her. No wonder Song Yuehua had always looked at her with such conflicted and pained eyes back at the villa.

“Yes!” Song Yuehua nodded emphatically. “At first, I genuinely thought that being with her would make your life easier and bring you happiness. That’s why I foolishly tried to set you up.”

“Then… why do you care so much about me?” Bai Qingyu’s gaze remained fixed on Song Yuehua.

Do people care for others without any reason?

“Because…” Song Yuehua’s words caught in her throat. She couldn’t explain it either.

Why? There had been other tragic characters in novels before. Why was it only Bai Qingyu who stirred such a strong desire in her to see her happy?

Observing Song Yuehua’s every expression and mannerism, Bai Qingyu understood.

She spoke softly, “I understand.”

Bai Qingyu stopped questioning her, but this only made Song Yuehua more anxious. “That’s not what I meant,” she explained weakly.

“I know what you meant,” Bai Qingyu interrupted her flustered explanation, her palm warm as she gently ruffled Song Yuehua’s hair. “Don’t worry, I get it. And I promise you, I’ll be more careful from now on.”

“Okay.” Only then did Song Yuehua relax, her tense shoulders slumping in relief.

“Now, can we go back and buy the rice noodles?” Bai Qingyu pointed behind them with a teasing smile.

Song Yuehua followed her gesture and realized that, absorbed in their conversation, they had walked in the opposite direction. The rice noodle shop they were headed to was now far behind at the distant intersection.

Her ears instantly turned red, and she quickly quickened her pace to turn back.

Although Bai Qingyu had promised to be careful, Song Yuehua still didn’t dare let her guard down.

While Bai Qingyu placed their order at the counter, Song Yuehua waited behind her to pick up their packed meals.

On the way back, Bai Qingyu turned her head to look at her and, noticing her distraction, sighed softly, “Don’t worry, I’ll be careful.”

“I’m not worried!” Song Yuehua retorted stubbornly, turning her face away.

Bai Qingyu smiled helplessly and reached out to gently squeeze her tense shoulder. “Then think about it, is there anything Song Yuelan particularly values?”

Song Yuehua had been contemplating whether to follow Bai Qingyu to and from work every day, but upon hearing this, she immediately dismissed the idea and furrowed her brows in serious thought. After a few seconds, her eyes lit up. “If I had to say, it’s probably her company!”

The book mentioned that Song Yuelan always liked to stand by the floor-to-ceiling window in her top-floor office, looking down at the company building below.

“I see,” Bai Qingyu nodded, her expression darkening.

She thought that if what Song Yuehua said was true, if Song Yuelan dared to intercept someone on the street and had no respect for the law, then it was likely she had engaged in illegal activities while running her company.

Song Yuehua couldn’t help but sigh. “I wish you could live with me.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, her eyes sparkled as if she’d suddenly thought of a brilliant idea. “Hey, why don’t you move in with me? I have an empty room at my place, we can tidy it up and you can stay there!”

Bai Qingyu shook her head. “No, Qingyuan is home for the summer break. I can’t just leave her alone at home.”

“Alright then…” Song Yuehua said, “I’ll just have to come see you every day! It’s not like I have anything else to do during the summer anyway.”

“That would be great,” Bai Qingyu replied. “With you around, my mom will be happier too.”

When they pushed open the door to the hospital room, Aunt Qin was sitting by the bed chatting with Bai’s mother, while Qin Zhen and Bai Qingyuan were huddled together over a small temporary table, doing their homework.

Song Yuehua: …

No wonder they brought their backpacks.

Song Yuehua and Bai Qingyu distributed the food they had brought to everyone.

When she handed a bowl to Qin Zhen, Song Yuehua specifically reminded her, “Be careful, it’s hot. I asked the owner not to add scallions or cilantro, so you can eat without worry.”

“Thank you, Sister Yuehua,” Qin Zhen whispered, her ears turning slightly red as she took the bowl.

As they were eating, Bai Qingyuan suddenly looked up and asked, “Sis, when is Mom having her surgery?”

“In three days. The doctor said all her indicators meet the requirements for the operation,” Bai Qingyu replied.

Bai Qingyuan nodded and put down her spoon. “Then I’ll stay at the hospital to take care of Mom these next few days. You should go home and rest properly, you’ve been staying up for days.”

“You won’t be able to handle it alone,” Bai Qingyu said. “I’ll stay here. You can keep Mom company if you want, but if you don’t feel like staying, you can go home anytime. No need to force yourself.”

Qin Zhen, sitting nearby, overheard this and glanced at Aunt Qin with a hint of expectation in her eyes but didn’t dare to speak up.

“What are you adding to the chaos here?” Aunt Qin said. “In a few days, after the surgery, Aunt Bai and Qingyuan will be back.”

Qin Zhen silently lowered her head.

Seeing this, Bai Qingyuan gently nudged her with an elbow and handed her a piece of fruit candy. Qin Zhen held the candy, and the corners of her mouth lifted slightly.

Before they knew it, the day of the surgery arrived.

Just as dawn was breaking, Song Yuehua showed up clutching a peace charm tied with a red string. She said she had specially gone to a nearby temple the day before to get it. “It’s been blessed with incense smoke, it’ll ensure everything goes smoothly.”

Aunt Qin also arrived with Qin Zhen.

The lights in the operating room lit up.

Bai Qingyu sat on the long bench, her fingertips lightly twisting the hem of her clothes. Her gaze was fixed firmly on the door handle of the operating room, and even her breathing was kept very soft.

Song Yuehua sat beside her, occasionally touching her hand with the back of her own. Bai Qingyu’s hand felt a little cold, and she wanted to share some warmth with her.