My Sweet Little Flower Turned Out to Be a Sinister Ghost - Chapter 26

“Then… can we warm the house?” Song Yuehua rubbed her hands together, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Bai Qingyu.

“Warm the house?”

“Yes!” Song Yuehua leaned in closer, her voice brimming with excitement. “When you move into a new place, you have to invite good friends over to liven it up and share a meal. That’s how you ‘warm’ the house, so you can live comfortably in the future!” She tugged gently at Bai Qingyu’s sleeve and asked in a hushed tone, “Want to have it at my place?”

Bai Qingyu, seeing her hopeful expression, curved her lips into a smile and nodded. “Sure, what would you like to eat?”

“Hot pot!” Song Yuehua’s eyes instantly lit up, her voice rising a notch. “Hot pot is perfect for autumn! It’s steaming hot, and you can cook whatever you want, tripe, vegetables, without having to cater to anyone else’s tastes. So freeing!”

“Alright, it’s up to you,” Bai Qingyu replied with a laugh.

Song Yuehua tilted her head thoughtfully. “Should we invite Qingyuan and Zhenzhen too? It’ll be more lively with more people, and I bet they’d love hot pot as well.”

Bai Qingyu said, “They’re probably studying. No need to bother them.”

“Oh, okay then!” Song Yuehua didn’t seem disappointed. Instead, she clasped her hands under her chin, her eyes curving into little crescents as she drawled in a soft, trailing tone, “Then it’ll just be the two of us~ We’ll have our own little world for two.”

The moment Bai Qingyu heard “world for two,” her eyes widened as she stared at Song Yuehua.

But Song Yuehua, completely oblivious to her reaction, simply tilted her head again, her gaze straightforward and her tone matter-of-fact. “Did I say something wrong? You and me, that’s two people, right? ‘A world for two’ isn’t that perfectly accurate?”

Seeing her utterly guileless expression, with not a single hint of ulterior thought, Bai Qingyu’s frustration instantly melted away.

She’d almost forgotten, the person beside her was a bit of a blockhead.

She tugged at the corner of her mouth helplessly. “You’re not wrong. Let’s go, we need to buy groceries at the supermarket.”

“Yay!” Song Yuehua immediately agreed, her steps noticeably lighter. She loved going grocery shopping with Bai Qingyu the most.

Truth be told, she had just stocked up on a week’s worth of vegetables a few days ago, but now her mind was filled with the idea of “going to the supermarket together,” and she had come up with plenty of reasons.

No matter what, they just had to go together.

The two walked side by side along the street outside the residential area. The ginkgo leaves rustled softly in the autumn breeze, and a few golden leaves spiraled down to land at their feet.

The wind carried a hint of autumn chill, tousling Song Yuehua’s long hair and the loose strands tied at the back of Bai Qingyu’s head. Occasionally, a few strands would gently entwine before being softly pulled apart by the wind, leaving behind a fleeting sense of tenderness.

“Let’s get some fish tofu!” Song Yuehua crouched in front of the freezer, pointing through the cold glass. “I love fish tofu in hot pot, it’s so fragrant!”

They stood in the supermarket’s dedicated hot pot ingredients section, where rows of packaged meatballs were neatly arranged in the freezer. Cold air seeped out from the cracks of the freezer door, but Song Yuehua didn’t feel the chill at all, too absorbed in envisioning the ingredients inside.

She imagined the crab sticks turning a tempting reddish-orange as they softened in the broth, the beef balls bursting with distinct grains of meat when bitten into, and even the quail eggs, which she usually didn’t care for, seeming like they’d soak up the clear broth perfectly.

“Crab sticks, beef balls, chicken balls…” Song Yuehua picked them out one by one.

The bag grew increasingly plump, and she suddenly noticed the person beside her had been quiet all this while.

“Senior, what do you like to eat?” Song Yuehua asked.

Bai Qingyu, with her hands tucked into her coat pockets, watched as the other girl crouched picking through items. The tips of her ears were tinged red from the cold, her gaze soft, and her voice gentle as she replied, “Anything is fine. Just pick what you like, I’m not picky.”

“But that won’t do!” Song Yuehua wrinkled her nose. “It’s just the two of us eating today. If I only pick what I like, what if you don’t enjoy it? No, no, we have to choose things you love too.”

Bai Qingyu sighed helplessly. “When I say ‘anything,’ it means I can eat whatever. I’ll like whatever you pick, really.”

Still a bit uneasy, Song Yuehua pouted slightly. “Then… you’ll eat whatever I choose? No secretly leaving anything behind, okay?”

“Alright, I won’t leave anything,” Bai Qingyu assured.

Reassured, Song Yuehua’s eyes sparkled with mischief as she turned back to the freezer. This time, she deliberately picked items that looked nutritious: shrimp paste, fatty beef rolls, and even a box of duck blood, something she normally didn’t care for but had heard could replenish energy and blood.

The transparent bag instantly swelled another size, almost too full to carry.

“Yuehua…” Bai Qingyu interrupted her.

“What?” Song Yuehua was still lost in the joy of planning to feed Bai Qingyu.

“Isn’t this a bit too much?” Bai Qingyu said, eyeing the bulging bag in Song Yuehua’s hand.

“Too much?” Song Yuehua asked sincerely.

“Yes,” Bai Qingyu nodded. “Let’s start with this. If we finish and still want more, we can come back tomorrow. Fresh ingredients taste better anyway.”

Reluctantly, Song Yuehua withdrew her hand and muttered under her breath, “Fine, we’ll buy more tomorrow if we want.”

Just as she set down the bag of ingredients, her eyes suddenly lit up as if remembering something. She grabbed the bag and dashed toward the seasoning section, her steps almost skipping. “The soup base! I forgot to buy the soup base!”

Bai Qingyu followed slowly behind her.

Standing before the shelf of seasonings, Song Yuehua ran her fingers over a row of colorful soup base packages.

Her brow furrowed as she turned to Bai Qingyu, who had just caught up, her tone full of indecision. “What should we do? There are so many flavors, I don’t know which one is good. I’m afraid the spicy one might be too hot for you, but the clear broth might be too bland…”

“Just pick one randomly,” Bai Qingyu said, not particularly concerned about food. For her, as long as it helped restore her energy, it was fine.

“But that won’t do!” Song Yuehua immediately shook her head, frowning. “The soup base is so important for hot pot! If we pick a bad one, the whole meal will be ruined!”

As she spoke, her eyes suddenly brightened, as if she’d stumbled upon a brilliant idea. She clapped her hands together. “I’ve got it! Close your eyes and say a random number. We’ll count from the beginning of the shelf, and whichever package we land on, we’ll take that one. That’s the fairest way!”

Bai Qingyu: …

“Come on, hurry!” Song Yuehua urged eagerly. “Close your eyes.”

Bai Qingyu gave a resigned smile but ultimately humored her. “…Alright.”

“Seventeen.”

“Got it!” Song Yuehua replied immediately. By the time Bai Qingyu opened her eyes, Song Yuehua was already on her tiptoes, counting off the packages on the shelf one by one with her finger. “One, two, three… sixteen, seventeen! This one!”

She picked up the package, shook it triumphantly, and grinned proudly. “Look how perfect! It’s a flavor I’ve never tried before. Let’s give it a shot today!”

After choosing the hotpot base, Song Yuehua leaned on the shopping cart handle, tilting her head thoughtfully. “What else haven’t we bought yet…” Her gaze swept across the shelves, and suddenly her eyes lit up. “Right! Drinks! How can we have hotpot without drinks?”

Song Yuehua quickly headed toward the beverage section. “We can buy plenty of drinks, right? If we don’t finish them today, we can always put them in the fridge.”

“Sure,” Bai Qingyu nodded.

“Coca-Cola? Must-buy. Sprite? Let’s get some for variety, and some juice too…” Song Yuehua placed one bottle after another into the shopping cart.

Once the cart was filled with drinks, Bai Qingyu remained silent, her eyes fixed on Song Yuehua.

Song Yuehua slowed her movements, about to say they had enough, when she spotted the beautifully colored, elegantly bottled cocktails nearby.

Her eyes instantly locked onto them. She hurried over, clutching her chest, her tone exaggerated as if she’d discovered treasure. “Senior! Can I buy this? Just one bottle! Look how pretty it is, pink and with such an exquisite bottle!”

Bai Qingyu followed her gaze, recognized it as a cocktail, and raised an eyebrow slightly. “Have you ever had alcohol before? Although this type of cocktail isn’t very strong, if you’ve never tried it, you might not be used to the taste.”

“I haven’t, but I want to give it a try!” Song Yuehua hugged the bottle, her eyes glistening like a puppy begging for food. “Even if it doesn’t taste good, it’s fine. I’m willing to pay for its looks! Just one bottle, okay?”

Seeing her like this, Bai Qingyu’s hesitation instantly melted away. She had never been able to resist Song Yuehua’s soft, pleading requests. “Go ahead and buy it.”

With permission granted, Song Yuehua’s eyebrows lifted in delight, and she reached for another bottle, placing it in the cart.

“One bottle is enough,” Bai Qingyu reminded her.

“I want you to try it too!” Song Yuehua turned to look at her, eyes sparkling. “Aren’t you going to drink any?”

“I don’t drink,” Bai Qingyu shook her head.

“You’ve tried it before and didn’t like it?” Song Yuehua pressed, her tone tinged with curiosity.

“I’ve never tried it.”

“Then it’s perfect! Let’s try it together, it might be really tasty!” Song Yuehua tugged at her sleeve, her voice softening. “Just have a little with me, okay?”

Bai Qingyu looked into her hopeful eyes and finally relented, sighing helplessly. “Alright, alright, I’ll have a little with you.”

Satisfied, Song Yuehua left the supermarket.

As soon as she opened the door, Song Yuehua hurriedly set the bags on the table, shaking her hands.

“I’m exhausted! These bags are way too heavy!” But no sooner had she spoken than she couldn’t help but grin. “But it’s okay, it’ll be worth it once we start eating hotpot!”

Bai Qingyu remarked, “Next time we buy this much, we should bring a small trolley.”

“Definitely,” Song Yuehua agreed wholeheartedly.

Just then, an orange figure darted out from the hallway.

“Meow?” Song Xiaomi, recognizing Bai Qingyu, immediately trotted over and rubbed its head against her pants leg, letting out a soft, fluffy “Meow~.”

“Oh, wow,” Song Yuehua said. “So now you decide to come out.”

She turned to Bai Qingyu as if tattling. “You have no idea, this little one has been going wild here! Back in the old apartment, it would obediently sleep with me on the bed, but now it’s constantly dashing between the two rooms and can’t even be bothered to come when I call!”

“Meow?” Song Xiaomi seemed to understand, lifting her front paws to rest on Bai Qingyu’s pants as she tilted her head and meowed, her amber eyes sparkling brightly.

The kitten didn’t mean any harm! The kitten just wanted the pretty sister to pet her!

Bai Qingyu bent down to pick her up, gently stroking her soft back fur with her fingertips, her voice unusually tender: “How could you treat your sister like that?” As she said this, she glanced at Song Yuehua, a hint of laughter hidden in her eyes.

“Exactly, exactly!” Song Yuehua immediately nodded in agreement, as if she had found an ally. “You need to reflect on this properly!”

“You should spend more time with your sister.” Bai Qingyu scratched Song Xiaomi under the chin, and the little one purred contentedly, the tip of her tail lightly curling around Bai Qingyu’s wrist. With a soft “meow~”, it seemed to say, “I know, I know, keep petting me!”

Song Yuehua watched Song Xiaomi’s blissful expression and let out a soft hum, turning to walk toward the kitchen. “I’m going to wash the vegetables. You stay with her a bit longer, it’s been a while since you two last saw each other.”

She tied on her apron, moved the pot onto the induction cooker, plugged it in, and washed the vegetables, arranging them neatly on a white porcelain plate. After finishing these tasks, she turned and asked Bai Qingyu in the living room, “What would you like to drink?”

“Whatever you’re having is fine,” Bai Qingyu replied.

Song Yuehua opened the refrigerator, her eyes first scanning the two bottles of pink cocktail, hesitating for a moment.

Better save those for another time. Hot pot pairs best with cola!

She took out two bottles of cola, pulled the tabs with a “pop,” and handed one to Bai Qingyu. “Cola is the perfect match for hot pot, it cuts through the greasiness!”

“Mhm.” Bai Qingyu took the cola and took a small sip.

The induction cooker bubbled and gurgled.

The water in the pot had come to a boil, bubbles rushing eagerly to the surface. She stood up and walked over, opening the bag of meatballs and dropping fish tofu and beef balls into the pot one by one. “The water’s boiling. Let’s add the things that take longer to cook first. We’ll be able to eat soon.”

Song Yuehua held her chopsticks, her eyes shining as she stared intently into the pot, even holding her breath slightly. Watching the meatballs slowly rise to the surface and the broth gradually take on a light, fragrant aroma, her stomach began to growl.

“Pass me the bowl. I’ll mix the dipping sauce for you,” Bai Qingyu said, reaching out her hand. Song Yuehua immediately handed over the empty bowl.

“They should be cooked by now. Try one quickly.” As soon as Bai Qingyu finished speaking, Song Yuehua eagerly picked up a piece of fish tofu, rolled it in the dipping sauce, and popped it into her mouth.

“Wow! So delicious! Your dipping sauce is amazing, and the broth is so fragrant. It’s even better than hot pot from restaurants!”

Bai Qingyu curved her lips into a smile.

As she ate, Song Yuehua couldn’t stop thinking about the cocktails.

She really wanted to drink them today.

“Are you free after dinner?” Song Yuehua asked.

Bai Qingyu was just placing a slice of fatty beef into the pot when she looked up. “Not really. Why?”

“Then… would you like to watch a movie with me at home tonight?” Song Yuehua’s eyes sparkled, her tone full of anticipation. “I bought some snacks, and with those two bottles of cocktails, it’ll be so much fun!”

Seeing her eager little expression, Bai Qingyu barely hesitated before nodding. “Sure.”