My Sweet Little Flower Turned Out to Be a Sinister Ghost - Chapter 27

“Ah!”

Song Yuehua sat on her chair, using her chopsticks to pick up a piece of soft, tender fish tofu and carefully place it into Bai Qingyu’s bowl, afraid it might fall. “You have to try this! I just had some, it’s super fragrant and soaked up all the flavors from the broth!”

She set her chopsticks down in her own bowl and leaned closer, her eyes fixed unblinkingly on Bai Qingyu’s face, her breath held softly.

Bai Qingyu, seeing how nervous she looked, couldn’t help but curve the corners of her lips upward. She picked up the fish tofu and put it in her mouth. The tender texture of the fish tofu, wrapped in the aroma of the dipping sauce, did taste better than usual.

Song Yuehua watched her chew, forgetting even the meat in her own bowl as she focused intently on observing Bai Qingyu. When she noticed the slight upward curve of Bai Qingyu’s lips, she held her breath completely, her eyes lighting up instantly.

After swallowing, Bai Qingyu met her expectant gaze. “It’s delicious.”

“Really?!” Song Yuehua’s ears perked up immediately. “Then have some more! If you like it too, we can buy a little extra next time.”

Bai Qingyu looked at her delighted expression, a faint smile shimmering in her eyes, and nodded gently. “Okay, whatever you say.”

With the warm hotpot filling her stomach, Song Yuehua felt cozy all over, her cheeks even flushing slightly pink. As she sipped her cola, she saw Bai Qingyu stand up to get her coat.

She quickly set down her cup, her hand instinctively tugging at Bai Qingyu’s sleeve, her tone carrying a hint of reluctance. “Aren’t you going to stay a bit longer?”

“I need to go check on my mom,” Bai Qingyu said, feeling a quiet sweetness bloom in her heart at the reluctance in Song Yuehua’s eyes. “And I have a short meeting with Shi Li and the others this afternoon to discuss the follow-up for the project.”

“I’ll be back by evening,” Bai Qingyu added.

Reassured by the promise, Song Yuehua nodded. “Mhm, mhm! I’ll wait right here for you and pick out some movies!”

After Bai Qingyu left, Song Yuehua blinked, suddenly remembering the oven she had brought with her.

Back at her old apartment, she had been surprised to find it and only learned from her landlord that she herself had bought it earlier. She made sure to bring it along when she moved.

Clapping her hands together, she decided to bake some cookies for their evening snack, hoping to impress Bai Qingyu.

She pulled out her phone to look up a recipe and started gathering ingredients according to the instructions. But in her haste, flour ended up scattered all over the floor, egg white dripped onto her sleeve, and she nearly dropped the eggbeater.

After much effort, she finally managed to knead the dough, shaping it into little cats and stars before placing them in the oven and setting the timer. She crouched nearby, keeping watch.

But when the timer dinged and she opened the oven door, she froze.

Instead of golden, plump little cookies, what lay inside were blackened, hardened lumps, their shapes completely unrecognizable.

“Ah,” Song Yuehua sighed, crouching in front of the oven and poking at the “cookies” on the baking tray, her fingertips dusted with burnt crumbs. “How did this happen…”

She glanced up at the clock. Bai Qingyu would be back soon. Hurriedly, she found a clear glass jar and carefully placed each cookie “corpse” inside. “Sorry, little ones. I’ll do better next time.”

Then she turned and rummaged through the snack stash, pulling out potato chips and a jar of nuts to arrange on the coffee table.

Song Yuehua turned on the TV, drew the curtains, and hurried to the sofa, meticulously arranging two plush cushions side by side while deliberately shifting them inward to leave space for sitting together.

She settled onto the sofa, glancing left and right as she imagined them watching a movie together, checking for any imperfections in the setup.

Just then, the doorbell chimed.

Slipping into her house shoes, Song Yuehua went to answer the door, with Song Xiaomi the cat trailing at her heels.

As the door swung open, Bai Qingyu stood at the threshold holding a plastic bag, the crinkled edge of a chip packet faintly visible inside.

Song Yuehua rose on her tiptoes, eyes widening as she leaned close enough for her nose to nearly brush the bag. “What’s in there?”

“Brought you some snacks,” Bai Qingyu replied with a smile, stepping inside. As she bent to change into slippers, Song Xiaomi immediately rubbed against her trousers. She absently stroked the ginger cat’s head before setting the plastic bag on the coffee table. Noticing the snacks already laid out, she chuckled, “Looks like you were well-prepared.”

Seated on the sofa, Song Yuehua watched her unpack the newly brought treats, then suddenly slapped her forehead, eyes sparkling. “Oh! I forgot the cocktails! I was just saying we should drink them while watching the movie!”

“I’ll get them. You pick a film,” Bai Qingyu offered, heading toward the kitchen.

“Then grab two glasses while you’re at it,” Song Yuehua added cheerfully, thinking how pretty drinks deserved pretty containers.

“Alright.” At the cup rack, Bai Qingyu paused, taking in the assortment: a mug printed with Song Xiaomi’s likeness, the light blue striped glass she’d seen last time, and several new ceramic cups adorned with tiny daisies.

“Which cups should I take?”

“Any of them! They’re all my favorites, just pick two,” Song Yuehua called back, her attention divided as she skimmed through colorful movie covers on the TV screen.

Bai Qingyu studied the collection a moment before selecting two glasses etched with green grass and pink blossoms.

She rinsed them gently under warm water twice, then placed them on a tray.

Turning to the refrigerator, she immediately spotted two bottles of cocktail on the top shelf.

Then something dark caught her eye.

Tucked in the corner was a transparent glass jar containing several pitch-black, unlabeled chunks.

Bai Qingyu lifted the jar, examining it for a few seconds.

Probably something Song Yuehua forgot to take out.

She placed both the cocktail bottles and the glass jar on the tray.

Song Yuehua had chosen a soft, cute animated comedy.

Hearing Bai Qingyu’s footsteps as she carried out the tray, Song Yuehua immediately straightened up, patting the light gray cushion beside her. She looked up with gleaming eyes and urged, “Sit here, quick!”

But when her gaze shifted from the flower-patterned glasses to the transparent jar, her smile froze. Her voice wavered slightly, “Wh-why did you bring that out too?”

Bai Qingyu glanced down at the jar on the tray, only then realizing the issue. Her tone carried apologetic confusion, “Did I grab the wrong thing? I saw it in the fridge and thought it was a snack you’d prepared, so I brought it along… Is there something wrong? Can it not be eaten?”

“C-Can you eat it?” Song Yuehua scratched the tip of her ear.

“Cookies, right?” Bai Qingyu examined them carefully for a few seconds. “Chocolate-flavored?”

Song Yuehua offered a polite smile. “No, they’re burnt.”

Bai Qingyu’s expression faltered slightly as she glanced incredulously at the contents of the glass jar.

Burning them to this extent could almost be considered a talent.

She opened her mouth to speak, then settled on reassurance. “One failure doesn’t mean anything.”

Song Yuehua replied, “I know. I have a talent for making desserts.”

Bai Qingyu glanced at the charred cookies and changed the subject. “What movie did you pick?”

“A comedy.” Song Yuehua moved the glass jar to the side of the coffee table to avoid accidentally eating the cookies during the movie.

Bai Qingyu sat down beside her, close enough for their arms to occasionally brush.

Song Yuehua picked up two bottles of cocktail, unscrewed the caps, and poured them into flower-patterned glasses. The blueberry one shimmered in a light purple hue, while the strawberry one glowed a soft pink, almost like little puddings.

She picked up the pink glass first and took a small sip.

But the moment the liquid touched her tongue, her brow furrowed instantly. She instinctively licked her lips, bitter and sweet, not tasty at all. Forcing herself to swallow, she quickly set the glass back on the coffee table.

“How is it?” Bai Qingyu picked up her own light-purple glass, took a sip, and turned to look at her. She caught Song Yuehua’s poorly concealed attempt at composure and couldn’t help but smile.

“It’s… alright,” Song Yuehua mumbled vaguely before setting her glass down again.

Bai Qingyu chuckled. “The movie’s starting.”

Song Yuehua pushed the cocktail bottle a little farther away.

The humor in the movie was perfectly timed. Not long after it began, a smile spread across Song Yuehua’s face.

The jokes weren’t too frequent, interspersed with the protagonists’ amusing mishaps, just enough to give Song Yuehua time to munch on spicy strips and potato chips.

As she ate, Song Yuehua grew thirsty. Slumping back on the sofa, she glanced at the drinks far away in the kitchen, then at the cocktail within reach.

She picked up the cocktail.

Even if it tastes bad, it’s better than being thirsty.

Bai Qingyu sat beside her, their shoulders occasionally brushing lightly. When Song Yuehua offered snacks, Bai Qingyu would delicately pick up a chip.

When Bai Qingyu grew thirsty and reached for her blueberry cocktail, she found the bottle empty, with only a transparent bottom remaining.

She glanced at Song Yuehua, noticing the faint blush on her cheeks and the brighter gleam in her eyes, and understood what had happened.

Earlier, for “atmosphere,” Song Yuehua had insisted on turning off the overhead light, leaving only a floor lamp in the corner. Its warm yellow glow enveloped their shoulders, while the coffee table lay in shadow, making even the snack bags hard to distinguish.

Bai Qingyu leaned close to Song Yuehua’s ear, her voice soft and probing. “Want more blueberry? I’ll pour you some.”

By now, Song Yuehua was a bit tipsy, her voice louder and more cheerful than usual. “Yes!”

Bai Qingyu poured her another half-glass from the strawberry bottle.

“Yuehua…”

“What’s wrong?” Song Yuehua tilted her head to look at her, her gaze slightly unfocused. Bai Qingyu’s silhouette seemed soft and hazy in the warm light, like a flower fairy from a dream. Even her scent was more fragrant than the spicy strips in her hand, making Song Yuehua unconsciously lean closer.

“Nothing,” Bai Qingyu replied with a smile, shaking her head and pointing at the TV. “This movie is almost over. Do you want to watch another one?”

Before she could finish, Song Yuehua picked up her freshly filled cup, tilted her head back, and gulped it down in one go. As she set the cup down, she let out a soft hiccup.

She shook her head, her expression resolute. “Yes! Let’s watch The Wicked Ghost!”

“Are you sure?” As far as Bai Qingyu knew, Song Yuehua wasn’t exactly brave.

“Absolutely!” Song Yuehua patted her chest, her head still swaying slightly. “I’m not scared at all!”

“Alright then.” Unable to dissuade her, Bai Qingyu searched for The Wicked Ghost on the TV and hit play.

The moment the opening music started, Song Yuehua froze mid-bite of her chips. Her previously sparkling eyes gradually grew stiff.

The new TV had a large screen with exceptionally clear visuals, even the ripples in the water were vividly detailed.

But when the ghost seemed to crawl out of the screen, she no longer considered that an advantage.

“Ah!”