My Sweet Little Flower Turned Out to Be a Sinister Ghost - Chapter 6

“Will you come again tomorrow? Xiaomi said…”

Bai Qingyu took her to an eatery not far from the apartment. Song Yuehua trailed behind like a little tail, obediently following.

Turning the corner, a small shop with a wooden sign reading “Noodle House” came into view.

The decor was simple, white walls paired with solid wood tables and chairs, all kept spotlessly clean. Even the pothos on the windowsill looked refreshingly vibrant.

As soon as the door opened, the rich aroma of bone broth rushed into their nostrils, mingling with the subtle sweetness of wheat flour, making Song Yuehua’s stomach rumble audibly.

Bai Qingyu led her to a seat against the wall. No sooner had they settled than a girl with a high ponytail approached with a menu.

She looked about fifteen or sixteen, her features bearing a striking resemblance to Bai Qingyu’s, though the corners of her mouth were pressed tightly together, exuding a youthful stubbornness.

“Sis! What brings you here?” The girl’s previously expressionless face lit up at the sight of Bai Qingyu, her voice brightening noticeably.

Bai Qingyu replied, “I’m here to treat a friend to a meal.”

“Friend?” Only then did Bai Qingyuan shift her gaze to Song Yuehua. Her smile faded slightly as she looked Song Yuehua up and down, her tone turning more formal. “Hello.”

“Hi there.” Song Yuehua waved at her, thinking to herself that this girl was quite interesting.

“Take a look at what you’d like to eat,” Bai Qingyu said, passing the menu from Bai Qingyuan’s hands to Song Yuehua.

“Go attend to the other customers,” Bai Qingyu instructed.

“Okay,” Bai Qingyuan replied obediently.

Song Yuehua rested her chin on her hand, watching Bai Qingyuan’s retreating figure with a smile. “Is she your biological sister?”

Bai Qingyu nodded. “Yes, her name is Qingyuan.”

“She seems so well-behaved and really listens to you,” Song Yuehua remarked, a hint of envy in her voice. “It must be nice to have a sister. I’ve never known what it’s like to have siblings.”

Bai Qingyu glanced at her. “Does President Song not treat you well?”

Song Yuehua paused. “She does.”

Bai Qingyu chuckled softly, tapping a finger on the menu. “The signature beef noodles here are very authentic. Grandma Zhang simmers the broth with beef bones for three hours.”

“Sounds good. I’ll have that,” Song Yuehua said.

Bai Qingyu ordered the same. After collecting menus from other tables, Bai Qingyuan came over to take their order.

Song Yuehua thought to herself, The book mentioned Bai Qingyuan’s age, isn’t she just starting middle school?

“Qingyuan helps out during her lunch break,” Bai Qingyu explained softly. “Grandma Zhang is getting on in years and can’t manage during the busy lunch rush.”

“Oh, I see,” Song Yuehua nodded.

“I’ve lived around here for so long, yet I never noticed this noodle shop,” she remarked, glancing around the interior.

“Grandma Zhang didn’t open this shop to make money, she just can’t sit idle,” Bai Qingyu said, taking a sip from her water glass. “Most of the customers are longtime residents from the neighborhood.”

“That’s really nice.”

Just then, Bai Qingyuan brought over two bowls of noodles. Steam rose from the rims of the bowls, the broth holding chewy noodles, a few slices of soy-braised beef arranged neatly on top, and sprinkled with vibrant green scallions.

“Are you coming home tonight, Sis?” she asked, her voice softer than before as she set the bowls down.

“Not tonight. I’ll probably be done too late,” Bai Qingyu replied, picking up her chopsticks with a hint of apology in her tone.

“Alright,” Bai Qingyuan’s shoulders slumped slightly.

After all, she was still a middle schooler, and her disappointment was written all over her face.

“I’ll join you once I finish what I’m working on,” Bai Qingyu said, reaching out to ruffle her hair.

“Okay!” Bai Qingyuan immediately lifted her head, her eyes sparkling. “Take your time eating, then. I’ll go attend to the customers.”

Song Yuehua poked at the beef in her bowl and asked curiously, “Senior, what have you been busy with lately?”

“Nothing major,” Bai Qingyu replied with a smile. “I’ve been designing a small software with some classmates, and we’re debugging it now.”

“Wow, that’s amazing.” Song Yuehua thought of the books she had been reading the night before. If she finished those courses, could she design software too?

The thought made her chuckle to herself.

She couldn’t even guarantee she wouldn’t fail her exams, yet here she was dreaming about designing software.

“What’s so funny?” Bai Qingyu noticed that Song Yuehua had changed a lot.

When they first reunited in college, she had seemed gloomy, but now she was often lost in silly giggles.

“Nothing,” Song Yuehua said, twisting her noodles into a tangled mess with her chopsticks. “I was just wondering if I could be as amazing as you by my third year.”

“Of course you can,” Bai Qingyu’s voice was as gentle as warm water. “If you want it, you can achieve it.”

The freshly cooked noodles were still steaming. Song Yuehua touched the edge of the bowl and quickly pulled her hand back, her fingertip reddened from the heat.

She blew on her finger and couldn’t help muttering, “But the things we have to learn are so hard. I’m really worried about failing the midterm exams.”

In the book, Bai Qingyu had to juggle three part-time jobs and care for her sick mother in the hospital, yet she still managed to rank first in her major and earn scholarships. Meanwhile, Song Yuehua felt dizzy just looking at her textbooks.

“I believe you’ll pass,” Bai Qingyu said softly.

“Mm,” Song Yuehua’s eyes lit up with determination. “After buying what we need for Xiaomi, I’m going straight home to study!”

Bai Qingyu’s shoulders trembled slightly, her eyes shimmering with warmth.

On their way home, they picked out a blue-and-white cat carrier, just the right size for Song Xiaomi.

When they pushed open the apartment door, the little orange furball was already waiting in the entryway. At the sound of the door, it let out a “meow,” its tail standing straight up.

It first trotted over to Song Yuehua, rubbing against her pants leg and meowing twice, then turned and dashed toward Bai Qingyu, emitting softer, sweeter purrs from its throat.

Truly, it knew how to share its affection equally.

Song Yuehua: …

“Alright, let’s make this quick,” Song Yuehua said, unzipping the cat carrier. Bai Qingyu reached over and gently placed Song Xiaomi inside.

It was probably the little one’s first time in a carrier. Curious, it pawed at the transparent window, its round eyes wide with wonder.

As soon as the zipper was closed, Song Yuehua leaned in to look and saw Xiaomi already curled up contentedly, licking its paw.

“Mimi, you’re so brave,” Song Yuehua whispered, leaning closer.

“Let’s go,” Bai Qingyu said, patting her shoulder.

Song Yuehua straightened up and followed Bai Qingyu to the pet store.

The pet store was enormous, like a giant supermarket, with a wide variety of items. Shelves stretched from the entrance all the way to the back, filled to the brim with cat food, litter, and toys.

Song Yuehua looked at all the adorable cat beds and felt like buying every single one for Song Xiaomi.

She wore the cat carrier with Xiaomi in front of her. Through the transparent window, the little one tilted its head, observing its surroundings, its tail swishing back and forth inside the carrier.

“Senior, look at this!” Song Yuehua pointed at a strawberry-shaped cat bed. “Isn’t it super cute?”

Bai Qingyu examined the flashy but impractical design, the strawberry leaves were made of hard plastic with rough edges. Seeing Song Yuehua looking as if she wanted to crawl inside and try it out herself, Bai shook her head. “No, the edges are too sharp. They could scratch Xiaomi.”

“Oh.” Song Yuehua lowered her head, her voice tinged with disappointment.

Just as Bai Qingyu was about to offer some comfort, Song Yuehua immediately pointed to a suspended space capsule cat bed nearby. “What about this one? It looks like a house for astronauts!”

Bai Qingyu rubbed her forehead. “This one looks unstable. If Xiaomi turns over inside, the whole thing might tip over.”

“Alright…” Song Yuehua shifted her gaze to another cat bed adorned with tiny bells, her eyes lighting up again.

“That one would be a hassle to clean. Dust tends to accumulate in the crevices of the bells.”

“How about this one? The little flowers on it are so pretty!”

“Cats tend to chew on small petals. If swallowed, they could get sick.”

“This one looks sturdy!”

“The fabric is too rough. It wouldn’t be comfortable for long-term use.”

…

After browsing the entire store, under Bai Qingyu’s strict scrutiny, Song Yuehua finally made her choice.

While filling out the delivery address at the counter, Song Yuehua leaned over and whispered to Bai Qingyu, “Senior, can we also buy a cat teaser? The one with feathers, Xiaomi would definitely love it.”

From inside the cat carrier, Song Xiaomi gently tapped the transparent window with her paw and let out a soft “Meow~.”

Bai Qingyu couldn’t help but laugh and pulled Song Yuehua’s hand to leave. “Let’s go. What we’ve bought is enough for Xiaomi to play with for a while. When she gets bored, we can come back and pick out something new.”

“Okay…” Song Yuehua glanced back repeatedly as they walked away.

After arriving home, Bai Qingyu slung her backpack over her shoulder and turned to leave.

“Won’t you stay a bit longer?” Song Yuehua hugged Song Xiaomi, her tone full of reluctance.

Being with Bai Qingyu felt so comfortable, like basking in the early winter sun, warm and cozy.

“No, I have to tutor in the evening,” Bai Qingyu adjusted her backpack strap.

“Alright.” Song Yuehua nodded, knowing it was a serious matter and not wanting to hold her back.

Suddenly, her eyes lit up. She lifted Song Xiaomi in front of her and waved the kitten’s paw with her fingers. “Will you come again tomorrow? Xiaomi says she’s looking forward to it.”

Caught off guard, Song Xiaomi let out a confused “Meow~,” her amber eyes wide open as if in agreement.

“Meow~” Will you come?

Bai Qingyu looked at the identical hopeful expressions on both the girl and the cat and couldn’t help but laugh, finally giving in. “If I have time, I’ll come.”

Song Yuehua was so careless, she might run into problems taking care of Xiaomi. It was only right for her to check in.

“Yay!” Song Yuehua immediately cheered, hugging Xiaomi tightly and ruffling her fur until the little one was a mess.

Song Xiaomi: Meow?

“I’m leaving now,” Bai Qingyu said, opening the door.

Song Yuehua quickly stood up. “I’ll walk you downstairs.”

When they reached the building entrance, Song Yuehua suddenly remembered something and hurried after her, calling out, “Senior!”

Bai Qingyu turned around.

Song Yuehua shuffled her feet on the ground, a bit embarrassed. “If I come across any difficult questions while studying… can I ask you?”

She consoled herself inwardly: This is to help Song Yuelan build a solid emotional foundation. Yes, that must be it.

Bai Qingyu was momentarily stunned, then broke into a smile. Sunlight sparkled in her curved eyes like two clear pools of spring water. “Of course, feel free to reach out anytime.”

After seeing Bai Qingyu off, Song Yuehua had just opened her front door when the doorbell rang. A delivery person handed over the items she had bought for Xiaomi, and several large boxes were carried into the center of the living room.

Sitting cross-legged on the floor, she opened the largest box to find a three-tier cat tree inside, its parts scattered all over the place.

“Where does this piece go?” Song Yuehua picked up a curved wooden board and compared it to the cylindrical pillar, attempting to fit them together twice, but each time the result was crooked.

After struggling for ten minutes, the assembled structure resembled an abstract sculpture.

She had no choice but to pick up the instruction manual and squint as she studied it word by word.

Ring, ring, ring.

Her phone suddenly rang, and Song Yuehua frantically dug it out from between the couch cushions.

The caller ID read: My Dear Sister.

Followed by a red heart.