Weakness Trap - Chapter 12

Or perhaps, from long ago, Yu Qingluan had been that love-struck best friend of hers the kind no amount of persuasion could pull back from the brink.

Xiang Yan always tried her hardest to talk sense into her.

Yu Qingluan’s family situation was complicated. Her parents each lived their own lives, passing her back and forth like a burden, neither willing to take real responsibility for raising a child.

Her childhood was spent transferring schools, moving homes, constantly shifting from one environment to another.

Yu Qingluan was the first friend she made in Chu City.

And later, when Xiang Yan returned to Chu City to settle down with her grandmother, Yu Qingluan was the one who still recognized her, the one willing to “renew their friendship.”

Anyone would want to cherish a bond like that.

Sometimes Xiang Yan wondered if she cared too much.

What was the harm in not interfering?

It was Yu Qingluan who was being irresponsible with herself not Xiang Yan who had the problem.

But in the end, she couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.

Listening to Xiang Yan’s words, Yu Qingluan felt a flash of anger enough to make her want to send a message to Yu Lingxue.

But the impulse vanished as quickly as it came.

Why disturb Yu Lingxue out of spite?

Whether the water was warm or cold, she alone needed to know.

Yu Qingluan leaned back against the headboard. The carved bed creaked in protest.

Neither spoke.

Xiang Yan saw it clearly the moment Yu Qingluan’s hand, reaching for her phone, fell back.

Xiang Yan had a fiery temper; Yu Qingluan’s was comparatively gentle.

Whenever anger flared, Xiang Yan would remind herself to stay calm, to hold her tongue for a while.

So in that moment, only the wooden frame scraping against the wall made a sound soft, yet deafening.

“There’s really no need.” After a long silence, once the flush had faded from Xiang Yan’s face, Yu Qingluan finally spoke.

“Xiang Yan, I know you mean well. But I also know exactly what I’m doing.” Yu Qingluan turned her gaze away.

“It’s not that she’s asking me to do these things. I just want to do them myself. I want to be good to her.”

Her eyes trembled almost imperceptibly, veiling a deep-seated insecurity, timidity, and a faint trace of pleading.

Xiang Yan took a deep breath.

“You two are equals, you know that?” She pinched the bridge of her nose, resisting the urge to lash out at Yu Qingluan.

That would only hurt her the very opposite of why she was urging her to break things off.

“I’m not talking about money. She’s wealthy because she comes from a good family, because she has a good mother. Your family’s situation is the way it is because you hold onto your beliefs, because you stay true to your art.”

“Rich or poor, famous or not you’re equals as people. You took care of her for a whole month when she was sick. So why can’t you act a little spoiled with her? Why can’t you tell her you’re sick too and ask her to come see you?”

Xiang Yan cut her off before she could reply. “It’s not bothering her. You’re a couple, aren’t you? This is just normal interaction between people in a relationship.”

“Okay?” Xiang Yan felt she really had pleaded with every ounce of patience she had.

She went to the kitchen to boil another pot of water, stirring the powdered medicine as she faced the old, stained stone wall.

The metal spoon clinked against the ceramic bowl ping, pang, clatter.

Lulled by the sleep-inducing rhythm, Yu Qingluan finally set her phone down.

The screen waited to dim on its own after five minutes.

Before that, the sentence left in the input box kept blinking, the vertical cursor at the end pulsing steadily.

I have a fever. I miss you.

A message Yu Qingluan, in the end, didn’t have the courage to send.

“Alright, don’t be mad.” Over the weekend, once Yu Qingluan had fully recovered, she accompanied Xiang Yan to the largest shopping mall in town.

“I’ve told you so many times, I’m not angry, just worried about you.” Xiang Yan insisted on correcting her.

“Right, right. And I’m perfectly fine.” Yu Qingluan had already finished making all the gifts for Yu Lingxue by working overtime.

Actually, there weren’t many. They had only known each other for a year.

There were just three occasions starting to date, New Year’s, and Valentine’s Day, when she had given Yu Lingxue presents.

That was why Yu Qingluan now had time to go shopping with her good friend.

Xiang Yan had parents who didn’t pay much attention to her.

But her aunt was quite reliable. After she started university, her aunt would give her pocket money, and the amount was substantial.

However, Xiang Yan hadn’t developed a habit of shopping sprees.

Most of the time, she just dragged Yu Qingluan, who preferred staying home embroidering and had no money for new clothes out to shop, adding a few pieces to her wardrobe that both she and her mother could wear.

Xiang Yan had already picked out several outfits for Yu Qingluan. Yu Qingluan had seen through her intentions and was already thinking about how to refuse later.

The coat from last year was still in good condition.

Besides, Yu Lingxue had also given her thermal underwear and woolen pants.

Clothes are durable goods, what’s the point of buying so many?

Autumn was deepening, and the weather was slightly chilly.

Today, Yu Qingluan had gone out wearing a small fleece hat.

The hat hugged her head, and she tucked her face into the high collar of her sweater, making her look like a little rabbit.

While walking, someone even asked for her WeChat.

“I have a partner,” Yu Qingluan chuckled, not wanting to embarrass the girl.

Xiang Yan teased from the side, “How many is that now? See, I told you you’re popular no one ever asks me for my WeChat.”

Hearing this, Yu Qingluan pulled her over to the girl.

“This is my friend. She’s 178 cm tall, fair-skinned, long-legged, and even gets shy. She’s super fit, has a northeastern temperament, and takes great care of people. Want to consider her?”

Xiang Yan actually blushed.

The girl really sized her up, then took out her phone again and opened the scan interface.

“You’re really causing trouble.” After stiffly adding her as a friend, Xiang Yan looked like she wanted to cry but had no tears, scolding Yu Qingluan.

“Just chat, what if you hit it off?” Yu Qingluan patted Xiang Yan’s back.

No other reason.

Her good friend, who had double-door refrigerator arms, slender fingers, exceptional stamina, and clearly defined abdominal lines had one dream.

She wanted to be a pillow princess.

Yu Qingluan had even complained that she was wasting her gifts.

“It’s not that.” Xiang Yan was too embarrassed to say.

Seeing how Yu Qingluan handled relationships had genuinely made her wary.

Moreover, although Yu Qingluan looked sweet and had a gentle demeanor, the aura she gave off was quite obvious.

The lesbians who asked Yu Qingluan for her WeChat were usually the type who wanted to be taken care of.

Yu Qingluan was about to say something else when she caught a glimpse of a metallic flash out of the corner of her eye.

She suddenly stopped talking, subtly shifted her steps, and hid behind Xiang Yan.

Xiang Yan thought someone had appeared, frowned, but didn’t move.

A few seconds later, Yu Qingluan grabbed Xiang Yan and they started running.

They went up a floor, and Yu Qingluan was still trying to find an angle to check the situation downstairs.

“Who did you see?” Xiang Yan hadn’t caught her breath yet.

“I’d rather not say.” It was that woman named Wen Ying.

That signature black-with-gold lipstick. Just seeing it made Yu Qingluan frown.

And that flamboyant head of red curls was too eye-catching, making Yu Qingluan’s legs move before her brain could react.

“Rather not say?” Xiang Yan followed her gaze downward.

Yu Qingluan might not recognize her.

But Xiang Yan could tell the woman was either wealthy or noble.

From head to toe, it was at least a million. And that was just the brands Xiang Yan could recognize.

There were also clearly custom pieces from foreign designers priceless and unavailable on the market.

Even with her red hair and black lips, Xiang Yan could draw one conclusion:

This person was likely from the wealthy elite.

Judging by Yu Qingluan’s reaction, she was probably connected to Yu Lingxue.

The upper class of Hong Kong.

Could she be Yu Lingxue’s fiancee?

At the very least, she must be a childhood friend or from a family with long standing ties.

Xiang Yan glanced at Yu Qingluan.

Otherwise, why would Yu Qingluan be so tense?

The two of them silently observed for a quarter of an hour.

By the time Xiang Yan had finished the bubble tea she’d just bought, Yu Qingluan reluctantly withdrew her gaze.

“You know, this habit of scrutinizing someone’s behavior just because you dislike them really needs to change,” Xiang Yan teased.

Yu Qingluan said with frustration, “I just didn’t expect.”

She thought that person had already left Chucheng.

But she hadn’t left.

Would Yu Lingxue meet with her during this time?

On the day of the gala evening, Yu Qingluan had also prepared this year’s gift for Yu Lingxue.

She planned to ask Yu Lingxue when they could meet.

After the evening performances, midterm exams for each department would be mostly over.

Yu Lingxue should have more free time by then, right?

Sure enough, Yu Lingxue replied quickly.

[Winter: My little bird, it’s been almost two weeks since we last met. I miss you so much.]

[Winter: We can meet tonight! 10:30 p.m., same place as usual after it ends~]

[Winter: Remember to come watch my performance, okay?]

Three messages in a row, making Yu Qingluan’s lips curl into a smile.

[Little Bird: I’ll be there.]

After sending it, she wasn’t sure what else to say.

She actually had a lot she wanted to tell Yu Lingxue.

And she had gifts to give her.

But through a screen, it never felt quite right.

Yu Qingluan turned off her phone and went to check on the drama club.

As expected, they were arguing again.

The two club presidents had been debating whether to perform an Eastern or Western play this time for over a month.

Even though the costumes were already decided, Yu Qingluan had to admire their persistence.

“I snagged us some great seats,” the president of their embroidery club whispered mysteriously, clinking as she pulled out the tickets.

“Thank you,” Yu Qingluan said, genuinely surprised. She hadn’t even thought about tickets.

Yu Lingxue hadn’t mentioned it, and Yu Qingluan hadn’t looked into it.

She assumed it would be like previous years performances on an open-air stage where arriving early would guarantee a good spot.

“This year, to prevent crowding, they set up audience seating. You can still watch from the back hill, but it’s not as clear. There’s also a live stream, but it lacks the atmosphere,” the president explained the details.

“You’re definitely going to watch Yu Lingxue. Our three seats are together. We’ll have Xiang Yan stand on a chair to take photos for us,” the president had even planned that far ahead.

“You wish,” Yu Qingluan shot her a glance, a faint smile touching the corners of her eyes.

“Of course. Your senior’s got your back, ready to lift you up.”

Yu Qingluan thought of the other members from their junior and freshman years and asked about them.

The president said they all had their own tickets and not to worry.

That evening, the three of them entered the “venue.”

Though called a venue, it was just a square cordoned off with barriers.

The square was already ablaze with colorful lights.

The warm-up music was so loud it hurt their eardrums.

Quietly, Yu Qingluan took out the earplugs she’d prepared and handed a pair to the president and Xiang Yan.

The opening acts included song and dance performances, along with a solo.

Su Lian even sang a heartbreak song, sparking murmurs throughout the audience.

Next up was the drama club’s performance.

The venue instantly fell silent as everyone raised their cameras.

Yu Qingluan had just been scrolling through the forum and saw that someone had posted photos of Yu Lingxue’s makeup and costume from two hours earlier.

Now, she had one saved on her phone too sent to her by Yu Lingxue before she went on stage.

Satisfied, Yu Qingluan deleted the forum from her background apps and saved the photo Yu Lingxue had sent her.

The drama club’s play was somewhat interesting, and Yu Qingluan settled in to watch.

But like most of the audience, she was waiting for Yu Lingxue to appear.

Amidst the sound of traditional opera, accompanied by cheap lighting and petal effects flooding the stage, Yu Lingxue emerged from the edge of the stage, wearing the costume Yu Qingluan had mended.

She didn’t need to learn how to act. She didn’t need heavy makeup.

In fact, she didn’t even need the overpowering background music, the tacky flowers, or the chaotic flashing lights to set the mood.

All it took was her entrance, a single glance over her shoulder, to evoke the feeling of a breathtaking, fleeting beauty.

At first glance, it was soul stirring. On closer inspection, it held a unique charm, and her heartbeat shifted from a frantic rush to a steady, rhythmic drumming.

Still fast, still loud.

Yu Qingluan forgot to take a photo.

She pressed a hand to her heart.

She remembered,

Last autumn.

The first time she saw Yu Lingxue.

Back then, there was no makeup, no background music, no flowers, no atmospheric lighting.

Yu Lingxue, dressed in a half-sleeved blouse and a long skirt, was simply beneath a willow tree, gently stroking a willow leaf with her finger.