Weakness Trap - Chapter 51

It was Yu Lingxue.

Even after nearly three years without seeing her, Yu Qingluan still recognized that petite silhouette as Yu Lingxue.

Yu Lingxue had changed from before.

The former Yu Lingxue had a gentle demeanor, yet her eyes carried a rebellious defiance, like a teenager who understood nothing yet wanted to challenge the whole world.

Now she seemed to have settled, becoming more restrained, with even that defiance fading, leaving only a weary sense of resignation.

Yu Qingluan frowned, pondering the word.

She hadn’t misread it, it was resignation.

A living person exuding such a thick aura of decay, like ruins, yet she was the flower blooming atop those ruins. Without drawing closer, one couldn’t tell if she was an illusion or reality.

Then, Yu Qingluan slightly lifted her gaze and noticed the layers of black and white in her hair, roughly understanding where her feelings came from.

A normal person in their twenties wouldn’t have so much gray hair.

Not to mention Yu Lingxue was thin and frail, hiding behind a tree trunk, small as a kitten.

Their eyes met. The black-and-white kitten blinked, tears glistening.

She seemed to be silently murmuring something, somewhat flustered, yet it was clear she wanted to step forward.

Yu Qingluan averted her gaze, silently stopping Yu Lingxue from approaching.

In any case, it had nothing to do with her anymore.

Neither Yu Lingxue herself, nor her current situation.

As long as she didn’t interfere with the expansion of her brand, they could simply gaze at each other from afar.

Yu Qingluan turned and went back into the shop, feeling that she had truly grown.

Two years ago, she hated her so much she cursed her every night, wishing her a miserable life. Now, upon seeing her again, she could merely glance at her.

Perhaps it was because both her career and her grandmother’s health were steadily improving.

Yu Qingluan slipped into the small room at the back of the shop to continue revising her designs. The shop was closed today, so she didn’t need to go out.

The next day, the frail kitten returned.

Yu Lingxue had changed her hiding spot, still only revealing her eyes.

She hid herself well in the shadows, only her eyes startlingly bright, making it impossible for Yu Qingluan to ignore her.

By noon, those eyes still hadn’t disappeared. Yu Qingluan tallied the morning’s earnings, then took a deep breath.

If it were her from two years ago, she would have hidden away.

She would have closed the shop, relocated, or even abandoned Hong Kong altogether.

But now she had grown, why should she retreat?

Yu Qingluan stepped outside, her mind echoing the same thought.

Surely she wouldn’t give up such a promising market over someone she no longer had ties with?

“What are you doing?” Yu Qingluan approached, catching Yu Lingxue off guard.

She never thought she’d speak to Yu Qingluan again in this lifetime. The moment she was addressed, tears she couldn’t hold back poured down like a summer storm.

“Lit, little bird, it’s really you.” Yu Lingxue bit her lip until it hurt.

Not a dream. Not an illusion. Both would fade with pain.

For two years, she had drifted between dreams and delusions, relying on pain to stay lucid.

Now, knowing Yu Qingluan was alive and seemingly doing well, the pain was slowly receding. She had to occasionally inflict external stimuli to keep from losing her mind again.

Yu Qingluan tilted her head slightly, her brow furrowing.

Yu Lingxue’s reaction and words were rather strange.

“Who else could it be?” Yu Qingluan regretted asking the moment the words left her lips. She wasn’t seeking an answer, nor did she want to engage in conversation with Yu Lingxue.

“You’re disturbing me here. You ”

Before she could finish, Yu Lingxue interrupted urgently.

“I just wanted to see you.” Yu Lingxue wiped away her tears, smudging some of her makeup in the process.

Only then did Yu Qingluan notice that Yu Lingxue looked much better today than she had yesterday. She wasn’t frighteningly thin anymore, either.

But upon closer inspection, it became clear she had applied blush and lipstick and layered her clothes to avoid looking as though she were on the brink of death.

“Really, Little Bird. I have no other intentions.” It had been over two years now.

From the day they parted ways until now, more than a thousand days and nights had passed.

She had thought Yu Qingluan was gone forever and had prepared herself to join her in the afterlife.

Who would have thought fate would twist and turn, allowing her to catch sight of Yu Qingluan in Hong Kong?

The overwhelming joy of finding what was once lost rushed to her head, compelling her uncontrollably to linger near Yu Qingluan.

Yet she knew all too well how unwelcome her presence was to Yu Qingluan. She didn’t dare approach, didn’t dare knock on the door of her shop. She could only hide nearby, watching from a distance.

Just being able to see her was enough.

That was Yu Lingxue’s happiness now.

From yesterday to today, the mere thought that she could occasionally catch a glimpse of Yu Qingluan, knowing that the girl she had wronged was now living well, was sufficient.

Today’s conversation was an unexpected blessing.

“I just want to watch you to see that you’re doing well. That’s all I need.” A natural blush spread across Yu Lingxue’s cheeks, replacing the makeup she had wiped away.

Under such a gaze, Yu Qingluan truly felt an inexplicable sense of happiness.

That happiness was contagious, and for a fleeting moment, Yu Qingluan considered letting it go.

What harm would it do to let her look?

But the moment of concession vanished as quickly as it came. Yu Qingluan clenched her fist.

“You’re distracting me here. I can’t focus on my work.” Anyone would feel uncomfortable being stared at so intently and affectionately, right?

It had little to do with whether it was Yu Lingxue or not.

“Then I’ll move farther away.” Yu Lingxue obediently stepped back.

“Is that the issue?” Yu Qingluan was exasperated.

She watched as Yu Lingxue retreated behind a nearby tree, peeking out with half her face. Her disheveled white hair drifted in the air, catching the light, and paired with her timid, cat-like expression, she truly looked pitiful.

Yu Qingluan rolled her eyes, utterly resigned. Without another word to Yu Lingxue, she returned to her shop.

She had things to do. Many things.

How could she afford to waste time on Yu Lingxue?

Yu Lingxue set up her telescope and secretly watched Yu Qingluan, like a sewer rat peering through a manhole at the happiness of the city.

Even if it was just watching, she was happy, content.

Yu Lingxue stayed until Yu Qingluan finished work, hung the “CLOSED” sign on the shop, and then took a car back to her residence.

She pulled out her diary, humming as she wrote about her feelings from the day and the words she wished she could say to Yu Qingluan. Then, she did one more thing.

The next day, Yu Yuehuan stared at her daughter, stunned for a moment.

“Xue’er, you.” She almost didn’t recognize her.

She had asked Yu Lingxue before if she wanted to dye her hair to avoid being stared at on the streets.

She pitied her daughter, subjected to so many gazes whether well-intentioned or not knowing it must be uncomfortable.

But Yu Lingxue had said, “This is my best deterrent, the most effective proof that I’m a madwoman.”

She went about doing those things with hair half gray, and everyone would know she had gone mad, fearing what even crazier step she might take next.

Yu Yueheng found this reasoning sound and didn’t bring it up again.

But now, she saw her daughter’s hair had “restored” to black.

For a fleeting moment, Yu Yueheng thought she had traveled back in time to the year before Yu Lingxue’s relationship had fallen apart.

Back then, Yu Lingxue was just as spirited and confident, as if she held the world in her hands, ready to take on anything at any moment.

At that time, her black hair flowed freely as she escaped or rather, embarked on a premeditated journey of growth sneaking off to Chu City without anyone knowing.

Her face was still soft and rounded, her eyes brimming with youthful innocence and clarity, hardly different from her childhood self.

Yu Yueheng followed her to Chu City and heard that Yu Lingxue had started dating a girl.

Whenever she spoke of that girlfriend, Yu Lingxue’s eyes would shine just like this.

Yu Yueheng remembered bringing up the topic of an arranged marriage, saying far too many things Yu Lingxue didn’t want to hear.

In the end, she asked what kind of person this girlfriend was.

She still recalled Yu Lingxue picking up a fan embroidered with flowers, mimicking the ancient scholars or perhaps the gallant heroes from fantasy dramas elegant and unhurried in every gesture.

With utmost seriousness, she told her, “She’s a very lovely person.”

Later, Yu Yueheng learned that the flowers on that fan were embroidered by Yu Lingxue’s girlfriend.

So this time,

Yu Yueheng suddenly realized wasn’t it said that the girl was no longer around?

“I found her,” Yu Lingxue said, touching her newly dyed black hair before applying a bit more powder, hoping to look healthier so as not to startle Yu Qingluan. “She’s in Hong Kong City.”

Yu Lingxue spoke as if recounting the sweetest story in the world, her eyes alight with a joy Yu Yueheng hadn’t seen in so long that its sudden return, so pure and untainted, startled her.

“Really?” Yu Yueheng would rather believe her daughter had lost her mind.

“Really, Mom, look.” Yu Lingxue showed Yu Yueheng the photos she had secretly taken.

“This time, I’ll protect her and her career,” Yu Lingxue said, clutching her phone to her chest as she spun in a slow circle, her lashes lowered and a smile lingering at the corners of her lips.

Even before seizing power, she had already dealt with the media outlets that spread rumors about Yu Qingluan back then.

If it weren’t for Yu Qingluan, she wouldn’t have targeted them first.

They were tough opponents, costing her considerable time and effort.

Now, she held sway over most of the entertainment media’s influence.

No one dared to slander Yu Qingluan under her watch.

No one.

Seeing Yu Lingxue like this, Yu Yueheng grew worried again.

Finding a lost love was a good thing, but Yu Lingxue’s current state didn’t seem like an improvement at all.

It seemed more like her delusions had worsened, blurring the lines between fantasy and reality.

Yet, the girl in the photo was indeed that delicate young woman from the water town.

“Are you going to try and reconcile with her? She probably won’t pay you any mind might even find you annoying.”

Yu Yueheng tried to hold her back, genuinely afraid that her daughter, who had only just begun to recover, would spiral back into madness if Yu Qingluan rejected her again.

She needed to look into this matter today. How could someone they had searched for all over China suddenly appear in Hong Kong City?

“I’m just going to see her. Don’t worry, Mom. I, I won’t expect too much for now” She knew exactly how much Yu Qingluan despised her.

Taking it slow was enough.

The person she loved was still alive. That alone was the best thing to happen this year.

Yu Lingxue went to the vicinity of Yu Qingluan’s shop as usual, picked up her binoculars, and watched for the entire morning.

She spotted a strangely familiar person entering Yu Qingluan’s shop, acting intimately with her.

Yu Lingxue lowered her binoculars, climbed a bit higher, and stared blankly, using her naked eyes to confirm.

She wasn’t mistaken. There really was someone.

Who was this person? What was their relationship with Yu Qingluan?

A wave of bitterness surged, instantly devouring the hard-won sweetness.

A hundred questions swirled in Yu Lingxue’s mind, yet she couldn’t voice a single one.

Standing frozen in place, she suddenly recalled the words Xiang Yan had once said to her.

So this was what it felt like to have no right to intervene.

Yu Lingxue scratched her wrist, the tingling sensation on her scalp persisting even now.

She had overlooked one thing.

Over the past two years, Yu Qingluan had been doing perfectly fine.

So if she had found someone new.

That would be completely normal.

Were they already a thing of the past.

Yu Lingxue blinked, tears washing away the accumulated joy of the past few days, leaving her torn between laughter and tears as she wiped her eyes with a strained expression.

Her makeup smudged into her eyes, causing a sharp sting. She blinked, feeling utterly lost.

Unbeknownst to her, Yu Qingluan had already stepped out of the shop and was walking straight toward her direction.