Weakness Trap - Chapter 56

Of course, Yu Lingxue didn’t dare enter Yu Qingluan’s shop just yet and could only linger at a distance.

She no longer spent long periods lost in thought near the store either.

Although after becoming the family head, Yu Lingxue had appropriately delegated some authority, and both Yu Yueheng and her younger sister were assisting her, there were still many matters that required her personal attention.

After several busy days, Yu Lingxue spotted Qu Mingyuan near Yu Qingluan’s shop this time.

Qu Mingyuan seemed to be waiting for someone, standing in place and looking around.

Noticing the watchful eyes in the shadows, Yu Lingxue quickly stepped forward and pulled Qu Mingyuan into a concealed spot.

“What’s wrong?” Qu Mingyuan looked at Yu Lingxue with confusion.

“Someone’s watching you,” Yu Lingxue said, handing her a hat to cover her face.

Qu Mingyuan wore a puzzled expression, growing wary, afraid that this strange person meant her harm. With her hands behind her back, she blindly sent a message to Jiang Yunong.

“You have amnesia, right?” Yu Lingxue, seeing her innocent and clear demeanor like a newborn calf, felt a surge of anxiety.

“Who are you?” Qu Mingyuan didn’t admit to it but took a step back nonetheless.

Yu Lingxue shook her head. “Just be careful in everything.”

Qu Mingyuan’s eyebrows nearly shot off her face. She felt that this inexplicable person before her was the dangerous one, the one she needed to be cautious of.

Yu Lingxue was helpless.

She wanted to catch up and ask how Qu Mingyuan had been lately.

But since this person didn’t recognize her, what could they even talk about?

Discuss Yu Qingluan?

Yu Lingxue glanced at Qu Mingyuan, her gaze obscure, and ultimately said nothing.

No matter what relationship Qu Mingyuan and Yu Qingluan had or how they knew each other, she wouldn’t give up on her plans because of it.

Yu Lingxue’s mind swirled with strange thoughts. Within five minutes, a car pulled up right where Qu Mingyuan had been standing.

Qu Mingyuan’s eyes lit up at the sight of the car. Ignoring Yu Lingxue, she hurried forward in two steps.

The woman in the driver’s seat also opened the door, got out, and quickly embraced Qu Mingyuan as she rushed toward her.

Yu Lingxue and Jiang Yunong locked eyes, a flicker of doubt passing through both their gazes.

However, seeing the interaction between Qu Mingyuan and Jiang Yunong, Yu Lingxue felt somewhat relieved.

She had thought it unlikely that Qu Mingyuan would be interested in Yu Qingluan. She had been overly suspicious before, jumping at every little sound, unable to sleep.

Qu Mingyuan had someone she liked. That was good.

Over there, Jiang Yunong tightened her arms around Qu Mingyuan. Not long after getting into the car, Jiang Yunong couldn’t hold back any longer and asked Qu Mingyuan,

“Was that woman who spoke to you someone you knew before?” She asked vaguely, but Qu Mingyuan caught the underlying meaning, a hint of a smile curling at the corners of her eyes.

“Guess?” If she made Jiang Yunong jealous a few more times, would she realize her own feelings sooner?

“I, I don’t know.” Jiang Yunong clearly grew flustered, a faint blush slowly spreading to the tips of her ears.

It seemed like all her thoughts were laid bare to Qu Mingyuan, yet she hadn’t even sorted them out herself.

“Maybe,” Qu Mingyuan leaned back in her seat, slightly lost in thought.

“After all, I don’t remember.”

Jiang Yunong tensed up again, her breathing growing uneven.

It wasn’t until they were inside the house that Qu Mingyuan quietly embraced Jiang Yunong, whispering into her ear, “That was Yu Qingluan’s ex girlfriend.”

“Ah,” Jiang Yunong let out a huge sigh of relief, only to freeze, her scalp tingling from the sensation on her back.

“Don’t think you can target my friend just because you can’t harass me anymore.” Over there, Yu Qingluan hurried out of the shop, wanting to stop Yu Lingxue from talking to Qu Mingyuan.

Due to her internal struggle, she arrived a bit late. Qu Mingyuan had already gotten into Jiang Yunong’s car and left safely.

Meanwhile, Yu Lingxue met her gaze. Reluctantly, Yu Qingluan steeled herself and stepped forward.

There was nothing to fear. Yu Qingluan comforted herself.

They were complete strangers. What did it matter if she showed weakness? Had she still not overcome the hurdle from three years ago?

“Do you know who she is?” Yu Lingxue maintained a polite distance, turning to face her with a piercing gaze.

Yu Qingluan frowned for a moment. “No matter who she is, don’t go bothering her.”

Yu Lingxue laughed instead.

“That’s my friend, my childhood companion. We’ve known each other since we were six and played together all the way through university.”

Yu Lingxue spoke in detail and earnestly, as if Yu Qingluan were there to check up on her.

At the time, Yu Qingluan didn’t catch that vibe and only found it strange. “Then why doesn’t she recognize you?”

“You saw our interaction?” Yu Lingxue’s focus was rather off track.

“I didn’t.” Yu Qingluan refused to admit she had been keeping an eye on Yu Lingxue’s movements.

“There’s nothing else between us.” Yu Lingxue continued to steer the conversation off course.

“Hmm, She has someone she likes. That couple looks like they’re about to get together, and they’re doing great. How dare you have any ideas?” Only halfway through did Yu Qingluan realize something was off and quickly tried to cover for herself.

“I know, I saw. If she finds true love, of course I’ll congratulate her.” Yu Lingxue let out a light laugh, subtly moving closer to Yu Qingluan.

Hearing her inexplicable laughter, Yu Qingluan looked up and noticed the redness on her left cheek.

Counting the days, it had been three days. It still hadn’t subsided.

Yu Qingluan averted her gaze, momentarily at a loss for words.

She felt annoyed again. She had come here to shoo Yu Lingxue away anyway there was nothing to talk about with her.

“If there’s nothing else, leave. Don’t bother me.” Yu Qingluan simply stared blankly at a spot on the floor.

Her unfocused eyes shattered the gray tones of late autumn, leaving only the reddish-brown of the person beside her glaringly vivid.

Yu Qingluan blinked, the dryness bringing tears that blurred her vision, yet that patch of reddish-brown remained stark. She breathed in and could even smell Yu Lingxue’s perfume.

She had changed her scent no longer roses, but osmanthus this time, elegant and subtle, evoking the atmosphere of autumn.

Yu Qingluan blinked again, steadied her emotions, and turned to look at Yu Lingxue, determined to make her leave now.

But Yu Lingxue had, at some point, already moved to her side.

Yu Qingluan was startled, her breath catching.

Yu Lingxue only looked at her with pity, wanting to reach out and touch her but not daring to, her hand hovering mid air before withdrawing. All she could offer was a single sentence.

“You haven’t been resting well.”

Yu Qingluan held her breath, as if trying to keep Yu Lingxue’s scent from seeping into her mind and taking root too deeply.

“Did you throw away the balm I gave you?” Yu Lingxue’s voice was also very soft, as if afraid of startling a wounded bird.

Yu Qingluan said nothing.

She gazed at Yu Lingxue, gradually unable to make out the features of the person before her. Time seemed to rewind in her eyes, bringing back memories that churned her stomach.

“That balm works really well. Just treat it as something you picked up on the roadside. Don’t make yourself suffer.”

Yu Qingluan jolted awake at the crisp sound of Yu Lingxue’s voice. Seeing Yu Lingxue felt like seeing her own abandoned self from that day, causing her to clench her jaw tightly as a chill seeped into her body.

“Just thinking it came from you makes me sick. I already smashed it and threw it away. How dare you ask me to keep using it?”

Yu Qingluan’s eyes reddened whether from the emotional backlash or days of poor rest, she couldn’t tell.

“I just didn’t want to see you suffering from insomnia and exhaustion,” Yu Lingxue took a step back, giving Yu Qingluan space to breathe.

She held out the opened balm in her palm, waiting for Yu Qingluan’s decision.

Yu Qingluan stared at the small green porcelain jar, recalling the faint, lingering palpitations of the past few days like the lasting trail of a fragrance, stubbornly clinging to her heart.

She picked up the balm and hurled it aside with force.

The jar shattered at the street corner, its white contents slowly spreading, mingling with the autumn chill and staining the air with a somber gloom.

From a distance, it looked as if the balm had died there, leaving behind a broken corpse.

“Satisfied?” Yu Qingluan glared at Yu Lingxue with intense hatred, trying to drive her away with that bitterness.

Yu Lingxue blinked. “Then slap me again. Last time, you only hit the left side it’s not symmetrical.”

Yu Qingluan had never heard such a request before.

She froze on the spot, wondering if Yu Lingxue had some peculiar preference.

Then she laughed at herself. What did it matter? If Yu Lingxue wanted to be hit, all the better.

Yu Qingluan really did slap Yu Lingxue again, then told her to get lost.

Yu Lingxue touched the burning heat on her right cheek and left, thoroughly satisfied.

Yu Qingluan stared blankly at her retreating figure until Yu Lingxue disappeared into the autumn mist. Only then did she slowly blink and leave the corner.

Yu Lingxue returned home with a flushed face, still chuckling softly.

The servants saw her like this but didn’t dare provoke her.

Everyone knew Yu Lingxue was mentally unstable. But to laugh after being slapped the servants were still shocked.

Yu Yueheng, having finished her tasks, came out and saw her daughter applying ointment to her face while smiling fondly, as if savoring a delicious memory.

She was startled, wondering if her daughter had finally lost her mind.

“Xue’er, are you okay?” Her mother took on the burden of asking for an explanation.

Yu Lingxue snapped out of her own world and looked up at Yu Yueheng with dazed eyes.

“Did you get hit again?” Yu Yueheng was starting to suspect that the person Yu Lingxue liked had violent tendencies.

“Not really? I asked her to hit me.” Yu Lingxue touched her right cheek it didn’t hurt or swell, just felt slightly warm and flushed, like patting her own cheeks when she was cold.

“She didn’t use much force.” At this, Yu Lingxue laughed again.

“It felt more like a gentle touch.” She leaned back, sprawling on the sofa, genuinely delighted.

“Doesn’t that mean she’s softened? That I still have a chance?” In that moment, Yu Lingxue was as naive as a child innocent, pure, and even a little foolish.

Yu Yueheng had to pour cold water on her excitement before she got carried away. “What if she just didn’t want to hit anyone?”

Yu Lingxue shook her head, unwilling to listen.

“Since I’m in a good mood, I’ll finish my work quickly.” She sprang up, humming a tune as she headed to the study.

Yu Yueheng remained where she was, exchanging a bewildered glance with the butler, her mind momentarily blank.

“Forget it. If the young mistress can be happy, that’s a good thing.” The butler was the first to snap out of it and even tried to console Yu Yueheng.

Yu Yueheng didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. It made sense, but she was just worried that Yu Lingxue might suffer an emotional backlash later.

A few more busy days passed. This time, when Yu Lingxue went near Yu Qingluan’s shop again, Yu Qingluan didn’t come out to see her.

Unfazed, Yu Lingxue simply walked into the shop.

There, she ran into Qu Mingyuan again.

Qu Mingyuan was waiting by the counter and seemed a bit flustered when she saw Yu Lingxue arrive.

Yu Lingxue thought about winking at her but was afraid of startling her, so she just sat nearby without saying a word.

Only then did Qu Mingyuan calm down a little, discreetly or so she thought sliding her chair slightly to the side.

“Little Bai Lan? Come in.” After a while, Yu Qingluan’s voice came from behind the door curtain.

Qu Mingyuan glanced at Yu Lingxue before lifting the curtain and going inside.

Yu Lingxue had no choice but to wait outside.

She passed the time by admiring the shop’s decor and Yu Qingluan’s latest works displayed in the counter, finding it not entirely boring.

But Yu Qingluan never acknowledged her presence. Hours passed, and even after Qu Mingyuan finished her lesson and prepared to leave, Yu Qingluan still hadn’t emerged from her room.

“Pass on a message for me.”

Yu Lingxue, finally hearing Yu Qingluan’s voice, jolted awake.

“Tell that jinx to get lost.”

Yu Lingxue fell silent for a moment, then heard Qu Mingyuan cautiously confirm, “Should I say it exactly like that?”

“Yes.” Yu Qingluan was certain Yu Lingxue could hear her.

Qu Mingyuan steeled herself and dutifully repeated Yu Qingluan’s words.

Inside the room, Yu Qingluan didn’t hear Yu Lingxue’s response, only the sound of footsteps.

Sure enough, when Yu Qingluan peeked out of her room later, Yu Lingxue was no longer in the shop.

Yu Qingluan let out a half-sigh of relief before noticing something left on the counter.

It was a box of scented balm.

This time, it wasn’t in a porcelain jar but a plastic container.

Facing Yu Qingluan’s side was a label that read: Shockproof and Drop-Resistant.

After doing all this, Yu Lingxue was no longer in Harbor City.

She had come across the job posting from Phoenix Yan Studio last month Yu Qingluan was hiring an assistant.

She was heading to M Country to interview for the position.