Chapter 70: So You’re Playing the Emotional Card, Huh?
Finally off work at seven o’clock, Zhao Mingyue strolled into the convenience store right on time to cover for the evening shift. The guy behind the counter couldn’t have been older than twenty-three or twenty-four, and he had a hefty mop of hair complemented by a pair of glasses.
This guy hardly ever spoke to Zhao Mingyue. Whenever their eyes inadvertently met, he would quickly look away like he just spotted a ghost. Any communication was limited to short sentences, and he would never venture within two meters of her.
“Ah, finally done for the day! Time for a hot shower and a good night’s sleep!”
As she pushed open the store’s door, the wind chimes jingled six times, as if they were welcoming her exit. The store fell into silence, with only the timid man at the counter stealing glances at her retreating figure, his hands shaking like he’d just seen a horror movie.
It wasn’t that he fancied Zhao Mingyue; he’d admit she was a real looker, a celestial beauty in his eyes, but he would never dare get closer. She had that thing about her—pure terror.
“Gotta ask Brother Wang and the store manager to take care of things tonight and tomorrow. Even if I don’t get a day off, I’ll still need one.”
On a lonely street, Zhao Mingyue was pushing her bicycle.
In the bike’s front basket lay a rabbit plush toy, utterly still. One eye was a red button, while the other sparkled like a shiny plastic gem.
The toy had a hodgepodge of fabric fluff on its head, and its ears bore clear signs of patchwork—color mismatches that stood out like a sore thumb.
“The store manager is a good guy. He knows my situation, so last year around this time, he let me take a day off.”
Her voice was soft and sweet, like a gentle breeze.
Underneath her dark, bright eyes, the streetlights reflected twinkles as Zhao Mingyue gazed up at the darkening sky. With her slender fingers, she brushed a stray hair behind her ear, her expression heavy with emotion as she let out a quiet sigh.
To Bai Yu, Zhao Mingyue looked fragiler than ever; that little figure of hers seemed like it could be knocked over by a gust of wind.
In her mind, Zhao Mingyue’s perfect figure and looks were secondary—what really mattered was her quirky personality and stubbornness.
She had a touch of innocent naivety, often seeming a bit clumsy, but in reality, she was sharp as a tack. Rarely did she throw fits, and she could actually listen to others’ opinions. Most of the time, she was bursting with youthful energy, with smiles being her most frequent expression.
She knew how to find joy in hardship, never the type to drag her feet or fuss about things, and she wasn’t about to play the martyr either.
On her own, juggling studies and a part-time job to make ends meet, she wasn’t the type to use her looks or figure to make quick cash.
So seeing her wear that melancholic expression right now puzzled Bai Yu.
Wait, do girls like Zhao Mingyue ever have worries?
Suddenly, memories from the recent past flared up in Bai Yu’s mind.
Zhao Mingyue had circled tomorrow’s date on the calendar hanging in her living room. Sometimes she’d get lost in thought staring at the family pictures. Plus, that slight disappointment she wore in the convenience store told Bai Yu tomorrow was a big deal for her.
Pushing her bike, Zhao Mingyue passed by a flower shop.
She slowed her pace again, peeked inside, hesitated a bit, then stopped her bike by the curb.
“I’ll be right back; I’m going in to buy a bouquet.”
With that, Zhao Mingyue darted into the flower shop. The rabbit plush toy in the basket turned its head, observing Zhao Mingyue chatting with the shop owner.
Moments later, she emerged holding a few bundles of light-colored carnations.
“Sorry for the wait! I just bought some flowers to bring to my parents’ graves tomorrow.”
“Graves?”
“Yep, my parents went missing when I was really little. By the time I found them, they had already passed. My sister seriously took me to that place; that was the last time I saw them—well, technically, I saw their bodies.”
Zhao Mingyue carefully placed the wrapped carnations into her bike basket, squeezing them in next to the rabbit toy.
“Honestly, I kind of hate them for leaving me and my sister in the lurch, bouncing us from this relative’s house to that neighbor’s house. Whenever they came back, they’d always look like they’d just eaten sour lemons, and they never smiled when they saw us.”
“Whenever they finally returned, they would just stand at the door, smoking.”
“My mom? Never said much, just pushed me to study and told me to play nice with relatives.”
“She wouldn’t even let me hang out with kids my age. If I even so much as glanced at them, I’d be in for a real scolding. For the longest time, I was pretty terrified of even being around other kids.”
“But then I started to understand why my mom acted that way.”
“As a kid, I was like a walking disaster. Anyone who got too close to me was bound to have bad luck.”
“I had a close friend who ended up dying because of this… and not just her; two other kids faced the same fate.”
“Once, I was lured away by a bigger kid from the village, and I distinctly remember a black shadow emerging from the corner—the silhouette of a tall, thin woman who took that kid away. I screamed and yelled, but it was no use. By the time adults showed up, the poor kid had drowned in a well.”
“After that, the village kids called me a devil, claiming I was possessed by a terrible demon.”
“Ah, but that’s all in the past. Honestly, I have a lot of respect for my parents. After all, they brought me into the world and not once have I caught them drying their tears in secret.”
“Who would have guessed my sister would go missing too?”
By the time Zhao Mingyue got home, it was already past seven-forty. The sky had darkened, and the shadows cast by the streetlights made her seem elongated and ghostly.
“Your sister’s just missing, right? I believe you’ll find her. For now, take care of yourself,” Bai Yu could only manage to say after much contemplation since she wasn’t good at comforting others.
Zhao Mingyue fell silent for a moment, her previously melancholic eyes morphing into something more mournful. “Hmm… I thought you’d offer to join me for the gravesite visit tomorrow.”
“I… I’ll return early, that’s all.”
Just as she parked her bicycle, a slightly disappointed Zhao Mingyue blinked in disbelief at Bai Yu’s words. “You promise?”
“Under one condition.”
“Oh, oh, oh! You’re the best, Yu妹! Don’t worry—I’ll make sure to give you a look that nobody will ever notice!”
“…”
Well, what can you say? She honestly didn’t expect Zhao Mingyue to tug at her heartstrings like that.
But hey, a promise is a promise. Accompanying her to the gravesite visit with her parents? It didn’t seem like such a bad idea after all, did it?
···
At the beginning of the month, I’m begging for tickets, sniff sniff! I’ll be on my knees!
QAQ
