Chapter 326 : This... Might Be for the Best
“Why hasn’t the young lady come back yet?”
Wu Zi sighed, sitting in the living room. Her young mistress had been gone all day without a word about where she was headed. She hadn’t answered her phone either, and Wu Zi was starting to worry that something might have happened.
“Oh, come on, don’t be so anxious. You know what Yiyue’s like—she’s probably just having too much fun~”
Bai Jie said with a smile. She was quite pleased with Wu Zi, her daughter’s manager. Wu Zi was responsible, diligent, and took excellent care of her daughter. With Wu Zi around, she felt her daughter was in safe hands.
“But she hasn’t picked up her phone once. That’s never happened before, even when she’s out.”
“Maybe her phone died, or maybe she’s out with Ling Ning.”
Bai Jie said nonchalantly. Whenever her daughter went out with Ling Ning, she often turned her phone off, saying she didn’t want to be disturbed. After a few failed attempts to change this habit, Bai Jie had given up.
At the mention of “Ling Ning,” Wu Zi clenched her fists involuntarily. Why her, again? Why does it have to be her? Wu Zi had finally found someone she liked, landed a job that she was passionate about, and felt like she was living a dream—two joys combined into one. But it also brought a deep, unsettling ache.
Just then, the door opened, and Bai Yiyue walked in.
“Miss Bai, where have you been all day? Why didn’t you pick up your phone?” Wu Zi rushed up to her, only to stop mid-sentence as she noticed Ling Ning following close behind. So, she was with Ling Ning, after all.
“Hello, Manager Wu~” Ling Ning greeted Wu Zi, a little surprised to see her in Bai Yiyue’s house.
“Call me Wu Zi. Enough with this ‘manager’ business,” Wu Zi replied, her tone a bit stiff.
“Then I’ll call you Sister Zi, like Yiyue does,” Ling Ning said with a polite smile. Since Wu Zi was older than her, calling her by name felt a bit too familiar.
“Miss, is it a friend’s birthday today?” Wu Zi asked, noticing the cake box in Bai Yiyue’s hand.
“No, it’s my birthday today.”
“But… didn’t we already celebrate your birthday earlier this year?”
“Oh, that was one of my birthdays. This one’s different. Stop asking so many questions and come join us for some cake. And can you take this up to my room for me?”
Bai Yiyue handed Wu Zi a small, elegant bag containing the album she’d just received today.
“Alright…”
Taking the bag, Wu Zi noticed how carefully Bai Yiyue was handling it. She glanced inside, seeing a glimpse of white that looked like an album or a photo book. She figured it was probably something important, especially with how protective Bai Yiyue was acting.
As she entered Bai Yiyue’s room, Wu Zi accidentally tripped on something, and the bag slipped from her hands, sending the album tumbling to the floor.
“Oh no, I hope it didn’t break…”
She rushed over to pick it up, but the sight stopped her in her tracks. The album lay open on the floor, revealing a photo of Bai Yiyue and Ling Ning in wedding attire. Bai Yiyue, dressed in a white gown, was embracing Ling Ning with a radiant smile Wu Zi had never seen before.
Seeing her young mistress smiling like that… Wu Zi felt a pang in her heart. She realized that no matter how hard she tried, she could never make Bai Yiyue smile that way.
“Sister Zi! Aren’t you done yet? Come out for cake!”
“I-I’m coming!”
Hearing Bai Yiyue’s voice, Wu Zi quickly picked up the album, placed it carefully on the desk, and left the room, feeling an unexpected heaviness in her chest.
For reasons she couldn’t explain, she felt like crying.
⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱
“It’s getting late. I should be heading home,” Ling Ning said after they finished the cake.
“I’ll walk you out.”
Bai Yiyue immediately got up. She’d already offered to have Ling Ning stay over, but Ling Ning had politely declined, saying she needed to check on her daughter at home.
As they walked through the quiet neighborhood, the streets were nearly empty, with only the faint glow of streetlights illuminating their path.
“Um… Ling Ning.”
“Hmm?”
“Could I have a birthday gift?”
“What would you like?”
“Could you… give me a kiss?”
“A kiss? Didn’t I already kiss you today?”
“That was me kissing you. You haven’t kissed me yet… just one kiss, that’s all.”
Seeing Bai Yiyue’s hopeful expression, Ling Ning sighed. Reluctantly, she leaned forward and pressed a light kiss on her lips.
She quickly looked away, avoiding Bai Yiyue’s intense gaze. “Is that… okay?”
“Yes! I’m so happy~”
Bai Yiyue’s face lit up with excitement. She’d thought Ling Ning would refuse her request, so she was overjoyed by the unexpected gift.
“I’ll be going now. You should head back inside.”
“Alright, be safe!”
⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱
“What’s gotten into you, Yiyue?” Bai Jie asked, watching her daughter walk in with a face that looked as if she’d just won the lottery.
“Oh, nothing… I’m just really happy,” Bai Yiyue replied with a cheerful smile, heading to her room to take a shower.
Bai Jie shook her head in amusement as she watched her daughter walk away. *I’m too old to understand the ways of the younger generation these days.*
Passing the balcony, Bai Yiyue noticed Wu Zi standing there, smoking a cigarette. She paused for a moment, debating whether to say something, but ultimately decided against it.
Back in her room, she noticed that her album bag was slightly out of place on her desk. Connecting the dots, she realized that Wu Zi had likely seen the wedding album.
This… might be for the best.
⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱
Author's Note:
Lazy Fish has been deeply into gaming recently, and my backlog is running low. I really need to get back on track, but…