Unbearable - Chapter 13

Chapter 13: The Two of Them at the Door, One Inside, One Outside

Yu Wei didn’t go with Cheng Miao.

She returned to the classroom only right before the afternoon classes began, having come from the elm grove. The crowd that used to gather outside the back door had thinned over the past two days, now reduced to one or two people who would crouch, sneak a glance into the classroom, then quickly scurry away.

Yu Wei pushed open the door, her gaze drifting down for a moment before quickly retracting.

She stayed quiet all afternoon. During the last two periods of self-study, she messaged Uncle Li, telling him she was with a friend and would head home on her own that night.

Right after sending the message, her phone shut off.

Frowning, Yu Wei glanced back at Yu Wei. She had her head down reading, white earphones tucked into her hair, glaringly visible.

Phones were officially banned at school, and though inspections were rare, students typically used them in secret — let alone wearing earphones so openly during class.

Yu Wei lifted a hand.

Yu Wei quickly turned her head back.

Swish—the blackout curtain was pulled halfway down, blocking the stream of sunlight that had been spilling into the back rows.

Yu Wei’s heart beat faster for no clear reason. She didn’t look back again.

After school, she didn’t leave.

She buried herself in problem sets, almost like she was running away — pouring all her focus into them until students slowly began returning for evening self-study, the sky already dark outside.

When she packed her bag and turned around, Yu Wei was still sitting at the back door.

She hadn’t left.

Gripping her backpack straps, Yu Wei opened the door and walked out, brushing past her.

Down the stairwell, holding onto the handrail — barely a couple minutes later, maybe only ten seconds — footsteps echoed behind her.

Not too close, not too far. Steady and deliberate.

Yu Wei tensed instinctively, lowered her head, and kept going.

At the bottom of the stairs, she looked back and saw Yu Wei standing above, backlit by the hallway ceiling lights. The angle made it hard to see her face, but they were close enough that the deep shadow beneath her thick lashes was clearly visible, those dark eyes fixed on Yu Wei.

Her silhouette stretched down and fell across Yu Wei.

Yu Wei quickly dropped her gaze. “Did you… tell your family how you were getting back?”

Yu Wei’s lashes lowered slightly. Her voice was flat. “Whose family?”

Yu Wei felt a pang in her chest, stung. She spoke in a quieter voice. “I told Uncle Li not to pick me up.”

Yu Wei raised a brow. “So?”

“My phone died… I don’t know if someone else came.”

Yu Wei frowned. If Ding Qing had come to pick her up and waited this long without finding her, she might be furious by now.

“So?”

Yu Wei: “…”

Right. She clearly didn’t care.

Yu Wei descended the last steps, backpack slung over one shoulder. With her other arm, she naturally reached over Yu Wei’s shoulder, spun her around, and guided her toward the schoolyard.

Twilight settled in. After the bell rang, the campus became completely still.

Dim yellow streetlights, a gentle night breeze carrying lingering warmth from the ground, rustled the hanging willow branches and cast a cool wave over Yu Wei’s shoulder.

She scratched at the nape of her neck where a strand of hair tickled her.

“Stop right there!” someone shouted ahead. “Which class are you from?!”

A flashlight’s blinding beam swept toward them along with the stern voice.

Yu Wei quickly turned her face aside and shut her eyes.

“Grade 11…”

“Oh, two girls.” The flashlight moved away. “Day students? You’re not supposed to loiter around campus during evening study. All right, go on.”

As the beam shifted away, darkness returned.

Yu Wei turned her head and cleared her throat.

“What the heck?” Yu Wei muttered, frowning as she looked down at her. “Your school patrols like they’re catching criminals?”

Yu Wei didn’t correct her phrasing. She was too embarrassed to lift her head, her face heating up.

“They’re not catching criminals…”

After a moment, Yu Wei let out an oh.

The atmosphere suddenly turned strange and awkward — like the wind had paused and the willow branches stopped moving.

Still strangers, it seemed. Encounters like this made things uncomfortable.

By the time they exited the path, the lights near the school gates seemed brighter than usual.

Yu Wei let out a sigh, her eyes drifting to a figure at the school gate. At once, she shoved Yu Wei away and stepped aside.

Yu Wei’s arm, still half-raised from holding her shoulder, hung midair. She turned her head toward Yu Wei, then followed her gaze toward the distant figure of Ding Qing.

She shoved her hands in her pockets and silently strode ahead.

“Sorry,” Yu Wei murmured.

Yu Wei didn’t respond, eyes lowered. She didn’t look back. A few steps later, she was already ahead.

As they moved farther from the light, the shadows lengthened, stretching and warping along the pavement until they disappeared beneath the person walking in front.

“Why so late?”

Ding Qing looked at Yu Wei, frowning anxiously. She was clearly trying to control her tone, and the forced gentleness made her expression seem even more forced.

Yu Wei replied flatly, “Extra study. Lost track of time.”

“Ah, studying.” Ding Qing’s face immediately brightened. She took a few steps beside Yu Wei and suddenly turned to Yu Wei. “Be sure to help your sister out, okay?”

Yu Wei murmured an acknowledgment and, by the light coming from the guard booth window, glanced at Yu Wei.

She didn’t look happy. Her lips pressed into a line, her jaw tense.

Yu Wei looked away. “She’s very self-disciplined.”

Ding Qing smiled with satisfaction, eyes still fixed on Yu Wei. “Let’s go. Time to go home.”

She opened the front passenger door, but Yu Wei got into the back without hesitation. Her expression froze for a moment, then she forced a smile and shut the door.

Yu Wei lowered her eyes and pretended not to notice. She walked to the other side and got in.

On the ride home, Ding Qing asked Yu Wei countless questions about school, what dishes were served at lunch, and whether they suited her taste.

Yu Wei answered every few sentences with only a word or two.

Still, Ding Qing remained delighted, her smile unwavering.

Back at the old house, food had been laid out in the dining room, and Yu Wei, as usual, headed straight upstairs.

A few minutes later, faint rhythmic thump thump sounds came from upstairs — someone jumping.

Ding Qing’s eyes reddened as she stood abruptly.

“Mom.” Yu Wei spoke quietly. “Have you seen any of her competition videos?”

Ding Qing turned at the dining table. “Why?”

Yu Wei looked up at her. It was odd — she and Yu Wei had never met before this, yet they were strangely alike.

Ding Qing frowned, turning toward the stairs to go up.

“Figure skating is a blend of sport and art. From music selection to choreography, each program is refined and adjusted repeatedly before finally being performed. Every program is the skater’s soul laid bare,” Yu Wei lowered her eyes. “A friend told me that her routines feel like she’s stomping on fate.”

Ding Qing glanced back, expression skeptical. “You kids exaggerate everything.”

Yu Wei met her gaze, giving a slight smile. “But I think she’s very much like you.”

A new sound echoed from upstairs — louder than before.

Ding Qing’s jaw trembled. “Is that so?”

“Yes.” Yu Wei nodded. “I know you’re worried about how hard she trains, how she doesn’t have a coach and has to rely on herself. How she battles her body’s changes and carries the mental burden of falling from great heights. But even so, she hasn’t given up.”

Ding Qing’s eyes bore into hers, voice unreadable. “What are you trying to say?”

“I’m saying…” Yu Wei looked into those eyes that resembled Yu Wei’s, “Mom, maybe you could step into her world and support her.”

Dinner was, as always, eaten in silence.

As Yu Wei was heading upstairs, Ding Qing called her from behind. “What about you? What do you like?”

Her tone was awkward, unfamiliar.

Yu Wei turned. “Just small hobbies, not nearly at her level.”

Ding Qing gave a soft mm.

All the doors upstairs were closed, but only one room had sound coming from it.

Yu Wei looked over, then went to her own room. While Yu Wei was still working out, she quickly changed and showered.

The air conditioner in her room was over a decade old, and barely worked. She turned it off, opened the window, and sat on her bed to dry her hair.

Her legs were bent over the bed’s edge. Damp hair hung down, dripping onto her leg — a bit cold.

Yu Wei wiped the droplets off her leg, pausing at the softened wound where the scab had started peeling. The skin was still bruised and swollen, with bl00d seeping from the edges.

She stared down, watching as water trailed from her hair.

Her neatly trimmed, slightly pink fingernail reached toward the wound, gently scraping the scab.

Knock knock—

Yu Wei flinched, accidentally tearing the wound open. Bl00d welled up, staining her finger.

“Ah…”

She sucked in a breath, grabbed a tissue to wipe it clean, and got up to open the door.

Her damp hair clung to her shirt, outlining her figure.

Yu Wei instantly averted her eyes, expression stiff. Her brow furrowed as she stared at Yu Wei’s calf. “You’re bleeding.”

“Oh, yeah.” Yu Wei pressed her lips together. “I might’ve scraped it during the shower. It’s fine.”

Yu Wei still looked concerned.

“Did you need something?” Yu Wei asked.

Maybe it was the awkwardness from earlier at school, but their eye contact didn’t last — they both looked away.

“Is your phone charged?”

“…Huh?” Yu Wei blinked. She went back inside, picked up her charging phone, powered it on, and handed it over. “A little.”

Yu Wei: “WeChat. Add me.”

Yu Wei blinked again.

She lowered her head, opened her WeChat QR code, and held it between them.

Yu Wei raised her phone, the scanning frame aligning with Yu Wei’s hand.

A red streak of bl00d peeked from between her fingers.

Beep—

Scan successful. Her profile appeared.

Yu Wei’s eyes drifted to her bl00d-stained fingertips. As Yu Wei pulled back her phone, the bl00d on her fingers deepened.

“Is your wound okay?”

Yu Wei nodded. “It’s disinfected. I’m fine.”

Her voice was soft, but calm — maybe it was just from treating the wound earlier. Yu Wei didn’t question further and lowered her eyes to her phone.

A system message popped up: You’ve added a new friend. Start chatting now!

She opened the transfer option and typed in a number.

Yu Wei’s phone vibrated. She looked up in confusion. “What’s this?”

“For the notes.” Yu Wei pressed her lips together. She’d read through them today — the ones being sold on the forum for five hundred didn’t come close to Yu Wei’s set. Was one thousand enough?

She looked at Yu Wei.

Yu Wei bit her lip, glanced down, and accepted it. Both phones buzzed with the notification. Then hers buzzed again.

Yu Wei looked at her phone — the one thousand she’d just received was returned.

She looked up. “What’s this?”

“Thank you for taking care of me these past few days.” Yu Wei felt a knot of frustration and grievance inside. She forced it down and didn’t lift her head.

Yu Wei frowned. “It was the right thing to do.”

The two of them stood at the doorway — one inside, one outside.

Yu Wei held the doorknob. Her voice was dull. “Anything else? If not, I’m going to sleep.”

She closed the door softly.

Click — the lock fell into place.

Yu Wei stood outside the door, frowning. She looked down at her WeChat again.

Was one thousand too little?