Unbearable - Chapter 14
Chapter 14: “Go Wait For Me At The Same Place As Yesterday”
There were no classes on Sunday, but her biological clock woke her up on time anyway.
Light slipped through the gap in the curtains, and the old air conditioner outside buzzed with all its might. In the silence, Yu Wei stared off into space for a while.
Then, as usual, she washed up, worked on practice questions, went downstairs for breakfast at seven, and returned upstairs to keep studying.
The silence stretched from dawn until late at night. The WeChat transfer had exceeded 24 hours and was automatically returned by the system. Finally, she received two message notifications.
Yu Wei opened the chat window, scrolled a bit, and ended up looking at Yu Wei’s completely empty Moments feed. She wasn’t sure if she had never posted anything or if she had been blocked. Her profile picture was a pair of white figure skates, and her username was just “Yu Wei.”
It was real-name internet, but since it was Yu Wei, it somehow didn’t seem surprising.
Yu Wei put her phone down and closed her eyes to sleep.
Just as sleep was settling in, she heard extremely faint footsteps outside. She instantly sat up and tiptoed to the door, holding her breath and turning her ear toward it.
The footsteps stopped at the door. Then came the sound of it opening—and closing.
Yu Wei exhaled in relief, her back breaking out in a cold sweat. She checked the time: 3 a.m. With less than three hours before morning run, why had she come back?
From behind the wall, the sound of running water in the bathroom echoed faintly. Yu Wei lay in bed, listening. She wondered if Yu Wei knew the two bedrooms shared such acoustics. You could hear everything during a shower. If she did know…
…She’d probably just “Oh” and ask, So what?
Envy.
For some reason, sleep took hold quickly this time. The next morning, she actually didn’t wake until her alarm went off. She blinked in a daze before getting up and leaving her room. After a few seconds of hesitation, she knocked on the door across the hall.
As always, no one responded.
Halfway through breakfast, Yu Wei returned from outside, her black tight-fitting T-shirt soaked with sweat. She passed through the living room to the stairs without so much as a glance toward the dining room.
Five minutes later, she came back down in her uniform, wet hair dripping, heading straight to the entryway to lean against the wall and look at her phone.
She didn’t move. She didn’t speak. And she didn’t leave.
Yu Wei sat at the dining table, glancing at her from the corner of her eye.
Was she really… waiting for her?
Yu Wei blinked, remembering what Yu Wei had said the night before: It’s only right.
She pressed her lips together, picked up her backpack, and walked over.
The two left together, got into the car, arrived at school, and entered the classroom—without exchanging a single word.
It felt even more distant than before.
When class ended at noon, Yu Wei stood up early, but Yu Wei, who had been sitting by the back door, moved faster. She was gone before Yu Wei even got fully upright.
Mouth pursed, Yu Wei was swept downstairs by the flow of students. She hid by the wall and opened her phone.
Yu Wei: Go wait for me at the same place as yesterday.
Yu Wei stared at the message for a long while.
…: Okay.
Before long, Yu Wei sat on the bench, watching someone approach from afar. Two lunchboxes rested beside her, but Yu Wei turned and walked away again.
The tree canopy was thick and tall, and light trickled down in fragments between the branches. She left the shade and light without a pause.
For several days in a row, they stopped speaking. Even their WeChat conversations halted at that simple okay.
Yu Wei stopped glancing toward the back door. Yu Wei also didn’t say anything vaguely passive-aggressive.
They went to school together in the mornings, Yu Wei brought back two lunchboxes at noon, and they went home together in the afternoons. Behind closed doors, only faint sounds passed through the wall. Only when Ding Qing asked Yu Wei about things did she open her mouth to say two words:
“Big sister.”
As if that were the end of it.
All the familiar, seemingly warming interactions felt like they’d just been Yu Wei’s illusion.
Five days passed.
On Friday at noon, after finishing her exam, Yu Wei sent Yu Wei her first message in days.
…: I’ll get lunch myself today.
A few seconds later—
Yu Wei: Okay.
They sat in the last two rows of the classroom, only about two meters apart, both staring down at their phones.
Yu Wei put her phone away, expression unchanged, but her eyes shifted slightly to the right—then back.
Yu Wei picked up two lunchboxes on her own and ate in Yulin. Just as she returned to the classroom, she received a call from the police station.
“What’s got you smiling so hard?” Cheng Miao turned around to ask for Yu Wei’s notes to prep for the afternoon exam, eyes gleaming with gossip. “Don’t tell me it’s—”
“It’s not.” Yu Wei pressed her lips together but couldn’t hide her happiness. She leaned closer and lowered her voice. “It was the police station. They caught those guys.”
Cheng Miao slammed the desk. “For real?”
“Keep it down.” Yu Wei nudged her arm. “Yeah, and they want a private settlement.”
Yu Wei was the one who left her number, but Yu Wei was the one who had reported it.
“They wish! Let them rot in jail!”
Yu Wei chuckled. “It’s not that serious.”
Cheng Miao asked, “Did they say anything about what happens next? That guy who took the photos had to be in on it—otherwise how did he get such a perfectly timed shot, that close?”
Yu Wei frowned.
She had found that strange too. That alley wasn’t in the food street—it was a dead-end in a remote area. How could someone just happen to be there, blackmailing her and also filming?
“They didn’t say… We’ll see.”
It was good news. Yu Wei pulled out her phone and opened her chat with Yu Wei, looking at their most recent message.
Forget it.
As long as the people were caught, Yu Wei probably didn’t care anyway.
“So what was that ‘It’s not’ about, then?” Cheng Miao wiggled her eyebrows.
Yu Wei: “…Just something I said.”
Yu Wei dropped her backpack and stared coldly at the two whispering girls. The chubby guy sitting in front of her tried to chat but was instantly scared off by her gloomy expression, quickly turning back around.
After the afternoon exam, Cheng Miao suggested they go out to celebrate.
“Justice has been served! We have to feast and cleanse the bad luck!”
Yu Wei didn’t really want to go.
But she also didn’t want to go home yet—especially not with Yu Wei—so after a moment’s hesitation, she nodded.
Cheng Miao turned and shouted to the class, “Craving barbecue, who’s in?!”
The classroom, previously as still as seaweed soup, suddenly came alive.
“Let’s go!”
Yu Wei: “…”
Kind of regretting it now.
“Is Yu Wei coming?” someone asked.
Yu Wei looked up. Yu Wei had just stood, backpack in hand, heavy and full.
“No.”
She opened the door and walked out.
Cheng Miao quickly explained, “Athletes can’t eat randomly. Let’s go.”
“Didn’t she retire though? Not official, but still.”
The mood shifted sharply.
“Says who?” Cheng Miao glared. “Don’t spread baseless rumors.”
The guy rolled his eyes. “Why so pressed? She didn’t deny it herself, why are you panicking?”
Yu Wei frowned.
The back door suddenly opened again. Yu Wei stood there, eyes locked on the boy.
“Relax. Even if you drop out, I’m not retiring.”
Silence.
She walked off. It was several seconds before anyone spoke.
“What a show-off.”
Cheng Miao slammed her bag. “Screw you! Say that again outside!”
“Let it go, let it go.” Liang Pang picked up the bag at his feet and handed it to her. He chuckled, “Ding Yangze, your sister just moved up to the youth division, right? She’s not even competing with adult athletes. Leave some room for karma.”
Yu Wei remembered Ding handing out tickets for his sister’s competition once, but she hadn’t paid attention.
When Cheng Miao refused the bag, Liang slung it over his own shoulder. It was covered with keychains and badges that jingled.
“Let’s go, Queen. Still hungry.”
“Let’s.” Cheng Miao grabbed Yu Wei’s arm. “Not skipping barbecue over an idiot. Who else is in? Barbecue!”
A crowd of students poured down the stairs together.
Some joked around. Some echoed the complaints.
Cheng Miao was still grumbling beside Yu Wei. “His sister just moved up and has to compare herself to adults. Been pushing her image online since last year. Their official account even threw shade about ‘aging out’ and ‘coach abandoned her.’ Her dad should take a look at her crap performances first!”
Yu Wei blinked. “Does Yu Wei have anything to do with her?”
“Sort of.” Cheng Miao rolled her eyes. “The coach that built Little Fish’s fame jumped to their club last year—to coach her.”
“Couldn’t they coach both?”
Before Cheng Miao could answer, Liang replied, “That club’s owned by Ding’s family.”
“So she doesn’t have a coach now? That’s rough.”
Cheng Miao sighed. “That’s why she’s been training on her own at public rinks. Keeps getting reported for skating too fast. Even rink staff complained online.”
Yu Wei listened quietly. With the resources the Yu family had, if Yu Jingcheng wanted, he could’ve hired a top coach—domestic or international.
But all he gave was rink access…
The topic shifted quickly as they reached the food street.
The students grabbed tables and chairs. No need for menus—they ordered meat skewers, tendon, a couple plates of edamame, and continued chatting.
“The math test was way easier than last time.”
“Finally acting human.”
“How can you eat barbecue without beer?” someone yelled. “Show of hands—who’s legal?”
“Don’t embarrass yourself! Just pass me the beer!”
The night market filled up gradually. Uniformed students blended into the crowd.
Liang fetched two boxes of beer and added sodas and juice for the girls—some warm, some iced.
Cheng Miao handed a room-temp apple juice to Yu Wei. “Weak stomach. Avoid cold drinks.”
As soon as the skewers arrived, the party began. Beer and soda hissed open, mingling with the food smells.
“Speaking of trending topics, didn’t Yu Wei go viral recently? Something about a fight? Orange, you know the inside scoop?”
Yu Wei nearly choked on the fizzy drink.
Cheng Miao stammered, “That… that thing…”
“It wasn’t a fight.” Yu Wei swallowed and exhaled. “A few thugs cornered me for money. She happened to pass by and helped.”
“What?!”
Yu Wei nodded. “The cops called today. Said they caught them.”
Everyone knew she’d been limping. Assignments and test papers were always submitted by Cheng Miao or whoever happened to walk by.
They had just assumed she was injured. They’d seen Yu Wei helping her walk in the mornings.
Turns out it was like that.
“Damn! She seemed all cold and distant—who knew she’s a justice warrior!”
“Maybe just introverted. Doesn’t mean she doesn’t care.”
“Respect!”
“She protected our class goddess. She’s one of us now!”
Yu Wei felt both embarrassed and relieved. She grabbed a drink, pried it open—psst—
It was chilled. Mist clung to the can.
Wrong one.
But it was open, so she took a sip. A slightly bitter, fizzy flavor—new, but nice. She drank a bit more.
The conversation drifted from praising Yu Wei to being glad their homeroom teacher was Ms. Xiang and not Old He.
“My buddy in Class 5 cried when he heard he didn’t get Ms. Xiang. Said he’d fight his way into Class A.”
“And?”
“Lasted two days. Said she’s great, but Old He is terrifying. He gave up.”
The table burst into laughter.
Teenage joy came easy. A random sentence could keep them laughing for half the night.
With cool beer bubbling in their mouths and good friends all around, Yu Wei took off her glasses, sipping slowly as she listened to everyone talk nonsense.
The world looked like a blur of colored scribbles—no need to see clearly, no need to join in.
She was content to watch the color blocks flow, blend, and blur into one another. Vivid, surreal.
The tension in her spirit finally softened, letting the alcohol slowly spread through her.