Unbearable - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Suddenly, the sound of running water came from the bathroom. Yu Wei stiffly turned her neck to look, then let out a sigh of relief.

Hurried footsteps chased from the living room to the entryway. Ding Qing stood behind Yu Wei with a pale and tense face, clutching Yu Wei’s sleeve near her elbow.

“Just try staying here for a few days, okay?”

Yu Wei wanted to leave, but Ding Qing held her back. Her face was filled with irritation and frustration.

Yu Wei took half a step back, standing alone with her suitcase in the dimly lit area where the light couldn’t reach.

“What are you standing there for?” Ding Qing spotted her and immediately spoke in a cooler tone. “Why are you back so late? The whole family’s been waiting for you.”

Yu Wei pressed her lips together, wanting to explain. When she looked up, her gaze fell on the two people standing side by side. Only then did she realize how much Yu Wei resembled Ding Qing. They both had a pair of sharp, thin eyes that carried a naturally cold and distant air when they looked at her.

She opened her mouth but closed it again, eventually lowering her gaze and softly said, “I’m sorry. I went back to the dorm to pack. I’m late.”

Ding Qing didn’t respond, just placed a hand on Yu Wei’s wrist.

Yu Wei turned her body to avoid the touch, stepping aside to make room at the doorway and looked at Yu Wei.

Yu Wei lowered her head and walked past her.

Ding Qing closed the door behind them, half-pushing and half-dragging Yu Wei inside. She called out to Yu Wei over a few steps of distance, “I had you pick your sister up on the way. Forgot to tell you. Why didn’t you say anything when you came back? Aren’t you two in the same class at school? Do you sit together?”

Ding Qing clearly hadn’t heard about the seat change at school. Yu Wei paused slightly while pushing her suitcase. She turned back to look at Yu Wei and softly called out, “Sis.”

Her voice was quiet and gentle, carrying an apologetic tone.

As expected, Yu Wei frowned.

Yu Wei gave her an apologetic look. Just as she turned back, she heard Yu Wei give a low, cold “Mm.”

Yu Wei froze for a moment.

Neither of them answered Ding Qing’s question. They quietly let it slide.

As they entered the house from the entryway, Yu Wei greeted Yu Jingcheng, who was rarely home. He looked up at her with a slight nod before lowering his head again to read his documents.

Yu Wei dragged her rolling suitcase around the living room. The old building was outdated and poorly renovated. There was no elevator—just a narrow, steep spiral staircase.

The yellowed stairwell walls had at some point been repainted a pale pink. The walls were lined with framed photos, all showing Yu Wei at different stages of winning awards. They glittered under the lights.

Yu Wei carried her half-human-sized suitcase, climbing the stairs step by step. Her steps grew heavier, and her hand holding the suitcase dropped lower. The wheels thumped against the stairs with a heavy clunk.

Downstairs, Ding Qing’s voice coaxing Yu Wei floated up with the echoes of her steps.

“This house was bought with the money Mom earned before marriage. It’s old now and the renovation’s outdated, but it’s quiet, spacious, and we’ve remodeled all the empty rooms into a dance studio and gym for you. We’ve already hired a coach—they’ll be here tomorrow. If you really don’t like it, we can move. Mom has another place near your school, living there would be more convenient…”

Yu Wei withdrew her gaze from the staircase, frowning coldly. “I’m not used to living here.”

Ding Qing’s flood of affection was instantly cut off. She didn’t speak for a long moment.

Yu Wei finally reached the top of the stairs and leaned against the unfamiliar-colored wall, gasping for breath. Her right hand trembled with spasms.

Muffled voices drifted up through the floors like water—indistinct and buzzing. It sounded like Yu Jingcheng had said something, and for a moment everything went silent.

Then Ding Qing began coaxing again, trying to ease the tension.

Yu Wei stood in the dim, unfamiliar hallway, listening as her breath and heartbeat gradually calmed. She felt dazed and suddenly realized—So this is what a real family is like.

She pushed her suitcase into her room. A few minutes later, she came out of the bedroom, hands tucked into her sleeves with only the red tips of her fingers peeking out. As she walked down the stairs, the noise from earlier had died down. The three of them now sat in the dining room in a stiff, tense silence. Their expressions and temperaments looked strangely similar.

Yu Wei’s steps faltered.

“Come eat,” Ding Qing called.

At the long table, Yu Jingcheng sat at the head, with Ding Qing and Yu Wei sitting opposite each other.

A stable, complete triangle.

Yu Wei pulled out the chair beside Yu Wei and sat down—neither too close nor too far.

The dishes on the table were light and healthy, all placed in front of Yu Wei. Her bowl was piled high like a small mountain.

But Yu Wei sat with her hands on her lap, showing no intention of eating.

“Come on, eat.” Ding Qing urged her. “The nutritionist put together a special athlete meal. I peeled the shrimp myself. Try some?”

“I told you—I don’t eat dinner.” Yu Wei lifted her eyes slightly, her tone full of impatience.

The gentle look on Ding Qing’s face instantly froze.

Yu Jingcheng’s chopsticks hit the table with a crack. His expression turned grim.

“I heard figure skaters have to be really strict with their diet to control their development. It’s tough. Once the season ends, you can relax a bit, right?”

Yu Wei turned her head toward Yu Wei, her voice soft and gentle, flowing slowly through the tense atmosphere. “It must be hard. Maybe you should stop skating.”

Yu Wei didn’t respond. She turned to look at her, her gaze cool and indifferent.

Yu Wei lowered her eyelashes, hiding her eyes.

“That kind of suffering—it’s enough. Do whatever you want from now on. No one can force you anymore.” Tears welled up in Ding Qing’s eyes. They turned red.

Yu Wei’s face was cold, with a hint of sarcasm. “Forced?”

Who forced her to skate? Yu Wei bit the soft flesh inside her cheek, lost in thought. From the corner of her eye, she caught the sight of Yu Wei’s tightly clenched hands and the veins bulging over her muscles.

Yu Jingcheng frowned, his sharp gaze sweeping over. “Watch your tone!”

Ding Qing glared at him, then quickly turned to Yu Wei again with tearful eyes and a forced smile. “Then I’ll make it again for you tomorrow at noon.”

Yu Wei glanced at the tense jawline of Yu Wei, watching as her lips opened to speak. She interrupted quickly, “Are you coming home for lunch tomorrow?”

Lunchtime wasn’t too long, but the school was far from here. Going back and forth was inconvenient.

Ding Qing hesitated for a moment. “No need. I’ll have Xiao Li bring it.”

“We’ve prepared a room for you upstairs. If you’re not eating, go rest.” Yu Jingcheng spoke, his gaze falling on Yu Wei.

Yu Wei got the message and stood up, her tone gentle as she looked toward Yu Wei. “I’ll show you the room.”

Yu Wei didn’t move. Her brows were tightly furrowed. Her thin eyelids sank deep into her sockets, forming sharp lines. Her hand, hanging by her side, clenched before she stood up, grabbed her backpack, and walked toward the stairs.

The staircase lighting was dim. Yu Wei glanced at the photos on the wall, her already sullen expression darkening further.

Yu Wei looked down at her feet. “Mom and Dad care about you a lot. They love you. They just don’t know how to show it.”

Yu Wei suddenly turned to the side, one foot on the last stair. The light above hadn’t been turned on, casting a heavy shadow behind her.

She stared at Yu Wei. “Mind your own business.”

Yu Wei looked up, meeting the naked frustration and displeasure on her face. After a few seconds of silence, she spoke softly, “Let’s go. I’ll show you your room.”

She walked past Yu Wei and turned on the hallway light. “If this one isn’t on, it’s voice-activated. Once you switch it on, it’ll stay on.”

With that, she pushed open the first door.

What used to be a plain white empty room had been completely redone. All four walls were lined with mirrors, a ballet barre stood in front, yoga mats lay nearby, and all kinds of foam rollers were neatly arranged on the newly laid wooden floor.

That feeling of strangeness surged up instantly.

Yu Wei looked at herself in the mirror, and at Yu Wei’s face half-blocked by the door frame. She quickly looked away. “This is all prepared for you. There are no neighbors next door. Downstairs…” She paused, “Downstairs is Mom and Dad’s room, but they’re not home often.”

Yu Wei still had her bag slung over one shoulder. She didn’t even glance at the training room. She walked straight past Yu Wei and placed her hand on a doorknob.

“That’s my room.”

Yu Wei hurried up to her and pointed to the door across from them. “That one’s yours.”

Yu Wei let go of the handle and stepped across to open the door. Her face twisted with disgust.

Even more so than when she had been forced to sit through dinner.

Like she’d swallowed a fly.

Yu Wei quickly looked inside. The newly remodeled bedroom was princess-themed—everything pink. The walls were covered in more photos of Yu Wei, and a row of stuffed animals sat at the head of the bed.

“If you don’t like it, you can ask Mom and Dad to change rooms,” Yu Wei said, voice tightening.

There were only three bedrooms on the second floor. One was now a dance studio. The only one left to swap was Yu Wei’s.

“No need,” Yu Wei muttered with disdain, still stepping inside. She tossed her bag onto the desk, then climbed onto the chair to take down the photo frame on the wall. Holding it in her hand, she turned her head and looked at Yu Wei still standing at the door. “Anything else?”

“No.”

Yu Wei shrank her hands into her sleeves and fidgeted with her fingers. “Then get some rest. If you need anything, just call me.”

“You’re not a maid or a nanny,” Yu Wei said, jumping off the chair. Her brows were filled with contempt and disgust. She casually flipped the frame upside down and placed it against the wall. “Go do your own thing.”

Yu Wei pressed her lips together and quietly closed the door.

She stood in the narrow hallway. The soft yellow light wrapped around her, illuminating her thick eyelashes and the silent, repressed confusion in her expression.

Moments later, she heard voices arguing downstairs and slowly walked down along the wall.

Ding Qing suddenly slammed her chopsticks onto the table with a loud crack. “I don’t want her skating anymore!”

Yu Wei had just reached the bottom when the flying chopstick struck her cheek with a burning sting. She bent down to pick it up and placed it beside the table.

Yu Jingcheng bent down beside Ding Qing and gently comforted her. “Don’t worry. If she can stick with it, that shows she has strong will and character.”

“What strong character!” Ding Qing’s voice rose. “What does my child need willpower and character for? Or is it your Yu family that needs it? You’re only satisfied when she suffers?!”

“Ah Qing,” Yu Jingcheng called her name sternly.

Ding Qing’s breathing grew rapid. Her eyes red, she looked up at Yu Wei.

Yu Wei pulled out a new pair of chopsticks and placed them in front of her. “Dad didn’t mean it that way. Trust in Sis. Everything will be okay.”

“What do you know?!”

The sharp voice exploded in Yu Wei’s ears, buzzing inside her head.

Yu Jingcheng gently patted Ding Qing’s shoulder, sighing. “You go up too.”

“Sis’s just come back. She’s just a little nervous and unsure how to talk to you. With everything changing so suddenly, it takes time to adjust.” Yu Wei looked at Ding Qing, whose expression was slowly calming. Her voice was soft but firm. “Give her a little more time. It’ll be okay.”

Yu Jingcheng looked at her, surprised and bewildered. His voice was low. “And you? Your life’s changed a lot too.”

He looked at the “daughter” he’d rarely seen in over a decade. There was no bl00d relation, no emotional closeness, but with just a few words, she’d managed to calm Ding Qing, who was falling apart. From being the Yu family’s only daughter to a wrongly swapped fake heiress—she was far too calm.

“I… I don’t know.” Yu Wei frowned slightly, then smoothed it away. Her expression went blank for a second, soft as a cloud under the light. “Mom said she’s the big sister and I’m the little one. I’m happy to have a sister. And Mom and Dad are happy too.”

Ding Qing’s voice was still choked, her eyes bloodshot as she looked at her. “Mom knows you’re sensible.”

Yu Jingcheng visibly relaxed and nodded, letting her go rest.

“Sleep early. Good night.” Yu Wei quietly turned and went upstairs. Ding Qing’s choked sobs trailed faintly behind her.

It was the first time the whole family had gathered in this house, but the air was filled with a strange tension—like being sealed in a jar of gunpowder. The scent of smoke was faint but unmistakable, though no one knew if it would ignite.

Yu Wei sat curled at her desk, knees drawn up. She couldn’t focus on a single word on the page. Her mind was already too full to take in anything more.

The sound of running water came from the bathroom again. Yu Wei stiffly turned her neck toward the noise and finally let out a breath.

She had forgotten—this place had never been lived in before.

The bathroom on the other side of the wall was separated by just a thin panel. It must be Yu Wei taking a shower.

The water stopped. A few minutes later, soft footsteps seemed to stop just outside her door.

Yu Wei blinked in confusion. She was just about to put her feet down when the sound moved away again.

A few minutes later, Ding Qing’s broken voice erupted downstairs.