Unbearable - Chapter 37
Chapter 37: “Our family is all well.”
Yu Wei drifted awake, her eyes still half‑closed. She sat up, mascara blurred on her lashes, and murmured, “What…?” She tried to repeat herself but the words dissolved as quickly as they formed.
Yu Wei immediately reached to steady her as she slumped, whispering close, “The car’s here.”
“Hm?” Yu Wei blinked, her senses sluggish. She rubbed the backpack on her shoulders, pushing herself up from the shoe bench in slow motion. Her neck bent forward, head bowed, disheveled hair resting on her forehead. “Hm…”
She stood there, waiting for Yu Wei as though on autopilot.
They stepped outside—the rain had finally stopped. Just after 4 a.m., the world was dark and cold.
Yu Wei stumbled behind, squinting to watch Yu Wei’s phone light guide their steps.
“Has the rain… stopped?” she mumbled.
“Yeah.”
Yu Wei glanced down and saw the other’s coat sleeve drape too loosely. Gently, she tugged the fabric upward, wrapping Yu Wei in coat warmth. Wrapping her himself around her, she murmured, “It’s cold out.”
And it was cold.
A thin drizzle wrapped around Yu Wei’s ankles, a piercing chill that instantly cleared her head. She blinked, and before she knew it, Yu Wei was pulling her along through puddles and splashes.
Inside the car, Yu Wei was still dazed. She watched as Yu Wei calmly scooped the coat from her head and re-donned it, perfectly composed.
The driver peered back with concern. “Ladies, what were you doing stuck out there so late?”
“We were skating,” Yu Wei replied smoothly.
Yu Wei saw her zipped coat collar blocked nearly to her forehead, leaving only a few stray hairs visible.
Driver shook his head. “Lucky you, that old district floods badly after rain. Dangerous for students late at night.”
Yu Wei nodded silently.
About ten minutes later, she reached over to adjust Yu Wei’s collar zip. But the other girl shrank away, tight inside her coat.
“Not too hot?” Yu Wei asked quietly.
No movement. She peeked again and cracked a shy smile.
“…Sleepy,” came Yue Wei’s soft murmur.
Yu Wei knew her—sleep meant she dropped her guard completely. She curled into his shoulder then, safe in his arms.
Gently, he unzipped the coat a bit, easing her out. Yu Wei’s face peeked out softly, eyelids heavy, eyelashes brushing his shoulder.
Breathing even, warm. The heady scent felt tender, familiar.
The car eased to a stop in front of their home. Yu Wei lifted her head, sleepy eyes meeting Yu Wei’s gentle gaze. Mist hugged the air.
“Cold?” she stepped forward.
Yu Wei shook her head. She hesitated, but slipped her hand from the coat and nestled it in Yu Wei’s palm.
The layers of fabric hid their cling, but the contact was real.
Inside, the front hall was dark and abandoned—Ding Qing hadn’t returned.
They kicked off their shoes and walked upstairs, side by side, just a small space between their doors. Yu Wei looked at the left room—“Still running today?”
“No.”
Yu Wei exhaled, “Then I can sleep a bit more.”
The bathroom faucet splashed. Then abruptly stopped.
Yu Wei stilled, heart thumped. She heard footsteps retreat, and hushed silence settled.
She let out the breath she’d been holding, clicked it back on, letting warm steam wash over her.
Eventually, both were quiet.
Yu Wei tossed and turned for a moment, finally curled herself in bed, pulled the blanket up over her head, but her mind buzzed. She reached for her phone—no text from Ding Qing yet. She deleted a school‑forum photo featuring Yu Wei’s side profile and slipped back under the covers.
Just as she was drifting, someone knocked.
Her heart jolted. She stumbled to the door in a haze as muffled voices seeped in.
“Mom’s back—”
“Lower your voice,” came Yu Wei’s voice, low and steady.
She heard more—Ding Qing saying something hoarse, voice wavering with guilt and worry. Asking if Yu Wei had been bullied. Yu Wei wept, regretting not being there for her girls. Words rushed back and forth, apology after apology.
The confession splintered Yu Wei’s heart, each word carving in.
Then Yu Wei leaned into the door, tone tender:
“Yu Wei’s asleep.”
Her voice soft but firm.
Then, quieter still:
“Did you know when she was a kid… she once got trapped at a bus stop in a rainstorm all night?”
Silence from the other side—a simple truth suddenly laid bare. The doors clicked shut again.
At dawn, Ding Qing returned—meticulously dressed, shoes clacking, bright skin and mascara, no trace of fatigue. She drove them to school.
Yu Wei looked like she’d just woken, managed a sleepy “Hi.”
“I came back late,” Ding Qing admitted, softer than usual. “Work overran. I couldn’t make your celebration, but I saw it online—brilliant. Yu Wei,” she looked at Yu Wei, “you skated beautifully, and your violin—so good, I thought you’d quit it.”
Yu Wei looked down. “School got busy… I paused.”
“Don’t stop if you love it,” Ding Qing said, smiling. Parking outside, she frowned gently. “Yesterday… I shouldn’t have yelled at you. You’re not mad, right?”
Yu Wei stilled. Then advised, “No… I know.”
A moment passed. The car door opened.
Yu Wei stepped out and fell in line behind Yu Wei.
Suddenly, Yu Wei turned and nearly collided with her. She stumbled forward, cheeks reddening. She lowered onto tiptoe, nearly nose‑to‑neck.
Her heartbeat drummed.
“Get mad at what?” Yu Wei asked quietly.
So close.
Yu Wei tried to step back, but Yu Wei tugged at her shirt lightly, pulling her nearly into her arms again.
Her next breath came through throat‑tight puffs.
So hot—breath caught in shared space.
After a beat, Yu Wei straightened. She adjusted her glasses hastily, eyes flicking everywhere.
Yu Wei’s hand closed around Yu Wei’s fingertips, pulling them to her chest. She leaned forward, reading her eyes.
“You… scared of her?” she asked softly.
“No…” Yu Wei shook her head. “I… just wanted… our family—all of us… to be okay.”
Her voice shook with sincerity. She looked up, eyes shining calm fulfillment.
They were close to perfect now—maybe just starting down a brighter path.
Yu Wei’s lips curved, but words caught.