Unbearable - Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Yu Wei glanced at her.
Well, no doubt about it—she was pampered.
“Why are we here?”
The taxi wound its way through the alleyways of the urban village, finally stopping at an entrance too narrow to drive into. Yu Wei was helped through the tight gaps, arriving at the quiet front yard of a small home surrounded by low-rise, self-built houses.
The back of the house was right behind the dead-end alley they had just left.
So Yu Wei hadn’t been trying to shake her off—this really was her home…
Yu Wei’s face burned hot.
Yu Wei said nothing and pushed open the door.
The vermillion wooden gate creaked open. A tall, dense tree stood inside, its branches shading nearly the entire yard in lush greenery.
“Grandma.”
Yu Wei called out.
“Why are you back already? Brought a friend? Have you eaten yet?”
Yu Wei looked toward the voice. An elderly woman sat beneath the tree, golden glints reflecting from something in her hands as she rustled around a large plastic bag in front of her. She asked warmly, “What happened?”
Yu Wei’s lips moved slightly. She lowered her gaze to the ground. “I fell and scraped myself.”
“Is it serious? Go lie down in the house.” The old lady started walking toward them. Seeing Yu Wei helping someone through the doorway, she added, “Your air conditioning isn’t fixed yet—take her to my room.”
Yu Wei hesitated and stopped walking.
“No need,” Yu Wei tugged on her sleeve, looking up with a nearly pleading expression. “I, I…”
She clenched her fists. Her eyes suddenly stung with heat, and she quickly looked down again.
The small room was filled with the midday summer heat—hot and stifling.
Yu Wei was helped to sit on the edge of the bed. The old single bed creaked.
“Shoes off,” Yu Wei said, turning to fetch a blanket from the wardrobe. When she turned back, she found Yu Wei frozen and sitting stiffly.
“What? You want me to do it?” Yu Wei dropped the blanket at the foot of the bed and bent down.
Yu Wei quickly stood up, feet together, stammering, “I—this is your bed.”
There was still a faint scent on the bed—fresh, with hints of floral and sunshine.
Yu Wei said nothing, knelt down, and began untying her shoelaces.
Yu Wei pulled her foot back, bumping her calf against the bedframe and wobbling slightly.
“I’ll do it myself.” She quickly bent down, removed her shoes, and awkwardly folded her legs onto the bed, embarrassed beyond words.
Yu Wei held her injured ankle and gently propped it up on the blanket.
Yu Wei instinctively tried to pull back, but couldn’t.
“Don’t move,” Yu Wei said, voice low. Her grip tightened, then quickly released.
With a light touch, she rolled up the pant leg, revealing the injury.
The swelling had worsened.
The already slim ankle looked like it could snap in a breeze.
Yu Wei turned and lifted the beaded curtain.
The strings jingled as she passed through, mingling with her voice: “Grandma, do we still have ice?”
“I keep it frozen, just in case you need it!”
Footsteps faded through the courtyard.
Sunlight filtered through the tree shadows and into the room.
Yu Wei’s mind was a mess.
Her gaze jumped around the room like it had been burned—nervous and tentative—along the light yellow walls, ginger-colored wardrobe… unfamiliar shadows overlapped with familiar ones as she scanned carefully, over and over.
Sweat clung to the nape of her neck.
The curtain jingled again—Yu Wei’s tense nerves snapped back into alertness.
Yu Wei came in holding a plastic bag of ice, sat on a small stool beside the bed.
She pressed the ice to her leg.
Yu Wei flinched.
Too cold.
Yu Wei glanced at her, stood up, and left again.
She returned quickly, this time wrapping the ice bag in a thin towel.
“Bear with it.” She pressed it down again.
The coolness spread across the swollen skin.
Yu Wei shivered under the pillow.
Yu Wei glanced at the damp hair sticking to her neck. “If you’re hot, take off your jacket.”
There was no air conditioning—only a fan on the table blowing toward Yu Wei.
“I’m fine.”
Yu Wei was too embarrassed.
The heat, the pain, the walk—it had all left her sweaty, lying in someone else’s bed. It already felt too improper.
Yu Wei’s lips twitched but she said nothing.
“I’ll do it myself,” Yu Wei sat up and winced as her leg pulled. She sucked in a breath.
Yu Wei didn’t let go. She simply glanced at her.
“Just let Xiao Wei do it,” the beaded curtain jingled again as the old lady entered with a tray of chilled watermelon. “It’s sweet and cold.”
Yu Wei immediately tried to get up, but her ankle was held down—cool and wet against her skin.
Her body gave way and she fell back again.
“Lie down and don’t move!” The old lady shoved the plate into Yu Wei’s arms. “Hold it.”
Yu Wei let go of Yu Wei’s ankle and took the tray, handing it to Yu Wei.
“Thank you,” Yu Wei didn’t take it.
“Want me to feed you?” Yu Wei raised a brow.
The old lady smacked her shoulder. “Talk nicely.”
Yu Wei quickly took a piece. “You too…”
She remembered Yu Wei couldn’t eat watermelon and looked at her guiltily—then quickly turned away.
The juice dripped from her fingers.
Cool and ticklish.
She scratched at it, leaving a red mark.
Yu Wei glanced at her.
No doubt about it—pampered.
Her eyes dropped to the glaring wound on Yu Wei’s leg again, and her expression darkened.
“Had lunch yet?” the old lady asked warmly. “I’ll go make some.”
Yu Wei: “Not yet.”
Yu Wei was about to say she had, but she was still chewing, too late.
“I’ll cook noodles. Just a moment.” She walked off cheerfully.
Yu Wei finished the last bite of watermelon, the cool sweetness lingering in her mouth.
She tossed the rind in the trash, then looked at Yu Wei still tending to her leg. “I can handle it now.”
Yu Wei gave her a sarcastic look. “What, you’re an athlete and can’t handle this?”
She was full of barbs—every word hit its mark.
“I didn’t mean it like that…” Yu Wei sighed.
Condensation soaked the towel, cool beads sliding down her leg, sending a chill under her loose blue pants.
Yu Wei frowned, put the fruit plate on the desk behind her, and pulled a pack of wet wipes from the drawer, tossing them beside the bed.
“Thanks.”
Yu Wei slowly pulled one out and wiped her fingers one by one, her pink nails glistening with moisture.
Translucent and bright.
“Don’t dwell on what happened today,” she said softly. “Just pretend it didn’t happen, okay?”
Yu Wei tugged at her lips.
No reply for a long time.
Without her glasses, Yu Wei instinctively leaned forward, slightly tilting her face. “Okay?”
Her round eyes shimmered like mist, unfocused.
Yu Wei turned slightly and switched hands on the ice bag. “Whatever.”
“Xiao Wei, come eat!”
The old lady called from the kitchen.
Before the words even faded, Yu Wei stood and walked out with the ice bag.
At the door, she turned back and glanced at Yu Wei. “Don’t move.”
“Mm-hmm.”
Yu Wei nodded, two small dimples appearing at her cheeks.
Yu Wei froze for a moment, then turned and pulled aside the curtain. The beads jingled noisily.
In the kitchen, the old lady seemed to be chatting with Yu Wei. She responded every now and then, her tone relaxed and casual.
Sunlight filtered through the beaded curtain like rippling waves, the beads scattering shimmering points of light—like ocean spray.
A new, unfamiliar scene to Yu Wei.
She stared in a daze.
Yu Wei returned, her shadow disturbing the light as she entered.
She handed her a bowl. “Zha Jiang noodles.”
Grandma’s top-tier hospitality.
Yu Wei’s fingers curled, then slowly stretched as she hesitantly reached for the bowl.
Her cool fingertips brushed the back of Yu Wei’s hand, then quickly drew back.
Yu Wei shoved the bowl into her hands and sat back on the small stool. “Eat it if you want. If not, just leave it.”
Yu Wei held the bowl, grasping the chopsticks. “Eat in bed?”
“What else?”
Yu Wei answered, glancing at her confused expression—so lost, barely the size of the bowl.
With a dull clatter, Yu Wei placed the bowl on the table and stood up.
What now?
The room was small, the wardrobe right next to the table.
Yu Wei rummaged a bit, pulled out a piece of embroidered cloth, and returned to the bed.
“Raise your hands.”
Her voice was low and heavy.
Yu Wei didn’t understand but raised the bowl with both hands hesitantly.
Yu Wei bent down and draped the cloth over her, tucking the corners into her collar.
The ice had soaked into her bones earlier—now, the cloth’s chill pressed against her clavicle.
Yu Wei trembled slightly, her neck arching back.
She stared wide-eyed, confused and shocked.
“All done.”
Yu Wei straightened up, the backs of her fingers brushing her shirt as she sat back on the small stool.
Her long legs had nowhere to go, awkwardly folded.
Yu Wei glanced down at the cloth laid over her chest like a bib, her brain practically shrinking. She hadn’t asked for this…
Forget it.
Yu Wei raised the bowl—unable to see clearly, she brought it close, picking at it slowly.
Yu Wei chewed her shrimp blandly, flavor long gone, just to fill the silence.
But Yu Wei struggled. She picked noodles painstakingly, one strand at a time.
Probably didn’t like it, but didn’t dare say so. Just sat there struggling.
Twenty minutes passed.
Less than half the noodles were eaten—the rest clumped together. Picking them up became even harder.
A smear of sauce stained her pale lips and cheeks—jarringly bright.
She was still eating.
Impressive.
“If you don’t want to eat, just say so.”
Yu Wei stood up and took her bowl and chopsticks, expression stiff. “No one’s forcing you.”
“Huh?” Yu Wei licked her lips, tongue scraping off the sauce. “I do! It’s delicious.”
The housemaid’s menu had been the same for years. This was the first time she’d had these noodles—the sauce was thick and fragrant, coating springy noodles. Every bite was chewy and rich.
She hadn’t had enough.
But Yu Wei was already walking off with the bowl.