I Miss You Even in the Daytime [Rebirth GL] - Chapter 14

Lu Baitian stood dazed for a long while before closing her eyes and feeling around for the nightgown and for Xu Liming, gently helping her put it on.

She didn’t dare touch a single unnecessary millimeter.

Xu Liming slept exceptionally well that night, as peaceful as lying beside her mother in the old days. She remembered the sound of someone softly humming in her dreams and the chirping of birds outside the window.

She was startled awake by a scream—a woman’s voice. The person was standing outside the door cursing loudly, the sound of banging on the door thumping against her eardrums.

Xu Liming opened her eyes irritably. As her sleepiness vanished, she suddenly bolted upright in bed.

A completely strange place, a tiny room she had never stayed in before; the knit blanket over her was dry and soft, emitting the clean scent of laundry detergent.

Where is this?

Have I been kidnapped?

Countless scenes of “your money or your life” kidnappings flashed through Xu Liming’s mind. Terrified, she rolled over to get out of bed, but her feet jerked back just as they were about to touch the floor. She looked in surprise at the person she had almost stepped on.

It was a girl, currently lying on the floor in her clothes. She had a jacket tucked under her head and another draped over her. She too had been awakened by the woman’s voice, and her clear, black-and-white eyes met Xu Liming’s.

With a small gasp, she scrambled up on all fours. Under Xu Liming’s gaze, she quickly straightened her messy hair and her own clothes on the floor.

Then she took Xu Liming’s clothes from the chair and placed them carefully on the bed.

She whispered, “You were drunk last night. I had nowhere else to go, so I had to bring you home.”

Xu Liming blinked. It was still that same gray sweater and faded denim jeans; the girl’s black hair hung softly in front of her face like willow branches.

Lu Baitian?

She breathed a sigh of relief.

She was drunk last night. Thinking of the unreliable Chen Yan, Xu Liming immediately decided to demand back every cent she had ever lent her.

“Thank you,” Xu Liming said first, slowly lowering her defensive hands. “What were you doing at the bar?”

“I…” Lu Baitian tightened her heartstrings. “I work there.”

She works there. Xu Liming’s face remained expressionless, but her mind was in an uproar.

The part-timer that night was Lu Baitian!?

What did I do that night? Xu Liming began to think back frantically. She only remembered clinging to the other person and wailing loudly. Had she mentioned being cheated on?

And Lu Baitian actually hadn’t asked who cheated on her!

The person she had drunkenly harassed was actually her own classmate. The two had crossed paths several times these past few days, yet the other girl had remained silent about it.

Her toes, hidden under the blanket, nearly tied themselves into knots.

“Uh…” Xu Liming raised a hand weakly. “That day…”

“She’s calling me. Wait a moment for me.” Lu Baitian interrupted Xu Liming’s words. She stood up flustered and hurried out the door.

She even bumped her foot against the doorframe.

The door shut tight again. The woman’s screaming outside grew so harsh it was almost shrill. Xu Liming rubbed her ears, slowly calming down from the embarrassment.

Judging from these few encounters, although Lu Baitian was a bit strange, she was a very good person. The fact that she hadn’t mentioned that night was probably out of fear of making Xu Liming feel awkward.

Such a quiet and kind girl—how could she have a mother like that? Hearing the insults outside, Xu Liming felt a surge of indignation on Lu Baitian’s behalf.

She slid off the bed and slowly changed back into her own clothes. The floor had been mopped spotless by Lu Baitian; even stepping on it barefoot didn’t feel dirty.

The small room was as neat and pretty as the girl herself. Although it was incredibly simple, everywhere her eyes landed showed signs of care. A wild flower that trembled even without a breeze sat on the windowsill, and a few movie posters were stuck by the bed.

Besides those, something else seemed to be stuck there—a crumpled piece of paper. The handwriting on it looked a bit familiar.

Xu Liming leaned in to look. Just as her eyes were focusing, the sound of glass shattering suddenly erupted from outside. Startled, Xu Liming rushed out of the room.

The moment the door opened, a heavy scent of alcohol hit her like a barrier. She covered her nose.

“Why did you come out?” Lu Baitian spoke loudly for the first time. On her pale face, tension was clear to see. “Don’t move!”

She was standing in front of a messy coffee table. The woman stood on the other side, looking startled by something, her mouth slightly agape.

Xu Liming froze in place. Looking down, the floor was covered in glass shards. The crystalline, sharp fragments were mixed with liquor stains—evidently, a bottle had been smashed against the wall and the pieces had bounced back.

“This…” Xu Liming started to speak but fell silent again because Lu Baitian was hurriedly bringing a dustpan and broom, lowering her head to sweep up the glass.

Only when all the glass had been swept into the pan and there was no more danger underfoot did Lu Baitian’s expression gradually soften, returning to her usual look.

“I’m sorry.” She was a bit flustered as she brought Xu Liming’s shoes from the door and placed them at her feet.

“I was afraid you’d get cut,” she said, her voice as light as air.

“Uh, it’s fine.” Xu Liming put on her shoes and looked around the living room, which was as messy as a trash heap—a stark contrast to the neat bedroom.

As Xu Liming took in the state of the room, Lu Baitian’s cheeks grew increasingly red.

“Now that you’re sober, you should go.” Lu Baitian hid her hands behind her back, her fingers rubbing together in embarrassment. “I didn’t bring you to this place on purpose. I…”

“I’m sorry…”

“You helped me. Why are you saying sorry?” Xu Liming interrupted her, glancing back at the bedroom. “It’s very clean in there. It’s nothing.”

Lu Baitian silently continued cleaning the messy living room. She moved quickly, sweeping the leftover instant noodle bowls and wine bottles from the coffee table into a trash bag, and carrying the dishes that hadn’t been washed for days into the kitchen.

She walked past the woman while carrying a high stack of bowls. The woman stepped back, her lips—stained with leftover lipstick from last night—quivering for a long time before she spoke.

“You brought someone back… why didn’t you tell me?”

Her voice carried a hangover’s rasp.

“And all because you insisted on studying that useless major. Tuition is expensive, classes are constant… you didn’t come back for half a year.” She continued to mutter and complain, but Lu Baitian just kept cleaning, acting as if she were deaf to it.

“I think you’ve just grown too big for your boots, won’t even listen to me anymore.”

She babbled on as if no one else was there. Xu Liming felt a bit angry and a bit awkward. She picked up her jacket to leave, but glancing at Lu Baitian busy in the kitchen, she stopped.

At least let me buy her a meal, she thought.

The broken glass in the dustpan hadn’t been put into the trash bag yet. Xu Liming reached out to help dump it, but before her hand could touch it, the pan was pulled away by Lu Baitian, who had rushed over from nowhere.

“Don’t touch it,” Lu Baitian said urgently. She gripped the handle of the dustpan tightly, as if it were a terrifying beast to Xu Liming.

She turned back to work, but Xu Liming’s sharp eyes caught something and she grabbed the girl’s arm.

“You’re hurt?” Xu Liming said in surprise. Her brow furrowed as she looked down.

On her face, hidden in the shadow of her hair, was a tiny streak of blood—like a crimson shooting star, piercing the skin.

The woman froze upon hearing this and instinctively stepped forward. However, after the slap last time, Xu Liming had already labeled her a dangerous person and instinctively pulled Lu Baitian to her side.

The woman stopped in her tracks. She stared at Lu Baitian like a child who had made a mistake, constantly tearing at the palms of her hands.

“Baitian…” her complaints turned into a low plea.

“I’m fine.” Lu Baitian subtly broke free from Xu Liming’s hand—the spot where she had been touched felt a bit numb.

She casually took a band-aid and stuck it over the wound on her face with practiced ease.

“Wait a moment. The roads outside are a bit confusing; I’ll see you out.” Lu Baitian assumed Xu Liming was staying because she didn’t know the way. After whispering this, she left with the dustpan.

The woman lingered in place for a long time before returning to her own room and slamming the door shut.

The living room had no windows. Once the bedroom door was closed, it became quite dark. Watching Lu Baitian’s busy silhouette, Xu Liming actually felt a pang of heartache for someone else.

At the same age, she had never even washed a bowl—and likely wouldn’t for several more years.

Yet Lu Baitian seemed long accustomed to all the housework. She skillfully pulled the dirty clothes the woman had tossed around from various corners of the living room, sorted them, and threw them into the washing machine.

She skillfully wiped away the liquor stains that had flowed under the sofa, skillfully tidied the sofa, and skillfully heated breakfast for the woman and set it on the table.

“Let’s go.” Lu Baitian washed her hands and stood awkwardly before Xu Liming, looking down as she spoke.

Her dense black hair was like lush grass, with a small whorl at the crown. Xu Liming suddenly felt an urge to reach out and poke it.

Like a switch, Lu Baitian would probably blush and lift those eyes that looked like clear lakes in embarrassment.

What are you thinking? Xu Liming punched herself twice in her mind, her expression remaining calm and steady.

“Mhm, let’s go,” she said. “Put on your coat. I’m treating you to a meal.”

“Huh?” Lu Baitian looked up, her eyes appearing moist under the light. She shook her head quickly. “No… no need…”

“You took me in for a night; it’s only right.” Xu Liming didn’t give her another chance to refuse and pulled the door open. “I’ll wait for you outside.”

The morning sun bypassed the layered buildings, sneaking through the patchy shade of the trees to spill onto the clothes hanging from various households.

The weather had warmed up these past few days. Although it was morning, it was a bit hot. Xu Liming held her jacket in her hand. Her long sleeves had a fine luster in the sunlight, looking so beautiful it seemed they didn’t belong here.

Lu Baitian thought this silently as she looked at her back, then tightened her own jacket to hide the worn-out collar underneath.

How awkward, Xu Liming thought, touching her hair. She intended to find a topic of conversation but didn’t know where to start.

“Does she hit you often?” Xu Liming asked.

What kind of question is that!? As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt like her ears were steaming like a teapot, yet she still acted aloof.

“No,” Lu Baitian said lowly. She tightened her grip on her sleeve again. “She just has a bad temper. She rarely hits me.”

Was the other day an accident? So it really was because of Lin Wan and Lin Hengyi that she completely lost control, Xu Liming thought.

Xu Liming brought her feet together, stepping into a patch of sunlight on the ground. “Thanks for that night. I’ve been wanting to find that part-timer, but I didn’t realize it was you.”

“I didn’t do anything that night, did I?” Xu Liming couldn’t help asking again, immediately followed by an apology. “My alcohol tolerance and ‘drunk personality’ are both bad. No matter what I did, it’s my fault…”

“You didn’t do anything,” Lu Baitian said quickly.

Under the morning sun, her face flushed with a light red.

She hadn’t done anything; it was Lu Baitian herself who had been swept away by the moment. She hadn’t pushed Xu Liming away, but had instead catered to her touch, enjoying her embrace and tenderness, offering up her own tears and tremors.

How despicable. If Xu Liming knew, she would surely hate her.