After Saving My Possessive Best Friend, I Couldn't Escape (GL) - Chapter 37

Uncle Xue stroked his forehead for two seconds in thought, finally realizing what she meant. “I truly am getting old. I can’t remember these things anymore.”

Ye Yu smiled sweetly. “Really? I thought Grandpa was still hale and hearty and had added another uncle or aunt.”

“You child, daring to tease the Elder,” Uncle Xue pointed at her, scolding with a laugh. “You’re merciless with your words.”

Uncle Xue’s laugh eased the tension considerably. Everyone continued eating until the meal was over, and no one spoke again.

Uncle Xue had many things to attend to outside, so he got into his car and left immediately after eating.

The Ye and Zhou families departed in their respective cars.

In the car, Zhou’s father meticulously questioned Zhou Meize about her actions these past few days. Zhou Meize kept quiet about going to watch the beautiful women dance.

Zhou’s father pondered, confused. “You didn’t do anything, so were those three girls in trouble? This dinner by Uncle Xue felt like he was reprimanding us on behalf of Ye Wucang.”

“It’s not exactly a reprimand,” Zhou’s mother sighed, shooting Zhou Meize a long, disappointed look.

“Although he drove away Xiaowei’s friends and caused us to lose face, he didn’t spare Ye Tai’s feelings either. His words implicitly criticized Ye Tai for being ruthless and unfeeling in dealing with his own brothers over the years. It was a fair warning to both sides.”

Zhou Meize listened, bewildered. “What ruthlessness? What fair warning? What are you talking about?”

“You,” the worry deepened between Zhou’s mother’s eyebrows. “When will you ever grow up?”

Zhou Meize immediately bristled. “You always treat me like a child! I’m already grown up.”

An unteachable child, a hopeless case. Thinking of Ye Yu’s intelligence, then looking at Zhou Meize’s confused, idiotic face, Zhou’s mother shook her head and said nothing more.

On the other side, the atmosphere in the Ye family car was tense.

“What exactly did the old residence mean!” Ye Fu smashed a teacup. His neatly combed short hair fell forward, making his face look grim and terrifying.

Ye Mu set down her tea coldly. “It’s because you haven’t accomplished anything these past few years.”

“Feng Yingying, I’m warning you,” Ye Fu pointed his finger back at her nose. “You know better than I do how my brothers died. If you hadn’t been so merciless, would the old residence be scrutinizing me?”

“They brought it on themselves,” Ye Mu sneered. “This is a society ruled by law. They committed crimes and had to go to jail. It was those people from the Ye family who were so arrogant, thinking the name made them untouchable. They chose to die outside rather than submit to the law.”

“Speaking of which, I am genuinely puzzled. It would be one or two of them, but it was five people! All suicides! Are you telling me you weren’t involved at all!” Ye Fu shouted, pointing at her nose.

Looking at the man in front of her who had lost all composure and was behaving like a mad dog, Ye Mu’s face also turned cold. “Oh? So you’ve suspected me all along? Then why are you only asking now?”

“Can you honestly say you didn’t enjoy the benefits and even rejoice?”

Ye Yu emptied her mind, letting her senses drift far away.

Her home had always been like this.

The moment something went wrong, they would accuse each other.

They never calmed down and discussed how to solve the problem together.

It was as if shifting the blame onto the other person and then verbally abusing them would solve the issue.

One accused the other of being malicious and ruthless, while the other accused her of being cowardly and incompetent. Ye Yu truly didn’t know how they had ended up together or why they were still entangled after so many years.

Ye Yu had been sitting quietly on the other side of the sofa. The argument had reached this point, and she finally looked up, “Shhh,” she said to both of them.

Ye Fu frowned. “Why are you shushing us? Say what you mean directly.” Ye Yu had just helped him out. At this moment, he still retained a sliver of patience for his only daughter.

“Have you considered,” Ye Yu’s eyelashes cast faint shadows on the side of her nose as she lowered her eyes, her voice as light and ethereal as those shadows, “that perhaps my uncles also wanted to live a quiet life and reform themselves? Suicide takes courage, after all. Why did they all die so cleanly?”

Ye Yu looked at the flourishing potted plant next to the sofa, its leaves green and graceful, worth a considerable price.

“Cutting away the excess, rotten branches,” Ye Yu said softly, “allows the central, independent trunk to grow straight and tall, becoming indestructible.”

Ye Mu’s heart dropped. She instantly understood Ye Yu’s meaning. “Are you, are you saying it was the Elder…”

Ye Fu slumped into the sofa, muttering, “No way… But they were his own flesh and blood…”

At the end, both fell into a strange silence. What did “own flesh and blood” matter? Ye Wucang was clearly not a person who valued blood ties.

Whoever pleased him, like Uncle Xue, could attain supreme power.

But once they became useless or crossed him, they would be discarded like worn-out shoes.

Just like Ye Fu’s mother, the former Madam Ye.

Even Ye Yu today had not fully gained Ye Wucang’s satisfaction.

Had they not learned enough from the conduct of the Ye family’s old residence all these years?

The suffocating silence in the room lasted for a long time.

When Ye Fu spoke again, his strength was gone.

“Xiaoyu, what is the old residence’s attitude towards you?”

“Grandpa told me to keep up the status quo,” Ye Yu’s tone was troubled. “But he was also a little angry.”

“Why was he angry?” Ye Fu nervously sat up straight.

“Are you stupid? Of course, it’s because of the Zhou family,” Ye Mu finally recovered.

The previous speculation had left her limbs weak, making her unable to speak for a long time.

“They ate dinner together just now, and those friends of Xiaowei’s almost cried. Why do you think that is?”

“How about this,” Ye Yu tucked her fallen hair behind her ear, revealing her smooth, pale face and a pair of gentle, harmless eyes.

She said softly, “I’ve already discussed it with Uncle Xue. I’m moving out of the school and into an apartment he arranged. When I see him again, I’ll sound him out for information.”

This suggestion went right to the heart of what Ye Fu and Ye Mu wanted. Ye Fu immediately nodded. “Good. You can speak to them. You help Dad ask.”

Ye Mu reacted the same way, completely disregarding Ye Yu’s “moving out of the school.” “Mom will give you some money. Don’t be constrained by anything. You’re an adult now; you should help the family contribute.”

Ye Fu agreed. “Your mother is right. I’ll prepare a bank card for you tomorrow and transfer money regularly. Look at the clothes you’re wearing today. The Ye family has its own tailor, yet you insist on buying some random hoodie outside. Xiaowei at least bought the most expensive things. You’re embarrassing us.”

Ye Yu lowered her gaze, listening quietly and obediently, without a single word of rebuttal, but the corners of her mouth slightly curved up.

“Excuse me, is this Wang Shan’s house?” Fang Zhile changed buses three times, took the wrong direction once, and finally, after getting directions from others, found this flat building area on the edge of the suburbs, almost rural. In front of her was a reddish-brown iron gate, the outer red paint already rusted and peeling, secured by a large lock. It looked deserted.

Fang Zhile knocked a few times, then walked around the house. No movement came from inside.

“Who are you?” Fang Zhile’s actions attracted the people gathered nearby for a chat. An old man in cloth shoes shuffled over with his hands behind his back. “Who are you looking for?”

Fang Zhile pointed to the red iron gate. “Grandpa, do you know where Wang Shan lives?”

“Wang Shan? The Wang family’s girl?” The old man looked up at the sky, thought for a moment, and then gestured behind her with his chin. “Yes, that student girl. She lives in the house behind you.”

“Here’s the thing,” Fang Zhile came down from the steps by the door, her school uniform already soaked halfway up her back. “I’m her junior from school. She left something behind, and the teacher asked me to bring it over.”

“Then you’ve come at a bad time,” the old man didn’t doubt Fang Zhile’s words. The person clearly looked like a student, with the exact same demeanor as the Wang family’s girl. “Wang Shan and her family have all moved away. They haven’t been back in a long time.”

“Moved away?” Fang Zhile was puzzled. She probed, “Do you know where they moved to?”

“How would I know that?” the old man sighed, shaking his head. “They left a long time ago. It’s truly pitiful.”

“Grandpa,” Fang Zhile pulled the old man to sit on a stone bench and pulled a small bottle of cheap liquor from her bag. “Look, the teacher is really worried about her. Please tell me everything you know. We’re all very concerned about her.”

The old man took the liquor, twisted off the cap, and sniffed it.

He narrowed his eyes.

“You don’t look like a bad person. We don’t know the specifics of her family’s situation, but we heard people say that the Wang family’s girl suddenly ran out, laughing at everyone she saw and asking people to hit her. She was behaving wildly, and her mind seemed disturbed. After that, their house was suddenly emptied. They say someone saw them moving out in the middle of the night, and they wouldn’t say where they were going.”

The old man took a sip of the liquor and sighed. “Such a good child. I heard she was about to go to college. Just went mad.”

Fang Zhile felt empty inside. She thought quietly for a moment, adjusted her backpack strap, and stood up. “Thank you, Grandpa.”

On the bus ride home, Fang Zhile stared blankly out the window.

The school uniform on her back dried and then became damp again, but she couldn’t feel any warmth in her heart.

Another failed attempt. No, she still gained something. For example, Wang Shan’s leave of absence was, as she suspected, due to a psychological rather than a physical problem.

Wang Shan went mad? Is she better now? Where did they move? Why did she go mad?

Fang Zhile’s mind was filled with the old man’s words. Such a good child. What a pity.

Could it be that she was truly just a pity?

The broadcast for the next stop came from above her head.

Fang Zhile, lost in thought, got off the bus, walked for two minutes, and realized she had gotten off too early again.

“Forget it. I’ll just walk back.”

It was evening, and Fang Zhile’s stomach growled. She found a random noodle shop by the side of the road and ordered a plate of plain noodles.

The noodle shop was small but well-equipped. When looking at the menu, she even saw the famous dapanji (big plate chicken).

In the instant that gluttony was about to conquer reason, Fang Zhile calculated her savings and asked herself three questions.

First, could her current savings cover the exorbitant legal fees for the lawsuits against the Sun family’s dozen or so companies spread across the country?

Second, was it enough to move abroad?

Third, if Ye Yu broke ties with the Ye family now, could she support her and guarantee that her standard of living wouldn’t drop?

After the self-inquiry, the dapanji lost all its charm.

Fang Zhile chewed the plain noodles, her finger hovering over a number she had saved in her phone but hadn’t dialed: Wang Shan’s contact information provided to the teacher.

Before going to Wang Shan’s house, Fang Zhile had hesitated about whether to contact her beforehand.

But putting herself in her shoes, as a girl who had likely suffered immense malice, she probably wouldn’t want to pick up the phone when the bell rang.

Communication via calls, limited to spoken words, lacked the goodwill that could be conveyed face-to-face.

When two parties were completely unfamiliar with each other, the cold mechanical current would only increase their guardedness.

She didn’t know if she should make this call. While she was hesitating, a video call popped up.

“Video Call from Ye Yu”

At the same time, Ye Yu’s face appeared on the phone screen. Fang Zhile clicked “Answer” without hesitation.

“Let me show you this kitten,” Ye Yu smiled at Fang Zhile and turned the camera.

Ye Yu’s face was instantly replaced by a pure white kitten that looked barely three months old.

Fang Zhile smiled in surprise. “It looks so tiny. Did you pick it up?”

“It’s the kitten born across the hall. It’s out for a stroll,” Ye Yu tilted the camera up. “That’s the kitten’s owner.”

Red shoes, a pale blue dress, wavy hair, delicate features…

Fang Zhile’s eyes lit up for a moment. She lowered her voice. “Hey, I have something to tell you.”

“What is it?” Ye Yu smiled, stroked the kitten’s head, smiled at the female owner, and walked to the side with the phone. “So mysterious.”

“How about that person?” Fang Zhile’s eyebrows flew up and down. “She raises a kitten, lives across the hall, is rich, idle, and loving. I just glanced at her. She looks good too…”

“What did you glimpse?” Ye Yu asked.

Fang Zhile paused, feeling that the tone of Ye Yu’s sentence was strange.

She didn’t sound angry, because Ye Yu had seemed very relaxed since she answered the video call.

The slight curve of her lips, the joyous lilt in her voice, and her upturned fingers while stroking the kitten on the ground… Her whole body radiated a lazy sense of ease.

But within that aura of ease, a thread of danger suddenly emerged.

Fang Zhile could almost picture Ye Yu’s slightly raised eyebrows, disappearing into her dark hair, looking at her with a half-smile.

Had she said something wrong again?

Fang Zhile decided to remove any embellishment and spoke the truth.

“I just glanced. I didn’t see too clearly, but her figure is quite slender, and her outfit really highlights her body. I caught a glimpse of a curl in her long hair. It’s probably a big wave perm.”

She didn’t see clearly, yet she described it in such detail. If she had stayed for a few more seconds, could Fang Zhile have drawn a portrait of her?

Ye Yu laughed in extreme anger. “You like her?”

Fang Zhile felt the conversation was heading in a strange direction. “Ah… I don’t like her. I’m satisfied with her.” When it came to “liking,” she had to respect Ye Yu’s opinion. After all, respecting the wishes of the party involved was the first rule of matchmaking.

Unexpectedly, Ye Yu’s tone became even more elusive, as if she were biting out two words. “Sa-tis-fied?”

Fang Zhile stared at the camera, her eyes wide and innocent. “…Unless, is she someone else’s wife?”

Ye Yu: …

“Never mind. Hey, where did you go?”

Ye Yu switched to an audio call. Out of sight, out of mind. “You’re not even eighteen, and you’re already thinking about dating and marriage. You don’t even care if the person is someone else’s wife? Are you even human?”

Where did that come from? Fang Zhile felt like if she walked around with a sign right now, the first snow of early autumn would fall. She was more wronged than Dou E.

“Oh, I forgot you’re still young,” Fang Zhile could only admit her mistake. “I’m sorry. I won’t look at beautiful women randomly anymore.” I’ll wait until Ye Yu’s birthday to try to set her up again. Getting her to shift her focus away from Zhou Meize as soon as possible would bring peace of mind sooner.

She quickly admitted her mistake, though not necessarily intending to repent. Ye Yu thought for a few seconds and decided to keep a tighter watch on her. “It’s dark now. Where are you?”

“At a restaurant,” Fang Zhile was about to shake her phone but realized Ye Yu had turned off the video, so she described it instead. “It’s not far from home, just one stop away. I’ll go back as soon as I finish my noodles.”

Ye Yu paused, a little worried. “Try to get home early tonight.”

“I know,” bringing this up reminded her of Wang Shan, and Fang Zhile sighed with deep worry. “Tell me, given our relationship—no, given the depth of our relationship—is it okay to just call someone out of the blue?”

Ye Yu thought she was spiraling into the nightmare of social anxiety about answering calls and hesitated for three seconds. “Did Wei Youqing make you call to check on members’ loyalty cards, or did she make you hand out flyers on the street?”

“No,” Fang Zhile said with a wry smile. “I want to contact a classmate. I have something to ask her, but her situation is a bit unique.

She’s likely unwilling to communicate with people. Do you think calling her would be inappropriate?”

Ye Yu didn’t know the specifics of the “classmate’s” situation, so she answered based on her own feelings.

“If it were me, I’d prefer a text message. With a phone call, there’s a back-and-forth, and you have to respond immediately. So, receiving a call feels inappropriate and intrusive unless it’s an emergency. Otherwise, you’re just forcing the other person to respond immediately, making things easy for yourself, without waiting for a WeChat reply. That’s very annoying.”

Ye Yu’s interpersonal skills seemed innate, self-taught. Her reluctance to interact with people was intentional.

With her emotional intelligence, if she chose to communicate with someone, she could usually get her way.

Fang Zhile drooped, her tone listless. “Then what should I do? I can’t find her; this is the only contact information I have.”

“If it’s a minor matter, it doesn’t matter,” Ye Yu considered. “But if you’re asking for a favor, asking for help, or if the boundaries are unclear, send a text message first. Be clear about your purpose. That way, you give the other person some time to prepare, which is better.”

Fang Zhile slowly straightened up.

Ye Yu’s idea coincided with hers.

In other words, Fang Zhile wanted to show her sincerity by personally visiting the girl.

Face-to-face communication allows the ideas and emotions to be conveyed through expressions and body language: See, I’m just one person.

No need to be anxious or worried. I came to see you myself. If she couldn’t do that, sending a text message first would be better.

Ye Yu saw her silence and smiled. “Problem solved?”

“Yes,” Fang Zhile typed quickly with her fingers. “You really are my little lucky star.”

“I won’t bother you while you eat now. Finish quickly and go home early. Send me a message when you get home,” Ye Yu smiled brightly.

Fang Zhile: “Okay.”

The text message was sent quickly. Fang Zhile kept the wording brief, avoiding giving away personal information, stating her purpose in a few sentences, and hoping the other party would call back when they saw it.

After the message was successfully sent, Fang Zhile paid the bill, left the shop, and walked slowly along the road.

Just as she walked a dozen steps, before turning the corner, her phone rang in her pocket. It was a generic ringtone, not the exclusive one she set for Ye Yu. In her limited contact list, almost no one called her at this hour.

Fang Zhile felt a premonition when she took out her phone. It came true when she saw the incoming number.

Fang Zhile took a few deep breaths, organized her thoughts, and answered the call.

“Hello,” a tired female voice replied. “Who is this?”

Fang Zhile stated her identity and purpose, her words sincere and earnest.

The person on the other end was silent for a long time—so long that Fang Zhile thought she had hung up.

After confirming several times that the call was still connected, she finally received a reply.

“No need to ask,” the female voice said.

Fang Zhile said anxiously, “Auntie, I don’t mean anything by it…”

“Shan Shan is already dead.”