After Saving My Possessive Best Friend, I Couldn't Escape (GL) - Chapter 38

Wang Shan is already dead?

“How could this happen?” Fang Zhile’s limbs went soft. Her palm, clutching the phone, was layered with sweat, making it so sticky she could barely hold it. “How could she just die…”

The tragic reality—a young girl’s life withering in the bud before it could fully bloom—was like a giant pair of black hands fiercely wringing her heart. The news of Wang Shan’s death left Fang Zhile profoundly distressed. She continued to question without restraint, immediately throwing out names. “Auntie, do you know Sun Li and the others?”

The woman on the other end grew even more silent. Even her breathing vanished, as if she had suddenly put the phone down, instinctively distancing herself from the call.

“Wang Shan can’t just die like this,” Fang Zhile spoke to herself, her mind racing. “There’s no justice if a victim escapes reality through death while the abusers live perfectly well.”

Fang Zhile failed to notice the sudden, absolute silence on the other end. She continued, “Auntie, please don’t be sad. Evil people have their comeuppance. I will…”

“Who are you,” the voice on the other end changed to a more childish female voice. “Why are you calling?”

The female voice sounded like it hadn’t spoken often. The speech lacked a rich tone, coming out as a cold, damp, airy whisper dragged from the throat, laced with intense wariness.

“I’m Fang Zhile. After Wang Shan moved out of the dorm, I was the person who slept in her bunk,” Fang Zhile said.

The silence this time lasted even longer, but Fang Zhile didn’t hang up. The two waited quietly on opposite ends of the line, and as time passed, neither made a move to break the silence.

“I know you,” finally, the female voice spoke, more fluently and forcefully. “You, you are the same. You can’t help me.”

Fang Zhile confirmed her identity. A huge sigh of relief simultaneously allowed her to press her advantage. “I’m not trying to help you. I just want the perpetrators to receive the punishment they deserve.”

She sounded like a great hero championing justice and punishing criminals, but Fang Zhile had no such grand ambition or sense of public responsibility. She simply wanted to live her own life peacefully.

To her, both the original Fang Zhile and Wang Shan were merely characters in a book. Since the soul residing in her current body hadn’t suffered any severe harm, she didn’t feel such intense emotional anger towards Sun Li’s group.

Fang Zhile was sacrificing a large amount of her time to investigate this, and it wasn’t solely to seek justice for anyone.

What she hated the most were the bullies who took advantage of their power, and the unseen eye hidden in the dark, watching every student who passed by, ready to leap out and bite at any moment.

Whether these people had bullied her or not, she held an equal, non-discriminatory dislike for every bully and an equal wariness of every place where bullying might occur.

If she were to trace the source of this aversion, it went back to when she was very young, holding Ye Yu’s hand, walking forward furiously.

Ye Yu’s clothes were splashed with dye, and she stubbornly held back tears, refusing to cry out.

When children are small, their world is confined to the small scope of the school. In that world, bullying is undoubtedly a devastating disaster.

The malice of children is pure and unrestrained.

Anyone who has witnessed it firsthand will carry an indelible shadow for the rest of their lives. Some people use their childhood to heal the storms of their lifetime, while others spend their entire lives trying to mend the wounds of their childhood.

“I won’t make you do anything,” Fang Zhile tried to make her voice sound gentle and harmless, speaking softly. “Nor will I ask you to come forward as a witness.”

“I won’t reveal any information about you, won’t let anyone know I contacted you, and won’t use you as an example or speak your name in any context, ever.”

The other person’s breathing suddenly became rapid. Fang Zhile stopped, giving her time to recover.

“You can be safe where you are. No one will hurt you again.”

The voice on the other end asked, “Then what do you want from me?”

Fang Zhile replied calmly, “I want to know what Sun Li did to you.”

“But I don’t want to recall it,” Wang Shan’s voice was so faint it would be missed if one didn’t listen closely. “Why do you need to ask me? Our experiences weren’t that different, were they…”

Fang Zhile thought, I don’t want to either. If she had the original owner’s memories, she wouldn’t have to run around everywhere, trying to find the truth in tiny details.

“They didn’t bully me later on,” Fang Zhile lied. “I don’t know what happened.”

Wang Shan’s breathing became ragged, and her words grew agitated. “What? Why? Then why was it me? Why only me…”

“Don’t panic,” Fang Zhile said. “I just made some small changes. They didn’t come after me later, probably because they got bored.”

Wang Shan gasped, stunned. “I’m sorry.”

Wang Shan seemed to have put the pieces together. “I’m sorry. When they asked me to move out of the dorm, saying a new person was moving in, I knew they were finally tired of me. I felt I had finally reached freedom, so I packed my things and left without a second thought.”

“I think I saw you once. You even helped me carry my boxes, but I looked at you and didn’t say a word.”

“I don’t remember,” Fang Zhile spoke the truth. “Don’t feel guilty. No one would have the presence of mind to care for others in that situation.”

“That wasn’t caring; that was malice,” Wang Shan’s voice dropped, laced with a sob. “I was so grateful to you. Grateful that you finally took my place. I even thought, ‘Why didn’t you come sooner? If you had come a little earlier, just a few months earlier, I could have taken the college entrance exam…’”

This time, Fang Zhile remained silent. She couldn’t very well say, It’s completely normal to think that way. Who hasn’t, in their imagination, tried to obliterate the world, let an asteroid destroy Earth, and let everyone just go die together?

Wang Shan only thought it. She didn’t do anything. The victim should not be criminalized.

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Fang Zhile said. “Don’t blame yourself.”

Wang Shan controlled her emotions and whispered, “But I was wrong. When I went home, I thought I was free, but every night I had nightmares. I can never go back to a normal life. My life is ruined…”

“Your life is still long,” Fang Zhile said softly. “Those scumbags should be punished by law, and you should pursue your future.”

“Now, can you tell me what happened in the past?” Fang Zhile asked.

The first female voice on the phone seemed to have said something. Wang Shan was silent for a moment, but still didn’t reveal the truth. “You come here, and I’ll tell you in person.”

Wang Shan gave her an address. “Come here. Will you?”

A small, remote village hundreds of miles away in a remote county. Going alone. If this phone number hadn’t been provided by the teacher, anyone would suspect a kidnapping plot to lure her in, or a pyramid scheme—in any case, it sounded dangerous and ominous.

Fang Zhile didn’t hesitate. She gave her a date. “That’s quite far. I’ll come see you after my exams next week.”

After ending the call with Wang Shan, Fang Zhile felt like she had run a half-marathon, drenched in sweat. But her mood was more serene than ever.

Contacting Wang Shan was the first step. She needed to contact as many bullying victims as possible, understand how many convoluted, hidden areas existed in this school, and prepare for a clean sweep later.

[Ye]: Did you get home?

The call lasted nearly ten minutes. Based on her walking speed, she should have arrived home. Ye Yu sent the message right on time, but Fang Zhile didn’t reply.

Ye Yu stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window of the empty living room. The lights weren’t on. Tonight, she was alone at home again.

Looking at the garden, which seemed full of flowers but was actually filled with uncleaned, secretly decaying dead branches, Ye Yu felt she could smell the rotten stench lingering in the air. It was the sophisticated cold smell unique to a family like hers.

Ye Yu was wearing a dark green long dress that draped loosely at the hem, with a pale white knit vest over the top.

It was thin and soft. Her hair was loose down her back, half-dry after a shower.

Ye Yu wrapped herself in soft clothing, holding a cup of hot cocoa, but a chill that wouldn’t dissipate remained in her heart.

Her parents each had their own homes. They were either traveling for business or worked late and slept there, only returning on fixed days of the week to criticize Ye Yu’s performance.

Today, however, they had broken the rule and intended to stay overnight, but Ye Yu had chased them out with the casual comment, “For security, we should check the house first and see if there are any recent changes in the company.”

In childhood, one always looked forward to the presence of adults, even if they couldn’t provide normal parental affection, they could at least provide a tall, imposing sense of security.

But the clever and emotionally detached Ye Yu soon saw through the lies and grew tired of this mutually exhausting way of life. She closed the door to her heart, letting it be covered by one snowstorm after another, sealing an eternal layer of ice.

Sometimes, she even wanted to let herself fall into that abyss, until Fang Zhile appeared.

[laugh]: Just got home! [laugh]: [Image]

Fang Zhile sent Ye Yu a photo of herself, exhausted, reflected in the glass. Then she went inside to wash up and tidy her things. While brushing her teeth, Ye Yu’s message came back.

[Ye]: Are you alone at home now?

Fang Zhile replied awkwardly with her left hand, which wasn’t holding the toothbrush.

[laugh]: Just me.

[Ye]: I’m coming to find you.

Fang Zhile blinked, then swallowed the toothpaste foam in her mouth. “Ptooey!” Fang Zhile sped up her brushing. A minute later, she looked refreshed, holding up her phone to repeatedly check Ye Yu’s last message.

Ye Yu was coming to see her! I knew Ye Yu cared about me the most! Hehehe. It had been a long time since she had hung out with Ye Yu.

Fang Zhile grinned foolishly, grabbed a small stool, and went to wait by the door.

In less than ten minutes, Ye Yu rode up from the other end of the alley on a shared electric bicycle.

The dim light of the street lamps was crushed under the tires of the bicycle, gathering entirely on Ye Yu’s warm-colored coat.

Ye Yu seemed to be in a good mood. She waved to her from afar and hopped off the bike when she reached her, saying happily, “Good evening.”

Fang Zhile was infected by her happiness. She stood up, grinning. “Good evening.”

Ye Yu held up a plastic bag and handed it to Fang Zhile. “This is the ointment I bought for you,” Ye Yu bent down slightly, looking at her knee. “But it looks like a certain someone probably won’t need it.”

Fang Zhile ran a hand through her hair, clutching the ointment. “I do need it! I have to put on medicine again tonight.”

“This ointment looks much better than the one the infirmary gave me. I’ll use this tonight.” Fang Zhile smiled sincerely.

Ye Yu looked at her a few times, then suddenly said, “I’ll apply it for you.”

“Huh?” Fang Zhile froze. “No need. I can do it myself. It’s just a tiny bit swollen…”

Her voice trailed off under Ye Yu’s gradually narrowing gaze.

Fang Zhile said, “Fine.”

Ye Yu walked into the courtyard familiar with the surroundings, lifted the curtain, and sat down.

Five minutes later, Fang Zhile followed, sitting on one side of the three-seater sofa, propping her arms behind her, with her injured leg resting on the armrest.

Ye Yu arranged Fang Zhile into this awkward, strange posture, then sat on the small stool, facing her knee.

At this point, Fang Zhile’s leg was exposed, and a cool breeze made her feel uneasy.

“This is…” Fang Zhile tried to voice her opinion.

Ye Yu interrupted her without looking up. “Don’t move.”

Fang Zhile felt Ye Yu’s fingers touch her knee. She was wearing loose shorts for comfort at home. Lifting her leg meant a large area of her thigh was visible.

“I still think this posture is a bit indecent… Hiss, ah, that hurts.”

“It’s still swollen,” Ye Yu wiped the swollen area with a wet towel, looking displeased as she looked up at Fang Zhile.

Fang Zhile offered an ingratiating smile.

Ye Yu said, “Why did you provoke them again?”

Fang Zhile blinked innocently. “I’m the victim.”

Ye Yu dabbed iodine on a cotton swab for sterilization, her tone showing concern. “Was it like this yesterday?”

Fang Zhile propped herself up with her arms behind her.

Her abdomen was tense and a little sore.

She just wanted to end this position quickly. She rushed to say,

“No, no, no, it was much more swollen yesterday. It’s recovered mostly today. It’s not serious. It’ll be fine soon.”

Ye Yu’s focus was completely different from Fang Zhile’s. “What? More swollen yesterday? And swollen by ‘mostly’?”

Fang Zhile blinked. “It’s almost healed now.”

Ye Yu stared at the small black hole left by the pen tip.

Fang Zhile was paler than most people, a kind of milky white.

Her knee, especially, which rarely saw the sun, looked even more like a fluffy piece of cream cheese. Her bone structure was fluid, neither overly bony nor with excess flesh—healthy, flexible, young, and beautiful.

But someone insisted on ruining this beauty, splattering it with mud.

Ye Yu’s expression cooled instantly.

“Don’t move. I’ll give you a hot compress for a while.”

Ye Yu stood up, brought over a basin of hot water, soaked a washcloth, and placed it on Fang Zhile’s knee.

Fang Zhile tried to amuse her and deliberately moved her knee, making the washcloth fall off. “Oh dear, I have rough skin. This little scratch is nothing.”

Ye Yu picked up the washcloth without a word and replaced the hot water.

Fang Zhile awkwardly ran a hand through her hair.

“I really didn’t see Li Zi’s pen,” Fang Zhile started to explain the other reasons. “I didn’t provoke them intentionally.”

Ye Yu glared at her. “So you were intentional before?”

Fang Zhile: … Well, yes, a little intentional.

Fang Zhile thought, I only got close to those trash people to quickly gain Ye Yu’s attention. If I had known Ye Yu was so easily won over, I wouldn’t have bothered. Later, she aggressively pursued the path of “combating campus bullying and upholding legal rights for minors” because Sun Li’s storyline would affect Ye Yu’s fate.

“Yes, a certain someone didn’t injure herself intentionally, nor did she neglect her wound on purpose,” Ye Yu’s tone suddenly changed, rising and falling in unusual places, leaving Fang Zhile bewildered.

“She had to limp around shopping and only came home late. We don’t know why, and we wouldn’t dare ask. Maybe walking more helps the swelling go down.”

Fang Zhile: … Ye Yu’s sarcasm is on point as always.

“I really did have something to do this afternoon, and shopping was just a quick stop,” Fang Zhile said awkwardly. “Ah, that, Sister Zhishu was buying clothes for my boss. I was only there for reference, and I didn’t help for long…”

Ye Yu snorted. “Why are you explaining to me?”

Fang Zhile thought, If I don’t explain to you, you’ll criticize every single thing about me.

“What did you do tonight?” Ye Yu asked. “You didn’t need to look at clothes until tonight, did you? It’s so dark. Can you even see those tiny hearts?”

Fang Zhile was speechless. “Honest to goodness, I parted ways with her almost immediately after I finished talking to you.”

Ye Yu was clearly asking on purpose, but she genuinely didn’t suspect the “married woman.” She said dismissively, “Then what did you do?”

Fang Zhile hesitated for two seconds and smiled. “Nothing much.”

Ye Yu’s fingers, resting on the sides of Fang Zhile’s knee, suddenly pressed hard.

“Ah—”

There were pressure points all around her knee.

Fang Zhile’s calves were already aching like a lemon after walking all day. Ye Yu didn’t expect such a strong reaction.

She had only meant to press lightly.

Now, she became serious, holding Fang Zhile down with one hand on her abdomen, preventing her from sitting up, and vigorously kneading the muscles of her calf with the other, as if to forcefully separate the tangled nerves.

The transition in movement took less than a few seconds.

By the time Fang Zhile reacted, she was screaming like a stuck pig.

It! Was! So! Painful!

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Fang Zhile cried out. “I won’t run around anymore! Ow, ow, ow, Ye Yu, be gentle!”

Ye Yu only stopped when her voice became strained.

Fang Zhile’s calf was trembling.

The ointment was quickly absorbed as her skin warmed up.

In just a few minutes, the soreness in her leg and the stinging pain from the wound had significantly subsided.

Moving her leg, Fang Zhile shifted off the armrest and patted the sofa next to her, offering her service like a devoted dog.

“The stool is too low. Sitting for too long makes your legs ache. Come sit on the sofa.”

Ye Yu supported her knee to stand up, then stumbled forward.

She had been so focused on massaging that she was using all her strength, and her legs had gone numb from being tucked in for so long.

“Watch out!” Fang Zhile’s body reacted faster than she could think. She spread her arms and caught Ye Yu.

Ye Yu could have fallen onto the sofa.

Even if she had touched Fang Zhile, it would have been just to steady herself.

But now, Ye Yu was completely enveloped in Fang Zhile’s warm embrace. Fang Zhile was likely afraid she couldn’t hold her, so after touching Ye Yu, she instinctively tightened her arms.

As they moved, their clothing rubbed together, the contact area increased exponentially, and the distance rapidly shrunk to zero, finally holding the entire person tightly in her arms.

The young girl’s body temperature seeped through the thin pajamas in the late summer evening, carrying astonishing heat.

It was like a summer soda, “pop,” exploding with the scent of crabapples.

The strong fragrance drowned out her scattered thoughts.

Suddenly, everything was silent, leaving only the loud beating of a heart trying to burst out of its chest.

In the midst of that deafening heartbeat, Ye Yu’s face turned completely red, bit by bit.