After Saving My Possessive Best Friend, I Couldn't Escape (GL) - Chapter 41

The dusty sunlight in the alley scattered down from the low gray walls on both sides. Lush small grasses grew in the uneven cracks of the stone slabs, and the clattering sounds of cooking drifted from the neighbors’ homes.

Ye Yu held her phone, her tone light with amusement. “Uncle Xue, are you going to stay home for another half a year?”

Uncle Xue, who was practicing Buddhism and vegetarianism on the other end, sounded quite helpless. “The Elder is getting old and always wants to cultivate virtue and accumulate merit. I think he’s becoming obsessed.”

“Right, with such a large corporation, Grandpa won’t manage it, so you’re left to deal with it all,” Ye Yu’s voice remained cheerful, her words perfectly poised. “You must take good care of your health. Don’t worry about me. I’m just a junior. If they won’t let me be around to show filial piety, fine, but having you call me every day is truly too much.”

Uncle Xue sighed. This trip out was also taking its toll. Ye Wucang had genuinely become lazy over the years. He likely feared losing spiritual merit due to the wrongs he committed in his youth, so he had been vegetarian and practiced Buddhism for years. However, it seemed he was driving himself to distraction, without achieving any real Buddhist compassion. With too many problems, the bigger the conglomerate, the more easily it became rigid. Uncle Xue was exhausted from managing company affairs and complicated social dealings, leaving him little energy for Ye Yu. After all, Ye Yu was the only junior he truly cared about.

“Alright, I know what’s important,” Uncle Xue said. “Call me if anything happens.”

Ye Yu hummed. “Thank you, Uncle.”

Hanging up the phone, Ye Yu happened to be standing outside Fang Zhile’s door. It was an old wooden door, unlocked, with a slight gap that offered a view of part of the courtyard. It was nearly autumn, and the lush growth of the flowers and plants had transformed into layers of varied foliage: there was a wall of autumn cucumbers, a pomegranate tree, and low vegetable patches growing vibrant green vegetables.

“Is anyone home?” Ye Yu raised her voice, intentionally calling out.

A sound soon came from inside. Fang Zhile, yawning, walked out. Seeing the gate already open, she didn’t bother walking down the steps. She waved her in. “Why are you standing outside? Come in.”

Ye Yu walked in, holding up the chestnuts for her to see. She chuckled at Fang Zhile’s appearance. “Did you just wake up? What time is it?”

Fang Zhile yawned again, her eyes still hazy. “I went to bed a bit late last night.”

Ye Yu noticed the dark circles under her eyes and couldn’t help but worry. “What, did you stay up late studying?”

“I wouldn’t stay up late for something this easy to review,” Fang Zhile said bombastically, turning to pull aside the door curtain for her, then let out a “tsk.” “The curtain needs to be replaced with a thicker one.”

“Then you were staying up late doing what, ‘watching the hawk’?” Ye Yu retorted casually.

Fang Zhile ran a hand through her hair, took the chestnuts from Ye Yu, and walked toward the kitchen. “Can’t you think like a normal young person about why I went to bed late?”

Ye Yu put herself in her shoes and finally offered, “Staying up late practicing calligraphy.”

This earned a clear burst of laughter from Fang Zhile from the kitchen.

Ye Yu poured herself a glass of water, noting that Fang Zhile’s cups were quite stylish. Fiddling with a cup, she said, “Normal young person… you weren’t staying up late playing on your phone, were you? Don’t you not have a smartphone?”

“Don’t. I’m not that out of date, or that poor,” Fang Zhile quickly poked her head out of the kitchen. “In the third drawer on your right, there’s a brand new smartphone.”

Ye Yu put down the cup and went to open the drawer. The fit between the drawer and the cabinet perfectly showed the normal wear and deformation of old furniture. Ye Yu shook it up and down, then wiggled it side to side, finally getting the drawer open. Inside lay a phone still in its packaging. It was indeed the latest model, but it was the one released last year.

“I need to process this,” Ye Yu was astonished. She grabbed a tissue to wipe the dust off the packaging and called out, “You have a phone but you don’t use it? Why?”

Fang Zhile was likely cutting the chestnuts, the knife clashing against the cutting board loudly. Amidst the chopping sounds, Fang Zhile said matter-of-factly, “Because the old one wasn’t broken. I thought it was broken, but then it got fixed, so the new one just stayed unused.”

“But you weren’t entirely wrong,” Fang Zhile pulled the topic back herself. “As a modern young person, I played on the computer until midnight last night. How about that? Am I trendy or not?”

Hearing this, Ye Yu remembered the first time she came to Fang Zhile’s house and changed clothes in the bedroom. She recalled that Fang Zhile only had that one desktop computer with a monitor the size of a small refrigerator. She imagined Fang Zhile in front of that big-headed desktop, the faint blue screen light reflecting on her face, excitedly clacking away at the keyboard. Did the screen show an old-fashioned penguin icon making a ‘di-di’ sound? It looked bizarre no matter how she pictured it.

“Trendy. So trendy,” Ye Yu was at a loss for words. “You’re so trendy I’ve developed rheumatism.”

Ye Yu glanced at the cup again, then swayed to the kitchen doorway, leaning there. “Um, your cup is quite nice.”

“All my decor is nice. Take it if you like it. I have a matching pair,” Fang Zhile said without turning her head. “It highlights my perfect taste as a modern young person standing at the forefront of the trend.”

Ye Yu: … Has this person had enough of being glib?

Ye Yu said, “Can I ask a question of the person at the ‘forefront’?”

Fang Zhile turned to look at her and smiled. “Shoot.”

“I don’t mean anything by this, but this house was left to you by your grandmother. Although it’s full of simple historical charm, look at the beams,” Ye Yu pointed up, then gestured around the room. “And these furnishings, and your computer—shouldn’t you consider their practical value and safety value beyond just their historical value?”

“Are you here to give me a safety evaluation?” Fang Zhile was laughing so hard she couldn’t hold the knife steady. “It’s not that dilapidated here. If you go look at the house next door, that’s a dangerous building. You’d sit down on a stool there and collapse it.”

The bickering was getting nowhere. Ye Yu was a little impatient.

“Oh, I didn’t mean that,” Ye Yu opened her mouth, then sighed in frustration. “Forget it. I won’t say it.”

Fang Zhile threw the chestnuts with crisscross cuts into the wok. “I understand what you mean, but money needs to be spent wisely. The college entrance exam is less than two years away. Once I go to college, the house will be empty anyway.” More importantly, every penny she had now had a much greater use. As for the house, well, as long as it was livable.

“Oh.” Ye Yu’s eyes darted around, hatching a plan.

“You promised to help me move tomorrow,” Ye Yu said. “Does that still stand?”

“Of course,” Fang Zhile checked the time, then glanced out the window into the courtyard. “But you probably don’t have too many things, right? Not like a dozen boxes?”

Ye Yu thought for a moment. “I don’t have many boxes, but I have a lot of rooms.”

She then stared intently at Fang Zhile, trying hard to convey her meaning with her eyes. Fang Zhile paused for two seconds, then pushed her face away and walked into the courtyard. Ye Yu pouted, angrily giving her a thumbs-down behind her back.

As Fang Zhile walked out, she ran into a little girl.

“Grandpa asked me to bring this over.” The little girl with pigtails shyly entered the courtyard, holding a small basket. Inside were the recipe for sugar-roasted chestnuts and a bowl of cured meat that Lü Yixian had just marinated.

Fang Zhile thanked the little girl, gave her a bottle of yogurt, and stuffed a handful of chocolates into her pocket.

Ye Yu also came over, squatting down to greet the little girl. “Hello.”

“Hello, pretty big sister,” the little girl answered sweetly.

Fang Zhile pinched her pigtails. “Have you eaten? Want to eat at Big Sister’s house?”

“I have,” the little girl wasn’t too shy around Fang Zhile. She said sweetly, “Grandpa said we have to eat breakfast on time, or we’ll be lazy bugs.”

Fang “Lazy Bug”: …

The little girl was incredibly cute, possessing a biological advantage. Her eyes were like two black grapes, her eyebrows were dark and curved, and her mouth was like two flower petals, rosy and lovely. Facing the little girl’s innocent honesty, Fang Zhile could only silently digest the insult.

“I need to go home now. Grandpa is waiting for me.” The little girl wanted to leave.

Ye Yu stood up. “I’ll walk her back. It’s not safe for a little girl.”

Fang Zhile wanted to say it was just one alley, and Lü Yixian’s door was just around the corner, but then she reconsidered and nodded. What if the melodramatic plot descends again? Fang Zhile beckoned the little girl. “Let this pretty big sister walk you back.”

The little girl ran and tugged at Ye Yu’s hand. “Let’s go.”

“You go walk her back,” Fang Zhile said. “I’ll make the sugar-roasted chestnuts. If I stall any longer, it will be lunchtime.”

Ye Yu looked at Fang Zhile, then at the little girl. “Then let’s go together.”

When Ye Yu returned, the aroma of caramelized sugar was already drifting through the courtyard. The early autumn breeze blew in from the low walls, carrying the scent of the garden plants mixed with the rich caramel. Being there, Ye Yu felt like every pore in her body opened up in pleasure.

What Ye Yu had said earlier was slightly self-serving. She naturally wanted Fang Zhile to move in with her, as that large apartment was quite boring to live in alone. But she didn’t dislike this small courtyard either. If the courtyard wasn’t so far from school, Ye Yu would be quite willing to move in with her bags. She had been in Fang Zhile’s bedroom; there was enough space for a single bed. If all else failed, she could sleep on the floor. The courtyard was small but well-equipped, and most importantly, it offered direct access to the sky and fresh, natural air, a stark contrast to the stifling atmosphere of her own home.

“Ye Yu,” the sound of food being served came from inside. “Wash your hands and eat.”

Two sets of bowls and chopsticks were on the table. There was a bowl of mixed-grain rice for each of them, a plate of stir-fried seasonal vegetables, a plate of steamed cured meat, and a low bamboo basket filled with golden-cracked, fragrant chestnuts.

“Wow,” Ye Yu was impressed by Fang Zhile’s cooking every time. “A high-achieving student truly has a talent for cooking too.”

Fang Zhile swallowed a mouthful of rice and watched her for a moment. “Actually, your cooking is better.”

“What?” Ye Yu was eating too focused to hear what Fang Zhile said.

Fang Zhile smiled and pulled a tissue for her, not explaining further. “Wipe the oil off your mouth.”

She and Ye Yu’s talents had always seemed to complement each other. One liberal arts, one science; one active, one quiet. Even Fang Zhile’s expertise in Chinese cuisine was perfectly countered by Ye Yu’s mastery of Western cuisine. This had led to a protracted argument between them over “Chinese vs. Western cuisine.” For example:

“My great China has eight major cuisines! When it comes to eating, you have to look at Chinese food,” Fang Zhile insisted on Chinese food.

Ye Yu, who loved simple dishes, said, “That’s not Chinese cuisine, that’s Northern cuisine. I refuse to eat chili oil noodles every day.”

“Then what do you want to eat?”

“I want sour and sweet.”

“That’s easy. I’ll make you Guobao Rou (sweet and sour pork), and sweet and sour meat. One sweet and sour dish is enough to solve all your problems.”

Ye Yu simply ignored her and ordered a cake for herself.

But that was back in college. After moving in together, they ordered takeout for a while, then started cooking for themselves. Ye Yu showed great interest and immense talent in pastries and desserts. For a time, the refrigerator’s cold storage was filled with various brands of butter and cheese Ye Yu had bought. Thinking about it, Fang Zhile could almost taste the half-baked cheesecake in her mouth.

As she ate, Fang Zhile recalled Ye Yu’s earlier hint. The real Fang Zhile was totally fine with living together; they had done it for years. But the book had its own characters. Fang Zhile had an independent identity from over a decade ago. Even if she was determined to follow Ye Yu now, there needed to be a temporal transition and buffer. That’s why she pretended not to understand Ye Yu’s hints these past few times, deciding to move in at a more suitable opportunity later.

“Sigh,” Fang Zhile chewed a mouthful of rice, looking at Ye Yu, who was eating gracefully but was clearly focused on her meal and ignoring everyone. “Eat slowly. It’s all yours.”

Ye Yu had food in her mouth and couldn’t speak, so she looked up, smiled, and made a heart shape with her hands for Fang Zhile.

Pop. Her index finger and thumb met. A small heart floated toward Fang Zhile.

Fang Zhile glanced at it, put down her chopsticks, and curved her arms over her head, forming a huge heart shape.

The chestnut shells were thin and crisp. Fang Zhile had to tap Ye Yu’s hand several times to prevent her from eating them all. Most of the chestnuts ended up in Ye Yu’s stomach.

“They really are hard to digest. I’m not trying to stop you from eating,” Fang Zhile said, so exasperated she didn’t even want to wash the dishes.

Ye Yu rarely paid attention to her diet. Usually, the family housekeeper would draw up a menu every three months, and she would have few complaints. After starting high school, the housekeeper even checked the school cafeteria and made a list of vegetable combinations for every meal. Ye Yu rarely ate anything outside of those lists.

“But they really are delicious!” Ye Yu was as excited as a child tasting sugar for the first time.

Fang Zhile pulled her up, urging her. “Let’s go for a walk to help you digest.”

“It’s scorching outside at noon. Where are we going?” Ye Yu whined, unwilling to move.

Fang Zhile said, “If you follow the alley, there’s a large stretch of shade. It won’t be too hot right now.”

Ye Yu fully exhibited the qualities of a homebody who disliked exercise. She was softer than the mixed-grain rice she had just eaten, clinging to Fang Zhile’s sleeve. “Later in the afternoon. Let’s rest for a bit. I’m too tired.”

“No. Lying down right after eating will give you stomach problems.”

Ye Yu was shocked. Her eating habits had always been excellent; she never had stomach problems.

Fang Zhile rationally reviewed her case, dropping a bombshell. “If your stomach function was fine, would you have severe menstrual cramps every time? Every time you get your period, your intestines and stomach go on strike collectively.”

Ye Yu recalled the intense, unbearable pain of that time.

“Fine.”

Despite being dragged out to exercise, Ye Yu still didn’t want to walk. “Let’s go find Xiaohua to play with.”

“You can try calling her. I think she remembers your voice.”

The two walked from one end of the alley to the other, then turned a corner, exploring every part of this accessible area of interwoven paths and neighboring homes. Ye Yu felt like she was sweating profusely.

“I think I’ve not only digested the food but I’m hungry again,” Ye Yu felt her stomach seriously.

Fang Zhile smiled softly, exposing her scheme.

“There won’t be any chestnuts today or tomorrow.”

Ye Yu’s upturned lips instantly drooped.

Fang Zhile burst out laughing.

“By the way, where did Xiaohua go?” Ye Yu, embarrassed at being caught, changed the subject.

“I don’t know. I haven’t seen her for days,” Fang Zhile looked up at the houses on both sides. “She hasn’t shown up since we fed her the can last time.”

Ye Yu remembered Fang Zhile saying that Xiaohua was being looked after.

“Should we go ask Uncle Lü?”

Five minutes later, the two stopped Yaya, who was playing jump rope outside the door.

“Yaya, hello!” Ye Yu bent down to talk to her. Yaya was the little girl who delivered the food that morning.

Her pigtails were jumping loose. Fang Zhile reached up and pulled out one of the elastic bands.

“What are you doing?” Yaya covered her head, protecting her hair with her small hands, her mouth pouting.

Fang Zhile liked teasing the little girl, so she deliberately tricked her. “I’m going to steal the elastic band from your head. Is that okay?”

Yaya took a step back, looking at her with wide eyes. Her hair, loosened from the elastic band, formed two fluffy round balls on top of her head. Fang Zhile found her expression hilarious and wanted to continue teasing her, but Ye Yu reached out, took the elastic band from her, and sighed. “Stop teasing the little girl.”

“Hey, Ye Yu,” Fang Zhile explained. “I was going to braid her hair again.”

Ye Yu was surprised and countered, “You know how to braid hair?”

“Of course! And I’m best at pigtails.”

Fang Zhile beckoned Yaya, putting away her frivolous smile. She asked gently, “Shall Big Sister braid your hair for you?”

Yaya was already familiar with Fang Zhile. After thinking for a moment, she shuffled closer and said sweetly, “Okay.”

Ye Yu watched Fang Zhile skillfully fiddle with Yaya’s hair, her movements clean and quick. She clearly knew what she was doing. Soon, two fluffy and adorable pigtails appeared on the little girl’s head.

Ye Yu looked at them in fascination, leaning closer to examine them, and then reached out to touch them.

“Staring much?” Fang Zhile snapped her fingers. “Mission accomplished.”

“How did you learn that?” Ye Yu’s gaze briefly rested on Fang Zhile’s shoulder-length hair. She was tempted. “Teach me.”

Fang Zhile’s lips pulled into a side-smile. She turned the little girl’s shoulders three hundred and sixty degrees to show off the braids, then squatted down to look at Ye Yu at the same height as the little girl.

“First, to answer your first question: how did I learn?” Fang Zhile pointed at Yaya, then at herself. “Don’t you think Yaya looks a lot like you did when you were little?”

Ye Yu didn’t think so initially, but now that Fang Zhile mentioned it, there was a slight resemblance.

“Did you wear pigtails when you were little?” Fang Zhile asked.

Ye Yu thought for a few seconds. “I did.”

Then she asked, “Does that have anything to do with you knowing how to braid pigtails?”

“Of course! It just means pigtails are a common hairstyle. It’s only a slight step up from a ponytail. It’s normal to know how to braid them, okay?” Fang Zhile talked nonsense without a second thought. She knew how to braid pigtails purely because Ye Yu liked the style when she was little.

Ye Yu thought for a moment. “Fine, I’m just ignorant.”

“As for the second question,” Fang Zhile’s gaze fell on Ye Yu’s long black hair, her eyes lighting up with a fleeting flash of admiration. “Your long hair is beautiful as it is now. I strongly suggest you don’t change it.”

Ye Yu flipped her long hair forward over her shoulder. It was smooth and draped gently in front of her.

“Alright,” Ye Yu said with a smile, a spark of mischief in her eyes. “Then let’s mess with your hair.”

Fang Zhile: “Huh?”

When Lü Yixian returned, he could hear Yaya’s laughter from a distance. Walking closer, he saw her circling a tall girl with awkwardly braided pigtails, laughing hysterically.

“Yaya, come here quickly,” Lü Yixian thought she had run into some strange woman. As he spoke, he looked up at the person who turned around. He paused for three seconds, then burst into roaring laughter. “Hahahahaha! That girl’s hairstyle is too ugly!”

Fang Zhile’s expression was full of resentment. She looked like a patch of grass was growing on her head. “Ye! Yu!”

The person being called was standing with her back to her, her posture straight, but acting slightly deaf.

“Uncle Lü, have you seen Xiaohua recently, that very fat orange cat?”

“No, I haven’t seen her these past few days. I thought she was hiding out at Xiao Le’s house. Hey, Xiao Le, you, hahahahaha, I can’t look at her, it’s too funny!”

“Alright, thank you, Uncle Lü. We’re heading back now.”

Ye Yu was very polite, waving goodbye to Lü Yixian and bending down to say hello to Yaya.

She didn’t look back once.

Fang Zhile snatched the elastic band from her hair, threw it on the ground, and stomped on it several times. Then, under Yaya’s condemning gaze, she picked it up, wiped it clean, and handed it back.

“Uncle Lü, I’m leaving now,” Fang Zhile said expressionlessly.

Lü Yixian held Yaya’s hand, his eyes still fixed on her asymmetrical hairstyle, one side high, the other side flat.

“Uncle Lü!”

Lü Yixian snapped out of it, laughing heartily. “Ah, goodbye, goodbye.”

As Fang Zhile walked away, she could still hear the combined laughter of Lü Yixian and Yaya.

Fang Zhile looked at Ye Yu’s figure in the distance, snorted, and followed her, gritting her teeth.