After Saving My Possessive Best Friend, I Couldn't Escape (GL) - Chapter 42

“I’ve arrived, where are you?” Ye Yu stood in front of Fang Zhile’s courtyard gate, a look of confusion on her face as she faced the closed door.

She had been here many times, and this wooden door, which was basically just for show, was usually unlocked. Ye Yu could guess it was because locking it was pointless anyway. Yet, this flimsy door was closed, barring her entry, on the day they had planned to move.

They had agreed to move today, but Fang Zhile was nowhere to be found.

Fang Zhile’s breathless voice came over the phone, sounding like she was rushing. “I’ll be right back. I just took Xiaohua to the vet.”

“A vet? Is Xiaohua sick?” Ye Yu’s heart jumped. “Don’t rush. The driver and I will wait for you at the entrance.”

Fifteen minutes later, Fang Zhile appeared at the other end of the alley, covered in sweat.

“Don’t ask questions yet, give me a bottle of water.” Fang Zhile gasped for breath, leaning on her knees, her forehead dripping with sweat.

Ye Yu twisted open a bottle of water for her and handed her a packet of wet wipes, looking behind her.

Fang Zhile drank half the bottle of water and rested in the shade for a few minutes. When she caught her breath, she explained to Ye Yu, “Don’t look. Xiaohua is at the clinic. That little rascal, who knows where he was wandering, came over for food this morning, and a large section of his tail was broken.”

Ye Yu was shocked. “Broken?”

Fang Zhile felt sorry for the cat, gesturing with her hands. “A piece that long was dragging on the ground. It looked truly painful.”

Ye Yu was silent for a few seconds. “Was it a bone break with the flesh still attached, or was it a clean cut?”

“Currently, it’s a bone break. It will probably be a clean cut in a few hours,” Fang Zhile was furious. “The little brat was wandering outside even though he was injured. The vet said the tail injury was several days old and already infected. They probably can’t save it and will have to amputate it.”

Ye Yu was quite worried and suggested postponing the move to go check on Xiaohua.

“No, that brat just got subdued by the doctor,” Fang Zhile waved her hands quickly. “Being at the clinic for treatment is the best fate for him. We’ll go see him after we move. He’s angry at everyone now. He even bared his teeth at me before I left, acting as if I was the one who broke his tail.”

Broke? Ye Yu cautiously asked, “Can they determine how the wound was formed? Did they take an X-ray? What did the fracture look like? Was it crushed or snapped? Was there a clean cut?”

Fang Zhile looked up at her when she heard this. Ye Yu had asked casually, but Fang Zhile was very sensitive to her tone. She knew Ye Yu was probing, asking in a roundabout way because she had already made a judgment but couldn’t say it directly.

“It was probably run over after crawling under a car,” Fang Zhile threw the used wet wipe into the roadside trash can, explaining seriously. “Xiaohua isn’t friendly to people. Unless a human is a highly agile martial arts expert, no average person can catch him.”

Fang Zhile then showed Ye Yu the photos she took. “This was before I took him to the clinic. The little rascal is tough. He was meowing for food, then would yelp if he accidentally touched his own wound.”

The photos showed no external injuries other than the tail having a strange angle. Ye Yu said “Oh,” and the worry in her eyes eased slightly.

Fang Zhile walked over and patted her shoulder. “Let’s go. Time to help you move.”

“Are you really sure we don’t need to check on him?”

“Are you a doctor? It nearly took my life to catch him and bring him to the clinic. Let’s just rest.”

Ye Yu turned and walked forward. Fang Zhile watched her retreating back and frowned. Perhaps she was overly sensitive. When a normal person encounters an injured cat, they might eventually suspect animal cruelty. But Ye Yu’s immediate questions were about the shape of the wound, whether it was a clean cut or a break. This indicated either extreme caution or an unusual sensitivity to the occurrence of such malice.

Regardless of Ye Yu’s situation, Fang Zhile decided not to mention such matters around Ye Yu in the future. Anything that could trigger her negative emotions or negative speculations should be kept from her as much as possible.

And that “photo” from last time. Fang Zhile felt a bit uneasy thinking about it. If Ye Yu really knew something, Sun Li might not even last long enough to fall with the rest of the Sun family. Fang Zhile wasn’t worried about Sun Li’s safety; she just didn’t want Ye Yu to get involved in any of this mess. She had managed to protect Ye Yu and let her grow up clean and carefree before, and she had to be able to do it now.

Having decided this, Fang Zhile squeezed the water bottle and got into the car, following Ye Yu to a small apartment building. Chunyang High School was on the edge of the city center. The apartment was conveniently located near an underdeveloped artistic street on the city’s outer ring.

It was called an artistic street, but the shops were similar to Wei Youqing’s—they looked like they weren’t making any money. Each store had its own distinct style, and they opened and closed on a whim. Looking down the street, every few shops were closed, with signs hanging on the door reading, “Boss is out for skewers,” “Lost the cat, looking for the cat,” or “Closed today and tomorrow for the boss’s attendance at the comic convention.” Despite this, the housing prices in the residential area here were among the top three in the city. Good location, peaceful environment, and still in the city center. Fang Zhile counted her savings. Combined, they could probably buy a luxury toilet. Great. I’m so successful. She wondered if she could afford a bathroom with a bathtub if she worked hard for a few more years.

The car carrying five large boxes pulled up and stopped behind them. Three muscular men got out and, without a word, began carrying the boxes into the apartment.

Fang Zhile was stunned. It took her a moment to speak, pointing at them. “Then what do I do?”

“Help me organize things once the boxes are unpacked,” Ye Yu said. She and Fang Zhile were standing in the apartment’s small private garden, watching the burly men move things in the distance. “What did you think? That I’d have you move things like them? Your muscle-gaining plan can wait a few days.”

Gaining muscle was just a casual remark. Fang Zhile ran a hand through her hair and chuckled. “I thought when you said ‘moving,’ you literally meant ‘moving’ things.”

“You,” Ye Yu looked at her with a complex expression. She picked up a strand of Fang Zhile’s hair resting on her shoulder. “Do you think you’re a strong man just because you cut your hair short?”

“What’s your problem with short hair?” Fang Zhile pulled her hair back. “Your art class is the only one allowed to have long hair. The rest of the school recommends short hair. It’s neat, easy to manage, and allows students to focus maximally on their studies.”

Ye Yu stared at her for a few seconds, then moved her lips. “Then I’ll cut mine too.”

“No!” Fang Zhile refused almost instantly, without thinking, her voice sounding sharp. “You can’t cut it.”

Ye Yu blinked, looked away, staring at the pebble pathway in front of her for a moment, then looked up at Fang Zhile’s gaze and asked, “Why?”

Fang Zhile clutched a handful of hair, avoiding Ye Yu’s eyes. She was clearly at a loss for words. But her assertiveness didn’t wane despite her speechlessness. Instead, she stiffened her neck and reiterated her point, speaking unreasonably. “You just can’t cut your hair.” A joke! Long black hair is Ye Yu’s signature look. Why should she cut it?

Ye Yu still stared at her, saying nothing.

“You’re not widowed, and you’re not afraid of hair loss. It would be a huge waste to cut such beautiful hair,” Fang Zhile started rambling when she saw Ye Yu was unmoved. “Besides, you know that short hair is inconvenient. You have to wash it every two days at most, and it constantly sweeps across your face when you do homework. It’s annoying.”

Ye Yu moved her lips and spat out four words: “Then grow yours out.”

Fang Zhile: …

“Fine, I won’t cut it,” Fang Zhile mumbled. “Always bossing me around.”

“What did you say?” Ye Yu narrowed her eyes.

Fang Zhile immediately gave her a huge smile. “Nothing.”

The garden was planted with flowers transplanted from elsewhere, and the soil was freshly turned. Fang Zhile pointed to one of the plants. “Do you like gardenias?”

“You can tell?” Ye Yu squatted down. “I don’t know what this is. My bodyguard bought it for me.”

As she spoke, a bodyguard walked past them and gave a sincere smile. Fang Zhile recognized him as someone often seen around Ye Yu. “That’s nice. It’s rare to see gardenias planted so densely. It will smell wonderful when they bloom.”

Ye Yu poked a gardenia leaf. “I’m relieved you said that. I was planning to replace them. The leaves are so ugly, and his taste is usually terrible.”

The bodyguard carrying the box staggered, and the box hit his foot.

“See? I told you,” Ye Yu pointed at him and said to Fang Zhile. “Clumsy.”

“Don’t break my things!” Ye Yu yelled.

Fang Zhile tried to suppress a laugh. “Aren’t you worried about him getting hurt?”

“I don’t think so,” Ye Yu shook her head. “He’s very strong.”

Fang Zhile “tsk-ed.” “Oh really.”

Ye Yu looked innocent.

After all the boxes were moved out of the car, the two entered the house to unpack and arrange the items.

“The cleaning lady has already cleaned,” Ye Yu put on slippers and gave a pair to Fang Zhile. “Once we’ve finished unpacking, the cleaner will come again tomorrow before school, and then twice a week after that.”

Fang Zhile clicked her tongue, observing the surroundings, walking back and forth. “Did you design the room yourself?”

“No, I chose the blueprint. It was already fully furnished.” Ye Yu followed behind her.

The house was a three-story apartment. The top floor was an open-air rooftop terrace with a large awning where they could lie down, drink tea, and enjoy the scenery. The second floor had bedrooms, a calligraphy study, and a kitchenette. The first floor had a guest room, living room, and kitchen. It also came with a small garden of about 100 square meters.

Fang Zhile walked into a converted fitness room, divided into fitness and yoga areas, complete with ropes for aerial yoga. Fang Zhile rolled a yoga ball toward herself and sat down. “So soft… Ah!”

The yoga ball, having excellent bounce, playfully tossed her off.

Ye Yu laughed so hard she couldn’t stand straight.

“That was an accident,” Fang Zhile cleared her throat. “Just pretend you didn’t see anything.”

Ye Yu looked at the yoga ball, which was still rolling slightly after Fang Zhile kicked it away. “Sure.”

Overall, the place was spacious, three stories, beautifully decorated, and expensive.

“How is it?” Ye Yu followed Fang Zhile up and down the stairs. Seeing the satisfied expression on her face, she couldn’t help but feel a little proud. “Are you satisfied?”

“Satisfied,” Fang Zhile was very satisfied with Ye Yu’s current financial power and aesthetic sense. “Your taste is always excellent.”

Ye Yu was slightly embarrassed by the direct praise. She pursed her lips and smiled. “Then, why don’t you move in and live with me?”

Fang Zhile chuckled internally. She knew Ye Yu was waiting for this moment.

“We agreed to be neighbors before,” Fang Zhile, confident in her memory, repeated their previous conversation, glancing sideways at Ye Yu. “But a certain someone seems to have forgotten that I’m just a poor student. Renting a house in a place this expensive means that neighborhood plan won’t work out.”

Ye Yu grew anxious immediately. “I didn’t rent the house. This is my own house. You can be my neighbor by living in the apartment next door on the same floor!”

Fang Zhile burst into laughter.

Ye Yu’s ability to misunderstand things was consistently impressive.

Fang Zhile pretended to be angry and didn’t speak, turning around with a dark face, ignoring the little tail behind her.

“Look, do you like this vase?”

“Oh.”

“This is an open kitchen. You can cook anything you want.”

“Oh.”

Ye Yu followed her for a while, initiating several topics that went ignored. She gradually felt wronged. She knew her decision was impulsive and that proceeding without consulting Fang Zhile would make her uncomfortable.

However, when Fang Zhile moved out of the dorm, she had personally said she wanted to live in the same dorm as her. Ye Yu didn’t understand the difference between living in the same dorm and living in the same house. She had even custom-designed a bedroom for Fang Zhile. The furniture inside was wooden and stylish, all personally chosen by her in the past few days.

Thinking about all this, Ye Yu’s eyes reddened.

Fang Zhile finished touring the entire house, feeling satisfied. When she turned around, she was startled to see a pair of red, teary eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Fang Zhile ran a hand through her hair, bending down to meet Ye Yu’s face. Ye Yu turned her head away, her shoulders stiff, refusing to speak to her.

Fang Zhile sighed inwardly. Ye Yu’s move was quite noticeable. Even if she kept it from the Zhou family, she couldn’t hide it from the Ye family. The Ye family headquarters was at the old residence, and the people there were eccentric. If Fang Zhile moved in, they would definitely find out. Not to mention her fear of being targeted, she was fine on her own, but Ye Yu was still a member of the Ye family. Ye Yu, who had always been the obedient girl since childhood, bringing an outsider to live in her home, would undoubtedly make Fang Zhile look like the bad influence.

But nothing was more important than Ye Yu’s happiness. Fang Zhile hesitated for three seconds, was about to speak, then paused for half a minute. Forget it. I’ll deal with it when it happens.

“Aiya, I was just teasing you. You actually took it seriously.”

Ye Yu blinked. The moisture welling up in her eyes scattered before forming into tears.

“What do you mean?” Ye Yu’s voice was slightly congested.

Fang Zhile felt even softer towards her and quickly said, “I’m not stupid. It’s such a great house, and you personally invited me to live here. How could I possibly refuse?”

“You’re not angry at me for taking the liberty,” Ye Yu sniffled, whispering with her head lowered. “Do you feel like it’s someone else’s house, like you’re relying on charity, and that you hate me?”

Listening to Ye Yu’s increasingly wild claims, Fang Zhile squatted down, looking up at Ye Yu’s lowered head, her voice softening several degrees. “Alright, alright, you’re getting carried away. I’m grateful to you, truly.”

“Then you’ll move in.”

“Definitely. I’ll go back and pack up. If I have enough time, I can move in today.”

Ye Yu’s gaze focused on Fang Zhile’s sincere face. A few seconds later, her tears gave way to a smile. “Don’t lie.”

Fang Zhile breathed a sigh of relief. She had finally appeased her. Ye Yu was more fragile than before, her eyes turning red just from being ignored for a short while.

Fang Zhile was telling the truth. She didn’t mind whose house it was. Hers was Ye Yu’s, and she felt perfectly comfortable using Ye Yu’s things. Aside from the Ye family, there were no obstacles between them.

However… Fang Zhile’s gaze fell on an open box in the living room.

“What is that box of super impractical candles?” Fang Zhile asked.

Ye Yu walked over, looked closely, and flipped over a tag. “It might be a birthday present someone sent. This box contains gifts from important people.”

“Who sends a box of impractical candles?” Fang Zhile glanced at them dismissively.

“They’re aromatherapy candles. The scent helps with focus,” Ye Yu recalled. “Maybe they knew I practice calligraphy often and bought this aromatherapy… Ah, I remember now.”

Ye Yu quickly glanced upward with a slightly guilty look, which Fang Zhile caught perfectly.

“It’s from Zhou Meize, isn’t it?” Fang Zhile knew from her reaction.

Ye Yu tossed the candles into the box and turned to busy herself with something else. “It might be. Haha.”

Fang Zhile stared at the candles for a few seconds, then angrily shoved the box to the very bottom. Arrange them? Let them collect dust in the box!