After Saving My Possessive Best Friend, I Couldn't Escape (GL) - Chapter 46.1

“Are they very rich?” Ye Yu sat on a stone stool in the garden, her posture graceful and dignified, as if she were seated in an expensive, high-class hall.

Across from her were Han Qi’s parents, a couple who looked like honest, plain folk.

“We… no, yes, they are rich.” Han Qi’s mother already knew Ye Yu hadn’t come to silence them, yet she was instinctively intimidated by the visitor’s demeanor. She kept her head down throughout the conversation.

Ye Yu’s fingers tapped on the stone table, showing impatience. “What exactly did they say?”

Han Qi’s father pressed his wife’s shoulder. His voice was deep, more resigned than his wife’s, but he unintentionally raised his volume. “To seal our mouths, it was nothing more than the usual talk.”

Ye Yu raised an eyebrow, looking at the man who had suddenly seemed to straighten his back. She was surprised. “So you took the money and agreed to it?”

The man gritted his teeth. “What else could we do? We asked the school, and there were no surveillance cameras there. Qiqi had no visible bruises from pushing. The police also said they couldn’t find the person who pushed her. Even if they did, minors can’t be convicted, at most they’d be sent away for a few days.”

Ye Yu laughed, her tone cold and uncaring, like a person who never had to worry about money. “This is the first time I’ve seen parents who let the abuser off the hook because the punishment was too light.”

Han Qi’s mother shook her head tearfully. “It wasn’t like that. The principal intervened and asked us not to escalate the situation. They gave us a sum of money and waived Qiqi’s high school tuition and miscellaneous fees. By accepting this money, Qiqi can fully recover from her injuries and still go to college and even graduate school.”

Ye Yu recalled the girl’s despondent expression less than a minute after she opened the door. She smiled faintly. “College?”

“In that case, I can understand. However…” Ye Yu nodded. Her long, fair fingers tapped the stone table with a sharp thud and suddenly stopped. Ye Yu looked up at the couple, her tone a mix of excitement and curiosity. “She definitely wasn’t bullied for the first time. You must know that, right?”

The man’s face showed suppressed anger, while the woman bowed her head, weeping with greater sorrow.

“I’ll give you one hundred thousand, two hundred thousand,” Ye Yu opened one hand, flipping it back and forth as if checking if her nails were perfectly manicured, her tone utterly casual. “I don’t want anything else, just for you to provide some ‘evidence’ for me to photograph and photocopy.”

The man looked confused. “What evidence?”

“Your daughter’s textbooks, notebooks, clothes, and any personal statements,” Ye Yu shrugged. “Judging by your reaction, the bullies weren’t first-time offenders. With a repeated offense, there must be some sort of evidence pointing to them. You give me the material, and I’ll give you the money. How about it?”

Ye Yu’s matter-of-fact, accustomed attitude somehow angered the man. He growled, “We don’t know who those people are!”

“Believe it or not,” Ye Yu looked down at him, reiterating, “I’ll only repeat this once: copies in one hand, money in the other. You decide.”

Ye Yu placed a slip of paper with her contact information on it, pressed her five fingers onto the stone table, and then gracefully stood up. “Call me when you’ve made up your mind.”

Han Qi’s mother cried and asked her, “Who are you, and what are you going to do?”

The man glanced at the note, then looked at Ye Yu suspiciously. “If we give you the materials, we won’t face retaliation, will we?”

“Don’t worry, I’m not with them. I want copies, not to destroy evidence. And Han Qi and I don’t know each other—you should be able to tell that from your daughter’s reaction,” Ye Yu yawned, looking toward the hospital bed, thinking Fang Zhile should be coming out soon. She was too lazy to play pretense with them any longer. She turned and left. “After all, you were the ones who personally silenced your own daughter countless times.”

Hearing that last sentence, the couple looked as if all the blood had been drained from their bodies, their faces instantly turning ashen.

Fang Zhile walked out of the hospital door with a serious expression, looking around anxiously.

“What are you looking for?” Someone tapped her shoulder from behind. Fang Zhile couldn’t help but smile, surprised. “Ye Yu! It’s you!”

“I followed you out, of course! I saw you at the school gate, but you didn’t reply to my WeChat messages, and your voice calls wouldn’t go through. I had to get the driver to follow your bus. Traffic was terrible during rush hour, and the bus had its own lane. The driver had a tough time keeping up.”

Ye Yu gave her a sly smile, cleverly turning her premeditated actions into a coincidence born of concern.

Fang Zhile quickly took out her phone. Sure enough, she had habitually turned it off for the exam and forgotten to log into WeChat after turning it back on. Ye Yu had several messages waiting in the chat box.

“I’m so sorry. Let me give you my number,” Fang Zhile sent her phone number, running a hand through her hair. “I was in a rush to see Han Qi and forgot to tell you. I’m really sorry.”

“Han Qi? Is that the little girl?” Ye Yu played the part perfectly, asking knowingly, “I just pulled her parents out. Did I interrupt anything?”

Fang Zhile bristled at the mention of the parents. Her cheeks puffed out, and she put her hands on her hips. “Thanks to you showing up! I didn’t know about Han Qi at first. Then, after asking around a bit at school, I found out there’s a pair of school bullies in the Class Seven art class who specifically target good-performing art students. The school sent them home for reflection multiple times, but because their family elders hold shares in the school, they can’t be expelled, making their behavior even more arrogant… Sorry, I got carried away. This is something I found out with just a little asking, yet their own parents, as Han Qi’s parents, don’t know about it?!”

Ye Yu poked her cheek, and Fang Zhile stared back in confusion. Why is Ye Yu poking her face again? Did she say something wrong?

Ye Yu rubbed her fingertips together, lowered her hand, and pretended nothing happened, steering the conversation back to the main topic. She said thoughtfully, “The school atmosphere is poor; it should be rectified.”

“I was talking about Han Qi’s parents.” Fang Zhile’s anger hadn’t shifted to the school yet; it was focused on the parents. “They actually think they’re doing what’s best for their child. Han Qi told me that her parents believe taking the money and letting the matter go is the best solution. They feel inherently inferior, probably thinking this wasn’t the first time. They’re used to taking the money. If the severity of the injury hadn’t alarmed the school, I think her parents would have still just taken the money and settled it.”

Ye Yu walked to Fang Zhile’s side, side-by-side with her. “You’re wrong. They settled it with money this time, too.”

“No,” Fang Zhile’s eyes widened. “They at least put up a fight this time. They even called the police, but the final result was no different.”

Ye Yu returned to her normal self in front of Fang Zhile, without the coldness she had deliberately put on earlier. She explained calmly, “It’s understandable. After all, that money is extremely important to an ordinary family. The school couldn’t even provide fair and just handling. When things are rotten at the root, what can a powerless couple do?”

Fang Zhile nodded, naturally moving to the point that incensed her the most. “That’s why I didn’t demand anything from the parents. They aren’t the ones at fault. Broadly speaking, they’re the victims. The ones at fault are the abusers and their accomplices.”

No matter what happened, Fang Zhile always seemed to handle the relationship between victims and perpetrators very rationally. She would never place any blame on the victims. Because once a crime occurs, the paths are clearly distinct. There is no middle ground between innocent and guilty. This clear, almost rigorous moral sense made Ye Yu unable to resist drawing closer every time she sensed it.

Ye Yu turned as she walked, moving backward to face Fang Zhile, smiling. “So, did you find out anything?”

Fang Zhile gave an embarrassed smile, reached out, and pulled Ye Yu, reminding her to watch her step. Then she told a small lie. “I asked Han Qi if she knew how many school bullies there were.”

Ye Yu tilted her head, asking nonchalantly, “Why ask that?”

Fang Zhile didn’t reveal her entire plan but cautiously stated her partial truth. “If this bullying has a root cause, we can make an example of the most arrogant one. Then the rest won’t dare to act rashly.”

Ye Yu neither nodded nor shook her head. She implied her concern. “Are you planning to take them on alone?”

Fang Zhile didn’t speak. Ye Yu grew slightly anxious. “If you get any information, you should tell a teacher. Don’t act impulsively by yourself.”

“I know. I’m just looking for justice for myself,” Fang Zhile smiled.

Ye Yu’s delicate face took on a serious expression. “I’m not joking with you. You absolutely must not try to reason with them on your own.”

Fang Zhile’s righteous fervor was suddenly interrupted. She paused, and countless thoughts flashed through her mind. Ye Yu knew she was looking for trouble with Sun Li, but that was all. Fang Zhile didn’t want her involved in anything related to bullying, so she chose to tell a selective truth. “Teacher Yang asked me to check on Han Qi, so I took the opportunity to ask… because I was pushed down the stairs too in my first year, but I’m not sure who did it.”

Ye Yu’s brisk pace halted, and her expression instantly turned cold.

“But the injury wasn’t serious, and they never found the person,” Fang Zhile smiled awkwardly, changing the subject. “I finally completed the teacher’s task! Hey, you know how working overtime is called ‘adding work? What do you call what I did? adding study? “

“It’s called ‘brown-nosing,’” Ye Yu joked, though the smile didn’t reach her eyes.

Fang Zhile laughed out loud several times. She held Ye Yu’s hand to cross the overpass, still laughing, her shoulders shaking, as if she needed that joke to sustain her for the day.

Ye Yu watched her reckless forgetfulness, knowing Fang Zhile was hiding something. She couldn’t help but sigh with heartache, deciding not to press her any further. In this, the two were in sync, respecting each other’s privacy and not prying into matters.

“I’m hungry. Stop laughing. You’ll fill your stomach with air and ruin your dinner.”

Fang Zhile laughed, wiping a tear, and waved her hand. “Too late. I’m not eating dinner. I’m going straight to see Xiaohua.”

Xiaohua? Their ‘child.’ Ye Yu’s ears perked up, her cold expression softening slightly. She said gently, “I’m coming too.”

Fang Zhile had planned to grab something quick on the street, but upon learning Ye Yu was joining her, she suddenly became less rushed and more deliberate. She pulled Ye Yu into a small, seemingly popular stir-fry restaurant nearby and ordered a few home-style dishes without hesitation. She said seriously, “The cat needs to be seen, and we need to eat.”

Ye Yu: …

Given Fang Zhile’s enthusiasm for feeding her, if Fang Zhile weren’t even skinnier than her, Ye Yu would think she was jealous of her figure and trying to force her to gain weight. Ye Yu unhurriedly sterilized the bowls and chopsticks with hot water, not even lifting an eyelid as she said sincerely, “Then you eat more.”

“You eat more,” Fang Zhile returned the challenge, even adding a provocative comment. “You’re too weak.”

Ye Yu couldn’t help but want to laugh. She looked Fang Zhile up and down contemptuously. “Who was it that needed to gain muscle? Did I forget?”

Fang Zhile rubbed her nose and looked left and right at the table. “Well, I do a lot of physical labor. You don’t know, but the milk tea shop has to come up with new seasonal products. Things like ‘Slammed’ and ‘Pounded’ drinks take effort. I have a very well-proportioned, healthy, and strong body, right?”

Ye Yu genuinely didn’t want to flirt inappropriately, yet her gaze couldn’t help but drop down, lingering on Fang Zhile’s entire forearm, tracing the curve from her elbow to her rounded, cute fingertips, even circling the area above her fingers for a few seconds before forcibly tearing her gaze away. It was as if she had just watched an X-rated film in her mind, completely unbeknownst to the person in question. Skinny enough to be a generic size, and she calls herself healthy? But she did have quite a bit of strength. Yet, she was still a little fragile stick. Always boasting about protecting me and gaining muscle. Is this person trying to stage a rebellion?

Ye Yu’s hand, accustomed to holding a calligraphy brush, moved with fluid grace as she rinsed the tableware, a visually pleasing sight. Fang Zhile accidentally glimpsed it and complimented her. “Nice hands.”

Ye Yu paused the movement of setting down the cup. A vein pulsed slightly on her forehead. After a few seconds, she placed the sterilized cup in front of Fang Zhile, implying, “You’re welcome.”

Fang Zhile: …

Did she just catch the scent of exhaust fumes?

The dishes arrived quickly: a vegetable medley, stir-fried pork with green peppers, and a plate of scrambled eggs with chives—all ordinary home-style cooking. Fang Zhile didn’t even ask this time. She automatically pulled the chive dish toward herself, grabbed the sterilized chopsticks, and began devouring the food and rice.

“Green peppers are very nutritious. I’ve eaten at this place before. Although there’s not much meat, the green peppers are delicious,” Fang Zhile stared down Ye Yu, emphasizing every word. “Eat. More.”

“I can eat a whole plate,” perhaps spurred by Fang Zhile’s earlier boast about gaining muscle, Ye Yu said shamelessly after a moment of silence. “Don’t underestimate me.”

Fang Zhile looked up at her while eating, then used the back of her chopsticks to push the plate of stir-fried pork and green peppers toward Ye Yu. “It’s all yours. One plate.”

They stared at each other for two seconds, then both looked down and began clearing the table at nearly double their usual eating speed, finishing all the food.

The owner who came to pour water probably had never seen girls eat so much. He looked sideways at the three empty plates, seriously wondering if his chef had halved the portions due to a lack of ingredients. Finally, he couldn’t resist saying, “Extra rice is free. The second plate of any dish is half price.”

“No need,” Fang Zhile pointed at Ye Yu and told the owner. “She’s paying, and she ate the most.”

Ye Yu: … Oh, great.

Fang Zhile wiped her mouth and swayed to the restaurant door, stretching lazily. The wind blew her shoulder-length hair from behind her ears, tickling her cheek.

A pair of hands reached from behind, gently tucking her wind-swept hair behind her ears. Ye Yu took the hair clip, looked at it in her hand, and her gaze instantly softened. It was as if the clip reminded her of something. Her voice was gentler. “I’ll get you a bigger one. Your hair has gotten longer.”

Fang Zhile finished her yawn, her eyes moist. Her voice was soft. She looked like a fully fed cat, exuding a scent of lazy comfort. “Okay.”

Just as she finished, her cheek was poked. Fang Zhile turned her head, yawning and full of question marks, only to be poked again. The culprit was completely oblivious to her reproachful gaze and was clearly enjoying herself. Ye Yu even used both hands to pinch Fang Zhile’s cheeks on both sides.

Fang Zhile’s lips were pulled into a small curve. Her rosy, heart-shaped mouth opened and closed indistinctly. “Eet es eww,” she mumbled.

“Ye Yu won’t stop,” Ye Yu said, her eyes bright as if playing with a favorite toy, the surprised, broken light scattering like ripples on a lake, beautiful to behold. “Ye Yu thinks you’re adorable.”