After Saving My Possessive Best Friend, I Couldn't Escape (GL) - Chapter 31

“I brought you pineapple fried rice.”

Ye Yu returned the favor. She had stopped by a restaurant on the way, thoughtfully bringing back two servings of fried rice.

She had found this place through a school forum guide—the campus-voted best pineapple fried rice in the area, an old brand that had been around for over ten years.

She had waited in line for half an hour to buy it. The rice was bright yellow and translucent, with grains clearly separated. It looked delicious at a glance.

The moment Fang Zhile saw the fried rice, her stomach rumbled loudly in anticipation.

“Have you eaten?” Fang Zhile asked Ye Yu, opening her chopsticks and handing the other serving to Wei Youqing. “Want to eat some with me?”

Ye Yu shook her head. “I didn’t eat much. I plan to have some porridge before bed. My appetite hasn’t been great these past few days.”

“Then don’t bother. I’ll bring you back some millet porridge,” Fang Zhile chewed on a piece of pineapple. The sweet and sour pineapple burst in her mouth but quickly melted into the soft, glutinous rice grains, a source of endless flavor.

Fang Zhile gave Ye Yu a thumbs-up, nearly swallowing her own tongue. “It’s so good.”

“I’ll bring you some next time,” Ye Yu leaned on the high stool in front of the counter, resting her chin on her hand. She watched the person wolfing down the food with a look of leisure and suddenly felt that if it meant bringing food to Fang Zhile, going out a few extra times wouldn’t be so bad.

Ye Yu’s daily life was dull: school or calligraphy practice. As long as Fang Zhile didn’t drag her out to play, she wouldn’t think of leaving. Even now, Fang Zhile had called her over for the milk tea, which was the only reason she had taken the first step out of the dorm.

Wei Youqing smiled and thanked Ye Yu. She took her fried rice and chose a table further away. She kept a clear physical distance from the two, but her ears were constantly strained for any movement on their side.

After the worst of her hunger passed, Fang Zhile became reflective. Once a person has food in their belly, their rationality starts to blur, and their mental filter takes a brief rest, letting their truest thoughts spill out.

“You’re so much better,” Fang Zhile complained, protesting the emptiness in her stomach with a dramatic sigh. “How long have I worked here? I’ve worked overtime, waited hours for the shop to open, and helped the boss prove her innocence during her wife’s checks every day. But the boss? She hasn’t bought me a single meal, even making me pay for my own drinks and only giving me the leftover, unwanted fruit.”

Wei Youqing, who was eavesdropping: …

Ye Yu’s eyes curved in a smile. “It can’t be helped. Exploitation is the nature of every boss. After all, she is paying you a salary.”

“Salary is one thing, but the main thing is that the boss doesn’t eat either,” Fang Zhile wasn’t genuinely complaining about the lack of free meals. She quickly shifted the point of conflict. “She just lies there on the chair all day, like she’s practicing turtle breathing technique. She doesn’t even turn her head unless a beautiful woman walks in… Do all you rich people not like to eat?”

Not liking to eat was a common problem. Ye Yu didn’t refute it, but instead seriously helped Fang Zhile analyze the situation.

“I personally don’t like to eat much, but if I start deliberately restricting my diet, it would probably be ten years from now,” Ye Yu thought for a moment. “After all, I’m still young now. I don’t gain weight even if I eat a lot. Maybe in ten years or so, when I’m older and my metabolism slows down, I’ll restrict my diet appropriately?”

Older. Slow metabolism. Restricting diet.

Wei Youqing: … The rice in her mouth suddenly became hard to swallow.

Wei Youqing tapped the table a few times with a disgruntled thud, complaining, “Two young girls, stop talking about the shop owner in the shop, alright?”

“You’re eavesdropping.” Fang Zhile measured the three-meter distance between them. She thought the boss was indeed a boss, having developed super hearing to catch every whisper. Fang Zhile asked, “Then tell me, are you restricting your diet?”

Wei Youqing sighed worriedly. “Of course not.”

Fang Zhile: “Oh.”

What was with that dismissive, clearly disbelieving expression and tone?

“I just don’t have food, got it?” Wei Youqing looked frustrated. “I don’t know how to cook.”

“If you can’t cook, why don’t you order takeout?” Fang Zhile couldn’t understand. “There’s a whole street of snacks outside… Are you saying you dislike the food outside because it’s unclean?”

Ye Yu was silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke. “She probably just doesn’t have the habit of taking care of her own diet.”

As a child from a wealthy family, Ye Yu could somewhat understand Wei Youqing’s situation.

Every wealthy family has different rules. Ye Yu’s parents rarely cared, so she had to find food for herself.

Wei Youqing, on the other hand, was clearly cared for by housekeepers since childhood and had never wondered how food was produced or ended up on her plate.

There was no established link between “I’m hungry” and “I’ll find food myself” as there was for ordinary people.

Fang Zhile suddenly realized, hitting the nail on the head. “The spoiled rich girl starves to death in the granary.”

“Get lost!” Wei Youqing laughed, pointing at them while scolding.

Fang Zhile had an epiphany. Fearing that Ye Yu might develop anorexia or depression later on, as she did in the book, she instantly transformed from a boneless creature slouched over the counter to a straight-backed species.

She stared directly at Ye Yu and blurted out, “You can’t do that.”

Ye Yu was slowly enjoying the quiet, peaceful atmosphere when she was abruptly interrupted by such a seemingly random and aggressive statement. She was a little confused, wondering if she had lost some bodily function. “What? What can’t I do?”

Fang Zhile also felt she had overreacted. She bit the pineapple in her mouth and looked away, but her gaze quickly returned to Ye Yu’s face. “If a person has insufficient energy intake for a long time, it hinders bodily, especially brain, development. Insufficient neuronal activity can lead to depression and low spirits… Haven’t you noticed those rebellious girls are basically all skin and bones? That’s proof of their decadent and degenerate lifestyle.”

Ye Yu was stunned. On the other hand, Wei Youqing, upon hearing the words “decadent and degenerate,” immediately spoke up.

“How does a poor student like you know so many…” Wei Youqing’s expression was complicated. “So many people with good family backgrounds.”

“Are you talking about Ye Yu?” Fang Zhile asked. “She’s my classmate across the hall. I’ve told you many times I’m a student at Chunyang Middle School, a famous private school. There are plenty of rich and powerful people there.”

“That’s different,” Wei Youqing shook her head, her gaze seeming to hold a deeper meaning. “Even when students are mixed, they naturally form small circles, and those circles are even harder to break into.”

Fang Zhile blinked, shoved a large mouthful of rice into her mouth, and said nothing.

Wei Youqing slowly chewed her rice, speaking even slower. “Just like the people who came in earlier. They look like trouble, and they aren’t easy to blend in with.”

Fang Zhile was speechless. In what way do I look familiar with Zhou Meize!

“Hey,” Wei Youqing suddenly called out to Ye Yu. “You’re also in the class across from Fang Zhile’s. Do you know them?”

Fang Zhile coughed several times, interrupting Wei Youqing’s question, and complained, “Now I know why you’re always a bag of bones. Just eat! I’m half-done, and you haven’t even made a dent.”

“Don’t bother me,” Wei Youqing glared sideways at Fang Zhile. “Ye Yu is clearly a good student. You have connections with those people; don’t drag Ye Yu into it.”

Fang Zhile: … When the heck did I get connections with them!

Ye Yu had listened quietly for a while, not interrupting. Now that her name was mentioned, she spoke up. “Fang Zhile is a good person.”

“Hear that?” Fang Zhile was extremely annoyed. “Even eating won’t shut you up.”

As Fang Zhile finished speaking and withdrew her gaze, she happened to meet Ye Yu’s eyes.

It was a soft, gentle, curious, and questioning look. She was asking who the people who had come in earlier were.

Fang Zhile quickly lowered her head, pretending she hadn’t understood and acting like a starved ghost who prioritized eating over everything else, stuffing her cheeks until they were bulging.

Ye Yu watched for a few moments, then leaned forward and gently poked her cheek with a finger.

“So soft,” Ye Yu said, smiling as if she had found a fun toy. She tilted her head. “Eat another bite.”

Ye Yu didn’t smile much in the original book, but Fang Zhile couldn’t count how many times she had smiled these past few days. But every time Ye Yu smiled, Fang Zhile was stunned. Without a word, she ate another bite blankly.

Ye Yu poked her again, several times.

Fang Zhile felt a subtle tickling inside her mouth. It came from Ye Yu’s fingertip, like a small firework, exploding in her mind and making her scalp tingle.

Ye Yu had a pair of peach blossom eyes with an exceptionally delicate curve. Her eyelids narrowed into a line at the outer corner. When she didn’t smile, she looked cool and distant, giving a sense of inaccessibility. But when she looked at you, it gave you the distinct illusion of deep affection.

For some reason, a wave of heat suddenly rushed to Fang Zhile’s face. Oh my gosh, this is using beauty to commit assault!

Fang Zhile shook her head, freeing the soft flesh of her cheek from Ye Yu’s hand. She had always known Ye Yu was beautiful, but she hadn’t expected her to be this beautiful.

A thought suddenly struck her, and Fang Zhile abruptly looked up, catching Wei Youqing’s sneaky gaze. She glanced meaningfully at the carrot camera, warning the boss not to get any ideas.

Wei Youqing raised an eyebrow and smiled back mockingly. My staring at a beauty is none of your business. Is she yours?

Fang Zhile’s eyes were fierce. Her round eyes glared at her. She is mine.

Wei Youqing scoffed and turned her head, thinking, You really are straight. She’s acting like that, and you still don’t get it. You’ll be eaten alive. But as she withdrew her gaze, she glanced at Ye Yu in her periphery. Ye Yu was subtly watching her.

How to describe that look… It was like a rather wild creature, trapped in a body that couldn’t move much, only able to observe the outside world and cautiously scrutinize and guard against any threatening elements through a slight shift of the eyes.

Threatening? Wei Youqing couldn’t help but curve her lips into a smile. The little girl is quite possessive.

Fang Zhile hadn’t answered Ye Yu’s question because she didn’t know if she should tell Ye Yu. Let me tell you, Zhou Meize, your fiancée, went to a nightclub last night, one of those places with hot dancers. She was flirting with people, she’s cheating…

Fang Zhile couldn’t bring herself to say these words in front of Ye Yu. She couldn’t imagine how Zhou Meize could do something she couldn’t even speak aloud.

In the original book, Zhou Meize just had a few lovers; she wasn’t cheating outside like this. Fang Zhile didn’t know why this change had occurred or where it might lead, or if it would further provoke Ye Yu’s dark transformation, so she didn’t dare to casually bring up such a sensitive topic.

Every time Ye Yu turned dark in the book, it was closely related to Zhou Meize. Lover number three, lover number four, and lover number five was the explosion point.

Fang Zhile wasn’t sure of Ye Yu’s exact feelings toward Zhou Meize, but she knew that Ye Yu still cared about her—at least for now. For instance, last week, when Zhou Meize broke into Ye Yu’s house, insulted Fang Zhile for being there, and embarrassed her in front of Ye Yu, Ye Yu was furious but couldn’t bring herself to say a single harsh word, as if her mouth were glued shut.

Before, it was Fang Zhile and Ye Yu growing up together; now, it was Zhou Meize. Given the history of growing up together, the engagement, and the two families, exposing Zhou Meize’s infidelity now would only bring Ye Yu pain, shock, and difficulty. Especially since no external factors supported her breaking the engagement, even if Ye Yu realized what kind of person Zhou Meize was and decided to break the engagement, she would face significant resistance.

“Um,” Fang Zhile cleared her throat. “The people who came in just now were Zhou Meize and Sun Li’s group of three.”

“What did they come here for?” Ye Yu asked immediately. “Did they cause you any trouble?”

Fang Zhile smiled. “It was just a coincidence. They didn’t know I worked here. They bought some milk tea and left.”

Ye Yu glanced at Wei Youqing, seemingly unconvinced that it was “that simple.” “Just that simple?”

“Just that simple,” Fang Zhile finished the last bite of rice. Her hands didn’t stop as she began peeling a grapefruit. “Wait a few minutes, and I’ll make you grapefruit lemon tea.”

Ye Yu’s eyes were still suspicious. If they only came to buy milk tea, why was Wei Youqing so defensive toward the group she had just met? Moreover, Fang Zhile’s attitude clearly suggested she was hiding something. Ye Yu’s suspicion intensified, and her internal guess was almost confirmed.

Fang Zhile was quick and efficient. The peeled grapefruit was clean. She mashed it into clear, sweet, and sour juice, which, combined with the fragrant lemon and the light scent of jasmine, made a healthy and delicious cup of grapefruit lemon tea.

“How much is it?” Ye Yu automatically bypassed the subject. If Fang Zhile wouldn’t say, she had other ways to find out. “The menu doesn’t seem to have the price for grapefruit lemon tea.”

“Grapefruit tea is 13 yuan, lemon tea is 9 yuan,” Wei Youqing held up two fingers. “That’s 22 total. I’ll make it 20 for you.”

Ye Yu was about to input the payment when a muffled “thump” sounded.

Fang Zhile was glaring at her with displeasure. Ye Yu belatedly put away her phone.

Wei Youqing shouted, “How can you try to dine and dash—no, drink and dash!”

“You said you’d let me deal with the surplus fruit, and that I could drink anything for free,” Fang Zhile smiled falsely. “Your pineapple fried rice cost thirty yuan, too.”

“Did I?” Wei Youqing automatically ignored the second half of her sentence. “I said you could drink anything for free, not her.”

Wei Youqing deliberately joked, “Unless her relationship with you is different. What is she to you?”

Fang Zhile was expressionless, thinking, She is my best friend, my childhood playmate, the person I grew up with. She simply didn’t understand why Wei Youqing was so insistent on joking about her and Ye Yu, as if she really were having an affair with Ye Yu. If it weren’t for the fact that Ye Yu remembered nothing, Fang Zhile would have confessed everything right there: See, this is my genuine best friend.

[Alipay Received 20 Yuan]

The shop’s speaker blared the mechanical electronic voice. Wei Youqing was instantly embarrassed. “Um, you, I…”

“We are friends,” Ye Yu put away her phone, her tone neutral, neither cold nor overly warm.

Fang Zhile’s confidence instantly surged. She gave Wei Youqing a triumphant look. See that? She doesn’t like you prying and jumping to conclusions either!

Wei Youqing: … Are you sure she doesn’t like it? Are you blind?

“I’m going back to the dorm now.” Ye Yu tore open the straw and took a sip of the grapefruit lemon tea.

Fang Zhile looked at her expectantly. “Is it good?”

“It’s good,” Ye Yu’s eyes curved. “It’s just a little hot. Shouldn’t lemon tea be better cold?”

Fang Zhile corrected her seriously. “That’s when the lemon seeds and peel are mixed in that it tastes bad. Real lemon tea is good hot or cold… Besides, you should try to drink hot water these days.”

By the time Fang Zhile finished her lengthy instruction, Ye Yu had already drunk a third of the drink. Wei Youqing supported her head, lamenting that a conversation meant to generate sweet, tender pink bubbles between the two had been twisted into a mother’s nagging by Fang Zhile’s blunt, talkative manner.

“It’s already dark,” Fang Zhile, once again oblivious, urged her to leave. “Hurry back.”

Wei Youqing waved her hand helplessly. “Goodbye, little beauty.”

Ye Yu had other things on her mind and left. She arrived back at the dorm half an hour later. She was only a few lines short of finishing the Ode to the Luo River Goddess. She could finish it in about an hour.

This particular calligraphy piece had been written painstakingly slowly, wasting countless sheets of paper, resulting in this near-perfect final work. Every stroke was flawless, with no smudges or corrections—clean, neat, and pleasing to the eye. The competition her parents mentioned was prestigious in the industry. Even though she disliked participating in formal competitions and disliked the regular script, she obediently prepared diligently.

Ye Yu took off her jacket and hung it up, changed into slippers, placed the nearly empty fruit tea on her desk, put on her protective finger bandages again, added a few drops of water to moisten the solidified ink, waited until the ink reached the right consistency, took her brush, and swirled it to absorb the ink, controlling the amount perfectly.

Just as Ye Yu was about to put her brush to the paper, a sharp, urgent, brief ringing sound came from her bag, as if signaling a crisis. She took her phone out of the bag. The black screen displayed a “shattered” icon from the security software Fang Zhile had just made her install—”Blind.”

The software initiated a level three alert. When the pop-up warning failed to get Ye Yu’s attention, it automatically bypassed the notification permissions and sounded a maximum volume warning that an unfamiliar camera signal had been detected in the room.

“Ding—”

You are being “monitored.”

Ye Yu had never felt so calm.

[According to mapping, there is a sixty percent possibility that you are being observed by a camera in your current location.]

[Suggestion: Move three meters north, then one meter east. The northeast area beyond this point is less likely to be observed.]

Ye Yu lowered her head, seemingly engrossed in her phone, and naturally walked out of the camera’s observation range according to the directions on the screen. The software interface was simple: a black background with blue lines converging into a compass arrow that shifted as Ye Yu turned.

The arrow turned from blue to red, pointing toward the desk lamp near her bed. The lamp was an old-fashioned bulb with a simple conical shade, casting a dark shadow against the light.

As Ye Yu moved closer, the red arrow on the screen grew larger, finally expanding to fill the entire screen.

—It was a pinhole camera!

The flat pinhole camera was hidden deep within the shadow of the lampshade, just twenty centimeters from her phone. Based on its orientation, it was aimed directly at Ye Yu’s bed and the bathroom door.

A dorm room, a private personal space; a bathroom and a bed, the most private parts of a private space. The camera found here was like a protruding, prying eye, watching her constantly and invasively.

The malice, a spine-crawling sensation like insects crawling over her body, induced a barely audible, indistinct cold laugh from Ye Yu.

Someone had installed a camera in her dorm. It was pointed directly at her sleeping area. She didn’t know when, or by whom. She didn’t know how long it had been recording or what it had captured.

Ye Yu felt her emotions and rationality split into two parts. Her rationality told her that the consequences were severe. She had to cut her losses immediately, find the perpetrator, and minimize all possible harm. Rationality rang like a noisy bell, issuing tireless warnings and urges. Go check. Stop the damage. Protect yourself.

But her emotions were like a pool of stagnant water that couldn’t produce any ripples. No matter how much she threw into it, she couldn’t even hear a splash.

Ye Yu took a step, then feared she would step back into the camera’s view, so she remained motionless with a blank expression. Her current expression was a reflection of her emotion—no displeasure at being violated, no flush of anger, just a viscous, silent, dead void. It was as if these things weren’t happening to her; she was merely an observer watching through a screen, yet forced to be pulled into the story, unable to empathize or integrate.

So Ye Yu thought coldly, What does this have to do with me?

It had been this way since she was little. She didn’t get angry, rarely happy. Her heart felt like it had a hole in it, empty and hollow. All social interactions took place in a fixed, performative manner, devoid of any genuine emotion.

Ye Yu pressed her thumb on the app icon on the screen. After three seconds, the options “Move or Delete” appeared. Her gaze lingered on “Delete.” She was just about to press it.

Just then, a message from Fang Zhile popped up on WeChat.