After Saving My Possessive Best Friend, I Couldn't Escape (GL) - Chapter 9

“What exactly do you want?”

Zhou Meize recognized the person in front of her as the one who had hidden by Ye Yu’s side during P.E. class, and her tone was sharp.

“I’m not familiar with you.”

Fang Zhile’s lips trembled, as if she had suffered a monumental insult or was enraged after being terrified.

She grabbed Zhou Meize’s arm, disregarding the crowd of onlookers, and bowed her head to apologize.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know what I did wrong, but please, could you ask them not to ruin my textbooks?”

Having her wrist suddenly grabbed, Zhou Meize didn’t even have time to pull her hand away before such a heavy accusation was thrown at her.

Zhou Meize: ???

Fang Zhile was very cute, with round eyes.

Her short hair needed a trim and often covered her cheeks when she looked down.

But now, she lifted her head, revealing eyes that were bloodshot red and cheeks that were deathly pale.

She looked utterly wronged, yet was begging for mercy with a humble, pleading manner.

“I don’t have money to buy extra textbooks. Could you please just cut up my practice tests? I can’t afford not to study; I still need to get into university.”

The surrounding crowd immediately started murmuring.

Zhou Meize finally reacted, forcibly pulling her hand away, and angrily demanded, “What nonsense are you talking about? When did I ever ruin your books?”

“I know you disdain doing it yourself, but they’ve already dirtied my chair, my books, and my photo,” Fang Zhile’s eyes trembled, quickly pooling with unshed tears.

“Please, can you just leave me alone?”

Li Zi and the others were a beat too slow in running out. By the time they chased her out, Fang Zhile had already cornered Zhou Meize and delivered a long speech.

Zhou Meize wasn’t stupid. Seeing the expressions on Li Zi and the others’ faces, she knew exactly what had happened.

She frowned, frustrated, and clearly didn’t want to deal with this mess.

She ordered coldly, “I’m counting to three. Get back to your classroom immediately, or don’t blame me…”

“What’s going on?”

A clear, cold voice emerged from the crowd, like a spring rain falling on this brewing fire.

Ye Yu had just come out of the water room and saw a crowd gathered, talking about “bullying” and “ruining textbooks.”

She initially didn’t want to get involved, but then a few muffled voices drifted from the crowd.

She had just heard those voices yesterday, and the impression was deep.

So, she walked toward the crowd as if drawn by a ghost, and the words became clearer.

“…Please, can you leave me alone…”

“…Don’t ruin my textbooks.”

“I don’t have money to buy extra textbooks.”

The voice was pleading, showing weakness, pitifully begging for mercy.

For some reason, Ye Yu suddenly recalled the moment of their first encounter in the water room yesterday, when Fang Zhile had fallen to the ground.

A pitiable little cat, soaked through and dirty, looking up.

Like a white rosebud that had not yet bloomed but had fallen into the mud.

It was… like a magnet, firmly capturing her attention.

“Zhou Meize, let go of her.” Ye Yu walked out of the crowd, her eyes slightly cold and her attitude firm.

The moment she heard Ye Yu’s voice, Zhou Meize instantly stepped back three paces.

“Ye Yu, you’ve got it wrong. I didn’t do anything.” Zhou Meize frowned.

She had intended to explain, but Ye Yu didn’t give her any respect, outright ordering her in front of everyone, and with such a poor attitude.

Ye Yu did not look at her but walked up to Fang Zhile, staring at her intently.

Her expression looked utterly serious, like she was studying an unsolvable math problem. No, to Ye Yu, it was more like seeing a charming, infinitely changing script.

“Are you alright?” Ye Yu finally asked, her voice concerned.

Fang Zhile sighed in relief, and the tears that had been welling up in her eyes suddenly burst, plopping down.

“I’m fine.”

Her voice was choked.

The “tea-ness” rating was upgraded.

“What happened?” Ye Yu asked softly.

Zhou Meize interrupted sternly, “Ye Yu.”

It was a reminder of her identity.

Ye Yu turned her head to look at her. Zhou Meize coldly and arrogantly told her to come over.

“You go,” Fang Zhile chose retreat as a path to advance, her face red with suppressed emotion, and spoke plaintively, “I’ve already settled it with her. This kind of thing won’t happen again.”

Ye Yu watched her intently. She thought Fang Zhile would say something, at least complain about her grievance, and cry.

Yet, she refused to say anything, even holding back her tears. Ye Yu looked at her face, which was trying to act strong, and all the fragile, sticky emotions disappeared.

It was truly… a little disappointing.

“If that’s what you want,” Ye Yu straightened up, looking down at the person in front of her, still with a trace of worry in her eyes, but having to respect Fang Zhile’s decision. “Then I’ll go.”

Fang Zhile pouted, curving her lips into a bitter arc, and stubbornly twisted her head. “Go.”

Ye Yu took half a step away, but the person behind her showed no reaction.

She sighed, turned back, and pointed directly at Sun Li, asking, “Were they bullying you?”

Sun Li immediately flinched, even though Ye Yu wasn’t looking up, her finger landed accurately on the three girls.

Fang Zhile thought, So you know who they are.

Then why are you pretending!

“Ye Yu, wuwuwuwu, they’re bullying me!” Fang Zhile grabbed her sleeve and huddled, wiping her tears on Ye Yu’s sleeve.

For some reason, the person who was usually a neat freak stood perfectly still, allowing her to wipe her tears on the clean white cuff.

Ye Yu even considerately took off her jacket and draped it over Fang Zhile.

“I know. You don’t need to say anything. Go inside. I’ll handle this.”

“It has nothing to do with you,” Fang Zhile’s muffled voice came from beneath the jacket.

Ye Yu smiled, her voice gentle, as she stroked Fang Zhile’s hair, and said softly, “You don’t understand yet. Just trust me.”

How could it have nothing to do with her.

Before their interaction in the water room, Fang Zhile was just an ordinary, quiet, good student. Doing her homework, studying her lessons.

It was only because she ran into Ye Yu in the water room and then stood up for her in P.E. class that she caught the attention of others, who then decided to pick on Fang Zhile by targeting the one thing she cared about most—her books.

It was just… Ye Yu looked at Fang Zhile with concern, unsure how far they had gone with their tricks. Seeing the girl’s red eyes, it must have been severe.

“Ye Yu, are you going to side with her?” Zhou Meize’s expression had been terrible ever since Fang Zhile grabbed Ye Yu’s sleeve.

Ye Yu didn’t turn to look at her this time. Her clear, pleasant voice came out of her beautiful lips, “Well, are you going to side with them?”

The direction Ye Yu was looking was clearly at Fang Zhile’s three roommates.

The preparatory bell had rung several times.

Most of the onlookers had scattered.

In the empty corridor, only the six of them stood on opposing sides, silently confronting each other.

Zhou Meize frowned, her tone impatient. “You need to have evidence for accusations. Who would believe her based on a baseless claim?”

It would have been better if she hadn’t explained.

At least Ye Yu hadn’t immediately connected this incident to Zhou Meize.

Such matters were a tacit understanding between them; no explanation was needed.

Ye Yu was all too familiar with Sun Li’s face. In the beginning of the school year, when Sun Li was unaware of Ye Yu’s background, she had tried those petty tricks on her, too.

That subtle nastiness, like the feeling of an insect crawling in front of her, was something Ye Yu remembered every time she saw that face.