How I Accidentally Bent My Best Friend - Chapter 26.1

Chen Yushu stared into her pupils, momentarily lost in thought. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, sending strands of hair dancing wildly before her eyes, obscuring the expression in Lu Wei’s gaze. She parted her lips and asked, “What do you mean?”

“I said, let’s be best friends forever, never to part, okay?”

Chen Yushu’s heart skipped a beat, and in that instant, she understood. A smile spread across her face, masking the excess emotions hidden in its lines. With tears in her eyes, she nodded, “Okay.”

“Mm! Then you’re not angry anymore, right?” Lu Wei released her, cautiously confirming.

“I’m not angry.” Chen Yushu’s smile remained unwavering as she replied softly, “Hurry back now.”

Overjoyed, Lu Wei hugged her tightly and planted a kiss on her cheek. “I’m off now, bye-bye.”

Chen Yushu stood in the exact spot where Lu Wei had waited for her, watching her retreating figure in the wind until it disappeared from sight.

She gently touched her own cheek, but her heart remained undisturbed by any waves.

The one who had always been waiting in place was, in fact, her.

Yet she had mistakenly believed that every time Lu Wei ran toward her, they were growing closer.

In the blink of an eye, a month passed. Everyone had mostly adapted to the repetitive routine of university life, and then came the first short holiday Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day combined, granting nine consecutive days off.

After some thought, Chen Yushu decided to return home. As soon as the holiday notice was announced, she picked up her phone to check train tickets.

Just then, a QQ friend request popped up, showing it was from the class group chat. Chen Yushu accepted and asked what was up.

The other person replied quickly, 【Class President, I heard you’re from Nanyang. My hometown is in Nanyang too.Chen Yushu checked the group chat to see his note, only knowing he was a male classmate named Zhou Wen. She had no clear impression of what he looked like.

Zhou Wen: 【If you’re going home for the holiday, we could travel together.】

Chen Yushu instinctively replied: 【No need, someone’s already coming with me.】

Suddenly remembering she hadn’t asked Lu Wei if she was going home, she sent her a message.

Lu Wei: 【If you want to go back, I’ll go with you.】

Chen Yushu hesitated for a moment, then typed: 【But round-trip plane tickets are too expensive. I plan to take the high-speed rail back.】

Lu Wei: 【Then I’ll go with you. The high-speed rail even has student discounts, so it’s more economical.】

After discussing it, the two booked their tickets.

That morning at ten o’clock, they boarded the high-speed train together. The seven-hour journey brought them home by six in the evening. Climbing up to the fifth floor, they bid each other farewell, and two closing doors sounded one after the other.

Chen Yushu entered her home, changed her shoes, and walked around the house only to find her mother wasn’t home. After tidying up a bit, she cooked a pot of rice.

Coming out of the kitchen, she opened the living room window and looked down at a large open space below, equipped with some exercise facilities. She remembered how, in elementary school, she and Lu Wei loved playing there every corner held traces of their presence.

Just then, the sound of the door lock turning echoed. Chen’s mother entered, struggling with a large red cloth bag in both hands. Seeing this, Chen Yushu walked over and reached out to take it.

Her mother waved her off, saying, “No need, I’ve got it. Go sit down. Have you eaten yet?”

Chen Yushu: “Not yet.”

“Perfect, I bought groceries. The supermarket had discounts this afternoon. ” Chen’s mother tied her apron as she spoke. “Oh, and there’s fruit too. If you’re hungry, wash some and eat first.”

With that, the kitchen glass door closed, leaving only a blurred view of her mother’s busy figure.

Chen Yushu walked over to help, but her mother pushed her out, saying, “You’ve been traveling all day, go rest for a while. I’ll be done soon.”

Though she said “soon,” it was already an hour later by the time they sat down at the dinner table.

“Look at your skinny arms and legs did you not eat at school? You’re so thin you barely look like yourself.” Chen’s mother nagged as she scooped a full bowl of rice and placed it in front of her.

Chen Yushu picked it up it felt heavy, but thankfully the bowl was small.

Her mother sat down beside her, her gaze drifting to the empty chair diagonally across from them. She sighed, “I wonder what your sister is up to at school? It’s been so long without a word.”

“She’s probably busy lately,” Chen Yushu replied. “I’ll call and ask later.”

Her mother still wore a worried expression. “Neither of you two ever puts my mind at ease. You treat my words like they’re nothing. Back then, I told her to apply for a teaching college, but she insisted on doing something else And you, with such high scores.”

Chen Yushu buried her head in her meal, picking up a bite of food. The strong taste of lard made her nauseous, and she wrinkled her brow in disgust. Suppressing the urge to vomit, she quickly shoveled several mouthfuls of rice, swallowing them whole.

Just then, her mother added a large portion of food to her bowl, including a few glistening pieces of fatty pork. Chen Yushu tightened her grip on her chopsticks and said as calmly as possible, “Mom, you eat it. I can serve myself.”

“Look at how thin you are you need more oily food to nourish yourself. Your cousin was just like you when he was little, but then we started adding several spoonfuls of lard to every meal.” As she spoke, her mother made to add more food to her bowl.

Chen Yushu moved her bowl away, her expression darkening as she said irritably, “I get it.”

Her mother paused, her expression stiffening. “You’ve always been picky.”

Chen Yushu didn’t bother arguing and silently sped up her chewing.

After all, sometimes no matter how much she explained, if her mother had made up her mind, it was useless it would only lead to an argument, and there was no benefit in that.

She picked up her bowl, carefully hiding the fatty pork under the rice, planning to sneak into the kitchen later to throw it away. “I’m finished. Take your time eating.”

As she stood up to leave, her mother said, “Wait, drink the soup.”

Before Chen Yushu could refuse, her mother had already brought out the soup. “Let it cool a bit before drinking. It’s full of nourishing ingredients.”

Chen Yushu didn’t move, her eyes fixed on the thick layer of oil floating on the surface, dotted with bits of fatty residue. “I’m already full. You have it.”

“Why would I drink this?” Her mother chuckled and sat back down. “I bought it especially for you.”

“I’m really full,” Chen Yushu insisted, trying to keep her patience.

“You child, it’s just a few sips. Hurry up and drink it.”

Chen Yushu bit her lip, her brow furrowed as she struggled to suppress the frustration in her chest. “I can’t drink anymore. Wouldn’t it be the same if you drank it?”

Yet, despite her efforts, her tone still came out a bit sharp.

The atmosphere froze.

“I made this especially for you. If you don’t drink it, who will?” After a moment, her mother’s face darkened, her nostrils flaring as if suppressing rising anger.

Chen Yushu sighed helplessly. “You don’t need to go out of your way to make these things for me. If you want to drink it, you can ”

Before she could finish, her mother set the bowl down on the table. The sound wasn’t loud, but it felt inexplicably heavy on Chen Yushu’s heart.

“If it weren’t for you, would I ever spend money on such expensive things?” Mother Chen held her chopsticks, trembling as she pointed at the table full of dishes, her voice choked with emotion. “So I’m in the wrong now, am I? Not only do I not get a word of thanks, but I also have to endure your criticism and disdain. Nothing I do is right. You and your sister are both heartless, your consciences eaten by dogs.”

It was just a bowl of soup, yet Chen Yushu couldn’t understand how the situation had escalated to such a serious degree. She lowered her head, listening to her mother’s tearful complaints, but only felt irritation. Her chest felt as if a bomb were buried inside, ready to explode at any moment.

Suppressing her frustration, she picked up the soup bowl, gulped it down in a few mouthfuls, and stood up to head to her bedroom.

Once the door was locked, Mother Chen’s voice was shut out. Chen Yushu lay on the bed, her heart pounding rapidly, a buzzing sound filling her ears. It took a long while for her to slowly calm down, but her chest still felt heavy, as if a massive stone were pressing down on it.

The greasy taste in her mouth lingered, and her stomach began to churn uncomfortably, as if turning upside down.

After an unknown amount of time, the room had grown completely dark. Mother Chen knocked on her door, her voice back to normal. “I’ve washed the fruit and left it in the fridge. Remember to eat if you’re hungry.”

Chen Yushu turned over without responding. Shortly after, the sound of the door closing echoed her mother had likely left for her night shift. In that instant, her heart tightened abruptly, and a wave of sour sadness slowly washed over her.

After lying in bed for a long time, Chen Yushu grabbed her phone, got up, and went out, gently knocking on the door across from hers.

“Woof, woof, woof ”

The door opened, and a corgi rushed out first, wagging its tongue as it sniffed around her. Chen Yushu immediately crouched down, patted its head, and said softly, “Who are you? How can you be so adorable?”

Lu Wei leaned against the doorframe, using the top of her foot to nudge Bread’s belly. “Silly dog.”

Bread slowly turned its head, still panting with its tongue out, its mouth stretched into a goofy grin, its big eyes radiating a clear, foolish cuteness.

Lu Wei crouched down, pitching her voice higher, and said with a gentle, smiling tone, “Silly dog, Bread is the silliest dog in the world, isn’t that right?”

“Woof”

“Hahaha, the silly dog nodded.”

The two of them petted the dog’s back together, their hands occasionally brushing against each other. Chen Yushu couldn’t take it anymore and lightly hit her, speaking with a hint of fierceness, “What nonsense are you spouting?”

Then she turned and gently patted the dog’s head. “Bread, don’t listen to her nonsense. Bread is the cutest, smartest dog in the world.”

Lu Wei clicked her tongue. “A doting mother spoils the child. Look at its silly expression only you could say something like that.”

“Stop talking nonsense!”

Lu Wei pouted in mock grievance. “Ever since this silly dog came along, you don’t even see me anymore, do you?”

“Lu Wei, do you have to be so childish?” Chen Yushu stood up, both amused and exasperated. “Why are you jealous of a dog.”

“Exactly, I’m jealous. Is that not allowed?” Lu Wei finished the sentence for her, stepping aside. “Come in.”

Chen Yushu shooed Bread inside, took her usual slippers from the cabinet, and changed into them. “Where are your parents?”

“They dumped this silly dog on me and went to watch a movie.” Lu Wei shuffled in her slippers, opened the fridge, poured a glass of cola, took a big gulp, and then handed it to her. “Want some?”