How I Accidentally Bent My Best Friend - Chapter 27.4

Lu Wei’s strange possessiveness toward her had spread from friendship to love, growing excessively intense.

But now, she knew very well that no matter how much Lu Wei seemed to care or act jealous, there wasn’t a hint of romantic affection in that possessiveness.

Suddenly, she felt a sense of emptiness. Chen Yushu turned off her phone and said flatly, “None of your business.”

“Huh? What did you say?” Lu Wei looked at her in disbelief, a sudden tightness gripping her chest. Her lips trembled slightly as she tried to ignore the strange feeling, forcing herself to act fierce and mechanical as usual. “What have you been doing behind my back?”

Just as expected.

Chen Yushu pulled away disinterestedly, lazily leaning back on the sofa as she opened her phone to reply to the messages.

The warmth from her back abruptly vanished, and Lu Wei felt as if a gap had opened somewhere, letting cold air rush in. She took a breath but exhaled it before it could settle.

A moment later, she stiffly turned her head, somewhat at a loss as she looked at Chen Yushu. The fragmented light cast half her face in shadow, making her features appear strikingly sharp. With her thin lips pressed into a straight line and an expressionless face, she seemed cold and unapproachable.

Strangely, Lu Wei felt an urge to cry.

Just then, Qi Yan returned from the restroom, clamoring to play Truth or Dare.

Ran Qin said, “We play this every time. Aren’t you tired of it yet?”

Zhou Rongrong nodded in agreement, following her partner’s lead.

Qi Yan rolled her eyes at them disdainfully and went to seek the opinions of the other two. Before she could get close, she sensed something off about the atmosphere between them, yet there was still a unique harmony that belonged only to them.

How come after just one trip to the restroom, it felt even harder to fit into this group?

Qi An scratched the back of her ear in confusion and steeled herself to ask, “Shu Shu, Lu Wei, want to play Truth or Dare?”

“Sure,” Lu Wei immediately agreed, standing up and moving to the center as she cleared the table. “Let’s use this plastic bottle to spin.”

Ran Qin pulled Zhou Rongrong closer and asked curiously, “Why are you so enthusiastic today? Are you possessed or something?”

Lu Wei leaned back lazily, turned her head, and shot Chen Yushu a sly, sidelong glance.

Qi An said, “Shu Shu, come over here.”

“Okay.” Chen Yushu put away her phone and looked up, meeting Lu Wei’s gaze. In that single glance, she saw right through Lu Wei’s little schemes.

So childish!

The five of them sat in a circle, and across from Qi An, Lu Wei provocatively curled her lips at Chen Yushu.

Chen Yushu immediately rolled her eyes in response, snickering inwardly.

Qi An rubbed her hands together excitedly. “No one’s allowed to lie when it’s their turn! Anyone who backs out has to drink three glasses as punishment, got it?”

As soon as she finished, Lu Wei objected, “No way.”

Qi An asked, “Why not?”

“Chen Yushu won’t let me drink,” Lu Wei frowned, speaking stubbornly. “Change the punishment.”

“You” Qi An clenched her fists, suppressing her anger. “Go sit at the kids’ table then.”

Lu Wei pouted and looked at Chen Yushu as if asking what she should do.

Chen Yushu innocently spread her hands. “Then don’t play. Just sit to the side.”

“You!” Lu Wei’s expression shifted, her lips jutting out in a pout as she sulked and muttered under her breath, “I don’t like you anymore, hmph.”

Qi An said, “Alright, let’s get started.”

“Fine, fine. I just won’t lie then,” Lu Wei grumbled, reluctantly giving in. She spun the plastic bottle on the table, silently wishing for it to land on Chen Yushu.

Chen Yushu crossed her arms, watching Lu Wei’s expressions with amusement.

The bottle spun for a while, gradually slowing down. Lu Wei grew more and more nervous, her eyes fixed unblinkingly on the bottle’s mouth.

A little further, yes, stop now!

For a moment, Lu Wei’s face went through a series of vivid expressions, but in the end, the bottle slowly came to a stop, pointing directly at Qi An, who was sitting next to Chen Yushu.

Unable to hold back, Lu Wei let out a heavy sigh and slumped onto the sofa, urging Qi An, “What’ll it be?”

“I choose truth. Does anyone have a question for me?” Qi An looked at everyone expectantly.

They exchanged glances, but silence was the only response.

Lu Wei said, “Alright, no one’s asking. Let’s move to the next round.”

Just as Qi An was about to say something, she saw Lu Wei already spinning the bottle again.

It landed on Qi An once more.

Qi An’s eyes lit up. “Have you thought of something now? Anything to ask me?”

“…”

Lu Wei said, “Next round.”

After several rounds like this, not once did it land on Chen Yushu. Lu Wei’s expression grew increasingly sour, and she vented her frustration on the plastic bottle. “What’s wrong with this bottle? It’s so unreliable! Let’s use something else. Does anyone have a pen?”

Chen Yushu, who had been stifling her laughter so hard her stomach hurt, quickly covered her mouth and turned her head away.

Lu Wei glanced over and only saw Chen Yushu’s shoulders shaking uncontrollably. Instantly, she grew even more irritated. She stood up, found a pen, rubbed her hands together dramatically, and spun it before tossing it onto the table.

She refused to believe her luck was this bad!

Chen Yushu, weak with laughter, leaned back on the sofa, her stomach still twitching.

Just then, she suddenly heard Lu Wei let out an excited cheer, followed by her rushing over. “Chen Yushu, it’s your turn!”

Chen Yushu propped herself up and casually hummed in acknowledgment.

Lu Mi licked her lips, her excitement evident. “Great, then I’ll ask you just now.”

“I haven’t said whether I choose ‘Truth’ or ‘Dare’ yet,” Chen Yushu said slowly.

“Huh?” Lu Mi froze for a second, seemingly caught off guard by this procedural step. The joy in her eyes vanished instantly, and the corners of her mouth drooped as she mumbled, “Then what do you choose?”

Chen Yushu took a sip of juice and replied unhurriedly, “I choose Dare.”

“Chen Yushu, you!” Lu Mi fumed. “How could you do this?”

Chen Yushu smiled faintly, like a sly fox.

In contrast, Qi An clapped her hands excitedly upon hearing this. “Wait, let me think of a punishment for her!”

Chen Yushu leaned back on the sofa with an air of nonchalance, occasionally flashing a provocative smile at Lu Mi.

“Qi An has the most devious ideas. You should change your choice, and besides.” Lu Mi’s eyes flickered with unwillingness as she put on a righteous front, trying her best to persuade her.

“It’s fine.” No matter what Lu Mi said, Chen Yushu remained unyielding, looking quite pleased with herself.

Lu Mi puffed out her cheeks in frustration, gave up all pretense, and couldn’t hold back any longer, revealing her true colors. “Chen Yushu, you did this on purpose!”

“Mhm.” Chen Yushu shrugged noncommittally.

Lu Mi was at a loss for what to do with her. She closed her eyes and took a few deep, agitated breaths.

Chen Yushu pressed her lips together, afraid of pushing her too far, and refrained from laughing openly.

Suddenly, Lu Mi opened her eyes, hurriedly pulled Qi An aside, and whispered something into her ear.

Most likely, she was trying to bribe Qi An.

Chen Yushu shook her head disdainfully. Childish games.

Sure enough, when Lu Mi returned to sit beside her, she was practically preening with triumph.

“Ahem.” Qi An cleared her throat and spoke somewhat guiltily, “The dare is to show your recent chat history to the person on your left.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Yushu showed no surprise and instead glanced at the person on her left.

Lu Mi sat up straight, radiating smugness from head to toe.

“What’s this all about?” Zhou Rongrong wondered aloud. “Why only show it to Lu Mi?”

Ran Qin chimed in, “Yeah, this is way too targeted!”

Lu Mi retorted, “Those are the rules. It just so happens I’m sitting to her left.”

Amid the bickering, Chen Yushu had already poured three glasses of wine. “I’ll take the penalty and drink three glasses.”

All eyes turned to Chen Yushu at once.

Just as she raised a glass to drink, her wrist was suddenly grabbed.

“I’ll drink for her,” Lu Mi muttered. With that, she snatched the small glass from Chen Yushu’s hand, downed it in one gulp, then proceeded to the second and third glasses. “Done.”

The atmosphere fell silent for a moment.

Qi An quickly stepped in to lighten the mood. “Let’s keep going, keep going!”

After downing three glasses, a chill seeped into Lu Mi’s chest. She didn’t go back to spinning the pen and just sat quietly in her spot, looking somewhat dejected and low-spirited.

Chen Yushu’s heart clenched, and she murmured, “Didn’t we agree not to drink?”

Lu Mi kept her eyes downcast, her voice tight. “I forced you into this, so I’ll take the punishment for you. If you’re upset that I drank, just throw me out on the street.”

“I” Chen Yushu’s lips parted slightly, her voice momentarily lost. After exhaling softly, she finally said, “Why are you so fixated on this? I can’t possibly report to you about everyone I meet or every conversation I have in the future, can I?”

“But we never had anyone else before,” Lu Wei looked up, speaking a bit hurriedly before pausing for a second. “Why do you keep emphasizing these things ever since we started university?”

Chen Yushu’s gaze wavered, but fortunately, the dim lighting hid her expression.

Silence fell between them again. She didn’t know how to explain to Lu Wei that she wasn’t just emphasizing it to her but to herself as well.

Lu Wei could boldly express her desires under the guise of “friendship,” but Chen Yushu was afraid. She feared that in a moment of confusion or desire, she might drag them both onto a misguided path.

For something destined to bear no fruit, she hoped they could both retreat safely.

“Oh, I remember,” Lu Wei suddenly spoke up. “You said when we were kids that you wanted lots of friends.”

Chen Yushu neither confirmed nor denied it.

But Lu Wei pressed on, staring directly into her eyes. “Isn’t that right?”

Chen Yushu unconsciously held her breath. After a long moment, she nodded very slowly.

Lu Wei didn’t say anything. Only after a while did she lower her head and murmur, “Oh.”

In contrast to the quiet tension between them, the other three were having a blast.

“Woohoo! It’s Rongrong’s turn now! Let me think of a question.” Qi Yan struck a thoughtful pose before clapping her hands. “Got it! Tell us how you two got together.”

Zhou Rongrong: “Will you die if you don’t gossip?”

Qi Yan: “Hurry up, follow the game rules.”

Zhou Rongrong sighed helplessly: “How else? We just… liked each other and got together.”

Qi Yan: “From the beginning, details! I want details!”

“Ugh, so noisy. Let me think.” Zhou Rongrong drifted into memory and slowly said, “It was probably the year we started high school… we started having… some feelings.”

“What do you mean ‘some feelings’?” Ran Qin immediately corrected her. “We clearly liked each other, okay?”

“Oh my god!” Qi Yan covered her mouth in shock. “You two were secretly carrying on that early? You hid it so well! How on earth did you hold back?”

Chen Yushu’s attention was drawn over, and she unconsciously leaned in to listen.

Zhou Rongrong rolled her eyes at Qi Yan. “What else could we do? Never mind it possibly affecting our studies the difference between being lovers and friends is just too huge!”

Ran Qin nodded along, a bit melancholic. “Friends can stay together forever, but if we were lovers… what if we broke up someday? Then we wouldn’t even be able to stay friends.”

“But later, we thought it through seriously.”

Ran Qin’s words drifted softly into Chen Yushu’s ears but struck her heart like a bullet. Her breath hitched, her hand unconsciously curling into a fist. Her mind echoed that sentence over and over, blocking out everything else.

Lu Wei listened quietly, unable to hold back a self-mocking thought: Forget lovers even friends have to part ways eventually.

The mood suddenly turned heavy. Though only two were telling the story, it resonated with more than just them.

“Oh my god, I can’t believe you two endured so much at such a young age. That’s really tragic.”

The moment Qi Yan said this, the previously somber and serious atmosphere instantly shattered.

“Still better than you, you single dog!”

“Everyone else is starting to pair up, and you’re still here doing your own thing, tsk.”

Qi Lin was left speechless by their teasing. After a long pause, he retorted, “Who says I’m the only one? What about Shushu and Lu Wei? I’m going to team up with them and leave you two lovebirds out!”

After some playful banter, they finally called it a night, and the five of them headed home.

“I’m going in,” Chen Yushu said as they climbed to the fifth floor one after the other. She turned around to unlock her door.

In the quiet hallway, only the sound of keys jingling against the lock could be heard. Yet, for a long moment, there was no response from the other side.

Lu Wei leaned lazily against her door, her gaze fixed intently on Chen Yushu’s back.

Feeling the stare from behind, Chen Yushu stiffened, her entire body tensing up. She fumbled anxiously with the lock, but the more she tried, the harder it became to align the key.

Just then, the motion-sensor light went out, plunging the hallway into darkness.