How I Accidentally Bent My Best Friend - Chapter 30

Over the next few days, the two of them continued their usual routine of practicing the long jump at the sports field. At the same time, it became Chen Yushu’s form of exposure therapy.

Whenever something felt off-track, she would immediately start silently reciting vocabulary words like a mantra. Surprisingly, it was quite effective.

The busy week passed quickly. On this particular day, after finishing training and returning to the dorm, Chen Yushu took a shower, lay down on her bed, and slept straight through until the next morning.

When she woke up and picked up her phone, she noticed that many people had sent her messages, all wishing her a happy birthday.

Chen Yushu checked the date October 21st and realized it really was her birthday.

Just then, her mother called, also to talk about her birthday. The mood was fairly relaxed.

As she was about to hang up, someone knocked on the dorm room door.

“Come in.”

The door opened to reveal Lu Wei. “Hello, may I come in?”

Ye Chiwan urged, “Come in, come in!”

As soon as she saw who it was, Jiang Yuran’s eyes lit up with a spark of anger. Then, noticing the large cake in Lu Wei’s hand, she guessed, “Is it Shushu’s birthday today?”

Lu Wei smiled and nodded. “That’s right.”

Immediately, several voices in the dorm called out, “Happy birthday!”

Chen Yushu thanked them, then turned her gaze to Lu Wei. At that moment, her mother’s voice came through the phone. “Was that Lu Wei just now? Why are you always.”

“Mom, I got it. Bye.” She quickly ended the call, got up, and waved Lu Wei over.

Lu Wei approached and placed the cake on her desk. “Happy birthday.”

“Thank you.” Chen Yushu lowered her head, pursed her lips, and smiled slightly. “When did you buy this?”

Lu Wei pulled over her chair and sat down, sticking out her tongue playfully. “I’m not telling you. Hey, you still have these flowers?”

Chen Yushu’s heart skipped a beat, and she replied somewhat flustered, “Oh, I forgot to throw them away.”

“They’ve already wilted; they don’t look good anymore.” Lu Wei picked up the white rose, touched it lightly, and a petal immediately fell off. “If you like them, I’ll give you more next time.”

Chen Yushu looked at the fallen petal on the desk and frowned slightly. “People usually give roses to their significant others. Only you would give them out so carelessly.”

“What? You don’t like the ones I gave you?” Lu Wei pouted, reinserted the flower into the pen holder, and muttered, “Do they only smell nice if they’re from a significant other?”

“You wouldn’t understand,” Chen Yushu said quietly, annoyed. She snatched the flower and threw it into the trash can.

Lu Wei was taken aback. “Why did you.”

“Didn’t you say it’s wilted and doesn’t look good anymore?”

“I was just saying! You actually threw it away?” Lu Wei was both surprised and irritated. She stared dejectedly at the trash can for a moment before whining, “Pick it up. Hurry.”

Chen Yushu crossed her arms and watched the expression on Lu Wei’s face with amusement, deliberately saying, “No.”

“If you’re going to be like this, don’t blame me.” Lu Wei struggled to think of a threat, then suddenly said, “Don’t blame me if I go out to play with someone else this afternoon.”

“Go ahead,” Chen Yushu replied indifferently. “I have experiments to do this afternoon anyway, you childish brat.”

“No, no, no!” Lu Wei wagged her index finger. “What I mean is, I’m not coming back tonight.”

If it were any other day, Chen Yushu might have believed her, but today, it was impossible. So, she raised an eyebrow even more nonchalantly. “Suit yourself.”

Lu Wei gritted her teeth and forced a smile. “Fine! Just you wait.”

“Mhm.”

Chen Yushu didn’t take her words seriously at all until she finished her experiments and stepped out.

Checking her phone, there was still no message from Lu Wei, which was definitely unusual.

Could she be painting in the studio?

With that thought, she headed toward the studio, but after searching around a few times, she found no one.

Chen Yushu’s heart sank slightly. Unable to hold back, she sent Lu Wei a message asking where she was.

After waiting a moment, Lu Wei’s reply finally came.

Lu Wei: [Of course, I’m out having fun!]

Chen Yushu unconsciously tightened her grip on the phone and quickly typed: [Are you really not coming back tonight?]

Lu Wei: [Mhm-hmm.]

Chen Yushu’s breath hitched. [Are you serious?]

Lu Wei: [Why would I lie to you? I’m hanging out with them tonight. Don’t miss me too much!]

Chen Yushu stared at the last line, a sudden wave of bitterness rushing to her nose, blurring her vision.

She blinked rapidly, tilted her head back, forcing the tears to recede, and typed again with unwilling persistence: [Did you forget that today. ]

Before she could finish the sentence, her eyes welled up again. A moment later, she deleted the words one by one and put her phone away.

Forget it. If she forgot, then she forgot.

After eating dinner at the cafeteria and returning to the dorm, the sky had already darkened.

Chen Yushu rubbed the back of her phone, switching between screens restlessly, her mind unsettled.

Did she really forget? Impossible, right? She couldn’t be angry over that, could she?

But why not? She’s probably just having too much fun with her friends!

The two thoughts tangled and swirled in Chen Yushu’s mind. As time ticked by, the latter thought grew stronger. Frustrated, she slammed her phone face down on the desk, pulled out her notebook, and scribbled another word.

Mingy. Stingy.

Her frustration still hadn’t eased in the slightest, so she flipped open her vocabulary notebook and started silently reciting the words.

Just then, her phone rang. She immediately picked it up, only to find it was a spam call.

She pressed the screen hard to hang up and couldn’t help muttering under her breath, “Stupid Lu Wei! Liar! Cheapskate!”

Soon, it was eight o’clock. Chen Yushu gave up completely, quietly climbed into bed, put on her headphones, and tried to focus on something productive.

But gradually, the suffocating feeling in her chest grew heavier, making it hard to breathe. Chen Yushu suppressed the bitterness in her heart, forcing herself not to think about it.

Suddenly, Lu Wei’s caller ID popped up on her phone.

Chen Yushu froze instantly. The tension she had been holding onto dissipated in an instant, replaced by a flicker of anticipation.

As soon as she answered, Lu Wei’s hurried, breathless voice came through the receiver, “Chen Yushu, come down quickly!”

Chen Yushu’s throat tightened slightly. “What?”

Lu Wei: “Come down, to the dorm entrance.”

“You’re downstairs?” Chen Yushu finally caught on. “Really?”

Lu Wei didn’t answer, only urged her to hurry, her tone firm.

Chen Yushu suddenly felt flustered. Dazedly, she climbed down from her bed and rushed to the window to look. In the hazy night, Lu Wei stood facing the dorm entrance, hands on her hips, panting.

Her heart immediately raced out of control, the little deer in her heart charging downstairs first, followed closely by Chen Yushu’s flying figure.

The fourth floor had never felt so high.

Finally reaching the ground floor, the moment their eyes met, her urgency melted into a girl’s bashful shyness.

“Why didn’t you change your shoes?” Lu Wei suddenly asked.

Chen Yushu glanced down, puzzled. “Change shoes? It’s so late already.”

“Forget it.” Lu Wei thought for a moment, then suddenly stepped forward and took her hand. “Let’s go, the driver is still waiting.”

“What driver?”

Before Chen Yushu could ask for details, Lu Wei had already pulled her into a light run.

The cool evening breeze brushed against their faces, calming Chen Yushu’s mind. Suddenly, she understood, and a smile unconsciously crept onto her lips. She fell silent, simply following Lu Wei as they ran through the night.

Soon, Lu Wei led her into a taxi.

Catching her breath, Chen Yushu couldn’t resist asking curiously, “Where are we going?”

“You’ll know when we get there.” Lu Wei leaned back in the seat, fanning herself with her hand.

Outside the window, the night scenery flashed by, with colorful neon lights occasionally sweeping across their faces. The car was quiet, filled only with the sound of their still-racing heartbeats.

Chen Yushu glanced at her and deliberately asked, “Didn’t you say we were going out all night?”

“So, you’ve been angry all afternoon?” Lu Wei retorted.

“Who said I was angry?” Chen Yushu raised her voice slightly, sounding fierce but not intimidating, like a lover’s complaint.

Lu Wei looked at her with disbelief. “Not just angry you must have cursed me out in your heart too, right?”

“What nonsense are you talking?” Chen Yushu turned her head away, feeling a pang of guilt at being seen through.

Just then, the car stopped.

They got out, and Lu Wei led the way while Chen Yushu curiously looked around, asking incessantly, “Where is this? What are we doing here? Won’t the stores be closing soon?”

“Stop chattering. Just follow me do you think I’d sell you off?”

Chen Yushu snorted and muttered under her breath, “Who would trust you? You liar!”

“We’re here.” With that, Lu Wei walked straight into a hotel, took the elevator to the top floor, and pulled a key card from her bag.

Ding!

Lu Wei opened the door but didn’t step inside. Instead, she smiled and gestured for Chen Yushu to enter.

Chen Yushu peeked in curiously, and her eyes instantly fell upon a waterfall of white roses, stretching from the inner room all the way to her feet.

She had guessed Lu Wei would surprise her, but she never expected it to be this grand far beyond her imagination, striking straight at her heart.

Just then, Lu Wei’s voice rang out, “Happy birthday.”

Chen Yushu’s heart trembled. She slowly turned to look at Lu Wei, biting her lip shyly.

“Don’t you like it? Why no reaction?”

Chen Yushu softly hummed in agreement, “It’s alright.”

“That means you love it.” Lu Wei automatically translated her words, her tone suddenly cheerful.

Chen Yushu didn’t argue, stepping carefully into the room, her eyes filled with delight as she lingered over the rose waterfall.

A flash of light caught her attention. Chen Yushu turned to see Lu Wei holding a Polaroid camera, aiming it at her. Lu Wei then pointed to the other side, “There’s more over there.”

“What?” Chen Yushu immediately turned to look. The walls were decorated with balloons and streamers, with “Happy Birthday” spelled out in the center and her name glowing beneath it, twinkling softly.

“It’s so beautiful,” she blurted out involuntarily, her gaze at Lu Wei no longer restrained. “Did you do all this by yourself?”

Lu Wei immediately puffed up with pride. “Look around, who else is here but me?”

Chen Yushu lowered her head with a faint smile, but her throat suddenly tightened, leaving her momentarily at a loss for words. All she could do was repeat, “It’s very beautiful.”

“Well, although it did take some effort, who told me you’re my most, most, most favorite person?” Lu Wei looked straight at her, her bright eyes sparkling like stars. “So, as long as you like it, that’s all that matters.”

Lu Wei’s gaze was clear and bright, yet Chen Yushu felt as if she had been scorched by fire, burning a hole right through her heart. She nodded gently and said, “Thank you.”

“Still saying ‘thank you’ to me? That’s way too formal,” Lu Wei complained softly. “Shouldn’t you be saying, ‘You’re my most, most, most favorite person too’?”

At these words, Chen Yushu’s eyes instantly stung, and she nearly shed tears.

“Hey, I even reminded you. Why aren’t you saying it? Am I not?”

Chen Yushu looked at her and gave a slight tug at the corner of her mouth.

Of course, you are my most, most, most favorite person.

“You have zero sense of romance,” Lu Wei pouted. “If you’re too shy to say it out loud, then you have to write it to me on my birthday, okay? Got it?”

“You’re so noisy.” Chen Yushu walked over, took the Polaroid camera from her hands, and began earnestly taking pictures around the room.

Suddenly, Lu Wei barged into the frame, and from that moment on, the scene froze, unable to shift even an inch.

As soon as the photo developed, Chen Yushu didn’t even wait for it to warm up before quickly tucking it into her inner pocket, letting her body heat warm it as she secretly kept it close.

Lu Wei: “Hahaha, Qi An, that unlucky soul, still has to attend evening self-study during the break. Okay, he should be up by now.”

Seeing her talking to herself while looking at her phone, Chen Yushu couldn’t help but ask, “What’s going on?”

The next moment, the faces of three people appeared on the screen behind Lu Wei. “Shushu, happy birthday!”

Chen Yushu’s mouth fell open in surprise. “How did you. Thank you.”

“Alright, alright, time to light the candles now,” Lu Wei said, holding a tablet and beckoning them over.

Ran Qin leaned closer to the screen, widened her eyes, and looked around in confusion. “Where’s the cake? There’s no cake, what are we lighting candles for?”

“Here, this is it.” Lu Wei placed the tablet on the table, revealing a cartoon cake on the screen with a few candles flickering.

“Lu Wei, how can you be so stingy!” Qi An was so shocked his eyes nearly popped out. “This? A cake?”

Lu Wei replied matter-of-factly, “What’s the problem? You guys aren’t here, and Chen Yushu and I can’t finish a whole cake. Wouldn’t it be a waste to buy one?”

Zhou Rongrong couldn’t stand it either and said, “Couldn’t you at least buy a smaller one?”

Lu Wei retorted, “If the cake is that small, would it even be appropriate for the five of us to gather around it?”

The three on the screen rolled their eyes in unison.

“As long as the atmosphere is there, that’s what matters. Come on, it’s time to sing ‘Happy Birthday,'” Lu Wei said, playing the accompaniment. “Happy birthday to you.”

The three on the screen frowned in disdain, but after a moment, they reluctantly joined in.

Once the song ended, Lu Wei turned off the lights, picked up the tablet, and placed it in front of Chen Yushu. “Shushu, come on, it’s time to blow out the candles.”

Chen Yushu laughed and dodged. “Where did you even find this? It’s so childish.”Even you dislike it?”” Lu Wei immediately lowered her eyes dejectedly, putting on a pitiful expression. “I made this myself.”Qi An: ‘Seriously, who wouldn’t dislike this?” Ran Qin: “Hahaha.”

Lu Wei looked at Chen Yushu, her nose twitching as if she were about to shed a tear at any moment.

“I never said I disliked it,” Chen Yushu quickly took the tablet and blew on it. To her surprise, the candle actually went out. She tapped the screen curiously, and the cake instantly split into five pieces.

Zhou Rongrong exclaimed, “You’re the best, seriously!”

“It’s just a cake, you guys are really. I’ll make it up to you when we get back, okay?” Lu Wei stood up to turn on the lights and returned carrying a large box.

Qi An immediately cheered and clapped her hands. “The main event is here! Girls, look, look!”

“Birthday gifts,” Lu Wei carefully placed the box at Chen Yushu’s feet, straightened up, and rubbed her lower back. “Hurry and see if you like them.”

Even though she was the one giving the gifts, Lu Wei seemed more excited than the person unwrapping them.

Though her heart was already in turmoil, with countless emotions surging inside, Chen Yushu couldn’t find the words to express herself. All she could say was, “Lu Wei, thank you.”