How I Accidentally Bent My Best Friend - Chapter 36.2

“Hey, don’t be like that. I really won’t say anything more.” Lu Wei straightened up a bit and spoke more seriously, “I didn’t mean to ignore you! Wen Yan just wouldn’t stop talking. I was signaling to you from below Hey, Chen Yushu!”

Chen Yushu snorted softly and muttered under her breath, “I’m not listening, I’m not listening. It’s just a turtle chanting scriptures.”

Lu Wei hissed in frustration, unable to hold back any longer. She covered Chen Yushu’s mouth with one hand and pried her hand away from her ear with the other, whispering into her ear, “I was desperately signaling to you from below. Couldn’t you spare even a single glance? Ah, you little blind girl.”

“Mmph… wu, ” Chen Yushu’s mouth was covered, unable to speak, so she could only glare at her with wide eyes.

“What are you glaring at?” Lu Wei bumped her forehead against Chen Yushu’s and continued, “You have no idea how much I suffered. I’m the one who’s wronged here.”

“Wronged my foot!” Chen Yushu broke free, panting slightly.

Lu Wei pouted and sat back in her original spot, “You don’t feel sorry for me at all.”

Chen Yushu immediately rolled her eyes, “Feeling sorry for a woman brings a lifetime of bad luck.”

“Hmph!” Lu Wei huffed, crossing her arms and shooting her a sidelong glance before quickly turning away, entering her “waiting to be coaxed” mode.

Chen Yushu quietly picked up the camera and leisurely continued admiring it. Suddenly, she felt someone nudge her shoe. When she looked down, she saw Lu Wei’s foot move slightly before quickly returning to its original position.

“Childish,” she muttered under her breath, glancing sideways out of the corner of her eye. All she could see was Lu Wei’s chin held high. “Are you really that upset? It looked like you and Wen Yan were having a great time discussing the paintings from artistic colors to painters from different countries, like kindred spirits finding each other. I was afraid I’d disturb you.”

“Hehe, I knew you were jealous, you petty Chen Yushu.” Lu Wei instantly broke into a smile, wrapping her arms around Chen Yushu’s and leaning against her. “Alright, alright, let’s both take a step back. There’s no need to give each other the cold shoulder over an outsider.”

“Cold shoulder?” Chen Yushu suppressed a laugh and asked hesitantly, “You mean the last five minutes?”

Lu Wei nodded, “Mm.”

Chen Yushu gave her a complicated look, unable to hold back a soft, helpless chuckle.

The frustration in her heart instantly dissipated.

Meanwhile, the lingering gloom in Wen Yan’s chest refused to fade. At first, she’d misjudged the situation and been rejected, but she thought she could slowly win her over. Who would have thought Lu Wei would avoid her like the plague? Even after she took a step back, their relationship never returned to what it was before.

No matter how hard she tried to mend things, it was useless. She had to accept that Lu Wei might truly be completely straight and that she had scared her away.

Until she saw their backs from afar at the art exhibition though there was nothing particularly intimate about their actions she just felt the atmosphere between them was strange, different from that of ordinary friends.

The moment she truly confirmed it was when Lu Wei crouched down to take a photo of Chen Yushu. Standing quietly behind them, watching the frozen image in the camera and the expression on Lu Wei’s face as she looked at Chen Yushu through the lens, she had to admit she panicked.

At that moment, the one being shut out was actually her.

Just then, someone posted on their social media feed. She opened it and saw it was from Lu Wei.

Attached were nine photos from the art exhibition, with a picture of the two of them together in the middle.

She didn’t bother opening it to look. Returning to the chat interface, she removed Lu Wei from her pinned contacts. She thought they probably wouldn’t be in touch anymore.

And there was no need to be.

Life went on as usual, but tasks kept piling up experiments, midterms, fitness tests Time seemed to accelerate, and before she knew it, it was finals week.

After the last class of the semester, everyone returned to the dormitory, buzzing with excitement.

“No more classes, no more evening self-study ah! This is the true essence of university life!” Ye Chiwan exclaimed with emotion.

Jiang Yuran couldn’t help but interject, “Aren’t you afraid of failing the finals? I heard if you fail, there’s no make-up exam you have to retake the course directly! I’m panicking to death!”

“What’s there to be afraid of? I asked an upperclassman, and the professors usually help you out,” Ye Chiwan said dismissively.

“But,” Chen Yushu couldn’t resist adding, “every year, some people do fail. The probability is low, but it happens.”

“Ahhh, you two! Fine, I’ll study seriously then!”

Chen Yushu said, “I’ve shared the key points in the group chat. It’s enough to pass, but if you want a high score, you’ll still need to review the material.”

As soon as she said this, she was met with admiring gazes from everyone in the dorm.

“No need for cheesy compliments,” Chen Yushu quickly stopped them. “Let’s focus on studying while we have time.”

Chen Yushu was determined to win a scholarship. Even though she had plenty of free time now, she didn’t dare slack off. The moment she woke up in the morning, she would grab her backpack and head to the library to secure a seat, studying all day. Her days felt even more exhausting than usual.

In contrast, Lu Wei, who usually had a heavy workload and found it tough and draining, had already finished most of her courses and exams by finals week, except for general education classes like English and Ideology and Politics.

So, their daily routine went like this: Chen Yushu braved the cold wind to the library, studied all morning, and just as she was wrapping up, Lu Wei would finally get out of bed. Then they’d meet at the cafeteria, have lunch, and Lu Wei would walk her back to the library before heading to the art studio to paint.

After dinner, Lu Wei would escort Chen Yushu back to the library again, and then she could return to the dorm to enjoy her leisure time.

Seeing Lu Wei so carefree, Chen Yushu couldn’t help but feel a little resentful. She often nagged her to start studying for the CET-4, but each time, Lu Wei brushed it off with, “It’s still early for that.”

“Then stop hovering around me it’s annoying!” Chen Yushu grumbled, weighed down by her heavy backpack, growing more irritated as she watched Lu Wei stroll around effortlessly.

“I’m just worried you’ll turn into a study robot from sitting in the library all day,” Lu Wei retorted, shivering but speaking confidently. “Otherwise, why would I walk you to the library? By the time I accompany you after meals, all the warmth is gone.”

Chen Yushu reached out, zipped Lu Wei’s jacket all the way up, and tightened her scarf. “If you don’t dress warmer, whose fault is that?”

“Mmm, no,” Lu Wei shook her head while trembling. “If I bundle up like a ball, I’ll look too ugly.”

Chen Yushu, who was currently bundled up like a ball: “…”

Fortunately, two weeks later, the hellish days of final exams and the college entrance mock tests finally came to an end, marking the official start of the nearly two-month-long winter break.

By the time Chen Yushu got home, Chen Sinan had already returned. As a third-year university student, her academic workload had lightened considerably.

After dinner, the two chatted in the bedroom.

“How are you adjusting to university life?” Chen Sinan asked while peeling a mandarin orange. “How does it feel?”

“It’s pretty interesting,” Chen Yushu replied. “I joined a few clubs and even signed up for the long jump at the sports meet. Too bad I messed up my last jump and didn’t win any awards.”

Chen Sinan looked at her in surprise and couldn’t help but laugh. “No offense, but with your disastrous long jump results back in the high school entrance exam, how did you even have the courage to sign up, let alone expect to win?”

“That was then! I’m really good at long jump now!” Chen Yushu straightened her back proudly.

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah, Lu Wei taught me. It’s the sandpit long jump way harder!”

“Lu Wei?” Chen Sinan raised an eyebrow slightly. “You two have been inseparable since elementary school. Don’t tell me you haven’t made any friends besides her in university?”

“Is my social life that bad?” Chen Yushu retorted.

Chen Sinan burst out laughing. “That’s more like it. Make more friends not just girls, but guys too. It’s time to start dating.”

Chen Yushu lowered her head, peeling the mandarin orange in her hands. “I’m not really thinking about that right now. I don’t really want to date.”

“What about Lu Wei?” Chen Sinan suddenly asked.

Chen Yushu froze. Whether it was her own guilt or not, she felt there was a deeper meaning behind Chen Sinan’s words and mumbled vaguely, “How would I know what she thinks?”

Just then, their mother knocked on the door. “What are you two talking about in there? Come out and have some fruit.”

“We’re already eating,” Chen Sinan called out loudly. “Stop hovering by the door and go to bed early.”

Their mother’s grumbling could immediately be heard from outside.

“Don’t mind her,” Chen Sinan said. “So, what are your plans for winter break? Want to practice driving and try to get a license?”

Chen Yushu shook her head. “I’m thinking of finding a part-time job.”

“Short on money?”

“Not really, I just want something to do.”

“Alright, I’ll ask around and let you know if there’s anything suitable.”

“Okay, thanks, sis.”

Chen Sinan stood up and closed the door. “Time for bed.”

Chen Yushu lay down and couldn’t resist sending Lu Wei a message, asking about her winter break plans.

Lu Wei: “Wang Zhizhi wants me to get a driver’s license. She says if I don’t do it now, I’ll hardly have time later.”

Chen Yushu: “My sister just suggested the same to me.”

Lu Wei: “Then let’s do it together!”

After thinking it over, Chen Yushu still declined.

Lu Wei immediately sent a series of frustrated and unhappy emojis.

As if that wasn’t enough to express her feelings, she followed up with a text: “How can you bear to let me go alone?”

Chen Yushu: “Why wouldn’t I? You’re just learning to drive, not climbing a mountain of knives or diving into a sea of fire.”

Lu Wei: “Hehe, so you’re saying you’d be willing to climb a mountain of knives and dive into a sea of fire with me?”

This comprehension skill.

Chen Yushu couldn’t help but start to doubt how Lu Wei had only scored two or three points on the reading comprehension section back in the day.

Lu Wei: “You love me so much, wuwuwu, I knew it! Fine then, I’ll reluctantly carry your love with me to driving practice. When I buy a car someday, you’ll be the first one I take for a ride.”

Chen Yushu: [Top lane???]

Lu Wei: [Hahahaha…]

Chen Yushu: [Never mind, I’m not getting in this car. Take care of yourself.]

Lu Wei: [You just said you’d follow me through fire and water!]

Chen Yushu clicked his tongue and couldn’t help rolling his eyes at the screen. “So full of yourself.”

The matter of the winter break job was quickly settled. Chen Sinan’s friend had a relative whose child was starting high school this year and wasn’t doing well in math and English. They needed a tutor for two hours a day, paying 120 per hour.

Chen Yushu thought it was feasible and agreed.

Coincidentally, the place where she tutored was very close to where Lu Wei practiced driving. However, their schedules didn’t align, and sometimes they wouldn’t see each other all day. Only in the evenings, when both were free, could they spend a little time together.

One day, Chen Yushu finished her tutoring and returned home a bit late. Chen Sinan and her mother were both in the living room, chatting with the TV on.

She set her bag down and went to the bathroom. In a daze, she heard someone knock on the door, and shortly after, the door closed again.

When she came out, she noticed several gift boxes on the coffee table. Chen Yushu walked closer to take a look and couldn’t help but ask, “Who sent these?”

Her mother, while picking vegetables, couldn’t hide her delight as she said, “It’s from the neighbor across the hall, Lu Wei’s mom.”

Chen Yushu looked puzzled at her mother’s expression. “Why did Aunt Wang send these?”

Her mother replied, “She said they’re moving in a few days, and when the time comes.”

“Moving?!” Chen Yushu couldn’t help but exclaim, her heart pounding rapidly. Her mind went blank, and she stammered, “Who did you say is moving?”