How I Accidentally Bent My Best Friend - Chapter 37.1

Mother Chen was startled, dropping the vegetables in her hand. “You silly child, what’s with all the sudden fuss?”

Chen Sinan glanced at her with concern.

Unaware of her daughter’s distress, Mother Chen continued cheerfully, “Who else could it be? It’s Lu Wei’s family. They said they’ll be moving by next week at the latest. Honestly, with all their money, they should’ve moved sooner instead of sticking around with us poor folks.”

Chen Yushu didn’t hear another word her mother said. She stood frozen for who knows how long before drifting back to her bedroom in a daze. Frantically grabbing her phone, she almost messaged Lu Wei but stopped abruptly.

What would be the point of asking Lu Wei when Auntie Wang had already delivered the news personally?

Instantly, she froze again, feeling something heavy sinking in her chest that she couldn’t grasp hold of.

Suddenly, she remembered a year when they were transitioning to middle school Lu Wei’s family had talked about moving then too. But why hadn’t they moved in the end?

Chen Yushu furrowed her brows, straining to recall. That’s right Lu Wei had cried, made a scene, even threatened to drop out of school until they finally stayed.

The realization brought a surge of joy, as if she’d traveled back to that summer and caught hold of the Lu Wei from her memories.

But the next moment, she came crashing down from the clouds, her heart aching sharply. Unconsciously tightening her grip on the phone, her gaze grew unfocused, drifting in midair.

Just then, her phone chimed.

Startled back to reality, she opened it to find a message from Lu Wei.

[I’m done with driving practice. Come down quick I’m waiting at our usual spot.]

Chen Yushu didn’t ask what she wanted. Only one thought consumed her: she needed to see Lu Wei right now, desperately so.

“Where are you going? Dinner’s almost ready!” Mother Chen called from the kitchen.

Chen Yushu paid no attention, her mind completely occupied by that person. She slipped on her shoes and dashed downstairs in a flurry of footsteps.

The “usual spot” Lu Wei mentioned was beneath a camphor tree in their neighborhood. Its thick trunk perfectly blocked the view from their families’ windows a place that had witnessed over a decade of their whispered secrets and countless moments sneaking junk food together…

As Chen Yushu ran over, her steps faltered the moment she glimpsed a blurry figure in the distance. A wave of sour emotion rushed to her nose.

Through the haze, she saw Lu Wei waving at her. She blinked rapidly, forcing back tears, then hurried over at a jog.

Lu Wei held two tall paper cups filled with spicy hot pot, each skewered with bamboo sticks. Seeing Chen Yushu, she immediately handed one over. “I already tried one skewer it tastes just like before. Quick, try it!”

“Really?” Chen Yushu asked, her voice slightly choked.

“Yeah!” Lu Wei nodded, spearing a trimmed broccoli skewer and popping it into her mouth. The spiciness made her gasp and stick out her tongue, steam forming white puffs between them.

Watching her, Chen Yushu smiled faintly before her eyes fell on Lu Wei’s hands, red from the cold. She pulled a pair of gloves from her bag. “Put these on.”

“No need, you wear them.” Lu Wei, wearing a fluffy hat, focused on picking through her cup, her eyes unusually bright. Suddenly, she looked up. “Why aren’t you eating? Try this egg dumpling I think it’s new. Say ‘ah’.”

Chen Yushu took a small bite. The steam from the cup kept rising, making her eyes redden.

“What’s wrong with you?” Lu Wei suddenly asked.

Chen Yushu was a bit puzzled and was about to ask what was wrong when she felt Lu Wei’s hand brush past her cheek.

“Did your mom do something to you?”

Chen Yushu shook her head, instinctively touching her own face. There was still a bit of moisture there, so she quickly feigned nonchalance and said, “Maybe it’s from the spiciness.”

“I think it’s a bit spicy too. Probably because I’ve been eating bland food at school too often.”

Chen Yushu stared at her lips, reddened by the spice, opening and closing, and gradually lost focus.

“Hey, Chen Yushu, are you even listening to me?” Lu Wei waved her hand in front of her face. “What’s going on with you today? Are you in a bad mood?”

Chen Yushu blinked, lowered her head, and couldn’t hold back any longer. She asked, “I just heard from Aunt Wang that you’re moving. When are you planning to?”

“Moving?” Before she could finish, Lu Wei interrupted, looking shocked. “Wang Zhizhi said that?”

“Yeah.”

Lu Wei froze for a moment, biting her lip anxiously, then suddenly handed her paper cup to Chen Yushu. “I’m going to ask her.”

With that, she turned and ran off.

Chen Yushu leaned against the camphor tree and slowly sat down. The steam rising from the paper cup kept dissipating, vanishing without a trace.

Actually, moving wasn’t such a big deal, right?

It wasn’t like they were separating. They were still in the same city they could always see each other.

And they could see each other every day at university too.

Chen Yushu tried to comfort herself with these thoughts, but her hand unconsciously tightened around the paper cup. Her heartbeat quickened, and her stomach began to cramp from anxiety and tension.

Suddenly, the hot soup spilled out, splashing all over her hand.

*Ring-ring-ring *

Chen Yushu fumbled to put down the paper cup and carefully answered her phone.

Chen Sinan: “Where are you? Are you coming back for dinner?”

Her mother’s voice came through intermittently: “Running off right before dinner still come back.”

“I’ll be right back,” Chen Yushu said.

She got up and headed back, trudging slowly up to the fifth floor. She felt as if she had exhausted all her energy. Glancing at the opposite door, she felt a faint bitterness in her throat.

Meanwhile, Lu Wei rushed home in a hurry. As soon as she opened the door, she couldn’t help but ask, “Who said we’re moving?”

“You already know?” Wang Zhizhi was slightly surprised, then said gently, “I was planning to tell you tonight.”

“Why do we have to move?” Lu Wei frowned, panting heavily. “What’s wrong with living here?”

Bread, who had been rubbing against her feet, seemed startled by her tone and trembled slightly, his ears drooping a little.

Lu Wei glanced at him, crouched down, and patted his head softly. “Bread, go to the balcony. Go on.”

“Mm,” Bread whimpered softly and slowly made his way to the balcony.

Only then did Wang Zhizhi speak: “Weiwei, we moved here originally for your studies. Now that you’re in university, this place has served its purpose.”

Lu Wei didn’t understand. “What does that have to do with anything? Why can’t we keep living here just because I’m in university?”

“This apartment is too small. It’s inconvenient for your dad and me with our work,” Wang Zhizhi explained patiently. “The new house is much bigger. We even set aside a studio for you. Oh, and it has a large balcony you can keep as many cats and dogs as you want in the future.”

Lu Wei listened expressionlessly, feeling completely unmoved. She simply asked, “Where is it?”

“Oh, it’s in the west of the city.” Wang Zhizhi, thinking she had finally persuaded her, couldn’t help but exclaim with delight, “Right, I remember you have a friend who also lives in the west of the city. What was his name Qi Qin, wasn’t it?”

Upon hearing “west of the city,” Lu Wei’s heart sank, and she no longer had the energy to correct her. Taking a deep breath, she suppressed the tremor in her voice and said, “Fine. If you feel the place is too crowded or inconvenient for work and want to move, go ahead. Just leave my room and the bakery. We’re not moving.”

“Weiwei.” Wang Zhizhi called out anxiously, sighing, “Then tell me, what’s your reason for not wanting to move?”

Lu Wei opened her mouth, but her mind went blank.

“Is it the same as a few years ago? You can’t bear to leave Xiao Shu?” Wang Zhizhi said on her behalf, “Unable to explain the reason for moving, yet having a reason to stay, right?”

Lu Wei didn’t refute her, nor could she.

“But, Weiwei,” Wang Zhizhi said earnestly, “you’re not children anymore. Back in middle school, you might have been afraid of drifting apart from friends because of distance, but now you’ve both grown up. You should understand that even the grandest feast must come to an end.”

“So,” Lu Wei curled her lips into a faint, mocking smile, “once you grow up, you’re not allowed to fear separation anymore? That’s just what adults say. I don’t understand it, so just treat me as a child who never grows up. I’m just afraid.”

Wang Zhizhi frowned slightly, momentarily at a loss for words. After a long pause, she said gently, “Weiwei, I understand how you feel. I know Xiao Shu is a good kid, and I like her too. If it weren’t too presumptuous, I’d even want to take her as my goddaughter.”

“There’s no need,” Lu Wei interrupted, murmuring softly, “I just want to be with her always, without ever parting.”

As she finished speaking, Lu Wei’s eyes reddened, and a tear escaped.

Wang Zhizhi looked at her in shock, as if something had dawned on her. Her brows tightened in sudden realization so that’s how it was. She should have figured it out sooner. It was her fault.

Clasping her trembling hands, she tentatively asked, “Weiwei, is your feeling for Xiao Shu.”

Lu Wei sniffled, lowered her head, and wiped away her tears. “What about my feelings for her? She’s my best friend. Don’t you know that?”

“Is that so?” Wang Zhizhi studied her expression carefully, falling into brief confusion. After a moment, she sighed softly and still asked, “Weiwei, are you sure Xiao Shu is just your friend?”

“What do you mean?” Lu Wei looked up, puzzled, and thought it over seriously. “Yes, she’s not just my friend she’s family.”

Wang Zhizhi shook her head helplessly and took Lu Wei’s hand. “Weiwei, Mom just wants to tell you that no matter what happens in the future, don’t be afraid. We’ll always support you.”

“Huh?” Lu Wei didn’t understand. Weren’t they talking about moving? How did they end up here?

Wang Zhizhi patted her head. “Let’s discuss the move another time. For now, let’s eat, okay?”

Lu Wei didn’t respond, the panic in her heart still uncontrollable, lingering until late at night.

In the same darkness, Chen Yushu lay in bed, the room unlit, as black as thick ink.

Just then, a few consecutive message alerts broke the silence in the room.