I Helped My Best Friend with Her Romance—and Fell for the Enemy’s Strategist - Chapter 36

“Ah? Deduct money? All my money is with my girlfriend.”

Song Wanqing glanced at Yu Qiuli.

Aside from her fixed monthly living expenses and a little pocket money, the rest of her money was in Yu Qiuli’s hands.

Although they hadn’t been physically intimate yet, she felt this was something a girlfriend ought to do.

It was a way to give the other person a sense of security, even her wrist bore the small hair tie Yu Qiuli had given her, marking her as taken.

Lin Ruocheng often felt these two really knew how to date at times.

But it seemed they hadn’t even kissed yet.

It was all too chaste. If she were in a relationship, she definitely wouldn’t keep it so plain.

Of course, she wouldn’t indulge too much either, but a little balance would be nice.

After chatting for a while, Lin Ruocheng and the other two left directly.

Fu Yanxi looked at the cup from which the other had drunk, noticing the faint lipstick mark.

She walked over to the table, picked up the cup, and pressed the lip mark against her own lips. It tasted slightly sweet.

She knew it was wrong to do this, but ever since Lin Ruocheng spoke earlier, she hadn’t been able to resist.

She wanted to kiss her but was afraid of being too abrupt, worried it would shatter their pretend relationship.

And Lin Ruocheng would surely dislike her even more.

…

In the evening, Fu Yanxi drove back to the Fu family estate but didn’t get out of the car right away.

She looked up at the oppressive and stifling atmosphere, instinctively furrowing her brows. Honestly, she didn’t want to step out.

It was still a bit early; she could afford to stall for time.

She took a deep breath and only got out of the car ten minutes later.

From the back seat, she retrieved an exquisitely packaged box, a gift she had bought for her mother.

Pushing open the heavy door, she saw a middle-aged woman seated on the sofa. Some people aged with grace and elegance, and this woman’s features bore a slight resemblance to Fu Yanxi’s, though her eyes were sharper and more severe.

“You’re back?” The voice held no emotion, almost bordering on unfamiliar.

“Yes, Mother.”

Fu Yanxi changed into slippers and walked over with the small gift she had brought.

“What is this?”

“A gift for you… It’s the newly released necklace, probably the style you like.”

Instead of accepting it, Mrs. Fu let Fu Yanxi remain bent over, holding the gift with both hands, maintaining the posture without an ounce of pity.

Fu Yanxi stayed motionless, not daring to move.

“Do you know why I called you back?”

“I’m not sure, Mother. Could you give me a hint?”

Fu Yanxi racked her brain, was it because her online persona, Stream-sensei Xi Liu, was revealed at an offline event today? Or had her mother found out about her feelings for Lin Ruocheng?

She had too many secrets; which one had her mother uncovered?

“Fine, I’ll give you a clue. I heard you’ve been getting rather close to Yu Qiuli and Lin Ruocheng lately? You should know I don’t approve of you being too intimate with members of the same sex.”

“Especially the Lin family’s daughter. It’s downright disgusting. Don’t you find two women together repulsive? You’d better behave properly and act like a normal person.”

“What kind of attitude is this? I’ve arranged for you to meet the son of the Wang family who just returned from abroad. I’ll send you his photo. You’re going to have dinner with him tomorrow afternoon, go on a date, understand?”

“I hope you’ll be like a normal person and not learn all that nonsense. You’re normal, don’t make me feel like you’re just as disgusting as your father.”

“Mom… I’m still young. I don’t plan on getting married or having children.”

Fu Yanxi didn’t directly reveal her preference for girls but shifted the topic instead.

As a compromise, she hoped her mother might gradually come to accept it over time.

She had never heard her mother speak about her father.

She also knew that her mother had always despised homosexuality to the point of utter disgust.

“Is it that you don’t want children, or are you planning to be with a girl?”

Mrs. Fu clenched her fists, her arms trembling.

Her breathing grew heavy with anger, her expression uncontrollable.

It was as if she already knew everything.

Yet, there were some things she still wanted to hear from her daughter’s own lips.

She couldn’t wrongly accuse her own flesh and blood.

“I… Mom… I might like girls…”

A sharp smack echoed through the living room.

Mrs. Fu didn’t hold back, slapping her daughter squarely across the face.

Half of Fu Yanxi’s face quickly swelled and reddened.

A trickle of blood even seeped from the corner of her mouth.

Even after being struck by her mother, Fu Yanxi remained silent.

The hand Mrs. Fu had used to slap her trembled slightly.

Seeing her own daughter in such a state, it would be a lie to say she didn’t feel heartache.

After all, this was the child she had carried and borne.

Tears welled in her eyes, her beautiful gaze reddening. Overwhelmed with anger, she didn’t know what to do.

If she could help it, she wouldn’t have hit her daughter, but Fu Yanxi had pushed her too far.

Fu Yanxi could do anything else, she could spoil her but this one thing was absolutely forbidden. It was her bottom line.

“Yanxi, I hope you remember this: this is my bottom line. You’d better crush this idea of yours immediately. I will never allow you to like girls.”

“Never. Having such thoughts is unhealthy, abnormal. You should find a decent man, get married, and have children, that’s what a normal life should be.”

Mrs. Fu trembled as she finished speaking. She hadn’t expected her daughter to be so bold, to confess without even trying to hide it?

Was this even more courageous than that man from before? Was this genetic?

No matter what, she would never let Fu Yanxi walk down that path!

Never! Not unless she was dead!

“Mom…”

“Enough! Let’s end it here for today. I expect you to go on that date with the man tomorrow.”

After saying this, Mrs. Fu seemed to deflate, looking weak and frail, her back appearing especially thin.

She turned and returned to her room, slamming the door shut with a loud bang.

Fu Yanxi was equally desolate.

She didn’t think her confession today was abrupt.

Because she knew her mother well and understood that this confrontation was inevitable sooner or later.

This slap had been a long time coming.

Coming out to her mother was absolutely impossible.

Whether hinting at it or stating it outright, her mother would never accept it.

But she simply couldn’t accept boys.

This was her sexual orientation.

She just had that kind of feeling toward Lin Ruocheng, that most primal urge.

She wanted to get close to her, to kiss her.

She simply liked girls, nothing more than that.

She hadn’t done anything to harm others or commit any wrongdoing.

Yet she didn’t want to break her mother’s heart either, nor did she want to give up pursuing her own love.

She had grown up in a single-parent family.

Her mother had raised her all by herself since she was little.

But in this matter, she truly had no solution.

Was there really no way to have the best of both worlds?