The Premeditated Seductress Childhood Friend - Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Controlling Myself

Xu Qingyu’s classes often ran over. Seeing that the professor had no intention of finishing as the end of the hour approached, she sent a message to Song Yixi, telling her to come half an hour late.

Song Yixi replied instantly: [Okay.]

Relieved, Xu Qingyu put her phone away. Just as she expected, the lecture dragged on for an extra thirty minutes before the professor finally assigned the homework, stating they could leave once it was submitted. Xu Qingyu took only a few minutes to draft and submit her answers, becoming the first to leave the classroom.

Descending the stairs, she immediately spotted Song Yixi sitting in a partially shaded area. The spot was still catching some of the evening sun; the twilight glow falling across her face was almost dizzying to look at.

Xu Qingyu slowed her pace, approaching her steadily. “Have you been waiting long?”

Hearing the voice, Song Yixi hurriedly tucked away her phone, which was nearly dead from gaming. “No. Didn’t you tell me to come half an hour late? I just got here.”

“Mhm.”

Xu Qingyu noticed the sun-reddened skin on Song Yixi’s neck. Those weren’t the marks of someone who had “just arrived.” She didn’t call her out on it, simply saying, “Let me treat you to dinner.”

Song Yixi agreed, though a realization hit her a second later. “Wait, why did you ask me to pick you up in the first place?”

Xu Qingyu handed her the car keys. “Usually, the people waiting for me after class are people I dislike. I wanted to see how it felt to be picked up by someone I don’t dislike.”

Led astray by the logic, Song Yixi took the keys. “And? How does it feel?”

Xu Qingyu smiled. “It makes me want to treat her to dinner.”

The answer effectively choked back Song Yixi’s intended follow-up question. Reflecting on it, she realized she had silently agreed to the meal. She tightened her grip on the keys, her mouth twitching. Whenever she was around Xu Qingyu, it felt like her IQ just vanished.

Muttering a curse at herself under her breath, Song Yixi followed her anyway, naturally assuming the role of the driver. Once buckled in, she asked, “Where to?”

“The mall,” Xu Qingyu said, plugging in the car charger. “Does your phone have any battery left?”

Song Yixi felt a pang of guilt. “Yeah, some.”

“Charge it for a bit then.”

Xu Qingyu reached over and pulled the phone from the pocket of Song Yixi’s loose gym pants. Without checking the percentage, she plugged it in and set it down. Feeling a bit more settled, Song Yixi started the car.

While they drove, Xu Qingyu searched for a restaurant on her phone and booked a table. By the time they arrived at the mall, the food was already ordered.

The restaurant was tucked away in a small alley behind the mall—remote, quiet, and nearly empty. Song Yixi walked ahead, scouting the path. “Can there really be anything good to eat in a place like this?”

“You’ll know once you try it.”

Xu Qingyu’s pace slowed, her breathing becoming slightly heavier. She looked exhausted. Sensing the gap between them, Song Yixi doubled back. “Tired?”

Xu Qingyu looked at her and gave a faint shake of her head.

Song Yixi knew she was lying. From the gym to the classroom, Xu Qingyu had been on the go for four or five hours without rest. With her frail constitution, she was likely running on sheer willpower just to have this dinner. But Song Yixi also knew that if they skipped the meal now, Xu Qingyu would only feel worse.

So, Song Yixi reached out and took her hand.

Just as Xu Qingyu had taught her, she grasped her fingers, then slid her hand deeper until her palm fully enclosed Xu Qingyu’s.

“If you’re tired, lean on me.”

When they were children and Xu Qingyu was in her wheelchair, Song Yixi used to say that to her whenever she wanted her to try and stand up. Back then, Xu Qingyu never responded. Perhaps it was because Song Yixi had been shorter than her then; leaning on her wouldn’t have felt secure.

But things were different now. Song Yixi was taller and stronger.

Xu Qingyu pulled closer, pressing against her, and gave a soft, weak reply: “Okay.”

In that moment, it felt as though all the times Song Yixi had been ignored as a child finally received an answer. She slowed her pace, squeezing the hand in hers firmly. The short walk through the alley felt as though it lasted a very long time.

…

Inside the restaurant, the food was already on the table. When Song Yixi sat down and saw the spread, she was speechless.

On the table were: Pigeon soup, black-boned chicken soup, lotus root and yam rib soup, codonopsis and lean meat soup, trotter and rib soup, “Five-Red” tonifying soup, silver ear and red date soup, and ginger-brown sugar egg soup.

It was a literal “Great Ten-Ingredient Tonic.”

As Xu Qingyu ladled soup for her, she said, “Drink up. It won’t make you fat.”

“Is ‘fat’ really the issue here?” Song Yixi didn’t even dare pick up her chopsticks. “This is a massive overdose of nutrients! Besides, how are the two of us supposed to finish all this?”

Xu Qingyu arched an eyebrow. “Can’t finish? I remember you used to…”

“Stop right there.” Song Yixi raised a hand to the waiter. “Excuse me, could you pack half of each of these for takeout, please?”

She knew Xu Qingyu’s appetite; a few sips from each bowl would likely fill her up. Song Yixi used to have a huge appetite, but she had been strictly controlling it since she started dieting. Even though she was thin now, she couldn’t bring herself to binge eat; finishing half of each was her limit.

“I’ll pack some for Yu Wei, otherwise it’s a waste.”

Xu Qingyu didn’t object. “Mhm. If it’s not enough, we can order more. These are small portions.”

“No thanks,” Song Yixi declined. “I am never letting myself turn back into a fat kid again.”

Xu Qingyu didn’t push it, simply urging her to eat. She seemed a bit despondent regarding Song Yixi’s refusal to gain weight.

Song Yixi asked, “Why do you seem so set on me getting fat?”

“It’s not about being fat,” Xu Qingyu said slowly. “It’s about being healthy. Your activity level is high now; you can afford to eat more. You don’t need to be so restrictive.”

She still preferred the Song Yixi whose eyes would light up at the sight of food. The Song Yixi who could be easily coaxed with a treat. The happy, simple, worry-free Song Yixi.

Sipping the soup, Song Yixi said defensively, “I do eat more now. I even go for late-night snacks.”

Xu Qingyu looked at her, seeing right through the lie. “You’ve only gone that one time.”

Song Yixi froze, genuinely shocked. “How do you know that?”

“I asked your mother.”

She had learned from Song Yixi’s mom that even during military training, Song Yixi hadn’t let herself go. While her roommates were stockpiling instant noodles, Song Yixi drank only plain water. Over a week, she had visibly thinned out even more.

Xu Qingyu didn’t believe that losing weight this way actually brought happiness—at least not for someone who fundamentally loved to eat.

Song Yixi recalled that week of military training. Her “forgetful” mother had suddenly started calling her every day to ask about her meals. It turned out she was acting as a spy for Xu Qingyu.

Feeling awkward, she said, “Why are you asking my mom about my business? No matter how much I lose, I’m never going to be thinner than you.”

Xu Qingyu lowered her eyes, stirring the soup in her bowl without any real appetite.

“My health is a problem. You’re healthy—why do you put yourself through this? I don’t want you to become like me.”

Thinking of Xu Qingyu’s condition, Song Yixi went stiff. “I’m not lying to you. I really aren’t ‘dieting’ anymore. I eat three meals a day. I just… don’t want to lose control of myself.”

Xu Qingyu looked at her. “If you like to eat, why control it?”

Song Yixi buried her head even deeper. “It’s not just the eating.”

She needed to control herself in every aspect. For instance, the way she couldn’t stop thinking about Xu Qingyu.