Beware Of The Best-Friend-Kiss Friendship Trap - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Just Stay At My Place, Stay As Long As You Like

Chu Weiyue was completely stunned. She forgot to call out the System to gloat, her limbs stiff and immobile.

Even though her brain wasn’t functioning, the ingrained habit of always responding to Jiang Yiqiu was still in her bones. She stammered out instinctively: “I-I-I’ve also missed you a lot. I think of you when I can’t sleep.”

Then, her brain continued to crash.

She had thought the System’s claims were just absurd jokes, mere fabrications and fantasies.

But it actually happened?

Is this right?!

She and Jiang Yiqiu had known each other since childhood, been best friends for so many years. They knew everything about each other and had been by each other’s side the longest.

She also firmly believed they were just good friends, with no other feelings.

But just now…

Remembering that soft, lingering touch, and Jiang Yiqiu’s full, moist lips, Chu Weiyue felt like she was burning up.

What is going on?!

Chu Weiyue was utterly frazzled.

She wished the cold wind of winter would blow harder, whipping her face, jolting her awake, so she wouldn’t be daydreaming in broad daylight.

However, she quickly had no time to dwell on that.

The person in her arms didn’t let go after “kissing” her; instead, the hug grew tighter.

The embrace was too close, wrapping her completely, the force in the arms constantly tightening, as if trying to squeeze her into their body.

Warm skin pressed against her neck. The soft contact sent a shiver down her spine. Chu Weiyue’s nostrils filled with the delightful scent of the perfume on the other person—the one Jiang Yiqiu always wore, elegant and clear, unchanged over the years.

This embrace lasted for quite some time.

Not seeing each other for two years, missing one another was normal. Hugging a little longer was fine; she didn’t overthink it.

Touching her slender back, Chu Weiyue felt a pang of heartache. Already slim, she had lost more weight in two years: “You haven’t been eating properly outside.”

Jiang Yiqiu leaned on her shoulder and replied softly, “The food outside isn’t as delicious as yours.”

It sounded like both a complaint and a form of coquetry.

Chu Weiyue immediately felt a huge sense of responsibility and guaranteed solemnly: “I’ll make you delicious food when we get home.”

She very consciously took on the important mission of fattening up Jiang Yiqiu.

Due to the angle, the assistant standing slightly behind them hadn’t clearly seen what exactly happened between the two.

She also hadn’t heard Jiang Yiqiu’s soft words, but Chu Weiyue’s few sentences about eating definitely reached her ears.

The assistant’s mouth twitched. She had a strong feeling something wasn’t right. This tone, why does it sound like a wife feeling distressed and preparing extra food for her tired-out spouse returning from a business trip?

And the boss actually initiated the hug? I’ve been with the boss for two years and never had that experience!

The assistant felt inexplicably jealous.

But she only dared to think it; she would never say it in front of her boss.

With this momentary distraction, Jiang Yiqiu’s emotions slowly stabilized, and she ended the embrace, letting go.

Aside from her eyes being slightly red-rimmed, everything seemed normal.

Chu Weiyue’s gaze subconsciously fell on Jiang Yiqiu’s lips. She touched the corner of her own mouth, momentarily dazed. Given the calm reaction, she wondered if the so-called “kiss” was her own hallucination.

Jiang Yiqiu acted as if nothing had happened, naturally taking her hand: “Let’s go.”

Chu Weiyue mumbled a response, her mind elsewhere. However, this didn’t stop her from naturally taking the suitcase from Jiang Yiqiu’s hand.

As if this task was naturally hers to handle.

The assistant followed behind with empty hands, understanding why Jiang Yiqiu hadn’t let her take the suitcase.

Chu Weiyue was extremely conflicted. What’s going on? Could the kiss just now really have been my imagination?

Thinking of this possibility, her heart felt a little heavy. If she had ears on her head, they would definitely be drooping.

Fortunately, the kind System popped up in time to clear her confusion: “Host! What did I tell you? Didn’t it happen just as I said?”

Although it solved her confusion, the System’s tone was arrogant and extremely punchable.

Chu Weiyue snapped back to attention.

Since the System said so, it wasn’t an illusion.

Her heart stopped feeling heavy and started panicking instead.

She felt like a giant hand had materialized out of thin air, waving a glaring red card at her and her best friend’s decade-plus friendship—

Haha, you’re done for!

No, no, no, absolutely not!

Chu Weiyue shook her head, trying to shake off that terrifying fantasy.

Don’t overthink it. Maybe it was just a coincidence? Jiang Yiqiu tried to hug me but missed a little and accidentally brushed my lips?

The System is just making a big deal out of this coincidence!

And, the most likely scenario—

Jiang Yiqiu was controlled by the System just now, simply to fulfill its so-called “plot”!

Otherwise, why would she have no reaction after “kissing” me, acting as if she hadn’t done anything?

Calm down.

These were all just guesses. She needed to observe more to figure out what was really going on.

She tried hard to ignore the System yelling and celebrating its “opening success” by popping champagne in her head. Her frantic heart slowly calmed down.

She subtly observed the person beside her while pushing the suitcase. Taking a deep breath, the most important thing now was to maintain a safe distance from Jiang Yiqiu to prevent their friendship from souring.

Chu Weiyue got into the car lost in thought, started the engine lost in thought, and finally leaned over to help the person in the passenger seat fasten her seatbelt lost in thought. She finally snapped back to reality when Jiang Yiqiu spoke: “Yueyue, I just got back and don’t have anywhere to stay. Can I temporarily stay at your place?”

The assistant sitting in the back seat had a major professional reflex explosion and blurted out: “I’ll book a hot…”

Then she was instantly silenced by a dagger-like look from Jiang Yiqiu.

The assistant jolted, instantly shut down, made a zipping motion over her mouth, and pretended she had never opened it.

Too talkative, sob.

At the mention of having nowhere to stay, Chu Weiyue immediately thought of Jiang Yiqiu’s home situation. Jiang Yiqiu had always been reluctant to talk about her family circumstances. While Chu Weiyue wouldn’t poke at her friend’s wound, she knew the basics.

Thinking of Jiang Yiqiu’s unlucky parents and the predicament of having no place to settle right after returning, Chu Weiyue’s heart tightened. The warm yellow light in the car automatically cast a fragile and delicate filter over Jiang Yiqiu in her eyes. The other party’s eyes seemed to glisten with unshed tears, making her look pitifully lovely.

Chu Weiyue felt utterly bewitched, regretting only that she was too poor to immediately buy a villa and hand it over to her best friend: “No problem. Just stay at my place. Stay as long as you like.”

Jiang Yiqiu’s eyes showed gratitude: “Okay.”

“Let’s go eat first,” Chu Weiyue said. “My treat, to welcome you back.”

The night deepened, and the city lights came on.

The assistant happily followed them into the restaurant, benefiting from the boss’s company for a good meal.

This restaurant was quite famous in City A, known for its elegant environment and exquisite dishes. Normally, reservations were required, indicating that Chu Weiyue had prepared well in advance.

The three had a slight disagreement while ordering.

The assistant was easygoing. She wasn’t picky and knew she was just an “extra.” Under Chu Weiyue’s generous invitation, she ordered two dishes she liked and obediently kept quiet.

The issue was mainly between the boss and the boss’s friend.

Jiang Yiqiu: “Blanched Choy Sum, Celery with Lily Bulbs… and a Steamed Sea Fish.”

The waiter nodded: “Yes, ma’am.”

Chu Weiyue frowned, adopting the stern demeanor she used to scold naughty students, and looked coldly at the waiter: “The first two, remove them.”

As if she had a vendetta against them.

“…” The waiter jumped, immediately crossing them off. “Okay, okay. Then…”

Before he could finish, the other guest spoke, her voice soft but her presence no less forceful: “Listen to me, just those three.”

The waiter hadn’t said a word, when the guest who had a vendetta against him spoke again: “No, remove them! Add Honey-Glazed Char Siu, Sweet and Sour Pork, and smooth Fish Balls. For the main course, Claypot Rice.”

Jiang Yiqiu narrowed her eyes: “Keep what I ordered. Remove the rest.”

Chu Weiyue was about to argue, but Jiang Yiqiu added, “Any further objection, I’ll add another Stir-fried Lotus Root and Vegetables.”

She turned her head to look at the person next to her, a clear warning in her eyes.

—Talk back again, and I’ll add more.

Chu Weiyue instantly widened her eyes: Are you threatening me?

Jiang Yiqiu: “You must eat more vegetables.”

Chu Weiyue gritted her teeth: “I hate vegetables.”

Jiang Yiqiu remained unmoved: “You still have to eat them.”

Chu Weiyue glared at her for a moment, then huffed and leaned back in her chair, saying nothing more.

The waiter stood by, very wisely determining who the “main decision-maker” was. He cautiously repeated the dishes Jiang Yiqiu had ordered: “So… just these few?”

Jiang Yiqiu nodded, looking at Chu Weiyue.

Chu Weiyue sullenly poured herself a glass of water, gulped it down, glug, glug, glug. The waiter thought she was about to explode and prepared to intervene, when he heard Chu Weiyue speak with a strong sense of resignation: “Listen to her.”

The waiter breathed a sigh of relief. He tried to stifle a smile, seeing the guest look furious but tearfully acquiescent: “Alright, please wait a moment.”

Chu Weiyue was in a bad mood from being frustrated and didn’t speak further.

She simply continued to be angry while refilling Jiang Yiqiu’s empty teacup.

And when the dishes she had rejected three times arrived, she picked up her chopsticks and angrily ate the vegetables—which she hated the most—that Jiang Yiqiu put on her plate, one mouthful at a time.

The assistant ate quietly, muttering to herself, Didn’t she say she doesn’t eat vegetables? But she’s eating all of this.

The assistant couldn’t ask directly, but she expertly employed the “observe carefully, boldly verify” method and quickly understood what was happening.

Chu Weiyue was indeed eating the vegetables she supposedly hated the most.

But she only ate the ones Jiang Yiqiu placed on her plate. She didn’t touch anything outside of her plate.

…Okay.

The assistant didn’t dare breathe, quietly sizing up the low-pressure Chu Weiyue across the table.

She looked like she was being forced into something against her will, clearly very angry, yet compelled by Jiang Yiqiu’s pressure to eat the vegetables that she clearly hated.

The assistant carefully shrank into herself, terrified of getting caught in this silent war. She only dared to pick at the leafy edges of the dishes, quickly leaving only the sauce behind.

When she ran out of options, she started drinking water, pretending to be immensely fascinated by the glasses on the table, afraid of accidentally making a sound and getting caught in the crossfire.

The assistant looked at the resentful Chu Weiyue, who seemed ready to explode at any moment, and trembled.

Please don’t actually start fighting. I’m scared.

Yet, it seemed she was the only one in the entire room who was tense and worried. Chu Weiyue was busy being angry, and Jiang Yiqiu was smiling as if nothing was wrong: “It’s good that you know to eat more vegetables. Here’s a reward: a piece of meat.”

Saying this, she put a piece of fish on Chu Weiyue’s plate.

The assistant didn’t dare to speak, but secretly held her breath for her boss, worried that she would be ignored and embarrassed. She was already considering how she could save the situation if that happened.

Chu Weiyue’s gaze lingered on Jiang Yiqiu’s slender fingers for a moment, then landed on her smiling face, maintaining a façade of aloofness: “You think you can bribe me with one piece of meat?”

Her words were harder than stone, but her expression visibly softened.

Jiang Yiqiu slightly furrowed her brow, displaying a thoughtful expression: “You don’t want it? Then the small ribs I just ordered for you…”

“Hey, hey, hey!” Chu Weiyue immediately changed her tune, “I didn’t say I didn’t want it.”

Pretending to be reserved for a whole second while looking at the piece of fish, Chu Weiyue wagged her imaginary tail and ate the food given to her by Jiang Yiqiu.

Her cheeks puffed up, like a small squirrel storing food in its cheek pouches. She didn’t forget to urge: “Hurry up with the ribs. I’m getting full.”

She was clearly enjoying herself and was already mollified.

“…”

The assistant’s jaw dropped onto the table. She was so shocked that she forgot to put it back.

The angry cold war just now seemed to have been a complete illusion on her part.

I was really overthinking it, the assistant thought.

The superfluous assistant never spoke again, quietly put her jaw back in place, and fiercely shrunk into the corner.