Beware Of The Best-Friend-Kiss Friendship Trap - Chapter 29

Chapter 29: I Want To Be With You Forever

Chu Weiyue nearly knelt on the spot, shouting into the phone, “Sugar mommy, look at me!”

Fortunately, reason prevailed. She realized that her best friend’s current financial situation was insufficient to “support” anyone. Although it was a joke, that answer certainly had flair.

She just hadn’t expected Jiang Yiqiu, who was always straightforward, to be so flippant about such a thing.

Friday, the last workday of the week, yet Chu Weiyue’s posture at her desk was not relaxed.

The teaching competition was a heavy burden that couldn’t be set down, and she wouldn’t truly relax until it was over.

After lunch and a short break, she had a trial lecture during the first period of the afternoon. Chu Weiyue organized her lesson plans and slides and headed to the recording classroom.

Jiang Yiqiu finally had a moment to catch her breath after finishing a meeting. She picked up her phone to message Chu Weiyue.

Have you decided where to go this weekend?

Other than the gym.

Right after sending it, her assistant handed her new documents, and she rushed off to the next meeting.

The meeting ended close to five o’clock. Huayu Middle School let out at 5:30 PM. Chu Weiyue didn’t have classes on Friday afternoons, so around this time, she would start reporting to herself every few minutes how many minutes were left until she got off work.

Jiang Yiqiu picked up her phone again, already imagining a string of countdown messages waiting in the chat box.

She couldn’t help but curve her lips, but the smile froze when she opened WeChat.

Jiang Yiqiu had two WeChat accounts: one for work and one for her personal life.

Having not checked her phone for nearly two hours, her personal account was littered with various messages from different people.

Jiang Yiqiu ignored them all, scrolling directly to the single pinned chat at the very top.

She didn’t see the anticipated red dot, and Jiang Yiqiu’s brow furrowed slightly.

The last chat record was still the message she had sent: “Other than the gym.”

Chu Weiyue hadn’t responded.

Perhaps she was in a meeting near the end of the week. Jiang Yiqiu didn’t think too much of it, put away her phone, and returned to her office.

Tomorrow was the weekend, and theoretically, she should rest, but Jiang Yiqiu had unfinished business and had to work overtime.

Her assistant, as always, reported her schedule with tireless dedication: “Mr. Liu would like to meet for dinner tonight.”

“Alright,” Jiang Yiqiu simply replied, starting to review the proposal.

She worked until past 6 PM.

Her neck was aching from working at her desk for too long. Jiang Yiqiu stood up, slowly stretching her shoulders and neck, poured herself a glass of water, and took a moment to relax.

Returning to her desk, she picked up her phone.

It was well past Chu Weiyue’s end time. She must have replied this time. Thinking this, Jiang Yiqiu opened WeChat, only to see the message “Other than the gym” still sitting at the bottom of the chat box.

Chu Weiyue had mentioned last night that she had a teaching simulation today. She had complained a little then, as the competition was draining a lot of her energy, with all her free time after school spent on it, often staying up past midnight. But this morning, her mood seemed confident, and she even boasted that she was using a new method that would surely amaze everyone.

There shouldn’t be any problem.

Logically, the teaching simulation should have ended, and she should be off work and home by now. Even if she was staying late for an urgent matter, she shouldn’t have been unable to reply to a message all afternoon.

Something is wrong.

Fortunately, she was prepared and had saved the grade director’s number beforehand. She dialed it directly.

The principal had obviously informed the director, as the director answered the phone without asking many questions, respectfully inquiring about the purpose of the call.

Hearing that she was looking for Chu Weiyue, the director sounded surprised, likely not expecting the two to be connected.

The person on the other end clearly didn’t know the situation but said they would immediately find someone to check if Teacher Chu was still in the office.

It seemed there wasn’t any school-wide assignment. Jiang Yiqiu’s grip on her phone unconsciously tightened. She politely declined the offer, hung up, and stood up.

She put down the file she was about to open and grabbed the suit jacket draped over the back of her chair.

Her assistant was slightly stunned and instinctively spoke, “CEO Jiang…”

Didn’t she say she was going to work overtime to look at files? Is she leaving already?

Jiang Yiqiu’s tone was decisive: “Cancel tonight’s dinner engagement.”

The assistant reflexively asked, “Cancel? But Mr. Liu…”

Jiang Yiqiu’s expression was calm, but her tone was icy: “Cancel it.”

Seeing the look on Jiang Yiqiu’s face, the assistant dared not say more, unconsciously snapping to attention: “Yes, CEO Jiang.”

Jiang Yiqiu put on her jacket as she walked out, leaving immediately.

The assistant blinked. Jiang Yiqiu was always composed and steady in her actions. It was rare to see her so frantic.

What happened? Why is she in such a rush?

The thought arose, and the answer came to her the next second.

Nine times out of ten, it had something to do with Ms. Chu.

Jiang Yiqiu went out and hailed a taxi.

The driver was a man. Jiang Yiqiu sat in the back, covertly observing her through the rearview mirror since she got in. Halfway through the drive, he finally couldn’t resist striking up a conversation: “Beautiful, what are you doing at Huayu? Are you a teacher there?”

Jiang Yiqiu’s already poor mood was further ignited, her face as dark as still water.

The driver continued, “Huayu is a great school, I…”

A look of disgust flashed in Jiang Yiqiu’s eyes. Her voice was cold enough to drop ice, and she didn’t want to waste words on this kind of person: “Be quiet.”

The man was rebuffed by a single sentence. His fawning expression froze, and he was about to erupt in anger, but the next second, he swallowed it all back due to Jiang Yiqiu’s overly imposing aura.

People always bully the weak and fear the strong.

Jiang Yiqiu tried sending another message to Chu Weiyue, but still no reply. Calling also went unanswered.

Chu Weiyue’s only plan for the afternoon was the teaching simulation. Now that she was unreachable, it was likely related to the lecture.

Jiang Yiqiu could guess what might have happened.

Arriving at the South Gate of Huayu, Jiang Yiqiu hadn’t been here before, but Chu Weiyue had mentioned it many times. She always had an excellent memory when it came to Chu Weiyue. Following her memory of the academic building floor and room number, she ran to Chu Weiyue’s office.

School was out, teachers were gone, and students had all gone home. The entire academic building was empty, with only a few offices still lit up where some teachers were working overtime on teaching-related tasks.

Perhaps Chu Weiyue was right; she really needed to exercise. She was breathless after just a short run.

Calming her rapidly beating heart, Jiang Yiqiu placed her hand on the doorknob, but didn’t turn it immediately. Instead, she took a deep breath and silently prayed in her heart.

She must be there.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t know where else to look for her.

Taking a deep breath, she twisted the doorknob and opened the door.

The door made a soft “creak,” and seeing the situation inside, Jiang Yiqiu’s anxious heart settled back into her chest.

Only one light was on in the room, casting a dim, yellowish glow over the empty space.

At first glance, it looked like everyone had left and someone had forgotten to turn off the light.

But in the first second of opening the door, Jiang Yiqiu locked onto the person sitting at the desk with their back to the entrance.

A hazy silhouette was enough for her to recognize the person.

Even with the movement at the door and someone entering the room, that person remained engrossed in their work, as if they hadn’t heard anything.

Ever since coming out of the recording classroom, Chu Weiyue had been sitting at her desk, engrossed, for nearly two hours. She seemed to have blocked everything out. The surrounding noise was distant, conversations and laughter were irrelevant to her, and when someone called her, she only nodded faintly, remaining unmoved.

The colleagues initially wanted to talk to her and offer some comfort, but seeing that she didn’t want to be disturbed, they didn’t hover, allowing her to be quiet for a while.

When everyone had left and the room was quiet and undisturbed, Chu Weiyue was even more completely immersed in her own world.

Someone opened the door and came in behind her, but she had no intention of turning around, acting as if she hadn’t heard. That is, until a moment of silence was followed by a familiar set of footsteps.

Chu Weiyue’s ears twitched. She felt a moment of disorientation but wasn’t certain. It wasn’t until the “tap-tap-tap” of the footsteps came closer and finally stopped right in front of her desk, and the all-too-familiar, light perfume scent wafted to her nose.

Her focus on the lesson plan in her hands was pulled back, and Chu Weiyue finally stopped writing.

It was a very light floral fragrance, gentle with a hint of sharpness, bringing to mind white camellias blooming freely on branches in winter.

She didn’t need to look up. Smelling the familiar scent, she knew who the person was.

Chu Weiyue blinked.

She suddenly remembered that years ago, when Jiang Yiqiu first started wearing this perfume, she had playfully sniffed her all over and said with a grin, “Such a gentle scent. It suits your temperament perfectly. Keep using this. When I smell this, I’ll never mistake you for anyone else.”

And she really had used it for years, right up to now.

Chu Weiyue looked up and saw a beautiful but worried face.

There was no blame.

Even though she had forgotten to reply to messages all afternoon.

The person gently stroked the top of her head: “Let’s go home.”

With those three low, soft words, Chu Weiyue’s nose prickled. She hadn’t cried when she argued with and was scolded by the teaching researcher in the afternoon, but now her dry eyes suddenly became moist, and she nearly burst into tears.

Chu Weiyue looked dazed and haggard. Seeing the unmistakable look of anxiety on Jiang Yiqiu’s face, although she felt terrible, she still cautiously reached out and hooked her fingers, mumbling, “Sorry for worrying you.”

Jiang Yiqiu completely ignored that. Instead, she gave her a big hug: “Let’s go home.”

She didn’t blame her for not replying for so long and causing worry, nor did she urgently demand to know what had happened or why she hadn’t gone home after work.

It was just silent, gentle companionship.

Jiang Yiqiu had a cold constitution, so her hands and feet were often cold. This was the first time Chu Weiyue felt her hand was so warm, warm enough to melt her heart.

Chu Weiyue didn’t say anything more. She stood up obediently, instinctively reaching to tidy the things on the desk, then suddenly remembered something, frowned sharply, piled the items haphazardly onto the table, grabbed her bag, and walked out.

She didn’t speak again proactively.

Soon after, the grade director messaged Jiang Yiqiu.

Jiang Yiqiu had said not to bother, that she would handle it herself. But a person who could become a director wouldn’t be completely lacking in judgment. The director found out what had happened in the afternoon and briefly explained to Jiang Yiqiu in a message that Chu Weiyue had a disagreement with the teaching researcher during the simulation and there was a bit of unpleasantness.

Jiang Yiqiu sneered. A bit of unpleasantness? Said so lightly.

The two left the office and walked downstairs together. Chu Weiyue looked listless, her eyelids half-closed, just staring down at the path, looking like she was refusing to communicate with the world.

Jiang Yiqiu quietly stayed by her side, not asking too many questions, giving her time to process and recover.

On the staircase landing on the first floor, someone called out behind them: “Teacher Chu, you’re just leaving?”

Chu Weiyue turned around. It was an English teacher from the ninth grade. They had shared a room during an off-campus study trip, but their contact was limited. After the trip, they barely interacted, only greeting each other when they met.

Although Chu Weiyue was in a bad mood, she wouldn’t casually affect passersby. She forced a smile and greeted the teacher, preparing to leave.

The other teacher hadn’t intended to linger, but her eyes lit up when she saw the person following Chu Weiyue.

It was rare to see such a good-looking woman. Chu Weiyue was already a rare species in the school, but unexpectedly, another one appeared today.

She frowned, thinking, This person definitely isn’t a teacher at their school, or how could I not have heard of her with a face like that?

She’s probably a friend of Chu Weiyue’s.

The English teacher’s mind automatically came up with a phrase like, even beautiful women choose friends based on looks, and she instinctively wanted to tease them, but realizing she wasn’t close to Chu Weiyue, she didn’t say it.

The result of her distraction was that Chu Weiyue and her friend had vanished.

They left so quickly. I didn’t even get a good look at that beauty’s face. The English teacher thought with slight regret.

Chu Weiyue went to the parking lot to get her car, and Jiang Yiqiu silently followed, sitting in the passenger seat.

Despite being preoccupied, a certain someone still dutifully leaned over to buckle Jiang Yiqiu’s seatbelt, then started the car with a look of desolation and gloom.

At the entrance of the residential area, Chu Weiyue didn’t drive directly to the underground garage but stopped in front of the convenience store in the complex, opened the door, and got out.

Jiang Yiqiu didn’t ask anything and quietly followed her out.

Inside the store, Chu Weiyue went straight to her target.

She bought a lot of alcohol, mostly beer, mixed with a few bottles of cocktails and spirits.

When checking out, seeing a young girl carrying such a large amount of alcohol caused the cashier to give her several extra glances, seemingly wanting to speak several times.

Perhaps to remind her that drinking is harmful to the body.

Or to advise her that someone so young shouldn’t be dwelling on anything too seriously.

Chu Weiyue rarely drank and wasn’t very interested in alcohol, almost never touching it unless necessary for certain occasions.

It seemed this time she was genuinely sad and was turning to alcohol to drown her sorrows.

Back home, Chu Weiyue, despite her awful mood, still went into the kitchen to cook first.

She had no appetite because she was sad, but Qiuqiu still needed to eat.

Jiang Yiqiu, considering Chu Weiyue’s terrible state, wanted to suggest she handle it or simply order takeout, but Chu Weiyue firmly refused.

“Takeout isn’t healthy.”

“And I don’t want to see you blow up the kitchen.”

“…” Thinking of her own cooking skills, Jiang Yiqiu silently sat on the sofa to wait for dinner.

Her bad mood didn’t affect Chu Weiyue’s cooking. When the food was placed on the table, an inviting aroma filled the air. Her next move was to lift the large bag of alcohol onto the table with a very liberal gesture.

She took a bottle opener and opened three bottles of beer, lining them up in front of her.

Jiang Yiqiu wanted to grab a bottle to drink with her, but before her hand could reach, Chu Weiyue sharply swatted it away.

Jiang Yiqiu looked confused. Chu Weiyue replied bluntly: “You have a low alcohol tolerance. Don’t get drunk after just a few sips.”

“…” Jiang Yiqiu fell silent.

Two years had passed since they last drank together at their college graduation. The two of them, along with Lin Chen and Pu Tao, went out for dinner. None of them usually drank much, but each one boasted more than the last. Especially Chu Weiyue, who was loudly proclaiming that they wouldn’t stop until they were all drunk, that she would definitely drink all three of them under the table.

Then, remembering Jiang Yiqiu, she made a grand pledge, promising not to let anyone force Jiang Yiqiu to drink, saying she would drink Jiang Yiqiu’s share for her.

The person who swore to drink all three of them under the table collapsed onto the table and passed out after just one cup.

Pu Tao mocked her for three days and three nights for this, complaining about how much effort it took to drag her home.

She has a low alcohol tolerance?

Jiang Yiqiu was speechless. She wondered where this one-cup-pass-out person got her confidence.

Could her alcohol tolerance have suddenly improved drastically after working these two years?

Thinking this, Jiang Yiqiu felt a pang of heartache. Did her tolerance suddenly get better after working because of too many unavoidable social engagements?

Just as she was thinking, Chu Weiyue raised her glass and chugged the contents in one go.

After drinking, she slammed the glass down on the table with a “clank,” looking extremely bold.

And then.

She slumped onto the table with a “thud.”

Jiang Yiqiu: …

She was overthinking it.

Sighing helplessly, with this level of tolerance, she wasn’t trying to drown her sorrows in alcohol, but rather in sleep.

Since she was asleep, she wouldn’t eat the meal. Jiang Yiqiu walked over, intending to carry her back to the bedroom.

Chu Weiyue was a head taller and significantly heavier than her, making it somewhat difficult to carry her.

Just as she reached her and was about to move, the person who was “asleep” suddenly lifted her head with a slap: “Drink again!”

“…” Jiang Yiqiu was nearly scared to death.

It seemed Chu Weiyue’s tolerance had improved slightly over the past two years. Although her cheeks were as red as a monkey’s behind after one beer, she hadn’t immediately passed out.

Jiang Yiqiu was a little worried: “Can you handle it?”

Chu Weiyue mumbled semi-consciously a few times, then suddenly raised her voice: “I… I can handle it!”

Then she poured her cup full again.

She was probably already drunk.

The drunkard completely ignored Jiang Yiqiu’s dissuasion and drank three more cups in one go.

Although they were just ordinary glass cups with a small capacity, this level of drinking was far beyond Chu Weiyue’s previous ability.

Seeing that persuasion was useless, Jiang Yiqiu stopped trying to intervene.

Forget it. If she’s upset, let her drink to her heart’s content.

Jiang Yiqiu’s alcohol tolerance was much better than Chu Weiyue’s. She also grabbed a cup, filled it for herself, and drank two cups with her.

After three more cups of wine, Chu Weiyue’s pouring motions began to skew, spilling some outside the cup.

The person who had been drinking silently finally made another move. Even though she desperately needed a human pillow, she didn’t bother Jiang Yiqiu. Instead, she wobbled to her feet, sat beside Jiang Yiqiu, and leaned into her arms.

It took a while before she spoke, her voice muffled: “Qiuqiu, do you think I’m really useless?”

“You are the best.” Her tone was firm and decisive, not comforting, but genuinely convinced.

“Exactly, that’s what I think too!” Chu Weiyue held the cup in one hand and vigorously swung her other fist through the air twice, her voice sounding aggressive, but with the heavy nasal tone from drinking, it was somewhat childish.

“I put in so much… so much effort, finally came up with an innovative teaching method. All the other teachers said it was good, so why did he get to veto it? And told me to redo it. It’s easy for him to say. Does he know how many late nights I pulled, how much hair I lost just to make this version? He’s the one who doesn’t have the standard to appreciate it, but he blames me? What an uncultured person.”

“This isn’t the first or second time. He has to be different to appear skilled, right? Self-important, morally questionable. I really don’t know how he became a teaching researcher.”

“He scolded me in front of so many teachers. You don’t know how nasty his words were. If I hadn’t dodged, he would have thrown the lesson plan in my face! And then he blamed me for talking back. Not giving him two punches right there was me being polite. With those skinny arms and legs of his, I could fight him with one hand tied behind my back. He’s just a school teaching researcher. Who does he think he is, some big official? The old coot!”

She had been bottling up her frustration all afternoon, and finally, with the help of alcohol, she let it all out.

Chu Weiyue had been taught by her mother since childhood to be kind to others and rarely swore. Jiang Yiqiu had known her for so many years and had almost never heard her curse.

After speaking her mind rapidly, her chest rose and fell as she gasped for breath.

Jiang Yiqiu sighed. It was indeed about the teaching competition.

“It’s not your fault. It’s his problem.” She tightened her arms around Chu Weiyue, threading her fingers through her long hair, and comforted her in a low voice.

Perhaps Jiang Yiqiu’s tone was too gentle, or her embrace too safe. Chu Weiyue, who had just finished cursing, suddenly got teary-eyed.

The alcohol made her feelings volatile, and her actions were purely instinctual. Tears slowly welled up in her red-rimmed eyes. With a light blink, a large tear dropped, landing right on Jiang Yiqiu’s hand.

It was so hot that it made her heart tremble slightly.

The Chu Weiyue who had just finished scolding was now particularly vulnerable and aggrieved. She sniffled and hugged Jiang Yiqiu’s arm, whispering, “Qiuqiu, do you think I’m really useless? I can’t even handle a small thing like this.”

“You are wonderful. It’s not your fault,” Jiang Yiqiu reassured her. “If every teacher except him thinks your lesson plan is good, then it’s his problem.”

Her outward tone remained gentle, but in her mind, she was calculating how soon the teaching researcher could be dismissed.

“My English grades were always good when I was in school. How about I help you look at it tomorrow, okay? If we don’t find any issues, we won’t change a thing.”

Chu Weiyue’s face was flushed, her thin eyelids tinted crimson. The alcohol was getting to her, and her speech was slow. It took her a long time to manage a sentence: “Then… then do you think I can win first place?”

“It belongs to you.”

This time Chu Weiyue answered quickly: “Good… good!”

Her voice then dropped again: “I will… I will definitely win first place for you.”

Jiang Yiqiu’s hand brushed her burning cheek. The cool fingers touching her hot skin sent a shiver through her.

“Don’t cry. No matter what you face, I will always be with you.”

After a long pause, Chu Weiyue slowly asked, “Always… how long is that?”

“Forever.”

“I will be with you forever.”

There was another long moment of silence. The drunk Chu Weiyue reacted slowly but loved to get to the bottom of things: “But… where is forever in this world? How many people have said they would be together forever, and in the end, they all separated.”

Drunk Chu Weiyue was pessimistic Chu Weiyue.

Jiang Yiqiu fell silent.

Most of Chu Weiyue’s body was leaning in her arms, her head resting on her shoulder. After saying that, she fell quiet.

Her breathing was shallow, as if she had fallen asleep.

Jiang Yiqiu looked down and saw her long, thick eyelashes gently fluttering, still holding a few tears from her crying earlier.

They were crystal clear, like pearls.

Jiang Yiqiu studied the few drops of tears closely, not reaching out to wipe them away.

Instead, she lowered her head and bent down.

Her soft lips touched the slender eyelashes, kissing away the tears on her lids.

Her movement was unhurried, slow, and focused. Compared to the brief peck on the brow last time, this kiss seemed to carry a different meaning.

Chu Weiyue’s eyelashes fluttered as she was kissed. Feeling Jiang Yiqiu’s actions, her head spun, and she was unsure what day it was. She subconsciously wondered, Do best friends comfort each other like this?

After the kiss, Jiang Yiqiu’s fingers stroked her cheek. Perhaps the alcohol she had consumed was taking effect. Jiang Yiqiu looked at Chu Weiyue’s gently closed eyes and spoke again.

“You’re right. There is no such thing as guaranteed forever in the world. Even people who have been together for many years can still separate in the end. I shouldn’t have said, ‘I will be with you forever,’ such an absolute statement.”

“I’ll say it again.”

“Chu Weiyue, I want to be with you forever.”

“Will you?”