I'm Interested In Your Friend - Chapter 35
35
Yu Lili woke up.
The surroundings were quiet.
A figure sat in the chair across from her.
She struggled to open her eyes wider.
“Lili.”
The voice came from afar.
She felt dazed.
Was it Tan Suran?
Yu Lili focused her gaze again.
The figure stood up from the chair and rushed to her bedside: “You’re awake, Lili.”
Now the voice and figure were clear.
It was Zhu Jingxiang.
“Thirsty? Let me get you some water.”
“Why… why is it you?”
Zhu Jingxiang’s movement paused slightly. She lowered her eyelashes, her voice tinged with dejection: “Who did you want it to be?”
Yu Lili’s voice was weak: “That’s not what I meant. I wanted to ask, was it you who came to rescue me at the apartment too?”
Zhu Jingxiang’s hand, pouring water, froze almost imperceptibly. She gave a low “Mmm.”
Yu Lili’s lips were dry: “Does your leg still hurt? I remember it got hit back then.”
Zhu Jingxiang replied offhandedly, “It’s fine.”
“Wasn’t it your back that was injured?”
Zhu Jingxiang opened her mouth but made no sound.
She calmly placed the water cup by Yu Lili’s side: “Drink some first.”
Then she sat back in the chair across from her: “It wasn’t me. An unknown number told me you were in the hospital. When I arrived, only—”
“Lili, Lili, my dear Lili!” A voice shouted from outside the ward, interrupting their conversation. Du Tanyu burst in like a little cannonball.
The previously quiet room instantly erupted into noise, as chaotic as a university cafeteria. “You—” Seeing Yu Lili’s pale face on the hospital bed, Du Tanyu covered her mouth, almost wailing out a funeral dirge.
Luckily.
“Quiet.” Standing behind her, the rational Qi Luo stepped forward. “Lili is still alive.”
“But after you finish crying, she might not be.”
Yu Lili: “…”
Du Tanyu: “…”
Du Tanyu glared at Qi Luo: “You’re so cold-hearted. Our Lili is so badly injured, and you haven’t shed a single tear.”
She turned back to Yu Lili, sniffling: “Where are you hurt? Does it hurt?”
Du Tanyu examined Yu Lili: “Your lips are so pale.”
Creak— The ward door opened again.
A doctor in a white coat walked in.
The anxious Du Tanyu rushed over to ask about Yu Lili’s condition: “How’s our patient? What’s the situation?”
The doctor approached and glanced at Yu Lili.
Before he could speak, Du Tanyu blurted out: “Her lips are so pale—is she losing too much bl00d? Is she on the verge of fainting? Is the ICU ready? The emergency room?”
Yu Lili coughed at Du Tanyu’s words.
The doctor let out an “Uh…” and fell silent under Du Tanyu’s barrage.
Du Tanyu had her own interpretation: “Or is it an irregular heartbeat?”
Seeing the doctor examining Yu Lili’s hand, Du Tanyu continued guessing: “Abrasions? Broken hand? Tendonitis? Ingrown toenail? Bronchitis?”
In Du Tanyu’s imagination, Yu Lili had contracted no fewer than eighty diseases in a minute.
The doctor looked grave and sighed at Du Tanyu.
Du Tanyu’s expression turned even more horrified: “It’s okay, Doctor. Tell me. I can take it.”
Yu Lili behind her: Have you considered whether I can take it…
Yu Lili swallowed. Could she really be in serious trouble?
The doctor adjusted his glasses: “Pack up and get ready to be discharged.”
“Huh?”
“No illness, no injuries. As for her pale lips, it’s because…” The doctor paused. “She hasn’t eaten.”
“But no, I heard our Lili was brought to the hospital unconscious.”
Before the doctor could answer, Qi Luo spoke first: “Fainting from low bl00d sugar.”
Before Du Tanyu could ask, “How do you know?” Qi Luo answered preemptively: “Before coming, I asked a doctor friend at this hospital. They said Lili’s fine—not even a minor scratch. Completely unharmed, head to toe.”
Du Tanyu opened her mouth again, but Qi Luo anticipated her: “The reason I didn’t tell you is because you were wailing and sobbing the whole way here, cursing at the sky, the earth, and the cars honking nearby. You didn’t give me a single moment to speak.”
Du Tanyu fell silent.
After the doctor left, she noticed Zhu Jingxiang: “Zhu Jingxiang, why are you here?” Her tone was dripping with disdain.
“Jingxiang, do you know where the restroom is? Take me there.” Qi Luo, the ever-dutiful peacemaker, stepped in to diffuse the awkward atmosphere.
The room was now left with just Yu Lili and Du Tanyu.
“Du Du, how did you know I was in the hospital?”
“Old Qi said someone called her and said you were here.”
“Who was that someone?”
“She said she didn’t know. At first, we thought it was a scam, but the person just hung up without asking for any bank transfers for surgery. Old Qi checked around. This hospital did admit a patient named Yu Lili, so we rushed over.”
“Oh.”
“What happened? How did you end up in the hospital?”
Yu Lili sighed, gripping the corner of her pillow: “It’s a long story…”
Du Tanyu assumed a listening posture.
Yu Lili: “So I won’t say it.”
Du Tanyu: “…”
Seeing Du Tanyu’s dumbfounded expression, Yu Lili laughed: “I’m still a bit tired and confused. I’ll tell you once I’ve sorted it out.”
“Fine.”
“Wait.” Du Tanyu hesitated. “You’re not pulling a sympathy stunt to stop me from going abroad, are you?”
“…” Yu Lili said earnestly, “You’re really overthinking this one.”
The ward door opened again.
Du Tanyu lazily turned around, thinking it was Qi Luo and the others returning.
But upon seeing the uniforms of the newcomers, she straightened up immediately: “Hello, Officers.”
One of the younger officers nearly laughed.
The older one said sternly, “Miss Yu, we’re here to take your statement.”
Du Tanyu was asked to leave the ward.
Yu Lili recounted the events to the officers.
The officer nodded: “The suspect has been apprehended for intentional assault. The other victim, Ms. Yu, is also receiving treatment in the hospital.”
Yu Lili remembered what Yu Mu had said before the woman barged in—”There’s one more act.” “I think they might have conspired. The other ‘victim’ isn’t a victim—she communicated with the perpetrator.”
The officer replied, “Based on neighbor testimonies and hallway surveillance, we can’t confirm that Ms. Yu conspired with the suspect. But we’ll continue investigating.”
In truth, the case was relatively straightforward. Neither victim’s injuries even met the threshold for minor harm.
The suspect had already confessed to stalking Yu Mu and entering the apartment to assault her when the door was left unlatched.
The case could be closed quickly.
But given Yu Lili’s new information, the senior officer left his contact number before departing: “If you uncover new evidence, contact me anytime.”
Yu Lili’s parents rushed back from out of town by plane, bringing two family doctors to take her home.
Though the medical report repeatedly confirmed she was fine, Yu Lili’s mother insisted she rest in bed.
Yu Lili sprawled on the living room sofa, legs stretched out, phone held above her face.
Tan Suran’s WeChat avatar was simple—an unopened kraft paper envelope.
Yu Lili tapped it.
Their chat history stopped at their pre-incident messages—their breakfast plans.
Yu Lili pouted slightly.
Was the voice she heard before passing out really Tan Suran’s?
If it wasn’t Tan Suran, then who could it have been?
There was no one else it could’ve been.
If it was her…
Then why hadn’t she reached out even once to check on her? Why did she leave her at the hospital and disappear?
Yu Lili wanted to message her.
But what tone should she use? How should she start the conversation?
“Thank you for saving me. Are you hurt?”
Or…
“Hey, when did you figure out I was Yu Lili?”
Yu Lili’s head throbbed.
Tan Suran knew?
Since when?
Was it during her meal with Du Tanyu? Or when they met at the photography studio? Or even earlier?
Looking back, Yu Lili realized every encounter had been riddled with glaring clues.
If Tan Suran hadn’t noticed, that would’ve been the real surprise.
But if she knew, why hadn’t she confronted her?
Was she also unsure how to face her?
Did she dislike Yu Lili?
Would she like Yu Lili a little because she thought Anna was nice?
Questions bubbled up in Yu Lili’s mind like little fish blowing bubbles.
Ding dong—
The doorbell interrupted her thoughts.
But the person behind it was someone she never expected.
…
“Dad, Mom, it’s my fault for not taking care of Little Sister. I just wanted to apologize to her. I never imagined someone could be so deranged.” The moment Yu Mu stepped in, tears streamed down her face.
Yu Lili’s parents sat on the white Nordic-style leather sofa, steam rising from their tea.
Yu Mu knelt pitifully by Yu Lili’s mother, sobbing.
Compared to Yu Lili—who was unharmed and even glowing after a good meal—Yu Mu looked far more like a proper victim.
Her face, maintained with hundreds of thousands in skincare, bore a shallow, unhealed wound. Her fingers were covered in tiny cuts, and her arm was bandaged.
“Get up,” Yu Lili’s mother said gently, helping Yu Mu to her feet.
Yu Mu’s eyes sparkled with hope: “Mom…”
Yu Lili’s mother lowered her gaze: “You were the one who insisted on moving out and cutting ties with us back then. Don’t call me that anymore.”
Tears welled up in Yu Mu’s eyes again.
“And control your fans. This time, we’re only going after that one person. But next time, whoever hurts Lili—whether they’re your fans or not—we won’t let it slide.”
Yu Mu’s legs trembled, and she collapsed onto the sofa: “I… I…”
Yu Lili’s parents went upstairs, leaving only Yu Mu and Yu Lili in the living room.
“Lili…”
Yu Lili glanced at her. Strangely, Yu Mu seemed even more nervous after their parents left.
Yu Mu asked cautiously: “Did you take the SD card from the camera?”
Yu Lili’s eyelids lifted slightly.
Yu Mu’s question revealed one thing—the SD card was missing.
The card that recorded everything that happened that day, including Yu Mu’s performance, was gone.
Yu Lili hadn’t taken it. She’d been unconscious.
The deranged fan hadn’t had a chance to take it either.
The police hadn’t mentioned the SD card.
That left only one person.
After Yu Lili passed out, Yu Mu fled, and the fan was subdued—someone had calmly noticed the camera in the corner and effortlessly removed the SD card.
It was Tan Suran.
She had taken the SD card.
Yu Lili’s mind raced, but her expression remained neutral. She asked flatly, “What about it?”
Yu Mu had already fled by the time Yu Lili lost consciousness, so she didn’t know Yu Lili couldn’t have taken the card.
Yu Mu clutched Yu Lili’s knee: “Lili, I was wrong. I was just so scared. I wanted to go out and get help for you.”
Yu Lili clenched her hands.
The SD card was with Tan Suran.
But Yu Mu and Tan Suran had a deep connection.
Yu Lili didn’t know—would Tan Suran take her side?
Would she be willing to hand over the SD card?
Thinking of the secret Yu Mu had used to lure her out, Yu Lili asked: “What exactly was that birthday present you mentioned last time?”
Yu Mu frantically grabbed Yu Lili’s hand, her voice hushed but urgent: “If I tell you, will you give me the memory card back?”
Yu Lili leaned back into the sofa and gave a noncommittal “Mmm.”
“No, no—the SD card isn’t with you, is it? Otherwise, you wouldn’t trade something so important for a years-old secret.” Yu Mu leaned back, scrutinizing Yu Lili’s eyes for answers.
Yu Lili crossed her arms: “You don’t have to believe me. I won’t return the SD card. As for why I’d give it to you—didn’t you hear Mom? She said she won’t pursue it.”
Yu Mu’s lips trembled as she weighed Yu Lili’s words.
Yu Lili idly picked up her phone and scrolled.
Yu Mu relaxed slightly: “Lili, I believe you wouldn’t lie to me. That thing wasn’t a big deal—just a bit odd. That year, you told me to pick any gift I wanted from your collection. I chose a black box. While carrying it to the backyard, I ran into Tan Suran. When she saw the box in my hands…”
Yu Lili’s attention gradually shifted from her phone to Yu Mu’s story.
Midway through, Yu Mu suddenly stopped.
She looked up with a sweet smile: “Lili, could you… show me the memory card first?”