Free Web NovelChapter 199: Chapter 199: That’s What Friends Are For
A person’s stomach is the most sensitive organ. frёeωebɳovel.com
No matter where you feel unwell or what illness you have, your stomach will sense it, sometimes even before you do.
A fever will make you throw up.
A cold will make you throw up.
A headache will make you throw up.
Besides its own issues, if any of your other organs are failing, you’ll throw up then, too.
It can sense physical pain, and it can also sense human emotions.
When emotions fluctuate to an extreme, especially grief and indignation, the stomach will sense it and make you throw up.
Tang Yuanxiao was emotionally distraught, yet he had still stuffed himself with so many dumplings. On a normal day, he might have just felt a bit bloated and moved on, but not today.
The stomach is more honest than its owner.
"Dad... are you okay?" Little Tang Mo’s anxious, worried voice reached Tang Yuanxiao’s ears.
Tang Yuanxiao opened the door. "Dad’s not okay, but... it’ll pass."
Little Tang Mo wiped the cold sweat from Tang Yuanxiao’s face and nodded vigorously. "Mm-hm."
Almost two hours late, Tang Yuanxiao took Little Tang Mo and finally began the journey home.
Not long after they left, Su Li returned.
Su Li got back to the sixth floor and just stood there blankly in the hallway for a long time.
Today’s events had unfolded too quickly. With no mental preparation, things had turned into this mess.
Whether it was her pushing Yu Zhengqing away or Wu Sheng’s hug, everything had been so sudden. There was simply no time to think.
And it all led to the situation that followed.
Su Li sank weakly to the floor, squatting.
’No matter how much I try to avoid it, I always end up hurting someone, whether intentionally or not...’
Su Li didn’t know how long she squatted there. By the time her legs were so numb she could barely feel them, she finally pushed herself up and went home.
After washing up and getting into bed, Su Li slowly let out a breath.
She raised her hand, which wore both a watch and a ring, and stared at it for a long while.
’I can’t let this drag on... The idea that their pursuit is their own business no longer holds true.’
’I have to end this situation as quickly as possible. Cut the Gordian knot.’
This night was destined to be a restless one.
Indeed, it was a sleepless night.
For Su Li, for Tang Yuanxiao, for Wu Sheng, and for Yu Zhengqing.
How could Yu Zhengqing possibly sleep?
It was impossible.
On the entire way back, and even after he got home, his mind was in chaos, filled with the image of Su Li pushing him away without a moment’s hesitation.
They had only met three times. They were really just a senior and junior who had recently met, not even true friends—acquaintances at best.
And yet, this girl he’d only met three times had subconsciously pushed him away.
Yu Zhengqing’s mind was a mess, a level of confusion he had never experienced in his entire life.
Just as Wu Sheng had thought, how could Yu Zhengqing not overthink things when a pretty young woman had risked her life to save him?
If it weren’t for Wu Sheng’s later actions and that hug, Yu Zhengqing would have been certain of Su Li’s feelings for him.
Many feelings don’t need to be spoken aloud to be understood.
Yu Zhengqing tossed and turned all night, the scenes of their three brief meetings flashing through his mind.
They had met three times, and twice Su Li had cried, or rather, smiled through her tears.
The first time, he saw Su Li looking at him with her face streaked with tears.
His roommate said she was crying because she saw him, which he found unlikely. But the inexplicable sense of familiarity he felt when he saw Su Li made his mind run wild.
The first meeting was memorable, the second meeting was also memorable, and then came the third, which he would never forget for the rest of his life.
’Why?’ Yu Zhengqing just couldn’t figure it out.
"Could it be that past lives really exist?" he muttered to himself, thinking of Su Li’s eyes.
Yu Zhengqing tossed and turned until the early hours of the morning, only managing to doze off just before dawn.
But in that brief moment of sleep, he had a dream.
He relived the events of the afternoon, but this time, after Su Li pushed him away, the car didn’t stop.
The car sped toward Su Li and hit her.
"No!" Yu Zhengqing awoke from the nightmare with a terrified expression, gasping for breath, his face covered in cold sweat.
"HUFF... HUFF..." Once he registered his surroundings and realized it was just a dream, he collapsed back onto the bed, completely drained.
Su Li, who had also only fallen asleep near dawn, woke up a bit late.
It was already past nine, nearly ten, when she woke up. She patted her groggy head, washed her face, and went out.
She hadn’t managed to get her errands done yesterday, so she had to continue today.
But as soon as she stepped out, she saw Yu Zhengqing at the entrance to her residential complex.
Yu Zhengqing was leaning against the gate, his brow slightly furrowed, lost in thought.
Upon seeing him, Su Li’s steps faltered for a moment.
After Wu Sheng had exposed the feelings she had kept hidden for two lifetimes, seeing Yu Zhengqing again made Su Li feel a little awkward.
Beyond the awkwardness, her feelings were mostly just complicated.
She had only wanted to gradually become friends with Yu Zhengqing again, step by step, but her plans had been completely thrown into disarray.
’Yesterday, Yu Zhengqing must have been scared. He’s probably also wondering why I did that.’
’I have to find a good way to smooth this over.’
"Senior Yu." Su Li called out a greeting before Yu Zhengqing looked over.
Her tone and smile were no different from usual.
Seeing her smile, Yu Zhengqing paused for a second before smiling back in greeting. "Su Li."
"Are you okay?" he asked with concern as he walked over. "Were you too scared to sleep last night?"
"I’m fine," Su Li replied, then asked, "What about you? You must have been scared yesterday, right?"
"No, I didn’t even have time to be scared before you pushed me away," Yu Zhengqing said, shaking his head, his gaze fixed seriously on Su Li. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm
Su Li tilted her head back and smiled smugly. "Of course. I’m the most loyal person you’ll meet. A good friend, right?"
Yu Zhengqing looked at Su Li and listened to her words. He was taken aback for a moment, then he also started to laugh and nodded emphatically.
"Yeah, good, good, especially good!" he said, giving her a thumbs-up.
"Su Li... a great kindness needs no thanks. I won’t say ’thank you’—the words are too light. But I will remember this debt of gratitude forever."
"If you ever need any help in the future, just ask. I’d go through fire and water for you, no problem. I’ll definitely be a loyal and dependable friend."
Yu Zhengqing spoke with heroic flair, and with great sincerity.
"Okay." Knowing Yu Zhengqing’s character, Su Li nodded readily. "It’s a deal."
Hearing Su Li agree, Yu Zhengqing let out a sigh of relief. "A gentleman’s word..."
Su Li instantly finished, "...is his bond!"
Yu Zhengqing and Su Li looked at each other and burst out laughing.
In that moment, Su Li felt a daze as if she had returned to her past life. They had been this in sync back then, too.
’They were destined to be friends!’
After they finished laughing, Su Li asked, "When did you get here? Did you come just to thank me?"
"I just got here. I did come to thank you, and I brought a gift. Wait here," Yu Zhengqing said. He went to the corner, picked something up, and handed it to Su Li.
"Open it and see."
Su Li took the food container from his hands. "Something tasty?"
"Mhm," Yu Zhengqing nodded. "After I went home and told my parents, they were incredibly grateful to you. They originally planned to come and thank you in person, but I stopped them. In the end, my mom made this instead."
That morning, before Yu Zhengqing left, Mrs. Yu had asked where he was going. When she heard he was going to thank Su Li, she quickly cooked a few dishes for him to bring over.
"Great, I love it. Thanks." Mrs. Yu’s cooking... Su Li had missed it more than she could say.
She had eaten so much of it in her past life. She had even learned how to make some of the dishes from her.
