After Being Bent by Reader

Xu Chuanchuan and Murong Shi set off after coming to an agreement.

After finding out that Ange had not left the hotel the entire day, Xu Chuanchuan bought some delicious food on the way. When Ange opened the door for her, Xu Chuanchuan saw that her friend had dark circles under her eyes and her face looked void of energy. Concerned, Xu Chuanchuan reached out to touch Ange's forehead.

"Don't worry, I'm not sick," Ange said in a sickly voice.

"You're telling me you're not sick when you look like this? Did something irritate you? Did Fragrant Citrus come to harass you again?"

Ange limply collapsed onto the bed and sneered, saying, "I'm not that dumb to waste my energy on her."

When clearing the coffee table, Xu Chuanchuan noticed several cigarette butts in the ashtray. Then, looking at Ange's frustrated expression, Xu Chuanchuan asked, "Are you in a bad mood because you can't write anything?"

Shaking her head, Ange said, "I just feel annoyed."

"What's annoying you?" Xu Chuanchuan stood up and walked to the bedside. Then, looking down at her friend, she said, "By the way, did you know that Fang Qin's father got hospitalized?"

Ange's eyes flickered at these words. Then, she replied with an "mhm."

"Then, did anything happen between..."

"What food did you bring me?" Ange deliberately interrupted.

Ange's attempt to divert the conversation topic worked as Xu Chuanchuan said, "I brought you some pan-fried buns and roast duck. Come on, get up and eat them now. They won't taste as good once they're cold."

After staying up all night and not eating for the entire day, Ange was indeed starving right now.

"They're delicious."

"Eat more, then," Xu Chuanchuan said as she sat down on the edge of the bed. Then, she pulled out her phone and continued, "Murong should've reached the hotel already. I'll ask her about Fang Qin's father."

Ange's eyebrows twitched slightly as she took a pan-fried bun filled with duck meat. However, she chose to remain silent.

Xu Chuanchuan received a reply from Murong Shi shortly after she sent her message. After looking through the content, she said, "Fang Qin's father has already gone through surgery and is no longer in any danger. But he still has to stay at the hospital, so Fang Qin might have to accompany him for the next few days."

Ange's eyelashes trembled. However, she continued remaining silent.

Putting down her phone, Xu Chuanchuan leaned closer and said, "I'll wrap it for you."

"Why?" Ange asked as she looked at Xu Chuanchuan.

While putting on a pair of transparent gloves, Xu Chuanchuan said, "Just look at your shaking hands. I can't stand to look at you anymore."

Ange's expression stiffened. Then, she said, "I only got three hours of sleep. If you were in my shoes, you would shake even more severely."

"Serves you right. Who told you to stay up all night?" Xu Chuanchuan said as she pushed Ange's hands away with a look of disgust. Then, while holding a pan-fried bun in one hand and picking up some duck meat using the other hand, Xu Chuanchuan continued, "Murong wrapped the buns for me the first time I had roast duck. My stomach nearly exploded because of how many she stuffed into me."

"Stop flaunting your affection in front of me," Ange said, clicking her tongue.

In response, Xu Chuanchuan delightfully said, "I'm telling it to you on purpose. Jealous? If you're jealous, then hurry up and start dating someone. I think Fang Qin is a good choice. She's beautiful and considerate. She also looks like a good match for you."

Ange's expression turned strange when she heard Xu Chuanchuan's comment. Then, she asked, "You think so as well?"

Xu Chuanchuan eagerly nodded and said, "I wouldn't be trying so hard to match you two together, otherwise."

After receiving the bun and taking a bite out of it, Ange vaguely said, "She confessed to me last night."

Xu Chuanchuan froze. Then, she looked at Ange in surprise and asked, "What did you say? She confessed?!?!"

"Mhm."

Xu Chuanchuan's excitement instantly shot through the roof. Dropping the bun and duck meat in her hands, she eagerly asked, "Then? What happened next?"

After taking another bite, Ange blandly said, "Nothing."

"Huh?"

"...She got a call saying that her dad fainted from a bleeding stomach. Then, she left."

"You two got interrupted?"

"Mhm."

Xu Chuanchuan let out a sigh of regret. Then, she suddenly thought of something and grabbed Ange's wrist, accidentally rubbing some soy sauce onto Ange in doing so. Noticing this, she stuck out her tongue and said, "Sorry."

Ange remained indifferent as she grabbed a piece of napkin and wiped her wrist.

Meanwhile, Xu Chuanchuan carefully observed Ange's expression. After failing to notice any emotions, she asked, "Then, do you like her?"

Ange fell into thought for a moment. Then, she said, "I don't know."

"How can you not know if you like her or not?"

After tossing the dirty napkin onto the table, Ange looked down and said, "At the beginning, I just wanted to have sex with her."

"W-W-What are you talking about?!" Xu Chuanchuan was thunderstruck by Ange's frankness.

Ange did not respond to Xu Chuanchuan's exclamation. Instead, she calmly finished the bun in her hand and glanced at her friend, asking, "Didn't you say you were going to help me do the wrapping?"

"..." Xu Chuanchuan promptly wrapped another duck bun for Ange. Then, she asked, "Are you trying to say that you only like Fang Qin's body?"

"I don't know."

Confused by her friend's words, Xu Chuanchuan asked, "So, what exactly are you trying to say?"

Ange choked a little. After taking a sip of soy milk, she slowly said, "Do you remember the time you first visited me in Shanghai? Specifically, the time when we had supper together after visiting the Oriental Pearl Tower in the evening. Fang Qin also joined us later on."

"I still remember." Xu Chuanchuan nodded. "I remember that you sent Fang Qin back. Wait, don't tell me you two...at that time... No way! Did you two...do it?"

"No," Ange curtly responded, her face heating up slightly. "I already met her before that day."

"I know."

"No, you don't know," Ange said before pausing. Then, she looked away in embarrassment before continuing, "She was drunk that night and accidentally bumped into my car. Then, after I sent her back to the hotel, she...kissed me."

"Wow—" Xu Chuanchuan exclaimed. "I didn't think Fang Qin was so aggressive!"

"I won't continue if you keep acting like this."

"Okay, okay, okay, I won't speak anymore. Please continue," Xu Chuanchuan said as she made a zipping motion across her mouth. Then, she looked at Ange with eyes filled with excitement and anticipation.

Ange sighed in frustration at this sight. Then, she started telling Xu Chuanchuan in detail about the things that happened after she "picked up" Fang Qin.

When Ange was finished with her tail, Xu Chuanchuan clapped her gloved hands and said, "How exciting! It would've been a one-night stand if you didn't run away at that time!"

Ange choked on the soymilk she was sipping. Then, she took off her gloves and said, "I'm going to wash my hands."

Though Ange said she was going to wash her hands, what she ended up doing was drowning her face in cold water to calm herself.

When Ange left the bathroom, Xu Chuanchuan had already prepared several more roast duck buns. Then, looking at her friend, Ange said, "I think it's impossible between her and me."

"Why not?"

"After Fragrant Citrus's incident, I feel that long-distance relationships are unreliable. I think I already told you this before."

"But Fang Qin isn't Fragrant Citrus," Xu Chuanchuan hurriedly said. "Maybe you don't understand Fang Qin too well, but once she falls in love with someone, she won't care about the distance at all. Did you know? For the sake of her first love, she..."

"First love?"

"Uh..." Realizing the blunder she subconsciously made, Xu Chuanchuan faked a cough and said, "You misheard."

Interest suddenly filled Ange. Then, she eagerly asked, "I've heard her mentioning her first love when chatting with her before, but I didn't pry too deeply at the time. Do you know anything about it? I want to hear it."

It was rude to disclose other people's private matters. However, after giving the matter some thought, Xu Chuanchuan felt that if doing so would help Ange and Fang Qin, it might not be bad to do so after all.

"Fang Qin had it rough. In the past, she ruined her relationship with her parents just to be with her ex-girlfriend. She even gave up her job in the country to accompany the girl, who wanted to study abroad in England. But then the girl dumped her."

Frowning, Ange asked, "What led to the break-up?"

Xu Chuanchuan couldn't help herself from becoming angry whenever she spoke about this topic. So, with a little biased emotion in her voice, she said, "It seems that the girl's mother used suicide to threaten them to break up. That girl couldn't bear the pressure, so she eventually dumped Fang Qin and returned to the country. Fang Qin loved her for three years. That girl really is cruel and selfish."

Ange didn't express her thoughts after listening to Xu Chuanchuan's tale. Instead, she lowered her head and fell into thought.

Then, Xu Chuanchuan sighed and said, "Sometimes, I feel that Fang Qin is quite lonely and pitiful. But sometimes, I also envy her a lot."

"Envy what?"

"I envy her for having such courage. If a woman is willing to give up so much to be with me, I wouldn't ever think of letting her go," Xu Chuanchuan said. Then, she smiled at Ange and continued, "Fang Qin is a good person. It's definitely worth becoming her girlfriend."

How could Ange not understand her friend's hint? Revealing a bitter smile, Ange said, "But I'm not worthy of her."

"You're wonderful, too!" Xu Chuanchuan voiced her disagreement.

"I think I'm quite the scumbag."

"How so?"

Ange smiled but did not speak. Then, she picked up one of the duck buns and began eating in silence.

...

For the next few days, Fang Qin remained in the hospital, accompanying her father. Xu Chuanchuan didn't know if Fang Qin had kept in touch with Ange during these days, and she didn't dare to ask, either.

"I can take some time off to accompany you," Xu Chuanchuan suggested after visiting Ange. "You hardly visited anywhere the last time you came to S City."

However, Ange's expression remained dull as she said, "No need. It's too cold outside."

The last time Ange visited S City, she had complained about the weather being too hot and refused to go out. This time, she was complaining that it was too cold. So, Xu Chuanchuan couldn't help but feel that her friend was just making excuses.

They had known each other for many years, so Xu Chuanchuan knew Ange was generally a carefree person. So, when she looked at her friend's depressed mood, she tentatively asked, "Are you thinking about Fang Qin?"

"No," Ange denied."

Xu Chuanchuan felt that her friend was deceiving herself, but she decided not to expose Ange's lie. Instead, she changed the topic and said, "It's going to be my grandpa's 80th birthday in a few days. Do you want to go to Xian City with Murong and me for a few days?"

Ange pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement. After all, it was quite boring to be alone in a foreign city.

Coincidentally, Fang Qin visited Ange on the day of departure. When she saw Ange leaving the hotel with a suitcase in hand, she revealed a surprised look and asked, "Are you leaving?"

"Mhm," Ange replied without much thought.

Immediately, a hint of loneliness flashed across Fang Qin's pale face. Then, she tentatively asked, "Is it because...you're trying to avoid me?"

Ange wasn't sure if she was seeing things, but she found that Fang Qin's face looked thinner than before. Fang Qin looked dispirited, and her eyes conveyed exhaustion.

Ange felt her heart clench slightly. Then, while avoiding Fang Qin's gaze, she feigned calmness and said, "I'm not returning to Shanghai. Chuanchuan's grandpa is celebrating his birthday soon, so she asked me to visit Xian City with her for a few days."

"Will you be coming back here afterward?" Fang Qin eagerly asked.

"...Probably."

Fang Qin let out a long sigh of relief when she heard Ange's answer. Then, she smiled and reluctantly said, "Then, you guys have fun. I'll wait for you to come back."

Ange felt her heart skipping a beat when she heard the second half of Fang Qin's words. The calmness she maintained on the surface also gradually faltered.

Fortunately for Ange, Xu Chuanchuan arrived at this time. Seeing that Fang Qin was also present, Xu Chuanchuan invited her to go along with them.

However, after looking at Ange, Fang Qin faintly smiled and said, "I'll pass. I have a lot of work piled up because of the past few days."

Xu Chuanchuan didn't insist on the matter and simply waved goodbye to Fang Qin.

After parting ways with Fang Qin, Xu Chuanchuan and Ange got into the backseat of Murong Shi's car. Seeing this, Murong Shi frowned and said to Xu Chuanchuan, "The backseat is for Xiangxiang. You sit in the front."

However, Xu Chuanchuan waved her hand and said, "It's the same wherever I sit. Hurry up and start driving."

"..." For a moment, Murong Shi couldn't help but feel that her place in Xu Chuanchuan's heart had fallen after Ange's arrival.

Meanwhile, when Ange met Murong Shi's eyes through the rear-view mirror, she provocatively rolled her eyes at the other party. Then, she deliberately leaned closer to Xu Chuanchuan and said, "Just look at her eyes. It feels like she's trying to eat me alive."

Xu Chuanchuan burst out laughing. Then, while patting her chest, she said, "It's okay. I'll protect you."

Then, Murong Shi stomped on the accelerator to vent her anger.

In reality, Xu Chuanchuan wasn't trying to anger Murong Shi. Only, after seeing Ange in a depressed mood for the past few days, she decided to spend more time talking to her friend.

Afterward, they stopped by Xu Xiangxiang's university to pick the girl up. When they arrived, they found Xu Xiangxiang dressed like a ball. Then, after Xu Xiangxiang got into the car and saw Ange, she exclaimed, "Wow! A beauty!"

"Hello," Ange greeted.

Then, Xu Chuanchuan briefly introduced her little sister and Ange to each other.

There was no need to worry about an awkward atmosphere with Xu Xiangxiang around. After the girl got into the car, she blabbered incessantly. She spoke about trivial things regarding her dormitory to things related to her job as a streamer. "Something big happened in our studio some time ago. Do you guys want to hear it?"

"No, so you can shut up now," Xu Chuanchuan said, deliberately pouring cold water on her little sister.

However, Xu Xiangxiang insisted on going against her elder sister's wishes, so she said, "It's related to that streamer called Sweet Melon. Are you sure you don't want to hear it?"

Sweet Melon? Isn't she Fragrant Citrus? With her interest piqued, Xu Chuanchuan asked, "What happened to her?"

Clearing her throat, Xu Xiangxiang said, "From what I heard, Young Master Jiang dumped that Sweet Melon because she got disfigured, though she quickly managed to hook up with a local tycoon of S City. Afterward, she stopped streaming and simply lived off of that tycoon. However, I don't know what happened, but she suddenly popped up in the studio's WeChat group some time ago saying that the tycoon was abusing her every day. She even begged Young Master Jiang to go save her. But nobody in the group paid her any attention.

"I also heard that she ran away afterward. Although the tycoon tried to find her for a long time, he failed to find her. I wonder where she went?"

Hearing up to this point, Xu Chuanchuan and Ange tacitly looked at each other.