Chapter 145 — A Kick-Ass Bestie [Come On, Boost Those Monthly Votes, Would You... Dear Readers...]

"What did you say to my mother yesterday?" Tang Yun glared at Wei Zhao with loathing.

"Yesterday... to your mother?" Wei Zhao was slightly taken aback, and then it hit him — the barbecue recipe. He had spent the whole morning talking with Guan Xuemin about Chinese medicine and had clean forgotten the whole business. Only now, with Tang Yun bringing it up, did he remember the promise he had made the day before, and his old face flushed red despite himself.

No wonder Tang Yun had come looking for him several times — so it was about the barbecue recipe. Wei Zhao said hurriedly, embarrassed: "It's about the recipe, right?"

Tang Yun, furious, shot him a withering glare: "You know perfectly well, and still you ask."

"Ha, sorry about that. This morning was too busy — I really did forget." Wei Zhao smiled sheepishly. "Tell you what: next period, I'll come by and give you the recipe."

"Oh." Hearing this, Tang Yun had nothing more to say. She nodded, ignored Wei Zhao, closed the window, and drew the curtain.

Only after Tang Yun had done all this did Wei Zhao abruptly whirl around. "How much closer are you planning to lean? Do you need a hearing aid to go with it?"

"Uh..." Shen Yushu was badly startled by Wei Zhao's sudden turn. His talk of a hearing aid obviously referred to her eavesdropping just now. But who was Shen Yushu? After a mere moment of embarrassment, she grinned: "What, got something you're afraid people will hear? I just happened to be passing by."

Earlier, Wei Zhao had been leaning sideways against the window of Tang Yun's classroom, with Gu Mengyao standing behind him, pressed flat against the wall — which was why Tang Yun, from where she stood, could not see that Shen Yushu was there. Otherwise she would surely have noticed, and would never have talked with Wei Zhao for so long.

"Heh." Wei Zhao was helpless where Shen Yushu was concerned. He smiled. "Whatever you want to know, ask."

"Uh... first, let me state for the record, I wasn't sent by Yao-yao jie." Shen Yushu rolled her eyes and explained to Wei Zhao.

"Heh—" Wei Zhao didn't much care. Of every ten things Shen Yushu said, eight were nonsense. Even when she claimed Gu Mengyao had sent her, it was just as likely she had come out of her own curiosity.

"What did Tang Yun want with you?" Shen Yushu asked.

"Nothing much. I promised her something, I forgot it, and I'll bring it to her next period." Naturally Wei Zhao would not mention the barbecue recipe — that would sound as though he were doling out charity. And Wei Zhao was not the sort to claim credit for a small kindness.

"Oh..." Shen Yushu was wondering what it was Wei Zhao meant to give Tang Yun. She only cursed her own poor hearing — no fabled ears to catch the wind for her. The corridor was too noisy; she could not catch their conversation.

"I'm heading back. Weren't you just passing by? Carry on..." Wei Zhao nodded to Shen Yushu.

"Toilet paper, toilet paper, toilet paper!" Needled by Wei Zhao, Shen Yushu was furious. She stamped her foot and spat the words out.

But Shen Yushu's words drew sidelong glances from the students passing by.

Toilet paper? Chen, the great campus beauty, asking for toilet paper in the corridor? Was she that desperate, unable to hold it in? What a blow to her image — what a blow to her image.

Still, she had no shortage of admirers at school. The moment they heard Shen Yushu's shout, they fished tissues from their pockets and held them out in a neat row: "Here..."

Shen Yushu was stunned for a moment, then broke out in a cold sweat... So she had been misunderstood. Instantly she was mortified beyond words, her face burning red. She glared after Wei Zhao's departing back and thought: just you wait till we get home, and see how I torment you, hmph.

Luckily Shen Yushu's reflexes were first-rate. From all her time with Gu Mengyao, her skill at spinning nonsense had been honed to the level of an art: "I said finger. My finger — I banged it, it hurts. Understand?"

As she spoke, Shen Yushu solemnly held up her little finger and wiggled it in the air.

"Oh..." The pack of wolves was deeply disappointed. So they had misunderstood; she had been calling about a "finger", not "toilet paper".

The boys who had been hoping to brush Shen Yushu's little hand while handing over the tissue reluctantly put their tissues away.

Back in the classroom, Shen Yushu patted her chest. She had nearly lost face in a big way. Thank goodness she had reacted fast, or her image would have been ruined.

"Xiaoshu, what are you doing? Why are you so pale and out of breath?" Gu Mengyao looked at her, puzzled. "Did you get caught following him?"

"Oh, nothing." Shen Yushu thought: I can't tell Gu Mengyao about that humiliation — it is far too embarrassing. If it got out, I would lose all face. She had never been so mortified in her life.

"So did you succeed in following him?" Gu Mengyao asked, curious.

"Yeah, yeah, I did." Shen Yushu nodded. "Seems he is going to give Tang Yun something. Tang Yun asked him for it, and he said he would bring it to her next period."

"What thing?" Gu Mengyao asked.

"He hasn't given it yet. How would I know?" Shen Yushu shook her head.

"Then follow him again next period," Gu Mengyao said.

"What? Go again?" Curious as she was, Shen Yushu had already been caught by Wei Zhao and had lost face badly. She did not want to go again in a little while.

"Yes — didn't you want to follow him?" Gu Mengyao looked at Shen Yushu's somewhat retreating manner, puzzled.

"Uh... I nearly got caught last time. You go next time..." Shen Yushu stammered.

"You didn't already get caught, did you?" How well Gu Mengyao knew Shen Yushu — one look at her expression and she could guess.

"Uh... yeah..." Shen Yushu could only nod and admit it.

"You..." Gu Mengyao shook her head. "I told you — with skills like his, how could he not notice? Now look: he is sure to think I sent you again."

"He won't..." Shen Yushu shook her head. "After he caught me, I made a point of stating first that this time it wasn't Yao-yao jie who sent me."

Gu Mengyao wanted to beat this silly girl to death... but then she thought, Wei Zhao might not believe Shen Yushu's words anyway, so she let it go.

"Yao-yao jie, you can relax now, right? Happy? I didn't sell you out," Shen Yushu said smugly.

Gu Mengyao was speechless. To have a live-wire bestie like that was a blessing — and a tragedy...

When you are sad, she can make you happy; when you are happy, she can make you sad. When you are glad, she can make you angry; when you are angry, she can make you angrier — until in the end you are laughing with rage...

Back in the classroom, Wei Zhao found a sheet of scratch paper and began writing out the recipe. In truth, these "Orleans barbecue seasoning", "honey-juice barbecue seasoning", and "black pepper barbecue seasoning" were nothing technically demanding; Wei Zhao often made them himself at home.

Receiving deliveries in the little village was inconvenient — you had to go into town to pick things up — so whenever Wei Zhao could manage it himself, he avoided ordering online. Using local materials was convenient too.

He wrote out several recipes in one go, then folded the scratch paper, ready to take it to Tang Yun after class.

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