Chapter 145 — My Awesome Bestie

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

"Yesterday... with your mother?" Wei Zhao was slightly taken aback, then suddenly remembered the barbecue sauce recipe. He had spent the whole morning discussing traditional Chinese medicine with Guan Xuewen, and had clean forgotten about it. Only now, with Tang Zhi bringing it up, did he recall yesterday's promise, and he could not help but flush with embarrassment.

No wonder Tang Zhi had come looking for him several times—it was all about the barbecue recipe. So Wei Zhao hastily said with an apologetic air, "It's about the recipe, right?"

Tang Zhi shot him a furious, cutting look. "You know perfectly well, so don't play dumb."

"Ha, I'm sorry. There was too much going on this morning, I really did forget." Wei Zhao smiled sheepishly. "How about this—next period, I'll come by and give you the recipe."

"Oh." Hearing him say so, Tang Zhi had nothing more to add. She nodded, paid him no further attention, closed the window, and drew the curtain.

Only after Tang Zhi had finished all this did Wei Zhao abruptly spin around. "Just how close are you planning to press? Shall I fetch you a hearing aid while I'm at it?"

"Uh..." Shen Yushu was badly startled by Wei Zhao's sudden turn, and his remark about a hearing aid could only mean he had caught her eavesdropping. But who was Shen Yushu? She was embarrassed for only a moment before she grinned and said, "What, got something you're afraid of people hearing? I just happened to be passing by."

Earlier, Wei Zhao had been leaning sidelong against the window of Tang Zhi's classroom, while Gu Mengyao stood directly behind him, pressed close to the wall. From Tang Zhi's vantage point, Shen Yushu's presence was entirely hidden—otherwise Tang Zhi would surely have noticed, and would never have talked with Wei Zhao for so long.

"Heh." Where Shen Yushu was concerned, Wei Zhao was quite helpless too. He smiled and said, "Whatever you want to know, just ask."

"Uh... let me state first of all, I wasn't sent by Sister Yaoyao." Shen Yushu rolled her eyes and explained to Wei Zhao.

"Heh—" Wei Zhao did not take it to heart. Eight out of ten things Shen Yushu said were pure nonsense. Even if she claimed Gu Mengyao had sent her, it was just as likely she had come out of her own curiosity.

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

"Nothing much. I promised to give her something and forgot, so 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. Nor was he the sort to boast of every little thing he did.

"Oh..." Shen Yushu, however, was wondering what it was that Wei Zhao meant to give Tang Zhi. She only resented her own hearing for being too poor; no clairaudient ears had she, and the hallway was too noisy to 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!" Shen Yushu, needled by Wei Zhao, was beside herself with rage. She stamped her foot and spat the words out through gritted teeth.

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

Toilet paper? Chen the great The Blossom Guardian was asking for toilet paper in the hallway? Was she in urgent need, unable to hold it in? How it ruined her image—how it ruined her image!

Still, there were plenty of admirers in the school. The moment they heard Shen Yushu's shout, they immediately fished tissues from their pockets and held them out in a neat row. "Here you go..."

Shen Yushu was stunned for a moment, then broke into a sweat... So she had been misunderstood. Her embarrassment peaked at once, her face flushed crimson, and she glared resentfully at Wei Zhao's already departing back, thinking to herself: just wait till I get home—see how I'll torment you, hmph.

Fortunately, Shen Yushu's ability to improvise was first-rate. Ordinarily, running around with Gu Mengyao, she had honed her skill at spinning tall tales to the peak of perfection. "I said finger—my finger got banged, it hurts, understand?"

As she spoke, Shen Yushu solemnly raised her little finger and waggled it in the air.

"Oh..." The pack of wolves was deeply disappointed. So they had misunderstood; she had been calling for "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.

Shen Yushu returned to the classroom and patted her chest. That was close—she had nearly lost face completely. Thank goodness her reactions were quick; otherwise her image would have been ruined.

"Xiaoshu, what's wrong? Why are you so pale? You're out of breath." Gu Mengyao looked at Shen Yushu with some puzzlement. "Don't tell me you got caught following him?"

"Oh, it's nothing," Shen Yushu said, thinking to herself that she absolutely could not tell Gu Mengyao about the embarrassing incident earlier—it was simply too humiliating. If she said anything, she would lose face entirely. She had never been so mortified in her life.

"So did you succeed in following him?" Gu Mengyao was a little curious.

"Mm-hmm, I did." Shen Yushu nodded. "It seems like he was going to give Tang Zhi something. Tang Zhi asked him for it, and he said he'd bring it to her next class."

"What was it?" Gu Mengyao asked.

"He hadn't given it to her yet—how would I know?" Shen Yushu shook her head.

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

"What? Go again?" Shen Yushu was curious, but Wei Zhao had already spotted her earlier, and she had suffered a terrible humiliation. She really did not want to go again in a little while.

"Of course. Didn't you want to follow him?" Gu Mengyao looked at Shen Yushu's rather hesitant expression with some confusion.

"Uh... I nearly got caught earlier. Next time, you should go..." Shen Yushu stammered.

"Don't tell me you've already been caught?" How well did Gu Mengyao know Shen Yushu? Just from her expression, she could guess roughly what had happened.

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

"You..." Gu Mengyao shook her head. "I told you—with his skills, how could he possibly not notice? Now look what happened. He's definitely going to think I sent you again."

"He won't..." Shen Yushu shook her head. "After I was caught, I made a point of stating right away that it wasn't Sister Yaoyao who sent me this time."

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

"Sister Yaoyao, are you relieved now? Happy now? I didn't sell you out," Shen Yushu said smugly.

Gu Mengyao was speechless. Having a live-wire best friend like this was a blessing—and also a tragedy...

When you're sad, she can make you happy. When you're happy, she can make you sad. When you're glad, she can make you angry. When you're angry, she can make you even angrier—until in the end you're so angry you laugh.

Back in the classroom, Wei Zhao found a sheet of scratch paper and began writing out recipes. Actually, these kinds of "Orleans barbecue seasoning," "honey barbecue seasoning," and "black pepper barbecue seasoning" had no real technical complexity. When Wei Zhao was at home, he often made them himself.

Express delivery was inconvenient in the little village—you had to go into town even to pick up a package—so if Wei Zhao could do it himself, he tried as much as possible not to shop online. Using local ingredients was convenient too.

In one go, he wrote out several recipes, then folded up the scratch paper, preparing to bring it to Tang Zhi after class.