Chapter – 23
I’ll Cover Your Mom’s Medical Bills!
As Pei Nian’an’s words fell, Yu Zhi blinked.
The young lady’s birthday is coming up?
Seeing Pei Nian’an’s frown deepening, Yu Zhi quickly straightened up.
“How could I forget!” she raised her hand in mock solemnity. “Pei-jie, you’re the most important person in my life! Even if I forget everyone else’s birthday, I’d never forget yours!”
Her flattery was so over-the-top that even the shop assistant holding up her phone couldn’t help but laugh.
Pei Nian’an rolled her eyes.
“My brother booked the Imperial View Hotel for my birthday banquet. I’m planning to invite the whole class.”
Yu Zhi nodded repeatedly.
“Help me hand out the invitations then,” Pei Nian’an continued, glancing at her phone screen before waving dismissively.
“Forget it—this camera can’t even show the dress properly. Come with me tomorrow to pick one out in person.”
With that, she hung up.
Sitting on her bed, Yu Zhi began mulling things over.
Wait… what day did the young lady say her birthday was again?
[Next Saturday…] the system piped up.
“Oh,” Yu Zhi murmured, opening her phone calendar.
Next Saturday was September 13th—just a week away. She had to prepare a birthday gift for the young lady, no question about it.
Yu Zhi asked the system, “What do you think I should get her?”
The system replied, [Just cater to her tastes.]
Yu Zhi rolled her eyes hard enough to see the back of her skull. As if that helps.
The system fell silent.
The next morning.
The first class today was College Chinese. Yu Zhi stepped into the classroom—and froze.
Pei Nian’an was already there, sitting in the last row, twirling a pen idly between her fingers.
“Pei-jie?” Yu Zhi slid into the seat beside her. “You’re here early? Did the sun rise in the west today?”
Pei Nian’an yawned, faint dark circles under her eyes.
“Couldn’t sleep. Since I was up anyway, I came early.”
She reached into her bag and handed Yu Zhi an envelope. “Here, the ten thousand yuan I promised you yesterday.”
Yu Zhi’s eyes lit up.
She snatched the envelope—it was thick, satisfyingly heavy.
“Thank you, Pei-jie!” she grinned.
“Save it,” Pei Nian’an waved her hand dismissively, then folded her arms and laid her head down to nap.
Yu Zhi glanced at her, thinking how uncomfortable she looked hunched over like that, wondering if she could make her more comfortable somehow…
Just then, the classroom door opened. Wen Ying walked in, wearing a pale yellow dress. She walked straight up to Yu Zhi’s desk.
“Yu Zhi,” she tapped lightly on the table, “I transferred the cab fare to your WeChat.”
Yu Zhi nodded.
Wen Ying gave her a look, then took a brown envelope from her bag. Standing there, she said in a deliberately clear voice:
“Take this money.”
Before Yu Zhi could react, Wen Ying placed the envelope in front of her.
“I heard your mother’s sick again. I saved this from part-time jobs—it’s not much, but maybe it’ll help a little.”
Yu Zhi raised an eyebrow.
Seeing that she didn’t move, Wen Ying glanced at the sleeping Pei Nian’an beside her and continued:
“Yu Zhi, we’re friends. I used to criticize you unfairly. I didn’t realize how hard things were for you—your family, your mom’s medical expenses… I was wrong. I’m sorry. If you can forgive me, can we be friends again?”
When she finished, the classroom burst into whispers.
“Wow, Wen Ying’s such a good person!”
“Yu Zhi’s family’s that poor? No wonder she clings to Pei Nian’an. She’s actually kind of pitiful.”
“Wen Ying’s really generous—repaying hate with kindness! What a role model!”
“Should we… start a fundraiser for Yu Zhi?”
Amid the murmurs, Yu Zhi looked at the envelope—and suddenly smiled.
She looked up at Wen Ying and pushed the envelope back toward her. “No need. I have money.”
“Don’t be stubborn,” Wen Ying frowned. “Just take it.”
She turned to leave.
Yu Zhi grabbed her arm, stood up, and met her gaze.
“As you said, my family is struggling. But this little bit won’t fix anything. So, no—I don’t need it. Take it back.”
“Yu Zhi!” Wen Ying protested, glancing at Pei Nian’an.
“Why would you take money from Pei Nian’an but not from me?”
“Keep your voice down—you’ll wake her.” Yu Zhi frowned, then took a deep breath.
“If you really wanted to help, you could’ve spoken to me privately. There’s no need to announce it in front of the whole class. What, did you want everyone to know I’m poor—so your kindness would stand out more? You’re making me look pathetic.”
Wen Ying froze. She hadn’t expected Yu Zhi to say that outright.
“I didn’t mean that…” she stammered. “I just wanted to help—”
“Help?” Pei Nian’an suddenly slammed her hand on the desk, startling everyone nearby.
“Wen Ying, are you addicted to playing the saint or what?!”
“You dare ask why she took my money but not yours?”
“Maybe shout a little louder—so the whole building knows how generous you are for helping your poor classmate!”
The room fell silent—then filled again with low murmurs.
Pei Nian’an grabbed the thin envelope from the desk and tore it open in front of everyone.
A few hundred-yuan bills fluttered to the ground.
Not even ten of them.
“All that noise for this?” Pei Nian’an sneered.
“Didn’t your grade-school teacher ever tell you good deeds don’t need an audience? You hand over a few hundred bucks and expect Yu Zhi to kneel and thank you?”
“I…” Wen Ying’s face went pale. Her lips trembled, but no words came out.
The whispers around them grew louder.
“Wait, only a few hundred? She made it sound like thousands!”
“Pei Nian’an’s right—this really does feel like pity, not help.”
“Exactly. Even if Yu Zhi’s struggling, a few hundred won’t change anything. That’s just embarrassing…”
As the crowd buzzed, Pei Nian’an turned her gaze to Yu Zhi and said, almost teasingly:
“So it’s true—you’re that broke? Your mom’s really sick? You’re that miserable?”
She paused, then added:
“Good thing I’m rich. I’m saying it now—your mom’s medical bills? I’ll cover them.”
Yu Zhi’s eyes widened. She hadn’t seen that twist coming at all.
