Chapter 158: What If Someone Dares to Pursue Ye Zhen?
Ye Dad froze in place.
He began to doubt his own sanity, and also questioned the sanity of his own daughter.
After a long silence,
He finally spoke again, asking earnestly, "Ye Fuli, are you serious? Or is there a difference between what you're saying and what I understand?"
Ye Fuli: "I simply want to be her lifelong partner and live like any other married couple."
Ye's father: "…"
His mouth twitched visibly.
It was clear this news was likely the worst he'd heard this New Year.
"If I were to say I don't quite agree with this, would you… listen?"
His tone was undeniably weak.
Truthfully, it wasn't that he disagreed—he simply couldn't accept it.
He could even accept his daughters remaining unmarried for life, but he couldn't accept the idea of them being together.
For an old-fashioned father like him, the ideological shock was simply too great!
Ye Fuli: "…"
She knew her father wouldn't listen.
After all, parents who approved of such a relationship were still a minority in this world.
She sighed softly, resignedly saying, "Even if you don't agree, I'll still do this."
"Sigh."
Ye's father couldn't help but rub his throbbing temples.
What kind of situation was this?
"Fine! You asked for my opinion, and naturally I don't fully agree. But your lives are yours to decide—you don't have to act based on my views."
This was the greatest concession Ye Dad could offer.
"Take good care of yourself. I'll be heading back now."
Ye Dad stood up, ready to leave.
The moment he pushed open the door, he visibly froze.
Standing in the doorway was a girl with extensive burn scars on her face, holding a tray laden with pastries and tea meant for guests.
"Ye Zhen…?"
Ye Dad called out, his voice trembling.
Hearing the name, Jiang Zao flinched and immediately explained, "I'm not Ye Zhen. My name is Jiang Zao. Here's my work ID."
She freed one hand to hand over her ID.
Truthfully, the moment she spoke, Ye Dad had already realized he'd mistaken her for someone else.
Her voice wasn't vastly different from Ye Zhen's, but it just didn't quite feel like hers.
Besides, Ye Zhen wasn't this tall.
"My apologies, I mistook you for someone else. Please keep your ID."
Ye Dad examined the badge Jiang Zao handed him carefully before returning it.
He then opened his wallet, pulled out a few bills, and placed them on Jiang Zao's tray.
"My daughter's health isn't good. Please take good care of her."
Jiang Zao nodded.
She knew she couldn't keep pretending to be Ye Zhen anymore.
Yet seeing so many people caring for that girl named "Ye Zhen," she couldn't help but feel a pang of envy.
She placed the tray within Ye Fuli's reach.
She turned to leave.
Ye Fuli's gaze lingered on her, faintly haunted: "You don't resemble Ye Zhen at all. Why would anyone mistake you for her?"
Jiang Zao's footsteps faltered.
She stiffened her neck, turned around, and looked at the sickly Ye Fuli: "You shouldn't be asking me that question. You should be asking the person who mistook us."
In Ye Fuli's mind, there was some truth to that.
Ye Fuli stared at her expressionlessly.
Her gaze seemed to demand both of the other woman's kidneys.
In the end, however, she said nothing. With a forced movement of her fingers, she dismissed the attendant.
…
During her convalescence at the factory compound, Ye Fuli had someone bring her the latest romantic dramas and soap operas every day.
She would watch the utterly baffling antics on screen with a deeply pensive gaze.
The fact that such utterly incomprehensible behaviors could actually win over the object of their affection made Ye Fuli seriously question the mental state of these screenwriters.
Then…
The thought that she was seriously studying such material made her question her own sanity.
After repeatedly questioning both herself and others, Ye Fuli finally abandoned this method of learning about romance.
"Hey there!"
Zhao Mengde returned, lugging two enormous king crabs.
She first went to Ye Zhen's room but found her absent, so she slipped into Ye Fuli's room instead.
Seeing Ye Fuli lying on the bed looking half-dead, she couldn't help but let out a "tsk."
"Why are you still sleeping here? At your age, how can you possibly sleep through the night!"
Ye Fuli stared at her expressionlessly. "Another episode, huh?"
That familiar voice, thick with murderous intent, instantly made Zhao Mengde realize Ye Fuli had regained her memories.
Zhao Mengde instantly assumed a defensive stance, glaring at her warily. "Ye Fuli, what do you think you're doing? I'm warning you—if you try to harm Ye Zhen, I'll unleash every ounce of my power to kill you!"
Her tone was equally brimming with lethal intent.
Ye Fuli scoffed. "As if you could possibly defeat me."
"Hmph! I'm a ten-year veteran of the elite forces! I've been on the battlefield. The enemies I've killed outnumber the chickens you've ever slaughtered!"
Ye Fuli scoffed, "So what?"
"So… Hey, can you just speak properly? Why does every word you say feel like it's dripping with mockery?"
Ye Fuli fell silent.
First, she genuinely disliked bickering with people. Second, she simply didn't have the energy for it anymore.
Recovery was a long, drawn-out process.
Her body was depleted to the breaking point. To fully recover, she needed at least another two months.
Seeing Ye Fuli finally quiet, Zhao Mengde snorted and gradually lowered his guard. "Seriously, if you want to pursue Ye Zhen, you need to get moving! What good does lying around like a corpse do?"
Noticing a slight shift in Ye Fuli's expression, Zhao Mengde chuckled and pressed on, "Girls need to be charmed! Can you charm someone? I seriously doubt it."
Flattery?
A flood of overly dramatic scenes from TV dramas instantly filled Ye Fuli's mind.
Honestly, she couldn't bring herself to say those lines.
"How about it? Try sweet-talking me instead?" Zhao Mengde grinned mischievously. "Don't worry, I won't laugh at you."
Ye Fuli: "You can get lost."
"If you keep lying there like this, someone else might come chasing after Ye Zhen! What if it's a fiery older woman with deep pockets and killer looks…"
Hearing this, Ye Fuli shot upright.
One second she seemed on the verge of dying, the next she looked 50% revived.
Just as Zhao Mengde thought she was about to dash off to chase after her wife, Ye Fuli grabbed her by the cheeks and said in a sinister tone, "How much is Ye Zhen paying you to be her bodyguard? I'll double it. You keep an eye on her. If anyone dares to pursue Ye Zhen…"
What if someone dared to pursue Ye Zhen?
First instinct: stuff them into a sack and make them disappear.
Second thought: That approach is absolutely unacceptable.
Third thought: Use a more reasonable and legal method to make them disappear.
"What should we do?"
Zhao Mengde hissed, quickly pulling his jaw back into place.
"Hurry up and say it! What should we do?"
After a moment of silence, Ye Fuli exhaled softly and lay back down. "Our family has some business interests in Africa…"
Hearing this, Zhao Mengde fell silent too.
Another moment passed.
Ye Fuli weakly pressed her hand to her forehead. "Forget it. I'll pay you triple the fee. Find a way to keep them away from Ye Zhen."
"But make sure it's legal and above board."