Chapter 173: Ye Fuli's Wish, So Close Yet So Far
Bai Ruoting had been held captive at the Ye residence for some time now.
The wounds inflicted by Ye Fuli had nearly healed.
Now, bound and gagged by Ye Fuli's bodyguards and left by the bed under strict surveillance, a faint smile still lingered at the corners of his mouth. He showed no fear whatsoever for the storm he was about to face.
This was a man who feared no death…
After all, he had lost his manhood. For a playboy, the cruelty of this fate was unimaginable. Official Account: flyn5959
"I'm the young master of the Bai family. My grandfather is the head of Bai Enterprises. No matter how capable Ye Fuli is, she'd never dare take my life!"
This thought eased Bai Ruoting's tension considerably.
"As long as I live, I will pursue her relentlessly. She has ties that bind her, but I am utterly unencumbered. She cannot defeat me!"
"Hmph."
"Hehehe… Ha ha ha!"
Thud—
The bodyguard kicked him square in the face, where his twisted grin hung frozen, sending him crashing to the floor. "Behave yourself."
The searing pain in his face finally silenced Bai Ruoting's laughter.
He spat and demanded, "I need to see my grandfather. Call him now! Hurry!"
"Shut up and stop talking nonsense. Until the young miss returns, you can't even pee unless you do it right where you stand!"
……
…
Ye Fuli had little interest in fishing.
Ye Dad sat at his fishing spot, rod in hand, but his mind was elsewhere.
After pondering for a while, he couldn't help but ask, "Did you hit Jiang Nini?"
Ye Fuli sat beside him, her rod twitching. She jerked it upward, flinging a large blue carp onto the mat. "Yes."
"Can Dad ask why?"
Ye Fuli scoffed. "I hate her. Is that reason enough?"
Her bucket was already filled with quite a few fish.
As for Ye Dad's bucket, it remained completely empty.
Lately, the fish around here had gotten smarter and weren't biting as easily.
Ye Dad looked at the lively fish wriggling in her bucket, feeling a mix of resignation and envy. "Ye Fuli, I still hope you'll avoid conflicts with others."
"Mhm."
Ye Dad wanted to say more, but Ye Fuli had already picked up her bucket and walked away.
Watching his daughter's retreating figure, Ye Dad felt a complex mix of emotions.
He didn't know how to guide this daughter of his. Every word he spoke was carefully measured, fearing she might revert to her violent, bloodthirsty ways.
He only knew that hurting others was wrong—no matter the reason, violence should never be taken lightly.
But he couldn't demand Ye Fuli listen to his reasoning.
The fact that Ye Fuli was willing to come back often, have a meal with him, and accompany him fishing was already a tremendous change. He dared not ask for more.
"If you don't like Jiang Nini, just tell me to fire her. Why hit her?"
After this incident, Ye Dad certainly couldn't keep Jiang Nini on.
Having made up his mind to fire her, Ye Dad reeled in his fishing rod and prepared to take Ye Fuli home.
On the way home, a torrential downpour began.
Seated in the car, Ye Fuli listened to the thunderous claps outside, her mood darkening.
As the car entered the city, it crawled slowly through the traffic.
Ye Fuli kept her head down, staring blankly at her phone.
As their car entered the villa district, an inexplicable sense of panic welled up inside Ye Fuli.
This feeling had often surfaced during the days when her biological mother had tricked her into returning home, lingering in her heart.
Back then, she hadn't understood what it meant.
Now, she understood it was what they called a premonition of danger.
She opened the car door and stepped out.
Without pausing to grab an umbrella, she dashed through the downpour to her father's car and opened the door for him.
Ye Dad looked at her in surprise: "Child, the rain is too heavy. You should find shelter quickly…"
Ye Fuli shook her head, took the umbrella handed to her by the driver, snapped it open with a click, and held it over her biological father's head.
"Let's go home."
"Alright, let's go home."
The rain poured down relentlessly.
Her vision blurred.
A commotion erupted in the greenbelt.
A man clad in a black raincoat, brandishing a gleaming knife, lunged suddenly at Ye's father.
Ye Fuli reacted swiftly, grabbing the man's shoulder and wresting the knife from his grasp.
The man was weak; once pinned down, all his strength drained away, and he collapsed to the ground.
Ye Fuli initially pinned him down, but soon found herself lifting him instead.
He resembled a dying, sick dog, showing little aggression.
After being pinned down, he tilted his head back slightly. His cloudy eyes fixed on Ye Fuli as he grinned.
"Oh, young miss, you're so beautiful…"
Ye Fuli felt a sharp sting in her wrist.
A tiny syringe had pierced the inside of her wrist.
The hand holding the syringe had been tucked inside his sleeve the entire time, its feeble appearance successfully deceiving Ye Fuli.
She had been careless.
Just two or three seconds more, and the bodyguard would have taken over. Just those two or three seconds…
Ye Fuli gritted her teeth.
Through two lifetimes, she had always failed to fully control the situation at the critical moment.
It was always just a hair's breadth away.
When Ye Zhen's face was disfigured, when Ye Zhen plunged into the river… In those moments, she failed to alter the disastrous course of events. She failed to grasp Ye Zhen's hand, failed to voice the words buried deep within her heart.
Fate had granted her a second chance, bestowed upon her countless privileges, yet still denied her what she truly desired.
What she wanted…
was simply a home.
This wish…
Ye Fuli delivered a powerful kick, sending the other person tumbling into the rushing, filthy water. She picked up the knife from the ground, intending to deliver the fatal blow.
A sudden wave of dizziness nearly knocked her off her feet.
Amidst the crowd's gasps, Ye Fuli collapsed.
…
"This child has truly suffered so much misfortune."
The doctor couldn't help but sigh for her upon seeing Ye Fuli.
Pale and feverish, she lay in the hospital bed, her consciousness fading. Only occasionally did she murmur the name "Ye Zhen" in her dazed state.
Through the glass, Ye Fu Li's father watched her in the hospital room, his heart and eyes filled with self-reproach.
If only he had reacted faster, he could have shielded her from this calamity!
Why was it his child lying there instead of him?!
Thinking of all the hardships Ye Fuli had endured in her life, tears streamed down Ye Dad's face.
He had failed this child.
He suddenly realized that the little paternal love he possessed had all been given to Ye Zhen, with only a negligible fraction spared for Ye Fuli.
Because Ye Zhen was docile and sensible, while Ye Fuli was prickly and difficult…
But even if she was prickly, she was still his own flesh and blood!
"We still don't know what substance is in this potion," the doctor said solemnly. "The patient's condition is critical. After all, she was poisoned not long ago, and her body has been severely weakened. You family members need to be prepared."
The latter part of that sentence made Ye Dad's vision go black, and he nearly collapsed.
"No! No matter what, you must save my daughter!"
"Doctor, I beg you, please!"
"I'll kowtow to you, I beg you!"
The doctor looked alarmed and quickly grabbed Ye Dad's arm. "Stop! Chairman Ye, please don't do this. We'll do everything we can."
In the hallway, people came and went.
Ye Dad sank helplessly against the wall and wept uncontrollably.
"Zhenzhen, where are you… Come back quickly… Please come back…"