Chapter 203: Letting Her Go So Far Away—Aren't You Afraid Someone Will Chase Her Away?
A shadow of gloom settled in He Ying's eyes.
Still, she smiled and denied the suggestion.
"You bodyguards sure have a way with words. I'll admit your boss Ye is gorgeous, but she's a girl! I'm straight as an arrow—always loved handsome guys, and always will."
At that moment, He Ying finally spotted Ye Fuli.
While abroad, she'd heard about the Ye family's various upheavals, including Ye Fuli's hospitalization and near-fatal emergency…
She had also heard whispers about the "disfigured Ye Fuli."
Now, seeing Ye Fuli standing there perfectly fine, He Ying confirmed her suspicions.
If the disfigurement could be explained, then Ye Zhen must be Ye Zhen.
"Third Young Miss, you must be exhausted from your long journey." Ye Fuli approached and sat down naturally on the sofa opposite Ye Zhen.
There was an empty seat beside Ye Zhen at that moment.
However, neither Ye Fuli nor He Ying moved to fill it.
"Tonight, I'll treat you. Consider it a reward for your hard work at the branch office," Ye Fuli said as she began ordering.
"Get me some home-style dishes. No Western food or Korean cuisine—I've had enough of that."
"Sure."
The awkwardness from earlier seemed to vanish instantly.
Zhao Mengde also found a seat and sat down again.
She continued to observe the three people before her, her mind repeatedly pondering their stories.
"Ah, the Loli Boss is just too popular. What's a girl to do?"
…
For the evening gathering, Ye Fuli had invited not only He Ying but also all the team members who had returned to the country with her.
Ye Zhen changed into a casual little dress and got into He Ying's car, sitting in the backseat alongside Ye Fuli.
Zhao Mengde was behind the wheel.
Zhao Mengde was quite the chatterbox, chattering away nonstop throughout the ride. He even occasionally showed off his driving skills, pulling off some jaw-dropping drifts.
But the other three in the car remained silent the entire time.
During the day, Zhao Mengde's speculation about a secret crush had landed like a seed in He Ying's heart, taking root.
He Ying had never considered her feelings for Ye Zhen in that light.
She believed she simply liked handsome guys.
During her time abroad, she'd attended numerous high-society balls to build connections with foreign women, encountering all kinds of handsome men. She'd felt a flutter of attraction for a few seconds here and there, but whenever the other party tried to take things further, she'd rejected them without mercy.
Why did she reject them?
It certainly wasn't because someone else had captured her heart.
If she had to pinpoint a reason, it was that the moment the other person enthusiastically reciprocated her feelings, her own attraction vanished.
What kind of twisted psychology was this? Even He Ying couldn't explain it.
Ye Zhen had saved her life. To repay that debt, she’d done many reckless things, even nearly killing Ye Fuli with her own hands.
Later, without knowing it, she had received a great favor from Ye Fuli, who had protected her meager savings and preserved the dignity of both her and her mother.
To repay Ye Fuli's kindness, she had put aside her playfulness and worked diligently during her six months abroad.
Yet even she knew that working hard…
was nowhere near enough to repay Ye Fuli for her timely help in her hour of need.
Her mother often spoke of Ye Fuli's kindness in her ear, urging her to repay the favor. Each time, she would loudly refute her mother's views, yet in action, she simply complied with the arrangements.
The tangled web of grievances between the three of them had long since transcended simple notions of "right" and "wrong."
Everyone had their dark sides and imperfections.
He Ying had long outgrown the age of seeing the world as black and white. To this day, she still disliked Ye Fuli as a person, but at least she no longer harbored desires for revenge or to kill her.
As for her feelings toward Ye Zhen…
He Ying closed her eyes and rubbed her temples.
Regardless, she had no desire to pursue a romantic relationship with Ye Zhen. That much was undeniable.
They soon arrived at the restaurant and disembarked.
As Ye Zhen stepped down, her toe caught on a raised paving stone, nearly sending her tumbling.
As her bodyguard, Zhao Mengde moved swiftly, effortlessly catching her around the waist.
"Hehe! Little~Loli~"
She flashed a mischievous grin, deliberately drawing out the word "little~loli~" in a deliberately affected tone.
Ye Zhen's expression remained stone-cold: "Your bonus for this month is~ completely~ gone~!"
"Ah!!! Dama-yo~ Dama-dama~"
"Hmph."
Stepping out of Zhao Mengde's strong embrace, Ye Zhen dusted off her skirt and continued walking forward.
Ye Fuli and He Ying, trailing behind them, both frowned simultaneously.
"Ye Fuli, what exactly is your relationship with Ye Zhen now?" He Ying couldn't resist asking the question that most concerned her.
"Nothing. She's not my girlfriend, and she hasn't returned to the Ye family."
"So," He Ying stared at her in disbelief, "after all you've done for her and all this time you've pursued her, she still hasn't agreed to be with you?"
Ye Fuli gave her a strange look: "Why must she agree to me? This way, she's happy, and I'm happy. Isn't that good enough?"
He Ying: "…"
Ah, right.
You're a psychopath too, even more twisted than me, He Ying.
In this world, even the most devoted stalker probably struggles to enjoy the chase as much as Ye Fuli does.
"You let her get so far away. Aren't you afraid someone else will snatch her away?"
"Only those who are clueless or incompetent would worry about such things."
As Ye Fuli uttered these infuriating words, she shot He Ying a look that was equally infuriating.
Furious and humiliated, He Ying… got angry.
She couldn't fight back, dared not curse, so what else could she do?
Ye Fuli patted her shoulder, gave a meaningful smile, and caught up with Ye Zhen ahead.
"Ye Zhen, come here for a sec."
"…Huh? Hey, wait!"
Ye Zhen, who had already stepped over the threshold, was pulled back by Ye Fuli.
Everyone was watching!
Frustrated and embarrassed, Ye Zhen raised her hand and smacked Ye Fuli's wrist with a sharp "smack," freeing her own hand.
The sound was sharp and clear.
Seeing the small red mark on Ye Fuli's fair skin, those familiar with Ye Fuli's fighting prowess couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.
Ye Fuli rubbed her hand, which didn't hurt much, paused in thought, then hissed.
"Ouch."
"…I'm sorry."
"Sorry doesn't make it hurt any less."
"…"
Seeing Ye Fuli's wounded little expression, He Ying and Zhao Mengde both thought the same thing: This guy's acting is incredible!
When did she learn to play the victim like this?!
Could a mere "smack" really make her tear up like that?
Ye Zhen pondered inwardly—perhaps her old injury hadn’t fully healed, and it genuinely hurt a bit. After a moment’s thought, she tentatively took Ye Fuli’s hand and gave the back of it a half-hearted “whoosh, whoosh” with her breath.
"Does it still hurt?"
"…A little."
Before the words had even finished leaving her mouth, Ye Zhen gave her palm another sharp smack.
This time, it was hard.
After all, Ye Zhen could tell she was faking it.
"Enough with the act. Are we getting down to business or not, Miss Ye Fuli?"
Only after Ye Zhen ushered her team into the private room did Ye Fuli turn back, shooting He Ying and the others a rather smug look.
He Ying: "…"
Her fists clenched.
Zhao Mengde: "…"
Heh heh, I've made up my mind—I'm definitely drawing your two's doujinshi.