Chapter 012: Is This a Perk of Being a Girl?
"Am I here to study, or to leech off the perks of being a girl?"
This question lingered in Ye Zhen's mind for the next half hour.
The sweet scent emanating from Ye Fuli kept wafting into her nostrils.
More importantly, while solving problems together, Ye Fuli often touched her fingers—or even pressed their faces closer.
Ye Fuli, of course, couldn't possibly be thinking anything of it.
Oh, the only extra thought she might have been entertaining was… teaching Ye Zhen for a while longer so she could make her wear those embarrassing outfits and put on talent shows.
"Got it?"
Ye Zhen, who had been zoning out the entire time, got a tap on the head from Ye Fuli.
"You haven't been wasting my time by not understanding a single thing, have you?"
Facing Ye Fuli's fierce glare, Ye Zhen rubbed her head, looking utterly aggrieved. "I was listening! I understand all these problems."
"Then do them again."
"…"
Doing them again? She still couldn't possibly get them all right.
Ye Zhen held her pen, struggling to sketch for a moment.
When the class bell finally rang, Ye Zhen breathed a sigh of relief and hurried off.
"Thirty-eight minutes."
Ye Fuli glanced at her watch and announced the time.
"Remember that well."
……
……
"Got it, got it."
Noon.
A maid from the Ye family came to the school and delivered an exquisite lunch box to Ye Zhen.
Ye Zhen, however, had little appetite. After all, eating salmon, king crab, and such every day could get tiresome.
"Young Miss, you must go straight home after school. The mistress specifically instructed this! Are you sure you remember?"
"Yes, yes."
This nagging maid left Ye Zhen feeling utterly exasperated.
After dismissing her, Ye Zhen opened the lunchbox and stared blankly at the salmon sushi, caviar sushi, and creamy mushroom soup inside.
Suddenly, a thought struck her!
"I don't care for these things, but Feng Aotian loves them."
"Leaving it here would just be a waste."
"Why not send it over to Ye Fuli and use the chance to boost my favor with her?"
At this thought, Ye Zhen couldn't help but praise herself—she was truly clever.
She seized every chance to earn favor like this.
She quickly closed the lunchbox lid, grabbed it, and hurried straight to the floor where the elite class was located.
No sooner had she reached the second floor of the academic building than a familiar voice drifted out from the storage room.
Yes, it was Bai Ruoting, who had just been disgraced.
"If I can't have it easy, neither will that bitch!"
He gritted his teeth.
"In two days, my father will send me abroad! Before then, I must get my hands on that woman, Ye Fuli. Then I'll make her taste the bitter taste of disgrace."
Another voice soon chimed in.
What Ye Zhen hadn't expected was that this voice sounded familiar too… Upon closer thought, wasn't it that blond guy who'd hit on her this morning? Huang Li, the sophomore?
Upon further reflection, he seemed to be one of the many suitors pursuing the female lead in the comic storyline.
But in the manga, his role was truly minor.
Compared to Bai Ruoting, the male lead, he was nowhere near as significant.
To figure out what mischief this male lead was up to now, Ye Zhen instinctively pulled out her phone and activated the recording mode.
How could she not record evidence at such a crucial moment?
Huang Li casually remarked, "Brother Bai, you might be mistaken. I've met Ye Fuli—she's not exactly the burly type. Could she really have done this to you?"
"Could I possibly be mistaken about something like this?"
Bai Ruoting grew agitated again, his voice rising sharply.
"That woman was brutal! The moment she opened the door, she stabbed me with a knife, nearly severing my main artery. I'm still limping now."
Huang Li burst out laughing.
The combination of a dominant woman and a cold-blooded killer was enough to overload his XP system.
He loved it—loved it to death!
"Hey, you little punk, you dare laugh at me?"
At that moment, Bai Ruoting resembled a dog with its tail stepped on, ready to snap at anyone within reach.
The torment he endured from Ye Fuli—both physical and mental—was driving him mad.
If he didn't get his hands on Ye Fuli, he'd spend the rest of his life living in the shadows, a broken man.
"No, Brother Bai, I just suddenly remembered something funny." Huang Li dared not provoke this mad dog. Clearing his throat twice, he quickly changed the subject: "Alright, I'll go contact my brothers first and have them get ready."
"Alright, I'll wait for your word. Money's no issue! I'll make sure that bitch Ye Fuli pays a heavy price!"
The moment their conversation ended, Ye Zhen swiftly slipped into the crowd.
She wasn't about to get caught twice in the same situation.
Sliding into the elite class classroom, she spotted Ye Fuli sitting at her desk, munching on a bread roll.
She wasn't the only one cramming in the classroom, gnawing on bread to squeeze every last minute of study time.
The Elite Class was cutthroat—utterly cutthroat!
Ye Zhen crouched low, crept up beside Ye Fuli, and tugged at the hem of her shirt.
Already petite, Ye Zhen now crouched beside Ye Fuli's desk, her presence nearly invisible.
Ye Fuli frowned, looking down at her. "What do you want? Who gave you permission to come to my classroom…"
"I just brought you some food. I'll leave right away!"
Ye Zhen flashed a pleading smile.
She set down the lunchbox and turned to leave, only to be yanked back by the collar.
Ye Fuli really was incredibly strong!
At that moment, momentum carried Ye Zhen right onto the other girl's shoes, her back pressed against those long legs clad in black stockings.
Her face flushed instantly.
"Um, is there something else?"
"Ye Zhen." Ye Fuli leaned closer, whispering into her ear in a voice only they could hear. "You know I don't like people deliberately trying to curry favor with me. From now on, stop wasting your time on useless things like this. I won't show you any mercy just because you do these things."
That seductive voice, combined with the lingering warmth of her breath against her ear, instantly sent Ye Zhen reeling.
Oh my god!
Who could resist a Mary Sue protagonist pulling this kind of move?
She certainly couldn't.
She was a girl with a boy's heart, loving girls from the depths of her soul—especially beautiful girls, especially stunning older women!
"I-I-I… I understand."
Ye Zhen rubbed her ears and covered her face.
She dared not let anyone discover her attraction to girls.
After all, with her current cute little girl body, liking girls… well, that would be a bit… odd.
Ye Fuli saw her covering her face, body trembling, and froze for a moment: "Are you crying?"
Ye Zhen: "…Not crying."
Ye Fuli wrapped her arm around Ye Zhen's shoulder, drawing closer. "You really aren't crying?"
"N-no, I'm not!"
(ΩДΩ)……
She sprang to her feet and fled like the wind.
Stepping outside and catching the breeze, she suddenly realized—if Ye Fuli ever found out that she, Ye Zhen, harbored such bizarre thoughts, she'd probably slit her throat on the spot.
How terrifying!
From now on, she must carefully manage her expressions around Ye Fuli—not a single slip-up could be allowed!
Hmm…
That was the plan.
But when school let out, she couldn't hold it together again.
"Ye Zhen! Here, this is something Ye Fuli from the elite class asked me to give you."
It was a paper bag filled with gold jewelry.
Inside the bag was a box.
Inside was a brand-new gold ring.
Oh my god!
Why did it have to be a ring?!
Beneath the box lay a note: "The token of thanks I promised you earlier."
"Who wants a thank-you gift like this? A ring! It's actually a ring… She… She doesn't have any special feelings for me too, does she?"
The thought barely surfaced before Ye Zhen actively squashed it.
Ye Zhen took a deep breath and shook her head vigorously.
Her trembling hands tried to slip the ring on, but no matter which finger she tried, it wouldn't stay put.
"Looks like I'll have to tie it with a string and wear it around my neck."
Seeing her gift cherished like this, even Feng Aotian—that cold-blooded representative—would surely be pleased!
Uh…
That thought was a bit dangerous.
So Ye Zhen silently reminded herself: All her efforts to please Feng Aotian were solely for survival—absolutely no ulterior motives whatsoever!
But why was her mouth twitching uncontrollably into a wild grin?!
"Right! I must tell Ye Fuli about what I overheard at lunch… Hopefully she'll be on guard. After all, she just gave me a 20-gram gold ring… Hmm!"