Chapter 014: Bathing with the Female Lead?
The Ye Residence.
Upon returning home, Ye Zhen received a scolding from Mrs. Ye, as expected.
"Don't give me excuses! Studying? Do you really think I'd believe you? Ye Zhen, I don't expect you to learn anything, but I won't tolerate you lying to me!"
Madam Ye's stern expression reiterated the household rules.
"As my daughter, you must come straight home after school. You are forbidden from seeing any unsavory characters. Do you understand?"
This woman, driven by an overwhelming desire for control, also possessed an arrogance and prejudice that were difficult to accept.
She didn't believe a word Ye Zhen said, even when Ye Zhen pulled out the English vocabulary she'd been memorizing and offered to let her test her recall.
Fine…
Fine, if you don't believe me, then don't.
Ye Zhen never felt the slightest attachment to this family anyway. She’d been forced into this mess, left to clean up the rotten mess.
Now, her sole purpose was to extract as much money as possible before leaving. To achieve that goal, she could even coax that sourpuss Feng Aotian—let alone Mrs. Ye.
"Mom, I'm sorry I came home late. To make it up to you, how about I massage your legs?"
Without waiting for Mrs. Ye's consent or refusal, Ye Zhen obediently squatted down and began massaging her legs to help her relax.
She'd honed this skill to perfection practicing on Ye Fuli!
If she could satisfy even the picky Feng Aotian, Mrs. Ye was no challenge at all.
"You little rascal… Hmm, this really feels good."
Though in her fifties, Mrs. Ye still possessed a lingering charm, maintaining herself like a thirty-year-old woman.
Especially the skin on her legs—firm and silky smooth, not at all like a middle-aged woman's.
Ye Zhen, however, remained utterly focused, moving slowly and deliberately with her task.
Though a man's soul resided within this loli body, he was a true gentleman at heart—utterly devoid of any perverted inclinations.
"Alright! Go study now. Since you've been so well-behaved this time, I won't punish you."
Having enjoyed her massage to the fullest, Mrs. Ye finally released Ye Zhen.
Ye Zhen exhaled deeply, rose, and said, "Then, please rest well. I'll head to the study now."
"Wait."
Madam Ye called her back once more. She opened her handbag, pulled out several bills, and handed them to Ye Zhen.
"That hair tie you're using is ugly. Go buy a new one."
Buying a hair tie? Why give so much money?
Wealthy families sure know how to splurge.
Ye Zhen's heart skipped a beat, but her body reacted instinctively. She promptly took the money, not forgetting to offer a sweet smile. "Thank you, Mom!"
Watching her retreating figure, Mrs. Ye felt a bit puzzled inside.
The old Ye Zhen had always been awkward—never asking for what she wanted but preferring others to guess.
And even when given money, she'd never offer such a sweet smile or sincere gratitude.
Mrs. Ye felt Ye Zhen had changed.
But she rather liked this change.
"Perhaps she's just grown up,"
Mrs. Ye tapped her neck and stretched lazily.
"Mmm~ That feels good, really good!"
……
……
Entering the study, she tossed her backpack aside and flopped onto the sofa.
She felt like she'd discovered the right way to get along with Mrs. Ye today.
"Being a spoiled daughter really pays off! While this 'spoiled' tactic might not work on Ye Fuli, it's surprisingly effective with Mrs. Ye."
Come to think of it, these two were truly mother and daughter—both possessed a touch of that proud and stubborn streak.
Running her fingers over the stack of bills, Ye Zhen felt utterly delighted!
This was her ticket to a life of freedom.
To get more of these tickets, she wouldn't just pout—she'd gladly rub Mrs. Ye's back and massage her feet later if asked!
Who wouldn't love such a generous reward?
She'd just treat it like serving a demanding boss.
"Ahem, time to study."
Ye Zhen quickly grabbed her backpack, opened the inner compartment, and pulled out the set of unfinished exam papers.
"No matter what, if I can graduate smoothly, it might change my fate a little."
Being kicked out of the house was, in Ye Zhen's view, a foregone conclusion.
From now on, she couldn't rely on the Ye family connections to land an
easy
job!
Then, a diploma would be crucial.
As she began burning the midnight oil, Ye Zhen entered a state of complete focus.
She knew she wasn't naturally gifted at studying, so achieving good grades would require several times the effort of others.
Fortunately, Ye Fuli's guidance proved invaluable. Several concepts that had previously eluded her were now largely understood.
Next, she just needed to practice more problems, applying what she'd learned to the exam questions!
……
……
Beep-beep-beep—
The next morning, Ye Zhen was jolted awake by her alarm clock.
Last night, she had fallen asleep with her head on the desk, skipping brushing her teeth, washing her face, let alone showering or changing clothes.
"It's already this late!"
She yawned widely.
"I'm so tired. Studying is just too much to ask of anyone!"
She was clearly a system-equipped time traveler too, so why was her system so lame?
Couldn't it at least give her a buff like "Super Learning Boost"?
"The moment it's time to work, this useless system just shuts down." Ye Zhen couldn't be bothered to call it anymore. "It expects the host to do everything on their own. What's the point of having you?"
[Um, would the host like to take on a mission? This cute little system can apply for some missions for you. They all come with rewards, you know.]
Ye Zhen frowned, a bad feeling rising in her chest. "What kind of tasks?"
[After a quick scan, currently available quests include: 'Invent a Perpetual Motion Machine,' 'Unify the World,' 'Single-handedly Build a Nuclear Bomb and Successfully Detonate It'… ]
Ye Zhen: "Shut up, thanks a lot."
This system is totally unreliable.
If you want me dead, just say so.
[Besides these, there are simpler tasks available. Would you like to try one?]
Ye Zhen: "Hm?"
[Currently available simple tasks include: 'Spend a night alone with the female lead Ye Fuli,' 'Take a bath with the female lead Ye Fuli,' 'Obtain any gift from the female lead Ye Fuli.' Would you like any of these?]
Ye Zhen: "…"
It did sound easy enough.
But for her, they felt impossibly difficult!
She could stay calm and composed around other girls, but whenever she faced Ye Fuli, her mind would inevitably wander!
What if Ye Fuli discovered that the little runt beside her harbored improper thoughts? Wouldn't she beat her to death?
Especially during a shared bath!
w(?Д?)w……
She couldn't handle it. Her blood pressure would skyrocket, nosebleeds would fly everywhere, and she'd die!
[Complete any one task to gain mastery in one subject. Your chances of graduating successfully will skyrocket—it's a steal!]
"I'll take it! Such a trivial task—is it really beneath me, Ye Zhen?"
You've got to be kidding me.
Only a fool would pass up such a sweet deal.
Plus, according to the dog system, failing the task carries no penalties whatsoever. It's entirely optional, giving it that "Truth or Dare" vibe.
"How exactly do I trick the female lead into taking a bath?"
Ye Zhen fell deep in thought.
"Wait! I'm a proper young lady! How could I start thinking about bathing with someone right off the bat? I'll just choose to spend the night alone!"
But spending the night alone wasn't exactly a gentlemanly choice either.
Ye Zhen glanced at the option to ask for a gift.
She figured this was the easiest option to pull off.
She decided to text Ye Fuli immediately and see if she could get it directly.
Ye Zhen pulled out her phone and typed out each word carefully: "Dear Ye Fuli, we're friends now, right? How about a friendly gift exchange? It'll make our friendship even stronger!"
The message was sent.
After a long while, Ye Fuli replied: "Sure, but the gift I want, you probably can't afford."
Can't afford it?
Ye Zhen tapped the screen in frustration: "If you want me to give back my status as the Ye family's heiress right now, then yes, I really can't afford it."
Another moment passed.
Ye Fuli: "Who said I wanted that? You've completely misunderstood. Besides, if I wanted it, I wouldn't need to ask you for it at all."
Ye Zhen: "Then what do you want? ????
A while later.
Ye Fuli replied belatedly with just a few words:
"I want you to come to the slums and spend the night with me."
……
……
After sending that final message.
Ye Fuli shut off her phone and snorted coldly.
That line was clearly meant to provoke Ye Zhen.
Of course, she didn't actually want Ye Zhen to spend the night with her. Besides, they were both girls—what could possibly happen if they just kept each other company for a night?
Given her personality, she'd probably order Ye Zhen to do a night's worth of housework—and make her wear a maid's dress!
"How boring."
Ye Fuli closed her eyes.
Recalling how Ye Zhen had jogged alongside her all day, her inner irritation surged once more.
She could have tormented that despicable Ye Zhen from her past life, but she simply couldn't bring herself to harm this clumsy, innocent Ye Zhen…
"I'll let her off for now. I'll focus on dealing with scum like Bai Ruoting and Huang Li instead."