Chapter 055: Sleeping Under a Bridge, But Refusing to Surrender!
"Ye Zhen, where are you?"
"Answer me."
"Ye Zhen, answer me! Reply!"
"Answer me!"
……
The messages bombarded her in waves.
Only when her fingers went numb did Ye Fuli stop tapping the screen.
She took a deep breath.
Her mind went blank.
The person… ran away?
That cowardly, self-preservation-obsessed Ye Zhen—had he really run away?
But she wasn't smart, had never left home, and didn't even have much money. Where could she possibly go?
Would she starve to death on the road?
She was still taking medicine during the exam period—what exactly was that medicine?
Could she be terminally ill, her days numbered, which is why she suddenly saw the light and abandoned even the Ye family's wealth and prestige?
After confirming Ye Zhen's escape, Ye Fuli's mind raced with thoughts.
She sat at the villa's entrance for a long time, until deep into the night when all the desserts had melted. Only then did she rise, her mind still dazed.
Without her realizing it, Ye Zhen had come to occupy the vast majority of her life since her rebirth.
Even if she refused to admit it, this was now an undeniable reality.
"I will find you, Ye Zhen."
Ye Fuli gritted her teeth, suddenly finding renewed resolve to keep living.
"I will find you, punish you severely, chain your hands and feet together. Even if you truly have a terminal illness and your days are numbered, you will only die before my eyes!"
"You bullied and humiliated me in my past life. Don't think this month of atonement is enough to make up for it!"
"I will find you. I will definitely find you!"
……
……
A remote small town.
A young woman lugging a suitcase grunted and groaned as she struggled to get off the bus.
At this hour, the streets were bathed in disjointed orange-yellow lights. Only the occasional speeding car could be seen, not a single pedestrian in sight.
"Damn system! You did this on purpose, didn't you?"
Having fully experienced the system's frustrating nature, Ye Zhen still couldn't hold back her anger. She desperately wanted to drag it out and give it a good beating.
"You actually dropped snacks and drinks in this godforsaken town? Your delivery error is way too big!"
The dog system trembled.
But it still tried to justify itself.
[Host, this is a mandatory stop on your recent route! You can grab your package right after getting off—super convenient. Besides, on moving vehicles, the only places to secretly drop packages are either the roof or the undercarriage…]
"Enough, shut up, dog system."
Ye Zhen had no desire to listen to its excuses. After lugging her suitcase for quite a distance, she finally reached the pickup location marked by the system and retrieved a cardboard box filled with a mountain of snacks.
Holding the heavy load of food, her mood lifted considerably.
It was all her favorite stuff!
But then, remembering she hadn't replied to Ye Fuli's messages for a whole day, a vague sense of dread crept in, and her appetite dwindled considerably.
"Hmm…"
She pulled out her phone, staring at the dark screen, lacking even the courage to turn it on.
Her fingers were trembling!
"Forget it, forget it. She's already run off—why worry about it? Tonight, I'll just have a big meal, sleep soundly, and deal with it tomorrow. Heh heh."
[Host, this cute little me reminds you: if you use your ID to book a room, Ye Fuli will easily track you down.]
The joy on Ye Zhen's face instantly faded.
She snorted, shaking out her messy, bed-disheveled hair.
"Then just send me a thick blanket. I'll sleep under the bridge. That should work, right?"
Getting caught? Not a chance.
Surrender? Absolutely not!
Ye Zhen had made up her mind: she would keep running until everyone forgot she existed—or better yet, until they believed she was dead.
"Ugh, why do I feel like a fugitive?"
Ye Zhen stared up at the sky in frustration.
Boom—
A thunderclap boomed.
Ye Zhen instinctively shrank her neck.
That's the downside of summer—it rains so easily.
And they're always thunderstorms—strong winds and heavy rain.
"Damn it, it's like a leaky roof getting hit by a downpour. You damn system, hurry up and drop me another tent! No one can see me here, just air-drop it directly."
The bridge tunnel wasn't too dark, just a bit unsettling.
Thinking about how she'd ended up sleeping under a bridge in this life, Ye Zhen felt a pang of emotion.
Clang—
A fairly spacious and sturdy tent landed not far behind her.
And it was already set up.
Ye Zhen ran her hand over the fabric, satisfied, and nodded.
"Damn system, you're something else. Finally acting reliable for once!"
[Host, what kind of talk is that? I've always been dependable! (Proud face.JPG)]
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're awesome~"
……
……
The Ye Family.
"What? You mean no one has seen Zhenzhen since she finished her exam today?"
Mrs. Ye finally grasped the gravity of the situation.
She had initially thought it was just a childish tantrum, but after questioning Ye Zhen's former friends and acquaintances, she uncovered even more alarming information.
Ye Zhen had undergone a drastic personality change about a month ago.
She cut ties with her friends, stopped attending idol concerts, and threw herself into studying. Many had seen her in the library, humbly asking elite class students for help with problems.
At the same time, she stopped lavishly spending money on gifts for others.
She had likely saved every penny.
And in Ye Zhen's room, those few valuable pieces of jewelry had vanished without a trace.
She hadn't taken her flashy little dresses, only a few plain changes of clothes.
All signs pointed to Ye Zhen's disappearance today not being a sudden whim, but a long-planned move.
She had been planning all along to leave this home, to leave her parents!
What a heartless little brat.
"But where could she possibly go? Last year, she needed me to personally drive her to the summer camp in the next city! She's timid and indecisive—how could she dare run away? In my opinion, she's probably hiding in some corner of an internet cafe, waiting for us to come pick her up."
At this thought, she snorted coldly and sat back down.
Things didn't seem quite so bad after all.
No matter how much Ye Zhen planned her escape, she was still just a young girl with no real-world experience.
Given her pampered upbringing and accustomed life of luxury, how long could she possibly last out there?
Across from Mrs. Ye, Ye Dad's face had turned ashen, teetering on the edge of losing his temper.
"I ask you, are you still Ye Zhen's real mother? She's gone missing, and you just plan to ignore it?"
Madam Ye replied coldly, "She's declaring war on me. She's trying to subdue me—can't you see? If we give in today, disciplining her will become impossible in the future!"
"You've lost your mind."
Ye Dad refused to utter another word to her.
All he knew was that his daughter was missing, and might never return.
He had to find her. He had to bring his Zhenzhen back!
Ye Dad still didn't alert the police. Instead, he first mobilized his own resources, investigating through every possible channel.
The rain poured down heavily.
Traffic in the city was horrendous.
Ye Dad's car crawled through the dense traffic, as if deliberately blocking his path to his daughter.
He slammed his fist hard against the steering wheel.
Suddenly!
A flash of inspiration struck him—Ye Fuli.
That girl named Ye Fuli had been spending a lot of time with Zhenzhen over the past month.
Perhaps she knew where Zhenzhen was!
With that thought, Ye Dad decisively pulled out his phone and began searching for Ye Fuli's number.
The moment the call connected.
Both voices simultaneously fired the soul-searching question.
"Where is Ye Zhen?"
"Where is Ye Zhen?"
After a brief silence, suppressing his anxiety and frustration, Ye Dad said slowly and deliberately, "Ye Fuli, Zhenzhen is missing. Regardless of the circumstances, I hope we're on the same page right now. Please help us find her. Money is no object."
Ye Fuli didn't respond. She simply hung up.
On the computer screen before her, various data flashed by rapidly.
She pushed her glasses up.
Behind the lenses, her eyes were bloodshot from exhaustion.
Deep dark circles added to her gaunt appearance.
Yet her fingers never ceased tapping the keyboard…
"Ye Zhen, I refuse to believe you could just vanish into thin air."