Chapter 071: Miss Ye Zhen Requires Close Supervision
At that moment, Ye Zhen was manipulating her game character, striving to trigger a new plot point.
Suddenly, the aroma of king crab wafted through the air. She even wondered if her nose was playing tricks on her.
Sniffing again, she continued clicking away at her mouse.
"Perfect! This data is spot on. Looks like I can unlock new knowledge about cute girls this time…"
Ye Zhen rubbed her hands together, her face lit up with excitement as she stared at the bashful anime-style loli on her computer screen.
Just then, her shoulder went heavy.
Ye Fuli removed her headphones and said in a sinister tone, "Looks like being grounded suits you just fine, huh?"
Startled, Ye Zhen let out a startled cry and nearly fell off her chair.
Clutching her wildly pounding heart, she stared at Ye Fuli in panic. "Ye Fuli! You… When did you…?"
"Ever since you tried to trick me into changing into a swimsuit."
Ye Fuli shot a disdainful glance at her computer screen.
On the game screen, a white-stockinged anime loli dangled her feet by the poolside, splashing playfully with a bashful expression.
"Are you even normal, Ye Zhen?"
Ye Fuli couldn't understand why Ye Zhen would enjoy playing this kind of game.
Was this really the kind of game a little girl would enjoy?
It looked like the kind of game only otaku guys would enjoy.
Ye Zhen looked utterly frustrated, shutting down the game and blurting out, "I'm perfectly normal! I just like girls—what's so abnormal about that?"
Hearing this, Ye Fuli's breath caught in her throat.
Ye Zhen immediately realized she shouldn't have spoken her mind and hastily covered up with a flimsy excuse: "What I mean is, I appreciate girls for their beauty, gentleness, cuteness, innocence…"
She stole a glance at Ye Fuli's expression.
Ye Fuli's expression was quite something.
Of course, after a brief silence, Ye Fuli subconsciously chose to believe her, not dwelling on it further.
Ye Fuli took out the box of king crab meat she'd deliberately packed and placed it before her.
"Miss, what do you mean by this?"
Ye Zhen didn't reach out to take it—she wasn't hungry anyway.
But, gazing at the fragrant crab meat, she couldn't help but swallow hard.
Ye Fuli snorted, feigning composure. "I suspected you might go on a hunger strike. Worried you'd rot away in your house this summer, I kindly came to check on you."
She added, "This is leftovers from today's meal. It seemed wasteful to throw it away, so I brought it to feed you."
Hearing this excuse, Ye Zhen snorted in response.
Why did this excuse feel so familiar?
If you want to feed her something tasty, why not just say so honestly? Why be so petty and unhelpful?
She tugged at the sock on her foot, pulled it off, balled it up, and tossed it into the trash can.
Then, barefoot, she resumed her cross-legged position on the executive chair.
This carefree pose made Ye Fuli pause slightly, feeling she needed to reevaluate Ye Zhen all over again.
Ye Zhen held up four fingers. "Three points."
"First, there's air conditioning here, so it shouldn't get smelly that quickly."
"Second, even if I die, it's none of your business."
"Third, third… even if I die, it won't stink on you!"
Ye Fuli scoffed coldly. "Ye Zhen, do you think I've been too kind to you?"
Ye Zhen blinked innocently. "Well, you deliberately climbed over the fence late at night to bring me a midnight snack. Isn't that being nice?"
The former had only been being sarcastic, never expecting Ye Zhen to take the bait and run with it. For a moment, she was at a loss for words.
"But don't be so nice to me anymore."
Ye Zhen suppressed her craving for the king crab, shifting her gaze slightly to gaze at the night view outside the window.
Just as Ye Fuli had observed, she was now in a loli body yet still retained her male orientation—she was quite abnormal.
She craved Ye Fuli's attention even when she treated her badly—let alone when she was kind.
"Why?"
"I don't deserve it."
Ye Zhen answered bluntly, adding, "And I don't need it either."
However, she forgot she was dealing with Ye Fuli—a domineering, hot-tempered individual.
Ye Fuli abruptly stood up, strode over to her, and grabbed her by the collar.
That vicious glare made Ye Zhen's heart skip a beat.
Ye Fuli raised her fist, waving it in front of Ye Zhen's face. "Do you want to eat king crab, or this?"
Ye Zhen: "…"
Cowering in her chair, Ye Zhen shot a resentful glare at this fierce woman.
She feared those fists that could take on seven opponents.
But her recent experience of running away and wandering had given her some courage to resist. So, trembling lips, she tried to utter a "no."
Thud—
Ye Fuli slammed her fist onto the computer desk.
The glass surface didn't crack, but the thunderous crash still made Ye Zhen curl into a ball.
Thankfully, the soundproofing was decent, and Ye Zhen's parents couldn't hear it.
Holding her head, Ye Zhen shouted irritably, "I'll eat! I'll eat! Ye Fuli, you're so annoying! You're so hateful! I hate you the most!"
"Oh."
Ye Fuli couldn't care less whether she was disliked or not.
All she wanted now was for Ye Zhen to be more obedient.
At the very least, she needed to fill her stomach first.
Forced to eat the entire box of crab meat, Ye Zhen looked utterly aggrieved.
Mmm, this is so delicious…
Damn it, this weak body of mine is getting bought off by Ye Fuli's cooking again!
"Once you're full, go wash up and get some sleep. I'll be keeping an eye on you."
"I… can't sleep!"
"I know you can't sleep," Ye Fuli said flatly. "It's hard to sleep when you're upset, but you must try. Otherwise, you'll die young."
Got it.
Hearing this, Ye Zhen realized her words had been misunderstood.
Was she really unable to sleep because she was in a bad mood?
She'd slept too much earlier and now genuinely couldn't fall asleep!
Ye Fuli was utterly unreasonable, grabbing her by the collar and dragging her into the bathroom.
"Shower, wash your hair, brush your teeth, wash your face—hurry up."
"…"
"I'm counting to three. If you don't start moving, I'll make you move."
"Ah! Stop it! This is so annoying!"
…
This night was utterly humiliating and agonizing for Ye Zhen, who had resolved to wallow in self-pity.
At one point, she felt like she wasn't even human anymore—more like a pet being scrubbed by Ye Fuli.
Ye Fuli didn't hold back at all, scrubbing her back until it was red!
What a terrifying ordeal…
Ye Zhen felt the last shreds of her dignity being crushed in Ye Fuli's hands.
After cleaning her up, Ye Fuli left via the balcony with a parting warning: "Don't wander off. I'll be watching you."
Lying on the bed, Ye Zhen stared blankly at the ceiling.
Suddenly, a flash of insight struck her mind!
She sat up abruptly, her gaze fixed on the balcony.
"If Ye Fuli can climb this freely, so can I, right?"
So, wearing her little green crocodile-shaped slippers, she made her way to the balcony and peered down eagerly.
Before she could put her idea into action, her phone buzzed with a "beep-beep-beep."
Ye Zhen picked up her phone with a sigh and glanced at it.
It was a screenshot of surveillance footage sent by Ye Fuli.
In the image, she was seen peering cautiously over the edge.
Accompanying it were a few words.
"Ye Zhen, there are ten miniature cameras around your room. Run if you want, but next time I catch you, I'll lock you up for sure."