Chapter 104: Showing Weakness Is Shameful, But Effective
He Ying's driving skills…
Except for the times when it wasn't so great, it was actually pretty good most of the time.
But right now? This was one of those times.
The city streets weren't exactly narrow, but rush hour traffic had them gridlocked solid.
He Ying tapped the steering wheel impatiently. "What the hell? If this keeps up, we'll lose him!"
Huang Li was equally anxious: "What should we do? I saw someone on a bicycle pass us!"
As she spoke, He Ying spotted the young woman pushing the stroller at the previous traffic light. She was strolling leisurely across the sidewalk.
"Damn it."
He Ying couldn't help but curse under her breath.
Can this city traffic ever get better?
"This is it. I can't use this damn bike anymore."
She flung open the door and jumped out, Huang Li unable to hold her back.
Watching He Ying sprint away into the traffic, Huang Li couldn't help but curse: "You crazy bitch, are you trying to get yourself killed? You can't just get out here! And you're actually running? Do you need me to dub in some 'Time to Rain' sound effects for you?"
As he cursed, Huang Li found himself puzzled.
Why did he, a gentleman like himself, always lose his composure when faced with Pinky?
This wasn't good, not good at all…
The next second.
"Hey, pink-haired girl! I don't know how to drive this car! Crazy woman, come back here!"
Alright, he couldn't hold it together.
Truly couldn't hold it together.
Huang Li suddenly understood the saying: "Those who associate with the virtuous become virtuous; those who associate with the wicked become wicked."
It was all that damn pink-haired girl's fault. Her mouth was full of filth, ruining his damn gentlemanly composure.
…
He Ying turned at the next intersection and scanned a shared electric scooter.
During rush hour, this thing was still way faster than a supercar.
She tailed Ye Fuli's car the entire way, flooring the throttle.
But soon, the other car sped out of the congested city streets. The expensive supercar began to show its worth, and no matter how hard she tried, He Ying's little scooter couldn't keep up. She could only watch in frustration as the car vanished into the distance at the end of the road.
"Damn it!"
He Ying gritted her teeth, but she memorized the route.
She planned to have someone investigate once she got back—to see where this road led and if there were any estates or villas nearby.
"I won't give up."
…
…
Ye Fuli raced back to the hillside estate at top speed.
Without even closing the car door, she dashed back, sprinted toward the basement, and burst into the kitchen.
If only they hadn't put the kitchen in the basement!
Though the basement had a ventilation system, it lacked windows, causing the smoke to dissipate slowly.
Ye Zhen lay motionless on the floor, her condition unclear.
The sight nearly stopped Ye Fuli's heart.
"Ye Zhen! Wake up, quick… Cough cough cough!"
Ye Fuli decisively scooped her up and carried her outside.
Breathing in the fresh air, Ye Zhen—who had been fine to begin with—coughed and slowly opened her eyes: "Ah, Ye Fuli, you're back."
Guilt flickered in Ye Fuli's eyes.
But she still kept a cold expression as she spoke harshly: "Why were you playing with fire at home? Don't you know…"
You didn't know this was the basement?
Don't you know you're terrible at cooking?
I prepared so much food for you already, why did you have to mess around!
Countless words of reproach swirled in Ye Fuli's mind.
But in the end, she said nothing.
After all, hadn't she been the one to lock him in the basement? This punishment had nearly caused a disaster.
It wasn't Ye Zhen who deserved blame—it was me.
She sighed and said, "Sit in the courtyard for a while. Don't go outside."
"What happens if I go out?"
"You'll get electrocuted."
Ye Fuli left her there, returned to the house, and went down to the basement to clean up the mess.
Cleaning up Ye Zhen's mess didn't seem to be an unbearable task for Ye Fuli.
Silently, she cleared the kitchen as swiftly as possible.
A few charred pieces of carbon lay in the pot.
Upon closer inspection, she realized they were steamed buns!
Ye Fuli sighed. "What a handful."
Despite her words, she didn't intend to blame Ye Zhen. After all, in her view, this wasn't really a mistake…
"Tell me, what were you planning to do?"
Ye Fuli walked into the courtyard and crouched beside Ye Zhen near the shrubbery.
She spotted a snail struggling to climb upward.
Beneath the shrub, a patch of tender new shoots had sprouted, bursting with vitality.
Ye Zhen lowered her head slightly and whispered, "I want to cook for you."
"Cook for me?"
The reason sounded absurd, yet Ye Fuli took it seriously.
In her memory, it had been a long time since Ye Zhen had shown her such a concrete gesture of affection.
She found herself nostalgic for the way they used to interact back in school.
"Why did you suddenly decide to cook for me?"
"I want to earn money through labor."
Ye Zhen spoke from the heart.
Her eyes lowered slightly, her expression pitifully vulnerable: "Just consider it me being bored out of my mind, messing around for fun."
Ye Fuli: "Stop acting."
Ye Zhen's heart skipped a beat, but she maintained her composure and carried on with the act.
Now was the moment for a bitter smile, so she forced one and said, "Fine, think of it as acting. You never believed me anyway—I'm used to it."
She stood up, ready to leave.
Ye Fuli grabbed her wrist, forcing her to crouch back down.
The little snail was still struggling to crawl along the ground.
But ahead lay a wide, gaping crack.
Watching it suddenly plunge into the abyss, vanishing without a sound, Ye Zhen clenched her fingers helplessly.
"I'm sorry," Ye Fuli's apology carried a hint of unease. "I misjudged the situation."
Deep down, she still suspected Ye Zhen was putting on an act.
Yet, seeing Ye Zhen about to leave, panic seized her.
"Ye Fuli, you couldn't be wrong."
"No, Ye Zhen, this matter…"
Ye Fuli really wasn't good at apologizing, and whenever she faced something she wasn't good at, she couldn't help but touch the tip of her nose. "You… you tried your best today, so I'll pay you."
She sighed again, clearly annoyed.
It seemed…
…wasn't quite appropriate.
"Forget it. I don't want it. I won't do unnecessary things anymore."
Ye Zhen gently brushed her hand away and walked toward the house.
Once inside, she sat silently on the sofa.
She wasn't really that stupid.
The first time she went to Ye Fuli's house, blowing up the kitchen might have been an accident, but today was deliberate.
To get money from Ye Fuli and buy herself chances to mess up, Ye Zhen would keep trying new methods.
Ye Fuli was the type who responded to softness, not force.
Playing the helpless and cute card worked only occasionally, but when it did, the payoff was substantial.
In any case, today's tactic worked like a charm, getting her out of the basement in no time.
Ye Fuli walked in from outside the courtyard.
Her gaze fixed firmly on Ye Zhen.
With his mind weighed down, Feng Aotian easily spotted the inconsistencies in the situation.
Ye Zhen's behavior today was exceptionally unusual.
What was she scheming now?
"Ye Zhen, what do you need money for?"
"To play a game with stacked blocks," Ye Zhen replied with deadpan seriousness, offering an absurd answer. "I want to see what it looks like when money piles up to the ceiling! Wouldn't that be fun, Ye Fuli?"
"I've told you before—don't even think about running away. You won't get far."
Ye Fuli reiterated this point.
"Whatever you want, I can buy it for you."
Hearing this, Ye Zhen gave a wretched little laugh.
As she laughed, a soft sigh escaped her lips. "Can I even escape now? Ye Fuli, do you have too much faith in me, or too little faith in yourself?"
Ye Fuli's expression darkened.
"Ye Zhen, don't try to provoke me with your words."
"I'm speaking to you calmly."
Ye Zhen met her gaze without flinching, the corners of her mouth slowly curving upward. "But Ye Fuli, what about the promise? You said you could give me everything. I no longer crave freedom—can't I at least ask for some money?"
These words carried devastating force.
Ye Fuli fell silent for a moment, closing her eyes.
"Fine. I'll give it to you."