Chapter 110: Learning Romance from Romance Novels?
The Ye Residence.
Ever since Ye Zhen and Ye Fuli had left home, the already desolate mansion felt even more desolate.
Mrs. Ye was deeply troubled.
She saw the messages sent by Mrs. Huang, who was openly and covertly trying to curry favor with her.
Madam Huang was still discussing the arranged marriage, suggesting they could still accept Ye Zhen. After all, during that fire, Ye Zhen had inadvertently saved numerous wealthy heiresses and young masters.
The value of that debt of gratitude far outweighed the worth of Ye Zhen's beauty.
Moreover, the incident had become a hot topic of gossip. Every second- or third-generation heir who had escaped unscathed was now placed on a moral pedestal by the public.
They simply couldn't fail to repay that debt.
For these individuals, maintaining appearances was paramount.
"Yes, why didn't I realize the true worth of such a debt of gratitude?"
Mrs. Ye turned off her phone screen and sighed softly.
She felt as though she’d lost a major deal without even realizing it, filled with regret.
"She actually agreed to leave Ye Zhen with Ye Fuli! What on earth did that girl want? Why did she have to ask for a person… What use does she have for Ye Zhen?"
She couldn't make sense of it.
Now, she couldn't help but consider the possibility of arranging a marriage alliance for Ye Fuli.
The mere thought sent a shiver down her spine.
The odds weren't just low—they were nonexistent.
Her disobedience was the least of her worries. The real problem was that the old foxes in the Ye family's upper echelons now acted like mice encountering a cat in her presence…
Reforms that had been nearly impossible to push through were now being implemented with surprising ease under Ye Fuli's leadership, finalized in a single meeting.
Even Madam Ye had to admit Ye Fuli possessed genuine capability.
Under these circumstances, she couldn't afford to antagonize Ye Fuli too much.
"Ugh. I just feel off."
The matters Mrs. Ye could manage were dwindling by the day.
She didn't want to sit here drinking tea and eating pastries in broad daylight, but beyond that, she had no other important matters to attend to.
A few years ago, she'd been clamoring to retire, but now that she truly had free time, she felt restless.
Ye Dad hadn't come home for dinner in ages.
When she called him, he always said he was busy.
After too many calls, he'd snap, "If we can make it work, we make it work. If not, we part ways. You've already driven the children away—what difference would one more make?"
Mrs. Ye was often so enraged her chest ached.
She refused to admit any fault, and of course, divorce was out of the question. She just wanted to keep dragging things out, hoping one day she could wear them down until they came back, tearfully apologizing to her.
"Ugh, those damn people."
Her constant sighing only deepened the desolation in a home that was already growing colder by the day.
She tapped the table and called out loudly.
"Xiao Wu! Come here and rub my head—it's killing me."
……
…
Ye Group.
In the lounge area on the central floor, Ye's father was discussing future collaborations with several foreign business partners.
When they saw Ye Fuli emerge from the conference room with several assistants in tow, moving with decisive efficiency, they all froze.
Feng Aotian's aura was overwhelming, and with such breathtaking beauty, it was impossible not to notice her.
"Is that your daughter, Ye Zhen?"
Hearing that name, Ye Dad felt a pang of sadness in his heart. He forced a smile and said, "No… not Zhenzhen. That's my eldest daughter, Ye Fuli."
"You have an older daughter?"
Everyone was astonished.
After all, no one had ever heard of this before.
Seeing their reactions, Ye Dad couldn't help but feel guilty toward Ye Fuli: "She's been living away all these years and endured a lot of hardship."
"Oh, I see."
Just then, someone else casually asked, "And what about your second daughter, Zhenzhen? I heard that not long ago, the Huang family…"
She was about to mention the news about the fire.
But someone immediately grabbed her arm, smiling as they steered the conversation away: "We've had a lovely chat today. Come on, let's go for barbecue. It's on me."
The thought of Ye Zhen's uncertain fate caused a dull ache in Ye Dad's heart.
Every time he saw Ye Fuli, he wanted to ask her where Ye Zhen really was.
Yet Ye Fuli only responded with mocking smiles and remarks like, "She's far happier with me than she ever was with you," or "For your sake and hers, you'd be wise to forget her."
He led the foreign businessmen downstairs.
Passing by Ye Fuli's office, he paused for a long moment.
Her door was closed, and she sat with a heavy expression, engrossed in a book.
As if sensing his gaze, she lifted her head slightly and glanced at him.
The elevator doors opened.
Ye Dad stepped inside and didn't look at Ye Fuli again.
As for Ye Fuli, she continued studying the book in her hands.
Yes, that's right.
It was the book titled "Reborn Little Wife: You've Picked the Wrong Person to Torment, Mr. Boss."
The more Ye Fuli read, the more frustrated she felt.
"I seem to have done everything to please my love interest—even better than he did."
"Why…"
"He can effortlessly win over his love interest, but I can't?"
Ye Fuli solemnly closed the book.
In that book, there was a character named Miaomiao, a friend of the little wife. This girl came from a poor family and didn't have much to offer, but she was the kind who would happily split a sweet potato in half to share with the little wife.
Reading about this character, Ye Fuli couldn't help but think of He Ying.
He Ying, to Ye Zhen, was probably that kind of character too.
The so-called best friend…
"I get it."
Ye Fuli pushed her glasses up, the lenses glinting faintly.
She felt she had grasped a truth.
In the book, the domineering CEO went to great lengths to win over his beloved wife—gifting Miao Miao with houses, cars, and bank accounts, even promoting distant relatives of hers. Truly, when one person rises to power, everyone around them benefits.
So naturally, Miao Miao spoke highly of the tycoon and gave him plenty of assists.
Other people's opinions meant little to Ye Fuli—after all, she never listened to anyone else.
But she thought it might be somewhat useful for Ye Zhen.
Having someone constantly whispering negative things about Ye Fuli in her ear was undeniably unsettling.
And yet, she couldn't simply make such a person vanish from the face of the earth.
"It seems keeping Miss He alive was the right decision."
He Ying now had no shortage of houses, cars, or savings.
But that was about to change.
Her family was large, and their circumstances far more complicated than Ye's. With the patriarch hospitalized after a cerebral hemorrhage, clinging to life by a thread, the classic inheritance battle was about to commence.
At this point in her previous life, He Ying had already vanished, leaving the inheritance battle irrelevant to her.
But now, He Ying was alive and well.
She excelled at nothing but indulging in food, drink, and entertainment, and immersing herself in the world of anime and manga. When it came to power struggles and scheming, she was bound to come out on the losing end.
Ye Fuli, however, was different.
She understood the entire sequence of events behind this sudden turn of events.
With just a little help from her, He Ying could emerge as the biggest winner. Moreover, He Ying's biological mother could avoid being sent to a nursing home overseas, never to return.
Ye Fuli had never been one to help others without expecting something in return.
But this time, she decided to let He Ying owe her a favor first.
"I've worked an hour today. I can clock out now."
Ye Fuli tucked the book into her handbag.
"Wait, let me see who the author is. Oh, I'll remember this… If his advice proves useless, he'll have no reason to write books in the future."
…
"Achoo!"
He Ying, who had been hugging a pillow and staring blankly at her computer, suddenly felt an inexplicable chill.
She sneezed loudly and rubbed her nose vigorously.
"Who's thinking about me? Is it my adorable little sister? Waaah, my little sister…"
Thinking of poor Ye Zhen, she gritted her teeth and cursed Ye Fuli, wishing even her cold water would get stuck in her teeth.
Knock knock knock.
The sound of knocking echoed.
He Ying turned to see Huang Li standing there, fruit platter in hand, looking thoroughly annoyed. She couldn't help but snort, "Hey, what's with the face?"
Huang Li rolled her eyes, then stomped into the room and slammed the fruit platter down.
His tone dripped with contempt.
"Pinkie, can you focus on something useful for once? Have you finalized the plan to rescue Senior Ye Zhen? Stop spending all day secretly watching those trashy anime series, okay?"
"Shut up! When did I ever watch that kind of stuff?"
Huang Li shrugged. "Whatever. I don't give a damn either way."
In his mind, they were merely temporary allies united by a shared goal.
Coincidentally, He Ying felt the same way.
He Ying snorted dismissively again, grabbed a slice of melon, stuffed it into her mouth, and kept staring at the screen.
Beep-beep-beep—
A message came in.
She quickly tapped to open it.
It was a message from the private investigator she'd hired at a high price.
"This estate was built last century with funding from a Ying nation businessman. It spans over 6,000 acres with complex terrain. There's not just one villa inside—each villa is scattered widely apart. Finding Ye Zhen will be extremely difficult."
"Moreover, someone like Ye Fuli who buys surveillance cameras wholesale would have no reason not to install them throughout the entire property. Avoiding the cameras to get inside would be difficult."
"However, Ye Fuli hired a team of hourly workers who visit twice a week. You could infiltrate during one of those visits."
He Ying exhaled a long breath.
She pointed at the screen.
"Look, an opportunity!"
Huang Li nodded. "It is a good opportunity, but she'd recognize us even if we were burned to ashes. Are you sure you can blend in?"
"You idiot! Who said we'd go ourselves?"
He Ying pushed her glasses up and snorted.
"Find two quick-on-their-feet, reliable female bodyguards. Have them infiltrate and bring the person out! This time, we absolutely must succeed…"