Chapter 117: Here, Let Me Give You an Example
One early morning, Ye Fuli moved out.
She packed up all of Ye Zhen's belongings and took them with her, including that enormous blue parrot.
Leaving that sprawling estate behind, she arrived at the first villa she had ever won for herself in her life, carrying only her meager belongings.
She needed a long time to figure out what she could do.
During this period, she piled all the books Ye Zhen had read beside her bed.
She intended to read them cover to cover, word by word.
The big blue parrot often tilted its head to watch her.
When Ye Fuli held up a chestnut, it tentatively extended its claw before snatching it away swiftly.
"Could you be Ye Zhen?"
Watching its movements, Ye Fuli couldn't help but feel it resembled that runaway fellow.
"You can inhabit Ye Zhen's shell, and you can inhabit its shell too, right?"
She said this aloud, then found it absurd and couldn't help but laugh.
Laughing, laughing, until her eyes reddened.
"How cunning, Ye Zhen. You wanted to escape, yet why reveal this secret to me? What you wanted to see was me, paranoid and jumpy today, right?"
She had always believed herself smarter than Ye Zhen.
But now, she felt Ye Zhen was far smarter than her.
The large parrot shook its head and swayed its body, skillfully peeling the chestnut shell. It hopped onto her arm and offered her the chestnut meat.
It didn't understand why it did this, but it had been raised and taught this way since childhood.
Its previous owner had often asked it to hold up a chestnut.
This single skill alone had increased its already hefty price tag fivefold.
Ye Fuli took the chestnut, tears streaming down her face.
The jar beside her now held countless chestnuts.
……
……
Meanwhile.
In a picturesque mountain town.
The first rain of early winter fell in a steady drizzle.
Mountain summers were cool, but winters were unbearable—bitterly cold, damp, and often foggy.
"Seriously, dog system, you sure know how to pick a place."
Ye Zhen muttered, adding another piece of charcoal to the small grill before her.
Sweet potatoes and marinated beef and lamb sizzled on the wire mesh, filling the air with savory aromas.
The cramped room was pleasantly warm.
The current Ye Zhen bore not a single scar on her body. Her skin was fair and flawless, as delicate as porcelain.
Her already delicate and adorable face had been subtly enhanced by the system—her eyes shone brighter, her lashes grew thicker, her hair was as silky as black satin, and her complexion glowed with a healthy pink flush, soft and plump to the touch.
This made her check the mirror dozens of extra times each day, her vanity skyrocketing to the point even the system couldn't stand it anymore.
Even Ye Fuli herself might not recognize her now.
The old Ye Zhen was beautiful, but she still had minor flaws.
Now? Only one word described her: absolutely perfect!
"It's freezing out here, and transportation is a nightmare! I want a milk-capped black tea, but I can't even find one. Seriously…"
Ye Zhen muttered a few complaints under her breath.
[Dog Host! You're the one who picked this place—great scenery, low prices, and bustling crowds!]
"Is it crowded here? Huh? Crowded?"
[Hmph. It's packed. Haven't you seen it during market days…?]
"Alright! Alright, alright."
Ye Zhen picked up a piece of cooked beef and placed it on her nimble tongue.
She chewed slowly and deliberately.
Anyway, she never gained weight to begin with, and now she definitely won't. She could eat whatever she wanted.
Even the chronic ailments that might have flared up were fixed by the system.
Barring any surprises, she could happily live to ninety-nine…
Happiness had come too suddenly.
Every morning, Ye Zhen slapped herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming.
"Oh right, about that school spot you promised to arrange—did you get it sorted? I need to go to school! How could I possibly sleep at my age without attending classes?"
Ye Zhen still harbored expectations for campus life.
Not for the diploma, but to study a subject she genuinely loved.
In her previous life, she'd been sick every other day and never truly experienced proper campus life.
As for starting a business…
After escaping from Ye Fuli, the dog system finally seemed to have snatched back something useful.
Hmm…
Plain and simple—a box full of cash.
A full twenty million—more than enough. No need to keep messing around.
Apparently, this stuff was snatched from some nearby god-tier system.
Whoever was that unlucky soul? After spending half a day on the quest, their reward vanished in an instant.
Ye Zhen expressed deep gratitude and promised to spend it wisely with a thankful heart.
[Heh heh, it's already been taken care of.]
"Where to?"
[Host, are you forgetful? South City, you chose it!]
"…"
Ye Zhen narrowed her eyes.
She had indeed planned to go to South City in the first place—after all, that place wasn't exactly popular with protagonists.
"Fine, Nancity it is. Anyway, studying is just for fun. Enjoying life is what truly matters."
After eating her fill, Ye Zhen pulled out the new phone she'd just bought.
The system had generated a new identity for her, changing the name on her ID from Ye Zhen to Ye Zhen.
Ye Zhen re-registered her chat app accounts and opened new bank cards.
Starting everything anew took her quite some time.
It had been quite a while since she'd last touched a phone, and holding it now felt somewhat unfamiliar.
During this period, she had kept an eye on the Ye family's situation, though she hadn't seen any news reports about her disappearance or death.
Ye Corporation's stock price hadn't fallen either, indicating Ye Fuli was still managing it well. Just a couple days ago, her parents had attended the groundbreaking ceremony for a new real estate development.
Without her, Ye Zhen, everything remained unchanged—calm and peaceful.
Ye Zhen felt reassured.
She then looked into the He family's affairs.
She heard that the patriarch of the He family had passed away, sparking a bloody battle over the inheritance.
The patriarch of the He family had been notoriously promiscuous, taking several concubines.
He Ying, the third daughter, wasn't born to the primary wife. Her biological mother was a weak woman who only knew how to please her husband, utterly powerless in such a struggle for power and wealth.
As for He Ying herself, she had always been a marginal figure, spending her days indulging in food, drink, and leisure without concern for the world. Such a major conflict was far beyond her capacity to handle.
But then, out of nowhere, some mysterious benefactor took pity on her and placed a massive, unconditional bet on He Ying.
He Ying's standing skyrocketed.
Even the old guard at the top of the He Corporation had no choice but to treat her with respect and caution.
She was poised to become the ultimate victor in this war.
"Huh, something like that actually happened?"
Ye Zhen absentmindedly touched her nose… Then, remembering that was Ye Fuli's signature gesture, she sighed and dropped her hand.
"Could it be Ye Fuli?"
"Ah, impossible."
"If it were Ye Fuli, she'd definitely choose to support the eldest daughter of the He family."
Ye Zhen pondered this question for only a few minutes.
With nothing else to do, she casually looked up the Huang and Bai families' situations.
The Bai family's stock price had taken quite a nosedive…
Rumor had it they'd been repeatedly sabotaged lately, with partners turning on them without mercy, pulling a fast one on them. Several major deals were snatched by competitors, resulting in heavy losses.
As for the Huang family, everything remained calm and peaceful.
"Looks like everyone's doing just fine. I can relax and enjoy life now."
Ye Zhen yawned and casually closed the search page.
Occasionally, Ye Fuli's face would flash through her mind.
Then she'd slap herself hard across the face.
The pain reminded her of the suffocating fear she'd felt around Ye Fuli.
It helped her forget that tormentor faster.
"This winter is too cold. I need to go buy a few more quilts, hmm!"