Chapter 119: College Registration, Ye Zhen's New Life
Ye Fuli often felt her days were numbered.
Yet her health was excellent—she rarely even caught colds or fevers anymore. Her mind remained as sharp as ever, and her career continued to sail smoothly.
Everything was going well—better than expected.
Except for her mood.
After eating at home, she didn't leave immediately.
She asked Mrs. Ye for the key to Ye Zhen's room.
Under the gloomy stares of Ye Zhen's parents, she ascended the stairs, turned the key in the lock, and entered Ye Zhen's room.
This was her first time in Ye Zhen's room since Ye Zhen had plunged into the river.
Everything remained exactly as it had been, only now covered in a thick layer of dust.
She brushed away the dust and sat down in the chair Ye Zhen often occupied.
She looked around but didn't notice anything particularly unusual.
She casually pulled open a drawer beneath the computer desk.
When she saw a gleaming gold ring, she visibly froze.
That was…
The gift she had given Ye Zhen.
Back then, Ye Zhen had mentioned liking gold and wanting a reward, so she'd bought this.
She picked up the ring and examined it closely.
A red string was tied around it, suggesting it had once been worn as a pendant.
The cord was woven rather crudely.
Ye Fuli gently traced its edges, struggling to suppress the rising wave of sorrow within her.
"Ye Zhen…"
Truthfully, this gift I gave you was rather half-hearted.
You didn't need to treasure it so much.
Back then, you owned far more expensive and beautiful jewelry. This really is nothing. You shouldn't treat it like a treasure.
It doesn't deserve it.
Ye Fuli silently placed it back in the drawer, exited the room, and locked the door once more.
She thought she'd mustered the courage to explore Ye Zhen's world, but it turned out she dared not get too close.
She couldn't even bring herself to approach the Ye Zhen of her memories.
The mere thought of Ye Zhen's words pierced her heart so deeply she could barely breathe.
Her tears slowly dried up, leaving her unable to cry anymore.
When she could cry, it eased the ache in her heart. But now, only a searing pain remained, with nothing left to soothe it.
Seeing Ye Fuli descending the stairs, Ye's parents silently stepped aside without exchanging a word with her.
Ye Fuli couldn't care less about their thoughts.
For her, maintaining the illusion of family harmony was solely for Ye Zhen's sake.
If Ye Zhen ever returned one day with her luggage, at least this place would still look like a proper home, with a pair of parents who appeared respectable.
For that slim, almost nonexistent possibility, Ye Fuli would keep striving to hold it together.
Whether it took three or five years, ten years, or twenty…
She stepped out of the Ye family's gates.
Ye Fuli instructed the driver to take her back to the villa.
The journey was long, so she reclined in the backseat, closing her eyes to rest.
Her sleep was poor; she rarely dreamed, and had never once dreamt of Ye Zhen.
But today, perhaps because she had seen that ring, she slept for quite a while and had a very brief dream.
In the dream, she saw Ye Zhen struggling in a dark, surging torrent.
She reached out desperately, yet could not grasp Ye Zhen's hand.
Ye Zhen drifted farther and farther away.
She screamed Ye Zhen's name until her voice cracked and faded. She wanted to leap into the water and chase after Ye Zhen, but her feet refused to budge.
"Ye Zhen! Ye Zhen…!"
She snapped awake.
Ye Fuli felt her throat go dry.
The driver glanced back at her, his eyes filled with alarm.
"Miss Ye, are you all right?"
That scream was truly terrifying.
He'd been holding his bladder anyway, and the fright nearly made him lose control.
Ye Fuli shook her head and sat up. "Where are we?"
"Almost home."
…
He pushed open the door and entered.
The house felt cold and gloomy.
The large parrot swayed its head on the railing. Spotting Ye Fuli, it flew over eagerly, perched on her shoulder, and extended a claw. It scratched at the air, gesturing to give an example.
Ye Fuli stared at it expressionlessly.
She walked over to the coffee table and picked up a walnut for it.
"Cut back on the chestnuts."
The creature held the walnut in its claw, studying it for a moment before using its hard beak to crack open the shell.
Ye Fuli placed it back on the railing.
She sat on the sofa, writing this year's business plan.
Her phone buzzed with a text message.
It was from He Ying's assistant, briefly updating her on the He family's recent situation and specifically adding: "The Third Miss's mother, Mrs. Rong, wishes to personally thank you. Would you be available to arrange a time for dinner together?"
Ye Fuli replied, "No need."
She never participated in these meaningless dinners.
She didn't care whether others thanked her or not.
After all, investing in He Ying hadn't been a loss—she'd still made a solid ten billion yuan, albeit slightly less than anticipated.
The assistant expressed regret but understood her stance.
After a brief silence, the assistant cautiously asked again, "Then, about your assistance to the Third Young Miss—are you truly not planning to inform her?"
Ye Fuli: "No need."
She didn't care what He Ying thought.
If that girl wanted to hate her, let her hate on.
After all, her fundamental purpose in helping He Ying was merely to keep this favorite… oh, friend, alive for Ye Zhen.
It wasn't solely for He Ying's sake.
What a cold-hearted woman! The assistant sighed inwardly.
To her, Ye Fuli was a benefactor who had helped her earn a fortune.
Though Ye Fuli never acknowledged it as her doing, facts remained facts…
The young assistant kept trying to help smooth things over between the two sides.
Choosing her words carefully, the assistant sent a message: "Third Young Miss and Miss Ye Zhen are friends, and you and Miss Ye Zhen are also friends. Given that, surely… there's nothing that can't be talked through?"
Ye Fuli: "Mind your own business."
"Fine, cold-hearted woman."
The assistant sighed in resignation.
That last message had drained every ounce of courage she possessed.
As an employee, she dared not gamble with her career.
At that moment, He Ying, who had appeared behind her without warning, snatched the phone from her grasp.
He Ying's brows knitted tightly.
She swiftly scrolled through the chat history, growing increasingly alarmed with each message.
"What does this mean? That mysterious investor is Ye Fuli?!"
The young assistant crouched down, clutching her head. "Third Miss, I'm so sorry! I, I, I've been meaning to tell you…"
But you wouldn't have believed me anyway.
You curse Ye Fuli eight hundred times a day, as if she murdered your beloved father.
How could you accept that someone like her helped you—and indirectly protected your own mother?
He Ying couldn't accept it, of course.
Gritting her teeth, she slammed the phone down.
"I'd rather go bankrupt! I'd rather be killed by those siblings than accept her help! Who does she think she is, helping me without my consent? Who needs her filthy money!"
Her assistant timidly interjected, "But if we don't win, Mrs. Rong will end up like Mrs. Wu—sent to a nursing home overseas."
Those words drained all the fight from He Ying's voice.
She slumped down, defeated.
Her biological mother was one of her few vulnerabilities.
She was certain Ye Fuli wasn't helping her for He Ying's sake. After all, she knew Ye Fuli's cold-blooded nature all too well.
She was equally certain Ye Fuli hadn't invested in her for maximum profit.
She, He Ying, was no match for her eldest sister.
If anyone deserved investment, it was the eldest sister.
"So it was for Ye Zhen? But Ye Zhen…"
He Ying tugged at her hair helplessly.
Someone with such a limited social circle who had suddenly vanished for so long—how could she still be alive?
She had always believed Ye Fuli had simply grown tired of the relationship and disposed of Ye Zhen.
But now it seemed…
If she truly had grown tired of Ye Zhen, why would she go out of her way to help Ye Zhen's friend?
"What the hell is that twisted freak playing at now?"
He Ying genuinely couldn't fathom Ye Fuli's logic.
She decided not to waste her breath trying to understand this lunatic.
"Go distribute these flyers, then contact other detective agencies and the media…"
He Ying shoved a thick stack of flyers into her assistant's arms.
"No matter what, we keep searching today."
Find her alive or dead.
The search for Ye Zhen had become an obsession for He Ying.
She stubbornly wanted to repay that life-saving debt, even if she hadn't figured out exactly how.
Ye Zhen's parents had long since given up searching, but she couldn't let it go.
Huang Li, too, couldn't let go of this matter.
Huang Li's persistence stemmed from guilt over the fire.
In his eyes, that accident had robbed Ye Zhen of her beauty and subjected her to immense suffering.
This guilt was a lifelong shackle for the gentleman.
"Pinkie! If you're short on cash, just let me know. A gentleman will take full responsibility."
Faced with this overactive imagination, He Ying was utterly speechless.
Still, having an extra warrior on the journey to battle the dragon couldn't hurt.
……
…
South City.
Mondstadt Academy!
The day of school registration arrived as scheduled.
Before that, Ye Zhen had successfully fulfilled one of her greatest wishes: traveling across the nation!
Of course, she hadn't visited every city.
She picked a few cities she liked, wandered around, took in the sights, and snapped some photos.
With the twenty million snatched from the system, this period of travel had been quite pleasant.
"School, huh."
Gazing at the gleaming golden sign of Mondstadt Academy, Ye Zhen smiled contentedly.
"Study some art, cultivate my spirit—sounds perfect! After graduation, I'll head overseas for a grand world tour."
Carrying her suitcase, she strolled through the entrance, heading first to the dormitory building to stow her belongings.
Pushing open the door to Room 404, Ye Zhen's eyebrows shot up at the sight of the familiar faces inside.
This damn coincidence… this damn sense of fate…
"You guys are in 404 too…"
"Ah! Yaa! Zhenzhen!"
The others were clearly overjoyed as well.
The pretty little girl she'd bumped into on the street turned out to be a roommate and good friend—this was just too awesome.
Now they could brag about it to their hearts' content.
She's definitely going to be Mondstadt's campus beauty queen someday!
Qiao Xin, Lu Chengcheng, and Wang Xiaoya exchanged glances, each wearing a look of shared understanding.
Ye Zhen was immediately surrounded by the trio, who even helped carry her luggage.
"Zhenzhen, have some fruit~ Papaya!"
"We've got tuna sushi here—want some?"
"Try this—a jianbing guozi I bought downstairs!"
Suddenly treated like royalty, Ye Zhen looked both flattered and overwhelmed.
This…
This isn't right.
It's a girls' dorm.
Is it really okay to share a dorm with three rich, beautiful girls, each with their own distinct style?
Well, I, Ye Zhen, am a proper gentleman. This is perfectly fine!