Chapter 101: Disobedience Will Be Punished
"New experiences…"
Ye Zhen struggled to suppress her wild thoughts.
She improvised for a few seconds.
She took a deep breath, feigning calm, and smiled.
"From now on, I'll be more proactive with you…"
Take the initiative?
She… take the initiative?
Ye Fuli felt her ears burn, struggling to contain her thoughts.
Her mind had already vividly imagined the scene: a kitten rubbing against its owner's leg, meowing for food.
Damn this anticipation.
She hated this feeling of being emotionally entangled, so she decisively spat out harsh words: "Hah! What's this? Miss Ye Zhen surrendering so quickly? You kept shouting about freedom, yet you're already enjoying the feeling of being kept like a pet?"
Ye Zhen, who had just mustered her courage, nearly lost her composure under the blow of these harsh words.
That damn Feng Aotian…
His tongue was like a barrage of arsenic—what was he, a poisonous crane in a past life?
Ye Zhen said nothing more, simply closing her eyes.
Seeing Ye Zhen's expression, Ye Fuli knew she'd said something terrible.
But how could she possibly back down and admit defeat?
…
The night passed without further words.
…
Dawn.
Four thirty.
Ye Fuli opened her eyes and slipped quietly out of bed.
The driver had delivered something for her and was already waiting outside the courtyard gate.
Her new toy had arrived—a pet collar adorned with sapphires.
The thing was expensive, but it served no other purpose.
Ye Fuli took it out of the exquisite jewelry box and examined it carefully.
Hanging beneath the collar was a heart-shaped pendant crafted from pure gold, engraved with Ye Fuli's name and contact information.
The craftsmanship was quite impressive…
But Ye Zhen would likely find this deeply insulting.
"I hope my partner likes the things I like," Ye Fuli thought to herself, gently caressing the pendant.
A rare tenderness flickered in her eyes.
Yet beneath that tenderness lay a deep-seated obsession.
"A new day has begun. I need to cook for my little kitten."
She worked hard to guess Ye Zhen's eating habits, striving to prepare every meal perfectly while ensuring Ye Zhen could absorb as much nutrition as possible.
So for every meal, she prepared numerous options.
Any leftovers from the previous day were discarded without hesitation.
By the time she finished preparing the day's meals, three hours had passed.
Ye Fuli seemed genuinely unaware of fatigue. After finishing all this, she still enthusiastically hand-washed Ye Zhen's undergarments.
By the time Ye Zhen awoke, Ye Fuli was already seated calmly in a corner of the dining room, sipping her coffee.
Ye Zhen frowned slightly.
She spotted the undergarments drying on the balcony.
Turning her head, she also spotted a row of newly purchased potted lilies.
"Come here, I have a gift for you," Ye Fuli said softly, setting down her coffee cup with a smile.
"A gift?"
Hearing the word "gift" from Ye Fuli's mouth was enough to send a chill down anyone's spine.
For her own safety, Ye Zhen forced herself to suppress her resistance and walked toward her.
Before Ye Fuli lay an exquisitely crafted jewelry box.
She opened it in front of Ye Zhen.
Seeing the extravagant pet collar inside, Ye Zhen froze in place.
"What are you doing?" Ye Zhen couldn't quite control her emotions, her voice suddenly rising sharply. "You've already put shackles on me! Do you want to put this on too?!"
Ye Fuli stared back at her expressionless, silently watching her rage.
Such an attitude was bound to enrage someone already on edge.
Ye Zhen's emotions shattered once more.
"Ye Fuli, is this what dating is supposed to be like?"
"Answer me! What gives you the right to treat me like this?"
"Why do you insist on labeling all these humiliating things as 'dating'?"
After shouting for what felt like an eternity, Ye Zhen received not a shred of positive response from Ye Fuli.
Once Ye Zhen had exhausted the anger she'd painstakingly built up, Ye Fuli's lips slowly curled upward. She extended her hand: "Come here. I'll put it on for you."
In that instant, Ye Zhen picked up her coffee cup without hesitation and poured the remaining liquid into Ye Fuli's open palm.
The coffee had already grown cold.
Brown stains stained her fair, slender fingers, and quite a bit splashed onto her skirt.
The dresses she prepared for Ye Zhen cost at least two or three thousand yuan each, but the one she wore herself was merely a Taobao knockoff costing just over a hundred.
Of course, she didn't care about the clothes.
In fact, even if Ye Zhen had stained a dress worth tens of thousands, she wouldn't have cared.
But she couldn't accept the look Ye Zhen was giving her right now.
What was that look?
Was she looking at an enemy?
Was it so unbearable that Ye Zhen belonged entirely to her, Ye Fuli?
Ye Fuli's face turned cold. "What are you doing?"
Ye Zhen's gaze remained fixed on her. "I'm teaching you to listen to others."
The next instant, Ye Fuli yanked her hair, dragging her forcefully toward her and slamming her down at her feet.
Her knees slammed unexpectedly against the floor with a dull thud.
The intense pain made Ye Zhen gasp sharply.
Fear overwhelmed her, leaving her momentarily paralyzed.
Ye Fuli pinned her down with one elbow, silently and forcefully fastening the collar around her neck.
As the clasp clicked shut, Ye Zhen's eyes welled with tears. Clutching Ye Fuli's other arm, she bit down hard.
A deep bite mark quickly appeared on Ye Fuli's pale arm.
Ye Fuli sneered coldly, "Is that all you've got?"
Is that all you've got?
Hmph.
Ye Zhen lifted her head, glaring at her viciously.
Before she could sink her teeth into Ye Fuli's flesh again, Ye Fuli seized her throat. "Didn't I tell you there'd be consequences for disobedience?"
Her fingers tightened inch by inch.
Only when Ye Zhen showed signs of suffocation did she release her grip.
Collapsing at the hem of her skirt, Ye Zhen's eyes darted wildly, unable to focus for a long moment.
The moment she snapped back, she wrapped her arms around Ye Fuli's leg and sank her teeth in viciously.
This time, she drew blood.
Yet Ye Fuli seemed utterly impervious to the pain, merely lowering her head to gaze at her with a faint, mocking smile.
"Very good, Ye Zhen. Very good."
She reached out and stroked Ye Zhen's hair.
"I like your defiant spirit, but I should also tell you—if you choose to be defiant, you'd better have the strength to fight back."
"If you don't…"
At this point, she grabbed Ye Zhen's hair once more.
"If you don't, you'll have to accept the punishment for failing to resist."
In the end, she didn't drag Ye Zhen by the hair to the basement. Instead, she picked her up with what could almost be called gentleness.
Though called a basement, it wasn't damp or gloomy.
The spacious basement was thoughtfully stocked with stacks of books for leisure, non-hazardous exercise equipment, and an assortment of food.
In one corner, there was a small bathroom.
There were no windows here, no real sunlight. The space was too open; even the slightest sound echoed endlessly, shattering one's resolve.
"Reflect deeply on your actions and temper your sharp edges as soon as possible."
After Ye Fuli left her behind, she slammed the heavy security door shut.
The sound of heavy breathing reminded Ye Zhen that she was still alive.
Everything she had just endured finally made her truly understand her predicament.
Resistance was futile.
With this body…
With who she was now…
…it would be futile.
The past decade of her previous life had taught Ye Zhen how to endure—to endure things she disliked, to endure agonizing times, to endure the gradual deterioration of her body, and the pitying glances of others…
She had watched her body wither away before her very eyes, imprisoning her soul's desperate yearning for freedom until her eyes could no longer perceive the slightest glimmer of light, her ears could no longer hear the faintest whisper.
She had always believed nothing could be worse than this.
"Huff. I will live."
Ye Zhen struggled to her feet.
"I will live. I will live…!"
…
…
Ye Fuli left the villa estate nestled halfway up the mountain.
Her mood was absolutely dreadful.
Even now, if she closed her eyes, she could still see Ye Zhen's fierce eyes.
The bite marks on her arms and legs still looked gruesome and terrifying, throbbing with a numbing ache.
It made her heart race.
Ye Zhen had never lost her claws.
It was still too early to claim her completely.
Driving out of the desolate suburbs, she parked beneath the Ye Group building.
Before she could step out, a call came in from the police officer.
"Someone reported you for suspected unlawful detention. Please come in for questioning."