Chapter 105: Occasional Initiative Can Be Highly Effective
Ye Zhen traded her few charcoal-black steamed buns for ten thousand yuan from Ye Fuli.
A crisp stack of ten thousand yuan!
Even the dog system couldn't help but marvel—it was time to reevaluate its view of this cute and weak host!
It seemed the day the host would make her escape was drawing near.
Hehehe, it had better double down on stealing features from other systems!
…
Nighttime.
Ye Zhen stood at the bathroom door, waiting for Ye Fuli to finish her shower. As soon as she emerged, Ye Zhen rushed over: "I'll wash your clothes, and you give me money. How about it?"
Ye Fuli glanced at her hands.
Her fingers were bright red, probably from getting burned while handling that steamed bun earlier.
These hands should have been fair and delicate, but belonging to Ye Zhen, they had truly suffered.
"I don't need you to wash my clothes," Ye Fuli declined her offer.
"But I want money," Ye Zhen said, her gaze fixed on her.
Ye Fuli frowned.
She chose to ignore unreasonable demands.
Yet Ye Zhen clung to her like a shadow, trailing behind with eyes brimming with sincere expectation.
Ye Fuli sat at her desk, staring blankly at the computer screen.
Ye Zhen made no fuss, instead pulling up a chair and sitting beside her.
Half an hour.
An hour.
…
Three hours later.
Ye Fuli had to pause her work and look at Ye Zhen.
"It's this late already. Aren't you going to sleep?"
For Ye Fuli, staying up late was the norm—she suffered from severe insomnia.
Ye Zhen was different—this kid needed a lot of sleep.
Today, she'd been forcing herself to stay up with her.
Ye Zhen smiled and said, "I've been keeping you company for three hours now. I think I should charge you something."
Ye Fuli took a deep breath. "What exactly are you after?"
"I want money."
"That's not your real reason."
"I'm serious. I genuinely want to earn money."
"Ye Zhen, I told you—don't try to fool me."
Ye Fuli abruptly stood up, her eyes cold as ice as she stared at Ye Zhen, as if she might grab her hair at any moment.
But her fingers only dug tightly into her own arm—she didn't lay a hand on Ye Zhen.
The Ye Zhen before her was covered in injuries.
Only her eyes remained bright, the rest of her person shrouded in gloom.
When Ye Fuli met that gaze, she felt a sudden wave of fear wash over her, forcing her to look away. "Ye Zhen, go to bed now."
"I won't."
"Go. Sleep."
"I! Won't! Go!"
"Ye Zhen, you…"
Ye Fuli's breathing grew heavier by the second.
Her emotions were on the verge of shattering once more.
Patience was a luxury she simply couldn't afford.
She had already poured every last shred of it into Ye Zhen alone.
"Huff."
She didn't waste any more words on Ye Zhen. Instead, she picked her up and carried her back to her room.
Ye Zhen refused to lie still in bed, struggling to her feet several times and following her footsteps.
Whenever Ye Fuli glanced back at her, Ye Zhen would offer a sweet smile.
Seeing that insincere smile, Ye Fuli felt a deep sense of helplessness.
Just when Ye Zhen thought she'd finally outlasted her, Ye Fuli swept her up again, carrying her horizontally back to the large bed in the room.
The headboard rattled loudly for a moment.
Ye Zhen froze for a moment.
Then she saw the chains Ye Fuli had prepared long ago.
Ye Fuli bound her limbs without hesitation.
"Can I sleep now?"
"…"
Lying on the bed, Ye Zhen gritted her teeth.
She watched Ye Fuli's retreating figure until it vanished completely into the darkness.
The light in the room also went out.
Ye Zhen stared blankly at the ceiling.
[Host, are you trying to keep an eagle awake?]
"Yeah, too bad this hawk doesn't play by the rules."
Ye Zhen seemed surprisingly calm about it.
However, she keenly noticed that Ye Fuli's composure was gradually crumbling.
She couldn't help but ponder once more what Ye Fuli had endured in her previous life…
If following the original manga storyline, Ye Fuli would undoubtedly be a winner in life, destined for a perfectly happy ending.
But the Ye Fuli of the present? She certainly didn't look like someone who'd lived a happy, fulfilling life.
She harbored malice toward everyone.
She trusted no human connection.
She acted with extreme measures, leaving no room for compromise.
Could it be that in her previous life, she was hurt by everyone in the end?
Think about that scum of a male lead, then consider Ye's obsessive parents—it's terrifying when you really think about it.
"Sigh."
Ye Zhen sighed once more.
She forced herself to suppress any pity she felt for Ye Fuli.
"I feel sorry for her, but who feels sorry for me? Never mind. It's none of my business. I can only save myself; I can't save others."
……
……
Over the next few days.
Ye Zhen no longer had to stay in the basement. Her range of movement expanded from indoors to outside the house.
No matter how busy Ye Fuli was, she would prepare three meals a day for Ye Zhen before leaving. No matter how late it was at night, she would return to apply medicine to Ye Zhen and watch over her while she slept.
Under her care, Ye Zhen gained some weight, and her skin improved significantly.
Finally, the time came when she no longer needed to be wrapped in bandages.
Ye Fuli had long grown accustomed to this face, able to lean down and kiss her without a second thought, or hold her close as she drifted off to sleep.
Yet now, at this very moment, she felt a flicker of unease.
She wrapped her arms around Ye Zhen's neck and gently patted her back.
"Ye Zhen, this face… I swear, I'll find a way to heal it for you."
"Mm."
Ye Zhen patted her back in return, gently urging her to release the suffocating embrace. "I feel a bit uneasy. I think I'll go outside for some fresh air."
She stepped out of the room.
The wind was strong today.
Gazing into the distance, Ye Zhen spotted a vast maple forest.
Autumn had arrived, and the forest was ablaze with fiery red.
Beyond the fiery expanse stood a towering Ferris wheel, gaudy neon advertisements, and the hazy outlines of city skyscrapers…
This place truly lived up to its reputation as a comic world—vibrantly colorful, where reality and illusion intertwined, making it hard to leave.
No, perhaps the real world is like this too.
Before arriving in this world, she had been separated from the real world for ten long years.
She had no idea how the outside world had evolved.
The glimpses offered by television and the internet were far too limited.
How she longed to see the distant lands with her own eyes.
Ye Zhen held her hat to her head, gazing up at the sky as she squinted slightly: "I want some candied chestnuts."
Ye Fuli, standing not far behind her, froze for a moment.
After standing in the wind this long, that's the conclusion she came to?
"Hmm, I'll buy some for you."
"Ye Fuli, may I ask you a question?"
"Go ahead."
"In the future, will you take me traveling? I really want to see the outside world."
Ye Fuli pressed her lips together.
Under Ye Zhen's expectant gaze, she shook her head.
"That might be ten years from now, or even longer. I can't promise you that now—I don't want to give you false hope."
She was an exceptionally honest person.
In Ye Fuli's view, securing her current job and the person before her would require that much time.
She didn't believe three or five years could smooth out a person's sharp edges.
Therefore, it would take far longer.
Ye Zhen chuckled softly.
"Hmm, I see."
Though expected, the answer still stung a little.
But then again, she hadn't expected Ye Fuli to be any different.
The trip she wanted would have to be self-funded in the future.
"The medical team I booked has arrived. Tomorrow, I'll take you out. Ye Zhen, I trust you know what should be said and what shouldn't."
"If I do as you say, will you give me money?"
Ye Zhen turned and walked toward her.
Standing before her, Ye Zhen reached out and wrapped her arms around the slender waist.
Ye Fuli's heart skipped a beat, but she feigned composure, patting her shoulder. "Good girls get candy."
"Then I want lots of candy. Will Ye Fuli give me that too?"
Occasional initiative proved remarkably effective.
Ye Fuli was usually sharp and vigilant, but faced with such sudden initiative, she often lost most of her defenses.
She exhaled softly.
She reached out and ruffled Ye Zhen's hair.
"Yes, you can have it all."