Chapter 121: Just Wanting to Confirm She's Still Alive
The He Residence.
He Ying had just returned from outside, carrying a large bag of daily necessities.
She was struggling to pull her keys out of the bag when she received a call from Old Wang at the agency.
"Hello. Yeah, it's me. Get to the point."
"What? You… really saw someone who looks like Ye Zhen?"
"Where! Quick, send me the address! Hurry!"
Now, she couldn't even bother with the feast the housekeeper had prepared for her. She tossed the groceries aside and rushed out the door in a hurry.
South City!
She had to get to South City immediately!
But driving from here to South City would take at least three hours.
If traffic was bad, it would take even longer.
He Ying was so agitated her fingers trembled. She knew her current state made driving unwise, so she handed the keys to the driver.
"Hurry, hurry, Mondstadt! To Mondstadt Academy…"
Seeing He Ying so agitated, the driver understood the urgency and wasted no time setting off immediately.
…
…
In the university district near Mondstadt Academy.
Ye Zhen was being dragged around by her roommates, wandering aimlessly.
After a full circuit, she ended up with several new outfits for fall and winter, plus a huge haul of snacks.
Ye Zhen tried to pay a few times, but her attempts were thwarted.
Often, two roommates would sandwich her arms from either side while the third swiftly swiped a card, then triumphantly waved a shopping bag.
Ye Zhen looked utterly defeated: "Enough, it's enough. I don't need…"
"No, you do need it."
Wang Xiaoya said earnestly, "It's perfectly normal for roommates to exchange gifts. You need to get used to it, okay?"
"Emmm…"
Is it really normal?
Is this how expensive female friendships are?
Alright, she understood.
Ye Zhen silently noted the prices of those gifts and resolved to reciprocate with something of comparable value as soon as possible.
After a simple barbecue meal, it was time to head back to school.
Downtown was plastered with ads for "Dark Wings" and "Future Idols," with giant posters of young heartthrobs and beauties everywhere—even the old man on the bus had one plastered on his shopping bag.
Idol worship was commonplace in this world.
Ye Zhen, however, found it hard to grasp their excitement.
Most of these guys on the posters hadn't even trained for two and a half years… Hmm, their skill level was pretty obvious.
Back at school, Ye Zhen tidied up her bed again.
Today had been exhausting; she needed to sleep early.
It was worth mentioning that while Mondstadt Academy was notorious for ripping off students, its infrastructure was surprisingly decent. The room decor was nothing short of luxurious.
She took a quick shower and changed into her pajamas.
Ye Zhen stepped out of the bathroom in her fluffy slippers, wiping her damp hair.
When she first arrived in this world, she couldn't even properly tie a girl's hair!
Now, not only was she skilled at tying hair, she could even use a curling iron… though she rarely did.
Ye Zhen sat back down at her seat.
Suddenly, she heard a thud coming from Wang Xiaoya's side.
She turned to look.
There sat Wang Xiaoya in her nightgown, casually propping up her fair, delicate feet as she meticulously applied body lotion.
From Ye Zhen's angle…
"Ahem, ahem."
Ye Zhen insisted she hadn't meant to catch sight of the young beauty's leg hair.
"Zhenzhen, do you want to use my body lotion? I can help you apply it."
"Huh? Hey! No, no, no…"
Wang Xiaoya came over holding the body lotion.
She smiled brightly as she grabbed Ye Zhen's arm.
Girls often playfully wrestled like this. Wang Xiaoya was taller and stronger, quickly overpowering Ye Zhen. Their bodies pressed together in an instant.
Ye Zhen struggled hard a couple of times but couldn't free her arm.
Watching her roommate draw ever closer, Ye Zhen felt a wave of unease wash over her.
"Thanks for the offer, Xiaoya, but I don't need it…"
"Just try it! Don't be shy. If you like it, I've got a new one I can give you."
Wang Xiaoya squeezed a generous dollop of body lotion from the tube with one hand, preparing to apply it to Ye Zhen. But the moment their skin touched, Ye Zhen visibly trembled.
The fear of being dominated by Ye Fuli—she had thought she had completely forgotten it…
But now, it all came flooding back in an instant.
She remembered those nights Ye Fuli applied ointment to her wounds, those moments when Ye Fuli fastened shackles around her ankles and a collar around her neck, the searing pain of her scalp being yanked.
"This body lotion is really nice, so moisturizing…"
"I said I don't want it!"
Ye Zhen's voice suddenly rose.
Summoning every ounce of strength, she shoved Wang Xiaoya away with all her might.
Her arm slammed into the edge of the table, the pain making Ye Zhen gasp sharply.
The pain snapped her back to her senses.
Realizing she'd lost her composure, Ye Zhen lowered her head, her voice trembling. "I'm sorry… I… I overreacted."
The apology felt feeble at that moment.
Ye Zhen gasped for breath, her small face pale and her words incoherent.
Seeing Ye Zhen's extreme reaction, even fear visible on her face, Wang Xiaoya froze. "I… I didn't mean any harm, Zhenzhen. Are you okay?"
Ye Zhen forced a smile. "I… I just want to sleep. Sorry."
Qiao Xin peered down from the top bunk: "Your hair's soaking wet—how can you sleep like that? Use my hair dryer. It's on the shelf to the right in the bathroom."
Using this excuse, Ye Zhen got up, went to the bathroom, and closed the door.
The dorm room fell silent.
Lu Chengcheng, who had been silent, sighed and said, "Xiao Ya, what are you doing?"
"I just… I mean, I only put some body lotion on her arm. Is that really such a big deal?"
Guilt suddenly washed over Wang Xiaoya.
She was usually pretty carefree and quick to make friends.
Earlier that day, when they'd all gone shopping and eaten together, there had been physical contact too, hadn't there?
Ye Zhen hadn't reacted this strongly then.
Could it be… the body lotion?
Could Ye Zhen be uncomfortable with someone else applying it for her?
Wang Xiaoya sniffed nervously. "I… I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to."
Qiao Xin on the top bunk rolled over, switched off her bedside nightlight, and tossed out, "Why are you apologizing to us? Go apologize properly to Zhenzhen."
……
…
Early morning.
Outside the gates of Mondstadt Academy.
The He family car came to a smooth stop.
He Ying leapt out of the car, hurried to the security guard, and knocked heavily on the glass window: "Uncle? Could you please open the gate? My sister is sick, and I need to take her to the doctor!"
The security guard yawned and sat up.
He tossed a booklet aside.
"Register first! Write down your sister's major, year, and full name. I need to call her advisor to verify her identity before letting you in."
He Ying's face darkened instantly.
Was it really that complicated?
All she knew was Ye Zhen's name.
Seeing her holding the pen without knowing where to start, the security guard immediately grew suspicious. "What? You don't know your sister's information?"
He Ying paused briefly, set down the pen, and pulled out a wad of cash from her bag, handing it over.
This stuff always worked.
The guard froze for a moment, then snapped angrily, "What do you take me for? What do you take Mondstadt for?"
"Not enough?"
He Ying pulled out another stack and slammed it down on the desk.
"Is that enough?"
The guard's face flushed crimson with rage. "You—"
When the third stack of bills hit the desk, the guard gritted his teeth and threatened to call the police.
He Ying finally realized that money wasn't everything.
She could only gather the money back and turn to leave.
"Looks like I'll have to come back during the day."
Dawn was approaching, yet He Ying, who hadn't slept all night, felt surprisingly alert.
Recalling Ye Zhen's appearance, she felt a bit dazed.
What should she say when she saw her little sister again?
She suddenly realized she couldn't get too close to Ye Zhen.
If Ye Fuli discovered Ye Zhen again, she couldn't imagine what terrible consequences might follow.
"I'll just watch from afar to make sure she's safe."
He Ying took a deep breath.
"All this time, rumors have spread that you met a violent end. But I think… Ye Fuli never held a funeral for you, nor did she use that plot of land for your grave… You must still be alive, right?"
At this thought, He Ying exhaled softly.
How pathetic.
To confirm whether Ye Zhen was still alive, she could only use this excuse.
"Yes, you must still be alive. Happy and alive."
Then, she only needed to catch a glimpse from afar.
No need for anything else.
"Why is the sky taking so long to brighten today…"