Chapter 127: If You Want to Play the Stand-In Card, Go Right Ahead
"Ye Fuli, you really are a stray cat drawn by the scent of blood, aren't you?"
He Ying delivered the barb without mercy, simultaneously tugging Jiang Zao forcefully behind her. Bodyguards swiftly escorted the woman out.
At that moment, Jiang Zao looked utterly bewildered.
She instinctively lifted her head to look up.
Meeting Ye Fuli's piercing gaze, Jiang Zao felt as if she'd been locked in the stare of a predator, a chill running down her spine.
Wait… is that even human?
Why did a living person possess such a demonic aura?!
But Ye Fuli showed no intention of arresting anyone.
She merely propped her chin in her hand, watching the spectacle unfold with keen interest.
Watching the chaos and turmoil below, the thick smoke and stench.
"Followed the scent of blood? Miss He, you're still so good at reading into things."
As she spoke, her smile grew brighter.
Yes, it was a very sinister smile.
"Well, given your IQ, that's about all you're capable of."
He Ying, humiliated by the words, glared at her through gritted teeth, her mind already plotting to stab the woman twice.
Ye Fuli turned around and shook hands with the investor she'd just finalized the deal with: "See you later, Mrs. Zhao."
"Mm, see you later, little Fuli~"
Mrs. Zhao greatly admired Ye Fuli's career-driven, wealthy-and-beautiful persona.
However, the nickname "Little Fuli" still made Ye Fuli's expression flicker with discomfort, as if she'd been disgusted.
After seeing Mrs. Zhao off, Ye Fuli had no intention of lingering and prepared to return directly to the group headquarters.
As she passed by He Ying, the woman grabbed her arm tightly. "Ye Fuli, stop bullying her. There are plenty of people in this world who adore you, and many more willing to submit to you for money. Go find them, okay?"
Ye Fuli remained silent.
Pain and exhaustion made He Ying slump her head helplessly.
She dared not lay a hand on Ye Fuli—and truthfully, she couldn't win anyway.
All she could do now was beg.
How lowly, how shameful, how helpless.
"Ye Fuli, enough! You really must let go. Stop tormenting her for the rest of her life. Stop seeking her out. I beg you, I beg you!"
"It's you who should let go, He Ying."
Ye Fuli's expression remained serene, as if she had long forgotten Ye Zhen ever existed.
He Ying stared at her blankly.
At that moment, Ye Fuli's composure was eerily unsettling.
"The dead cannot be brought back to life, He Ying. Don't you understand that?"
"Shut up! She's not dead!"
He Ying was the type to flare up easily.
"If you think she's not dead, then she's not dead." Ye Fuli sighed, glancing at the hand gripping hers tightly. "I'll count to three. If you don't let go, the consequences are on you."
He Ying shuddered.
But her hand remained clenched.
"1."
"Two."
"3."
Ye Fuli's expression darkened.
Given her usual temperament, she would likely have twisted the other person's hand right off at this point.
But now, she only forcefully pried He Ying's fingers apart without causing any harm.
This left He Ying, who had braced herself for a fracture, stunned for a moment.
"You should thank Ye Zhen. I promised her I wouldn't take your life."
Ye Fuli strode away without even pausing for a meal in Nancheng.
Having spent so much time with Ye Zhen, every detail of her was etched deeply into Ye Fuli's mind. Even a distant glimpse in a crowd would allow her to pinpoint Ye Zhen's figure with precision.
Unfortunately, her gaze had been fixed on the stage the entire time, oblivious to the crowd beyond it.
As for He Ying's little game with the body double, she could play it however she liked. Ye Fuli had no interest in getting involved.
The Ye Fuli of today believed she had far more important matters to attend to.
"Ye Zhen, I'll make sure the things you love spread across the entire world."
"If…"
"If that withered skeleton hadn't imprisoned you, and you still existed somewhere in this world, then I hope that one day, you'll get to taste the candy, cake, milk tea, and cookies I've prepared for you."
The thought of that solitary skeleton brought a flood of sorrow washing over her.
Ye Fuli hugged her arms, slowly bending over as if this could bring her a shred of warmth.
Her fingernails dug into her flesh, leaving trails of blood.
Old scars layered upon new ones.
The faint sting of pain kept her sane, preventing despair from driving her mad.
"Ye Zhen, even in my dreams, I long to see you once more."
"But I can't sleep."
"Every single day, day after day, I can't sleep."
……
……
"Oh my, women fighting—now that's a spectacle!"
Wang Xiaoya and the others, thoroughly satisfied with the spectacle, finally prepared to leave.
"Huh? Where's Zhenzhen?"
In the hotel restaurant, Ye Zhen had already ordered a table full of breakfast dishes—whatever was expensive, she ordered!
After all, it was a rare chance to treat her roommates to a meal.
They scrambled to pay, unleashing a flurry of counter-offers that left Ye Zhen completely overwhelmed.
"Whoa! You ordered so much! How expensive is this going to be?" Wang Xiaoya's eyes widened in shock. "Zhenzhen, wouldn't it be just as good to grab some noodles or rice noodles?"
Her dramatic outburst drew stares from the wealthy patrons around them.
"Calm down, okay? Since it's Zhenzhen's treat, just sit down and enjoy it."
Qiao Xin rolled her eyes slightly, her next words seemingly about to be "You're just being dramatic."
But she didn't say it.
Ye Zhen pulled out chairs for them and invited them to sit.
"Actually, my family…"
She wanted to use this chance to confess that she wasn't poor.
But how to put it?
"My family raises chickens. We're doing okay."
Ye Zhen decided to use the excuse provided by the dog system.
Lu Chengcheng sighed and patted her shoulder. "Alright, we get it. But next time, please treat us to ramen or rice noodles—or even hot pot."
Ye Zhen grew a bit flustered: "I'm not joking!"
"Okay, we get it."
"But personally, I prefer spicy hot pot."
"I love lamb rice noodles!"
Ye Zhen felt like crying.
How could they still not believe her?
Did she really have to go out and buy some luxury items to spruce herself up?
But she hated all that hassle.
"Eat up, it's getting cold."
"We have to meet up later."
"We're going to see the waterfall today, right? Should I bring my swimsuit?"
"I said waterfall, not hot springs… what are you thinking?"
……
……
Outside the hotel.
By the edge of the main road.
Jiang Zao, surrounded by a group of bodyguards, felt uneasy.
She watched the girl, radiating a chilling aura, climb into a jet-black supercar and drive away.
After a long while, He Ying finally emerged from the hotel lobby.
He Ying walked straight toward Jiang Zao and pulled her up from the ground.
Jiang Zao kept her head down, murmuring softly, "I'm sorry… I think I caused you trouble."
"No, it's not your fault."
He Ying looked at her disheveled state, feeling a mix of pity and helplessness.
She retrieved a coat from the car and tossed it to Jiang Zao, instructing her to change into it.
"Why do you keep working for them after what they did to you? You clearly used to…"
You could have walked away from that billionaire family anytime.
Have you ever been this low, Ye Zhen?
Ah, yes.
The you beside Ye Fuli was that lowly.
But now that you're no longer by her side, can you please stop being so lowly?
He Ying assumed she'd developed psychological issues from Ye Fuli's abuse, compounded by memory loss, making her timider than before.
At that moment, Jiang Zao felt her heart racing with anxiety.
She knew He Ying had mistaken her identity.
This mistake wouldn't last long—Jiang Zao knew that well.
She dared not speak carelessly, afraid of giving herself away too soon.
Fortunately, her silence fit the persona perfectly.
Jiang Zao couldn't help but greedily think, let her play the imposter for a few more days.
She wanted money—lots of money…
She refused to be bossed around anymore!
"Do you want to go back to class, or take a walk with me to clear your head?" He Ying asked patiently.
"I'd like to go for a walk," Jiang Zao murmured softly.
Despite her intense craving for money, she didn't ask for it outright.
He Ying held the card given by Ye Dad, pondering for a long time before deciding not to take it out.
She still harbored doubts about Jiang Zao.
When it came to money, she was extremely cautious—after all, this card held two hundred million yuan!
Yes.
What Ye's father called "not much" was actually quite a lot.
Still, it was enough to treat Jiang Zao to a meal or buy her some clothes.
Whatever she bought for Jiang Zao, he accepted it, each time murmuring softly and stiffly, "Thank you, that's enough."
The shopping bags in her hands grew heavier and heavier.
They walked through the pedestrian street and stood on the bridge in the city center, gazing out over the entire southern city.
He Ying suddenly said, "Oh, right—a friend of mine went to Northern Europe recently and bought that milk, the kind you treated me to before."
Jiang Zao's body trembled.
"Oh, really?"
He Ying turned her face slightly and glanced at her. "It's pretty hard to find—it's a specialty from a small town. Now that I'm thirsty, let's go get some."
"Ah… okay, sure."
Jiang Zao's heart began to race.
Oh no.
She's allergic to milk.