Chapter 133: She Hated Hearing Ye Zhen Say "Thank You"
"What would you like?"
Ye Fuli picked up the tongs from the tray.
Everyone who picked up this thing couldn't help but pinch the air twice.
But frighteningly, Ye Fuli could resist.
Her gaze remained calm as she looked at the person before her.
This was her first time facing Ye Zhen directly.
Beneath her seemingly calm exterior lay Ye Fuli's confusion and unease.
She rarely felt this way…
When she met those eyes, she always felt as if she had stepped back into that sedan chair once more, facing Ye Zhen's resolute departure all over again.
It was unbearable.
Even breathing hurt.
The strength slowly drained from her body.
At a time like this, even if someone ambushed her from behind with a tray, she doubted she could fight back.
Fortunately, a solid wall stood behind her now, offering a sense of security.
"Hello, what would you like? The menu is over here." Ye Fuli forced herself to stay calm as she handed over the not-too-thick menu.
Clack.
The menu landed in front of Ye Zhen.
Before closing this distance, Ye Zhen had been panicked, even terrified.
But now, miraculously, she felt calm.
"I'll have three egg tarts and a cheesecake." Ye Zhen pulled out her meal card and waved it. "What would you three like? It's on me."
Lu Chengcheng also pulled out her meal card: "Let me treat. Xiaoya treated last time, so it's my turn now."
Qiao Xin also handed over her meal card: "You treated us the time before last. It's my turn now."
"Why are you fighting over it? Let me handle it. I love the feeling of paying—it's so satisfying, like being a rich kid."
Wang Xiaoya immediately pulled out her meal card and held it up in front of them.
At that moment, Ye Fuli was observing the three of them with a scrutinizing gaze.
But she quickly withdrew her gaze and calmly served each of them their desserts.
"Eighty yuan total. Swipe here."
Ye Fuli handed the bag to Ye Zhen.
Ye Zhen smiled faintly and accepted it with composure.
"Alright, thanks."
She didn't linger her gaze on Ye Fuli for long before turning to leave.
That distant, polite gaze left Ye Fuli dazed for a moment, as if a prickly pear cactus were spinning and leaping inside her chest, stabbing her with relentless pain.
Was this really Ye Zhen?
Ye Fuli desperately wanted to ask her, Why, when you're clearly Ye Zhen, are you pretending not to know me—and doing it so convincingly?
Such a talented actress, huh!
Why say thank you?
She hated hearing Ye Zhen say thank you!
"Wait a minute."
Ye Fuli couldn't help but speak up, calling out to Ye Zhen who was about to slip away.
Hearing that icy voice, Ye Zhen's heart still skipped a beat.
She didn't dare turn around.
After all, at this very moment, her expression was bound to betray her.
The few sentences she'd just uttered had drained her of all acting ability. She couldn't keep up the charade any longer.
Ye Fuli stepped out from behind the counter and came to a halt at a convenient distance behind her.
So many words were swirling in her mind.
But in the end, she asked only one question: "Today, let's say new items are half price. Want to try some?"
Ye Zhen: "…"
She knew this wasn't what Ye Fuli really wanted to say.
Knowing Ye Fuli, she was the type to err on the side of caution and never let anything slip by.
Why was she being so indirect now?
"Too expensive. Can't afford it." Ye Zhen decided to brush it off.
"Half price, less than twenty." Ye Fuli didn't leave, lingering behind her with a sinister stare.
"I'm broke."
Having steeled herself, Ye Zhen found a sliver of courage and turned around.
When in doubt, just smile it off.
You don't hit someone who's smiling at you!
"Thanks for the pitch, senior. I'll try to buy some when I have money. Not today, though."
Ye Fuli's gaze fixed on her.
Her gaze was deep, like an abyss with no bottom.
As their eyes locked, Ye Zhen fought to suppress all fear, maintaining her innocent, sweet-faced image with a sugary smile.
Very well. As I gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes back at me.
"Alright, be sure to come try it next time," Ye Fuli said indifferently before turning back to the counter.
Ye Zhen: "…"
Is this really Ye Fuli?
Given Ye Fuli's personality, would she really act like this?
But today seemed to have been barely scraped by. Time to make a quick exit!
Ye Zhen had been walking slowly, but once she entered the crowd, her pace quickened considerably. By the end, she was practically running down the stairs.
She didn't even dare look back to see if Ye Fuli was chasing after her.
Yet Ye Fuli didn't follow.
She was staring blankly at the exquisite cakes in the display case.
Expensive?
It seemed the price tag was a bit steep.
Maybe I'll cut the price in half tomorrow to sell more.
"Hi, senior! I'm buying this cake—could you draw a little heart on it for me? If it's not too much trouble, I'd also like to get your contact info… just write it on the box, hehe~"
A boy with a starry-eyed expression approached Ye Fuli, carrying a tray of cakes.
Ye Fuli absentmindedly picked up a piping bag filled with red jam and wrote a few words on his cake.
"Ah, thank you, senior! You're so kind! Eh…?"
The boy looked down.
Seeing the word "Die" on the cake, he was utterly flustered.
…
"Zhenzhen, why are you running so fast?"
Wang Xiaoya caught up to Ye Zhen, panting heavily.
Ye Zhen replied with deadpan seriousness, "I have to pee. Like, really badly!"
Then she shoved all the cake in her hands into Wang Xiaoya's arms, asking her to hold onto it, and promptly dashed into the restroom.
After a moment of relief~
Ye Zhen felt a tingling sensation on her scalp.
Calmly reflecting, what was there to run from?
The system had crafted her a flawless new identity, with everything verifiable. She had completely severed ties with her past self, "Ye Zhen."
Now, she was the legitimate Ye Zhen.
"What a loser—scared stiff just seeing her?"
Ye Zhen slapped herself across the face to snap out of it.
"Ugh, Ye Fuli must be suspicious now!"
"Damn it, I can't go to the cafeteria for meals anymore."
"Wait, if I don't get meals there, won't that only prove I have something to hide?"
Ye Zhen gritted her teeth.
She couldn't hide—there was no escaping this.
Ye Fuli's patience was unmatched. For her, waiting for prey to come to her was basic—no need to even type "666" for that.
So she had to face her fear head-on!
"I'll buy desserts every day to hone my acting skills and willpower. Mm."
Ye Zhen was ready to embrace the long battle ahead.
Lifting her skirt, she stepped out of the bathroom.
She washed her hands~
Qiao Xin and Lu Chengcheng came over to wash their hands too.
And, quite naturally, they asked Ye Zhen about what had just happened.
"Zhenzhen, do you know that senior from the dessert section?" Lu Chengcheng asked curiously.
"No, why do you ask?" Ye Zhen feigned innocence.
"Then why did you run off just now?" Qiao Xin leaned closer, studying Ye Zhen's expression. "You didn't owe her money, did you?"
Ye Zhen blinked innocently. "No way."
Wang Xiaoya nodded. "You girls just love to speculate!"
The roommates soon put the incident behind them.
As for Ye Zhen, she stared blankly at her reflection in the mirror for a long while.
What kind of expression had she had just now?
It probably wasn't the kind of smile that looked utterly miserable.
……
…
Evening.
When her roommate suggested grabbing dry-pot beef at the cafeteria, Ye Zhen still lacked the courage to decline.
"Then let's order takeout. Zhenzhen, what'd you like?"
Ye Zhen replied listlessly, "A bubble tea, please."
"Still want it extra sweet?"
Ye Zhen shook her head. "Less sugar today, please."
While waiting for the delivery, she went out to the balcony again and crouched down to look at the plants she'd grown.
They were growing incredibly fast.
The vibrantly colored mushroom had grown significantly larger, emitting an oddly sweet fragrance.
The System returned, and she hurriedly reported her harvest.
[Host! Your cute little fat friend is here! Oh, and that farming-style host says he's willing to pay ten thousand for this mushroom.]
Ye Zhen pursed her lips. "I think he's offering too little."
[That host just left the mountain village and only has ten thousand yuan on him. I searched him myself. But how could I let this trip go to waste? I held his system captive for a long time, and he finally dropped some gold coins…]
Ye Zhen: "…"
Seeing the soil in the flowerpot suddenly puff up, Ye Zhen froze for a moment.
She dug into the soil with her little trowel and unearthed several gold coins the size of fifty-cent pieces.
"Holy crap, it really did spit out gold coins!"
Ye Zhen suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for that farming-style host.
These gold coins were probably rewards for that host's future quests, right?
[Also, this moe has learned the name of this mushroom: Beauty-Enhancing Mushroom.]
"Oh. Really?"
[It's fully grown now and won't expand further—ready for harvest. Dry one like this, grind it into powder, then mix it into regular face cream at a 1:10,000 ratio. Middle-aged women using it turn into girls, and ugly ducks become goddesses.]
Hearing this, Ye Zhen's heart skipped a beat.
This was nothing short of a golden opportunity to make money—what else could it be?
At the same time, she couldn't help but think of Jiang Zao.
With effects this miraculous, it could potentially change the fate of someone like Jiang Zao.
But giving things away for free had never been Ye Zhen's style.
She wasn't some philanthropist.
"I could give Jiang Zao the choice—let her decide for herself if she wants to try it. I'll have to tell her that being the first test subject always carries some risk. We'll need to sign an agreement to protect both of us."
If it succeeded, Jiang Zao would be her best advertisement!
Of course, anything produced by the system is guaranteed to be top-notch—there's no risk involved.
Ye Zhen had a feeling she was about to start making real money!
Her aimless, idle life was about to take a dramatic turn.