Chapter 146: Too Much of a Contrast, Zhenzhen Is Afraid
Ye Fuli didn't really care what exactly they were playing in the game.
Ye Zhen guided her character through the lengthy dungeon, wandering aimlessly.
Not being very skilled at gaming, Ye Fuli's controls were clumsy, earning her a scolding from Ye Zhen:
"Dumb! I've told you three times—break the monsters' defenses before attacking!"
"Combos! Combos!"
"Seriously, can't you use more healing potions or something? Hey, if you have potions, just drink them!"
At first, Ye Fuli endured the scolding, typing back apologies like "Sorry."
But eventually, she was driven into complete silence.
She even began to wonder if Ye Zhen had discovered her true identity and was deliberately using this opportunity to berate her.
Of course, that couldn't be…
…impossible.
Ye Fuli pressed her hand to her forehead and sighed.
"Is playing games really that fun?"
She genuinely found it lacking in enjoyment—far less thrilling than a real, physical confrontation.
After defeating the final boss in the game dungeon, Ye Fuli was ready to log off.
But then, during the final reward card draw…
Ye Fuli stared at the reward she'd drawn, frozen in place for a long moment.
On the other end of the computer screen, Ye Zhen let out a shrill scream: "Ah! Damn it, Ye Fuli, you took my weapon… That's too much!"
As everyone knew, Feng Aotian's luck wasn't confined to the real world—it extended into the virtual realm too.
Her luck made it easy for her to pull off humiliating moves against her enemies.
Even when she genuinely had no such intention.
Ye Zhen slumped on the desk, utterly dejected.
She tugged at the corners of her mouth, letting out a cold laugh.
"I was worried about her mental state? Hah, I should be worried about my own mental state now."
On the screen, the character Ye Fuli controlled circled around her, setting off several fireworks.
Ye Zhen: You're humiliating me, right?
Ye Fuli: No, I'm comforting you. If you don't like that weapon, I'll just dismantle it.
Ye Zhen: ?
Ye Fuli: What's with the question mark?
Ye Zhen: …
Ye Fuli: What's with the ellipsis?
Thud—
Ye Zhen slammed her fist on the keyboard.
"Ugh, this is so frustrating! I feel like she's mocking me! Does this person already know that I know she's Ye Fuli?"
[Host, what are you doing here?]
"I fucking hate gaming."
Ye Zhen promptly logged off without even saying goodbye to Ye Fuli.
Ye Fuli, meanwhile, frowned and scrolled through the chat log again.
There was nothing wrong.
She hadn't said anything wrong, so why was she upset?
"See? I really hate playing games."
Ye Fuli sighed, slowly moving her mouse to click "End Game."
"I really need to learn more emotionally intelligent communication skills."
……
……
The prerequisite for dating is becoming ordinary friends first.
But when she seriously considered this matter, Ye Fuli realized just how difficult it was.
She had to constantly analyze every word Ye Zhen said and guess her needs.
This task was simply too difficult.
Out of ten times, she'd step on a landmine nine times.
Her judgment of saying the wrong thing was based on Ye Zhen's prolonged silence.
On the other side of the screen.
When she set aside all preconceptions and tried to communicate calmly with Ye Fuli again, Ye Zhen felt a huge gap between them—in short: they just didn't click.
Most of the time, Ye Zhen struggled to follow Ye Fuli's train of thought.
For instance…
Ye Fuli couldn't go three sentences without mentioning "dating":
"What's the point of gaming? How about dating? I think dating is way more fun."
"The scenery in that game is amazing. Let's go check it out, and then we can date."
"You logged in a bit late today—were you seriously considering dating me?"
Or like…
Ye Fuli often spouts awkward, corny lines of romance.
"Are you tired? You've been running around in my head all day."
"Do you play guitar? Why did you pluck my heartstrings?"
"I want to buy a plot of land from you—your unwavering devotion."
Of course.
Ye Zhen knew this guy wasn't naturally sentimental—most of these lines were probably copied and pasted from the internet.
But the thought of these words coming from Ye Fuli's mouth struck Ye Zhen as too jarring a contrast—it made her uneasy.
After all, Ye Fuli had just endured immense psychological and physical trauma! Under such blows, a person's mental state suffers profound damage—it's not something a few words could heal.
Could Ye Fuli, despite appearing sane, actually be suffering from schizophrenia?
A violent, paranoid individual developing schizophrenia? That would be truly explosive.
Ye Zhen admitted to herself that the more she thought about it, the more frightened she became.
After shutting down the game in exhaustion one day, Ye Zhen pondered for a long time before finally uninstalling it.
[Host, what are you doing…?]
"I just don't find gaming interesting anymore."
Ye Zhen shut down her computer and pulled out her reference books, textbooks for each subject, and her meticulously filled-out notes.
"Exams are tomorrow. I need to make the most of my time to review."
Truthfully, with her intellect and the effort she'd put in since the semester began, passing the exam wouldn't be a problem even without studying.
Bringing up studying now was probably just an excuse.
Before the truth was revealed, it was time for them to return to the lives they each desired.
Ye Zhen's thoughts were straightforward.
She owed Ye Fuli nothing.
She was no longer Ye Zhen, but Ye Zhen.
She must abandon the past completely and live well under her new identity.
As for Ye Fuli's illness, professional doctors would handle her treatment—why should she waste her energy worrying about it?
……
…
In the hospital.
Still lying in her hospital bed, Ye Fuli stared silently at the vibrant, colorful world within the game.
After a long while, she shut down the game.
It had been a full week since Ye Zhen last logged in.
Ye Fuli's intuition told her Ye Zhen would never log in again.
The only channel through which they could communicate had been severed.
She frowned, lost in thought for a long time.
The hospital room felt empty.
She lowered her head, remaining silent for a while, then suddenly swept everything off the table onto the floor.
Then, driven by a restrained emotion, she slid off the bed, crouched on the floor, and began picking up each item one by one.
"Hey, Little Fuli! Don't move, we'll pick them up for you."
The nurse entered carrying the replacement medication, about to help Ye Fuli back onto the bed, but Ye Fuli pushed her away.
"Don't bother with me anymore."
Ye Fuli's face was pale, and she struggled to maintain a calm expression. Yet, she had fallen into the habit of digging her fingernails into her arms, leaving deep, bloody scratches.
"None of you… need to pay attention to me."
The nurse paused for a moment, then sighed.
She turned her gaze toward the doorway.
Standing there in a hospital gown, IV drip hanging from his arm, was Ye Fu Li's father. A nurse helped steady the IV bottle as he shuffled unsteadily into Ye Fu Li's room.
"Child, are you all right?"
Ye Fuli's body trembled.
She instinctively hurried toward the bathroom, locking herself inside to avoid meeting or speaking with her biological father.
She hugged her arms, slowly crouching down, letting tiny beads of blood well up on her skin.
The words "No one will ever love me" took root in her mind.
Ever since the day her birth mother died, it had repeatedly surfaced, clawing and growing wildly, gradually obscuring the sunlight above her head.
Ye Dad stopped outside the bathroom door.
He had been deeply concerned about Ye Fuli's state, but he hadn't figured out how to speak to her.
"Are you okay?"
Ye Fuli said nothing, only clutching her ears tightly and gasping for breath, as if drowning in the venomous curse of Mrs. Ye.
No sound came from outside the door for a long time.
When Ye Fuli reopened the bathroom door and stepped out, her eyes filled with terror, Ye Dad was still sitting quietly by her bedside, waiting for her.
In that moment, most of the anger and hostility within Ye Fuli dissolved.
She too moved with faltering steps, heading for the chair furthest from Ye Dad and slowly sitting down.
"During my time in the hospital, I've come to understand some things."
Ye Dad sighed, paused for a moment, and decided to share some heartfelt words with Ye Fuli.
"I have to accept that I possess flaws like selfishness, cowardice, and hypocrisy."
"I must also accept that these flaws have led to the consequences of our family falling apart."
"But even though things have gotten this bad, I've been wondering if there's anything I can still do."
"I'm still alive, with decades left ahead. Surely there must be something I can do?"
"I've thought long and hard about it, and finally realized that no one needs me to do anything anymore. My existence is insignificant. Without the things I used to do, everyone is getting along just fine."
At this point, he let out a bitter laugh.
"After coming to terms with this, I realized I could still do something for myself."
"I can let go of my worries about the company and enjoy my retirement in peace—go fishing, play chess with the old guys…"
"I could go for runs, focus on wellness, travel, see the sights…"
Ye Fuli stared at him blankly.
In two lifetimes, this was the first time she'd heard such strange words from this man.
"The prerequisite for loving others is loving yourself."
"If you can't even embrace your own flaws or accept your past, how can you expect others to embrace them for you or accept them on your behalf?"
Ye Dad said this, stood up, and walked toward the door.
"Ye Fuli, these are the words your father hopes you will understand."