Chapter 149: She Must Have Her Reasons
Ye Zhen had initially intended to ignore Ye Fuli's request.
But then she thought of Ye Dad's kindness toward her, and she couldn't quite let it go.
In that twisted Ye family, Ye Dad had always been kind to her.
He'd once walked through scorching sun, crisscrossing streets and alleys, asking strangers for news about his disobedient daughter. He'd also humbled himself before medical luminaries, seeking advice and pleading humbly to heal her face.
Though he wasn't her biological father and they hadn't shared much of a life together, Ye Zhen had received this heavy burden of familial affection whether she wanted to or not.
Leaving the Ye family back then was a choice she had to make, whether she wanted to or not.
But severing all ties meant she would forever carry that guilt.
Thinking she should buy Ye Dad a gift to celebrate his recovery, she nodded.
She would have Ye Fuli deliver it as a friend in her stead.
In Ye Zhen's view, the original purpose of a gift was to bring joy to the recipient, not to express gratitude to the giver.
As long as it brought Ye Dad a little joy, that would be enough.
"Alright, but it has to be during the day. It's too late now."
It's too late now. I don't want to go out with you, Ye Fuli. I'm scared.
Ye Zhen's eyes conveyed her true feelings.
And Ye Fuli, at that moment, clearly understood her thoughts.
Ye Fuli nodded. "Right, it has to be during the day. It's too late—it's not safe for a girl to go out."
Ye Zhen: "…"
I never expected you to be so obedient and understanding.
The toxin must have reached her brain!
To Ye Zhen, prolonged contact with this version of Ye Fuli seemed utterly irrational and dangerous. Naturally, she chose to avoid it.
Watching Ye Zhen turn and walk away without hesitation, disappearing around the hallway corner, Ye Fuli felt a pang of loss.
She didn't linger but turned and left Mondstadt, renting a room in a nearby hotel.
After settling in, Ye Fuli stared intently at her reflection in the mirror.
"Wearing this to meet her really isn't appropriate."
She tossed aside the pure black dress in her hands.
She rummaged through her suitcase and found a lighter-colored dress.
"This one seems to look a bit more lively."
Ye Fuli decided she would wear this tomorrow.
She looked down at her ugly leather shoes and felt rather frustrated.
"I don't seem to have a single decent pair of shoes to match it."
Her rational mind reminded her that she should be someone who pays attention to every detail, down to the last strand of hair.
But right now, her suitcase contained only ugly clothes and two pairs of ugly shoes. Why had she chosen this style of dressing… Was it simply because they had no complicated designs, allowing her to get dressed in ten seconds flat after waking up?
Ah, thinking about it that way, it did fit her personality.
After all, when she was in a rush, she tended to throw clothes on haphazardly.
But…
She was someone who had been in relationships before—why was she still so careless about her appearance?
The thought made Ye Fuli frown, and she pinched her cheek hard.
"No, this has to change."
She had confirmed it over and over—she couldn't let go of Ye Zhen.
Since she couldn't let go, she had to rack her brains and find every possible way to win him back.
So what if she made a mistake? She'd fix it!
Of course, even if she changed, it might not work…
But doing nothing would definitely be useless.
This thought energized Ye Fuli once more. She descended the stairs and headed to the convenience store near the hotel, where she bought a palm-sized notebook and a small pen.
"To prevent myself from forgetting, I must record every promise made to Ye Zhen and every decision I resolve to make each day."
Ye Fuli had once placed extreme trust in her memory.
But now, she dared not be overly confident.
Of course, this was purely overthinking.
Her memory remained flawless for anything she chose to accept.
……
…
Dawn broke.
Ye Fuli, who had slept soundly in the hotel, was awakened by the piercing morning sunlight.
Yefuli yawned as she sat up.
She rubbed her eyes.
Still half-asleep, she picked up her phone and glanced at the time: "Ah!"
It was already this late?
She never overslept—only struggled to fall asleep…
Huh? So she really had trouble sleeping before?
"The books say heartbroken people struggle to sleep," Ye Fuli immediately found a reasonable explanation. "Wasting away for love! I'd just forgotten the pain of forgetting…"
She had planned to get up early, buy a decent outfit, and then go see Ye Zhen.
But now it was too late. She had no choice but to head out wearing clothes and shoes she herself despised.
Upon reaching the gates of Mondstadt Academy, Ye Fuli suppressed all emotion once more, her face hardening into its usual cold expression.
Not far away, Miss Zhao Mengde crouched beside a trash bin, stroking a cat's head.
Lifting her head, she caught sight of Ye Fuli's sour expression and snorted.
"Oh, did you run here? Your hair's all messed up."
Ye Fuli muttered, "What's it to you?" but still instinctively reached up to smooth the hair by her ear.
"Hmph! Of course it's none of my business, you woman with a three-minute attention span."
Zhao Mengde muttered under her breath.
"You chased after Ye Zhen for just a few days before disappearing… I was even planning to pick up some dating tips from you!"
Hearing these words, Ye Fuli felt a wave of surprise wash over her.
Had she really come back to pursue Ye Zhen again?
Then…
How had she pursued him?
What did she use to pursue him?
Could it have been a weapon like a stick…?
He definitely hadn't done anything right, otherwise Ye Zhen wouldn't have given him that cold expression when she saw him.
Lost in thought, Ye Zhen had already emerged from the academy.
She wore a pale pink down jacket today, long enough to reach her ankles, wide and oversized.
Her cheeks were rosy from the cold, and a woolen hat pulled low over her eyes hid most of her face.
Her elfin eyes sparkled brightly, captivatingly beautiful.
Ye Fuli felt a pang in her heart.
It felt like she was…
hit hard by cuteness.
She cleared her throat softly, quickly averting her gaze, and maintained her expressionless face, pretending nothing had happened.
Ye Zhen raised an eyebrow, looking at her. "Where do you plan to buy the gift?"
The two of them walked ahead, while Zhao Mengde, the bodyguard, maintained a distance neither too close nor too far, watching every move Ye Fuli made.
After all, as Ye Zhen put it, this girl had been acting strangely lately. Who knew what she might do?
Safety was paramount!
"How about buying some local specialties?" Ye Fuli suggested cautiously. "If I'm wrong, don't mind me—I just looked it up online. I'm really not good at giving gifts…"
Ye Zhen forced a smile.
She couldn't help but recall the gifts Ye Fuli had given her before—things like shackles, a collar, a giant snail, a huge parrot…
Indeed, they were all strange, even slightly perverse things.
In this world, there probably weren't many people who liked such things.
"Just get some local specialties. Something everyone can appreciate."
"Alright."
Ye Fuli secretly noted Ye Zhen's words.
Today felt like a day full of learning.
Soon, another thought crossed her mind: Ye Zhen had accompanied her to pick out gifts today, which was a huge help. So, as a token of gratitude, she should give Ye Zhen a gift too, right?
But the moment the phrase "giving Ye Zhen a gift" crossed her mind, fear gripped Ye Fuli.
It seemed like she had already given so many wrong gifts.
That meant she couldn't give a gift. She'd have to find another way to thank her.
With that thought, Ye Fuli tentatively reached out her hand toward Ye Zhen.
She wanted to take Ye Zhen's bag for her—a small gesture, an unobtrusive way to show her appreciation. Surely that couldn't go wrong.
But Ye Zhen just stared at her blankly. After a moment of silence, she pulled a small packet of melon seeds from her pocket and placed it in Ye Fuli's palm.
Ye Fuli: "…"
Ye Zhen: "Don't like caramel flavor? There's also five-spice flavor."
Staring at the sunflower seeds in her hand, Ye Fuli felt a mix of emotions.
Alright.
She must have her reasons for giving me these sunflower seeds.
I'll take them then.
Oh right—next time, I can give sunflower seeds too!
"Thanks."
"Uh, you're welcome…"
Watching Ye Fuli face the cold wind with a determined expression as she cracked sunflower seeds, Ye Zhen couldn't help but feel this scene was too subtle—she really wanted to comment on it…