Chapter 161: Feeling a Bit Worried About Ye Fuli's Future
Ye Zhen acted swiftly.
After adding the appetite-boosting grass powder, she sprinkled in some sleep-inducing grass.
Without black tea, would the sleep-inducing herb's effect be diminished?
"This way, she won't have the energy to cause trouble at night, and the Lu household can have some peace."
Ye Zhen thought to herself, feeling a twinge of guilt.
It was rare for her to do something bad.
Surely no one had noticed?
Just as she pondered this, a soft chuckle reached her ears.
The source of the laughter was none other than Miss Zhao Mengde, who had witnessed everything from the shadows behind her.
As a retired elite soldier with exceptional combat awareness, she could discern the slightest movements others might miss.
But she wouldn't expose her employer.
She merely found the scene rather peculiar.
In her mind, her little loli employer was a pure, innocent fool, destined only to be bullied, utterly powerless to fight back.
But now it seemed…
A cornered rabbit really can bite.
Heh, I can't help but worry about Ye Fuli's future.
"When did you arrive?" Ye Zhen, having been seen through, remained utterly unfazed.
"I've been here for a while. After all, I need to keep you safe."
Zhao Mengde strolled over leisurely, casually glancing at Ye Zhen's roommates.
His gaze lingered slightly when it passed over Qiao Xin and Wang Xiaoya.
Huh?
The way these two looked at Ye Zhen… something was off.
Their gaze toward Ye Zhen used to be right, but today it felt off.
About ten minutes earlier, Qiao Xin had braided Ye Zhen's hair and wiped breadcrumbs from the corner of her mouth, her eyes brimming with affection.
About five minutes ago, Wang Xiaoya had wrapped her arms around Ye Zhen's neck, nuzzled her cheek, and even removed a hairpin from her own hair to pin it into Ye Zhen's—every gesture brimming with affection!
Recalling Ye Fuli's promise of triple compensation, Zhao Mengde felt compelled to take action.
She pointed at Qiao Xin, then at Wang Xiaoya.
"You two come with me."
Ye Zhen: "……?"
What is this genius up to now!
Qiao Xin and Wang Xiaoya exchanged glances before following her out.
Near the emergency exit, Zhao Mengde scrutinized them once more before snorting heavily. "You two… like Ye Zhen, right?"
Qiao Xin twisted her lips. "Hah, what a thing to say! Zhenzhen is so adorable, who wouldn't like her? Don't you like her? You like her too, right?"
Wang Xiaoya chimed in: "Exactly! Exactly!"
Hearing their responses, Zhao Mengde snorted again. "Don't play dumb. When I say 'like,' I mean the kind of liking that makes you want to date her."
Qiao Xin's heart skipped a beat.
Her feelings hadn't even surfaced that long ago!
And it hadn't even been that obvious!
How did Zhao Mengde see right through it?
"Ha, impossible. We're all girls—how could we possibly…" Wang Xiaoya snorted, her tone sounding a bit weak. "I just admire Zhenzhen's beauty and her outstanding grades, that's all."
In last semester's final exams, Zhenzhen's overall score had been the highest in the class!
Wang Xiaoya, on the other hand, had failed two subjects.
But she didn't care much. After all, she'd come to school just for fun, planning to coast through four years before returning home to take over the family business.
"Then I'll be blunt—you two are forbidden from pursuing her."
Zhao Mengde placed her hands on her hips, wearing a smug expression as she looked at the two girls before her.
Qiao Xin was deeply indignant. "Why?"
"Because someone offered me triple the pay to block Ye Zhen's other suitors for her. Triple! That's three hundred thousand yuan! Do you even understand what that means? Anyone standing in my way of earning that three hundred thousand won't get off easy!"
Wang Xiaoya scoffed, her face dripping with contempt. "A measly 300,000? I'll give you 400,000. Just stay out of our business."
Zhao Mengde: "…Huh?"
A flicker of confusion crossed her eyes.
Quickly, that confusion vanished, replaced by the delight of discovering a money-making opportunity.
But the moment she recalled Ye Fuli's terrifying demeanor, she forced herself to abandon that lucrative opportunity and lowered her eyes.
Sigh.
Ye Fuli wasn't someone you could fool.
Zhao Mengde still didn't want to make such a formidable enemy.
"No way! I have my professional integrity! Bottom line: if you dare pursue her, I'll pack you up overnight and ship you off to mine in Africa."
……
……
A few minutes later.
Qiao Xin and Wang Xiaoya returned from outside.
The look in their eyes as they faced Ye Zhen carried an indescribable gloom.
Ye Zhen felt equally downcast. "What did you two talk about out there?"
Qiao Xin sighed, said nothing, and turned to comfort Lu Chengcheng.
"Nothing much. Just feeling sorry for the little white rabbit. Even without a big bad wolf around, it still can't escape becoming the wolf's prey," Wang Xiaoya said sympathetically, patting Ye Zhen's shoulder.
"Little white rabbit?" Ye Zhen blinked her eyes, looking adorably innocent—she did have that little white rabbit vibe—"Who are you talking about?"
At that moment, Jiang Nini had already walked over to their side.
She'd never paid Ye Zhen much attention before, but today she finally gave her a couple of deliberate glances.
"Oh, whose little girl is this? She's quite pretty."
Jiang Nini smiled, reaching out to stroke Ye Zhen's cheek, but Ye Zhen decisively dodged her hand.
Jiang Nini's hand froze mid-air.
She didn't seem embarrassed, only her smile faded slightly.
She turned her gaze toward Lu Chengcheng.
"Chengcheng, aren't you going home yet? Your dad must be getting worried."
Lu Chengcheng stared at her expressionlessly.
"Oh dear, you stubborn child… No wonder your father…"
Jiang Nini deliberately stroked her belly and shot Lu Chengcheng a defiant look.
Though she said nothing outright, and her belly was perfectly flat, the sheer impact of that gesture was devastating.
Lu Chengcheng couldn't take it anymore. She grabbed an empty wine bottle from the table and hurled it at her.
Amidst the gasps of the crowd, Zhao Mengde instinctively reached out and caught the empty bottle.
Lu Chengcheng was dazed.
She glared viciously at Jiang Nini.
"You bitch! Get out! Get out now!"
Ye Zhen acted swiftly, grabbing Lu Chengcheng to prevent her from doing anything rash that could ruin her future.
Jiang Nini, startled, pressed her hand to her chest and let out a cold laugh.
She mused that this little sister was clearly out of her league—she hadn't even exerted herself yet, and the girl had already crumbled.
Sigh. Best to send her to meet the ultimate target sooner rather than later.
She still remembered Ye Fuli quite well.
After all, they had played together as children—best friends, after all.
I wonder if Ye Fuli would crumble like this when her best friend turned into her stepmother?
Jiang Nini thought smugly, unable to suppress the upward curve of her lips.
Regardless, Ye Fuli's things were still her absolute favorites…
A wave of drowsiness washed over Jiang Nini, and she yawned.
"What's wrong with me? Why am I so sleepy so early today?"
She muttered to herself as she stepped out of the crowd.
"I was planning to head out later to meet my best friend."