Chapter 172: Topics Related to Ye Zhen Are Off-Limits
Weekend. It was a rare, beautiful sunny day.
Ye Dad planned to go fishing with his old buddies. Before heading out, he cautiously asked Ye Fuli for her opinion.
Ye Fuli watched Jiang Nini helping him carry the tackle box. After a moment's thought, she said, "I'll come too."
Hearing this, Jiang Nini's forced smile froze instantly.
Ye Dad, however, beamed with delight. "Great! Great! Great! It's rare for you to show interest. Dad's thrilled."
"Then I'll go change into something else."
Ye Fuli changed into a more ordinary tracksuit and donned a large sun hat.
As she stepped out the door, she didn't miss the fleeting glimpse of malice in Jiang Nini's eyes.
Ye Fuli sighed.
She narrowed her eyes, gazing into the clear sky in the distance.
To her, everyone except Ye Zhen was nothing but weeds by the roadside.
If she trampled them, so be it. What did it matter?
However, to become someone Ye Zhen wouldn't fear, she would try to take these weeds seriously, consider their feelings.
If they could grow a little more presentable, she might even give them a flowerpot, some fertilizer, and help them thrive.
But…
If they sprouted thorns and tried to prick her, well, that would be truly unfortunate.
After getting into the car, Jiang Nini and Ye Fuli sat across from each other.
Jiang Nini no longer bothered trying to befriend her, but she still put on a show of politeness. She handed over a cup of tea: "Miss, try this fine Longjing tea."
"No, thank you."
At this moment, Ye's father was in another car, unaware of the situation here.
The driver for Ye Fuli and her group had previously been assigned exclusively to Ye Fuli. Having witnessed her rages firsthand, his mental fortitude was well-honed. In other words… whatever he heard or saw next, he wouldn't bat an eye.
Ye Fuli had no intention of playing games with her. She stated bluntly, "Jiang Nini, please stop wasting your efforts. I don't want the Ye family to bleed again."
This was a rare moment of genuine advice.
But to Jiang Nini, it sounded like a stubborn plea.
Jiang Nini couldn't help but laugh. "Miss Ye, what are you saying? Everything I do is useful. It's all things your father likes."
To others, such words might carry devastating weight.
But to Ye Fuli, it stirred not a ripple.
Ye Fuli laughed along: "Is that so?"
"Of course, Miss Ye Fuli. Haven't you noticed that since I arrived, your father's quality of life has improved? He smiles more often. He lost his beloved, you know. As a middle-aged man alone, how desperately he craves affection."
Jiang Nini raised an eyebrow.
She studied Ye Fuli's expression, searching for any sign of her breaking down.
But she found none.
Jiang Nini's gaze darkened.
"As his daughter, you rarely return home. When you do occasionally visit, you keep a stony face and barely speak to him. Do you think this is the life he wants? You may be outstanding as a person, but as a daughter, you barely pass the test."
Ye Fuli sighed, saying nothing.
She admitted Jiang Nini was partially right.
That was precisely why she hadn't taken direct action against Jiang Nini all this time.
Regardless of Jiang Nini's ultimate goal, Ye Fu Li's father's quality of life had indeed improved during her time here.
Her skill at reading people had grown remarkably sharp—even Ye Fuli found herself starting to see her in a new light.
If only she didn't have to go and screw things up…
she could have remained with the Ye family indefinitely.
She could be considered a companion pet for Ye Dad.
"What you can't give him, I can." Jiang Nini leaned closer, fixing Ye Fuli with deliberately innocent eyes as she enunciated each word: "Young Miss."
Ye Fuli shrugged noncommittally.
Her lukewarm response left Jiang Nini feeling utterly frustrated, like punching thin air.
Jiang Nini gritted her teeth and sat back down with a grudging sigh.
Watching the scenery flash by outside the window, Jiang Nini suddenly let out a cold laugh.
"I thought you'd hit me, Miss."
"Oh, you're overthinking it."
Ye Fuli rubbed her fists, tracing her slender index finger over her barely-pink nails. "Pets have the right to bark. As long as the master is in a good mood, they won't get beaten."
Jiang Nini: "…"
She could tell Ye Fuli wasn't speaking to provoke or sneer—she was stating a fact.
In Ye Fuli's eyes, she truly wasn't even human!
Such contempt from the depths of one's soul was unbearable.
Even Jiang Nini, skilled at controlling her expressions, struggled to hold it together now.
Ye Fuli closed her eyes, refusing to look at her anymore.
Beep-beep-beep—
A new message pinged on Ye Fuli's phone.
Ye Fuli picked up her phone and glanced at it.
It was a photo sent by Zhao Mengde.
The image showed a glass display case placed on the large front desk at the company, filled with a pile of origami cranes and stars.
Ye Fuli's perpetually unchanging expression shifted slightly.
Ye Fuli typed back: "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"
Zhao Mengde: "Hey! Don't get mad. I didn't pick it up—Ye Zhen did."
Ye Fuli: "……?"
Zhao Mengde: "No doubt about it, Ye Zhen really did find it. She praised your craftsmanship and said your thoughtfulness was rare. She also mentioned waiting for you to return so she could give you a gift in return… Hehe, so, happy now?"
Ye Fuli: "You made up all those so-called compliments, didn't you?"
Her astonishingly sharp intuition left Zhao Mengde feeling rather downcast.
A long silence followed.
Zhao Mengde finally typed a reply: "Don't always be so sharp—it's exhausting living like that! Anyway, I'll call your move a successful feint. After all, Ye Zhen noticed you and even went out of her way to pick up your gift, didn't she?"
Is that so?
Ye Fuli wore a look of melancholy.
She hadn't intended any feigned retreat.
Had she known Ye Zhen would want these things, she never would have tossed them in the trash.
Now…
Those things were sitting right at her workstation. She'd have to face them every day from now on. Ye Fuli had no idea what expression she'd wear.
…
An hour later.
The car pulled up near a famous scenic area.
There was a large reservoir here, with picturesque mountains and clear waters. Entry required a ticket, and prime fishing spots cost extra, so it wasn't overly crowded and remained relatively quiet.
Ye Fuli got out of the car first, followed closely by Jiang Nini.
"Come here, kid! There's a pavilion over there. Sit down for a bit while Dad goes buy you a bottle of water."
Ye Dad beckoned Ye Fuli over, completely ignoring Jiang Nini who had offered to carry his suitcase.
For Jiang Nini, this kind of situation was rare.
Recalling how she'd been treated by previous families and now seeing this scene, Jiang Nini couldn't help but feel a sense of disappointment.
Ye Fuli ignored her twisted emotions and sat down in the pavilion.
A moment later, Jiang Nini joined her.
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled at Ye Fuli.
"Ye Fuli, before you came home, this family already had a daughter, didn't it?"
This was a forbidden topic.
Ye Fuli narrowed her eyes, fixing Jiang Nini with a dangerous glare.
"How did you make her disappear?" Jiang Nini blinked, pretending not to see the danger, and continued, "Did you kill her? Where's the body? In the sea, inside a wall, or buried somewhere on your property?"
Ye Fuli's knuckles cracked as she clenched her fists, but she remained silent.
Jiang Nini covered her mouth and giggled. "Just kidding! I know our lovely young lady is kind-hearted and wouldn't do anything like murder and robbery."
"What are you trying to achieve by deliberately provoking me?"
Ye Fuli's composure always teetered on the brink of collapse whenever topics involving Ye Zhen surfaced.
Her murderous intent nearly solidified, threatening to seize Jiang Nini's throat.
Jiang Nini was terrified.
But now, alongside her fear, there was madness.
She pointed to the pin on her chest.
A flashing red dot marked its presence—clearly a miniature camera.
Jiang Nini had come prepared, betting that Ye Fuli wouldn't dare to act.
"I did not provoke you, Miss Ye Fuli." Jiang Nini approached her. "I merely raised a reasonable suspicion that you might be a murderer…"
Before she could finish, Ye Fuli suddenly lunged forward, clamping her hand around Jiang Nini's throat and slamming her face-first onto the stone bench.
Thud—
The thunderous impact of her body slamming against the stone slab drew the attention of many onlookers.
But Ye Fuli's bodyguards swiftly dispersed the onlookers.
Only the two of them remained.
Ye Fuli stared at her with a sinister glare. "Doubt? Stop doubting. Since you want me to be a murderer, I'll kill for you to see."
She nearly choked Jiang Nini unconscious.
Jiang Nini's limbs flailed weakly, her eyes bloodshot, her throat emitting a parched sound…
Just as she thought her life was ending, Ye Fuli released her grip.
Before Jiang Nini could feel relief, Ye Fuli yanked her hair, slamming her forehead hard against the wooden railing of the pavilion.
Once. Then again.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Blood seeped from Jiang Nini's forehead. Her legs buckled, and she sobbed incessantly, begging for mercy.
Ye Fuli would show no mercy to a thorny weed. If not for Jiang Nini's limited value in pleasing her family, Ye Fuli would have ensured she spent the rest of her life confined to a hospital bed.
"How about it? Jiang Nini, are you alright?"
Ye Fuli tugged her hair, her smile gentle.
"I'll have someone take you to the hospital right away. Get proper treatment. I'll be waiting for you to come back."
Before Jiang Nini was dragged away, Ye Fuli plucked the miniature camera from her chest.
She held it up to the sunlight, examining it for a long moment before smiling meaningfully.
"Let me guess—who are you, my dear?"
"Ah, the only one who could inspire Jiang Nini to such selfless devotion is you, isn't it?"
"Heh, what a touching, heartwarming love story."
Before she could finish speaking.
Ye Fuli received a message from the bodyguard left at home.
Attached was a photo.
Bai Ruoting's face was pressed firmly against the keyboard, his phone and computer confiscated.
The surveillance footage from just now would never see the light of day.
"Too weak, Young Master Bai," Ye Fuli sighed. "If that's all you've got, it's rather boring."
Yet Bai Ruoting, pinned down at that moment, showed little sign of despair. Instead, he chuckled softly.
"Ye Fuli, it's not certain who will come out on top."