Chapter 176: Not Wanting Ye Zhen to See His Ugly Side
Ye Dad had reserved a table at a hotel near the hospital.
Even if he was certain the person before him was Ye Zhen, there was nothing he could do if she refused to acknowledge it.
For now, he could only treat her as a friend of his daughter, Ye Fuli.
Still, Ye Dad secretly ordered several dishes he knew Ye Zhen would enjoy before handing the menu over.
Ye Zhen wasn't hungry now; she just wanted to eat something light and go back to sleep.
Staying up all night to watch over a patient was exhausting!
She wasn't made of iron; she couldn't compare to Ye Fuli, who was a long-term night owl.
At the dinner table, Ye Dad expressed his gratitude repeatedly, his words heavy with guilt.
"I've been a terrible father."
"I was always absent when my daughters needed me."
"I never knew what my daughters liked or disliked… I never even gave them any meaningful gifts."
"Now I'm alone—I suppose it's my just deserts."
Ye's father couldn't drink, but he desperately wanted to drown his sorrows in alcohol.
If life could start over, everything would be different.
Perhaps they would have been a truly happy family of four.
Seeing the redness in his eyes, Ye Zhen felt a pang of pity. She could only lower her head and silently pick at the peanuts.
"It'll be okay, Uncle. Everything will be okay."
She wasn't good at comforting others.
And besides, the man before her was Ye Fuli's biological father—the adoptive father of Ye Zhen's identity.
The rift between them might never be bridged.
Exchanging silent glances might become their new normal.
"Child, if it's not too much trouble, I hope you'll visit Ye Fuli often—just to keep her company and talk with her." Ye Dad lifted his head, his gaze sincere as he looked at Ye Zhen. "She doesn't have many friends, doesn't say much, and can be quite temperamental at times, but…"
He trailed off.
He recalled the bloody scene of Ye Fuli wielding a cane, lashing out at Bai Ruoting with brutal force.
Few wealthy young ladies would commit such an act, yet Ye Fuli showed no regard for social niceties or concern for another's life, striking with extreme brutality.
Had no one intervened that day, Ye Fuli might well have beaten Bai Ruoting into a cripple!
Ye Fuli's brilliance was widely known, but so was her brutality and ruthlessness.
Being friends with Ye Fuli carried inherent danger.
Ye's father didn't want to speak ill of his daughter, yet he couldn't bear to drag an innocent girl into the abyss. He found himself torn between two difficult choices.
"I heard she became this way because she saved you?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Then she's a good person." Ye Zhen's smile now was genuine, her words sincere: "Isn't someone willing to sacrifice themselves to save others considered a good person?"
Ye Dad stared at her blankly.
After a long silence, Ye Dad sighed softly and smiled as if relieved. "Yes, she is my daughter. She is a very good person."
Ye Fuli was gradually transforming her character and approach to life.
Now, she too had someone who trusted her and was willing to speak well of her.
Ye Dad felt a deep sense of relief.
……
…
At the hospital.
Lying in her hospital bed, Ye Fuli's condition was gradually improving.
She could feel the searing pain inside her body lessening, and the skin ulcers had stopped worsening.
Opening her eyes, the blinding sunlight made her squint and tear up.
After struggling to adjust to the surrounding brightness, Ye Fuli tried to sit up.
However, the ulcers on her arms were excruciatingly painful even at the slightest touch. After forcing herself upright, blood seeped through the gauze.
Ye Fuli frowned.
Scanning the room, she saw no mirror.
In disbelief, she reached out and touched her own face.
A bad feeling made her fingers tremble.
"Am I… disfigured?"
Ye Fuli could calmly face Ye Zhen's disfigured face, but she dared not let Ye Zhen see her own disfigured appearance.
She was an extremely proud person!
She would never allow herself to appear disheveled before others, especially not before Ye Zhen.
"Am I disfigured…"
Ye Fuli gripped the bandage tightly, trying to tear it off to see what her face had become.
Her sudden movement and emotional turmoil caused the bedside monitor to emit a persistent "beep-beep-beep" alarm.
Within seconds, a crowd of doctors and nurses rushed into the room.
"Miss Ye, calm down!"
"Your wounds haven't healed yet! You can't tear off the bandages like this!"
"Quickly, support Miss Ye and help her lie down."
Ye Fuli coughed heavily twice, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
Fear rarely touched her, and she'd never imagined a day when she'd lose her beautiful appearance, becoming a hideous monster covered in festering sores.
How could she ever face Ye Zhen again?
No, she couldn't see Ye Zhen again!
She couldn't bear this hideousness, and she couldn't possibly subject Ye Zhen to it!
With that thought, Ye Fuli slowly closed her eyes.
To her, becoming this way was no different from death—perhaps even worse.
"Has my life truly come to an end?"
"But…"
"Before that happens, I'll make sure those scheming bastards go to hell first."
…
Evening.
Ye Dad carried several pots of vibrantly blooming flowers into Ye Fuli's hospital room, placing them where she could see them at a glance.
Gazing at his daughter lying lifelessly in the hospital bed, Ye Dad felt waves of pain piercing his heart.
"Mr. Ye, could you step outside for a moment?"
The head nurse called him out into the hallway.
With deep concern, she relayed the events that had unfolded earlier that day.
"Your daughter's condition has actually stabilized and is improving, but her emotions are very unstable."
Being a woman herself, the head nurse understood all too well what appearance meant to a young girl.
"Her skin is so badly ulcerated that she will definitely have scars."
"If the recovery doesn't go well and she needs surgery to remove the infected tissue, it could be even worse."
"As her family, you need to pay attention to her mental health and offer her more emotional support."
These concerns had already crossed Ye Dad's mind before the head nurse mentioned them.
Saving her life was already a miracle.
After all, to this day, no one knows what exactly was in that syringe. They never managed to treat the poison properly.
Shortly after the junkie was arrested, he went insane, screaming incessantly for money and laundry detergent. No further information could be extracted from him.
"Alright, we'll keep that in mind."
Ye's father forced a smile, struggling to suppress his inner grief.
"Thank you for all your efforts."
The head nurse sighed deeply. "It's all part of our job, Mr. Ye. No need to thank us."
Once silence settled again, Ye Dad slumped weakly against the wall.
He buried his face in his hands and wept silently.
Once, Zhenzhen had endured such a nightmare. Now, a similar nightmare had descended upon Ye Fuli.
Ye Zhen and Ye Fuli had completely different personalities.
Zhenzhen could remain unconcerned about her own appearance, but Ye Fuli… she probably couldn't manage such optimism and openness.
As a father, what could he possibly do?