Chapter 177: You'll Have to Work for Me for Three Hundred Years to Pay Off Your Debt!
Ye Zhen took a long leave of absence from school.
She rented an apartment near the hospital where Ye Fuli was staying, ready to handle any emergencies involving her daughter at a moment's notice.
"This herb can save lives, but it can't fix disfigurement, right?"
Lying in bed in a daze, Ye Zhen once again confirmed the effects of those two herbs with the system.
"Thankfully, I secretly saved some face cream. It'll come in handy later."
Ye Zhen exhaled softly and closed her eyes to rest.
Everything was under control; she felt no panic whatsoever.
"Sigh! For the sake of world peace, I've sacrificed so much. Ye Fuli'll have to work for me for two hundred years without pay just to settle this debt, won't she?"
[Dog Host, your mouth is so sharp it could be forged into a legendary divine weapon!]
"Shut up, dog system."
As she lay there, Ye Zhen drifted off into a drowsy slumber.
The skies had cleared only a few days ago, but now it was raining again.
The sound of rain was incredibly soothing, especially as the weather grew warmer.
But after only a short while of sleep, Ye Zhen's phone rang. She groped under her pillow with her eyes closed and pulled out her phone.
"Hello?"
"It's me! Kid, have you seen Ye Fuli? My daughter… she… she…"
It was Ye Dad's voice.
Ye Zhen shot awake, immediately rolling out of bed. "What's going on? Uncle, you need to be clear."
"Half an hour ago, she left the hospital! Ah, it's my fault. I fell asleep and didn't keep an eye on her. She… she shouldn't have been discharged yet. Where could she have gone?"
Hearing this news, Ye Zhen felt a buzzing sensation in her head.
After hanging up, she immediately asked the system to track Ye Fuli's whereabouts.
With the system by her side, there was no need to panic.
Without even changing out of her pajamas, Ye Zhen slipped on her leather shoes, grabbed her umbrella, and dashed out.
"What is she trying to do? She can't be thinking of killing herself!"
[Ye Fuli is on her way to the Ye residence. It doesn't seem like she's seeking death, but rather seeking revenge.]
"What?!"
Ye Zhen felt completely shaken.
This girl must be completely insane!
Even with combat prowess that could take on seven opponents, she was currently in critical condition. It was a miracle she could even stand up—how could she possibly seek revenge?
Knowing Ye Fuli well, Ye Zhen instantly grasped a dreadfully grim possibility.
Ye Fuli was an absolute perfectionist. Once she realized her face was disfigured beyond repair, she'd likely find life unbearable.
Tonight, she was likely intent on taking her enemies down with her!
"Oh my God, oh my God!!!"
Now it was Ye Zhen's turn to let out a shrill scream.
She had calculated everything, yet overlooked Ye Fuli's overwhelming pride.
That pride could truly be deadly.
"No, Ye Fuli, you bastard! You… you'll have to work for me for two hundred years—no, three hundred years—to pay back what you owe me!"
Ye Zhen hailed a taxi by the roadside, flung a handful of cash at the driver, and ordered him to floor it. She had to intercept Ye Fuli before she reached home.
Her eyes were bloodshot, her teeth clenched.
"Ye Fuli, you damn woman!"
"Thinking you can keep causing trouble day in and day out, huh?"
"Once you're better, I'll beat the crap out of you!"
If she failed at this critical moment, Ye Zhen would truly lose her mind.
Yet, seeing Ye Fuli's pitiful state now, her heart couldn't help but wrench with pain.
No one could truly feel another's pain as their own.
Besides, when Ye Zhen lay in that hospital bed, she hadn't felt the pain herself. She hadn't worried about life after disfigurement.
After all, she had the system to back her up!
But Ye Fuli now knew nothing and possessed nothing.
Her agony and bewilderment were beyond Ye Zhen's imagination.
……
…
The Ye residence.
Bai Ruoting, confined to his room, still hadn't managed to contact the outside world.
However, the bodyguard had provided him with plain white steamed buns and water, preventing him from starving to death in the room.
Without Ye Fuli's orders, no one would release him.
Bai Ruoting finally began to feel fear.
"Why hasn't my grandfather come for me yet? Do they even consider me family anymore?"
"Damn these old fools!"
"Without me, could they have toppled the Ye family? Could they have brought down Ye Fuli?"
That's how madmen are—their first reaction is to speak without restraint.
The bodyguard kicked him contemptuously, sending him sprawling back onto the ground. "Behave yourself!"
Ding-dong—
The doorbell rang.
One of the bodyguards inside opened the door and hurried out.
"Miss Ye… is that you?"
They saw Ye Zhen, soaked to the bone and looking utterly disheveled.
Ye Zhen gasped for breath as she asked, "Has Ye Fuli come back yet? Have you seen her?"
"The young miss? She hasn't returned yet."
The bodyguard recognized Ye Zhen. Though unsure of her exact relationship with Ye Fuli, he knew they were close.
They politely stepped aside.
"Please come in."
Ye Zhen stepped inside, tossing her umbrella onto the threshold.
She removed her shoes and walked in barefoot.
This house now felt profoundly unfamiliar to her.
If not for Ye Fuli tonight, she would never have returned here.
Everything had changed beyond recognition.
The vast, empty house held not a trace of warmth, cold enough to freeze the soul.
Ye Zhen pushed aside her melancholy and hurriedly asked the bodyguard for a phone, trying to dial Ye Fuli's number.
The call wouldn't go through.
Ye Zhen couldn't help but wonder—could she have collapsed on the way here, her body giving out?
[Host, relax. Ye Fuli is the chosen heroine. She'll be fine.]
"Hmph, I know that! No need for your unsolicited advice."
Ye Zhen angrily dropped the phone, her gaze fixed intently on the doorway, waiting for the doorbell to ring.
At that moment, loud curses erupted from the room where Bai Ruoting was confined.
"Every last one of the Ye family deserves to die!"
"Lock me up all you want! Once I'm back at the Bai residence, I'll make sure every last one of you pays with your lives!"
"How much did Ye Fuli pay you? I'll give you double—let me out!"
Hearing Bai Ruoting's voice, Ye Zhen's expression darkened.
She was someone who disliked getting involved in conflicts, but Bai Ruoting had crossed her line.
Ye Zhen would not let him off easy!
"Hey, dog system, you snagged some pills with major side effects yesterday, right?"
[(?′▽｀)??, Yep~]
"Give me one of each. I'm going to pay the male lead a visit."
[Oh! This one triggers secondary growth after ingestion. Side effect seems to be diarrhea—the incurable kind… This one promotes hair growth. Side effect seems to be excessive body hair growth, plus weight gain…]
These junk pills were all failed experiments from other systems.
The dog system had intended to toss them out, but since Ye Zhen needed them now, it selected the few with the best effects and placed them in the flower pots on the second floor.
Just as Ye Zhen dug them out, the doorbell rang.
Ye Fuli, equally drenched, appeared at the doorway.
Her entire body was soaked, leaving only her eyes clear and bright.
In her hand, she clutched the dagger that had once pierced Bai Ruoting's thigh.
Tonight, she would make Bai Ruoting leave this world in the most agonizing way possible…
No bodyguard would stop her—someone would even clean up the mess afterward.
But when she saw the shoes and umbrella by the door, her movements visibly faltered.
"Ye Zhen?"
Ye Zhen, who was upstairs, heard her voice and peered over the railing, staring at her.
Ye Fuli's heart skipped a beat, and the dagger in her hand clattered to the floor.
She instinctively covered her face and turned to leave.
Ye Zhen called her name loudly, but she didn't look back once. Instead, she ran straight into the pouring rain.
"Ah, that damn brat."
At that moment, Ye Zhen couldn't be bothered with the male lead. Barefoot, she sprinted downstairs to catch the fleeing figure.
Ye Fuli, her body weak and trembling, struggled forward, ignoring the excruciating pain throughout her body. Her mind was filled only with the fear and helplessness of being seen in such a disfigured state by Ye Zhen.
"Ye Fuli, you stop right there!"
"Keep running, and I'll never speak to you again!"
"You—"
"Dammit, stop running! I'm barefoot!"