Chapter 192: It's All Because of That Pink Book
To Bai Ruoting at that moment, Ye Fuli's voice carried the same devastating impact as a death sentence.
The smugness that had filled his eyes vanished, replaced by a pallor that washed over his face. Had he not swiftly grabbed the table for support, his legs would have given way, and he would have collapsed instantly.
Even though he had regained his manhood, the agony of losing everything was seared into his soul.
His hatred for Ye Fuli was genuine.
He feared her, too—that was real.
Whether the hatred outweighed the fear, or vice versa, he couldn't say.
Watching his dramatic facial expressions shift, Ye Zhen couldn't help but chuckle. "Young Master Bai, are you alright?"
Just don't go and die on me here—that'd ruin my feng shui.
"I'm fine. I'm perfectly fine."
Bai Ruoting shot her a look of profound gratitude.
There was still a possibility they could form an alliance.
If she were in Ye Fuli's camp, she wouldn't care about him!
"It seems it's just you and me then…"
"For now, we have no grudges against each other, but naturally, there's no possibility of cooperation either." Ye Zhen cut off his speculative speech and gave the bodyguards by the door a subtle signal, instructing them to escort him out.
Ye Fuli stepped aside, smiling as she watched Bai Ruoting get kicked out.
"You were in such a hurry to get rid of him—were you afraid I'd harm him?" Ye Fuli shifted her gaze to fix it on Ye Zhen.
Ye Zhen shook her head. "He stinks."
Of course, she did worry Ye Fuli might take action.
Those wrapped in protagonist halos were notoriously hard to kill. Why get your hands dirty and cover yourself in stench?
Besides, the newly replaced carpet in the hall was expensive. Blood or poop on it was something Ye Zhen couldn't even imagine, let alone tolerate! If they wanted to fight, they should do it outside. Don't treat her place like a battlefield.
That said, Bai Ruoting specifically requesting Senior Liu's team when he came to see her today did make Ye Zhen wary.
That kid's eyes had been off today, and his words were even stranger.
Had he… stumbled upon some special intelligence?
She'd have to assign a few people to keep a close eye on him—and on the Bai family.
Ye Zhen wasn't about to put herself in any danger. Her carefree life of eating, drinking, and having fun was too comfortable—no one was going to ruin it for her!
"Rest assured, I remember everything you told me. I won't harm him. Right now, his life is worse than death. Of course, I hope he lives well." Ye Fuli said this, turning to leave.
But she walked slowly, as if waiting for Ye Zhen to speak up and ask her to stay.
Ye Zhen saw through her little scheme, but he pretended not to notice, keeping his head down as he continued reviewing the bills.
Zhao Mengde chuckled. "You're just letting her go like that? At least invite her to dinner! After all, you're fellow townsfolk! Meeting in Nancheng hundreds of kilometers away—is that something that happens easily?"
Ye Zhen shot her a glare.
What a chatty little brat.
"Hey! Teacher Ye, wait a moment! It's on me—let's go for some hotpot lamb."
That "Teacher Ye" successfully reminded Ye Fuli of her days working odd jobs all over Mondstadt Academy.
She fixed Zhao Mengde with a reproachful gaze.
She wanted to say something, but the words stuck in her throat.
She still wished it was Ye Zhen who had asked her to stay, not this Zhao fellow.
"I… I'll pass on eating." Ye Fuli, not having heard Ye Zhen's words of persuasion, felt a bit downcast.
As she turned to leave once more, Zhao Mengde called out to her again.
Watching this guy who clearly didn't know how to take the initiative, Zhao Mengde felt nothing but frustration at his lack of initiative.
For the sake of his island dream, Zhao Mengde resolved to step up his game.
"Hey, Teacher Ye! Are you heading back to the car to eat instant noodles again?" As he spoke, Zhao Mengde frantically signaled to Ye Fuli with his eyes. "Goodness, with your body, can you really handle eating instant noodles every day? Look at you—you're looking pale as a ghost!"
Ye Fuli: "…"
Little did she know how skilled Zhao Mengde was at putting on a show.
Upon hearing this, Ye Zhen lifted her head and glanced at Ye Fuli.
Ye Fuli had been through a lot lately, so her complexion was understandably poor.
When their eyes met, Ye Fuli instinctively pulled down her hat brim to hide her face.
That face, still swathed in bandages, must look hideous.
She didn't care about others' gazes, but she still dreaded Ye Zhen's look.
"In my opinion, skip the lamb hotpot. Let's have something lighter," Ye Zhen said, putting away the bill in her hand before rising and walking toward Ye Fuli.
Ye Fuli, usually so strong-willed, always revealed a girl's reserve and fragility in her presence without even realizing it.
Ye Fuli offered no objection, silently following behind Ye Zhen.
Zhao Mengde, carrying his bag, followed them.
Seeing Ye Fuli's flustered state gave Zhao Mengde more satisfaction than making money in the stock market.
"Oh my, Ms. Ye, what's wrong? Your face is all red—let me take a look?"
Before he could finish, Ye Fuli swung her elbow, landing a solid blow.
"You vicious woman! I'll never forgive you… Ow! Sshhh~" Zhao whimpered and sobbed.
……
…
After being kicked out of the company building, Bai Ruoting sat on the street corner for a while before clutching her stomach and rushing into the restroom.
"Ye Zhen, if you refuse to hand over this team to me, I'll take it by force! This is a golden goose—a little girl like you can't possibly handle it."
Bai Ruoting's lips curled upward into a sinister grin.
"Fortunately, I now possess the memories of my past life. I know exactly how to exploit each of their vulnerabilities."
He knew the core members of that team numbered only three.
Once he controlled those three, the rest would follow obediently.
He decided to start with the girl named Liu Wei.
"I recall her parents both work at one of my family's subsidiaries. They disapprove of Liu Wei's career choices, wanting her to become a teacher or pursue civil service exams instead…"
"In my past life, I handled those stubborn parents for her. She was incredibly grateful to me!"
"This time around, without me cleaning up your messes and covering your tracks, I'll be curious to see how you keep building your empire."
At this thought, Bai Ruoting's smile grew even more sinister.
After leaving the bathroom, he hailed a taxi and headed straight to the subsidiary on the southern edge of the city, determined to make contact with Liu Wei's parents first.
His actions were immediately known to Ye Zhen.
However, from Ye Zhen's perspective, she remained unaware of Bai Ruoting's true intentions. After all, the original comic's plot never revealed the dirty deeds the male lead had committed.
"Keep following him. Don't lose him. Report any developments to me immediately," Ye Zhen texted back to the bodyguard tailing him.
By now, the three of them had arrived at a home-style restaurant and ordered their meals.
Ye Zhen instinctively ordered dishes she knew Ye Fuli loved.
As for Ye Fuli, she tentatively ordered a few dishes she thought Ye Zhen might enjoy.
When it was Zhao Mengde's turn to order, Miss Zhao looked troubled: "I still want lamb. I heard that stuff cures kidney deficiency…"
"You have kidney deficiency?!"
Ye Zhen stared at her in shock.
"Miss Mengde, what have you been up to?"
Zhao Mengde propped her chin on her hand, sighing with a look of grievance: "It's all because of that pink book of yours…"
"Enough, enough! Shut up already! Eat scallions—load up on scallions!"
Ye Zhen dumped all the scallion strips from the side dish plate onto Zhao Mengde's plate.
"What pink thing, Miss Zhao?"
Ye Fuli, however, zeroed in on the crucial detail. Her eyes locked onto Zhao Mengde, as if demanding with her gaze that she reveal some vital information she was withholding!