Chapter 198: Ye Zhen, You Really Are Stupid
Learning that Ye Zhen's company had merely experienced a minor disturbance before settling down completely, Bai Ruoting gritted his teeth in fury.
He truly hadn't expected that those characters who had been such a headache for him would be so utterly useless when dealing with Ye Zhen!
"What should I do now?"
Bai Ruoting paced back and forth in his room, smashing several objects in frustration.
And just then, even worse news arrived.
His uncle, the butler who had watched him grow up, informed him that Old Master Bai had brought home a young man from outside. This newcomer was being treated almost as well as the legitimate eldest son in terms of food, clothing, and daily necessities!
What's more, judging by his looks, he bore a striking resemblance to Bai Ruoting himself—seven or eight parts alike.
Bai Ruoting felt his world crumble.
He instantly recognized the threat to his position.
"Why!?"
"Why would Grandfather do this to me?"
"I'm just a bit more robust—does that make me so despicable to him!?"
"Does the heir to the Bai family only need to be good-looking? Does he not need family bonds or blood ties?"
After roaring into the phone, Bai Ruoting collapsed onto the floor.
The despair in his eyes gradually darkened into a cold, ruthless glint.
"Grandfather, you have no idea how much I've sacrificed for the Bai family. Without me, you never would have reclaimed those businesses from Ye Fuli. You would have gone bankrupt long ago!"
At that moment, he suddenly covered his face and burst into laughter.
"Trying to kick me out of the Bai family? You're still too naive, Grandfather."
The current Bai Ruoting could be aptly described as a cornered dog.
He had nothing left to lose.
If the Bai family showed no mercy, he wouldn't be the one to blame for lacking it.
"Grandfather, let me send you on your way sooner. You're old now. The Bai family shouldn't be controlled by you alone any longer."
With memories spanning two lifetimes, Bai Ruoting knew precisely the state of his grandfather's health and what medications he was taking.
Making subtle adjustments without anyone noticing was effortless for Bai Ruoting.
……
……
Several days later.
The patriarch of the Bai family passed away suddenly in the night from a heart attack.
The already precarious Bai family naturally descended into utter chaos.
All sorts of distant relatives swarmed in like flies drawn to blood, impossible to shoo away.
Though relations between the two families had been strained in recent years, years of shared history had forged some bonds. Upon receiving the news, Ye's father sighed deeply and declared he would attend the funeral to pay his respects.
Out of respect for Ye Fuli, he also shared the news with her.
Ye Fuli remained silent as well.
In her memories from the previous life, the old man Bai had been alive and well right up until the day she died. How could he suddenly pass away from a heart attack now?
Driven by a wolf-like instinct, Ye Fuli immediately suspected Bai Ruoting.
This Bai Ruoting—his current behavior and demeanor were vastly different from the man she had known.
Perhaps he had been pushed too far and finally snapped.
Or perhaps he had simply laid bare his true nature.
Whatever the reason, the current situation seemed like the kind of mess only he could create.
Ye Fuli always tended to assume the worst about others, let alone when confronted with the suspiciously erratic Bai Ruoting.
"Alright, this Saturday, right? I'll be heading back too."
Ye Fu Li’s father felt a flicker of joy at her words. Yet, the thought of the chaos currently engulfing the Bai household made his conscience refuse to let him smile.
Taking pleasure in others' misfortune had never been in keeping with his upbringing.
He clenched his fist, suppressing his emotions, and said, "Alright, then Dad will be waiting for you."
A moment of silence passed.
Ye Fuli added, "I'll try to bring Ye Zhen back too."
"Oh? Really? That's wonderful… Um, what I mean is, that's for the best. Grandpa Bai took good care of Zhen when she was little."
Ye Fuli clearly detected genuine happiness in her father's tone.
This wasn't feigned—it was genuine happiness.
For her father, the daughter he most wanted to see was undoubtedly Ye Zhen… This thought made Ye Fuli's heart sting with a hint of bitterness, but she quickly let it go.
Wasn't it wonderful that someone else cherished Ye Zhen as deeply as she did?
Ye Zhen was like a flower blooming in the sunshine—it was only natural that many people adored her.
"Is Zhenzhen doing well? She should be eating properly and putting on some weight, right?" Ye Dad asked cautiously.
"She's very busy running her company, employing many staff. Her business is doing even better than mine," Ye Fuli replied, pausing for a moment.
She recalled Ye Zhen's recent touch.
That couldn't be weight gain—she must have lost weight from exhaustion.
"She probably hasn't been eating well and has lost some weight, but she's full of energy and seems very happy."
Hearing Ye Fuli's description, Ye Dad felt reassured.
He could tell Ye Fuli was living comfortably in South City.
That was all the reassurance he needed.
Both daughters were doing well.
"It seems you haven't been arguing lately and are getting along well," Ye Dad remarked. "That's all I could hope for."
Ye Fuli hummed in acknowledgment.
After hanging up, she immediately drove to the building where Ye Zhen worked and sat at the front desk, waiting for her.
After applying the second layer of cream two days prior, Ye Fuli had removed most of her bandages. The scars on her face were barely visible now, and her neck revealed its original slender, fair appearance.
Zhao Mengde returned carrying two bags of crabs.
She hadn't seen Ye Fuli in several days.
Seeing Ye Fuli sitting there looking like a delicate, elegant lady, she couldn't help but gasp, "You… your face…"
Ye Fuli touched her face, lifting her eyes slightly to meet hers. "What is it?"
"Is it just me? You look more beautiful."
Zhao Mengde couldn't even bother with the crabs anymore, tossing them onto the floor as she scampered over to Ye Fuli.
She reached out to touch Ye Fuli's face, eager to feel its new texture and ask for her beauty secrets.
But unfortunately, Ye Fuli frowned and punched her.
"Ow~! You vicious woman…"
Zhao Mengde clutched her stomach, rubbing it hard.
She lifted her eyes resentfully, staring at Ye Fuli's feeble appearance. How well she could pretend! She was clearly almost fully recovered—she even had enough strength to punch someone—so why keep up the act?
Soon, Zhao Mengde understood why she was pretending—appearing frail made it easier to get close to Ye Zhen!
Ye Zhen emerged from the conference room, accompanied by several major business tycoons who had come to discuss cooperation.
Ye Zhen knew nothing about business matters.
But Ye Fuli had lent her clever and capable assistant team to Ye Zhen.
So at meetings like this, Ye Zhen only needed to make an appearance and occasionally nod or hum in agreement.
"Ah, even though it seems like I didn't do much, I worked hard too."
Ye Zhen stretched lazily, her slightly cropped top lifting at one edge to reveal a slender, fair waist.
Ye Fuli watched the scene, her gaze darkening.
She immediately stood up.
Her hand instinctively reached out to tuck Ye Zhen's shirt into place, but she hesitated, feeling it would be too forward. She stiffly lowered her arm, inch by inch.
Ye Zhen blinked: "Hey, Miss Ye Fuli, what are you doing?"
"I want… this."
Caught off guard, Ye Fuli pointed casually at the metal ornament on her skirt hem.
Ye Zhen: "Huh? Oh."
Though she found it odd, Ye Zhen still unfastened the trinket and placed it in Ye Fuli's hand.
At that moment, Zhao Mengde burst out laughing.
"Hey! Ye Zhen, you really are dense. Can't you tell she's trying to help you pull up your dress? Ye Fuli, you're just as bad—just grab her hem directly! What are you being so timid for? Someone as capable as you, forget about pulling someone's hem—even if it were their straps…"
Before he could finish, Ye Fuli rolled up her sleeves and strode toward him with a fierce glare.