Chapter 219: Ye Fuli's Layered Tactics
Another month slipped by in the blink of an eye.
During this period, Zhao Mengde felt busier than ever before.
On her way home from work, she was frequently ambushed. Though she always easily subdued the masked assailants attempting to bag her head, she never managed to extract the mastermind's identity from them.
"This must be targeting Ye Zhen."
Zhao Mengde weighed the bloodstained iron rod in her hand, glancing down at the burly man in black writhing at her feet. He was babbling incoherently in a language she couldn't understand.
She never took lives.
Of course, she never called the police either.
After dealing with this wave of ambushers, Zhao Mengde confiscated all their weapons. She emptied the potatoes, tomatoes, and other items she'd bought from the supermarket, making do with the bag to pack the clubs, machetes, ropes, and such. Then she walked straight out of the dark alley.
"Damn it! Couldn't they send some tougher opponents? Nothing but these weaklings. I didn't even get warmed up before it was over."
It wasn't until she'd walked several meters away that it occurred to her: she could have used the burlap sack they'd brought… Why bother with a supermarket shopping bag?
"Damn it! Those potatoes cost three bucks a pound!"
"Forget it. Some kind soul probably called the cops by now. Better not go back and stir up trouble."
"Damn it, those tomatoes were seven yuan per pound!"
"And the eggs were half price! Only once a month!"
…
The Ye Family.
Today was the Ye family's regular family dinner.
Ye Dad caught a huge 21-pound grass carp and personally cooked a whole fish feast.
His cooking skills had improved significantly during Ye Fuli's absence.
When Ye Zhen used to compliment his cooking, it might have been flattery, but now it was genuine.
"This fish weighed twenty-one jin! People gathered around, saying no one had ever caught such a big fish in that reservoir… Haha, I don't think it's that big a deal myself. It's just twenty-one jin."
Though Ye Dad downplayed it, he kept emphasizing "twenty-one pounds."
It was clear he was genuinely thrilled.
"I think I can catch even bigger fish in the future."
Ye Fuli nodded, picked up another piece of tender fish fillet, and placed it naturally into Ye Zhen's bowl.
As for Ye Zhen, she offered a serious suggestion: "Next time you go fishing, take us both along. I think your chances of catching a big fish will be even better."
At this remark, Ye Fuli visibly paused.
She knew she was usually quite lucky—every time she went fishing with Ye Dad, she'd catch a lot.
But Ye Zhen shouldn't be so certain about this, should she?
"Great! I'd be delighted!"
"How about tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow it is! Perfect timing—my new fishing rod just arrived. We'll take it out for a test run."
"Then I'll set my alarm tonight—early to bed, early to rise!"
"Alright, alright…"
Seeing the father and daughter chatting so happily, Ye Fuli let go of her inner doubts.
She realized she didn't need to be overly clever.
Many things remained unclear, but she didn't need to figure out every single one.
After dinner, Ye Fuli took Ye Zhen outside to sit in the garden and gaze at the stars.
"The city's pollution is too thick—you can barely make out a few stars," Ye Zhen yawned. "Someday, I'm going to live somewhere closest to the stars for a while. I'll stay until I've seen my fill before coming back."
Ye Fuli hummed in acknowledgment.
"Oh, and I'll go somewhere closest to the sea too, stay for a while, and come back only after I've had my fill of the ocean breeze."
"…Mhm."
"I love the grasslands. I want to raise a flock of sheep—let them out in the morning and herd them back at night! Oh, and get a dog too…"
Ye Zhen chattered on about her imagined future.
But beside her, Ye Fuli seemed somewhat distracted.
Ye Zhen couldn't help but glance at her. "Miss Ye Fuli, is there something you want to tell me?"
Ye Fuli shook her head. "I have something to say, but I can't."
"Just say it."
"I can't."
Ye Fuli pressed her lips together, her gaze lingering on Ye Zhen with a haunting intensity.
"I truly can't say it. I long to be your true companion."
Look at this girl—how sly, how adept at learning and applying things on the spot?
Fortunately, Ye Zhen didn't know that all these little tricks Ye Fuli was pulling were learned from Zhao's unscrupulous comics.
"…But you already said it."
"You can pretend you didn't hear that."
"…It's hard for me to pretend I didn't hear that."
Silence fermented in the evening breeze, brewing a sweet, ambiguous atmosphere.
Ye Fuli suddenly reached out, cupping Ye Zhen's face. Just as Ye Zhen tensed, about to close her eyes and passively receive her affection, Ye Fuli slowly released her hands.
This left Ye Zhen momentarily bewildered: "What… are you playing at?"
"I was just wondering—if we both wore glasses, would they clink together when we kissed?"
"…Huh?!"
Ye Fuli raised an eyebrow, casually removing her own glasses and attempting to place them on Ye Zhen.
Her prescription was quite strong.
But Ye Zhen didn't feel dizzy wearing them.
Just as Ye Zhen was puzzled, Ye Fuli slowly pulled a new pair of gold-rimmed glasses from her own shirt pocket.
Ye Fuli: "Those glasses you were wearing are plano lenses. I bought these new ones on the street today. I thought they might suit you, so I'll just give them to you."
Ye Zhen: "…"
Oh, really? I buy it.
Miss Ye Fuli, you definitely weren't testing whether "if we both wore glasses, they'd clink together when we kissed," right?
You're a proper lady, a cool and aloof older sister who's above such mundane thoughts, right?
A pair of plain-lens glasses bought off the street, yet the quality is surprisingly solid—even inlaid with sapphires and rubies. What a treasure trove, right!
Ye Zhen wore an expression that said she saw right through it but chose not to call her out.
Ye Fuli, having put her glasses back on, wrapped her arms around Ye Zhen's neck and tentatively kissed her, then quickly pulled away.
"This isn't a good spot," Ye Fuli whispered. "Dad might see us."
"You only realized it wasn't a good spot after you kissed me?" Ye Zhen smiled. "Miss Ye Fuli, are you playing hard to get?"
"I don't play those games."
As she spoke, Ye Fuli suddenly yanked Ye Zhen up, pulling her along the staircase toward the attic.
"I'm usually quite strong-willed, but with you… Ye Zhen, I'm willing to be a vulnerable woman."
"Pfft, don't think saying that will make me fall for your tricks."
Pushing open the attic door, their figures vanished into the darkness. Ye Fuli decisively pinned her against the wall.
Then began the meticulous verification of whether their glasses would clink together if they kissed while both wearing them…