Chapter 022: Don't Make Me Search the Whole World for You
After clearing the table and doing a quick cleanup, it was now 10:50 PM.
Ye Fuli was still sitting in the living room reading, while Ye Zhen simply couldn't stay awake any longer and was ready for bed!
Academic underachievers are just that—a little effort, and they're already exhausted.
How could she possibly compare to Feng Aotian, who finished college and was already previewing graduate school material?
I just can't keep up. I really can't.
"Um, where should I sleep tonight?"
Ye Zhen carefully picked up a pillow.
If she was assigned to sleep on the floor, she could accept that!
After all, one of the system's three mission options was to spend a night alone with the female lead, Ye Fuli—not share a bed with her.
Ye Fuli closed her book.
She hadn't taken in a single word tonight.
Her mind was filled with what had just happened between them at the dinner table.
She turned her head and glanced at Ye Zhen.
The pitiful look on her face stirred a strong urge in Ye Zhen to tease her.
Ye Fuli smiled faintly and said, "Do you remember what I told you before we came here?"
Ye Zhen nodded, suddenly feeling uneasy.
Atonement!
So what shameful thing would she be forced to do tonight?
Dancing in women's clothing?
Or some other trick?
"Put this on and come to the bathroom with me."
A garment bag was tossed in front of Ye Zhen.
Ye Zhen opened it with a flutter of unease… Upon seeing a full set of strawberry-patterned school swimwear, her face instantly flushed crimson: "This?!"
"What, you don't want to wear it?"
Ye Zhen sighed and shook her head. "It's not that I don't want to wear it."
Anyway, it was just the two of them here. So what if she had to wear it? Wearing it meant she could bathe with the female lead, directly completing an optional quest. That was truly a golden opportunity.
But…
When did Ye Fuli prepare this kind of thing?
After putting it on, it fit perfectly—not an inch too big or too small!
It was a bit tight…
Ye Zhen quickly crouched down, hugging her knees, taking deep breaths to try and shake off the awkwardness.
Ye Fuli gave her no chance to adjust. She lifted her foot, clad in white stockings, and gave Ye Zhen's bare foot a little kick. "Get in."
The bathroom here, though called a bathroom, was really just a cramped little cubicle that had been barely converted. The space was extremely narrow.
Once both of them stepped inside, they nearly filled the entire space.
Ye Zhen felt like crying.
The room was thick with steam, a hazy white haze, and stiflingly hot… All impure thoughts vanished from her mind, replaced only by a profound sense of discomfort.
Outside the window, cold gusts of wind rattled the glass, sounding a bit frightening.
"Scrub my back."
Ye Fuli turned her back to Ye Zhen, handing over a scrubbing ball and shower gel.
"Oh…"
Taking the scrubbing tools, Ye Zhen finally turned her gaze back to the person before her.
She was gradually adapting to this environment, but her mind was starting to overload again…
Was this… a hidden perk of being female?
…
…
After completing an optional task.
Ye Zhen emerged from the bathroom feeling lightheaded.
After scrubbing Ye Fuli clean, she was granted permission to bathe herself and change out of that humiliating school swimsuit.
However, the new outfit she put on was a Lolita-style dress.
It too was perfectly tailored, fitting her body without a hint of awkwardness.
Ye Fuli loved playing dress-up with her like a real-life doll, even buying her over ten pairs of unique cat ears!
Yet every single time she put those things on, Ye Zhen would blush so fiercely she felt utterly uncomfortable.
"Lie down."
When instructed to lie down where the pillow was placed, Ye Zhen instinctively curled up.
Ye Fuli lay down beside her, wrapping her arms around Ye Zhen's waist from behind and cradling her like a comfort pillow.
"Relax, don't tense up—it feels better this way." Ye Fuli rested her head on Ye Zhen's shoulder, breathing softly.
"Oh." Ye Zhen tried her best to stretch out a little.
The arms encircling her waist tightened ever so slightly, drawing Ye Fuli closer still.
In the darkness, Ye Fuli closed her eyes.
She was truly exhausted and fell asleep quickly.
Once asleep, her breathing grew heavier.
But she never loosened her grip.
Ye Zhen could only stiffen her body, maintaining this sideways position, letting herself be held until dawn.
"Sigh! I wonder if this counts as a blessing or a punishment."
She hadn't slept a wink all night.
"That Ye Fuli—to think she could hold me all night without letting go!"
The scenarios playing out in her mind could easily fill two new novels.
At dawn, the system notified her that she had completed two optional tasks, earning her mastery rewards for two subjects.
"Then I'll choose Chinese and English."
The instant she confirmed her choices, Ye Zhen felt her mind fill with new knowledge. Grammar rules she’d never grasped, vocabulary she’d struggled with, and those elusive passages, ancient poems, and classic novels she’d never been able to memorize—all flashed through her mind, etching themselves firmly into her memory!
"Phew~"
Ye Zhen instantly perked up.
With this level of mastery, what could possibly go wrong on the graduation exam?
Of course, she'd have to keep it low-key. Even if she truly had the ability to score perfect marks, she absolutely couldn't actually get a perfect score. That would be too conspicuous and likely cause trouble.
Ye Fuli woke up.
Seeing Ye Zhen's beaming expression, she couldn't help but frown. "What are you so happy about?"
Caught red-handed, Ye Zhen scratched her head awkwardly and decided to lie on the spot: "I… I'm just… happy for you."
"Happy for me about what?"
Ye Fuli was the type who liked to get to the bottom of things.
Facing her slightly fierce gaze,
Ye Zhen steeled herself and pressed on: "You slept so well last night, didn't you? Not a single wake-up, straight through till dawn… Such excellent sleep quality is definitely worth celebrating."
Hearing Ye Zhen's words, Ye Fuli narrowed her eyes.
With her sharp mind, she instantly realized Ye Zhen probably hadn't slept a wink all night.
"Were you afraid sleeping here?"
Ye Fuli reached out and pinched her chin.
"What exactly were you afraid of? You didn't do anything to betray me, did you?"
Growl—
Ye Zhen's stomach growled.
Her face flushed as she whispered, "I'm not scared… I'm just a little…"
…overthinking things!
After all, she wasn't exactly a pure girl. Sleeping next to her ideal type—a mature woman—how could she not overthink things?
"A little nervous! Yeah, I'm just a little nervous…"
"There's no need to be nervous."
Ye Fuli released her grip and rose from the bed.
She made no effort to hide her presence from Ye Zhen, starting to change clothes right in front of her.
While dressing, she remarked casually, "Things like this will happen often in the future. It's not good for you to be so tense all the time."
Ye Zhen gave a dry chuckle and fell silent.
Many more times?
The graduation exam was drawing ever closer. Once she obtained her certificate, left the Ye household, and returned this position to Ye Fuli herself, then…
Everything should finally come to an end.
That was her plan, but Ye Fuli clearly had other ideas.
As they left the miserable slum, Ye Fuli bought her a breakfast from a street vendor.
Soy milk, fried dough sticks, and their signature potato pancakes.
"Ye Zhen, where do you plan to study after this advancement?"
Before Ye Zhen could answer, Ye Fuli decided for her: "Jiangcheng. The teaching methods and curriculum at Jiangcheng's higher education institutions suit you better."
Ye Zhen fell silent.
She clearly had no intention of going to Jiangcheng. She wanted to go to a remote city, far away from both the male and female leads.
Ye Fuli glanced back at her, seemingly seeing right through her intentions.
"Fine, if you dislike Jiangcheng, we can choose another place. But wherever you go, you must tell me in advance. Don't make me waste my time searching the world over for you. Otherwise…"
Her gaze turned menacing once more.
Ye Zhen shivered and nodded weakly. "Oh, I understand."
Now things seemed to be getting complicated.
Feng Aotian had indeed developed a strong interest in her, but would this interest… last very long?
Ye Zhen certainly didn't plan on being ruled by her for the rest of her life…