Chapter 220: She Agreed to Enter the Fortress of Love
"Boss, you owe me a raise! You have no idea what I've been through these past few days just to keep you safe…"
Zhao Mengde, harassed twice daily on average by agents sent by Ai Li, seized the chance to vent his grievances to Ye Zhen—and demand a raise.
She dumped all the weapons she'd confiscated—wooden sticks, iron rods, and the like—right in front of Ye Zhen.
"Look! If it weren't for my martial prowess, quick wit, and lightning-fast reflexes…"
Miss Zhao Mengde was quite skilled at seeking rewards and recognition.
After lavishing herself with dozens of unique adjectives, she took a deep breath to steady herself before coyly stating her desired compensation: "I won't mention anything else, but this month, I should at least get double pay and triple bonuses, right?"
Ye Zhen's mouth twitched. "What makes you think these people were actually after me?"
Zhao Mengde placed her hands on her hips, utterly convinced of her reasoning. "What else could it be? Surely not me! Though I am naturally beautiful, but…"
As he spoke, Zhao Mengde sensed something was off.
Looking at it another way, if those people were truly after Ye Zhen, would Ye Fuli still be sipping coffee so leisurely right now?
That Ye Fuli was like a dog fiercely guarding its food!
Forget snatching food from her mouth—just glancing at her plate would get you beaten to a pulp.
"Wait—could they actually be after me?"
Zhao Mengde realized.
A flicker of guilt crossed her face.
"Huh, I haven't offended anyone…"
"You've got some nerve saying that, Zhao Mengde." Ye Zhen glared at her. "Anyway, your own problems are your own business. Don't bring them to work…"
"Waaah, you heartless, mean bossy little brat."
Ye Zhen snorted. "Bring it to work? Fine. Just pay for anything you break."
"…"
Stupid brat! What a despicable money-grubbing little devil.
Zhao Mengde gritted her teeth, no longer willing to argue.
She began seriously pondering who she might have offended to deserve such misfortune. The result? Better not to think about it. Even a cursory thought could list hundreds of distinct names…
Zhao Mengde yanked at his hair in frustration and screamed in despair.
"The list is way too long! There's no way I can track down this ghost!"
…
At that moment.
At a hotel in the southern part of the city, Aili was trying on wedding dresses. One after another, various gowns were brought to her, ready for her selection.
"Miss, did you suddenly decide to get married?"
"Oh, no, no, no! I'm not getting married, and these aren't wedding dresses I'd actually wear outside." Aili said this, lifting the hem of the dress with a mysterious smile.
Her assistant, Sharo, watched the scene unfold, utterly stunned.
This world is crazy. When did things get this twisted?
"To win someone's heart, you must first win their body." Aili let go of her skirt and tugged firmly at the edge of her panties. "I think my idol will love this grand gift."
"So the boss plans to present herself as a gift to that Miss Zhao."
Sara finally understood.
Still, she couldn't help but press her hand to her forehead and sigh.
"But Miss Zhao isn't some delicate flower. She's got strength and cunning. Are you really sure you can handle her?"
Aili chuckled, reaching into her bag and pulling out a key.
She held the keys, dangling them in front of Sharo to make them jingle.
"Whether I can handle her or not, I'll have to try! I can provide her with more manga material, letting her draw even better pictures. She has no reason to refuse~"
This was the key to Zhao Mengde's room.
Watching this thing, Sharo couldn't help but worry whether her crazy boss would even be able to walk out of Miss Zhao's house tomorrow.
It's no big deal that the boss got laid off, but it does make you wonder if the paychecks will still come through.
……
……
Late at night.
Under Ye Fuli's relentless barrage of emotional manipulation, Ye Zhen nearly surrendered.
But when Ye Fuli asked her if she was willing to become partners once more, Ye Zhen chose silence.
Ye Fuli sighed softly, murmuring, "Ye Zhen, I'm willing to wait. I'll ask again next time."
"Ye Fuli, I'm sorry. I'm a little scared."
Ye Zhen flicked back her disheveled strands of hair and pulled up the collar of her shirt, which had slipped down significantly.
Silence fell between them as they gazed at each other.
Ye Fuli's gaze grew deep: "What are you afraid of? Could it be… that I'll treat you like I did years ago? Or… something else?"
Beneath the covers, the small, slender figure curled inward slightly.
Ye Zhen bit her finger, her eyes lowered.
"I'm afraid I won't be able to meet all your expectations. After all, I'm just a person without much promise. The help I can offer you in the future will surely be limited—maybe even none at all…"
In front of Ye Fuli, Ye Zhen always felt a pang of inferiority.
The gap between them had existed since school days, and after leaving campus, it only widened—so vast that even with her system, Ye Zhen could never catch up.
Being with someone like that made Ye Zhen feel insecure.
She always felt that without a formal commitment, they could part ways without burden once the novelty wore off.
But Ye Fuli clearly didn't see it that way.
"What do you think my expectations for you are?"
Ye Fuli lifted the quilt, took Ye Zhen's hand, and lay down beside her beneath the soft blanket.
Ye Zhen instinctively arched her back, trying to pull away, but Ye Fuli pulled her back with one swift motion, pressing her close.
"My greatest hope for you is that you'll grow old with me, walk through this life together, so we never have to start over."
"Ye Zhen, living alone at the top is too exhausting, too lonely."
"Within the limits you're comfortable with, walk this path with me for a while. When you grow weary or weary of it, you may leave. I absolutely… will never pull you back."
Ye Fuli spoke these words, cupping Ye Zhen's hands and kissing them solemnly.
A tingling sensation spread from her fingertips straight to the core of her being.
In that moment, Ye Zhen knew she was utterly lost.
"Then… as you wish, Ye Fuli."
"You promise?"
"Yes."
"You really agreed?"
"Yes."
Overwhelmed with joy, Ye Fuli wept tears of happiness.
Her hot tears fell onto Ye Zhen's hand as she could only repeat "Thank you" over and over.
This time, Ye Zhen embraced her, gently patting her back.
"I'll cherish this final chance you've given me, Ye Zhen."
"Mm."
Ye Zhen felt her own eyes welling up.
This moment felt like she was giving herself away in marriage.
She felt both anxious and hopeful about what the future held.
At least, she still had one last chance to make a reckless move.
If Ye Fuli failed to fulfill her promise, Ye Zhen could still walk away unscathed.
She would never lay down her weapons, shed her armor, and walk defenselessly into the fortress of love.
[Host, you're such a sly fox! (*￣rǒ￣)]
"Pfft! Cunning? This is called being rational! No matter what, people shouldn't become completely love-struck fools."
[Well, that… is precisely why this moe admires you. By the way, the original Ye Zhen's soul has been sent to a new world by this moe, where she can begin a brand-new life.]
Hearing this, Ye Zhen perked up instantly.
"What? Where did you send her?!"
[Why so tense? Am I some evil system that'd send someone to a world full of goblins to be a saint?]
"You just blurt that out like that?!"
[She's just been bound to a top student system. As long as she studies and checks in daily for 100 days as required, she'll accumulate good fortune. She'll definitely get into Qingbei University, marry a rich and handsome guy, and reach the pinnacle of life~]
"Hmm… Sounds like this daily check-in won't be easy."
Ye Zhen shuddered.
Still, for the original host, it offered a glimmer of hope for a better future.
For the current Ye Zhen, it resolved a pressing worry.
Snapping out of her daze, Ye Zhen felt Ye Fuli gently pinch her cheek.
"Ye Zhen, let's go try on wedding dresses tomorrow. I've already got everything ready."
"Oh, wedding dresses… What?! Ye Fuli, what did you just say?!"
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This work is compiled by the Fei/Niao SK Central Camp public account. This work originates from the internet; the author assumes no responsibility for its content. All rights belong to the original author.