Chapter 023: Don't Move, I Won't Bully You
The discussion about college applications continued all the way to the foot of the academic building before temporarily ending.
Throughout the walk back, Ye Zhen remained noncommittal.
No matter what Ye Fuli said, she simply nodded in agreement.
This compliant attitude, however, left Ye Fuli feeling rather displeased. She knew full well that Ye Zhen wasn't truly submissive—the chances of this little runt running away were high!
But even if Ye Zhen did run away, she was confident she could track her down again!
Ye Fuli was confident in this regard.
She arrogantly believed that Ye Zhen had no right to quit until she declared the game over.
"Don't wait for me after school," she instructed. "Behave yourself. Don't get any funny ideas."
"Got it!"
The two parted ways between the two classroom buildings.
Last night's events were temporarily put out of their minds.
"Zhenzhen! Ye Zhen, wait up! Is your dad coming to the parent-teacher conference today, or your mom?"
In the hallway, Ye Zhen ran into a classmate.
Though they weren't close, people always seemed to gather around at times like this, deliberately leaning in to whisper.
Of course, it wasn't directed at her personally, but at the Ye family.
Ye Zhen forced a smile and replied noncommittally, "I don't know. It depends on their arrangements."
As she walked away, the smiles on her classmates' faces vanished in an instant.
They whispered among themselves about Ye Zhen and the Ye family:
"Do you think Ye Zhen's parents will actually show up?"
"No way! Her grades are terrible. Wouldn't it be embarrassing for them to show up?"
"Hard to say. No matter how bad she is, she's still the Ye family's only daughter."
"Ha! Just goes to show, choosing your birth family is a skill in itself."
Ye Zhen didn't let their chatter get to her.
People's mouths were their own business. She had two hands, but could only cover two mouths—she couldn't shut everyone up anyway.
If they loved gossip, let them gossip!
Once the graduation exams were over, who would even recognize who anymore…
Most importantly, Ye Zhen didn't feel much connection when hearing others discuss her. Most of those things were done by the original owner—they had nothing to do with her!
She entered the classroom.
Ye Zhen took her seat and reached into the desk drawer, only to find an exquisitely crafted gift box.
She pulled it out.
This couldn't possibly be from Ye Fuli.
A note was attached, reading, "For my ideal type," signed with the character "Huang."
"What a pain."
It was that Huang Li again.
Ye Zhen couldn't even be bothered to open his gifts. Just as she was about to toss it in the trash, she wondered if this thing might be worth something—after all, the packaging was so exquisite, adorned with gold leaf and such decorations. Maybe she should sell it…?
She pried open a crack and saw the handmade, charred cookies inside. Her expression darkened.
"Better just toss it after all."
Most of the morning classes were self-study periods.
The Chinese and English exam results were also posted before noon.
Her scores in both subjects were nothing short of dismal… Fortunately, Ye Zhen had already received the mastery reward from the system, so she wasn't overly concerned.
During the self-study period, she retook both exams.
This time, the questions were particularly tricky. Even the top students in the class hadn't performed as well as expected. Now, however, the answers flowed effortlessly from her pen, as if they had always been stored in her mind!
After finishing, she secretly compared her work against the answer key and graded it again.
This time, the scores were truly impressive.
Ye Zhen felt completely at ease.
The thrill of cheating was utterly addictive.
"Hehe, thanks to Feng Aotian! If I could get the gift she promised, that would be even better."
At that moment, Ye Zhen's gratitude toward Ye Fuli reached an entirely new level.
Forget making her dance in a dress—even if she didn't wear one… Cough cough, no way, absolutely not.
Ye Zhen buried her face in her hands on the desk.
Why did she feel like her principles were becoming increasingly scarce in the face of temptation?
……
…
Before she knew it, dismissal time arrived.
Parents had already begun arriving at the school in a steady stream, preparing for today's parent-teacher conference.
Ye Zhen pushed her way through the crowd and hurried toward the school gate.
By this time, Mrs. Ye had already arrived, though she hadn't gotten out of the car yet.
The Ye family car was always parked diagonally across from the school entrance, in front of a coffee shop. It was always a black business sedan, and the license plate number was always so auspicious.
But before she could get close, Ye Zhen witnessed a rather peculiar scene.
She saw Ye Fuli standing by the car door, head bowed and shoulders trembling slightly, as if she had done something terribly wrong.
The door stood ajar. Drawing nearer, Ye Zhen could make out Mrs. Ye's tense expression and the undisguised disdain etched upon her face.
Ye Fuli, I thought you were a woman of principle, a smart one! But now it seems you're no different from those delusional fools…
Ye Fuli shook her head, her voice fragile as she pleaded, "I truly am your daughter! Why won't you acknowledge me? We look so much alike—please open your eyes and see!"
The moment Ye Zhen heard that voice, she knew Ye Fuli was putting on another act.
But upon hearing Ye Fuli's words, Ye Zhen's heart skipped a beat.
Was she really acting?
This felt like a genuine reunion scene straight out of a comic book!
Ye Zhen instinctively took a few steps back, hiding in a corner where they couldn't see her.
"Enough!"
Mrs. Ye didn't believe a word of her crying and wailing.
No, it wasn't disbelief—it was disgust.
Just minutes ago, Ye Fuli had suddenly lunged at her like a madwoman, gripping her hands frantically and screaming "Mom!" over and over, nearly giving her a heart attack.
Could such a person really be her daughter?
Madam Ye detested such loud, dramatic displays above all else.
"I have only one daughter, Ye Zhen. Don't think that just because you bear a slight resemblance to me, you can claim kinship. I detest such behavior, do you understand?"
Ye Fuli covered her face, as if she were about to cry.
Her fragile appearance was truly heartbreaking.
But Mrs. Ye remained cold-faced throughout, showing not a shred of compassion.
"I'm sorry, Chairman Ye. I'll leave you now."
Ye Fuli turned and walked away, pushing through the crowd until she vanished from sight.
Having witnessed the entire scene, Ye Zhen was absolutely certain Ye Fuli was putting on an act… Knowing Ye Fuli as she did, she would never resort to tears to achieve her goals.
Moreover, Ye Fuli already possessed the paternity test results—the most compelling evidence.
Why would she bypass that evidence and come here crying and pleading?
And even if she had, the purpose of the reunion hadn't been achieved. Would she really leave after just saying "I'm sorry"?
That wasn't Ye Fuli's style at all!
"Ugh, what the hell is she trying to pull?"
Ye Zhen couldn't figure it out, but she dared not ask further.
She could only pretend she'd just arrived, stepping out from behind the bushes and approaching Mrs. Ye's car door with perfect obedience: "Mom, you're here?"
Madam Ye nodded.
She made no mention of Ye Fuli, simply accepting Ye Zhen's assistance as she stepped out of the car.
Watching her well-behaved, quiet daughter, Mrs. Ye felt her contempt for Ye Fuli deepen.
That wild child had no manners whatsoever—utterly incomparable to Ye Zhen.
"I hear you did quite well on your exams this time," Mrs. Ye said, taking Ye Zhen's hand. "Is there anything you'd like as a gift?"
Ye Zhen lowered her head and replied softly, "With parents as kind as you, I'm already so content. How could I possibly ask for a gift?"
This thoughtful and sensible attitude was exactly what Mrs. Ye hoped to see.
A smile touched her lips. "What nonsense! Our Ye family isn't like those commoners. You needn't spare us any expense. If you like something, just say the word."
"Then… could I ask for a little gold?"
Gold?
Mrs. Ye frowned slightly.
What was wrong with this child?
Before, she only ever wanted flashy, useless things and often complained that the family's gold decorations were tacky and ugly. Now she's actually asking for it herself!
"I've seen a gold bracelet I like, Mom. Can I buy it?"
Ye Zhen blinked her wide, innocent eyes as she cautiously voiced her request.
Mrs. Ye ruffled her hair.
"Of course you can. I'll transfer some money to you later, and you can go buy it yourself."
Though slightly surprised, Mrs. Ye said nothing.
She figured girls' minds were just fickle.
Ye Zhen had once been madly in love with Bai Ruoting, yet lately she hadn't sought him out at all. Clearly, she had matured and become more sensible.
So it made sense that she'd moved beyond flashy trinkets and developed a taste for gold jewelry.
With this thought, Mrs. Ye's gaze toward her softened with added affection.
"By the way, Zhenzhen, I'll take you to meet someone later."
"Mm-hmm, okay!"
An obedient and sensible daughter would better serve the Ye family's interests.
Mrs. Ye felt the marriage alliance between Ye Zhen and Huang Li was firmly within her grasp, lifting her spirits considerably.
Unable to resist, she transferred an extra sum to Ye Zhen's account, urging her to dress up nicely and buy some more jewelry.
Though Ye Zhen didn't understand why, she happily accepted.
Every expansion of her secret stash filled her with hope for the future!
…
The parent-teacher conference began.
The homeroom teacher ushered all the students out, and the classroom door closed.
Walking at the back of the crowd, Ye Zhen was still blissfully thinking about how much gold this money could buy.
But as she reached the stairwell, someone suddenly covered her mouth and dragged her into a cubicle.
Ye Zhen was horrified and instinctively tried to fight back, but then she heard Ye Fuli's voice and smelled a distinct scent of fruit wine.
Ye Fuli was drinking alcohol at school!
Has she lost her mind?
"Ye Zhen, don't make a fuss. Just stay with me for a while."
Her voice carried a hint of exhaustion.
Recalling how she'd feigned tears and collapse in front of Mrs. Ye, Ye Zhen's heart trembled.
Perhaps it wasn't entirely fake after all…
As someone who had been reborn, who could bear being humiliated and rejected by their own mother?
Her burning cheek pressed against Ye Zhen's icy neck.
Ye Zhen shivered.
Behind her, Ye Fuli reached out and wrapped her arms around Ye Zhen's waist.
"Don't move. Today, I won't bully you…"