Chapter 029: A Favorite Flavor, Not to Be Shared
Morning self-study hadn't started yet.
Ye Zhen slipped in through the back door of the classroom, quickly handed in her homework, then crouched low as she exited.
That scheming, ruthless Feng Aotian had brought her breakfast!
This was so surreal, Ye Zhen felt like she could float away with pride.
But as her footsteps drew closer to the elite class building, Ye Zhen's excitement gradually cooled.
"What the hell am I excited about? Didn't he say he made too much?"
So, most likely, "made too much" meant it'd be a waste to throw it away for the dogs—might as well feed it to you, Ye Zhen.
At least you, Ye Zhen, are smarter than a dog and more useful.
Ye Zhen chuckled dryly twice before sighing. "What was I thinking…"
Perhaps last night had been too intense, leading her to harbor misplaced illusions—like believing she and Ye Fuli were close friends…
But honestly, could their relationship really be good?
A gust of wind blew, and Ye Zhen felt herself sober up.
She soberly recognized that between her and Ye Fuli stood an invisible yet ever-present wall.
This wall didn't hinder their communication or prevent them from walking side by side.
But that was the extent of it.
If she dared to push further, that wall would leave her bruised and battered.
……
…
Inside the elite class classroom.
Ye Fuli stared blankly at the lunchbox beside her.
Today, she hadn't tied her hair into a ponytail but instead into a messy bun.
Sitting apart from the crowd, she always seemed so out of place, as if all the world's clamor had nothing to do with her.
"What am I doing?"
She lowered her head in melancholy, her hand resting on her neck, and pinched the back of her neck hard.
"Do I really need to apologize to her?"
There's a saying: "Clear about debts and favors."
Ye Fuli remembered grudges as vividly as she remembered kindness.
But no matter how well Ye Zhen behaved, no matter how considerate she was, Ye Fuli couldn't shake the suspicion that it might all be a facade—a pretense born of coercion, or a prelude to some greater scheme.
She was in turmoil now.
In this state of confusion, she made this box of lunch… and even used the lame excuse of "making too much."
In her previous life, she'd learned early on to ration food to save money. How could she possibly have made too much?
Such an excuse wouldn't even fool herself—how could it possibly fool Ye Zhen?
Knock knock knock—
The knock on the classroom's back door momentarily pulled Ye Fuli out of her turmoil.
She took a deep breath, quickly composed her expression, and turned to look.
Her cool, distant eyes met Ye Zhen's gaze, brimming with expectation.
Both felt a bit awkward.
"I, I came to pick something up," Ye Zhen hastily explained. "Oh! I bought an extra carton of milk, so I brought it over for you too. Reciprocity, you know? Hehe!"
She pulled out the blueberry-flavored milk she'd deliberately bought on her way over, presenting it reverently as if offering a treasure, and placed it carefully on the corner of Ye Fuli's desk.
Ye Fuli twirled a pencil in her hand.
She looked at the milk carton—from the brand to the flavor, it was exactly her type.
Whether it was coincidence or Ye Zhen's deliberate gesture, she couldn't tell.
"Here you go. Wash the container after you finish and give it back to me."
The pencil dangling from her hand paused, and she tapped the inconspicuous lunchbox on the table with it.
"If you're done here, you can go. I'm going to read."
"Okay, thanks! Bye!"
Ye Zhen picked up the lunchbox, nodded, and thanked her repeatedly before hurrying out.
Watching her retreating figure gradually vanish at the end of the corridor, Ye Fuli pursed her lips thoughtfully.
Just then, a slightly discordant voice sounded beside her.
"Lily, that girl… she's from the make-up class, right? I think she's the daughter of one of the board members…"
Jiang Nini chuckled as she sat down in the empty seat beside Ye Fuli.
Jiang Nini wasn't in Ye Fuli's class; she was from Class B downstairs.
Ye Fuli turned her head slightly to look at her, a faint smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "Hmm?"
Of course she remembered Jiang Nini.
They had attended the same school since childhood, and their families lived just one building apart.
So when they were little, they often walked to school together.
This harmonious arrangement lasted until their second year of junior high.
That year, the building where Jiang Nini's family lived was demolished. They moved out of the notorious slum area and relocated to a new residential complex closer to the city center.
After that, Jiang Nini found new friends and gradually drifted away from Ye Fuli, who remained stuck in the same circumstances.
If only it had ended there…
Ye Fuli wouldn't have held a grudge.
She was naturally aloof and didn't need anyone to walk to and from school with her. But she would never tolerate someone exploiting that meager childhood connection to take advantage of her without restraint, or even ruin her reputation.
Unfortunately, Jiang Nini was precisely that kind of person.
In her previous life, upon learning she was the Ye family's biological daughter, Jiang Nini began fawning over her relentlessly. Come rain or shine, she accompanied Ye Fuli to and from school every single day without fail. On weekends, she was always at her beck and call for shopping trips, inviting her to play ball, dance, or enjoy afternoon tea—doing everything a good friend would do.
But later, Jiang Nini used Ye Fuli's name to flirt with the boys who pursued her, constantly demanding gifts. It wasn't until graduation that the truth came out…
"Oh my! How enviable—she really knows how to choose her parents."
Jiang Nini didn't notice the mocking glint in Ye Fuli's eyes.
"Oh, right—I came to borrow those practice exams from the other day. The academic genius wouldn't refuse, would she?"
She reached out, attempting to grab Ye Fuli's test booklet.
Ye Fuli suddenly pressed down on the stack of papers.
Jiang Nini froze. "What's wrong?"
Ye Fuli shook her head with a smile. "Sorry, my papers are already reserved."
"Oh? Really?"
This excuse didn't raise any suspicions in Jiang Nini.
Unable to get the test papers, she casually reached out to take Ye Fuli's carton of milk instead.
"I'm actually a bit thirsty! Give this to me, and I'll buy you a box another day…"
"No way."
The milk wasn't taken away, but the smile on Ye Fuli's face had faded to the point of near invisibility.
Jiang Nini had never seen her refuse so firmly before, and for a moment, she felt awkward.
She gave an awkward laugh and said, "Are you in a bad mood today?"
"I'm in a perfectly fine mood."
Ye Fuli picked up the carton of milk, inserted a straw in front of her, and took a small sip.
"It's just that I like this brand's blueberry flavor and don't want to share it with anyone else."
She likes this brand of milk?
Jiang Nini kept her thoughts to herself, though she couldn't help inwardly rolling her eyes: Anyone who knows the story would say it's because the Ye family's eldest daughter gave it to you, and you're too scared to let anyone else drink it. Those who don't know might think it's from your secret admirer, and you just can't bear to part with it! Look at you being so stingy.
"Fine, fine! I won't take what belongs to others. I'll be going now."
Jiang Nini spread her hands, shrugged her shoulders, and turned to walk out.
The smile on her face faded considerably once she left the classroom.
"What a joke. Just a penniless nobody who can't get ahead, yet he's so arrogant…"
She looked down on Ye Fuli from the bottom of her heart.
But suddenly, she felt the urge to curry favor with Ye Zhen.
That eldest Miss Ye seemed a bit simple-minded, like the type who was dumb but loaded! She'd heard rumors that Ye Zhen had a terrible temper and no one dared provoke her, but seeing her today, those rumors were clearly lies. She seemed quite kind, didn't she?
"Ye Fuli and I grew up together. I'm her closest friend. With that connection, why wouldn't I be able to exchange a few words with Ye Zhen?"
Jiang Nini's lips curled upward.
A woman who loved to snatch things—her wickedness ran deep in her bones.
At this moment, her mind was already spinning with devious thoughts.
"Ye Fuli, your bestie is great, but soon she'll be mine."
Little did she know that Ye Fuli was watching her retreating figure from afar, her gaze brimming with amusement…