Chapter 032: Making Miss Ye Zhen Socially Humiliated?
Drip, drip.
The rain grew heavier.
Rainy days in affluent neighborhoods held a dreamlike beauty, but in the slums, they were pure disaster.
After the downpour, the perpetually clogged sewers overflowed with a foul, fishy stench. The long-neglected asphalt roads pooled with filthy water.
The aged windowpanes rattled loudly under the pounding rain, some droplets already seeping through the cracks into the rooms.
Ye Fuli sat in her room, staring blankly at the deep blue glass window.
Yefuri sat in her room, staring blankly at the deep blue windowpane.
This filthy, cramped place was where she had grown up.
After her rebirth, she clearly had the means to move away, yet she never did.
Her standards for living conditions were not particularly high.
She wasn't one of those delicate, pampered heiresses, nor did she care for the sycophantic flattery of high society. In her previous life, her casual, unpretentious manner often drew mockery from so-called elite circles.
Of course, Ye Fuli didn't care much about others' opinions.
As long as others didn't harm her interests or reputation, she wouldn't bother with them.
Yet fate proved unkind, surrounding her with nothing but villains.
Staying in this place, she found it strangely soothing, easing some of the pent-up frustration and resentment that had weighed on her heart from her previous life.
Ye Fuli set down her phone.
She closed her eyes briefly.
Huang Li had already told her everything about his interactions with Ye Zhen and even showed her the footage.
It all seemed absurd to her—even laughable!
Was she really that twisted?
Did she really care who Ye Zhen associated with or what she did?
Was a mere imposter truly worth her attention?
Her rational mind told her there was no need to take Ye Zhen so seriously, but her body was honest—she couldn't help but keep watching the videos Huang Li sent her, along with some interesting photos he'd taken.
For instance…
"Look quick, Ye Zhen's asleep and drooling!"
"Ye Zhen was picking her toes just now—got it on camera."
"And this one—Ye Zhen was drinking milk but choked, spraying it everywhere!"
It had to be said, Huang Li possessed a certain talent for photography.
Every candid shot was perfectly timed!
Ye Fuli looked at these photos and could only see the word "adorable"—not a trace of awkwardness.
So she saved every single one.
Huang Li: "I did exactly what you asked! You can't hit me again, okay? I swear on my future happiness—I kept over a meter away from her the whole time!"
Ye Fuli: "Why would I hit you?"
Her strength had far more valuable uses—she certainly wouldn't waste it on such trivial matters.
Huang Li: "Hehe, I knew you wouldn't hit me, Ye Fuli. By the way, what do you need these photos for? Planning to post them on the school forum and make Miss Ye Zhen's life miserable?"
Ye Fuli: "That's none of your business."
It was late at night, and the time had come.
Ye Fuli ordered Huang Li to find an excuse and leave the Ye residence immediately.
However…
When Huang Li went downstairs, he discovered the family car had already left.
Mrs. Ye, seated on the living room sofa, smiled warmly at him. "What's wrong?"
What's wrong?
How could she ask so calmly? What was wrong!
Something terrible has happened, Madam!
"Don't rush off just yet. Your mother had business to attend to and left half an hour ago. Why don't you stay here? We have plenty of spacious rooms. Pick whichever one you like."
Hearing Mrs. Ye's arrangement, Huang Li felt like he was about to break down. He genuinely did like the loli-type senior sister, but the moment he thought of Ye Fuli's threat, he could only force himself to act like Ye Zhen's buddy.
If Ye Fuli found out he was staying overnight at the Ye residence now, he'd surely have three legs broken.
"No way! Auntie, I absolutely have to go home today."
Huang Li declared, heading to change his shoes.
However, as if reading his mind, his own mother timed her call perfectly.
"Huang Li, no need to rush home. The roads are slippery in the rain—it's unsafe! Oh, and didn't you want a new piano? A mere two million? Mom's already placed the order for you."
Huang Li: "…Ah."
What else could he say?
To force him into this arranged marriage, she was really pulling out all the stops.
He'd been pestering her for two months, and she'd refused to replace his piano. Now she'd actually placed the order herself!
What did this mean? Wasn't it obvious?
After hanging up, Huang Li took a deep breath and smiled at Mrs. Ye: "Auntie, would it be okay if I sleep on the sofa downstairs?"
Mrs. Ye smiled back: "The upstairs room is already prepared. It's right across from Zhenzhen's room."
Hearing this, Huang Li couldn't help but roll his eyes inwardly.
Are you letting me choose my own room?
This whole thing has been arranged!
……
…
"So, that's how it is."
The next morning.
During the break.
Huang Li, who hadn't slept a wink all night, reported last night's events to Ye Fuli with two huge dark circles under her eyes.
He couldn't sleep at all after switching beds.
Even though Ye Zhen's room was so close, and he wasn't exactly a saint, he hadn't dared to entertain a single impure thought—let alone knock on her door in the middle of the night.
If his rowdy friends found out he'd acted like such a saint, they'd probably laugh themselves silly.
"Please, all-knowing Senior Ye Fuli! This is killing me. Can you think of a way so I don't have to tutor Ye Zhen anymore?"
Ye Fuli smiled faintly. "I can't do anything about it."
She was just an ordinary person now—what influence could she possibly have over the Ye family's decisions? Getting a meeting with them was already difficult enough!
Besides, the Huang Li before her had already been tamed—perfect as a tutoring tool!
Why would she give up such a useful tool?
"Just focus on tutoring Ye Zhen for now."
Ye Fuli closed the book in her hands—a famous detective novel.
"What you can do and what you can't—I think you know better than anyone else."
She looked down at the yellow-haired boy before her.
"As long as you play along, I'll make sure your days ahead are smooth sailing."
In her previous life, the Huang family had weathered many dangerous storms.
Closest to home was a scandal involving Huang Li's father. The man was unreliable, having philandered extensively in his younger years and racked up numerous debts of passion. Though he believed everything had been settled, he had actually left behind an illegitimate child.
This bastard son was hopeless at studies but a master at causing trouble. In the previous life, Huang Li had nearly died at his hands!
Within a single year, under pressure from Huang Li's father and threats from the other party, Mrs. Huang was forced to humiliatingly accept this bastard son—even living under the same roof as his mother.
Ye Fuli remembered the last time she saw Huang Li in her previous life. He sat in a bar, utterly defeated, drunk, ranting about setting the house on fire and slaughtering everyone inside.
By then, he had already been utterly defeated in the game of power struggles.
To be perfectly honest, Ye Fuli didn't particularly favor either of them.
When it came to character and conduct, neither was particularly commendable.
But when it came to who was easier to manipulate, Huang Li was undoubtedly the better choice.
Considering her own interests, Ye Fuli would try to keep this useful pawn.
"Ah, alright."
Huang Li stood there, utterly bewildered, scratching the back of his head.
Watching Ye Fuli's retreating figure, he had no idea that the gears of his fate had already begun turning from this very moment.
"Does this make me her underling? Then what exactly is my relationship with Senior Ye Zhen? And what's her relationship with Senior Ye Zhen?"
Huang Li yanked at his hair.
He let out a long sigh, a faint smile curling up at the corners of his mouth.
"Which one of them is secretly crushing on me? It's both terrifying and blissful."