Chapter 034: A Friendly Cheek Kiss!
Jealousy often robs people of their reason.
Ye Fuli followed Jiang Nini to the entrance of their classroom. Standing behind the crowd under the shade of a tree, she watched the delighted young boy approach Jiang Nini with something in his hands, then emerge empty-handed, his joy completely gone.
This scene, she hadn't witnessed in her previous life; she'd only heard about it later through others' gossip.
Jiang Nini had collected quite a few such items in her name.
Cold-hearted as she was, Ye Fuli had never known about it, nor had she ever paid it any mind.
"How amusing, Jiang Nini."
Ye Fuli glanced toward the classroom where she was seated and let out a cold laugh.
"This time around, you'll soon learn that taking what belongs to others isn't so easy."
……
……
At that moment.
Ye Zhen was in the classroom, flipping through these supplementary textbooks.
What pleased her was that acquiring these study guides had allowed her to complete that optional task from the system.
So now she's mastered three subjects—language arts, math, and English—truly a cause for celebration!
"Ugh, this is so boring. Is this what it feels like to be a top student? I get all these problems instantly—it's completely uninteresting."
Ye Zhen set down her study guide, propped her chin on her hand, and sighed deeply.
The dog system couldn't help but look down on her for such pretentious whining!
Who was it that was tortured to death by math problems earlier, even forced into cross-dressing?
What a forgetful little girl.
[This adorable system reminds you once more: Among countless paths, safety comes first. Showing off improperly will make the system weep!]
Ye Zhen couldn't help but sneer back at it: "A useless system like you dares to talk back to its host? You should be bowing down in gratitude that a kind-hearted host like me accepted you, okay?"
[(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻]
Alright.
Even though this thing is pretty useless, it's actually kinda entertaining. Keeping it as a digital pet does bring a bit of joy.
Ye Zhen teased it daily before letting it continue pretending to be dead.
Right now, if she could master one more subject, her exams would be completely in the bag.
So Ye Zhen immediately asked the system if there were any more tasks to take on.
[You just called me useless!]
Ye Zhen: "Fine, fine, you're not useless—you're awesome~"
[Hmph, that's more like it… There are tasks available, but the difficulty is slightly higher. Are you sure you can handle it?]
What do you mean slightly high difficulty?
Ye Zhen was genuinely intrigued.
But honestly, this thing is so easy to placate—just like that silly dog I used to have.
[Currently available simple tasks include: 'Initiate a cheek-to-cheek kiss with the female lead' and 'Receive a cheek-to-cheek kiss from the female lead'. Would you like either?]
Hearing these tasks, Ye Zhen was dumbfounded.
What kind of ridiculous task is this?!
You damn system, if you want me dead, just say so! Why bother pretending to give me a task?
Sure, a cheek kiss was just a friendly greeting, but whether she did it or the female lead did it, it was impossible!
The female lead would never treat her with genuine friendliness, and Ye Zhen dared not express such friendliness to her either.
Thinking this, Ye Zhen snapped angrily, "I can't accept it! There's no way I can accept it!"
[It's just an optional quest…]
Even if it's challenging, a quest like this is still doable. After all, there's no penalty for failing.
But what if she did complete it?
She could gain mastery in yet another subject!
That would guarantee her exam results—what was there to worry about?
At this thought, Ye Zhen clenched her fists again, her cheeks flushing. Gritting her teeth, she secretly accepted the task.
"I'll give it a shot. What if I succeed?"
Having accepted such a daunting task, Ye Zhen felt uneasy all day long.
She felt like a thief!
If Ye Fuli knew how wildly her thoughts were racing, she'd probably sneer and say, "It's not the thief stealing that you fear, but the thief keeping you in mind."
Fortunately, though Ye Fuli was formidable, she couldn't read minds.
When school let out, Ye Zhen took a secret detour toward the elite class building. She wanted to sneak a peek at whether Ye Fuli had left campus and see if she could find an opportunity to carry out her mission.
But the elite class's classroom doors were shut tight, curtains drawn, offering no glimpse inside.
So Ye Zhen steeled her nerves and crept a little further up the hallway.
As she approached the back door of Class A's classroom, she heard laughter and playful banter inside:
"I tell you, that Ye Fuli girl is getting way too cocky!"
"Yeah, who's to say she isn't?"
"The whole class is going to celebrate the homeroom teacher's birthday, but she's not going and isn't chipping in either. What's she playing at?"
"She's got no sense of gratitude whatsoever—a cold-blooded monster."
Ye Zhen knew all about Ye Fuli's antisocial tendencies—it wasn't news to her either.
But Ye Zhen, as someone who knew the plot as a time traveler, found herself puzzled at that moment.
She remembered Ye Fuli had attended this birthday party!
Moreover, after attending, Ye Fuli even used the opportunity to run into her biological father, Ye Dad, who was meeting with a client.
They had a pleasant conversation, and Ye Fuli even helped translate for the client, impressing Ye Dad!
This incident naturally became a favorable opportunity for Ye Fuli to return to the Ye family in the future.
But now…
Why did Ye Fuli refuse to attend even this birthday party?
As someone who had been reborn, Ye Fuli had absolutely no reason to pass up such a golden opportunity.
"Could it be that after her rebirth, she's been spending money like water and finally ran out, unable to afford the gift?"
The thought made Ye Zhen feel a bit uneasy.
"Of course, it could also be that Ye Fuli planned to just show up unexpectedly, which is why she refused to contribute! After all, as someone who's reincarnated, she knows how things will unfold in the future."
The second possibility made Ye Zhen feel a little better.
She was about to turn and leave, but hearing the classroom buzz with mocking whispers about Ye Fuli being poor, stingy, and eccentric, her irritation flared again.
What the hell do these idiots know?
Ye Fuli was a wealthy heiress, the great Mary Sue heroine, the Phoenix of Heaven! Even I, Ye Zhen, couldn't meet her sharp gaze head-on. How dare these idiots mock her like this?
These idiots don't know jack!
"Hey! Who told you Ye Fuli can't afford a ten-thousand-yuan meal? Do you have any idea how much scholarship money and part-time income she rakes in every semester? She just doesn't want to pool her money like you lot, playing the role of the big loser for someone else!"
Hearing her righteous outburst, the faces of everyone in the classroom darkened.
Especially the class monitor who initiated the proposal—a shrewd-looking young girl.
She could clearly sense Ye Zhen was targeting her.
"What are you all staring at? I never said you were the one making them pay for your meal." Ye Zhen lifted her chin, snorted, and stood her ground, completely unafraid to meet the class monitor's gaze.
The class monitor was thoroughly enraged, slamming her fist hard on the desk.
At that moment, the looks from her classmates had already shifted.
Yeah.
The idea to pool money for the homeroom teacher's birthday had come from the class monitor, and when it came time to take credit and demand rewards, the class monitor would undoubtedly be the first to step forward.
Years later, at an alumni reunion, when the birthday party came up, who would the homeroom teacher think of?
With forty-one students in the class, the homeroom teacher couldn't possibly remember everyone. She would only remember the class monitor, the one who led the sycophants!
Seizing the moment, Ye Zhen softened her tone and reasoned, "Forgive my bluntness, but we're all students. Unlike someone like Ye Fuli, we don't earn huge bonuses or side income. Why push our spending so high?"
The group fell completely silent.
Ye Zhen smiled sweetly at the class monitor. "Over ten thousand for one table? With so many people in your class, one table won't be enough. You'll need at least two or three! Spending five or six hundred each to celebrate someone's birthday—and they might not even remember your kindness. What's the point?"
Yeah, what's the point?
By this point, most people had come to their senses.
The class monitor panicked and quickly defended himself: "I was just suggesting it—I never said it had to be over ten thousand! Besides, didn't you guys say you'd never tried king crab and wanted to give it a shot?"
But no one was listening anymore.
Everyone present was sharp. Some had never agreed with this kind of gathering in the first place, but had felt morally obligated to go along with the class monitor and the top students.
Now, with someone speaking up for them, they were overjoyed.
"Class monitor, I'm still not going. Please tell the homeroom teacher I'm sorry."
"Sorry, class monitor, I'm a bit busy too."
"I have to help my parents run the store this weekend. I really don't have time. Sorry about that."
Before the money was handed over, they all seized the chance to back out, flatly refusing the invitation.
After they'd all packed up and left, the class monitor clenched her fists and shot Ye Zhen a vicious glare.
As she walked past Ye Zhen, she sneered coldly, "What good does it do to speak up for Ye Fuli? Do you really think she'll remember your kindness? Don't flatter yourself." This text was compiled by the Fei/Niao sk Camp public account.
"I don't need her to remember my kindness."
Ye Zhen returned her sneer with a defiant smile.
"But remember this: whoever upsets her upsets me too."
Hearing this, the class monitor couldn't help but roll her eyes.
What kind of relationship did they have?
Was Ye Fuli her pet dog that she had to protect her like this?
Everyone knew Ye Fuli was cold-hearted and sharp-tongued. Protecting someone like that would only get you bitten in the end—what good could possibly come of it?
"Hmph. I'll tell Ye Fuli about this and see if she's touched or if she curses Ye Zhen for meddling." The class monitor's smile was sinister. "Most likely the latter, heh… I can't wait to see Ye Zhen humiliated by her scorn."