Chapter 052: I Get It, That's Just Her Way of Saying No
The final week slipped away in mutual silence.
On the morning of the exam, rain began falling as dawn broke, growing heavier by the minute.
"Dad Ye still hasn't come back today, huh."
Ye Zhen sat alone at the large dining table, listlessly eating dry, hard bread and yogurt straight from the fridge.
Nothing tasted right. Was she sick?
She thought back to the decade she'd spent lying in the hospital in her previous life. Back then, she'd been just like this—lacking energy for anything, finding no taste in any food.
"It's rare for Ye Fuli to leave me alone for so long. Looks like she's given up on getting revenge on me."
Ye Zhen tugged at the corners of her mouth, forcing a smile.
"I'll leave after the exam. My clothes are packed too! Ah, in the end, I still couldn't bring myself to max out Ye Dad's card… Guess you can't be too conscientious."
[Host, are your eyes about to pee again?]
Ye Zhen’s expression instantly hardened. “I wasn’t talking to you! Stop popping up out of nowhere! And could you please stop being so crude all the time? You’re always going on about pee and such.”
[Host, I understand. You're just being stubborn. Most people have that flaw.]
Slap—
Ye Zhen slammed down the spoon in her hand.
Bickering with the system every single day lately had her feeling like she was about to lose her mind.
After quickly tidying the table, she picked up her bookbag and headed for the exam hall.
……
……
The Ye residence.
Mrs. Ye stared out the window at the pouring rain, lost in thought.
During the time Ye Zhen had been away from home, she hadn't left the house either. She'd delegated all business matters to her assistant, while she herself spent her days sitting with disheveled hair, often sitting in one spot for the entire day.
But she wasn't reflecting on where she had gone wrong.
She only pondered how she could repair this relationship at the lowest possible cost, bringing both Ye Zhen and the child's father back home.
She needed family stability and harmony, even if it was only superficial.
As for what Ye Zhen was thinking, she didn't really care.
What did it matter what a child who depended on her family for everything thought?
"Zhenzhen is over eighteen now. No matter what, she's an adult."
Mrs. Ye sighed, pressing her hand to her forehead.
"How I miss the days when she was little—back when a single piece of candy or a Barbie doll could cheer her up."
She recalled Ye Zhen mentioning recently that she'd developed a fondness for gold.
"Fine! I'll prepare a grand gift for her. So she likes gold? I'll buy her a jewelry store as a graduation present. That should satisfy her, right?"
As for now, she had no intention of showing up at the school gate.
She couldn't let Ye Zhen think she'd already won this battle. She needed to make her feel the pain of isolation and helplessness even more.
It would be best if Ye Zhen came back on her own accord and apologized to her mother.
It must be said, Mrs. Ye's imagination was rather rosy. As for whether reality would match it, that remained to be seen.
……
…
At the school.
Ye Fuli arrived at the exam hall entrance carrying a book bag. She placed her belongings in the designated area as required, passed through security, and entered the examination room.
The long-awaited Dean of Students and her homeroom teacher both breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing her arrive.
"Such a troublesome student—truly a mixed blessing," the principal remarked, turning to her homeroom teacher. "Congratulations in advance. Once her results are in, your promotion will be imminent."
The homeroom teacher gave an awkward smile.
Ever since hearing Ye Fuli's words that day, she had a vague sense that Ye Fuli wouldn't follow their wishes and pursue a four-year degree at one of those coveted top universities.
Over the past few years, Ye Fuli had been reasonably obedient and well-behaved. But now, she seemed like a completely different person.
A mocking smile often played at the corners of Ye Fuli's lips, her gaze cold, as if she could pierce through each of their outer shells to see the very essence of their souls.
This feeling was profoundly unsettling.
The homeroom teacher felt relieved that he wouldn't have to deal with her much longer. Let her go torment others instead.
"By the way, that child named Ye Zhen…"
The dean of students suddenly brought up Ye Zhen's name.
"I've heard that over the past month, she's been spending a lot of time with Ye Fuli. They seem to have become friends—or rather, best friends?"
The homeroom teacher looked utterly bewildered.
She was just a token student in Class F—how could she possibly remember her clearly?
"But she's the daughter of a school board member! Haven't you heard of her parents' names?"
"Ah, the one with the surname Ye…"
"Yes, that Ye family."
"Her parents are both outstanding, yet she's hardly an outstanding student herself." The homeroom teacher remarked casually, "In my opinion, Ye Fuli is more like a spoiled rich girl—at least she's clever, isn't she?"
"Ha ha, you shouldn't say things like that."
The two chatted idly here until the exam bell rang, then followed the other proctoring teachers downstairs.
Ye Zhen's exam room was directly opposite Ye Fuli's, but a wide flower bed separated the two buildings. Within it stood two wildly overgrown cedars, completely blocking their view of each other.
At that moment, Ye Zhen clutched her stomach with one hand while struggling to write answers with the other.
"Damn it! Why did I eat something so cold this morning? Now I've got an upset stomach. Ugh…"
Cold sweat trickled down Ye Zhen's forehead.
She cursed herself furiously~
"I seriously overestimated this pampered body of mine."
[Host, I have medicine here! But I can only make it appear in a somewhat reasonable way—I can't just drop it in…(*￣rǒ￣)]
"Fine, fine. Hurry up. Tell me the coordinates later, and I'll go get it."
Ding-dong-ding-dong—
The bell signaling the end of the exam finally rang.
Ye Zhen felt a wave of relief wash over her and instinctively tried to stand up, but the proctor glared at her. "The papers haven't been collected yet. Sit down."
Ye Zhen felt utterly helpless and had no choice but to sit back down, struggling to endure the stomach pain so intense her toes were practically clawing through her socks.
Once the papers were collected, she scrambled to her feet, dashing down the hallway while asking the system for the coordinates.
"Across the way? You actually sent me to the opposite side? And into a flower bed? Damn you!"
This unreliable system was consistently reliable in its unreliability!
Ye Zhen had no time to rant about it. She pushed through the crowd, head down, running forward.
Thud~
The more she hurried, the more likely she was to bump into someone.
Suddenly, she collided with someone whose scent felt familiar. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, and she instinctively took a few steps back.
"Ye Zhen, what are you doing?"
Ye Fuli glared at her coldly, though she didn't utter phrases like "Hey, shorty, you caught my attention."
Ye Zhen was drenched in cold sweat, her lips turning pale. "I have an urgent matter. Don't stop me."
The hallway gradually emptied.
The two of them stood apart from the crowd, at least two meters apart, appearing utterly distant.
Ye Fuli shifted aside, neither blocking her path nor moving away.
Watching Ye Zhen strain to reach the flowerbed beyond the balcony, bending over at an awkward angle, Ye Fuli couldn't help but warn, "That's dangerous! Don't tell me you're trying to pick flowers…"
Before she could finish.
Ye Zhen pulled the medicine box buried in the soil and stepped back out.
She held up the medicine box in her hand.
"I'll be going now."
Ye Fuli remained frozen in place, watching her walk away without moving.
This sense of distance felt like a needle, piercing precisely the most vulnerable spot in her heart.
"It doesn't matter. Who cares about a disobedient fool? Let her fend for herself."
She said this, taking two steps forward.
But soon, she stopped again.
Why did Ye Zhen take the medicine?
And why hide the medicine she needed to take in such a place?
The box was covered in incomprehensible writing…
With Ye Zhen's dim-witted brain, could she possibly medicate herself into stupidity?
"I don't care about her life or death. I just don't want my alma mater to have a fatality in this kind of weather."
Ye Fuli pushed her glasses up, as if this excuse had convinced herself.
Then,
she turned and hurried after Ye Zhen in the direction she had gone.