Chapter 061: The Ye Family Has Come Looking!
Thud.
He Ying collapsed onto the floor.
The look of agitation from moments ago was still frozen on her face.
She tugged at the corners of her mouth, forcing a strained smile. "K1, I truly have no idea where Ye Zhen is."
Ye Fuli leaned down, one hand snatching hold of the other's twin ponytails, the other lifting her chin.
Blink. Smile.
"It's fine. I never claimed Miss He knew anything! But if you did happen to know, well, that would be ideal, wouldn't it? Heh."
He Ying felt a slight twinge of pain on her scalp before Ye Fuli released her, pretending nothing had happened.
Ye Fuli often smiled brightly at moments like this, looking like a demon crawling out of hell.
Facing such a creature, even a battle-hardened villain like herself felt fear!
And what about Ye Zhen—that helpless little girl who could eat like a horse?
He Ying lowered her head, harshly condemning herself for that fleeting second when she'd considered betraying the other girl.
No!
She absolutely couldn't hand Ye Zhen over!
He'd grind her down until she was barely alive.
One could be a villain, but one couldn't spend their entire life doing nothing but evil deeds.
The summer night gradually lost its coolness, leaving only suffocating heat.
Fortunately, the interior of this guesthouse was quite decent, with air conditioning throughout the entire house.
Upstairs, Ye Zhen sat huddled against the base of the sofa, hugging her knees, helpless and trapped behind locked doors and drawn curtains.
A cloud-shaped nightlight on the bedside table emitted a soft glow.
[Host, would you like some instant noodles, sunflower seeds, or drinks? (′?ω?)?(._.`)]
"Do you think I can even eat right now?"
Ye Zhen jumped to her feet in anger.
"I'm going crazy here! That bitch Ye Fuli still hasn't left? Does she have to catch me?"
[Host, how about some spicy strips?]
"…You might as well just give me some books to read."
[Gotcha! ヽ(￣▽￣)?]
With a thud, a bundle stuffed with books landed at Ye Zhen's feet.
Driven mad by boredom, Ye Zhen quickly reached out and grabbed the bundle.
Upon opening it, her sparkling eyes instantly dimmed.
"You bloody hell…"
The books inside were titled: Postpartum Care for Sows, The Ultimate Directory of Global Wealthy Women's Contacts, How to Successfully Hook Up with a Rich Woman, The Autobiography of a Legendary Gigolo…
You gotta hand it to this dog system—it sure knows how to pick books.
"Don't tell me you sweet-talked your seniors into sneaking these out of the warehouse too?"
[Not exactly, (*￣rǒ￣)]
"Then how did you get them?"
[I snagged them myself from the warehouse! Proud face.JPG.]
"…"
Alright, Ye Zhen knew it—this thing’s unreliable nature was here to stay.
She wasn't counting on it anymore, so she'd just get some snacks from it for now.
The system carefully selected a bunch of snacks, packed them up, and delivered them to her.
At least these were things Ye Zhen actually liked.
After eating her fill, Ye Zhen let out a satisfied burp and lay down.
"If only I had a phone to play with."
"No, even watching TV would be fine."
"Ah, I wish I had a novel to read…"
Ye Zhen closed her eyes and sighed softly.
Truthfully, she adapted easily to her surroundings and embraced solitude. After all, no loneliness could be worse than the isolation of a decade spent bedridden.
Right now, though she couldn't play with her phone or watch TV, at least she still had an electronic pet to chat with.
She rubbed her small belly, a faint smile touching her lips.
"I feel like I've gained a little weight lately. What do you think, Dog System?"
[Host, do you feel your underwear is tighter, or your lingerie?]
"…"
Well, how could such a dog ever speak words of wisdom?
Ye Zhen snorted and ignored it.
She slept soundly until dawn.
At noon, she heard a soft knock on the door.
Ye Zhen's nerves instantly tightened. She instinctively rose and hid inside the wardrobe.
The knocking soon ceased.
Voices drifted in from outside—He Ying and Ye Fuli talking.
He Ying: "I told you, no one's in this room!"
Ye Fuli: "Then why is it locked?"
He Ying replied with a hint of resignation, "This was my grandmother's room. After she passed away, my dad had it locked up. No one's allowed in."
Ye Fuli murmured, "Oh."
She surveyed the room and its surroundings, saying nothing more.
She continued walking forward.
Some rooms were empty. She went in to take a look, then stepped back out.
Others were occupied. When she knocked and was let in, the residents were less than welcoming. Their expressions soured immediately upon hearing Ye Fuli wanted to look around, and a few even grumbled under their breath.
However, after Ye Fuli casually handed over a few bills, their attitudes improved considerably.
"Come on in, come on in! Want to take a look? What's the big deal? Come on!"
"This is the wardrobe, this is the bathroom, and over here is…"
"Like it? Want to swap rooms with me? Oh, no swap? Fine."
By the end of the tour, Ye Fuli had handed out at least five thousand yuan.
He Ying watched, feeling heartbroken for her.
What kind of grudge is this?
What could possibly drive Ye Fuli to search for someone at such a cost?
"I've installed a few cameras in the hallway too. Miss He won't mind, will she?" Ye Fuli remarked as she descended the stairs.
"Heh heh heh, no problem. It's just the hallway after all." He Ying thought to herself, What good would it do to object? Would you even care about my opinion? Poor Ye Zhen, though. She'd have to survive on instant noodles and water in her room for the next few days.
"That's good."
Ye Fuli remained seated on the sofa by the door.
He Ying had breakfast prepared—a lavish spread perfectly tailored to Ye Fuli's tastes. Unfortunately, Ye Fuli wasn't having any of it.
Her suitcase contained a fair amount of emergency food supplies.
When she opened it in front of He Ying, the latter looked somewhat bewildered.
"You… this seems unnecessary."
Ye Fuli raised an eyebrow. "I thought about it last night. Neither of us is exactly a saint. If I were you and hiding someone, I'd definitely slip some drugs into their food, knock them out, and then move them out."
"…Hahaha, you really think ahead."
In truth, He Ying had indeed considered such a plan.
But before she could act, Ye Fuli had seen right through her.
"Sit down. Want to eat with me?"
"Sure, why not."
He Ying sat down.
Watching Ye Fuli hand her a can of opened eight-treasure porridge, she warily turned away.
You're afraid I'll poison you, but aren't I just as afraid you'll poison me?
Ye Fuli smiled silently, paying her no mind as she began eating on her own.
The two eyed each other warily, making the meal a stomach-churning ordeal.
Just then.
A subordinate came running back breathlessly, shouting, "Miss! We have a lead! We have a lead…!"
Ye Fuli instantly set down her rice porridge, stood up, and fixed her gaze directly on the subordinate.
He Ying, however, wore a look of utter despair. "What kind of lead?"
This kid must be fed up with his job!
It's the middle of summer—what's a few bucks worth risking your life for?
"Um… there's a man. Middle-aged. Well-dressed. He's carrying a photo of this Ye Zhen lady and asking everyone on the street if they've seen her."
Ye Fuli's eyes darkened.
She knew the Ye family had also come looking.
The time left for her was running out.