Chapter 073: Does Anyone Get to Touch Your Belly?
"Ye Zhen, something's off with you."
Ye Fuli stepped closer, grabbed Ye Zhen by the collar, and pulled her right up to her.
Their eyes locked.
Ye Zhen visibly flinched, instinctively tilting her head away.
"There's a hint of guilt in your eyes. Spill it—what mischief are you brewing now? Don't tell me you're planning to run away again."
Ye Zhen tugged at the corner of her mouth and laughed. "Why would I run? Isn't it obvious I can't escape? Getting caught again just makes things worse than before."
Ye Fuli smiled back. "Exactly. I don't think you should try again."
The laughter faded into silence.
Ye Zhen set down her pen and glanced at her.
"Ye Fuli, I want to earn money. Can you help me make some?"
"You?"
Hearing this, Ye Fuli's lips curved upward. "Ye Zhen, who gave you the illusion that you could earn money? Besides, the Ye family has so much wealth. What will eventually come into your hands will be at least tens of billions. Isn't that enough for you to squander?"
She refused to believe Ye Zhen's nonsense.
After all, she'd witnessed Ye Zhen's reckless spending habits more than once and knew he had zero business acumen.
Even if this incarnation of Ye Zhen was more diligent and studious, it likely wouldn't change anything.
Most importantly…
Ye Fuli believed she had already given Ye Zhen ample room to squander in this lifetime.
As long as Ye Zhen didn't court disaster, stopped trying to escape, and obediently followed orders, she could support her for life… Treating her like an expensive, delicate pet.
"Ye Fuli!"
Ye Zhen's anger flared instantly. She yanked violently at Ye Fuli's hand, but unfortunately, she couldn't shake her off.
So, still clutched by the collar, she snarled, "Fine, look down on me. You never respected me anyway—I'm used to it! Go ahead, take your takeout and leave. I don't want anything. I won't eat. I'll starve to death…"
Before she could finish, Ye Fuli clamped her fingers onto Ye Zhen's jaw, silencing her once more.
Ye Zhen was furious enough to explode.
She swung her fist, ready to fight.
But Ye Fuli subdued her in a few swift moves, pinning her face-down on the desk.
Hmm…
And in an utterly humiliating position at that.
Ye Zhen felt like crying but couldn't shed a tear. Was the gap between them really this huge? Right now, her face was pressed against the desk, both hands pinned behind her back, twisted until it hurt.
Ye Fuli looked down at her from above: "Calm down yet?"
"I refuse to accept this."
Ye Zhen ground the words out between clenched teeth, her feet fidgeting restlessly, trying to mount some kind of counterattack.
The next second, Ye Fuli clamped her legs shut.
"It doesn't matter if you refuse to accept it, but isn't this a bit too weak?"
Ye Zhen twisted twice with all her might but couldn't break free, so she finally relaxed her grip.
After a few minutes of stalemate, Ye Fuli released her.
She looked at Ye Zhen's puffed-up little face and said calmly, "Ye Zhen, you'd better not test my patience."
She picked up the cake, unwrapped the box, scooped a spoonful, and held it to her lips.
"Eat."
Ye Zhen stubbornly turned her head away.
Ye Fuli moved the spoon closer. "Eat."
Staring at the delicious cake, Ye Zhen felt a lump in her throat.
If she were still a six-foot-tall man who'd never tasted sweets, she'd have eaten it obediently.
But now, her pride wouldn't allow it, nor would her stomach.
Damn it.
If only she hadn't eaten so much jelly, shrimp crackers, beef jerky… Wait—Ye Fuli mentioned a miniature camera in the room. How could she not know that she'd already eaten?
Ye Zhen suddenly realized this oversight.
Could it be that Ye Fuli had deceived her?
What if there weren't nearly as many cameras as she claimed?
Were there none in the room at all???
Or did Ye Fuli know she'd already eaten and deliberately force-feed her anyway?
"I won't eat… Mmm."
Before she could finish speaking, the spoonful of cake was shoved into Ye Zhen's mouth.
Ye Fuli hadn't installed cameras in her room, of course. The main reason was that she kept opening the surveillance feed to see what Ye Zhen was doing, which seriously affected her work efficiency…
Two cameras on the balcony were sufficient.
Ye Fuli learned about Ye Zhen's hunger strike from the Ye family's nanny.
She’d met this housekeeper through carefully orchestrated chance encounters. Drawing on the scattered bits of information she’d gathered from her past life, she’d easily formed a close bond with the older woman.
"Eat. Keep eating. Take big bites."
Ye Fuli spooned food into Ye Zhen's mouth, one spoonful after another, as if feeding a disobedient child.
Only after the entire box of cake was finished did she hand over the milk tea.
"Keep eating."
Ye Zhen's eyes welled up with tears. "I really don't want any more! I'm full!"
"I told you to eat, so eat. Don't make me hit you."
Ye Zhen: "…"
Slurp slurp~
After forcing down another half cup of milk tea, Ye Zhen felt like her stomach was about to burst.
This is so unfair!
She swore she'd resist temptation and never touch snacks again!
Just as Ye Fuli was about to unwrap the egg tart box, Ye Zhen threw up her hands in surrender.
"I really can't eat anymore. If you don't believe me, feel my stomach."
She grabbed Ye Fuli's hand and pressed it firmly against her stomach.
Her slightly rounded belly felt soft and plump.
Ye Zhen didn't think much of it—she just wanted to prove she was truly full. But Ye Fuli recoiled as if she'd suddenly touched something horrifying, snatching her hand away and jumping to her feet.
"Ye Fuli… classmate?"
Ye Zhen looked up at her.
Ye Fuli snorted. "Do you let just anyone touch your stomach?"
Ye Zhen: "…"
She found it utterly baffling. What was the big deal? It wasn't like she was reaching into a bird's nest.
Ye Fuli seemed to realize her reaction was a bit over the top, so she forced out another sentence: "As a girl, you should respect yourself."
"Aren't we all girls?"
Ye Fuli: "…"
"Ye Fuli, will you still be delivering takeout tomorrow?"
Ye Fuli shot her a glare.
Delivery?
Think I'm just sitting around doing nothing?
That pushy little brat, Ye Zhen.
"I'm leaving."
Today, Ye Fuli didn't press her head down and force her to bathe.
Seeing her about to leap over the railing and leave, Ye Zhen scrambled to her feet and chased after her: "Wait! Tomorrow… no, any day after that, if you come delivering food again, could you bring some alcohol?"
"Alcohol?"
Ye Fuli turned to look at her.
"Are you planning to set the place on fire?"
Ye Zhen choked on her words and quickly clarified, "No, no, no. What I mean is, I want to have a drink with you."
"Hah, you?"
Ye Fuli’s face was twisted with scorn. Ignoring her, she leaped over the railing.
Walking through the night, her heartbeat quickened noticeably, and a flicker of the flustered uncertainty only a young girl could possess surfaced on her face.
Ye Zhen wanted to have a drink with her?
Why did she suddenly want to have a drink?
Was there something she could only say after getting drunk?
Ye Fuli took a deep breath, trying to control her thoughts and stop overanalyzing.
"What kind of drink? She's just a child, drinking alcohol…"
But Ye Zhen, whom she considered a child, had long since become an adult.
The slow-to-realize Ye Fuli kicked a stone block by the roadside in frustration.
"Ugh, really. Am I playing the role of her old mother again?"
So, should she drink this wine or not?