Chapter 075: Visiting Ye Fuli's Home to Thank Her in Person
Ye Zhen quickly realized something was wrong with her body.
Her emotional fluctuations had calmed.
She felt unmotivated, prone to drowsiness, and her mind had slowed considerably.
"Damn system, did they drug me or something?"
Ye Zhen's dog system had limited functionality, but it could still be useful in critical moments.
For instance, it could check the host's physical condition.
[Host, investigation complete.]
"Speak."
[Your system contains sedative substances that pose no immediate health risk. However, with my current permissions, I can eliminate them directly. Do you require this?]
Ye Zhen paused, taken aback.
She had a vague suspicion about this, but never imagined the Ye family would actually go through with it.
If she continued resisting, would they subject her to electroshock therapy or even lock her away in a mental institution?
What pained Ye Zhen even more was the realization that everything she was enduring now was precisely the treatment Ye Fuli might have faced in her past life.
So…
Was this why Ye Fuli had said her atonement was not yet complete?
Was Ye Fuli determined to make her relive every single hardship she had endured?
But…
"I'm not the same Ye Zhen anymore. I didn't come here willingly. I've given up everything just to leave. Why must I keep paying for someone else's mistakes?"
Ye Zhen bit her lip hard, suppressing the sorrow welling up inside her.
"Just how long…"
She had always been the one left speechless.
Whether facing the Ye family or Ye Fuli, no one ever listened to a word she said.
They only heard what they wanted to hear.
The system had already purged the drug residue from her system, restoring her to her normal state.
Ye Zhen clenched her fists and stood up.
After a moment of pain and confusion, she realized with clarity that she needed to change her strategy.
"Under these circumstances, even if I left the Ye family, secretly got a paternity test done, and returned with the results, they'd likely dismiss it as forged."
"This path is no longer viable."
Ye Zhen sat down at her desk, her gaze fixed heavily on the window outside.
Once she regained her composure, she swiftly considered every possible course of action.
Whether she confronted the Ye family or Ye Fuli, death awaited her.
One represented a billionaire dynasty; the other, a chosen one.
She possessed neither the financial might nor the supernatural abilities!
Therefore, a direct confrontation was out of the question.
She had always believed that simply choosing to leave quietly would suffice. But now it seemed that merely resolving to depart was far from enough.
"I must find a way to bring Ye Fuli into this family, into the spotlight that belongs to her, and before her biological parents."
"Only when everyone acknowledges her excellence and grows accustomed to her presence can I finally step back into the shadows."
"At that point, if Ye Fuli still persists in her harassment, I will resort to shedding my skin like a golden cicada, erasing my very existence from her life."
At this moment.
Ye Zhen had already come to realize that no healthy relationship could ever develop between her and Ye Fuli.
They would never become lifelong companions, nor even friends.
"Ye Fuli, I won't let you have me wrapped around your finger."
Even if she was Ye Zhen's ideal type, Ye Zhen would never allow herself to become her puppet!
…
Dinner time.
Ye Zhen entered the bathroom, carefully combing her hair and slowly tying it up.
After a quick wash, she changed into fresh clothes, preparing to go downstairs to sit with her parents and enjoy tonight's dinner together.
Seeing Ye Zhen no longer throwing a tantrum today, her parents both breathed a silent sigh of relief.
"Zhenzhen, come quickly! I made your favorite corn pancakes today."
Ye Dad beckoned Ye Zhen to take her seat.
"Look at these lilies—aren't they the kind you love? I had someone plant a whole patch in the garden. See? Aren't they beautiful?"
An antique vase sat in the center of the table, holding a bouquet of fresh lilies.
The delicate blossoms swayed gently in the breeze.
Ye Zhen smiled and said, "They're beautiful."
But such beautiful flowers shouldn't be confined to a narrow vase.
They should be allowed to grow freely in a wider world.
"Glad you like them. By the way, how are you feeling? Any discomfort anywhere?" Ye Dad served her soup with the tender care one might give a kindergarten child.
Ye Zhen didn't reject her family's kindness, nor did she speak harshly again. Instead, she calmly replied, "I'm perfectly fine."
Seeing her return to her docile self, Mrs. Ye snorted.
In her eyes, she had won this round.
She was just a child still in school—how much temper could she possibly have? Starving her for three days had proven her point perfectly.
Of course, the medication to maintain that calm effect was still essential.
Ye Zhen needed to continue taking it for a while longer to solidify the effect.
"Good that you've come to your senses."
Mrs. Ye cut a piece of steak and placed it on her plate.
"Zhenzhen, only parents like us would be so forgiving! In any other wealthy family, running away like this wouldn't be so easily forgiven."
The medium-rare steak, dripping with blood, made Ye Zhen's stomach churn violently as she stared at it.
"Grounding would be the least of your worries. You could lose your inheritance outright. Understand?"
Mrs. Ye tried to crush Ye Zhen's stubbornness with these words.
But to Ye Zhen, it had no effect whatsoever.
Ye Zhen didn't touch the steak. Instead, she picked up the bowl of mushroom soup and sipped it slowly.
[Host, this soup also contains sedatives!]
Hearing the system's warning, Ye Zhen understood immediately.
She simply drank it down, knowing the system could neutralize the drug's effects for her.
After finishing one bowl, she reached for the spoon and ladled herself another.
Mrs. Ye's lips twitched as if she intended to speak up and stop her, but she held back.
Gulp, gulp—
Ye Zhen finished another bowl.
Just as she reached for a third bowl, Mrs. Ye could no longer sit still.
After all, she knew what was in it!
How could she drink so much?
"Zhenzhen, that's enough! A young lady shouldn't eat so ravenously." Mrs. Ye rose and snatched the bowl from her.
Ye Dad looked at her in confusion.
"The child loves it—let her have more! It's rare she has an appetite. What are you doing?"
Mrs. Ye shot him a glare. "Can she digest too much? She hasn't eaten in so long—shouldn't she take it slowly?"
"Oh, you're right."
Ye Zhen, her bowl taken away, lifted her head and shot Mrs. Ye a look that was almost a smile.
At that moment of eye contact, Mrs. Ye felt a twinge of guilt.
But as a seasoned business executive who'd seen it all, she managed to keep her composure.
With dinner finished, it was time to address the matter at hand.
"Dad, Mom, when I was out earlier, Ye Fuli was incredibly kind to me. If not for her, I would have fallen off the cliff. She essentially saved my life. You've always taught me to repay kindness, so could I please take a gift to thank her in person?"
Ye Zhen looked at her father.
"Dad, what do you think?"
Ye Dad nodded. "Yes, you should go thank her."
He had a fairly good impression of Ye Fuli.
"Even if you thank her, there's no need for our whole family to go! Does she have that much face?" Mrs. Ye was extremely reluctant, but under the intimidating gaze of Ye Dad, she reluctantly agreed: "Fine, fine, fine. I can't make the decision. Go ahead then."
…
Not long after.
The Ye family's minivan pulled up along the street at the edge of the slum.
Gazing at the grimy old buildings, Mrs. Ye's disgust was plain to see. She flatly refused to get out of the car.
Father Ye sighed and led Ye Zhen out first.
The driver followed behind them, carrying several gift bags.
The road was pockmarked with deep and shallow potholes.
Piles of garbage, emitting a stifling stench, were scattered everywhere.
Several bare-bottomed children squatted in a sandpit, busily building castles with great concentration.
From the fly-infested eatery deep in the alley came the clamor of mahjong tiles being shuffled, the clanging of spatulas against pots, mingled with children's wails and young people's laughter…
The pungent aroma of spicy dishes wafted far, making Ye Dad sneeze involuntarily.
People around them eyed the well-dressed upper-class visitors with curiosity.
"She lives in a place like this? I've already sent her a million yuan. She should at least move to a better place."
Ye Dad frowned, muttering to himself.
"She's a girl living in a place like this. It can't be very safe, can it?"
"Yes, Dad," Ye Zhen smiled. "Don't we have plenty of unused properties? Dad, these gifts we're giving her aren't very practical. Why don't we just lend her a small apartment to live in? Wouldn't that be better?"