Chapter 008: Am I Supposed to Play the Hero Who Saves the Beauty?
Time flew by.
Before they knew it, the day of Bai Ruoting's eighteenth birthday celebration arrived.
Numerous guests were invited, including many young ladies from prominent families, each dressed in dazzling finery, a sight to behold.
"Zhenzhen, you're here!"
"Wow, Zhenzhen looks absolutely stunning today~"
"Honestly, I didn't even recognize you! Zhenzhen, why haven't you dressed like this before?"
Amidst the crowd of young ladies, Ye Zhen was surrounded and discussed for quite some time.
The sweet scents wafting from the girls and their occasional sudden closeness made Ye Zhen feel rather embarrassed.
What kind of situation is this!
What on earth would it take for her to remain completely unfazed amidst a crowd of girls, without blushing or her heart racing?
Impossible! Absolutely impossible!
To these young ladies, the petite Ye Zhen, dressed as she was today, looked like a soft doll they could squeeze. They practically wanted to take turns hugging and nuzzling her.
The old Ye Zhen had been too intimidating for anyone to dare such things.
But today's Ye Zhen? Not only had she changed her makeup and dress, she seemed like a completely different person. Gone was the arrogance, replaced by a hamster-like cuteness and vulnerability.
Surrounded by her girlfriends, she drifted to a corner of the banquet hall.
"Zhenzhen, come over here! I found this amazing cheesecake."
"These cherries were air-shipped from abroad by my dad—they're super fresh!"
"Here, let me feed you some sushi. Open wide, ah~"
Ye Zhen waved off the feeding attempt from the left, only to be immediately cornered by the right.
She couldn't keep up with all this!
Just then, Bai Ruoting appeared.
He walked past Ye Zhen, pausing his steps for a moment. Seeing Ye Zhen showed no intention of catching up, he even glanced back.
With her mouth stuffed full of cake, Ye Zhen blinked and nodded in greeting.
That look was actually pretty cute.
But Bai Ruoting was certain he didn't like this little runt.
Even if today's little shorty was different from the annoying pest he remembered, he still wouldn't like her!
Bai Ruoting didn't pause again, walking straight past.
The young ladies surrounding Ye Zhen exchanged glances.
They all knew, to varying degrees, the gossip surrounding Bai Ruoting and Ye Zhen.
Rumor had it Ye Zhen clung to Young Master Bai like a leech, a veritable pain in the neck within their social circle. Yet, this didn't seem to fit the picture at all.
"Everyone, please quiet down! Our CEO Bai has something to say…"
…
…
The speech continued on stage, but few in the audience were listening.
Ye Fuli, who had slipped into the venue, now walked along the dimly lit corridor, a glass of wine in hand.
Passing by the restroom, she collided head-on with Bai Ruoting, who had just emerged.
Bai Ruoting's eyes lit up!
What a stunning woman! Nearly every feature aligned perfectly with his aesthetic preferences. She seemed like an angel descended from heaven, striking a chord deep within his heart.
"I'm terribly sorry, distinguished guest. I spilled red wine on your suit. I truly apologize…"
Ye Fuli repeated the exact words and actions she had performed in her previous life.
The only difference was that, while cleaning his suit, she discreetly placed a miniature camera on his person.
"How much is your suit? I'll compensate you."
Bai Ruoting waved his hand and smiled gently. "It's fine, no need. Go back to your work."
A mere hundred-thousand-yuan suit? He could simply discard it.
The Bai family's wealth rivaled that of a nation. They were in the clothing business to begin with—what was a mere trifle like this?
He had to maintain his image in front of his little angel.
"Then… then thank you so much for your generosity…" Ye Fuli bowed deeply, her face etched with feigned guilt and trepidation.
"Young lady, don't be so afraid. Enjoy tonight's music and fine wine. Until we meet again."
Bai Ruoting didn't ask for her contact information.
For him, asking a girl for her contact details in person was completely unnecessary. Not only did it risk rejection, but it also made him seem tacky.
What he preferred was to meticulously plan their next chance encounter.
Watching Bai Ruoting's figure fade into the distance, Ye Fuli instantly composed her expression.
Everything was in place.
If luck was on her side, she might even witness Ye Zhen clinging to him like a leech, pursuing him with mad, frenzied abandon.
Thinking of Ye Zhen…
Ye Fuli suddenly felt a pang of unease in her heart.
Perhaps it was because their recent interactions had been too harmonious, making her reluctant to see her little pet humiliate herself in front of others.
"What's that little runt up to?"
She pulled out her phone and called Ye Zhen, who was inside the venue.
But before the call connected, she spotted Ye Zhen sneaking out, clutching several cake boxes.
Ye Zhen waved at her.
Ye Fuli frowned. "What are you doing?"
Several cake boxes were handed to her.
Ye Zhen enthusiastically introduced the delicious treats.
"I brought you some snacks, here!"
"I don't care for sweets. You needn't have gone to all this trouble."
"No, no, no—these aren't sweets."
One box was opened, revealing salmon sushi, caviar sushi, and a small, untouched box of caviar.
"Here, take a look. Do you like these?"
Seeing the delicate sushi pieces, Ye Fuli's heart stirred.
She loved the taste of caviar. Even though she'd eaten plenty in her past life, she hadn't lost that fondness in this one.
Ye Fuli took a deep breath and asked slowly, "Why did you bring these for me?"
Ye Zhen scratched her head. "I just picked them randomly…"
Of course it wasn't random!
She knew the plot, after all!
She was deliberately trying to curry favor with the female lead to lessen her hostility toward her.
Ye Fuli's expression suddenly darkened. "So… how did you know I was coming here?"
The tone of that question made Ye Zhen's slender frame tremble.
She immediately replied, "Um, I… I actually saw you when you arrived, right there on the second-floor balcony, yeah!"
That was the truth.
Truthfully, she hadn't expected Ye Fuli—who had already reincarnated once—to return to this dangerous place today.
"Oh."
Ye Fuli's expression betrayed her skepticism.
She suspected Ye Zhen had enlisted the Ye family's resources to send bodyguards to follow her.
But without proof, she couldn't say anything.
"You don't need to do these useless things anymore. And I won't show any mercy to you, the one who's taken someone else's place, just because you did them."
"Oh, I know."
Feng Aotian's aloofness was legendary.
Ye Zhen had anticipated this response, so she felt no blow to her pride.
"As an impartial observer, I advise you to keep your distance from Bai Ruoting. He's not as good as you imagine—a complete hypocrite through and through." Ye Fuli dropped this statement and turned to leave.
"Thanks for the advice!"
Ye Zhen was somewhat taken aback.
In the original storyline, Ye Fuli had never uttered a single word of criticism about Bai Ruoting.
She wasn't the type to gossip about others behind their backs.
Nor did she seem like someone who would compete with her for attention.
So why did she suddenly say this?
"Hmm… Anyway, even without her warning, I wouldn't get too close to Bai Ruoting."
Ye Zhen mused as she strolled back nonchalantly.
At that moment, Bai Ruoting was nearby, talking to that greasy guy from the comic who was about to make a pass at Ye Fuli…
Their backs were turned to the corridor, so they completely failed to notice Ye Zhen passing behind them.
Thus, Ye Zhen overheard words that shattered her worldview.
Bai Ruoting: "Put on a good show. I'm going to get that chick in black stockings."
Sleazy Guy: "Ah, got it! Don't worry, Young Master Bai!"
"Yeah, and that chick in the photo—get her too. Make the act believable, put some effort into it. If you slip up, I won't pay."
"Leave it to me, Young Master Bai!"
"Here, take this bag of pills. If things get out of hand, use them immediately."
"Heh, you really think of everything, Mr. Bai."
Ye Zhen couldn't help but shoot him a look of contempt.
Is this guy seriously the male lead?
Is this really how the male lead behaves? You can never judge a book by its cover!
But then it hit her—this was bad news…
How could Ye Fuli possibly know that this wolf in sheep's clothing, Bai Ruoting, had two more tricks up his sleeve for her?!
With that thought, Ye Zhen decisively pulled out her phone and began typing a message to Ye Fuli: "Watch out for Bai Ruoting. He's had someone set up a performance for you…"
Before she could finish typing, the phone was violently snatched away.
Ye Zhen gasped in shock, only to meet Bai Ruoting's chilling stare.
The next second, she was restrained by Bai Ruoting's bodyguards.
"Ye Zhen, who were you texting?"