Chapter 082: I, Ye Zhen, Am Worth My Weight in Gold!
Ye Fuli left Ye Zhen's bedroom late at night.
She took the key Ye Zhen had given her and even forced Ye Zhen to change the nickname she'd saved for her.
Ye Zhen stared at the words "Beloved" on her phone screen, finding it rather ironic.
"What an awkward creature."
She lay face-down on the bed, sighing deeply.
"I really don't understand what Ye Fuli is thinking at all."
[Host, perhaps Ye Fuli also finds your way of thinking quite perplexing.]
"Forget it! I shouldn't dwell on this."
Ye Zhen rolled over, trying to find a more comfortable position.
"Huh… This blanket smells so good."
Wait a minute.
The quilt smells nice?
Ye Zhen promptly slapped herself hard across the face.
"I can't be that twisted. This is the blanket the female lead slept on. I need to put it away immediately, fold it neatly, and save it for her next use."
[Keeping the female lead's used quilt is even more perverted, isn't it, Host?]
"You know nothing! I'm just preventing her from leaving her scent on all my blankets."
After switching to a new blanket, Ye Zhen began pondering how to tackle other optional tasks while she had free time.
"Self-study any four-year college major to passing level," "Master basic culinary skills," "Master dance and learn at least one routine." Of these three, Ye Zhen could easily complete the first one.
Next, she could use the reward from the first task to tackle the second.
As for the third task…
Ye Zhen was frustrated.
Dance apparently didn't count as a life skill.
"For someone as clumsy as me, learning a dance routine is harder than climbing Mount Everest."
What should be abandoned must be abandoned.
Ye Zhen never pushed herself too hard.
As for the two tasks—"Defeat the female lead, Ye Fuli, and subdue her" and "Earn money from the female lead, Ye Fuli, amounting to at least ten million"—Ye Zhen began to wonder if she could possibly accomplish even one more.
"System, if I negotiate with Ye Fuli beforehand to have her lose to me, would that count?"
[Cheating is prohibited, Host.]
"Hmph, I knew it."
Ye Zhen could only focus on the money-making part.
At first, she thought of asking Ye Fuli to take her along to make money, but Ye Fuli looked down on her and flatly refused.
Now, a sudden flash of insight opened up a new avenue in Ye Zhen's mind.
"If I sell my stuff to Ye Fuli, does the money I get count as money I earned?"
[Technically, yes.]
"Then that's what I'll do!"
[But Host, what do you possess that's worth ten million and that Ye Fuli would actually buy?]
This question instantly froze the smile on Ye Zhen's face.
A moment of silence passed.
Ye Zhen snorted, speaking petulantly, "What about me? Am I not valuable? I'm worth a lot, right? She's been chasing after me relentlessly. If she found out I'd been kidnapped and demanded ten million in ransom, how could she refuse?"
[Host, you're surprisingly clever…]
"But that won't work."
Ye Zhen dismissed the idea herself.
Based on her understanding of the plot and Ye Fuli, she would only choose to rescue the hostage single-handedly. She would never hand over money to the kidnappers.
Ye Fuli's money was harder to earn than her own life.
Moreover, with her divine fortune blessing, she'd likely effortlessly take down any kidnappers she encountered and rescue herself.
"Sigh."
As she lay down, Ye Zhen's lips curved into a faint, wicked smile.
Her already expansive perspective broadened even further.
"Yep, I, Ye Zhen, am worth a fortune. Don't think you can outsmart me, you dog system. I know exactly how to navigate this path now."
……
……
Preparations for the Huang family's business gathering were underway with intense focus.
At this moment, Huang Li was dispatched by his mother to inspect the venue's facilities.
"Ugh, my summer vacation is ruined—making me work every single day!"
Huang Li felt thoroughly annoyed.
He started complaining even before they reached the venue.
His sidekick, Zheng Jun, offered him a prepared chilled juice with a concerned look.
"Brother Li, it's so hot out—the venue must be stifling."
He added another thought.
"Things like this usually don't go wrong! There are so many eyes watching inside, right?"
Huang Li nodded instinctively.
But he quickly recalled Ye Fuli's warning.
Ye Fuli had told him not to let his kindness run wild, nor to cut corners—he must personally handle every task assigned by the family.
With that thought, he turned to Zheng Jun.
"So, if I understand you correctly, we shouldn't go?"
Zheng Jun quickly replied, "Where could we possibly go? If the mistress and master were to blame us, it wouldn't be good for Brother Li either. I'll go alone. Brother Li, you can rest in the car and wait for me… Oh, and the game got updated today. Why don't you hop online for a couple of rounds first? Also…"
Huang Li chuckled softly, hooking an arm around his shoulder.
Zheng Jun's unfinished words stuck in his throat.
Huang Li gave his shoulder a hard pat and whispered, "You know full well that if I get caught slacking off, my parents will blame me. Why are you encouraging me to skip out?"
The question sent a shiver down Zheng Jun's spine.
He forced himself to stay calm. "Brother Li, I… I just wanted to share the burden with you…"
"In what capacity are you sharing my burden?"
Huang Li squeezed his shoulders so hard it hurt.
"When it's time to deliver water, watermelons, and heat subsidies to the workers, are you going to share that burden with me too?"
Caught off guard by the direct hit to his inner thoughts, Zheng Jun's eyes flickered with panic.
At this point, he had only just begun to interact with the Huang family.
He had ambition, but it hadn't truly taken root yet.
"Brother Li, that's not what I meant. I genuinely just want you to get more rest…"
"Shut up!"
Huang Li was unusually firm for once.
He thought about Ye Fuli's warning, and the more he thought about it, the more sense it made.
This Zheng Jun—all he does is egg him on to play games and slack off. What good intentions could he possibly have?
"You stay put in the car. Old Wang, keep an eye on him. Don't let him get out!"
"Yes, sir."
As they approached the venue, Huang Li ordered the car to stop.
Zheng Jun watched him get out with a dark expression, his fingers clenched so tightly they cracked.
As Huang Li walked into the venue, he spotted Ye Fuli waiting with her arms crossed from a distance.
Huang Li's heart skipped a beat.
With his intelligence, he instantly realized Ye Fuli had come to supervise him.
If he'd listened to Zheng Jun's nonsense today and slacked off, Ye Fuli probably wouldn't have given a damn about him afterward.
So…
Could Ye Fuli really practice divination? Foretelling the future!
Holy crap, that's so freaking cool.
"You're not half bad—cleverer than I expected," Yefuli yawned. "As a reward for being a good dog, I'll tell you: send someone to check the main venue's electrical circuits."
With that, Ye Fuli walked away.
But Huang Li furrowed his brow slightly.
What…?
She just called me a dog!
What kind of…
intimate nickname?
This sudden mental image left Huang Li so overwhelmed with happiness he nearly lost his balance.
"Oh my goodness, this won't do! It would disrupt the solid bond between the three of us. I must forget this affectionate nickname…"
Huang Li pressed her forehead and sighed deeply.
Her eyes brimmed with righteous indignation.
"A true gentleman could never stand by and watch the girls who love me fight tooth and nail over me."
…
As Ye Fuli stepped out of the venue, she stumbled slightly upon seeing the new message notification on her phone.
Ye Zhen: I want to sell you something to make some money. Is that okay? Here's the price list. Please take a good look, Ye Fuli. Contact me if you need anything! |??ω?` )