Chapter 097: Locking Her in a New Cage
In the car.
Father and daughters sat in silence.
Ye Dad had the divorce papers ready, tucked away in his bag.
He had mulled over the divorce countless times, yet remained indecisive. After all these years of building the Ye family empire together, climbing into the ranks of billionaire tycoons, there was bound to be some lingering affection.
But now…
No matter how deep that affection once was, it had been ground away by these family conflicts.
Ye Dad's heart ached.
He didn't know how to face his two daughters, nor how to face his wife at home.
So he could only choose to avoid it.
It was as if, by leaving a problem unresolved long enough, time would smooth it over until it no longer felt like a problem.
Unfortunately, this tactic often worked, but not every single time.
Upon arriving at the hospital, he handed the access card to Ye Fuli.
He felt that Ye Fuli and Ye Zhen got along well.
With Ye Fuli looking after her, Ye Zhen's mood should improve considerably.
Ye Fuli looked at him, speechless for a long moment.
Before leaving, Ye Dad finally spoke:
"Ye Fuli, I know you dislike this family and your mother. But she is still your mother. She endured great hardship giving birth to you, even risking her life for you back then…"
"Enough."
Ye Fuli cut off his earnest pleas.
"Chairman Ye, does it matter what happened in the past? People don't live in the past—they live in the present. And in the present, all I see is a greedy middle-aged woman and a coward who can't make up his mind."
At this point, she seemed to realize she had gone too far.
She paused, sighed, and continued.
"Never mind. That's your family's business, not mine. From now on…"
From now on, our chances of meeting will be virtually nonexistent.
This meal today shall serve as our final farewell.
"Alright, I need to get back to work. Call me if you need anything."
Ye Dad wasn't good at dealing with his prickly biological daughter, so he chose to avoid the situation once again.
Watching his car fade into the distance, Ye Zhen felt inexplicably certain this might be their final meeting.
The next moment.
Ye Fuli reached out her hand to her.
"Ye Zhen, come with me."
The two stood under the moonlight, staring at each other for a long time.
In that moment, Ye Zhen considered turning and running, thought about pulling out her phone to call the police, even contemplated kneeling to beg for mercy, throwing a tantrum, pleading to be spared…
But in the end, it all dissolved into a single sigh.
"Mm."
…
Resistance would be futile.
Feng Aotian, who possessed every imaginable superpower, handled an ordinary person like an ant. Even the male lead and male supporting character—both wealthy second-generation heirs—could only bow down at her feet.
Refuse to yield, and you'd wish for death.
Ye Zhen had grasped this harsh reality from the very first day she entered this world.
She was no match for Ye Fuli.
To be hated by Ye Fuli meant death.
Losing Ye Fuli's interest would still mean death.
To survive, she had to find that delicate balance.
But now it seemed…
Finding that emotional equilibrium point? Hell if it's that easy.
I'm no master of romance—screwing it up was inevitable.
"Your reaction caught me off guard," Ye Fuli remarked, observing Ye Zhen sitting by the car window, unusually quiet.
Ye Zhen smiled faintly. "So, in your opinion, Sister, what reaction should I have had?"
"Don't call me sister."
"Alright, Ye Fuli."
Ye Zhen's sudden obedience only deepened Ye Fuli's unease.
She knew Ye Zhen would resist—had resisted before. She’d clawed and bitten her, even fought back, screaming curses at her without fear of death.
But now, when she announced she was taking Ye Zhen away, Ye Zhen merely smiled faintly.
What was there to smile about?
"Are you… truly prepared to come with me?"
"Yes."
"That's not what you truly feel, Ye Zhen."
"It is what I truly feel."
Ye Fuli pinched her cheeks, forcing her to look straight into her eyes, searching for any sign of deception.
"Ouch."
Ye Zhen didn't feel any pain, but she still feigned an expression of pain from the pinch, startling Ye Fuli into immediately letting go.
Seeing her panic, Ye Zhen narrowed her eyes and smiled. "Ye Fuli, you don't need to care so much about me. I told you, I'm not worth it."
"Stop smiling!"
Ye Fuli's tone carried a hint of embarrassed anger.
"Ye Zhen, whether you truly agree or not, I won't change my mind. From now on, for decades to come, you'll be spending every waking moment with me! Even when we die… when we die, we'll be buried together. I've already picked out the gravesite."
Listening to her declaration, Ye Zhen kept smiling. As she smiled, she closed her eyes: "I'm sleepy. Wake me when we arrive."
…
The ride was bumpy.
Ye Zhen pretended to sleep at first, but eventually drifted off for real.
She leaned against Ye Fuli's leg, sleeping restlessly.
Ye Fuli's driver was behind the wheel. He overheard the exaggerated remarks from the backseat but chose to pretend he hadn't heard a thing.
After all, starting today, Ye Fuli had doubled his salary.
Why meddle in others' affairs?
He was just an ordinary worker; earning money to marry a wife was what truly mattered.
Upon arriving at their destination, he helped Ye Fuli carry her suitcase.
Ye Zhen rubbed her eyes and sat up.
She saw vast stretches of dark, dense forest stretching as far as the eye could see.
Where could this be?
She couldn't guess, nor did she care to. It didn't matter anyway.
Ye Fuli clearly had no intention of explaining their location either, simply taking her phone and suitcase without a word.
"We'll stay here for a while. Once I find a good doctor, I'll take you abroad."
Ye Zhen tilted her head slightly to look at her.
Ye Fuli freed one hand to place a hat on her head. "It's windy in the mountains. Don't catch a chill."
"When will you return my phone?"
"When you've gotten used to your new life."
"Aren't you afraid I'll get so lonely I'll end up killing myself?"
"I am."
As they spoke, Ye Fuli led her through the front gate of the villa before them.
Once inside, she switched on the lights.
The enormous crystal chandelier emitted a dazzling glow, momentarily blinding Ye Zhen.
Ye Fuli pulled her over and sat her down on the plush sofa.
She removed her hat, revealing Ye Zhen's face wrapped in bandages.
Ye Fuli gently stroked her cheek, a faint smile playing at the corners of her mouth. She didn't seem to care at all whether this face was ruined or might be repulsive.
In her eyes, Ye Zhen remained the same adorable, innocent girl.
"Ye Zhen, I feared you might take your own life, but I feared even more that you might run away."
"In a way, this accident was worth it. It made me realize how I truly feel about you."
"I cannot lose you. I absolutely cannot."
She actually said something horrifying like "the accident was worth it"!
Ye Zhen couldn't help but shiver.
She knew Ye Fuli had gone bad after her rebirth, but she never imagined…
she could become even worse.
Without the system, how miserable would she be?!
"So stay by my side, just like before. Stay with me, forever…"
Ye Fuli slowly leaned down, her lips gently brushing the corner of her eye.
"In return, I'll give you everything I have."