Chapter 098: The Torment Within Ye Fuli's Heart Has Only Just Begun
Since she was already here.
Before earning a second chance to court disaster, Ye Zhen resolved to adopt a resigned attitude and remain within this cage meticulously crafted by Ye Fuli.
Ye Fuli claimed she had confirmed her feelings, and Ye Zhen felt she had finally confirmed hers too:
"This isn't the kind of romance I, Ye Zhen, ever wanted!"
"While I do prefer dominant older women, I don't like them this dominant!"
"Besides, I've got my own hands and feet, plus a system—why the hell should I be anyone's accessory?"
"This girl's going to rise up!"
…
Alright.
These words, Ye Zhen could only scream inside her head. Even if you gave her a hundred guts, she wouldn't dare say them out loud.
Pushing Ye Fuli further wasn't a smart move.
Getting beaten up was the least of her worries right now. She feared something far worse might be coming.
Until she could make a clean getaway, it was better to play it safe.
After settling her luggage, Ye Zhen could move freely within the room.
She paused briefly by each floor-to-ceiling window, roughly estimating the space and its orientation.
This observation left Ye Zhen startled.
The villa's grounds were far larger than she'd imagined—it practically met the specifications of those domineering CEO novels where the little wife has no chance of escape.
Huh, had Ye Fuli become this wealthy already?
…She couldn't have been selling laundry detergent, could she?
That couldn't be the case.
She had plenty of ways to make money, and her character wasn't that shady.
Surveying the surroundings, every piece of furniture in the house was brand new.
Her room, Ye Zhen's room, was filled with all sorts of things a girl would love—dolls, crystal balls, pretty dresses, jewelry, and even a large box of cash. It was clearly all carefully arranged.
Unfortunately, Ye Zhen didn't care much for any of it.
She'd rather have a basketball, simply because… well, never mind.
Without a basketball, she could only grab a random doll to cuddle as she lay on the bed to rest.
Staring at the ceiling, Ye Zhen drifted into a daze.
She was actually quite an optimistic person with a strong resilience.
No matter how dire the circumstances, she'd always remind herself: this is still infinitely better than those ten years in her past life.
Before, she'd always been alone. Now, didn't she have Ye Fuli to keep her company?
Sure, the girl was twisted and vicious, but she was still a stunningly beautiful older woman, wasn't she? At least she was easy on the eyes.
Things weren't too bad.
Hang on, and we can still win.
"Come here. Take off your clothes."
"…Huh?"
Ye Zhen's optimism took a hit after Ye Fuli's emotionless command.
A widow and an orphan, alone in a room together—especially on such a large bed—it was bound to be unsettling.
Ye Zhen gripped her collar, desperately clinging to her precarious dignity, and asked blankly, "What for?"
"Apply medicine."
"…Oh."
"You seem a bit disappointed."
"…Not at all."
So Ye Zhen reluctantly pulled off her top, revealing her naturally flat chest.
She sat on the edge of the bed, facing away from Ye Fuli, shivering.
Ye Fuli had considerable expertise in caring for patients.
She carefully examined every wound on Ye Zhen's body, applying the finest ointment and gently spreading it inch by inch.
But…
Sitting stark naked before her, Ye Zhen found it difficult to maintain composure.
Damn it!
She'd rather have that muscular maid apply the ointment than be tended to with such meticulous care.
She couldn't shake the feeling that Ye Fuli had ulterior motives.
Yet every time she glanced back, Ye Fuli wore a stern expression, not a trace of unnecessary emotion.
This made Ye Zhen feel she was overthinking things.
"Ye Fuli, that's enough. I've already applied the medicine once."
"I don't think it's enough."
Ye Fuli was a meticulous and careful person.
She was especially careful with things she treasured.
Only after the second round of treatment was finished did she let go of the flushed Ye Zhen.
"Go to sleep. I'll stay with you."
Ye Fuli's tone was nothing short of gentle.
She gently wrapped her arms around Ye Zhen's waist, pulling her close.
At that moment, Ye Zhen was wrapped only in a fleece blanket, feeling mortified enough to die a hundred times over.
"Ye Zhen, relax."
Behind her, Ye Fuli even stroked her hair, using a technique reminiscent of petting a cat.
"Being with someone you like should be a very easy thing, shouldn't it?"
Ye Zhen remained silent.
Her silence soon brought retribution. Ye Fuli placed her hand on Ye Zhen's shoulder and bit down with just the right amount of pressure.
Where there had been no mark before, a faint tooth indentation now appeared.
"Ye Zhen, answer me. Is it?"
In the darkness, Ye Fuli's eyes fixed on her with a haunting intensity.
Ye Zhen suddenly smiled. "Yes."
That smile, too, was filled with insincerity.
Ye Fuli glared at her with hatred until Ye Zhen dared not continue smiling.
"Go to sleep."
…
The night passed without incident.
When Ye Zhen awoke, she found something new around her ankle.
When she realized what it was, her resolve to make the best of the situation crumbled once more.
If she hadn't guessed wrong, this was an electronic ankle bracelet.
In other words, a device to prevent escape.
Though Ye Fuli had tried her best to make it look less like a punishment device—even embellishing it with jewels and lace—it remained a punishment device.
Ye Zhen felt a sense of absurdity wash over her.
"Are you that afraid I'll run away?"
Her gaze drifted back to the conspicuous box of cash, and she couldn't help but let out a mocking laugh.
"So you left me all this money, certain I wouldn't be able to spend it, right?"
Any expectations she'd once held for Ye Fuli had long since vanished.
Yet now, as she touched the restraints around her ankles, Ye Zhen felt a sharp pang in her heart.
This thing reminded her once again of her identity.
Nothing more than a pet kept for someone else's amusement.
"Enough."
Ye Zhen let go.
"Haven't I already understood her nature? Why be surprised?"
She left the bedroom and headed downstairs.
Ye Fuli had already left, but she'd stocked the house full of snacks and drinks. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner were all prepared and neatly arranged in the refrigerator.
Each container bore a sticky note detailing the preparation time and ingredients—an astonishing level of meticulousness.
"Just for breakfast alone, she made five different kinds of lunch boxes?"
Holding the exquisitely crafted bento box in her hands, Ye Zhen felt a complex mix of emotions.
"What time does this guy get up? Doesn't he ever sleep?"
She didn't shortchange her stomach, grabbing her favorite meal and popping it in the microwave.
After a quick reheat, she had her breakfast and lunch taken care of.
Ye Zhen walked back into the study.
Here, Ye Fuli had prepared a wide array of books for her—everything from astronomy and geography to various novels and comics, including those mystery novels she'd bought before her graduation exams.
The study was lavishly decorated, with bookshelves lining all four walls. In the center sat a bar counter stocked with assorted beverages.
Ye Zhen casually picked a book and took a seat.
The rose-shaped bell on her shackles chimed softly.
Her fingers, clutching the pages, trembled slightly.
"No matter how comfortable the cage, it's still a cage."
She suddenly stood up and hurried toward the enormous floor-to-ceiling window.
She twisted the lock beneath the window with all her strength, but it wouldn't budge.
Ye Zhen gritted her teeth, picked up a thick English book, and smashed it hard against the windowpane.
The bulletproof glass proved its quality beyond doubt.
The unfortunate book landed crookedly on the floor, smashing two pots of freshly blooming lilies in the process.
Ye Zhen took a deep breath, turned her head, and looked at the front door again.
It was locked too.
Of course, even if it were open, she couldn't walk out with shackles on her feet.
As if refusing to accept defeat, she still walked toward the door, yanking the handle hard enough to make it clang loudly.
To no avail.
This door was locked from the outside.
"Ha! Ha ha…"
Ye Zhen couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Going to such lengths to guard against me—who would've thought! Alright, I'll stop messing around. I admit defeat. I accept it, ha ha…"
After her laughter subsided, she seemed to switch personalities, nonchalantly picking up the book from the floor and resuming her seat.
[Host, are you alright?]
Ye Zhen snorted, communicating telepathically with it: "Of course I'm fine! Planning my next self-destructive stunt requires some build-up… If Ye Fuli wants to see me lose it, I'll oblige."
Just kidding.
Go crazy?
She was perfectly fine.
For someone confined to a sickbed for ten years, the conditions here weren't unbearable at all—they were downright pleasant.
She could eat everything patients weren't allowed to.
Patients can't run or jump, but she can now!
What's so bad about being alive?
She had finally let go of everything—so much easier than Ye Fuli had it.
Compared to her, Ye Fuli's inner turmoil had only just begun.
…
At that moment.
Ye Fuli, watching the surveillance feed on her phone, pressed her lips together.
Seeing Ye Zhen's frantic state, she frowned slightly, a pang of pain stabbing her heart. Still, she resolutely shut off her phone and refused to look at the other person again.
She was on her way to the Ye residence.
Ye Dad had already called over ten times.
She pressed the answer button and calmly moved the phone away from her ear.
"Where's Zhenzhen? Ye Fuli, where did you take Zhenzhen! Bring her back immediately, do you hear me!"
The urgency on the other end caught Ye Fuli off guard.
After all, in her previous life, when Ye Zhen was kicked out of the house, this so-called good father had done nothing but utter a few hollow protests about how "this wasn't right."
Now, he was suddenly so frantic?
"I was just about to come back and tell you about this. Wait for it."