Chapter – 30
Hey~ Want to Catch Frogs Together?
The next day.
When Yu Zhi woke up, it was already noon.
As soon as she stepped out of her bedroom, Yu Jianhui was still rolling around on the floor, yelling helplessly at Gu Yong.
Yu Zhi gave him a cold glance.
“Yu Zhi! You’ve gotten more and more out of control! Untie me right now!” Yu Jianhui shouted.
Yu Zhi ignored him.
By the time she finished washing up, Yu Jianhui’s shouting had turned into a string of apologies. He was admitting fault over and over, swearing he’d never do it again.
Yu Zhi thought to herself, Good thing my combat power’s high. With cowards like Yu Jianhui who only bully the weak and fear the strong, strength is the best deterrent.
What was that saying again? In the face of absolute power, everything else is just hot air.
Listening to Yu Jianhui’s pitiful wailing, Yu Zhi crouched down in front of him.
Of course, she didn’t believe a single word that came out of his mouth—but she couldn’t keep him tied up forever; she had more important things to do today.
With that in mind, Yu Zhi untied the ropes and smiled slightly.
“Let me make this clear first, Yu Jianhui—if you ever lay a hand on my mom again, I’ll pay you back tenfold.”
“And don’t you dare think marrying me off will get you money. Go ahead and try—see who dares to marry me.”
“Even if someone does, you really think I’d let you get the dowry?”
Yu Jianhui shrank back and stayed silent.
Yu Zhi slung her backpack over her shoulder and headed out the door.
Yesterday, Pei Nian’an had told her: one toad, ten thousand yuan! Yu Zhi had been tempted all night—if she didn’t grab that cash, who would?
Last night, she’d already looked up “best places to catch toads in Jingbei City” online, and ordered a child’s fishing net and a plastic bucket. With all her gear ready, she set out with light, eager steps.
1 p.m., Jingbei Wetland Park.
The sun was blazing overhead as Yu Zhi charged into a field of reeds with her net.
According to her map, the “toad paradise” was right ahead. When she arrived, it turned out to be a forgotten, stinking drainage ditch.
Before she even got close, she could hear a chorus of croaks.
As she approached, the sound grew louder. Yu Zhi pulled on her rubber gloves, crept closer, spotted a toad, and swung her net down with a splash.
Splash! Water sprayed everywhere.
Two warty toads blinked up at her from inside the net, their swollen cheeks puffed, strands of waterweed hanging from their backs.
Yu Zhi smiled sweetly at the sight.
Well, well—twenty thousand yuan in the bag!
Her golden nuggets!
As she squatted by the ditch, catching toads with intense focus, passersby occasionally walked by—mostly elderly folks out for a stroll.
From their perspective, the scene was nothing short of surreal:
A college girl hopping around a muddy ditch, letting out gleeful chuckles every time she caught a toad.
One old man almost thought he’d run into something supernatural—until he saw the bucket full of wriggling toads.
“Girl, those things are poisonous!” the old man warned kindly.
Yu Zhi turned back, beaming. “Thank you, Grandpa! I know!”
By noon, her plastic bucket was heavy with spoils.
She counted—twelve toads.
Yu Zhi immediately called Pei Nian’an on video. “Pei-jie! Look, I caught twelve toads!”
In the video, the young lady was lounging in a rocking chair. Hearing that, she gave a big thumbs-up. “Nice work!”
Yu Zhi grinned smugly.
“You know,” Pei Nian’an said as she sat up, “I’ve actually never seen a real toad before…”
“Yu Zhi, bring your little toads over to my place and get your money!”
Yu Zhi readily agreed.
On her way to Pei Nian’an’s house, Yu Zhi chatted with her system.
System, system! Come in, system!
I’ve got twelve toads—that’s 120,000 yuan! With the tenfold bonus, that’s 1.2 million! Are you ready?
The system giggled:
【Let’s wait until you actually get the 120,000 first!】
An hour later, at the entrance to the Pei family’s villa estate.
Yu Zhi walked up to the gate, carrying her fishing net.
“Stop right there!” the security guard rushed over. “What’s in that bucket?”
Right on cue, the bucket croaked loudly. The guard frowned. Yu Zhi flashed a sweet smile.
“Oh, I’m a friend of Miss Pei’s…”
The guard looked her up and down. “Got any proof?”
Yu Zhi thought for a second, then pulled out her phone and sent Pei Nian’an a message.
Moments later, the phone in the security room rang.
After answering, the guard’s whole demeanor changed. When he came out again, he was all politeness.
“Ah, Miss Pei’s friend! Please, come in, come in!”
At the Pei residence.
Pei Nian’an was already waiting in the living room.
The moment Yu Zhi was led in by a servant, Pei Nian’an waved excitedly.
“Quick, quick, quick! Let me see!”
Yu Zhi greeted her politely, then set the bucket down.
“Pei-jie, mind if I wash my hands first?”
Pei Nian’an pointed toward the bathroom, still circling the bucket with curiosity. Dressed in pink loungewear with bunny-ear headband, she looked unusually cute.
As soon as Yu Zhi disappeared to wash her hands, Pei Nian’an crouched beside the bucket, eager to peek inside.
“I just want to see what these things look like!”
If it could scare that ugly Wen Ying half to death, even better!
The bucket had a zipper lid. Pei Nian’an delicately pinched it open with manicured fingers.
In the next instant, a toad sprang out.
Then another. Then another.
Pei Nian’an froze in horror.
Until one of the toads landed right on her slipper.
“Ahhhh!!!” Pei Nian’an screamed. “Yu Zhi!!!”
At her shriek, all the servants rushed over—only to be struck dumb at the sight of toads bouncing all over the living room.
One even hopped onto a side cabinet and locked eyes with a toad-shaped ornament perched on top—an oddly touching moment of kinship.
When Yu Zhi came running back, drying her hands, this was the scene she saw:
The young lady standing on the sofa, stomping in panic, while servants flailed at toads with mops.
“Oh my god…”
Yu Zhi was stunned.
Then she snapped back to her senses—panic rising.
“Don’t hit them! Don’t hit them! Those are my golden nuggets!!!”
If they killed them, she’d be ruined!
Yu Zhi quickly slipped her gloves back on and started grabbing toads left and right.
They jumped far and fast, but Yu Zhi was determined. She lunged, reaching for one near the stairs and caught it in her hand. Just as she proudly raised it to show Pei Nian’an—
A sound came from the top of the stairs.
Yu Zhi looked up.
A handsome man stood a few steps above, holding a cup of coffee.
For a long moment, they just stared at each other.
The man’s usually composed expression cracked slightly as his gaze moved between her, the toad in her hand, and the chaotic scene below.
Yu Zhi blinked. The toad croaked.
The air was thick with awkwardness.
But Yu Zhi was quick to recover. After all, they’d met just last night—and she’d helped Pei Yanci. No point pretending otherwise now.
So, holding a toad in each hand, Yu Zhi gave him her most proper smile.
“Hey~ want to catch frogs together?”
