The Price of Debt and a Master’s Whim

It was already nearing noon.

Mu Yaochen, who had visited the ward that morning, was long gone.

Her place had been taken by The Woman, who exuded an air of aloofness.

After Mu Yaochen’s departure, The Woman informed Luo Yao of Mu Yaochen’s name and background.

Mu Yaochen had been so overcome with excitement earlier that she had forgotten to introduce herself, or perhaps she felt no need to introduce herself to her ‘s*ave.’

Upon learning of Mu Yaochen’s background and the powerful Bluebird Conglomerate behind her, Luo Yao exhibited no great surprise, having never heard of such a formidable group before.

Subsequently, The Woman continued to fix her gaze upon him, unrelenting.

“Gulp… could you please stop staring at me?”

The Woman’s unwavering gaze made Luo Yao feel intensely uncomfortable, as if every inch of his skin crawled.

“It’s nothing. I’m merely here to oversee your personal safety and ensure you don’t attempt to escape.”

The Woman, as if resting her eyes, closed them briefly before opening them again to address Luo Yao.

“Furthermore, remember that you are the Young Miss’s exclusive tool, and you must fulfill the duties of such a tool.”

The Woman delivered this as a warning to Luo Yao, then resumed her intense scrutiny.

After a day of rest, Luo Yao soon found his head no longer felt so muddled, his earlier fever having gradually receded.

His discharge date was drawing nearer, and surprisingly, he felt little worry for his parents or his younger sister.

Instead, a faint flicker of resentment began to stir within him.

It was less resentment and more a profound sense of helplessness.

He had never imagined his family would fall into debt; it simply didn’t align with his parents’ characters.

And ultimately, they had sold him off to settle it.

‘I hope they are well.’

Although he felt a sting of displeasure, the deed was done, and there was no turning back the tide.

Before he was sold to the auction house, their debt had only been five hundred thousand, but now things were different; their outstanding amount had swelled to eight million.

This was an astronomical sum, far beyond what any ordinary family could ever hope to repay.

Luo Yao had a premonition that his entire life might now be inextricably bound to this woman, Mu Yaochen.

‘Well, what’s done is done; I’ll make the best of it.’

With that thought, Luo Yao shifted his gaze toward the barred window beside him.

His mind, in turn, began to ponder how he might possibly repay the eight million he now owed.

A short while later, the sky outside the window had begun to deepen with the hues of dusk.

“The doctor just examined you. You’ve almost fully recovered.”

After some time, Mu Yaochen re-entered the ward, her eyes still fixed intently on him.

Mu Yaochen was still clad in her ultra-short JK skirt and black stockings, yet this time, Luo Yao felt she appeared even more refined than when he had first seen her in the ward.

Luo Yao could discern that Mu Yaochen was wearing light makeup this time.

“Mmm…”

Upon hearing this, Luo Yao hastily nodded.

“You can take your time to consider how you’ll repay the money you owe me. Remember to use legitimate means, alright?”

“If you’re thinking of selling your body… you might as well just come to me instead.”

Mu Yaochen spoke thoughtfully, her gaze tracing over Luo Yao’s form, and as she continued to look, the conversation abruptly veered off course.

“No… wait, I’m going to auction off your first time, so don’t get the wrong idea.”

“And if you really just… give *that*… to some other woman, you’ll owe me far more than eight million!”

In an instant, Mu Yaochen seemed to lose her composure, her words spilling out unchecked, and her delicate face flushed crimson.

It was the first time such an excess of emotion had been visible on her features.

Soon enough, however, she reverted to her usual cool and aloof expression.

‘No, no, Mu Yaochen, you were so calm just now. Why are you so flustered all of a sudden?!’

At that moment, Mu Yaochen was inwardly admonishing herself.

Despite her previous self-admonitions, she found herself unable to maintain a serious demeanor.

The moment she looked at Luo Yao, her mind was flooded with cheesy pickup lines.

‘What’s wrong with me?’

“Er… alright. I’m not that kind of casual man.”

Luo Yao observed Mu Yaochen, unsure of what she was thinking, as she visibly struggled to maintain her composure.

What Luo Yao failed to realize, however, was the terrifying extent of Mu Yaochen’s inherent desire for control.

While Luo Yao believed he was handling the situation adequately, the truth was that Mu Yaochen still held complete sway.

Ultimately, he was nothing more than a puppet, manipulated at her whim.

“Not a casual man, you say?”

Hearing this, Mu Yaochen looked at Luo Yao with a hint of amusement.

“In that case, how about this: if you serve me well for one night, I’ll consider half of your eight million debt repaid. What do you say?”

As she finished speaking, Mu Yaochen drew considerably closer to Luo Yao, her gaze still fixed on him, though this time her attention had shifted unmistakably to his lower body.

“No… stay away from me! I’ll find a way to repay the money I owe you. Please have some self-respect!”

Luo Yao’s brow furrowed involuntarily as he regarded Mu Yaochen’s infatuated expression.

‘Had this Mu Yaochen also become driven by lust?’

The idea of serving her for a night was certainly not to be trusted.

Luo Yao understood that this entire matter was, from beginning to end, under Mu Yaochen’s control.

Luo Yao knew that once entangled with a woman like Mu Yaochen, it would be incredibly difficult to extricate himself.

While Luo Yao was confident he could earn eight million, he wasn’t so sure he could truly sever ties with Mu Yaochen even after repaying the debt.

Though this woman appeared rather foolish, she was unexpectedly troublesome.

“Oh? Really?”

Mu Yaochen spoke, yet her slender fingers reached out to stroke Luo Yao’s chin.

With one hand still restrained by handcuffs, Luo Yao found himself powerless to resist.

Mu Yaochen’s hand firmly held Luo Yao’s sharply defined chin, while tiny stars seemed to sparkle in her eyes.

‘I’ve already spent eight million; I should at least get some return.’

‘Relax… he’s just my tool, a tool for making money, a tool for venting frustrations, that’s all.’

Driven by these thoughts, Mu Yaochen’s crimson lips steadily drew closer to Luo Yao’s mouth.

“No… don’t…”

As Luo Yao watched Mu Yaochen’s red lips approach, for a fleeting moment, a primal masculine urge surged within him.

Yet Luo Yao understood that any involvement with a woman like Mu Yaochen would inevitably lead to immense trouble.

Despite his strong resistance, his body was entirely under Mu Yaochen’s control, leaving him only able to shake his head repeatedly and utter “Don’t.”

….

Suddenly, Mu Yaochen froze in place.

Her dark pupils gazed calmly at Luo Yao before her.

“You dare to resist me?”

A flicker of displeasure crossed Mu Yaochen’s face, and her grip on Luo Yao’s chin tightened almost imperceptibly.

“I’m sorry, but I truly have someone I like. Please don’t do this, alright?”

As Luo Yao looked at Mu Yaochen’s face, a figure flashed through his mind.

‘Her appearance grew increasingly similar to Su Mengqi.’

‘No, this figure was even more like *her*…’

“What does it matter if you like someone else? You need to understand that your entire being belongs to me now.”

Upon hearing this, that inexplicable irritation once again surged through Mu Yaochen.

She abruptly and rather rudely released Luo Yao’s chin, the earlier impulse to kiss him completely dissipated.

‘This is my first kiss! How could I possibly give it to a mere s*ave, someone barely even human? It’s too humiliating. How could I even have such a thought?’

Although she felt a degree of unhappiness, Mu Yaochen wasn’t truly angry.

On the contrary, Luo Yao’s rebellious resistance only further ignited her curiosity about him and the “girlfriend” he spoke of.

At the same time, it solidified Luo Yao’s position in her mind.

‘Just a s*ave, yet so arrogant.’

****