The Unsettling Gaze and a Surprise Encounter

Once that unnerving gaze shifted away from Luo Yao, he felt as though those eyes had meticulously scrutinized his very soul.

It left him with an uncomfortable sensation of being completely seen through.

As for whatever Mu Yaochen was saying, he no longer had any interest in listening.

That playful, teasing smile remained etched in Luo Yao’s mind, refusing to fade.

A soft gulp escaped Luo Yao’s throat as he finally swallowed, endeavoring to regain his composure.

He knew well that the crime rate in this world was alarmingly high.

Cases involving male victims of assault were particularly frequent, and every year, many delicate-looking men were abducted by human traffickers.

Luo Yao could only pray he wouldn’t become one of them.

After all, he had no desire to be auctioned off a second time.

“Now you know fear, don’t you?” Mu Yaochen observed Luo Yao’s still-frightened expression.

It seemed the little fellow hadn’t forgotten her authority as his mistress, and her initial burst of anger instantly dissipated by half.

However, Mu Yaochen’s aversion towards the person who had just passed by hadn’t diminished in the slightest.

On the contrary, when it came to any woman who attracted Luo Yao’s attention, Mu Yaochen wished she could simply devour them whole.

‘Am I losing my charm?’

Unbeknownst to Mu Yaochen, Luo Yao’s reaction stemmed entirely from the purple-clad figure who had walked past just behind her.

“Mm…” At that moment, Luo Yao’s previously frozen mind finally unfroze, and he immediately nodded to Mu Yaochen.

“Good.” Seeing Luo Yao yield to her once more, Mu Yaochen nodded in satisfaction, released her grip, and turned her head away with a natural grace.

“Hey… what were you two just doing?” Just as Mu Yaochen turned her head, Star Yu’s face was directly in front of hers, and they nearly collided.

Mu Yaochen’s earlier actions towards Luo Yao had thoroughly captured Star Yu’s attention, and she had secretly crept closer while Mu Yaochen was reprimanding him.

“It’s nothing… By the way, Star Yu, I have something to ask you.” Mu Yaochen shook her head, deeming the matter of her disciplining Luo Yao something that only the two of them needed to know.

As for Luo Yao, Mu Yaochen refused to share him with anyone else.

“What is it?” Seeing that Mu Yaochen hadn’t answered, Star Yu didn’t press further, for she could roughly discern the nature of their conversation simply by observing their expressions.

“Who organized this ball, and why are there so many people here I don’t recognize?” Mu Yaochen scanned her surroundings, noting the sudden appearance of numerous unfamiliar faces she had never encountered before.

Moreover, the people she typically associated with were conspicuously absent.

It was crucial to remember that Mu Yaochen had been utterly tricked and deceived into coming by Star Yu.

Star Yu had told her there would be a networking reception that evening, but Mu Yaochen had never anticipated being led to such a chaotic and disreputable venue.

“Well…” Star Yu glanced at the serious-faced Luo Yao, then around at the revelers lost in the music, seemingly deep in thought.

“What is it?” Noticing Star Yu’s hesitation, Mu Yaochen couldn’t help but furrow her brows.

“It’s… well, do you know about the Four Great Families of the Capital?” Seeing Mu Yaochen’s confused expression, it was clear she genuinely didn’t know, so Star Yu had no choice but to explain in detail.

Fortunately, the music in the room was exceptionally loud, completely masking their conversation, so no one else paid any attention to their discussion.

“The Four Great Families of the Capital? What are they doing here?” Upon hearing this, Mu Yaochen’s brows knitted in a frown.

While the Capital was indeed the nation’s seat of power, it also embodied the saying ‘the sky is high and the emperor is far away’ (TL Note: A Chinese idiom meaning distant authority has little influence, implying local matters are handled locally).

Though the Capital served as the political core, Fanhai City was by no means inferior in terms of its economic and technological prowess.

Yet… Mu Yaochen was utterly unaware of the eldest daughter of the Helian Family, one of the Capital’s Four Great Families, visiting Fanhai City.

If she had truly arrived, Mu Yaochen should have been informed at the very least.

“Who is this eldest daughter of the Helian Family? And when did she arrive in Fanhai City? Why was I not informed?”

For a moment, Mu Yaochen found herself questioning her own standing as a local power in Fanhai City.

Logically, given the Bluebird Group’s extensive intelligence network, they should have been the first to know about any of the Capital’s Four Great Families arriving in Fanhai City.

Although Mu Yaochen herself didn’t even know what the elders, patriarchs, or heirs of those four families looked like, as they were all notoriously low-key individuals.

“They’re here for tourism; I only found out this afternoon myself.” Star Yu, noticing Mu Yaochen’s displeased expression, recalled that she had only received the call this very afternoon.

“What is the name of that Helian family’s eldest daughter?” Speaking of those old families from the Capital, Mu Yaochen couldn’t help but feel a surge of curiosity.

However, the renown of those four families was largely confined to their inner circles; some ordinary people weren’t even aware of their existence.

“Helian Ziyue.

She just walked past you; didn’t you notice?” Star Yu looked at Mu Yaochen with a hint of confusion, then pointed towards the figure who was intently watching the male dancers perform energetically on stage.

At the same time, Luo Yao also shifted his attention to that elegant purple figure—no, rather, to Helian Ziyue.

That black bag, too, was something Helian Ziyue had asked Star Yu to bring.

However, this request hadn’t come directly from Helian Ziyue herself.

If Star Yu had known, she would have hidden that black bag long ago, let alone harbored thoughts of tearing its owner to shreds.

“That person is Helian Ziyue?” Mu Yaochen murmured, still somewhat confused.

Due to the loud indoor music, however, the other woman hadn’t noticed their conversation.

Helian Ziyue’s attention was fully engrossed in the dancer who was currently interacting with her.

“Lower your voice, she is…” Hearing Mu Yaochen’s voice rise a few decibels, Star Yu quickly made a ‘shush’ gesture, urging her to speak softer.

Upon hearing this, Luo Yao, who had been sitting in the corner, felt an involuntary tremor in his heart.

This world was becoming increasingly outlandish.

With the plot progressing like an urban novel, it wouldn’t be surprising if some cheat code appeared to defy fate and alter destinies.

After all, he had already transmigrated.

In the first few weeks after arriving in this world, Luo Yao had even fantasized about the help of a powerful system.

But it had all turned out to be utter nonsense; if he truly possessed a cheat code, he wouldn’t have fallen to such a deplorable state.

“Why should I be quiet?

Star Yu, how could you trick me into coming here?” Hearing this, Mu Yaochen couldn’t help but look at Star Yu with indignation.

After all, Star Yu hadn’t warned Mu Yaochen beforehand, and because of what had just transpired, Mu Yaochen felt absolutely no goodwill towards this woman named Helian Ziyue.

“I’m sorry, Yaochen, I only just found out about this myself.” Looking at the indignant Mu Yaochen, Star Yu couldn’t help but clasp her hands together, pleading for forgiveness.

As for why Star Yu had initially invited Mu Yaochen here, it had merely been for fun.

It wasn’t until she handed the black bag to Helian Ziyue just now that she truly grasped the gravity of the situation.

Nevertheless… observing the somewhat indignant Mu Yaochen, Star Yu felt no particular worry.

Star Yu firmly believed that Mu Yaochen wouldn’t fall out with her over such a trivial matter.

However, Star Yu was unaware of the intense oppressive feeling Helian Ziyue had instilled in both Mu Yaochen and Luo Yao when she had walked past them earlier.

At least, Luo Yao would not soon forget it.

****