A Glimmer Extinguished, A New Guardian Appointed

Seeing the glimmer of hope in Luo Yao’s eyes, Mu Yaochen, whose hand still cradled his head, merely offered a grim smile.

As long as a spark remained in Luo Yao’s gaze, Mu Yaochen was determined to extinguish it entirely.

She had long since claimed Luo Yao as her sole possession, believing that only she should exist in his eyes; everything else ought to vanish.

Before long, Mu Yaochen withdrew her hand from Luo Yao.

“Let’s go eat. We’ll discuss these matters again this afternoon.”

Mu Yaochen’s gaze, fierce and cold, lingered on Luo Yao as she spoke, before she turned and headed towards the dining table in the kitchen.

****

Meanwhile, on the other side of the city.

“Ugh… Where am I?”

Su Mengqi abruptly awoke in her home, observing her surroundings with a puzzled expression as she mumbled to herself.

“Miss, you’re awake?” As Su Mengqi sat up in bed, Qingwan, a hint of excitement in her voice, approached her bedside and inquired with deep concern.

“You’re… the bodyguard?” Su Mengqi regarded Qingwan with a questioning gaze, still recalling the events that had just transpired.

Just as she found herself struggling for breath, it seemed someone had suddenly emerged from behind her, rescuing her from the woman’s grasp.

‘It was this little bodyguard. Hadn’t I told her not to follow me?’

“Never mind that. Where is that woman?” Newly awakened, Su Mengqi was not concerned for herself; her thoughts were entirely focused on Luo Yao.

This had been her only close encounter with Luo Yao recently, and the faint, clean scent clinging to him was something Su Mengqi knew she would never forget.

“She left with the boy,” Qingwan replied, a note of regret in her tone.

While Qingwan’s agility was undeniable, she harbored no real confidence in defeating Frost, who was equally formidable.

“Is that so?” Su Mengqi merely sighed softly, yet the image of Luo Yao lingered in her mind…

‘He surely hadn’t followed that woman willingly. Could he have been kidnapped?’

At this thought, an unsettling sensation washed over Su Mengqi, leaving her as agitated as if countless small insects were gnawing at her.

The mention of Frost brought Mu Yaochen, and her recent appearance in the headlines, back to Su Mengqi’s mind.

“Miss, your mother…” Qingwan observed Su Mengqi’s foul mood, yet certain matters still required her attention to report.

“My mother is back?” Su Mengqi saw Qingwan’s awkwardness, and upon hearing the first part of her statement, simply nodded to indicate her understanding.

“Very well, I’ll go fetch Madam.” Qingwan bowed her head slightly before turning and departing.

A short while later, a middle-aged woman, bearing a striking resemblance to Su Mengqi, gently pushed open the bedroom door.

Rather than merely a middle-aged woman, she was more aptly described as a mature ‘yujie’ (TL Note: A Chinese slang term referring to an attractive, mature woman who is powerful and independent), essentially a larger, more developed version of Su Mengqi herself.

“Mom…” Su Mengqi gazed at her mother, uttering a soft call.

“Hmm, Mengqi, who did you get into a fight with to be so badly injured?” The woman puffed out her ample chest.

Indeed, if not for their mother-daughter relationship, one might say Su Mengqi’s mother possessed remarkably potent genes.

“Well…” Su Mengqi found herself at a loss for words, as the incident was truly difficult to articulate.

Su Mengqi’s mother was the renowned businesswoman, Su Wanqiu.

Though not hailing from an established aristocratic family, Su Wanqiu, armed with her astute leadership and sharp business acumen, coupled with various opportune circumstances, had single-handedly carved out her own empire in this world, her influence not to be underestimated.

Despite her wealth, she still lacked a certain something when compared to the old-money families.

Furthermore, Su Wanqiu herself maintained a low profile, leaving her and her daughter, Su Mengqi, as the sole remaining members of their family.

Su Wanqiu’s impression of Su Mengqi remained rooted in her past at the aristocratic school, where she had led the charge in bullying teachers and classmates, and habitually skipped classes and broke rules.

After being expelled, she had no choice but to enroll her at a private high school in Fanhai City.

Yet, for some unknown reason, Su Mengqi seemed to have suddenly become much more well-behaved recently, with both her brawls and truancy significantly decreasing.

This change had persisted for roughly a month, so it came as a surprise that today she had once again gotten into a conflict and a fight with someone else.

“It’s alright. Is the other party seriously injured?” Observing Su Mengqi’s apparent hesitation, Su Wanqiu merely patted her own chest, signaling that she was Su Mengqi’s unwavering support.

After all, Su Mengqi rarely sustained injuries in her past fights; if she was hurt, the other party must surely be in considerable pain.

Towards Su Mengqi, Su Wanqiu seemed to offer nothing but doting affection.

“No, it’s just…” Su Mengqi found it difficult to speak, even though she had indeed mentioned Luo Yao’s existence to her mother before.

Yet, given her mother’s personality, she had probably forgotten all about him.

“Just what? Speak boldly.” Su Wanqiu watched Su Mengqi squirming, completely unlike a proper young lady… No, more accurately, completely unlike Su Mengqi herself.

At this thought, Su Wanqiu couldn’t help but frown slightly.

“Um… Mom, do you still remember Luo Yao?” Su Mengqi pondered for a moment before addressing her mother.

“Luo Yao… wasn’t he that boy you liked? What happened to him?” Regarding Su Mengqi’s affections, Su Wanqiu maintained a policy of non-interference.

After all, their family had no need for stale political or commercial marriages.

…

“It’s nothing, just a conflict with someone from another school.” After a long moment, Su Mengqi shook her head, lying to her mother.

Simultaneously, her eyes remained fixed on Qingwan, who stood behind Su Wanqiu.

Su Mengqi’s gaze was fiercely intense, seemingly warning her without words.

“Just a conflict? Can you handle it yourself?” Su Wanqiu, wanting to inspect Su Mengqi’s injuries, spoke as she moved closer to her.

“Mom. I’m fine. Someone from their side just grabbed my neck, it’s nothing.

Besides, I can handle this myself.” Su Mengqi saw her mother’s gaze fall upon the deep red mark on her neck.

She quickly explained, aiming to alleviate any concerns Su Wanqiu might have.

After all, Su Wanqiu possessed a tenacious personality, always preferring to see things through.

Moreover, Su Mengqi was well aware of her mother’s extreme doting affection for her.

If her mother knew she had almost been strangled to death, she would undoubtedly demand an explanation from the other party.

However, Su Mengqi didn’t wish for her mother to seek revenge on her behalf; what she truly desired was Luo Yao.

Furthermore, while Su Mengqi enjoyed imagining elaborate scenarios, she was not foolish; this was not a situation to be confronted head-on.

Su Mengqi had some understanding of Mu Yaochen.

She was a formidable figure who operated in both legal and illicit circles, making it clear that cunning was required to handle this matter.

“That’s good then. Also, let me introduce you. This is Qingwan; from now on, she’ll be your personal bodyguard.” Seeing that Su Mengqi appeared unharmed, Su Wanqiu decided against further inspection.

She then moved aside, allowing Su Mengqi to fully see Qingwan.

“Mm, I understand.” Su Mengqi nodded, all the while casting a warning glance at Qingwan, as if silently cautioning her not to reveal what had transpired at Longda Mall to Su Wanqiu.

“M-Miss… hello.” Qingwan, no fool herself, offered a slight smile and politely bowed to Su Mengqi.

“Alright, I’ll be off to attend to my matters now.

Mengqi, you don’t need to go to class this afternoon; just rest and recover at home.

You two get along well.”

Su Wanqiu, observing Su Mengqi’s particular resistance, nodded with satisfaction before turning and departing.

After all, Su Wanqiu had long intended to assign a formidable bodyguard to Su Mengqi, but each attempt had ultimately been rejected by her daughter for various reasons.

This time, however, she had not anticipated such a smooth outcome.

Once Su Wanqiu had left, Su Mengqi merely let out a sigh of relief, then lifted her head to look at Qingwan, who still stood with her head bowed.

“You’re sensible enough. Look up.”