A Taste of Torment

“This…”

“What are you staring at? Is it not to your liking?” After some time, the kitchen staff had already prepared today’s lunch and arranged it on the dining table.

Luo Yao gazed awkwardly at the food before him. While the steak appeared delectable, its placement in a dog bowl immediately dampened his appetite.

“Are you unaccustomed to Western cuisine? I’ll have the kitchen prepare Chinese food tomorrow.” Mu Yaochen, holding her knife and fork, sliced the steak on her plate with exquisite grace as she spoke.

“It’s… acceptable.” Luo Yao offered a measured assessment. Moreover, he didn’t even have a dining table before him. Was Mu Yaochen expecting him to eat with his hands, or had she already begun to view him as nothing more than a dog?

“Well then, do give it a try. It’s quite delicious.” Mu Yaochen speared a piece of beef with her fork, delivering it to her mouth as she spoke.

“But I don’t have the…” Luo Yao started to protest, but Mu Yaochen’s gaze abruptly sharpened.

“A good Luo Yao doesn’t need utensils to eat, does he? So, Luo Yao, you’ll be obedient, won’t you?” Mu Yaochen spoke to Luo Yao with a smile that never reached her eyes. Luo Yao, for his part, felt as though the temperature in the entire dining room had plummeted several degrees, a chilling sensation creeping slowly up his spine, leaving him profoundly uneasy.

Meanwhile, Chen Xi, standing silently to the side, observed the dynamic between Mu Yaochen and Luo Yao.

Though she longed to intervene, facing Mu Yaochen, she was merely a humble maid. What could she possibly do?

Besides, Luo Yao merely bore a resemblance to her younger brother.

“If it truly isn’t to your liking, I can have the kitchen prepare something you prefer right now.” Mu Yaochen, noting Luo Yao’s prolonged inaction, offered a reminder, seemingly out of good intentions.

“No… there’s no need.” Luo Yao shook his head, then fixed his gaze upon the steak, which was still emitting wisps of steam.

‘Surely it would be too hot to pick up with my bare hands?’

Luo Yao stared at the steak before him, his heart filled with hesitation. Yet, a thought suddenly struck him: in the various novels he had read, domineering CEOs often possessed a harsh exterior but a soft heart. Even if Mu Yaochen was a pervert, surely she would still have a shred of mercy?

Mu Yaochen, however, merely narrowed her eyes, observing Luo Yao’s every move. She yearned intensely to witness him cast aside his pride and prostrate himself at her feet.

‘Would he use his delicate pink tongue to lick her feet?’

‘That would surely be quite pleasurable, wouldn’t it?’

‘However, he wasn’t quite broken in yet.’

At this moment, the air was terrifyingly still. Luo Yao wished to act, but he dreaded Mu Yaochen watching him eat. Her gaze, like that of a predator fixated on its prey, made Luo Yao’s entire body writhe with discomfort.

Luo Yao remained silent, merely extending a hand to touch the steak in the bowl. Simultaneously, a sliver of hope flickered within him.

“Ouch…” The instant he made contact, Luo Yao felt a searing, stinging pain shoot through his fingers.

As Luo Yao let out soft whimpers of pain, Mu Yaochen showed not the slightest hint of compassion. She simply held her knife and fork, watching Luo Yao as if admiring a curious spectacle.

“It hurts so much…” In truth, the pain wasn’t that severe. Though the steak still emitted white steam, giving the impression of intense heat, its temperature couldn’t truly be described as scorching. Luo Yao felt only a mild warmth upon touching it.

Luo Yao had merely pretended the steak was scalding hot, even immersing himself somewhat in the act.

After all, to bring a character vividly to life, an actor must truly delve into the character’s inner world.

Nevertheless, Luo Yao continued to feign the sensation of burning heat, for he still clung to a shred of hope. He hoped Mu Yaochen might take pity on him, and ideally, cease her torment.

Mu Yaochen’s various acts were proving too much for Luo Yao to bear.

“Stop pretending. The steak isn’t hot at all. I had the chef cool it down beforehand, specifically so you could eat it.” Mu Yaochen watched Luo Yao’s rather clumsy performance, a faint smile gracing her lips.

Upon hearing Mu Yaochen’s words, Luo Yao froze as if petrified, clutching the exquisite steak in his hand, utterly at a loss for what to do.

For in the face of absolute truth, any explanation was pale and powerless.

The chef, obeying Mu Yaochen’s command, had cooled the steak and then placed food-grade liquid nitrogen on either side of the bowl, creating the illusion that the steak was still steaming hot.

This was the same technique used for those ‘smoking’ ice creams or bubble teas seen on the street.

“It seems Little Yao Yao is quite the actor. What’s wrong? Why have you stopped moving?” Mu Yaochen’s lips curved upward slightly, her gaze filled with mockery as she watched the thoroughly embarrassed Luo Yao.

“This…” A flush crept onto Luo Yao’s cheeks. Seeing Mu Yaochen’s expression, all Luo Yao wanted was to find a hole and burrow into it. Simultaneously, it hadn’t occurred to him that Mu Yaochen would set such a trap.

Luo Yao felt utterly manipulated, as if Mu Yaochen had him completely under her thumb.

In truth, Luo Yao’s acting was far from clumsy. Indeed, his skills were top-notch, and it was precisely this superb acting that had granted him numerous chances at survival in his previous world.

However, all that was in the past. In Mu Yaochen’s eyes, Luo Yao’s current acting prowess was utterly meaningless.

“It seems my little puppy has turned into a kitten, yet your acting is so clumsy.” Mu Yaochen found Luo Yao’s bewildered expression amusing, but even as she teased him, a hint of ferocity flickered in her eyes.

“How disobedient. It seems you still haven’t learned your lesson.” Mu Yaochen murmured, rummaging through her pocket as she spoke. Luo Yao watched her actions, and a sudden prickle of alarm shot through him.

Luo Yao was not foolish; Mu Yaochen was undoubtedly searching for the remote control connected to the collar around his neck.

“This is just a little punishment, you see.”

Second-level electric shock.

Instantly, Luo Yao felt the collar around his neck tighten abruptly. As his breath hitched, a powerful electric current surged from his throat.

This time, there was no tingling sensation like the previous shock; this was pure agony, a pain that radiated from his very bones.

The moment Mu Yaochen activated the shock, Luo Yao’s body toppled from the chair onto the floor. The steak in his hand flew across the room, but just as swiftly, the electric current ceased.

As the shock ended, Mu Yaochen slowly rose from her seat opposite him and leisurely approached Luo Yao.

“From now on, you’ll be obedient, understood?” Mu Yaochen crouched on the floor, speaking to Luo Yao, whose face was flushed crimson from his obstructed breathing.

“Mmm…” Luo Yao struggled to nod.

The combination of suffocation and electric shock, unleashed simultaneously, made Luo Yao understand the true meaning of a fate worse than death. He could endure it for mere seconds.

“That’s right. As long as you’re obedient, Little Yao Yao won’t get hurt anymore.” Mu Yaochen, observing Luo Yao’s agitated state, extended her hand once more to gently smooth his hair.

At this moment, the way Mu Yaochen looked at Luo Yao was no different from how one might gaze upon a cherished pet.

Luo Yao felt Mu Yaochen’s gaze, though he deeply resisted it. Yet, he now understood that he had nowhere left to turn.

‘This woman is a madwoman, an absolute lunatic.’

****