The Collared Pet and the Unsettling Dossier

And so, Luo Yao spent the entire afternoon quietly engrossed in television.

In truth, he rarely watched TV in the past, finding little of substance or ‘nutrition’ in its offerings.

Only when the last blush of sunset had been entirely devoured by the encroaching night did the distinct sound of footsteps echo from the living room’s glass door.

By the rhythm of them, it was almost certainly Mu Yaochen returning.

“Little Yao Yao, what are you doing?” Mu Yaochen, though visibly weary from her day, had only just returned.

Yet, upon entering her home, her gaze fell upon Luo Yao, who sat docilely on the sofa, wearing the collar she had given him, his eyes fixed on the television.

The sight of scattered teddy bear biscuits and crumbs on the coffee table, coupled with his obedient demeanor, instantly dispelled her physical fatigue, replaced by a sudden surge of warmth in her heart.

Mu Yaochen’s feelings for Luo Yao were, at their core, quite simple: a primal desire to see him utterly submit to her will.

Yet, how could she not yearn for Luo Yao’s acknowledgment in return?

She had, after all, made quite a noticeable entrance moments earlier.

As she observed Luo Yao, who hadn’t even afforded her a single glance, Mu Yaochen felt a chill of indifference seep into her.

“Miss, you’ve returned?” Frost, having been the first to register Mu Yaochen’s arrival, immediately bowed her head, awaiting instructions.

Mu Yaochen yearned for Luo Yao’s gaze, only to find him seemingly oblivious to her presence.

Her once pleasant mood plunged precipitously into a trough of disappointment.

“Hand over the information I asked you to investigate, and instruct the kitchen to prepare dinner,” Mu Yaochen commanded Frost, her face stern and unyielding, before casting a fleeting glance at Luo Yao, who remained huddled in a corner of the sofa.

“Do you know what you ought to do?” A glint of something fierce flickered across Mu Yaochen’s features.

Seeing that expression, Luo Yao instantly sensed that he was once again destined for torment.

He hadn’t even provoked her moments ago.

Luo Yao regarded Mu Yaochen with a flicker of apprehension; no, perhaps ‘apprehension’ wasn’t quite the right word.

Rather, his very form perpetually conveyed an air of inherent fragility, so much so that even Mu Yaochen occasionally perceived him as delicate and easily broken.

“Master, good night.” Luo Yao, having shed all pretense of shame, spoke with a resigned air; a dead pig, after all, fears no boiling water (TL Note: A Chinese idiom meaning one who has nothing left to lose is fearless).

“Mm, get ready for dinner.” Mu Yaochen nodded, a flicker of satisfaction crossing her face.

Yet, observing Luo Yao’s clear reluctance only served to amplify the vexation already festering within her.

Nevertheless, Mu Yaochen was not yet in a rush to torment Luo Yao.

For one, she still had unfinished company work awaiting her, necessitating a trip to the second-floor office for overtime.

For another, she needed to review the information Frost had painstakingly gathered.

The dossier, as expected, contained the exhaustive details pertaining to Su Mengqi.

Mu Yaochen’s intuition strongly suggested that the young woman named Su Mengqi was, without a doubt, the girlfriend Luo Yao had mentioned.

Otherwise, a chance encounter on the street could never have provoked such a profound reaction from him.

Taking her own perspective, she reasoned: if Luo Yao were currently adorned with another’s collar, being led away by an unknown woman, she herself would surely find it utterly unbearable.

Yet, alas.

The one who had affixed the collar to Luo Yao’s neck was, in fact, herself.

Initially, Mu Yaochen had consistently deluded herself, perpetually murmuring that Luo Yao’s past experiences held no significance for her.

However, when the reality of the situation truly manifested, she found herself more deeply concerned than anyone else.

Now, she stood ready to wield her ‘cash power’ (TL Note: A humorous term for the ability to solve problems or exert influence through wealth) to subdue Luo Yao’s so-called ‘girlfriend,’ much as she had already subdued Luo’s Father and Luo’s Mother.

Earlier that afternoon, when Mu Yaochen had visited Luo Yao’s home, the terms she presented, coupled with the immediate cash payment, proved irresistibly tempting to Luo’s Father and Luo’s Mother, who were in desperate need of funds.

Mu Yaochen’s demands were straightforward: she recounted the circumstances of her encounter with Luo Yao, including the unvarnished details of his auction.

Casually, she also revealed herself to be the helmswoman of the Bluebird Group.

Mu Yaochen had taken these steps to mitigate any potential, unnecessary complications, especially since the girl named Luo Tingting appeared quite resistant to her presence.

Subsequently, she laid out her own conditions, pledging a substantial sum of cash to Luo’s Father and Luo’s Mother, alongside promotions to elevated positions within relevant departments.

Furthermore, Luo Tingting would be granted direct entry into a company under the Blueyear conglomerate, entirely exempt from the interview process.

The terms Mu Yaochen offered were undeniably enticing; after all, her meticulous investigations had revealed the Luo family’s dire financial straits, where even sustaining their daily livelihood had likely become a pressing concern.

Her demands, too, were simple: they were not to interfere with her and Luo Yao’s life.

Moreover, should Luo Yao attempt to secretly return home, they were unequivocally to send him back to her.

Concurrently, Mu Yaochen provided Luo’s Father and Luo’s Mother with Frost’s contact details.

Naturally, Mu Yaochen’s stipulated conditions also contained an implicit threat: should they refuse, remaining in Fanhai City might prove impossible.

As Mu Yaochen had anticipated, Luo’s Father and Luo’s Mother readily and without hesitation agreed to her terms.

And now, Mu Yaochen intended to replicate this strategy.

For she was convinced she possessed more than enough power to make that woman entirely forget Luo Yao, much like the scenarios depicted in popular online memes.

‘Here’s five million; take this money and stay far away from him.’ As this thought crossed her mind, Mu Yaochen, unable to resist, opened the dossier Frost had just handed her and settled into the second-floor office.

However, the moment Mu Yaochen opened the dossier, her brows furrowed into a deep frown after merely scanning the first page of Su Mengqi’s information.

Concurrently, she recalled Frost’s earlier mention that this woman also had a formidable bodyguard by her side.

At the time, Mu Yaochen hadn’t given the matter much thought, yet now…

Upon reviewing the contents, Mu Yaochen found herself facing a rather thorny predicament.

No, she absolutely, unequivocally could not permit her Luo Yao to meet that woman again.

Simultaneously, the subtle agitation within Mu Yaochen’s heart escalated into outright vexation.

Su Mengqi was on the verge of slipping beyond her grasp.

“Miss, dinner is ready.” Just as Mu Yaochen was deep in thought, Frost gently rapped on the door, her voice a soft murmur as she addressed her.

“Alright, I understand.”

Mu Yaochen, who had initially planned to attend to company affairs, found her mood abruptly soured by Su Mengqi’s dossier, leaving her with no inclination for work.

‘I… why do I care so profoundly about him?’ she thought. ‘He’s merely a pet I purchased, nothing more.’

Once Frost had departed, Mu Yaochen instinctively clutched her head.

She feigned indifference with all her might, yet deep down, she cared immensely.

To embody a person she fundamentally disliked proved an arduous task.

‘What in the world am I doing?!’

Carrying this turbulent mood, Mu Yaochen smoothed her hair, which had become disheveled in her agitation, then opened the door and descended the stairs.

In the depths of Mu Yaochen’s subconscious, she had always strived to present a flawless image to Luo Yao.

Yet, each time her gaze fell upon his face—a visage both innocently pure and subtly alluring—a fierce possessiveness would instantly seize control of her very mind.

‘What is happening to me?’

Lost in thought, Mu Yaochen found herself walking alone into the dining room.

There, Luo Yao sat with his legs crossed, patiently and silently awaiting her arrival.

After all, without her explicit consent, Luo Yao dared not even pick up his chopsticks to begin his dinner.

****