The Price of Obsession

As for the relationship between Mu Yaochen and Star Yu, it was entirely possible that it would completely sour because of certain individuals. Yet, Mu Yaochen herself didn’t perceive much of this tension at the moment; it was Star Yu, standing directly before her, who felt this unsettling sensation growing ever more intense.

“Alright,” Mu Yaochen declared, “since people from the capital have arrived, I see no reason to linger here any longer.” Her gaze briefly flickered to Helian Ziyue, who was intently absorbed in watching the male dancers preen and flirtatiously pose in the distance. A wave of profound disgust washed over her at the sight of this individual.

Though Mu Yaochen could already surmise from merely glimpsing her back that this individual’s beauty rivaled her own, every single one of her actions was undeniably depraved.

“Leaving already?” Star Yu queried, though without a hint of surprise. She understood Mu Yaochen’s temperament and mannerisms far too intimately. Indeed, if Mu Yaochen had chosen to remain rooted to the spot, ‘that’ would have been the truly unexpected turn of events.

“Yes,” Mu Yaochen affirmed, “there’s no purpose for me to remain here. Luo Yao, come with me.” At that very moment, a distinct sense of ill fortune settled over Mu Yaochen, accompanied by a subtle flicker of resentment directed toward her friend standing nearby.

Such a significant development, she fumed inwardly, ought to have been relayed to her beforehand. Mu Yaochen found herself on the verge of an outburst, for Helian Ziyue’s presence alone unequivocally declared that today, she was no longer the star of the show.

In simpler terms, it completely curtailed her opportunity to flaunt herself.

Simultaneously, as her gaze fell upon Helian Ziyue in the distance, Mu Yaochen couldn’t shake the inexplicable feeling that this individual, draped in shades of purple, genuinely outshone her. This sensation was particularly acute given that Luo Yao had been openly staring at Helian Ziyue moments ago.

The more she dwelled on it, the more Mu Yaochen’s anger intensified.

Ultimately, she spun around, fixing her gaze upon Luo Yao, who sat trembling in the corner, as though subjecting him to a rigorous interrogation.

“Master… is something amiss?” Luo Yao stammered, utterly bewildered by Mu Yaochen’s sudden surge of intense resentment directed squarely at him.

‘What new demand does this woman have of me now?’

It was fortunate, at that moment, that Luo Yao consistently presented his harmless facade. Otherwise, the expression he directed at Mu Yaochen would undoubtedly have been a perfectly sculpted ‘Sima face’ (TL Note: A Chinese slang term, ‘Sima lian,’ describing a deadpan, disgusted, or expressionless face), quite possibly accompanied by the classic retort, ‘Eat shit!’

Luo Yao found himself utterly incapable of forming a coherent judgment of Mu Yaochen’s behavior today.

Why was she constantly making him the butt of her jokes? What exactly was happening?

After all, even a cornered dog will leap over a wall, and a desperate rabbit will resort to biting.

Luo Yao felt himself teetering on the brink, almost unable to maintain his composure.

“It’s nothing,” Mu Yaochen stated, “you performed exceptionally well tonight.” Yet, observing Luo Yao’s innocently benign expression, her own irritation inexplicably surged.

‘Why am I so angry?’ she silently fumed. ‘Is it not because your utterly disobedient eyes couldn’t stop staring at that Helian Ziyue?’

Mu Yaochen’s frustration was so intense, she wished she could gouge out Luo Yao’s eyes, then fill the sockets with molten lead, ensuring his complete and utter blindness.

Only then, she believed, would his eyes cease their restless wandering, and his heart would exclusively harbor her image.

‘Wait… no, what absurd thoughts are these?’

Abruptly, Mu Yaochen shook her head, vehemently dismissing the thoughts that had just consumed her.

‘Why should I concern myself with a s*ave’s perception of me?’ she reasoned. ‘He is merely a s*ave, yes, nothing more than a s*ave.’

‘Whatever I command, he executes. He is nothing more than a remarkably useful and compliant instrument.’

‘Why should I even care who he chooses to gaze upon?’

At this juncture, Mu Yaochen’s mind seemed to fracture, as if afflicted by a profound internal schism. Numerous versions of herself spontaneously materialized within her consciousness, all converging to discuss Luo Yao.

Perhaps, for Mu Yaochen, the true extent of Luo Yao’s place in her heart was something she vehemently refused to acknowledge. She resembled a man (in a world where ethical relations were inverted) who, despite knowing he had erred, persistently conjured excuses to mask his transgressions, obscure his true nature, and perpetuate his self-deception.

Alternatively, even Luo Yao himself might have been caught in a web of self-deception, at times still clinging to the belief that his parents had not forsaken him, and were instead relentlessly, desperately seeking traces of his whereabouts.

For Luo Yao, however, reality presented an unyieldingly cruel facade.

It was entirely possible that he might never truly escape Mu Yaochen’s orbit in this lifetime.

Observing Mu Yaochen’s constant vacillation, Luo Yao mused inwardly, ‘This woman is truly a drama queen.’ Concurrently, a suspicion began to form: might Mu Yaochen also harbor a penchant for excessive fantasizing, much like Su Mengqi?

After all, throughout the period Luo Yao had spent in Su Mengqi’s company, she had been immersed in a state of self-indulgent fantasy for roughly eighty percent of their interactions.

Witnessing Mu Yaochen’s current state, Luo Yao found himself profoundly concerned.

After all, Mu Yaochen possessed the latent potential to become a ‘yandere’ (TL Note: A Japanese term, ‘bing jiao’ in Chinese, describing a character who is initially loving and caring but becomes violently obsessive and possessive). Should she succumb to further flights of fancy, blurring the lines between imagination and reality, the consequences could be dire.

‘That would be quite the ‘exhilarating’ experience,’ he thought, the sarcasm biting.

As these thoughts coalesced, Luo Yao’s brow furrowed involuntarily; a distinct premonition told him that matters were far from favorable. If his grim imaginings proved true, his very life would undoubtedly be in peril.

Just as Mu Yaochen remained entrenched in her self-deception, Helian Ziyue materialized behind her with an unsettling, ghost-like stealth. Yet, Mu Yaochen, her back turned, remained utterly oblivious to the other woman’s silent approach.

However, Luo Yao, standing directly opposite, found Helian Ziyue’s elegant silhouette perfectly mirrored in his own large, sparkling eyes. The very instant Helian Ziyue entered his perception, Luo Yao reacted with a significant jolt, much like a startled animal whose fur bristles. Her captivating, slightly upturned eyes conveyed a hint of playful amusement towards him, their exchanged glances resembling a silent conversation.

In a mere fleeting instant, a transient passage, Helian Ziyue vanished as if an apparition, leaving no trace. Regrettably, the silent exchange of glances between them remained a secret known only to the two participants. Not even Star Yu, positioned directly behind Mu Yaochen and keenly observing Luo Yao, had detected Helian Ziyue’s recent, spectral presence just inches away.

This unnervingly eerie Helian Ziyue instantly fractured Luo Yao’s train of thought. The moment their gazes locked, his mind went utterly blank.

“Let’s go…” Mu Yaochen commanded, her voice firm. It was as if, the instant Helian Ziyue disappeared, a sudden clarity had washed over her; her eyes, now filled with renewed resolve, fixed upon Luo Yao with an unwavering, serious gaze.

Without so much as a backward glance, she then strode purposefully towards a nearby side door.

“Truly leaving?” Star Yu murmured. Upon witnessing Mu Yaochen’s imminent departure, she offered no elaborate entreaties for her to stay. Star Yu understood implicitly that once Mu Yaochen had resolved to act, her efforts alone were powerless to intervene. Furthermore, given the complete lack of interaction between Helian Ziyue and Mu Yaochen, Mu Yaochen’s decision to withdraw before the situation could calcify was, without question, the most prudent course.

Indeed, for Mu Yaochen’s fiery temperament to confront Helian Ziyue’s would be akin to a needle’s sharp point meeting a wheat awn—an inevitable, unyielding clash.

Yet, the underlying reason for Star Yu’s invitation to Mu Yaochen remained an unforeseen twist.

Though this unexpected encounter would undoubtedly leave Mu Yaochen with a degree of resentment towards her, Star Yu knew it was entirely worth it…

‘After all,’ she mused, ‘who told her to bring little Luo Yao along? Simply knowing of his existence makes this small amount of resentment entirely worthwhile.’

Observing Mu Yaochen following closely behind Luo Yao, Star Yu couldn’t help but sigh.

At this moment, Star Yu’s desires were deeply conflicted; she yearned both to prevent her relationship with Mu Yaochen from deteriorating further and to claim Luo Yao for herself.

However… Star Yu understood.

If she were truly to possess Luo Yao, she would inevitably lose something else of profound significance.

As for what she would lose…

Star Yu’s gaze once again settled upon Mu Yaochen, who walked beside Luo Yao, and her eyes hardened with renewed determination.