A Conditional Freedom

The shop rental negotiations proceeded smoothly, culminating in Luo Yao securing Aunt Zhang’s premises for sixty thousand yuan after a round of shrewd bargaining.

“What do you intend to do with this shop?” Frost inquired, her tone subtly inquisitive, as they settled back into the car, addressing Luo Yao who occupied the backseat.

“Sell a few things,” Luo Yao replied, his gaze fixed on the signed contract in his hand—the rental agreement between him and Aunt Zhang. In addition, he held two other copies he had foresightfully printed.

Luo Yao had printed those two extra contracts to guard against Mu Yaochen’s potential capriciousness. He had even incorporated some clever wordplay into them, anticipating that if he genuinely managed to achieve the three-hundred-thousand-yuan goal within three months, Mu Yaochen’s nature would inevitably lead her to impose further demands and difficulties. The only reason she was even granting him this opportunity now…

‘It must be purely for her own amusement.’

After all, everyone enjoyed watching a hopeful individual descend step by step into despair, ultimately succumbing to ruin.

Mu Yaochen undoubtedly wished to witness Luo Yao’s downfall, but it seemed Luo Yao had already seen through her script.

Or perhaps he hadn’t fully seen through it; though it was merely suspicion, Luo Yao couldn’t be certain Mu Yaochen would act exactly as he predicted. Nevertheless, her ultimate goal was his degradation, and to achieve it, she would surely resort to any means necessary.

Knowing her objective, the solution was simply to circumvent it.

“Sell things? Alright then. Do you have anywhere else you wish to go, or shall we head home?” Frost offered no commentary on Luo Yao’s plans, having likely surmised his eventual fate.

No matter how one considered it, Luo Yao could not possibly defy Mu Yaochen.

It was as simple and as natural as a large fish devouring a small one.

“Let’s go back,” Luo Yao murmured, his gaze fixed on the passing scenery outside the window. Despite successfully negotiating the first step, he found himself utterly unable to feel any joy.

Upon returning home, it was already nearing noon.

The moment he stepped through the door, Luo Yao spotted Mu Yaochen lounging on the sofa, engrossed in the television. She exuded an aura of extreme indolence, dressed in remarkably casual attire.

“You’re back?” Mu Yaochen lifted her eyes languidly, her demeanor suggesting she had returned some time ago.

“Mm,” Luo Yao acknowledged with a nod.

“What are you holding?” Mu Yaochen’s previously impassive face softened into a faint smile upon seeing Luo Yao. Simultaneously, her gaze fell upon the several A4 sheets in his hand, and her expression, once blank, now brimmed with curiosity.

“This… is a contract,” Luo Yao stated. Catching sight of Mu Yaochen’s smile, he instinctively recalled the electric shock from the collar, her grin etched indelibly into his very bones.

“A contract? What did you do out today?” While intrigued, Mu Yaochen was even more curious about Luo Yao’s activities.

‘Does he truly dislike me that much?’

“I went out to look at a shop, and incidentally… rented it,” Luo Yao explained, glancing at Frost beside him, hoping she might assist with the explanation. Whenever he spoke to Mu Yaochen, he invariably felt as though he were being seen right through.

Frost, however, did not take the hint, instead gazing impassively at a nearby wall.

“Renting a place? You’re actually going to open a shop? So the papers in your hand must be contracts, then?” Hearing this, Mu Yaochen slowly rose from the sofa, casually turning off the television as she did so.

As she switched off the TV, she also grumbled about how utterly boring the programs were.

‘Why would Luo Yao enjoy watching such things?’

“Yes, and…” Luo Yao began, handing the other two sheets to Mu Yaochen, simultaneously producing a carbon pen he had prepared beforehand.

“What is this?” Mu Yaochen, receiving one of the contracts, narrowed her eyes and scrutinized it carefully.

“You must promise me that if I can earn three hundred thousand within three months, you will no longer restrict my freedom,” Luo Yao added, his gaze fixed on Mu Yaochen as she reviewed the contract.

“And if you fail, you’ll be at my complete mercy?” Mu Yaochen casually set down the contract, a hint of playful malice curling at the corner of her lips.

“Yes, truly at your complete mercy. I will not resist,” Luo Yao confirmed, frowning slightly as he met Mu Yaochen’s playful smirk.

“You’re even negotiating now. Besides, aren’t you already entirely at my mercy?” Mu Yaochen slowly advanced towards Luo Yao, her gaze, tinged with a cruel intensity, fixed upon him.

“Alright then,” Mu Yaochen continued, her expression utterly devoid of emotion as she uttered vulgar words. “If you fail to complete it, I’ll require an additional condition, a very simple one: you’ll bark like a dog three times in front of me, and then, you know what you’re supposed to do, don’t you?” As she spoke, she took the carbon pen Luo Yao had offered, signing her name at the very bottom of the contract. Simultaneously, her eyes dropped to Luo Yao’s lower body.

“Fine,” Luo Yao agreed, his gaze hardening into one of utter contempt for Mu Yaochen; he now regarded her as nothing more than refuse.

“Hmph, hmph. Frost, tell the kitchen to prepare lunch. I’m going upstairs,” Mu Yaochen declared, utterly unconcerned by Luo Yao’s disdain. With her signature complete, she turned and departed with an air of nonchalance, leaving the two in the living room.

Frost proceeded to the kitchen to remind the maids to prepare lunch, while Luo Yao sought out a spot in the living room that Mu Yaochen had not touched, settling down there.

‘What exactly am I doing?’

Meanwhile, having returned to the second floor, Mu Yaochen sat at her desk, a trace of vexation clouding her features.

Her mood was profoundly complex. She found herself utterly unable to ascertain Luo Yao’s true place in her heart, yet deep down, she yearned for him to see only her.

As obedient and loyal as a dog.

Yet, Luo Yao’s gaze just now had felt like a direct piercing through her very being.

‘Why…?’

Mu Yaochen, who had always excelled at concealing her true thoughts, invariably found herself revealing them involuntarily whenever she confronted Luo Yao. This was, without a doubt, her greatest weakness.

‘Do I truly like Luo Yao? Or is it merely a desire to possess his beauty?’

For days, this question had lingered in Mu Yaochen’s mind, yet she remained utterly indecisive.

Confessing her affection to Luo Yao was something Mu Yaochen simply could not do. It felt as difficult as Luo Yao casting aside his dignity to bark like a dog.

Unbeknownst to Mu Yaochen, her current actions were continuously escalating Luo Yao’s loathing for her.

“Miss, lunch is ready,” Frost’s voice soon echoed from outside the door, interrupting Mu Yaochen’s train of thought.

“Understood.”

‘What exactly am I thinking?’

Mu Yaochen questioned herself, then rose from her chair.

“Oh, right, Frost, come in for a moment.”

As if a sudden thought had struck her, Mu Yaochen called Frost into her office.

“Miss,” Frost responded, opening the office door respectfully, as always.

The office was filled with Mu Yaochen’s unique delicate fragrance, but as her personal assistant, Frost had long grown accustomed to it.

“Report to me everything Luo Yao did this morning,” Mu Yaochen commanded.

Mu Yaochen sat at her desk, her expression fluctuating between light and shadow as she gazed out the window.

Mu Yaochen was, at this moment, profoundly conflicted.

It was the first time she had felt such intricate turmoil.