A Kiss of Defilement

“What’s wrong?” Luo Yao was struck by Frost’s unexpected attentiveness.

“Nothing,” Frost offered no other movement, merely turning away.

“Let’s go, the young lady is waiting for you,” Frost said, almost to herself. Before Luo Yao could respond, she had already turned and departed.

’Was she also interested in him?’

Gazing at Frost’s retreating back, Luo Yao had never imagined that someone as impassive as Frost would care about him.

A small wave of emotion stirred within Luo Yao at the thought.

Without further deliberation, Luo Yao followed Frost into the dining room.

“You’ve arrived?” Mu Yaochen, already seated at the table, greeted him as Luo Yao entered the dining room. Her demeanor, however, seemed somewhat dispirited, as if she had been lost in profound thought.

Indeed, Mu Yaochen had been wrestling with many thoughts just moments before. The mountain of documents piled behind her remained untouched, adding to her current vexation.

“Let’s eat,” Mu Yaochen said blandly, then picked up her chopsticks.

Observing her disinclination to speak further, Luo Yao felt a measure of relief. It was, after all, prudent to minimize contact before he initiated his own plan.

Yet, Luo Yao was particularly keen to discover why Mu Yaochen had secretly visited his room.

Watching Mu Yaochen eat, Luo Yao also picked up the chopsticks beside him.

Ever since he had aligned himself with Mu Yaochen, his daily meals had been varied and exquisite. Each dish rivaled those found in high-end restaurants, impeccable in presentation, texture, and flavor.

However, having only just woken, Luo Yao found himself not particularly hungry; he merely took a few bites before setting his chopsticks down.

Conversely, Mu Yaochen appeared ravenous today.

“Not hungry?” Mu Yaochen inquired, glancing up at Luo Yao between bites.

“Mm,” Luo Yao simply nodded. At this juncture, he felt no need to proactively engage Mu Yaochen in conversation; he needed to maintain his distance.

“Alright,” Mu Yaochen responded, offering no further words as she resumed eating, her gaze fixed on her plate.

Yet, with Luo Yao seated directly opposite her, Mu Yaochen found the food in her mouth tasting like wax. Luo Yao’s presence captivated her utterly.

’She had failed to tame him; instead, a palpable counter-effect had emerged.’

’Both Luo Yao and she were reacting, Mu Yaochen, Mu Yaochen, you’ve truly played a masterful hand.’

Having spent the entire afternoon striving to stabilize her emotions, Mu Yaochen had finally found a semblance of calm. However, the moment her gaze met Luo Yao’s, she yearned for his eyes to reflect only her.

’Or perhaps, she yearned for her own eyes to see only Luo Yao.’

’I… I don’t like him, he’s merely my s*ave!’

Mu Yaochen’s movements grew sluggish as she ate, and her expression began to contort, bordering on a grimace.

She yearned, yet simultaneously resisted expressing her true emotions to Luo Yao.

Luo Yao observed the subtle struggle etched upon Mu Yaochen’s face. While he couldn’t discern her exact thoughts, he could grasp the general gist.

He sensed the possessive nature of Mu Yaochen’s affection, an affection that Luo Yao had no intention of acknowledging.

’This one is troublesome, and difficult to tame.’

“Come here,” Mu Yaochen commanded abruptly, just as Luo Yao was pondering her intentions. She raised her head, her usually graphite-colored eyes now tinged with a hint of crimson as she stared at him.

“Hm?” Luo Yao was so startled by Mu Yaochen’s sudden action that he nearly leaped from his chair. Yet, before he could react, she had already materialized before him.

“W-what do you want?” Luo Yao stammered, still processing the situation, when Mu Yaochen’s crimson lips pressed against his own.

The oppressive atmosphere, the suffocating emotions, left those present breathless.

“Mmmph!” A muffled sound escaped Luo Yao. Everyone, save for Frost, remained frozen in disbelief. By the time they regained their senses, Mu Yaochen had already embraced Luo Yao tightly.

Upon seeing Mu Yaochen lunge towards Luo Yao, Frost’s immediate instinct was to intervene and restrain her. However, she found herself utterly unable to move.

’No, this wasn’t her duty.’

“What are you doing?!” Luo Yao exclaimed, taken aback by Mu Yaochen’s sudden, forceful kiss. Aside from Frost, numerous maids were present in the dining room.

Even Luo Yao, despite his usual thick skin, found being forcibly kissed under the scrutiny of so many eyes utterly uncomfortable.

His words erupted like a roar, and within his usually placid heart, a flicker of anger ignited.

Simultaneously, Luo Yao attempted to push Mu Yaochen away, only to find her immovable.

After Mu Yaochen’s forceful kiss, the maids discreetly withdrew, understanding the implication.

For in Mu Yaochen’s estimation, even a fleeting glimpse of Luo Yao’s face by these maids was a transgression.

Luo Yao belonged to her, and her alone.

“This is today’s interest,” Mu Yaochen declared, her emotions having simmered for a long while. She still intended to persist in her self-deception; despite her profound affection, she could not voice it.

“Interest? What interest?” Luo Yao didn’t comprehend Mu Yaochen’s words; he only felt an overwhelming sense of defilement. Mu Yaochen’s lipstick smeared his lips, and during the forceful kiss, she had even thrust her tongue inside his mouth. Far from the sweetness of a kiss, Luo Yao was consumed by revulsion.

“Why do you keep wiping your mouth?” Mu Yaochen demanded, her initial sense of satisfaction curdling into a fresh wave of indignation as she watched Luo Yao repeatedly try to erase the crimson lip print.

’Luo Yao, Luo Yao, you truly have a knack for provoking my anger.’

Lost in these thoughts, Mu Yaochen’s embrace around Luo Yao tightened further.

“Let me go!” Luo Yao bellowed with all his might. Yet, Mu Yaochen found that the more he protested, the more exhilarated she became.

Gazing at Luo Yao’s exposed collarbone, Mu Yaochen instinctively leaned in and kissed it.

’Do you truly despise me so much? Very well, then I shall brand your body with my marks, imbue it with my scent.’ Luo Yao, feeling excruciating pain as his collarbone was sucked, thrashed his small hands incessantly in the air, desperate to break free from Mu Yaochen’s grasp.

The more he struggled, the more powerless he felt.

Standing nearby, Frost observed Luo Yao’s unwilling struggles. Although she longed to intervene, she knew she was utterly powerless to prevent any of Mu Yaochen’s actions toward him.

Mu Yaochen’s progressively contorted face mirrored Frost’s own emotions.

Luo Yao’s true thoughts confirmed it: having his collarbone sucked was indeed agonizing. Yet, for the sake of his impending act, he could only endure it in silence. The more brutal Mu Yaochen was with him now, the more brutally Luo Yao would torment her later.

Nevertheless, these were all Luo Yao’s gambits.

He couldn’t be entirely certain that his actions would steer Mu Yaochen’s mindset precisely as he anticipated.

Observing the array of crimson lip prints and ‘hickeys’ (TL Note: A ‘hickey’ is a bruise-like mark caused by sucking or biting the skin, often made on the neck or collarbone) from Luo Yao’s collarbone up to his neck, Mu Yaochen finally released him with a satisfied air. Were it not for the collar around his neck, she would have longed to cover it entirely with ‘hickeys’ as well.

The moment Mu Yaochen’s grip loosened, Luo Yao mustered every ounce of his strength and tore free from her.

Mu Yaochen made no move to stop Luo Yao as he broke free, for she was too engrossed in savoring the exquisite sensation of moments prior, an unspoken, profound touch.

“So dirty… I’m so dirty!” Just as Luo Yao broke away from her embrace, his whispered words, by an unfortunate coincidence, drifted directly into Mu Yaochen’s ears.

Though soft, his voice carried an undeniable force.

It was like a sharpened blade, piercing Mu Yaochen’s heart.

Only moments before, she had been lost in reverie; now, Mu Yaochen found herself inexplicably gasping for breath.

Disregarding the maids’ attempts to stop him, Luo Yao fled as if pursued, racing into the back kitchen. He flung open the faucet and frantically scrubbed his neck and collarbone with clear water.

Though part of an act, Luo Yao committed to the charade, making it seem utterly genuine. He paid no mind to the clear water soaking his clothes; none of it mattered.

He desperately wished to cleanse every spot Mu Yaochen had touched and kissed, yet he knew the water could only wash away the lipstick stains.

“What are you doing?”

Though a flicker of hesitation crossed her, Mu Yaochen immediately followed Luo Yao into the kitchen, with Frost trailing close behind.

“You… don’t come any closer!” Luo Yao cried, observing Mu Yaochen approaching. A faint smile briefly touched his lips, but he quickly replaced it with an expression of profound grievance.

Seeing Luo Yao vigorously scrubbing his neck, Mu Yaochen’s face darkened.

Connecting Luo Yao’s earlier words with his current actions, and filtered through Mu Yaochen’s unique interpretation…

Her expression instantly turned grim.

’Why are you doing this? Do you truly despise me so much, and favor that girl named Su Mengqi instead?’

In Mu Yaochen’s mind, Luo Yao’s actions were an attempt to preserve his purity.

’I am your master; your entire being belongs to me. Yet you cling to your purity, and harbor thoughts of other women?’

At this realization, a fury unlike any she had ever known surged through Mu Yaochen.

Now, she wished only to consume Luo Yao entirely, to thoroughly indulge in the young man’s body.

Looking at Mu Yaochen’s reaction, Luo Yao knew it was, at least, still within his control.

For Luo Yao was certain that Mu Yaochen would not harm him.

This was Luo Yao’s confidence.