Jealousy and a Shattered Beginning

‘He will forget, I’m sure of it.’

“What are you thinking about?” Mu Yaochen observed Luo Yao gazing up at the ceiling, seemingly lost in profound thought.

She had no desire for Luo Yao to engage in such contemplation; her exquisite doll was far better off lying perfectly still in bed.

“Nothing.” Luo Yao shook his head, though his mind was indeed occupied with thoughts of Frost. The mere mention of Frost evoked a strange, indescribable sensation within him.

“What would you like for dinner tonight?” Mu Yaochen mused, noticing that dusk had already settled outside. Luo Yao must surely be hungry by now.

She, too, felt a faint hunger pang, having barely eaten anything all day.

“Anything is fine.” Luo Yao’s face remained devoid of significant emotion. According to the script he was playing, he should maintain an air of utter indifference towards Mu Yaochen.

Only yesterday, she had attempted to force herself upon him—an unforgivable act for any young man. Mu Yaochen should have sensed the complete 180-degree shift in Luo Yao’s demeanor towards her.

“Very well, I’ll see to the arrangements then!” Mu Yaochen remained unconcerned by Luo Yao’s attitude, as long as he still deigned to look at her. His feelings held no importance; after all, no one could truly obstruct her will.

Mu Yaochen adored the lingering fragrance on Luo Yao’s skin. What brand of shower gel did he use? It ought to be the same as hers, yet the scent differed so profoundly.

Mu Yaochen reveled in Luo Yao’s scent, yearning for more.

After a day of introspection, she felt her emotions gradually ascend to an extraordinary plane.

Mu Yaochen retrieved her phone, busying herself with dinner plans. Concurrently, Luo Yao’s phone vibrated with a soft hum.

“Hmm…” Luo Yao instinctively unlocked his phone, only to find a single message from Frost.

‘What could it be?’

Opening their chat, Luo Yao discovered an image: a progress photo of the shop’s renovation.

The renovation team worked swiftly; on just the first day, the basic framework of the shop was already established. Seeing this, a flicker of satisfaction brightened Luo Yao’s spirits.

At the very least, the shop’s progress was smooth.

“What are you looking at?” Just as Luo Yao intended to reply to Frost, Mu Yaochen abruptly snatched his phone.

While she harbored a fluctuating sense of regret regarding Luo Yao, this very regret only exacerbated Mu Yaochen’s already twisted possessiveness.

“What are you doing?” Luo Yao offered no resistance to Mu Yaochen, knowing full well he was utterly powerless to stop her.

“Luo Yao, please, just be a good boy, alright?” Mu Yaochen’s gaze fell upon Frost’s name in the chat window. A sigh of relief escaped her, yet an unexpected pang of jealousy also stirred within her heart.

Luo Yao had never once messaged her. They were clearly WeChat friends, and both possessed each other’s phone numbers.

‘Did he not miss me at all when I wasn’t around?’

Mu Yaochen painstakingly suppressed her inner turmoil, returning the phone to Luo Yao.

At that moment, for the first time in many years, Mu Yaochen harbored a faint resentment towards Frost.

She had just felt Frost’s presence was an unwelcome intrusion.

Once an individual becomes ensnared within a world of their own making, escaping it becomes an arduous task.

Everyone is the same; true clarity of mind is a rare and difficult achievement.

Then…

‘Is anyone truly clear-headed right now?’

“I, I will listen to Master.” Luo Yao, using his uninjured hand, instinctively accepted the phone, answering Mu Yaochen’s question in a mechanical tone.

From Mu Yaochen’s every gesture just now, Luo Yao surmised that she was exhibiting jealousy.

This was not mere envy, but raw, unadulterated jealousy—one of humanity’s most virulent and malicious emotions.

‘Jealous that I’m looking at messages from Frost.’

‘Hey, you haven’t sent me any messages before.’

‘How could I look at them, let alone reply?’

Luo Yao silently grumbled, a burgeoning concern that Mu Yaochen might descend into a fantastical self-constructed world, much like Su Mengqi.

After all, Su Mengqi’s episodes were terrifying; she would disregard her surroundings entirely. Mu Yaochen’s episodes, however, would only prove more severe.

The title “Queen of Fanhai” was not bestowed upon her idly, after all.

“So, have you forgiven me?” Mu Yaochen’s concern was palpable, though she couldn’t fathom the depth of her own anxiety.

She was constantly plagued by regret, lamenting her impulsive actions of the previous night.

It had not been the opportune moment. What she truly desired was to witness Luo Yao cast aside his laughable and insignificant dignity, crawling onto her bed like a domesticated kitten, and then forcefully pushing her down.

That was Mu Yaochen’s ultimate fantasy.

Yet, what began as a perfect hand had been utterly shattered by Mu Yaochen’s own misplay.

“I’ve forgiven you, rest assured.” Luo Yao maintained his frigid expression. He understood Mu Yaochen’s intense preoccupation with the matter.

Only by greatly magnifying the repercussions of the incident could Mu Yaochen’s original intent to trample on his dignity finally cease.

Alas, his injuries were far too minor.

A mere broken left arm, hardly a severe affliction.

He suspected this incident would continue to impede his plans for opening the shop.

He had merely wished to live out his high school days in peace, yet now everything had become so inexplicably troublesome.

Luo Yao conceded that he was fundamentally not one for manipulative schemes. Had circumstances not demanded it, he might still be a simple, naive high school student.

“Little Yao Yao, I only hope you aren’t deceiving me.” As she observed Luo Yao’s placid expression, Mu Yaochen felt as though everything had irrevocably changed.

At the very least, he no longer smiled at her, nor did he display that innocent, bewildered look.

The coldness emanating from Luo Yao pierced Mu Yaochen’s heart like a silver needle.

She was no fool; otherwise, she would not occupy the esteemed position of CEO at Bluebird Conglomerate.

Reading expressions was Mu Yaochen’s forte. Discerning the true thoughts of a mere high school boy was utterly simple.

And profoundly heartbreaking.

Despite the obvious lie, Mu Yaochen instinctively wished to believe him.

‘He has already forgiven me, he has clearly forgiven me.’

‘Why does it hurt so much?’

“I… I didn’t lie to Master.” Luo Yao, meeting Mu Yaochen’s penetrating gaze, felt a subconscious surge of panic.

“Never mind. From now on… just call me Yao Chen. ‘Master’ is far too awkward.” Mu Yaochen, observing Luo Yao’s slightly panicked eyes, suddenly recalled their very first encounter.

‘Why do I constantly dwell on how he used to be?’

‘My ‘training’ was truly abysmal.’

Forcing him to call her ‘Master’ was indeed a deplorable act.

Upon hearing Mu Yaochen’s words, Luo Yao paused, momentarily bewildered.

He couldn’t quite grasp why Mu Yaochen would make such a request.

‘Could it truly be a sudden awakening of conscience?’

“So, will you forgive me?” Mu Yaochen leaned in closer to Luo Yao, as if compelled to inhale more of his distinctive scent.

“I… I already forgave you a long time ago, Master.” Luo Yao lifted his head, his eyes meeting Mu Yaochen’s directly. His expression remained utterly devoid of warmth.