A Moment Interrupted

A feeling unlike any she had known, a satisfaction she had never experienced. Being this close to Luo Yao was an intimacy Frost had never known. The faint, clean scent emanating from him lingered in her nostrils, refusing to fade.

“Is it delicious?” Mu Yaochen gazed at the nearly empty rice bowl, her face practically screaming, ‘Praise me, praise me!’

Luo Yao, however, had observed Frost’s pupils throughout the feeding process, witnessing their subtle shift from a cold, constricted pinprick to a dilated expanse. The way Frost had seemed moments ago, Luo Yao reflected, was akin to an emotionless viper.

“It is.” Luo Yao nodded.

“That’s good, then. Will you have another bowl in a little while?”

“No need, I’m quite full.”

“Alright then, please finish what’s left, okay?”

“Mhm, alright.” Frost looked at the meager amount of rice remaining with a hint of hesitation. In truth, she had thoroughly enjoyed the process.

‘But as she watched her ‘source of happiness’ rapidly diminish, Frost merely furrowed her brow.’

‘If only she had known, she would have fed him more slowly.’

Just as Frost prepared to deliver another spoonful to Luo Yao’s lips, the ward door abruptly swung open.

Mu Yaochen’s elegant figure stood tempestuously in the doorway, her lips slightly parted as if to speak. But the moment her gaze fell upon the scene within the ward, her intended words froze, caught in her throat.

“What are you… what are you doing?”

For Mu Yaochen, this scene was perhaps too provocative.

Before Frost could even react, Mu Yaochen was already almost in front of her. Perhaps Frost had been so engrossed in the joy of feeding him that her reactions had become somewhat sluggish.

At that moment, an inexplicable fury blazed in Mu Yaochen’s eyes, as if she wished to tear Frost apart limb by limb.

“Miss…” Frost, startled by Mu Yaochen’s sudden appearance, felt a wave of disorientation. The ward, it seemed, now held an inexplicable aura of a clandestine affair being discovered.

“Frost was feeding me.” Luo Yao watched Mu Yaochen, who was emitting a low, rumbling sound like a lioness, knowing that Frost would find it difficult to explain the situation clearly.

“Feeding you?” Following the sound, Mu Yaochen located Luo Yao, who was now reclining on the bed, and then glanced at his left arm.

Luo Yao’s words had, at that moment, restored some of Mu Yaochen’s rationality.

“The distance was too close.” Mu Yaochen, who had been on the verge of an outburst, found herself unable to ignite her anger.

What Luo Yao said was true; he usually managed his meals independently. Since she wasn’t here today, had he simply found Frost to take her place? This inexplicable feeling of being replaced ignited a spark of annoyance in Mu Yaochen.

“Frost, never mind. This mistake isn’t yours; you may withdraw for now.” Mu Yaochen made a snap decision, though in truth, she desperately wanted to direct all her anger towards Frost.

‘She didn’t know why, but she simply wished to deliberately make things difficult for Frost.’

‘Her mind subconsciously urged her to act this way; watching Frost feed Luo Yao simply infuriated her.’

“Understood, Miss.” Frost was momentarily stunned, yet she knew she still had to obey Mu Yaochen’s words.

Setting down the spoon and bowl, she immediately rose to her feet.

“Go to the company. There are still some documents on my desk I haven’t dealt with. Remember, handle them as you see fit.” Seeing her rightful place, which Frost had just occupied, Mu Yaochen felt her body tremble with indignation.

“Understood.” Frost was no different. Having harbored a sliver of hope, only to be discovered by Mu Yaochen, she too was trembling fiercely. However, this tremor was purely internal.

Although Mu Yaochen yearned to punish Frost, for numerous reasons, she could only let it go.

Nevertheless, this incident served as a reminder to Mu Yaochen: in the future, she would ensure Frost maintained a proper distance from Luo Yao.

As for punishment, there was little Mu Yaochen could do to Frost. At most, she could fire her, but someone like Frost would hardly fear being dismissed by Mu Yaochen. In any case, Mu Yaochen could certainly try to make things difficult for her. That she dared to feed Luo Yao without permission had utterly infuriated Mu Yaochen.

Frost merely lowered her head and slowly retreated, leaving Luo Yao and Mu Yaochen alone in the ward.

After watching Frost leave, Mu Yaochen simply frowned, her gaze fixed on the chair Frost had just occupied.

With a sigh, she moved the chair away and retrieved a new one.

“Do you enjoy being fed by others so much?” Mu Yaochen asked, her tone subtly reproaching Luo Yao as she slowly settled beside him.

Luo Yao had braced himself for Mu Yaochen’s fury, but it did not arrive as expected.

Considering his earlier expectations versus the increasingly calm Mu Yaochen before him, Luo Yao could only tread carefully.

“Um, Master, I’m sorr—”

“I told you, from now on, just call me Yaochen. And there’s no need to apologize for this; no one is at fault.” Mu Yaochen adjusted her mindset. Another matter had been vexing her these past few days.

It was Luo Yao’s constant use of ‘Master,’ which made it difficult for Mu Yaochen, who was trying to shift her strategy.

“This doesn’t feel right.” Luo Yao lowered his head.

“You’ll get used to it. Do you want to continue eating?” Mu Yaochen shifted her gaze to the small portion of rice still remaining beside them.

It seemed Luo Yao hadn’t eaten much at all.

“Shall I feed you?” Without waiting for Luo Yao’s reply, Mu Yaochen picked up the rice bowl and asked him.

In truth, Luo Yao didn’t need to answer, for Mu Yaochen had already taken up the bowl.

And so, Mu Yaochen quietly fed the remaining food into Luo Yao’s mouth.

After feeding Luo Yao the last of his meal, she noticed something extra in the trash can. A bamboo skewer?

Luo Yao generated very little domestic waste; indeed, one could say almost none. The appearance of a slender bamboo skewer in the waste bin certainly caught Mu Yaochen’s attention.

“What’s that bamboo skewer for?” Mu Yaochen set down the bowl and spoon, asking Luo Yao with a hint of curiosity. Though she already had an answer in mind, she still wanted to hear his explanation.

“A marshmallow. Why?” Luo Yao tilted his head, replying.

Internally, he was somewhat dumbfounded; this was entirely due to his carelessness. He had forgotten that he should have disposed of the skewer.

In fact, even if Luo Yao had wanted to dispose of it, he hadn’t had the time. Mu Yaochen had returned far too quickly. She had only been gone for about two and a half hours before coming back.

“Did Frost buy it for you?”

“Yes.”

‘You really are quite the glutton, aren’t you.’

“That’s fine, then.” Gazing at the bamboo skewer in the trash can, Mu Yaochen felt a slight discomfort, but now wasn’t the time for it.

“Is something the matter?” Luo Yao looked up, asking Mu Yaochen calmly.

“Yes, pack your things this afternoon.” Hearing Luo Yao’s words, Mu Yaochen went straight to the day’s main topic.

“Today, I’m taking you home!”