“How could that be okay? It’s already lunchtime. Or… would you prefer something else? I can make stir-fried eggplant with pork…” Before Feng Ningran could finish listing her menu, Xu Kangning cut her off.
“Ningran, thank you, really. But I’m not hungry. I’m not feeling well either… I think I’ll go rest for a bit.”
With that, he shut the door before she could say another word.
“Ah…” Feng Ningran looked down at the small cake in her hand, then remembered the look on Xu Kangning’s face. He did seem a little pale.
She stood there worried for a moment, but with the door closed, she had no choice but to let it go.
Back downstairs, she didn’t see Mu Fu and didn’t go out of her way to find her either. She figured she’d ask later if Mu Fu wanted some cake. As for Xia Sihan—hmph—she wasn’t about to offer anything to her.
……
After lunch, Mu Fu and Yu Mo headed to a men’s boutique at the mall and picked out a few outfits. While Mu Fu had said she’d just get one piece to replace what she ruined, she ended up buying quite a few.
When choosing clothes for Yu Mo, she deliberately picked pieces that would match the colors of her own outfits from her suitcase.
Today, she was wearing a dreamy, pale yellow mini dress with puffed mesh sleeves and tiny heart details—sweet and girlish to the extreme, making her look like a charming schoolgirl rather than a woman trying to recapture her youth.
So she chose for Yu Mo a black-and-white striped shirt and cream-colored cropped trousers—perfectly in sync with her dress. Walking side by side, they looked like a couple in matching tones.
At first, Yu Mo hadn’t noticed this little scheme. But when Mu Fu insisted he wear the outfit that matched her look and refused to let him change out of it, he suddenly realized what she was up to.
He didn’t say anything—just smiled with soft eyes, letting her have her way.
They bickered a little at checkout. Yu Mo tried to secretly pay, but Mu Fu caught him.
“A-Mo, we agreed I’d replace your ruined clothes today, so don’t even think about sneaking off to pay.”
“Then let me pay for the one I’m wearing now. You can cover the rest,” he offered, compromising after realizing they’d just go in circles otherwise.
“Nope. Everything you’re holding—I want to buy them for you. I insist.” Mu Fu blinked at him playfully. “If you really feel bad about it, then next time you can buy me clothes instead.”
She watched his face carefully. This was a test—if he so much as hesitated, she’d change her approach.
But Yu Mo suddenly broke into a smile. “Alright,” he said gently.
Mu Fu gave Yu Mo a radiant smile, her bright, delicate face glowing like sunlight through a crystal. In that moment, she was the perfect mix of innocent and alluring.
Yu Mo’s gaze darkened slightly, captivated by her expression. He stared at her, taking in every detail, as if he were carving her image deep into his memory.
When the two returned, only Feng Ningran seemed curious enough to ask anything.
Noticing there were no obvious signs of affection—no hand-holding, no flirty glances—Feng Ningran quietly let out a breath of relief. Still, a subtle envy tugged at her heart.
She envied Mu Fu’s beauty, and the kind of loving connection she shared with a man as amazing as Yu Mo. Meanwhile, her own love life was still a big question mark.
She glanced at her phone, wondering when “Brother Yongxin’s” gift—the handbag he promised—would finally arrive. She was really looking forward to it.
“Mu Fu, have you eaten yet? I bought some cake—it’s in the fridge. Feel free to help yourself if you’re hungry,” she offered.
Mu Fu smiled politely. “No, thanks. I’m not really into sweets.”
“Oh? Watching your weight?” Feng Ningran asked, her curiosity piqued.
Mu Fu gave a small nod.
Feng Ningran waved a hand dismissively. “Ah, just eat and then work it off later. That’s what I always do.” Of course, she had the luxury of saying that—no matter how many high-calorie treats she devoured, her figure never changed.
Still, Mu Fu politely declined. Everyone who knew her understood she had no sweet tooth.
Feng Ningran pouted in slight disappointment.
A while later, a knock came at their door.
“Who is it?” Feng Ningran called out, springing to her feet to answer it. She thought maybe—just maybe—it was the long-awaited Rong Yongxin.
But she was disappointed to see Xia Sihan standing there instead.
She gave her a quick look and asked flatly, “What do you want?”
Xia Sihan smiled gently. “Ningran, I’m here to see Mu Fu.”
“Oh. Just a second,” Feng Ningran replied coolly, walking back inside. “Mu Fu, Xia Sihan’s here to see you.”
Mu Fu blinked in surprise. She didn’t remember having any real connection with Xia Sihan.
“What is it, Sihan?” she asked cautiously.
“Mu Fu…”
Before she could finish her sentence, Mu Fu noticed her eyes turning red and watery—Xia Sihan looked as fragile as a blossom in the rain, a sight that instantly tugged at the heart.
Mu Fu felt a headache coming on. “Don’t cry, okay? What’s going on?”
Inside the room, Feng Ningran had her ears shamelessly pressed against the wall. When she heard Mu Fu say, “Don’t cry,” her eyes lit up with interest.
“Who’s crying? Mu Fu, who’s crying?”
Feng Ningran completely ignored Xia Sihan’s startled expression and stepped out decisively, instantly shutting down any hope Xia Sihan had of talking to Mu Fu alone.
Her bold move left Xia Sihan frozen awkwardly mid-emotion, caught between crying and not, unsure of how to proceed.
Mu Fu glanced back and asked, “Ningran, why did you come out?”
Xia Sihan quickly adjusted her expression, but tears still slipped down her cheeks.
“Ningran, it’s nothing,” she said softly. “I’ve just been feeling a little down and wanted to talk to Mu Fu.”
Feng Ningran turned to Mu Fu and explained, “I heard someone crying outside, so I came out to check. Sihan, what’s wrong? If something’s bothering you, you can tell us. We’re all friends here—maybe we can help.”
Xia Sihan nearly lost her composure. But she kept her voice sweet. “Thank you, Ningran. You’re so kind.”
“Kind?” Feng Ningran lifted her chin proudly. “Of course. I’ve always been like this.”
Mu Fu almost burst out laughing at how effortlessly Feng Ningran went along with the compliment. Xia Sihan’s expression soured immediately, and Mu Fu couldn’t help but find it amusing. She wasn’t really interested in Xia Sihan’s emotional woes—after all, they weren’t close. And if she was being honest, she had a strong gut feeling that Xia Sihan harbored ill intentions toward her.
Why would she bother offering comfort to someone like that?
But Xia Sihan wasn’t ready to give up her attempt at a heart-to-heart. Suddenly, she reached out and grabbed Mu Fu’s hand, her voice choked with emotion.
“Mu Fu, you’re close to Yu Mo… Could you please ask him what I did wrong? I… I want to apologize. I must’ve upset him somehow. He’s so cold toward me, I don’t even dare face him anymore…”
Earlier, after Mu Fu and Yu Mo had gone their separate ways, Xia Sihan had been secretly paying attention. Her door was left slightly ajar, listening for any movement. Once she heard them return to their rooms, she quickly went downstairs, picked out a slice of the cake Feng Ningran had bought, and brought it to Yu Mo.
She had come with “good intentions,” so Yu Mo didn’t completely shut her down like before. Though his tone was still frosty, it had softened just slightly.
“Thanks, but I’ve already eaten. I don’t need anything right now.”
His rejection was straightforward.
Xia Sihan’s face fell. She looked heartbroken. “Yu Mo, I actually came to apologize. Maybe I accidentally offended you these past few days—I didn’t mean to.”
She looked straight into his eyes, her brows gently furrowed, eyes shimmering as tears began to fall. The look she wore was delicate and tragic—calculated to stir a man’s sympathy.
She figured maybe he hadn’t warmed up to her before because she hadn’t looked her best. This time, before coming out, she had carefully done her makeup to appear soft and fragile—guaranteed to awaken a protective instinct. And she was beautiful—any man would be moved by such a tearful display.
Unless… he wasn’t a normal man.
Yu Mo smiled slightly—the first smile he’d ever given her.
But his eyes were void of warmth. Instead, they glittered with sharp frost and quiet mockery.
“I think you might still be half-asleep.”
Had he made this woman feel too approachable? Why did she keep coming back to provoke him, again and again?
“I…”
Xia Sihan felt a chill crawl down her spine. The tears that had been welling in her eyes were now stuck, refusing to fall.
She finally realized that the fear she’d felt when facing Yu Mo earlier wasn’t just her imagination.
Yu Mo hadn’t said anything specific, but there was something about his presence—a feeling of foreboding, like being hunted by some terrifying, unknown force.
Her gut was screaming at her to get away from this man, urgently warning her to flee.
Stammering, she said, “Yu Mo, you really know how to joke. If I ever upset you in any way, please make sure to tell me. Every time I see you treat me so coldly, my heart just feels… uncomfortable.”
Yu Mo spoke slowly, his voice calm. “How have I treated you? And do you have a heart condition? If I’m not mistaken, you’re a dancer, right?”
In Yu Mo’s eyes, Xia Sihan was no different from anyone else in the villa—except for Mu Fu. So, he really didn’t think his attitude was a problem. He treated everyone the same. Why should she expect him to treat her differently? Was it just because she had no shame?
Xia Sihan suddenly faltered, “I…”
She had been so angry at Yu Mo earlier that her mind had gone blank. She hadn’t expected to say something so illogical. Realizing this, her face turned pale—she now truly looked like someone with a heart problem.
Seeing her struggle to speak, Yu Mo wasn’t interested in probing whether she really had a heart condition.
“Miss, can you please stop coming to find me in the future?” His expression was sincere, as though he were discussing something completely trivial.
Before Xia Sihan could think of a way to recover from the ridiculous thing she’d just said, Yu Mo’s cold words hit her like a slap in the face. Her face flushed crimson with anger.
“Yu Mo!”
How dare he trample on her face like that? How could he? How dare he?
If Xia Sihan hadn’t pushed her face toward him, how would he have had the chance to step on her like that?
“Mm, what’s wrong? I heard you. Were you embarrassed hearing what I said?”
Hearing this, Xia Sihan was on the verge of crying. This time, she was truly upset.
“Yu Mo, you’re too much.” She quickly turned and stormed off.
The outcome was the same as it had been earlier that morning.
Yu Mo didn’t care in the slightest about what Xia Sihan had said. She was just an outsider. Why would he care about her feelings?
Yu Mo was that kind of extreme, two-faced person. For those he loved, he’d give them everything. But for those he didn’t care about, he was truly indifferent, in the most literal sense.
Axolotl Translations 
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