Chapter Seventy-One: Entrapment

Jiu Jiu had always been a naïve, sweet girl in her mind—innocent and guileless, not someone who would care about such things. But now... Although every word she spoke was out of concern, it left Lin Yuexin feeling as though she was being called foolish, easily deceived by scoundrels, and accused of lacking self-respect by flirting with wealthy men. Was this intentional or accidental on Jiu Jiu’s part?

Lin Yuexin was vexed to the point of madness, yet she couldn’t blame her. If she exposed herself too soon, everything she had just obtained would be lost. The conversation had been painfully awkward, and Lin Yuexin soon found an excuse to leave, not daring to linger.

Once Mo Ziyuan fell in love with her, would she still need to sneak around like this? The feeling of detesting someone yet not being able to tear off the mask was utterly unbearable!

Outside the school gates.

Mo Ziyuan had come personally to pick up Lin Yuexin. Watching him focus on his laptop, Lin Yuexin curled her lips and boldly let her gaze fall on his face. His nose was tall and straight, his thin lips pressed tightly together, and he carried a commanding aura unique to those in power—so alluring it captivated the soul.

Staring at Mo Ziyuan’s handsome profile, her heart clenched suddenly, her mind spinning with all sorts of disastrous possibilities. Perhaps it was the conversation with Jiu Jiu that had triggered these fears: Jiu Jiu might have already noticed her necklace was missing. What if she knew Lin Yuexin had stolen it and was merely probing her today? What if she happened to meet Mo Ziyuan? What if she found his contact information through Mu Tingye and told him she was the little girl from his childhood—and Mo Ziyuan believed her?

The more she pondered, the more agitated she became. Her eyes narrowed, and a wild plan began to form in her mind: what if she used Mo Ziyuan’s hand to hurt Jiu Jiu? That would shock and devastate Jiu Jiu, and she’d no longer want to reconnect with him...

Even though Jiu Jiu had never harmed her, Lin Yuexin could pretend she was bullied. Mo Ziyuan was so busy; surely he wouldn’t bother to investigate the truth behind such matters.

Lin Yuexin wasted no time putting her plan into action. One day after school, she deliberately went to the bathroom and, gritting her teeth, slapped herself several times, stopping only when obvious red marks appeared on her face. She pinched her thigh viciously, the sudden stabbing pain bringing tears to her eyes. She suppressed the ache and looked at her reflection with satisfaction, then strolled out at leisure.

The driver at the school gate found it odd; usually, as soon as the bell rang, Miss would appear and head home. But today, a long time had passed and she was nowhere to be seen. Was something wrong? Alarmed, he prepared to get out and search the school. Panic flooded him: everyone knew how important Miss was to the master. If anything happened to her on his watch, he’d be unable to escape blame. The master was known for his coldness and ruthlessness—failing to protect someone dear to him would mean harsh punishment...

His heartbeat accelerated, palms sweating, and he dashed out like lightning, searching everywhere in anxious haste, afraid to overlook anything.

After quite a while, he finally spotted her, unharmed as he’d hoped. He hurried over and asked, “Miss, what happened? I’ve been searching for ages and couldn’t find you. If you’d stayed missing any longer, I’d have had to call the master.”

Lin Yuexin’s mind raced; she covered her face intentionally and replied naturally, “I’m fine, just got caught up chatting with a classmate. It’s getting late—let’s head home.”

The driver, nearly frantic, felt only relief that Miss was safe, too distracted to notice her face and expression. It wasn’t until Mo Ziyuan questioned him at home that he realized something was amiss.

Usually, by this hour, they would have already returned. But today, even after the driver arrived, they were still absent. What had caused such a delay? Mo Ziyuan frowned in unease.

Just then, the sound of a car reached his ears. He looked up at the entrance, awaiting an explanation.

Lin Yuexin knew Mo Ziyuan’s habit of drinking tea in the living room, so she deliberately put on an anxious air, as if eager to rush back to her room.

“Stop. Didn’t you see me sitting here?”

Mo Ziyuan looked curiously at Lin Yuexin, who kept her head down. Normally, she would greet him and try to make conversation, persisting even when he was impatient. But today, she was acting very strangely.

“Um, Young Master Mo, I—I’m just anxious to get back to my room,” Lin Yuexin stammered, carefully edging away.

“Come here!” His voice was deep and magnetic.

“Young Master Mo, I—I just...”

“Come here!” Mo Ziyuan’s tone was now ice cold, the living room suffused with an imperious, untouchable authority.

“I—I...” Lin Yuexin bit her lip and turned around, crystalline tears glistening in her eyes.

Noticing how she kept her head tilted, avoiding his gaze, Mo Ziyuan’s expression grew even colder. “Raise your head.”

Lin Yuexin could already imagine how furious Mo Ziyuan would be when he saw the handprint on her face. Hearing the long-awaited command, “Raise your head,” a fleeting, sinister smile touched her lips as she forced herself to lift her face.

Mo Ziyuan stepped forward, standing before her. When he saw the glaring red handprint on her fair cheek, his aura became even more menacing. His hawk-like eyes locked onto her. “Who did this?”

Lin Yuexin, on the verge of tears, quickly explained between sobs, “It’s nothing, just a little spat between friends.”

A slap was hardly a minor quarrel.

Whoever dared lay a hand on Mo Ziyuan’s people must have grown tired of living.

“Speak! No hiding.”

Lin Yuexin clutched her aching cheek, tears streaming down her face as she choked out, “Young Master Mo, my best friend said a lot of awful things about me—said I lacked self-respect and was just trying to hook up with rich guys, so lately all the food and clothes... I—I didn’t...”

From just these few sentences, Mo Ziyuan had already deduced everything. He felt disgust for such a friend: jumping to conclusions without any investigation, refusing to believe even after explanations—what kind of friendship was that? Besides, could anyone just harm someone under Mo Ziyuan’s protection? Looking at the girl before him, crying so pitiably, he recalled her gentle obedience over the past days. Clearly, she’d been bullied by this friend for a long time. A cruel resolve flashed in his heart; he would make sure she learned a lesson.

“I understand.” Mo Ziyuan flashed a ruthless, wicked smile before turning away.

Lin Yuexin was stunned. He just left? Had her injuries been suffered in vain?

...

After getting in the car, Mo Ziyuan lit a cigarette and spoke calmly, “Bring me the girl Heart mentioned—take her to Qiushan Villa.”