Chapter 321: That’s It, Then

Mu Xi let herself be led by her. The warmth from Ye Lan’s palm transmitted through her hand, dry and firm.

She followed Ye Lan out of the bedroom and down the metal staircase.

When they reached the ground floor, the butlers bowed respectfully and then retreated. In the dining hall on the first floor, the chef had already arranged the dishes neatly.

On the table were exquisite dishes, a balanced mix of meat and vegetables, appealing to both the eye and the palate—all prepared according to Mu Xi’s tastes.

Mu Xi walked to the table, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

She picked up her chopsticks and began to eat silently.

Her movements were slow, chewing carefully, as if completing a task.

Ye Lan sat across from her, watching her quiet demeanor, a complex emotion rising in her chest.

She had originally wanted Mu Xi to feel her concern, to know how much she cared.

But now, it seemed to have backfired.

“Little Xi.” Ye Lan called out to her, her voice very soft, tinged with a hint of caution.

Mu Xi looked up at her, her eyes calm and unruffled.

“I planned to have you eat the food you cooked every day, but… forget it.” Ye Lan paused, her tone a little helpless. “I can’t bear it.”

Mu Xi said nothing, just silently lowered her head and continued eating.

Ye Lan watched her, feeling a secret satisfaction.

She knew exactly what attitude Mu Xi had toward her now, and she also knew what she had done to her in the past.

It was clearly a twisted, painful relationship, yet it completely absorbed her.

“Little Xi, feed me.” Ye Lan suddenly said, with a hint of coyness.

Mu Xi froze for a moment, then looked up at her with some confusion.

Ye Lan curled her lips, revealing a seductive smile.

“I want you to feed me.”

Mu Xi hesitated, glanced at the dishes on the table, and finally picked up her chopsticks.

She picked up a piece of fish and carefully brought it to Ye Lan’s lips.

Ye Lan opened her mouth, took the fish, but her eyes remained fixed on Mu Xi’s face, as if observing her expression.

“Delicious.” Ye Lan swallowed the fish and smiled, “What Little Xi feeds me is always delicious.”

Mu Xi said nothing.

She just continued picking up food and feeding it to Ye Lan.

Ye Lan seemed very satisfied with this interaction.

A smile lingered on her face, and her gaze grew gentle.

After a few bites, Ye Lan apparently felt this wasn’t enough.

She suddenly said, “Little Xi, I want to eat what you’ve chewed.”

Mu Xi’s hand stopped.

The vegetable she was holding fell back into the plate.

She looked up, staring at Ye Lan in disbelief, as if doubting what she had heard.

“You—” Mu Xi’s voice trembled slightly, with a hint of incredulity.

“What? Not willing?” Ye Lan raised an eyebrow, her tone carrying a hint of danger.

“Or do you feel wronged?”

Mu Xi bit her lip, her eyes flickering uncertainly.

She knew Ye Lan was testing her, challenging her limits.

She also knew that if she refused, Ye Lan would definitely be unhappy.

In the past, for the sake of Li Xin and Little An, she had to obey everything Ye Lan said.

Now that Li Xin and Little An were dead, she had decided to give up struggling, to comply with everything Ye Lan wanted.

“I am willing…” Mu Xi’s voice was very low, tainted with humiliation.

After saying that, she lowered her head, picked up a piece of meat, put it into her mouth, and began to chew slowly.

Her movements were slow, as if tasting something bitter.

Ye Lan watched her, her eyes deep, unreadable.

Mu Xi chewed the meat until it was soft, then looked up, her eyes calm as she met Ye Lan’s gaze.

She brought the chewed meat to Ye Lan’s lips.

Ye Lan opened her mouth and took the chewed meat, swallowing it slowly.

“Such a good girl.” Ye Lan smiled, reaching out to pat Mu Xi’s head.

“My little Xi is getting cuter and cuter.”

Mu Xi said nothing, she silently put down her chopsticks and let Ye Lan stroke her hair.

In her heart, however, it felt as if a boulder was pressing down, so heavy she could barely breathe.

She knew she was walking step by step into an abyss, yet she was powerless to resist.

Did she love Ye Lan?

Maybe a little but more than that, it was hatred.

Hatred for her domineering nature, her cruelty, for taking everything away from her.

But so what?

Now, she had nothing left.

She could only choose to obey, to cooperate, to… love her.

After the meal, Ye Lan didn’t leave immediately.

She sat where she was, her fingertips lightly tapping the table.

Her deep, slanted phoenix eyes stared at the silent Mu Xi across from her.

Mu Xi kept her head down, her long silver hair falling to cover most of her face, revealing only a small, fair chin and tightly pressed lips.

The air was filled with the lingering warmth of the food, along with a silent tension.

Watching Mu Xi’s submissive appearance, the restless feeling of guilt in Ye Lan’s heart didn’t subside but instead intertwined with a twisted sense of satisfaction, making her unable to stop.

She wanted to see Mu Xi like this—hating her deeply, yet forced to yield, even having to show affection in front of her.

This contradiction, this struggle, had a fatal allure for Ye Lan.

“I have things to deal with later.”

Ye Lan finally broke the silence.

Her voice had returned to its usual steadiness, carrying little emotion, “Stay in the building. Don’t wander around.”

Mu Xi didn’t respond, just giving an almost imperceptible nod.

Ye Lan stood up, walked to Mu Xi’s side, bent down, and gently hooked her finger under Mu Xi’s chin, forcing her to look up.

Mu Xi’s eyes were still calm, like a deep, bottomless lake, showing no ripples.

Ye Lan leaned closer, her warm breath brushing against Mu Xi’s face.

“If you’re bored, read some books.”

As she spoke, she picked up several books that had been prepared earlier and placed them into Mu Xi’s arms.

The cover designs were simple, revealing nothing about the content, but the texture was somewhat stiff.

“When you finish reading, tell me what you think.”

Ye Lan’s voice carried a note of unquestionable command.

She then pressed a gentle kiss on Mu Xi’s smooth forehead, turned around, and strode out of the dining hall.

The metal gate closed behind her with a dull thud, once again sealing the Silent Language Building into a closed space.

Mu Xi stood there holding the books for a moment.

The books in her arms still carried the warmth of Ye Lan’s body, along with her faint, cool fragrance.

She lowered her head and glanced at the spines; there were no markings.

She turned around, her steps a little unsteady as she climbed the metal stairs to the second floor.

Each step produced a slight “thump”, which sounded especially clear in this overly quiet building.

Returning to the master bedroom, she casually placed the books on the nightstand and walked to the window.

The window was made of special bulletproof glass.

Outside was the gray sky of Stone City and the hard outlines of the buildings.

Everything here felt cold and solid, just like the feeling Ye Lan gave her—powerful, unyielding, trapping her firmly.

She really had nothing left.

Parents, friends, freedom… even the strength and qualification to resist seemed to have been worn away day by day.

Obeying Ye Lan seemed to be her only choice, and also the least troublesome one.

She had even started to learn to “love” her, in the way Ye Lan wanted.

Her gaze fell back on the books on the nightstand.

Ye Lan asked her to read books?

She cared whether she was bored?

That didn’t seem like her.

A trace of doubt arose in Mu Xi’s heart.

She walked over, picked up the top book, her fingertip brushing over the slightly rough cover, and opened to the first page.

The words that entered her sight instantly made Mu Xi’s cheeks burn.