“Good…baby?!”
She actually called her…”good baby”?!
An indescribable, extreme sense of shame and absurdity instantly swept through every part of Ye Lan’s body!
Who was she?
She was Ye Lan!
The one who once commanded wind and rain with a flick of her hand, who toyed with Mu Xi in the palm of her hand, the one who controlled her, made her cry and beg—
But now, she was kneeling before Mu Xi, forced to call her “Mommy”—what was this?
What was this!
For a brief moment, Ye Lan truly felt a powerful urge to destroy everything, including herself.
She had actually been…countered to this extent!
Being trampled underfoot by the little prey she once bullied at will, using the most humiliating methods she herself had taught!
Ye Lan’s face, buried against Mu Xi’s lower belly, was dark and unreadable.
Only her tightly clenched jaw betrayed the turbulent emotions churning within her.
And Mu Xi, seemingly completely unaware of the storm raging inside the person beneath her, continued stroking her hair, gently, over and over, a satisfied and cunning smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
The warm steam hadn’t fully dissipated, lingering around them like a mist.
At Mu Xi’s request, Ye Lan lifted the small figure in her arms.
The feather-light weight was almost imperceptible, leaving only the delicate smoothness and faint fragrance where their skin touched.
Mu Xi obediently leaned against Ye Lan’s neck, her damp silver hair brushing against Ye Lan’s chin, carrying a faintly ticklish sensation.
Ye Lan’s heartbeat was slightly disordered.
That “Mommy” from earlier, that shameful yet sweet “good baby” spoken with a nasal lilt—they were like tiny feathers, continuously scraping against the tip of her heart, filling her with both the absurdity of having her unprecedented sense of control overturned and a secret satisfaction from being depended upon.
Carrying Mu Xi, she walked with steady steps through the cold metal corridor of the Silent Language Building, heading toward the master bedroom on the second floor.
The master bedroom door was pushed open with her elbow, and she carefully set Mu Xi down on the large bed covered with clean, soft sheets.
“Click.”
The mattress sank slightly.
Mu Xi, like a startled little rabbit, immediately shrank back into the bed, pulling the blanket up to half-cover herself, leaving only a pair of clear, wary eyes exposed.
Seeing her like this, Ye Lan’s heart stirred, and that powerful possessiveness began to stir again.
She leaned down, wanting to lie on the bed as well, to fully embrace this little thing in her arms, to feel her body heat, her breathing.
However, just as her knee was about to press onto the edge of the bed, a slender hand, carrying an undeniable force, gently pressed against her chest.
Ye Lan’s movement halted.
Her deep phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of confusion and disbelief passing through them.
“No.” Mu Xi’s voice was soft, yet very clear.
Mixing confusion with a hint of displeasure at being rejected.
“Why?”
Her voice carried a barely perceptible hoarseness.
Mu Xi hugged the blanket and sat up a little straighter, her fair little face was expressionless, only her eyes were unusually serious:
“Ye Lan, we’re in the ‘courting’ stage right now, aren’t we?”
Ye Lan didn’t answer immediately, just looked at her.
Mu Xi continued: “Since it’s courting, then we should maintain an appropriate distance. Boyfriend and girlfriend aren’t husband and wife, so we don’t need to be glued together every moment. Besides…”
She paused, a trace of complex emotion flashing through her eyes—something like fear, or perhaps an understanding that saw through everything—”…you’re quite dangerous.”
“Dangerous?”
Ye Lan almost laughed out loud.
She was dangerous?
Dangerous?
She wished she could rip out her heart and offer it to Mu Xi right now—how could she be dangerous?
She instinctively wanted to retort, to use that shameful address from earlier to prove how docile she was right now.
“I… didn’t I just…”
“Call you Mommy?” Mu Xi cut her off, a faint, mocking smile curling at the corners of her lips.
“It’s precisely because you can call me ‘Mommy’ that you’re even more dangerous.”
Ye Lan’s expression froze.
Mu Xi looked at her, her gaze sharp enough to pierce through a person’s heart: “Your sense of purpose is too strong, Ye Lan. Strong enough to abandon your own dignity without hesitation. Who knows if you’ll do something even more extreme to achieve your goals?”
Her voice trembled slightly, as if recalling some unpleasant memory: “What if you wait until I’m asleep, knock me out, or use some drug to sedate me? Then stuff a cloth in my mouth, tie me up like before, leaving me no chance to bite my tongue and kill myself… What would I do then?”
Every word was like a needle, precisely stabbing at Ye Lan’s most hidden pain.
Those methods she had once inflicted upon Mu Xi were now being spoken out clearly by Mu Xi herself, turned into reasons to guard against her.
Ye Lan’s throat felt dry.
Looking at the undisguised wariness and fear in Mu Xi’s eyes, her heart ached with a dull, suffocating pain.
She wanted to explain, to promise, to tell her she would never do such things again, but the words reached her lips and felt so pale and powerless.
She had done them.
Those shameful past actions were brands she had carved with her own hands, now becoming the deepest chasm between her and Mu Xi.
Ye Lan couldn’t help it.
Extremely softly, as if talking to herself, in a volume only she could hear, she muttered a low grumble: “Those pills I fed you back then that made you stupid… sure wasn’t enough… How come you haven’t forgotten anything, and instead got this smart, with such deep thoughts…”
Her voice was extremely low, but in this quiet room, Mu Xi still caught a few vague words.
“What did you say?” Mu Xi pressed warily.
“Nothing.” Ye Lan immediately reined in her emotions, her face resuming its usual, somewhat cynical smile—though the smile didn’t reach her eyes.
“I was just thinking that my Xi’er has really grown up, no longer the little fool I could bully however I pleased.”
Mu Xi wasn’t fooled by her smile, just stared at her steadily: “Just don’t treat me like a little fool.”
She pointed toward the door, “You can sleep in the guest bedroom.”
Ye Lan gave Mu Xi a long, deep look.
Her gaze was complex and hard to read—frustration, indulgence, reluctance, and a panic she herself hadn’t even realized was there.
She was afraid.
Afraid that Mu Xi’s clear-headedness and wariness would make her lose the chance to get close forever.
In the end, she said nothing, only nodded and turned toward the door.
The metal door closed softly behind her, emitting a dull thud.
Only Mu Xi remained in the room.
She immediately jumped off the bed, ran to the door, and locked it, producing a crisp “click” sound.
But that wasn’t enough.
Ye Lan should have keys to all the rooms in this building.
This lock wouldn’t stop her.
Mu Xi looked around the room, her gaze landing on a heavy metal nightstand in the corner.
Clenching her teeth, she used all her strength to push the nightstand—exceptionally heavy for her petite frame—inch by inch to behind the door, pressing it firmly against the door panel.
Even after doing this, she still felt uneasy.
She walked to the vanity, pulled open the drawer, and found some everyday items inside.
She rummaged through it and took out a small knife with a sharp blade, used for cutting fruit.