Volume One, Chapter 34: May I Ask, What Is Your Relationship with His Highness the Crown Prince?

Yu Mo swallowed hard, reluctantly tearing her gaze away. She lifted her eyes, meeting the deep, dazzling gaze of the man before her. Mu Shaozhou wrapped his arm around her supple waist and bit down hard on her neck, cold and smooth as white jade.

A soft gasp escaped her lips, and clarity flashed through Yu Mo’s eyes. She pinched the man’s waist in retaliation. Was he part dog or what?

Unfazed, Mu Shaozhou lifted his eyelids and glanced with satisfaction at the vivid red mark on her neck, a smug and arrogant smile playing on his lips.

Their flushed skin pressed close together, and Yu Mo trembled uncontrollably. She could sense his breathing had grown heavier. It was she who offered her lips of her own accord…

-

Days spent indulging with her pretty boy always seemed to pass in a blur.

Before long, the day of Fu Yanting and Lin Hua’s engagement arrived.

Yu Mo rose in the morning, rubbing her waist. She’d barely slept a wink the night before, all thanks to the man’s boundless stamina. She checked herself in the mirror after getting up and discovered a conspicuous mark of ambiguous passion on her neck. She carefully covered it with foundation, but a faint trace remained.

Annoyed, she stormed over to the bed and gave the man a kick to vent her frustration.

After dressing, Yu Mo drove to pick up Chu Xirui, and together they headed to the engagement banquet.

Fu Yanting had chosen the city’s most prestigious hotel for the event.

Upon entering the grand hall, opulence greeted their eyes. Rows upon rows of long tables draped in pristine white cloth, laden with fresh fruit and delicacies. A towering champagne pyramid stood out, the sparkling liquid in its clear glasses refracting the light into a riot of colors.

Everything glittered and dazzled.

The hall was abuzz with guests. Fu Yanting wore a meticulously tailored black suit, the sharp lines complementing his form perfectly. His face was both handsome and spirited, a striking presence. At his side, Lin Hua wore a pale pink gown with a fishtail hem, her delicate makeup making her look every bit like a mermaid newly risen from the sea.

Standing still, Yu Mo thought the pair looked well-matched indeed.

Chu Xirui, seeing her like this, assumed she was heartsick and hurried to comfort her. “Mo Mo, don’t be sad. After the banquet, I’ll introduce you to some gorgeous male models!”

Yu Mo chuckled softly at her concern. “I’m fine. In fact, I couldn’t be happier.”

Indeed, she counted herself lucky to be free of those shackles—she should be burning incense in thanks.

Fu Yanting, who had been exchanging pleasantries with his guests, spotted Yu Mo beside Chu Xirui in an instant. His expression turned grave—then instantly softened. So, she still cared for him, he thought. She had come to his engagement after all.

He turned to Lin Hua. “Hua, I’ll be right back.” Without waiting for her reply, he approached Yu Mo and Chu Xirui, champagne in hand.

He fixed Yu Mo with a somber gaze. “Yu Mo, I don’t know how you got in, but I advise you to behave yourself. Don’t try anything at my engagement party, or else—”

“Ha!” Chu Xirui cut him off sharply. “Fu, you narcissist. Do you really think every woman in the world should orbit around you? Mo Mo is here with me today, just to see a perfect match between a bitch and a dog.”

“You—!” Fu Yanting’s lips pressed into a thin line as he fought to contain his anger, refusing to engage with irrelevant people. His eyes landed on Yu Mo, and then he noticed the faint bruise on her neck.

The mark had clearly been covered, though its color still showed through. Such an intimate trace—on Yu Mo, of all people.

A surge of rage swept through him. “Yu Mo, you have a man!”

Yu Mo felt his gaze and tilted her lips in a bright, teasing smile. “Isn’t it perfectly normal for me to have a man? Why are you so agitated?”

“Is it the Young Master…?” Fu Yanting couldn’t bear to admit it, nor could he face the thought. The image of Yu Mo in another man’s embrace, being kissed with such intensity, filled him with burning jealousy. Yu Mo was supposed to belong to him alone—she could only be kissed by him.

Yu Mo’s expression was languid as she glanced at Lin Hua across the hall. Lin Hua was chatting with other guests, but it was obvious she was secretly watching them. Yu Mo shot her a provocative look. Seeing Lin Hua growing anxious, she felt a wave of satisfaction.

Fu Yanting, interpreting Yu Mo’s silence as acquiescence, ground his molars. Of course—it had to be Mu Shaozhou.

“Yu Mo, you’re shameless, a fickle heart.” Not long ago she’d professed her love for him, and now she was with another man.

Yu Mo ignored him, dragging Chu Xirui over to the buffet table.

Fu Yanting, left in the cold, stormed off, brow furrowed.

Chu Xirui, still indignant on Yu Mo’s behalf, almost stomped her feet. “Mo Mo, you’re just too nice. If it were me, I’d have slapped him by now. Fu Yanting, that scumbag, has the nerve to call you fickle when he’s the one who cheated with Lin Hua first.”

“It’s fine. I didn’t come here to argue with him,” Yu Mo said, popping a slice of cantaloupe into her mouth. She had more important matters today than wasting words.

Then, as if struck by a thought, Chu Xirui stared at Yu Mo’s neck. “Mo Mo, what’s with the hickey? You really have a man now?”

Yu Mo tugged at her collar, a hint of awkwardness in her voice. “Mm.”

Chu Xirui’s eyes widened, stars practically bursting from them. “What kind of man is he? If he’s caught your eye, he must be something special. Show me a picture!”

Yu Mo shrugged. “No pictures.”

She paused, an image of her alluring pretty boy flashing in her mind. “He’s very handsome—and knows just how to tease.”

“Wow! Mo Mo, you’ve finally come to your senses. Now that you’ve got a man, just enjoy life to the fullest.”

As they chatted and ate, a few reporters, allowed in specifically to take photos, mingled through the hall. A female reporter approached them, cameraman in tow.

“Ladies, how do you feel about attending Young Master Fu’s engagement party today?”

Chu Xirui tilted her head and thought for a moment. “The two of them are a pretty good match. I hope they stay together forever—so they don’t inflict themselves on anyone else.”

The reporter looked a bit embarrassed, slowly withdrawing the microphone. “You certainly have a way with words.”

She turned the mic to Yu Mo. “And you, miss—do you have anything to say?”

Before Yu Mo could answer, the reporter’s face changed in surprise. “Wait, aren’t you…?”

This woman looked just like the girlfriend the Young Master was rumored to be dating recently.

“Do you know the Young Master? What is your relationship with him?”