Ye Mochen’s movements paused, his gaze slowly shifting from her face downward before finally settling on her stomach.
The faint trace of amusement in his eyes deepened, no longer a fleeting illusion.
Ran Weiyi wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into right then and there.
Seizing the opportunity, she quickly spoke up, trying to salvage a shred of dignity: “I’m hungry.”
“Mm.”
Ye Mochen responded, leading her to freshen up. Afterward, he continued to hold her hand tightly, fingers interlaced.
“I’ll take you for breakfast.”
The two of them descended the long spiral staircase step by step, maintaining the posture of him holding her hand.
Every servant they encountered along the way lowered their gaze, respectfully stepping aside. They practically pressed themselves against the wall, clearing an excessively wide path for them, yet couldn’t help but steal quick glances at their clasped hands from the corners of their eyes.
Ye Mochen looked straight ahead, as if the trembling servants were nothing more than wallpaper on the walls.
In his world, it seemed only she, the one he was holding, remained.
[Doudou: Alert! The male lead’s possessiveness level has reached 15%. He is currently in the stage of publicly declaring sovereignty. Sister, according to the database, this behavior is commonly known as “taking the wife for a walk.”]
What kind of “taking the wife for a walk” is that? The phrasing is too crude! Ran Weiyi curled the corners of her lips into a smile.
But as she secretly glanced up at the profile of the man beside her, she felt that although Doudou’s summary was blunt, it was exceptionally accurate.
Beneath a striking head of red hair, the lines of his profile were cold and sharp. Three obsidian ear studs reflected scattered glints of cold light, making his already pale skin appear even more bloodless, exuding a morbid kind of beauty.
Yet it was this very person whose grip conveyed a sense of belonging.
Every step he took seemed like a declaration to the entire estate. She, Ran Weiyi, was his.
She lowered her head again to look at their clasped hands.
His fingers were long and distinct, knuckles prominent, forcefully and seamlessly slotting between hers one by one, holding her firmly in place.
This posture made it impossible for her to even wiggle her pinky finger. This wasn’t holding hands; it was a brand.
It felt wonderful.
This thought surfaced uncontrollably, carrying a hint of joy she hadn’t even noticed herself.
As if sensing her gaze, Ye Mochen suddenly turned his head, looking down at her.
Ran Weiyi’s heart skipped a beat. Instinctively, she wanted to avert her eyes but found herself frozen under his stare.
“What are you looking at?” His voice still carried the hoarseness of just waking up, the tone lowered, like a feather lightly brushing against her ear.
“At you… you’re good-looking.” Ran Weiyi blurted out almost without thinking.
As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted it. That was way too straightforward.
But Ye Mochen seemed quite pleased. He stared at her for two seconds, and the slight curve that was already at the corner of his lips deepened a bit more, the amusement in his eyes becoming clearer.
He didn’t say anything else, only tightened his grip on her hand before turning his head back and continuing forward, eyes fixed ahead.
But Ran Weiyi clearly sensed that his entire aura had changed. The icy, unapproachable chill had melted somewhat, replaced by a sense of pleasure.
He had been pleased by her.
All because of one sentence: “You’re good-looking.”
Ran Weiyi’s heart was filled to the brim with an emotion—sour, yet bubbling with sweetness.In the dining room, Butler Lin was directing the staff to arrange the dishes when he turned around and saw his young master walking over, holding Miss Ran’s hand.
His expression froze for a moment before immediately returning to its usual respectful gentleness, though the smile now carried a touch of genuine delight.
“Young Master, Miss Ran, breakfast is ready.”
Butler Lin greeted them cheerfully, his gaze briefly touching their hands before quickly looking away.
“Not knowing Miss Ran’s preferences, I took the liberty of preparing both Chinese and Western-style dishes.”
Ran Weiyi looked up to see the long dining table laden with a dazzling array of dishes: Cantonese dim sum, Suzhou-style noodle soup, English sausages and fried eggs… It was as if a full imperial banquet had been assembled from across the land.
She smiled. “Thank you, Butler Lin. I’m not picky.”
She tried to take the opportunity to withdraw her hand, but Ye Mochen seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, tightening his grip instead.
He didn’t speak, simply leading her to the seat at the head of the table and pulling out the chair for her. Throughout, he never let go of her hand.
Then, instead of taking the seat at the head, he sat down in the chair beside her, leaving almost no space between them.
Ran Weiyi: “…”
Was he planning to eat while holding hands?
Ran Weiyi’s gaze lingered for a moment on a basket of crystal shrimp dumplings, their wrappers translucent. Just a moment.
Before she could look away, the man beside her moved.
Using his free hand, Ye Mochen picked up chopsticks, deftly picked up a shrimp dumpling, and brought it to her lips, the entire motion smooth and natural.
He looked down at her, his voice low. “Your hand isn’t free. I’ll feed you.”
Ran Weiyi lowered her head and smiled.
How was her hand not free? The culprit was sitting upright right beside her, firmly gripping her “inconvenience.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Butler Lin and the other servants not far away. They stood like a row of decorative wooden carvings, eyes downcast and minds focused, but their ears were undoubtedly perked up.
Ran Weiyi obediently, and with a hint of shyness, opened her mouth. The warm shrimp dumpling entered her mouth, its wrapper delightfully chewy and the filling deliciously fresh.
[Doudou: Beep! New affection-display method detected: forced feeding! Possessiveness level increased to 16%! Sis, this isn’t just walking the wife anymore—this is raising a daughter!]
She nearly choked on Doudou’s commentary, silently swallowing the shrimp dumpling while her mind churned.
This feeling of being completely controlled, of even having to rely on someone else to eat, should have been humiliating. So why was her heartbeat growing faster and faster, that bittersweet sensation bubbling up in her chest once more?
As soon as she swallowed the shrimp dumpling, Ye Mochen’s chopsticks steadily approached again, this time with a small piece of golden fried egg. She obediently opened her mouth.
A second time, a third… By the end of breakfast, Ran Weiyi had completely given up on thinking and on feeding herself.
She now seriously suspected that the female lead in the original novel, who had rejected such a handsome male lead willing to serve and feed her, must have had water in her brain. No, more like the entire Pacific Ocean.
She swallowed that bite of fried egg, unable to suppress the curve of her lips.
She simply stopped trying, lifting her face to gaze brightly at the man beside her.Being stared at so intently by him, even her breath carried his scent, this sensation made her heart tingle. Ran Weiyi suddenly felt like teasing him a bit.
Her gaze slowly swept across the long table, finally landing precisely on a bowl of Suzhou-style wonton soup with a clear, bright broth, deliberately lingering there for an extra two seconds.
Sure enough, as soon as her eyes settled, Ye Mochen noticed.
Following her gaze, he glanced at it, then switched his chopsticks for a spoon, scooping up a delicate wonton with thin skin and ample filling, carefully blowing on it by the edge of the bowl.
“Want to try this?” he asked, his voice still low but inexplicably tinged with indulgence.
Ran Weiyi nodded emphatically, like a cat waiting to be fed, her eyes filled with anticipation.