During this period since transmigrating, her various self-care abilities had been visibly deteriorating at a noticeable pace.
There was a time when she was an independent woman capable of twisting open bottle caps and changing water barrels herself, but now she even needed someone to feed her a piece of crab.
She felt like a meticulously raised pet—no, a useless creature.
A little useless creature pampered to the point of limb degeneration, losing the ability to hunt… This realization made her want to laugh a little.
Only after she shook her head to indicate she was truly full did Ye Mochen pick up the bowl of braised bamboo fungus with vegetable hearts and matsutake mushrooms in front of him, beginning his meal at a leisurely pace.
He ate quickly, yet remained elegant and dignified. It was as if the man who had patiently dismantled the crab and fed her bite by bite earlier was merely her illusion.
Ran Weiyi rested her chin on one hand, watching his handsome, cold profile with a sense of being properly settled and at ease.
Useless creature it is, then. After all, this kind of treatment was something she had fought tooth and nail to obtain herself.
After the harmonious and warm meal, Ye Mochen took her bag for her, wrapped his arm around her waist, and led her out of the private room.
The corridor was carpeted with thick wool that absorbed all footsteps, leaving only the sound of their breathing in the quiet.
[Ding, warning! The original female lead Chen Caiwen has appeared fifty meters ahead, accompanied by a middle-aged man!] Doudou’s loli voice sounded in her mind.
Held protectively in Ye Mochen’s embrace, Ran Weiyi lifted her gaze in the direction indicated.
At a corner not far away, a woman in a white dress was smiling ingratiatingly, saying something to the man beside her. That man was Director Li, somewhat well-known in the industry.
It seemed this was Chen Caiwen’s dinner engagement for the evening. Whether she could secure that supporting female role depended on whether she could please the director.
Almost simultaneously, Chen Caiwen also spotted Ye Mochen at the other end of the corridor.
The smile on her face instantly froze, the color draining completely from her complexion, as if she had been nailed to the spot.
It was him! How could he be here?
Could those eyes of his, which seemed capable of seeing through everything, have already spotted her? Was he going to drag her back again!
At the mere thought of that gilded yet prison-like manor, a bone-chilling cold shot from the soles of her feet to the top of her head.
Chen Caiwen frantically glanced around, searching for a place to hide. The potted plant nearby, the wall behind her—anything that could conceal her would do.
Director Li beside her was still chattering away, but she couldn’t hear a single word, wanting only to vanish from this man’s sight immediately.
Ye Mochen noticed the person in his arms had fixed her gaze elsewhere.
He frowned slightly, following her line of sight, only to see a pale-faced woman and a greasy middle-aged man.
Displeased, he withdrew his gaze and looked down at Ran Weiyi.
His Yiyi shouldn’t be staring at irrelevant people.
Ye Mochen tightened his arm, drawing her deeper into his embrace, using his body to completely block her view.
He said nothing, merely guiding her, walking straight ahead without glancing sideways toward the elevator in another direction.
From beginning to end, he never gave Chen Caiwen a single glance, as if she and the man beside her were merely two obstructive decorations in the corridor. Only after the elevator doors closed did Ran Weiyi look back.
Chen Caiwen remained frozen in place, wearing an expression of post-catastrophe terror, even forgetting to attend to the director beside her.This was the path the original female lead had chosen—accompanying an oily director, putting on a smiling face for a minor role, and constantly living in fear.
Meanwhile, she herself was a little good-for-nothing being served by Achen, who peeled crabs and fed her, not even needing to watch her own step.
The polished metal walls of the elevator reflected two figures locked in a tight embrace.
Ran Weiyi leaned against Ye Mochen’s chest, feeling his steady, powerful heartbeat. The self-awareness of being a meticulously cared-for “good-for-nothing” suddenly felt entirely justified.
She lifted her head from his embrace, gazing up at his sharply defined jawline.
He hadn’t even spared Chen Caiwen a single extra glance earlier, as if that person simply didn’t exist.
In his world, it seemed there were only two things: her, and everything else.
Ran Weiyi turned around in the steadily descending elevator, spread her arms, and wrapped them firmly around his waist. Her cheek pressed against the high-quality fabric of his suit, nuzzling softly against it.
“Achen,” she first called his name.
Ye Mochen’s body stiffened slightly, then his arms tightened even more, pulling her completely into his domain. He lowered his head, only able to see the top of her hair.
“Hmm?” His voice was low, resonating from his chest, making her ears tingle slightly.
Ran Weiyi buried herself deeper into his embrace, her voice muffled as well. “You’re so good.”
These three words were simple and direct, yet they pleased him more than any flowery language ever could.
Ye Mochen didn’t speak, only rested his chin gently on the top of her head.
He loved this feeling—his arms filled with her, sensing her soft body, breathing in her unique scent, and hearing her praise filled with complete dependence.
This sense of being needed, of being irreplaceable, soothed his taut nerves.
His free hand rose to stroke the back of her head, his fingers threading through her soft hair with a gentle touch.
Finally, he spoke, his voice low, transmitted down from above her head, vibrating through his chest.
“Only to you.”
These four words were like a small stone dropped into hot syrup, instantly stirring up countless sweet bubbles that bubbled up from the depths of Ran Weiyi’s heart, almost overflowing from her throat.
She couldn’t help it—she let out a soft laugh, burying her entire face in his chest, her shoulders shaking like a small animal that had found a sturdy tree hollow.
She didn’t lift her head, just rubbed her cheek against his chest through his clothes, as if stamping him with a “Ran Weiyi Exclusive” seal.
Ye Mochen looked down at the top of her head as she nuzzled against him, his hand on the back of her head tightening slightly, his thumb stroking her soft hair.
“What were you looking at earlier in the hallway?”
Ran Weiyi’s movements paused.
What he cared about was the brief glance she had given Chen Caiwen earlier. His possessiveness truly permeated every nerve ending.
For others, it might feel suffocating.
But for Ran Weiyi, it felt like the sweetest love song in the world.
It meant that everything about her, even a fleeting glance, was treasured and cherished by him.
She lifted her head from his embrace, her bright eyes reflected in the elevator walls. She deliberately put on an innocent yet justified expression.
“Looking at you.”
Ye Mochen raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced.
Ran Weiyi extended her index finger and gently poked his firm chest. “Looking at how you shielded me in your arms, not even glancing elsewhere. It was very handsome, and I couldn’t get enough of it.”She said this without a hint of embarrassment.
Ye Mochen stared at her for a few seconds. The faint displeasure in his deep eyes slowly faded, replaced by a satisfied, pleased expression.
The corner of his lips seemed to twitch, too quick to catch.
Ding. The elevator doors opened.
He wrapped an arm around her and walked out without another word.
But Ran Weiyi knew—her answer had pleased him.