Ruthless Romance

Chapter 9: Mu Tingchen's Return

When submitting her assignment, the instructor's lips curled into a mocking smile as she examined Wen Yan's drawing. "So you drew Mu Tingchen? You're usually so quiet, but it seems you're just like other girls after all. Several students drew him too, but yours is by far the best. Did you use a photo? Care to share it?"

The instructor, an unmarried woman approaching thirty with a rather difficult temperament, harbored an inexplicable obsession with Mu Tingchen, enthusiastically discussing him with students daily.

Wen Yan shook her head. "I don't have any photos..."

The instructor's face darkened. "No photos, yet you drew him this well? Purely from imagination? Have you even met him in person? This is ridiculous. Show me the reference. This drawing... it looks like him sitting at home. These kinds of photos aren't even available online. Where did you get it?"

Chen Mengyao, unable to stand by silently any longer, intervened. "What's your problem? She said she doesn't have photos. You know she's naturally talented – isn't she your student?"

The instructor, somewhat intimidated by Chen Mengyao's privileged background, backed down. "Fine, fine. I know she's your precious friend. I'll drop it."

She stormed off with the assignments, clearly annoyed.

Chen Mengyao leaned closer to Wen Yan, curiosity burning in her eyes. "How did you draw him so accurately? You've never met Mu Tingchen, right? I saw him once at a banquet. I thought you were different from others, but it seems you also secretly fantasize about our national heartthrob, huh?"

Wen Yan maintained her characteristic silence. Fantasize about Mu Tingchen? How could she, when they lived under the same roof? Her ability to draw him so precisely came from something far more insidious – his image was deeply rooted in her psyche. Perhaps she would never escape his shadow in this lifetime.

"I heard Mu Tingchen will attend this year's campus festival," Chen Mengyao continued, used to her friend's quietness. "It makes sense, given his significant contributions to the school. It's natural for the administration to invite him."

The campus festival – a biannual event before winter and summer breaks, filled with mundane performances and official speeches.

Twenty-one days remained until the festival. By then, Mu Tingchen would be back from his business trip.

"Yan, we don't have afternoon classes. Let's have some fun! I'll treat you to ice skating. I know this new rink that just opened. The ski resort's too far, but we can go there during the break," Chen Mengyao suggested, noticing Wen Yan packing her things.

Wen Yan frowned. She feared Mu Tingchen might suddenly return home again, and if he discovered her absence, she wouldn't be able to talk her way out of it so easily this time.

"Come on, please?" Chen Mengyao tugged at her arm playfully.

Wen Yan shook her head apologetically. "I can't. I need to go home."

Chen Mengyao persisted, grabbing her hand. "Why are you always rushing home? Are your guardians that strict?"

She moved her lips slightly. "Yes."

Chen Mengyao fell silent, seeing the seriousness in her friend's expression. Reluctantly, she let Wen Yan leave.

Halfway home, the chain on her bicycle suddenly came off.

Unable to fix it, Wen Yan had no choice but to push the bike forward. Heavy snow began falling, the delicate flakes settling on her already chapped hands. The cold wind painted her cheeks a harsh red.

By the time she reached home, darkness had fallen. The imposing silhouette of the Mu residence loomed against the night sky, its grandeur undiminished by the shadows. Mu Tingchen preferred solitude, choosing to live quite far from South University. Without her bicycle, the journey had been particularly grueling.

The moment she stepped inside, Mrs. Liu pulled her into the housekeeper's room, turning on the heater to warm her up. "Child, what's wrong with you? Coming home so late, frozen half to death! If you won't talk to the young master about it, I will. You don't even have a proper winter coat!"

Wen Yan rubbed her numb hands, responding quietly, "He gave me money. I didn't spend it." That money made her uncomfortable to use...

Mrs. Liu poked her forehead reproachfully. "He gives you money and you won't use it? Why are you being so stubborn? That incident was years ago, and the young master has treated you well. Why can't you let it go? He's back today, and you're coming home this late – he's going to scold you again!"

Mu Tingchen was back?!

The news hit her like a physical blow. Her fingers, just beginning to regain feeling, went numb again – this time from anxiety rather than cold. The warmth of the heater suddenly felt stifling, and the room seemed to shrink around her.

Her mind raced back to their last encounter, to the marks still hidden beneath her scarf. She unconsciously touched her neck, remembering how careful she'd been to keep the scarf in place all day, how she'd avoided Chen Mengyao's curious questions about it.

Mrs. Liu mistook her silence for mere tiredness. "Go change into something warm. Dinner will be ready soon, and the young master specifically asked about you when he arrived."

Each word felt like another weight added to her shoulders. Of course he had asked about her – she was his ward, his responsibility, his... She couldn't even complete the thought.

The bicycle chain that had broken now seemed like a cruel joke from fate, ensuring she would arrive home late, giving him another reason to assert his control over her life. Even when he wasn't physically present, his influence shaped every decision she made, every step she took.

Standing in the warmth of the housekeeper's room, Wen Yan felt the familiar sensation of being trapped closing in around her. The Mu residence, despite its grandeur and comfort, had never felt like a true home. Instead, it was a gilded cage, and its master had just returned to ensure the bars remained firmly in place.