The Cold Heroine Turned Into a Yandere After Being - Chapter 10

Physiological Loss of Control

As Mo Zhu moved, a few strands of her black hair slipped past her cheek, momentarily veiling her vision. She froze abruptly, her nose hovering just a hair’s breadth above that warm skin.

The sounds of her surroundings suddenly became sharp, specifically the sound of her own breathing and the frantic thudding of her heart.

Mo Zhu pulled back quickly, widening the dangerous distance. The hand she had used to brace herself curled unconsciously, wrinkling the bedsheets in her grip.

What was she just doing?

She turned to look at Ji Shubai again. Under that calm sleeping face, everything appeared serene and normal. It was Mo Zhu who felt like the abnormal one.

Xiao Ta was in automatic sleep mode during the late hours, but Mo Zhu had no intention of waking it. She tossed the covers aside and slipped out of bed. The soft click of the door closing behind her echoed with startling clarity in the silent night.

What Mo Zhu didn’t know was that after she left, the woman who was supposed to be fast asleep slowly opened her eyes.

There wasn’t a trace of sleepiness in those eyes; they were as clear as obsidian at the bottom of a cold spring. Ji Shubai remained lying there, her chest rising and falling slightly with her breath. The dim nightlight illuminated half of her face, revealing deep contemplation and a tiny, subtle flicker of emotion.

After a moment, she raised her hand and used her fingertips to lightly touch the patch of skin where Mo Zhu’s breath had just lingered.

After leaving the room, Mo Zhu went straight for a glass of water, draining it in one go. She set the glass on the counter, rotating it slowly as her gaze drifted toward the bedroom door. Finally, she walked into the study.

Sitting at her desk, Mo Zhu tapped her fingers rhythmically against the surface. The scene from moments ago refused to leave her mind. She frowned, unable to wrap her head around her own behavior.

Suddenly, a notification popped up in the bottom right corner of her computer screen—a built-in health reminder: “3:47 AM. User detected still working. Continuous sleep deprivation may lead to impaired judgment, abnormal behavior, and irrational impulses…”

Mo Zhu’s gaze lingered on the words “abnormal behavior” and “irrational impulses” for a few seconds.

Excessive fatigue affects the nervous system, leading to poor concentration and diminished decision-making skills. Perhaps that was why she was acting out of character. Her sleep had been sparse over the last two days due to work.

She closed the notification and leaned back, her tense shoulders relaxing slightly.

It was just a physiological loss of control, she told herself. Nothing more.

Mo Zhu stayed in the study until the horizon began to pale. As soon as Xiao Ta came back online and realized she was awake, it chirped in her ear.

Good morning, Host!

Mo Zhu, having survived on nearly zero sleep, gave a weak, listless response.

Wait! Detection shows that the female lead’s favorability toward you has actually turned positive!

This finally brought a spark of life back to Mo Zhu’s eyes. “What’s the score now?”

Current favorability is 10. You still have two query opportunities left for today!

After days of “living in poverty” regarding favorability points, Mo Zhu felt a sense of sudden realization. She mentally reviewed her actions. It seemed her strategy of playing hard-to-get was quite effective on Ji Shubai.

She checked the time—7:00 AM. Rubbing her brow, she stood up and headed back to the bedroom.

When she pushed the door open, she saw that Ji Shubai was still lying on her side. Mo Zhu stepped lightly, lifted the covers, and slipped back into her side of the bed. Before she could even get comfortable, she heard a slight movement beside her.

Ji Shubai rolled over, her lashes fluttering before she slowly opened her eyes. Her gaze was vacant at first, clouded by the haze of sleep, but it paused when it landed on Mo Zhu’s face—as if she needed a moment to process the information.

A few seconds later, her eyes focused, fully awake.

“Morning.” Mo Zhu, caught before she could pretend to sleep, stayed propped up on one elbow. She decided to drop the act and made it look like she was just about to get up.

In the morning, Ji Shubai seemed a bit sluggish, her response a beat slow. “Morning.”

“Did I wake you?”

Ji Shubai blinked, tilting her head slightly as if deciphering the question, then slowly shook her head. “No.”

Mo Zhu found this version of Ji Shubai quite refreshing.

“I have some work to handle today, so I need to head to the office early,” Mo Zhu said, stepping out of bed. Her bare feet made no sound on the plush carpet. “You can sleep a while longer.”

Without waiting for an answer, she headed for the bathroom.

Ji Shubai sat dazed on the bed for a moment before turning to look at where Mo Zhu had slept. She reached out and touched the spot.

It was cold.

By the time Mo Zhu finished washing up and changing, Ji Shubai was gone from the bedroom. When Mo Zhu walked into the living area, she found Ji Shubai also fully dressed, standing by the counter with a freshly brewed cup of coffee.

As Mo Zhu approached, Ji Shubai pushed the coffee toward her. Looking at the cup, Mo Zhu felt a flash of a rather unpleasant memory.

“Thank you.”

With an air of someone facing their doom, she took a sip.

Today, the temperature was perfect, and the sweetness was normal. Mo Zhu narrowed her eyes slightly. So, last time really was intentional.

“Is there anything you need me to do today?” Ji Shubai asked.

Mo Zhu held the coffee, looking up at her. “Do you have plans?”

Ji Shubai was silent for a moment. “Yes. Some private matters.”

Mo Zhu actually knew exactly what she was doing. During her undergraduate years, Ji Shubai had co-founded a small studio with some friends, and she hadn’t given it up even after starting her graduate studies. Though small, the studio had a good reputation and decent performance.

However, after her mother’s accident, she hadn’t had the energy to manage it, and she was gradually being marginalized by her partners. She was going there today to deal with that.

“Alright,” Mo Zhu said.

Ji Shubai declined Mo Zhu’s offer of a driver, choosing to take public transport instead.

Mo Zhu left first. When she got into the car, Assistant Xiang was already in the passenger seat with his laptop. She noticed him stifling a yawn and asked, “Assistant Xiang, did you not sleep well last night?”

He quickly choked back another yawn. “My apologies, President Mo. I stayed up a bit late, but it won’t affect my work.”

Mo Zhu offered a kind reminder. “A lack of sleep can weaken your cognition and self-control. Try to get enough rest.”

Lest you end up like me, performing strange, out-of-character actions.

“Yes, President Mo. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Once at the company, Mo Zhu’s schedule was packed. Time flew by so fast she hardly noticed. By the time the final meeting ended in the evening, the sky had turned gloomy, looking like it was about to pour.

“President Mo, these are the documents Secretary Han brought this afternoon for your review. Also, regarding the payment to Miss Ji next Tuesday—should it go through your private account?”

“Yes. Any non-urgent work can wait. I have something to take care of now. For small matters, you and Secretary Han can make the decisions,” Mo Zhu said while signing her name.

“Understood.”

By the time Mo Zhu walked out of the building, a light drizzle had started to fall. She climbed into the car and gave the driver an address. “Go here.”

The car glided out. The rain thickened quickly, turning into steady lines that drummed against the windows, blurring the world outside.

Host, are we going to find the female lead? Xiao Ta asked.

“Yes,” Mo Zhu replied. Ji Shubai’s meeting at the studio hadn’t gone well today; she naturally had to be there.

About forty minutes later, the car pulled over on a relatively quiet street. Through the torrential rain, Mo Zhu could vaguely see two people facing off under the eaves of a building—Ji Shubai and a stranger.

They seemed to be arguing, though they maintained a respectful distance. Mo Zhu didn’t get out; she just watched in silence.

What are you waiting for?

“The right moment,” Mo Zhu replied leisurely.

The argument lasted a few more minutes until the other person finally left, leaving Ji Shubai alone. Mo Zhu watched the solitary figure for a moment before dialing Ji Shubai’s number.

The moment the call connected, she pushed open the car door.

Through the phone, she heard Ji Shubai’s voice struggling to remain calm. “Hello?”

“Miss Ji, where are you?”

There was a pause on the other end. “I’m sorry. I’ll be back shortly.”

Mo Zhu didn’t acknowledge the apology. “It’s like this—I saw a stray cat on the side of the road. Do you think I should take her home?”

“If you like her, then you should.”

“Is that so? Well, I actually like her quite a bit.”

Ji Shubai was in a foul mood and wanted to hang up, but she sensed something and looked up into the rain. Through the blur of the storm, she saw a figure holding an umbrella, walking toward her step by step.

With the phone still pressed to her ear, Mo Zhu came to a stop in front of her. The rain cascading off the edges of the umbrella created a curtain of water, sealing the two of them into a small, private world away from the chaos.

“Miss Ji, why do you look so much like an abandoned kitten?” Mo Zhu looked down at her with a smile, her voice reaching Ji Shubai’s ears through both the air and the phone.

Ji Shubai looked up as the other woman leaned down slightly and reached out a hand, her expression warm and bright.

“Come on. I’m taking you home.”