The Cold Heroine Turned Into a Yandere After Being - Chapter 32

I Missed You Very Much

Six o’clock in the evening.

After finishing the last document, Mo Zhu checked the time and slowly packed her things. Ten minutes later, she left the company by car.

As the car crawled through the traffic, Mo Zhu sat in the back seat and pulled out her phone, scrolling through her messages. An entire day had nearly passed, and Ji Shubai hadn’t sent a single text.

She stared at the screen for a moment before tossing the phone aside and closing her eyes to rest.

Not long after she put it down, the phone began to buzz. She snapped her eyes open and snatched it up.

A flash of disappointment crossed her eyes when she saw the caller ID. She answered the phone; it was the butler asking what time she would arrive home.

“Tell him that if he’s in such a hurry, he can come and pick me up himself.”

Mo Zhu didn’t say anything more before hanging up.

“Play some music.”

The driver up front did as he was told, and soothing music filled the cabin.

Mo Zhu looked out the window, idly flipping her phone over and over in her hand.

If she went back obediently today, her father would be convinced that Ji Shubai was her weakness. But if she didn’t go back, she had no idea what he might do to Ji Shubai.

Anxiety gnawed at her, and she suddenly felt a desperate urge to hear Ji Shubai’s voice. She scrolled through her contacts and found the name.

However, even as the car reached its destination, she never made that call.

As the vehicle approached the gates of the Mo estate, the driver skillfully decelerated and glided onto the service road.

Mo Zhu gazed blankly at the increasingly familiar scenery outside, though her mind was clearly elsewhere.

At that moment, she noticed a black SUV parked on the side of the road where the streetlights were dim. It looked inconspicuous in the darkness.

Mo Zhu’s car was traveling in the opposite direction, and at the moment they passed each other, the distance was close enough for her to clearly see the person in the driver’s seat.

Just a glimpse was enough to make Mo Zhu’s gaze freeze.

The woman in the driver’s seat was looking down at her phone. As the headlights swept across her face, Mo Zhu recognized her as Ji Shubai’s senior, the woman she had met at the wedding.

Qiao Ying, I believe her name was.

This area was neither a commercial district nor a typical residential zone; the surroundings were quiet and private, and outsiders rarely stopped here for no reason.

What was she doing here? She didn’t look like she was attending a banquet.

Mo Zhu’s car turned smoothly into the main gates, and the vehicle and the person inside were quickly left behind, shrinking in the view of the rear window.

However, Mo Zhu didn’t dwell on this small interlude. She had other things to worry about.

When the driver stopped the car, she stepped out. The butler was waiting as usual, leading her inside while briefing her on today’s guest list.

She listened as she walked. Upon entering the ballroom, people near the entrance noticed her and came over to greet her. Mo Zhu met everyone with a practiced smile.

At the center of the gathering, her father quickly noticed her arrival. When Mo Zhu looked his way, he gave her a kind smile and beckoned her over.

Mo Zhu didn’t let her feelings show, but she let out a silent “Tch” in her heart.

She walked through the crowd with measured steps, her smile perfectly adjusted not too warm, yet polite.

She reached her father, who was surrounded by a group of people, and gave a slight nod. “Dad.”

“Why so late? Your uncles and aunties were just talking about you,” her father said.

“I’m sorry, everyone. I was delayed by some business at the office,” Mo Zhu offered her rehearsed excuse.

The seasoned socialites around them immediately caught the hint and chimed in with smiles.

“Young President Mo is young and promising. Old Mo, you’re very lucky.”

“A tiger does not father a dog. Young President Mo’s aura is just like yours.”

“Yes, indeed. I heard Young President Mo handled that North District project all by herself. Old Mo has all the luck; you can finally relax and enjoy your retirement.”

“You’ve worked hard,” her father said, a kind smile plastered on his face as he naturally reached out to pat Mo Zhu’s arm. It was a perfect picture of fatherly affection and daughterly filial piety.

He turned to the surrounding faces—some familiar, some not and spoke with a hint of obvious pride, though he carefully maintained a humble posture.

“She’s only just taken over the company. She isn’t experienced enough with certain affairs yet and still has a lot to learn from all of you. Young people need more experience, after all.”

Another wave of flattery followed.

Standing to the side, Mo Zhu maintained her smile, her gaze calmly sweeping over the fawning faces. In her heart, she felt nothing but indifference and a trace of undetectable mockery.

She had heard these platitudes so often she was numb to them, but hearing them too much was still tedious.

Her father, however, was clearly enjoying it. He let out a hearty laugh before acting as if he had just remembered something. He turned and introduced a young woman who had been standing quietly a step behind him.

“A-Zhu, come. Let me introduce you. This is your Uncle Qin’s daughter, Qin Yuran.” Her father was all smiles and gentle tones. “Yuran just returned from H-City and isn’t very familiar with this area yet. You’re both young, so I’m sure you’ll have plenty to talk about. You should spend more time together and keep each other company.”

The woman named Qin Yuran had thick, curly hair and wore a black mermaid-style gown. Her makeup was exquisite, and she looked mature and intelligent.

She took a half-step forward and gave Mo Zhu a proper smile, extending her hand. “Hello, Miss Mo.”

Mo Zhu’s eyes fell on Qin Yuran, taking her in with a quick, detailed scan. She then extended her own hand for a light, brief shake. Her smile was flawless. “A pleasure.”

Their hands parted the moment they touched.

Mo Zhu kept smiling, though everything was clear to her now. It seemed this Miss Qin was the person her father wanted her to meet.

“Miss Qin just returned from H-City?”

“Yes, I was at the subsidiary office there. I just came back recently,” Qin Yuran replied.

Mo Zhu nodded. “What a coincidence. My girlfriend is also from H-City.”

The moment the words left Mo Zhu’s mouth, the air around her father seemed to freeze.

The smiles on the guests’ faces stiffened, and the flattery died in their throats.

Everyone’s gaze, whether subtle or overt, focused on Mo Zhu with a mix of disbelief and the nosy curiosity of people watching a drama unfold.

The kind smile on her father’s face slowly vanished. His fingers tightened visibly around his wine glass as he stared at Mo Zhu. His gaze was sharp enough to carve a hole in her.

A flash of surprise also crossed Qin Yuran’s face. She seemed not to have expected this. For a moment, her lips twitched as if she wanted to smile, but considering the occasion, she lowered her eyes and suppressed it.

The silence lasted only a second or two, yet it felt as long as a century.

A worldly middle-aged man standing near her father was the first to react. He quickly let out a loud, forced laugh to break the awkward tension.

“Hahaha! Young people have so many friends and such wide social circles! H-City is a land of great people and talent indeed.”

“That’s right,” another person chimed in, catching the cue and clumsily changing the subject. “Speaking of which, Miss Qin isn’t familiar with the area yet, right? You should have Young President Mo show you around and try the local specialties.”

“Yes, yes. Young people communicate better among themselves. They have much more in common than we old folks do.”

Everyone began talking at once, pointedly ignoring the word “girlfriend” and trying to steer the atmosphere back to the track of “young people making friends.”

Her father also looked away from Mo Zhu, his face returning to its previous peaceful appearance. “It’s not a bad thing for young people to make friends. Don’t stand here listening to us old folks nag. Go off and chat among yourselves.”

With that, the group around her father ushered him toward another part of the room.

Mo Zhu stood her ground and took a sip of her drink. Seeing that Qin Yuran hadn’t left, she asked, “What is it? Does Miss Qin want to meet my girlfriend?”

Qin Yuran let out a soft laugh. “Young President Mo, you don’t need to be so hostile toward me. I’ve heard about your new assistant. But I recall she was local.”

Mo Zhu looked at her before walking away. “Then you might not know me very well. I change girlfriends quite frequently. Suit yourself.”

Having achieved her goal, Mo Zhu had no desire to stay. She set her glass down and prepared to leave.

But before she could reach the door, the butler came running up, saying her father wanted her to wait for him in the study.

Mo Zhu’s first instinct was to just walk out, but after a moment’s thought, she headed for the second-floor study.

She rarely visited this room. To the right of the entrance were floor-to-ceiling shelves made of dark walnut. The wood grain was steady and clear, occupying almost the entire wall space.

A massive rug covered the center of the room, with a heavy solid-wood desk sitting on top. Aside from a desk lamp, there were a few documents waiting to be processed.

It looked exceptionally tidy almost stereotypically so.

The layout was rigorous; every item was in its place, showcasing the owner’s pursuit of order, authority, and traditional taste.

Aside from the chair behind the desk, Mo Zhu couldn’t find a single place to sit.

Just as she was wondering if she should have someone bring a chair, her father finally arrived. The mask of benevolence had long since vanished. He went straight to the point.

“What was the meaning of that just now?”

“Was it not obvious enough?” Mo Zhu looked at him. “I didn’t come here today because of what you said. I came to tell you that I don’t appreciate your threats.”

“Are you not afraid that I—”

Mo Zhu interrupted him. “Do whatever you want. You didn’t tell me when you got a new wife or had a new son, anyway. And before you do anything, please consider whether you can protect your precious little son every second of the day.”

“You—” Her father’s chest heaved violently. He was clearly enraged by her defiance and the mention of the past.

“Is there anything else? If not, I’ll be going,” Mo Zhu said.

Her father’s chest rose and fell several times. With a darkened face, he pointed toward the door. “Get out!”

Mo Zhu didn’t react. She turned and left obediently.

Walking out of the estate, she checked her phone. Still no messages or calls from Ji Shubai. Finally, Mo Zhu opened their chat and asked what she was doing.

She waited for a long time, but Ji Shubai didn’t reply. Mo Zhu tucked her phone away and drove off herself.

Passing the spot where she had seen Ji Shubai’s senior earlier, she noticed the car was gone.

It was half-past eight in the evening when Ji Shubai finally walked out of her mentor’s office.

The hallway was quiet, save for the footsteps of a few lingering students. She pulled out her phone. The screen lit up, showing an unread message from Mo Zhu from an hour ago.

[What are you doing?]

It was a simple sentence, yet it made Ji Shubai’s heart skip a beat. After a day without contact, her slightly low mood was largely dissipated by the sight of that message.

[I’m still at school, about to head back.]

Almost the instant the message was sent, the phone buzzed with a vibration. Mo Zhu’s reply was startlingly fast.

Where?

Ji Shubai blinked, her finger hovering over the screen. She instinctively looked out the hallway window at the deep night.

Another message followed immediately.

I’m at your university. I asked which building your mentor is in.

It felt like something had slammed into her chest. As she pressed the elevator button, the numbers seemed to change at an agonizingly slow pace.

She walked through the first-floor lobby with a mix of uncertainty and a faint, hidden expectation. Her gaze searched urgently for the familiar space outside the doors.

Then, she saw someone standing under a tree not far away—the person she had been subconsciously thinking about all day.

Mo Zhu looked as if she had just come from a formal event, wearing a more exquisite suit than usual with a coat draped casually over her shoulders.

The night breeze blew, stirring a few strands of her hair.

The most striking thing was the bouquet she was holding. Not common roses, but vibrant, bright red tulips that looked like a warm, flickering flame under the streetlights.

Mo Zhu saw her too. She looked over, her lips slowly curling into a clear, radiant smile—one filled with the pure joy of seeing the person she wanted to see.

In that moment, Ji Shubai felt all the conflict and unease of the day simply scatter with the breeze.

Mo Zhu watched as Ji Shubai appeared at the entrance. She saw her stop in the intersection of light and shadow, staring, before she began to walk toward her.

At first, her steps were slow and hesitant, but she quickly picked up speed until she was jogging. Finally, she practically threw herself forward like a gust of wind.

Mo Zhu instinctively opened her arms. A second later, a warm body crashed firmly into her embrace.

The force of the impact made her heart feel hot. She held the woman tight. The red flowers behind them emitted a faint, delicate fragrance.

Mo Zhu looked down, seeing the slight redness of Ji’s ears and the soft hair scattered across her coat. All the irritation and tension of the day seemed to settle and vanish the moment she held this person.

She felt Ji Shubai hugging her back just as tightly, her cheek even rubbing against Mo Zhu’s shoulder in a dependent way.

“Miss Ji, you missed me that much today?” Mo Zhu whispered with a smile.

She hadn’t expected a clear response.

“Mm.” Ji Shubai held her tight, closing her eyes to listen to the wind in her ears. “I missed you very much.”

At home.

Xiao Ta, who had been sleeping on the sofa, snapped her eyes open and jumped down, heading for the entryway. She sat down expectantly by the door, waiting to greet her owners.

After a moment, the electronic lock “beeped” several times.

Mo Zhu’s slightly breathless voice drifted through the door. “Miss Ji. let me open the door first.”

A moment later, the door finally clicked open with a “beep.”

Hurried, frantic footsteps tangled together. Something was suddenly placed heavily onto the cabinet by the wall, and a few petals fluttered to the floor.

The falling petals startled the approaching Xiao Ta, who turned and ran away missing the sight of her two owners leaning tightly against each other.

“The cat” Ji Shubai wanted to check on the cat.

Mo Zhu turned her face and kissed her eyes. “Forget the cat. The one you should be looking at right now. is me.”

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