Chapter 61: A Sudden Shift in Attitude Toward Eli
Just as Tang Mu was about to lose her temper, Qiao Yuan abruptly changed the subject. “Oh, right. Last time, you also killed one of the senior puppet masters from my Ayu Association, didn’t you?”
“However, as thanks for Miss Tang Mu’s help in educating my brother, I can let bygones be bygones regarding An Xiaoyue. But in the future, Miss Tang Mu, I ask that you keep your distance from my brother. He’s someone who lacks love and has little emotional resilience. If you torment him a few more times, he may not last much longer.”
…
Tang Mu remained silent for a long while.
Then, suddenly, she let out a cold laugh.
“You care deeply for your brother, don’t you?” She tilted her chin slightly, looking at Qiao Yuan with an air of arrogance. “If you use ‘Yan Xingwen’ against me again, I won’t hesitate to let your brother be forever trapped in the prison of ‘love and desire.’”
Qiao Yuan, who was just about to walk away, paused mid-step.
He turned back, eyes narrowed, murderous intent clear in his expression.
But facing Qiao Yuan’s deadly glare, Tang Mu was utterly unafraid. She smiled at him, wild and defiant, as if she didn’t regard him as a threat at all.
“Oh, I seem to have forgotten to tell you—spotting an opponent’s weakness quickly and using it to control them is my gift.”
“Your emotions, your weaknesses, your fears—they’re as obvious to me as the difference between humans and cats. What you can’t see, what you can’t react to in time, I see perfectly clearly.”
“Take your brother, for example.”
“Right now, he’s at his most vulnerable. All I have to do is pat him on the shoulder and offer a little comfort, and he’ll be moved to tears again. Do you know when someone falls in love the fastest? It’s when their emotions swing from one extreme to the other. I gave him immense pain, then great joy. He’ll love me more than anyone else in this world.”
“Of course, you can use this equation too. It just depends how you choose to wield it.”
…
Qiao Yuan: “…”
He frowned deeply, silent for a while before finally asking, unable to resist, “Then why are you telling me this? You could have kept it to yourself.”
Facing his question, Tang Mu kept her chin raised, indifferent to all, like a deity untouched by mortal concerns.
Arrogant and cold.
“I don’t want to owe any more emotional debts for no reason. They’re impossible to shake off as it is. If I do this, it’ll only be harder.”
Qiao Yuan: “…”
“Heh.” He scoffed, signaling that Tang Mu’s actions were as suspect as a weasel wishing a chicken good luck for the new year. “So should I be grateful for your mercy toward my brother?”
“Of course.” Tang Mu’s face was expressionless. “No need to thank me.”
Qiao Yuan: “…”
It’s said that geniuses are on the left, madmen on the right.
And Tang Mu was truly a madwoman masquerading as a genius.
---
This woman’s insight into the human mind and heart was unparalleled. She must have undergone similar training since childhood. As long as she could use any weakness of human nature to achieve her goals, she would do so without hesitation.
Yet, for no apparent reason, why would anyone delve so deeply and obsessively into understanding the human heart?
There had to be something wrong here.
“Your refusal to join the Ayu Association is truly our loss,” Qiao Yuan said with a hint of regret. “If I could have employed you to recruit more talent, perhaps the Ayu Association would have already broken into the top three of the game rankings.”
“Unfortunately, I’ve never liked working with others. But thank you for the offer.”
Hmph.
Qiao Yuan snorted coldly, refusing to pay Tang Mu any more attention as he strode away. Qiao Se had suffered at the hands of this woman, but it was a loss he could accept. Even so, heartbreak was unavoidable. He needed to find Qiao Se quickly, before he caused trouble by getting drunk somewhere.
As for Tang Mu…
She was a woman full of danger. He had to find out why she was so perilous.
Having sent Qiao Se and Qiao Yuan away,
Tang Mu turned and looked at Eli with icy indifference.
“Come with me.”
She led Eli on a winding path through the game hall.
There were many narrow alleyways inside, each filled with shops, snack stalls, and various shady corners.
Tang Mu ignored all of these.
Instead, she led Eli through several twists and turns until they reached a two-story duplex resembling a gaming lounge.
She took out a key and unlocked the iron gate on the first floor, letting Eli inside.
“This is where you used to live. But you are not to touch anything in the room without my permission.”
“There’s only a bed upstairs. But unless I allow it, you’re not to go to the second floor.”
“And wherever I am, you are to avoid.”
“Do you understand?”
Yan Xingwen: “…”
He looked a little hurt. “Tang Mu, you didn’t treat me like this before.”
There’s a reason for the difference, and you know it.
Tang Mu was annoyed by his feigned ignorance and became even colder in demeanor.
---
“I’ll only say this once. If you want to follow the rules, do it. If not, get out.”
Yan Xingwen: “…”
Heh. Stubborn girl.
Though she scolded him, Yan Xingwen wasn’t truly angry. Because he had his answer: Tang Mu still loved Yan Xingwen, not Eli.
But a moment later,
He felt a bit sad.
She had scolded him to his face.
Tang Mu had never treated him so harshly before.
But Tang Mu had no interest in dealing with him any further. Her tone was still cold as ice:
“The bathroom is upstairs. If you want to bathe, go now. Afterward, you’re not allowed to go up again.”
“As for clean clothes… I’ll go out and buy some for you. You are not to touch any men’s clothing in this place.”
Yan Xingwen: “…”
Suddenly, he wanted to tease her.
“Didn’t you say I used to live here?” He looked puzzled. “If I lived here before, why can’t I wear the clothes I left behind?”
That question was really starting to irritate Tang Mu.
But she knew she couldn’t give Eli a reasonable answer right away.
So she thought for a moment before replying,
“You’ve been gone for years. Do you really think clothes from years ago still fit you?” Besides, the sizes are all wrong anyway—what’s the point?
Seeing that Eli wanted to keep pushing,
Tang Mu frowned and interrupted, “Ask again and you can forget about sleeping. Get out.”
In the world of the game hall, there was no real distinction between day and night. But most people who stayed there were players just returned from the “Extreme Escape” dungeon. Most of them would rent short-term rooms to recover their mental strength.
Gaming was mentally exhausting.
Anyone without strong mental energy could faint immediately after coming out of a dungeon. That’s when a place to rest was essential.
So right now, Tang Mu was extremely tired.
She desperately needed sleep.