Reward and Interest

Ya Fei stood frozen in the cold mine, her delicate body trembling slightly.

Before her lay a chaotic scene of ice sculptures and corpses, the air thick with the smell of frozen blood and a biting chill, painting a hellish landscape.

However, what impacted her heart more than this sight was the incredibly familiar aura emanating from her rescuer!

That extreme cold that instantly changed the environment! That ruthless efficiency in combat! That powerful presence that made it seem like everything was under control, utterly disregarding the enemy...

All of this resonated deeply with the feeling she got from the mysterious "Mr. Ice" she had encountered!

No, it wasn't just resonance! The "extremity" and "majesty" originating from the very source of power were almost identical!

Even though one voice was ancient and mysterious, and the other was young and handsome, the core aura and power attributes displayed during combat, caused the guess in Ya Fei's heart to grow wildly like weeds, and it was stronger and clearer than ever before!

"Mo Lin... Mr. Ice..." she repeated these two names in her mind, a wave of emotion, a mixture of realization and immense shock, washing over her.

She was almost certain that even if these two were not the same person, they must have an extremely close, fundamental connection that she couldn't comprehend!

"Yo, Sister Ya Fei, haven't seen you in a few days, and you're already this disheveled?"

That familiar, teasing tone was like a warm current, instantly breaking through Ya Fei's frozen heart, which had been sealed by extreme shock and fear.

She looked at the young man before her, dressed in snow-white, with a roguish smile, and then glanced around at the tragic scene that resembled an ice prison. A sense of surreal absurdity surged within her.

Was the ruthless, death-god-like being who had just slaughtered everyone truly the same person as the youth with the playful grin standing before her?

"You..." Ya Fei opened her mouth, but found her throat dry, and for a moment, she didn't know what to say.

The relief of surviving, the awe of immense power, and that earth-shattering guess, all crashed into her mind like a tidal wave.

Mo Lin paced closer, ignoring the frozen corpses underfoot. His gaze swept over Ya Fei's slightly messy hair and torn battle attire, finally landing on her still pale, pretty face. His tone carried a hint of amusement, "What? Stunned? Or... mesmerized by my heroic figure?"

The narcissism and teasing in his words inexplicably relaxed Ya Fei's taut nerves, and she couldn't help but roll her eyes at him.

That glance, however, held a charm even she hadn't noticed, "Who, who's mesmerized by you! You... how did you get here?"

She asked the most crucial question.

Mo Lin chuckled and walked up to her, close enough to feel each other's breath.

He lowered his head, gazing intently at her. His eyes, which not long ago had been as cold as an abyss, now sparkled with cunning. "How did I get here? Of course, it's because of... my foresight."

"Foresight?" A flicker of confusion and wariness crossed Ya Fei's beautiful eyes.

"That's right." The mischievous smile on Mo Lin's lips deepened, carrying a hint of smugness. "Remember our 'chance' encounter in the corridor last time? I left a little 'something' on you then."

Ya Fei's heart suddenly tensed! He left something on her? And she hadn't noticed at all!

"Just a trace of an undetectable spiritual imprint," Mo Lin explained casually, as if reading her thoughts. He casually twirled a strand of her loose hair around his finger, playing with it. "I originally just wanted to make sure the woman I had my eye on wouldn't inexplicably lose her life. I didn't expect it to actually come in handy.

I was just cultivating when I suddenly felt an extremely strong sense of fear and crisis from the imprint, so I knew you, my little demon, must be in trouble. That's why I rushed over for a heroic rescue."

"The woman I had my eye on...?" Ya Fei's heart skipped a beat, and blood rushed to her cheeks, even dyeing her earlobes crimson.

The domineering nature and blatant possessiveness in his words made her feel both embarrassed and angry, yet also... a hint of indescribable excitement.

Especially when combined with his god-like power just now, and that astonishing guess about "Mr. Ice," these words carried an astonishing weight.

"Or what?" Mo Lin raised an eyebrow, released her hair, and then gently lifted her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze.

His eyes held undisguised admiration and a determined intent: "From the moment I first saw you at the auction house, I knew that you, Ya Fei, are the woman Mo Lin has set his sights on. How can someone I claim be touched by just any stray cat or dog?"

This incredibly domineering declaration struck Ya Fei's heart like a heavy hammer.

Normally, she would have found this young man ridiculously arrogant.

But after experiencing the rescue that felt like a divine intervention, witnessing his unfathomable power that could even change the environment in an instant, and then thinking of "Mr. Ice"...

These words, coming from his mouth, carried a heart-stopping persuasiveness and... a fatal attraction.

Looking at Ya Fei's increasingly delicate and beautiful face, flushed with shock and shyness, especially her slightly parted, full, and moist red lips, a dark glint flashed in Mo Lin's eyes.

Already invigorated by his breakthrough and the recent slaughter, with the beauty in his arms, her breath like orchid fragrance, and those tempting red lips so close...

As if by some divine impulse, he lowered his head and quickly, precisely captured her slightly parted lips.

"Mmph!"

Ya Fei's mind went blank!

She had absolutely not expected Mo Lin to be so bold, so direct!

She felt a warm, soft touch on her lips, carrying the unique crisp scent of youth, and a faint taste, as if of ice and snow.

This kiss was brief but incredibly impactful, possessing an undeniable dominance, as if stamping his declaration just made.

It broke as quickly as it began!

Mo Lin himself seemed a little surprised by his sudden action.

But he quickly regained his nonchalant demeanor, licked his lips, and with a lingering, mischievous smile, said, "Mmm, tasted good. This will be... collecting some interest first, as payment for saving you."

After saying that, before Ya Fei could react to the immense shock and embarrassment, he let go of her, his figure flashing, and retreated several meters away, a triumphant, wicked grin on his face.

"The rest can be repaid after you've figured out how to thank me! I'm leaving this place to you, Sister Ya Fei!"

He winked at her, his tone light and cheerful. Then, his figure blurred into a shadow once more, vanishing swiftly into the darkness of the mine.

He arrived suddenly and left just as abruptly, leaving only a faint warmth in the air and his arrogant, ambiguous words echoing.

Ya Fei stood frozen on the spot, as if under a spell.

Her fingers subconsciously traced her lips, which still seemed to retain a lingering warmth. Her cheeks burned like a sunset, and her heart pounded as if it would leap out of her chest.

Shame, shock, confusion, and a hint of... a secret flutter that she didn't want to admit even to herself – all these emotions intertwined, throwing her into disarray.

This Mo Lin! How... how dare he!

But... why, besides the shame, couldn't she muster much real anger?

Was it because he had just saved her?

Or was it because... the astonishing guess about his identity had made it impossible for her subconscious to see him as just an ordinary young man?

"Manager... are you... alright?" Wang Yan, standing nearby, cautiously asked after observing Ya Fei's rare, flustered demeanor, like that of a maiden in love.

He was too far away to hear exactly what they said, but he saw Young Master Mo Lin... kiss the Manager? And then the Manager became like this...

Wang Yan's voice jolted Ya Fei back to reality.

She took several deep breaths, forcefully suppressing the turmoil within her, and tried her best to compose her expression. However, the flushed tips of her ears betrayed her inner unrest.

"I... I'm fine!" Ya Fei's voice trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly.

She quickly turned away, no longer looking in the direction Mo Lin had disappeared. Her tone regained its calm and decisive edge, "Clear the scene immediately! Proceed according to the plan!"

However, in the moment she turned, the sharp-eyed Wang Yan seemed to catch a glimpse of his Manager's delicate lips... curving upwards in a very slight, very quick arc? Was it an illusion?

That night, in Ya Fei's luxurious bedroom at the Mietel Auction House.

Candlelight flickered, casting a faint blush on her still-flushed cheeks.

She had bathed and changed into a soft robe but felt no hint of sleepiness.

Sitting alone by the window, her fingertips unconsciously brushed her lips, where the momentary warmth and possessiveness seemed to linger.

In her mind, the image of Mo Lin in the mine, like a god of war, alternated with the scene of him kissing her with a wicked grin before quickly escaping.

The extreme power and the occasional flash of youthful roguishness formed a stark contrast, yet they strangely intertwined, leaving a deep imprint on her heart.

The guess that "Mo Lin is Mr. Ice" had not weakened with this act; instead, it had become even clearer.

That possessiveness, that desire for control, and... the fleeting, almost instinctual chill that emanated during the kiss, all pointed to the answer she held in her heart.

However, unlike her previous urge to uncover the truth, Ya Fei now, after experiencing the life-and-death crisis of the day and the sudden intimacy just moments ago, felt an indescribable complex emotion welling up within her.

There was the relief of surviving, awe at the powerful strength, the shame and secret flutter of being possessively claimed, and even a strange sense of responsibility to remain silent and protect after uncovering an earth-shattering secret.

"Perhaps... not knowing is truly better than knowing," Ya Fei whispered to herself, her beautiful eyes shimmering with wisdom and complexity.

She decided to bury this astonishing guess deep in her heart, interacting with him under the guise of "Mo Lin," but the weight of it in her heart was now entirely different.

She looked out at the deep night sky, and Mo Lin's arrogant yet bright smile as he left resurfaced in her mind.

The corners of her mouth unconsciously curved upwards, slowly forming an arc of sweetness and anticipation that she herself didn't notice.

"Mo Lin... no matter how many secrets you still hold... this 'life-saving grace' and 'payment'... I, Ya Fei, have noted it."