After Being Forced Into a Facial Paralysis, the Villain Said I’m Such a Drama Queen - Chapter 23

Lu Wanxing had seen Sheng Xia’s grades before; she was excellent in every subject and already had the strength to get into a top-tier university. Consequently, finding a mock exam where every single answer was wrong was somewhat beyond belief.

She glanced over the test papers on the desk. They were a sea of red, covered entirely in corrections made with a red pen. Lu Wanxing wondered if Sheng Xia had gone too long without studying, or if the lack of preparation time had caused her mindset to become unbalanced.

This realization strengthened her desire to let Sheng Xia leave. With the college entrance exams coming up next year, Sheng Xia really ought to focus more on her studies. She figured that after finishing these papers today, Sheng Xia would realize how pressing time was; she could give her a reminder then and let her head home.

Just as she was about to call the old lady, her phone vibrated.

A-Biao: “Eldest Miss, Murong Hanwen is here.”

Lu Wanxing looked at Sheng Xia. She had intended to tap on the desk to wake her up, but after reaching out, she pulled her hand back and turned to walk out.

Streamer, it looks like the male lead is here.] [The male lead coming over usually doesn’t mean anything good.] [I agree. Streamer, you better get down there quickly.]

Sheng Xia thought as she changed her clothes. The plot was currently a complete mess; she could only judge where they were in the story based on Murong Hanwen’s strange behavior. If the male lead was currently in the phase where he found the female lead (the original protagonist) eyesores, then he was likely still very fond of his “White Moonlight” (Lu Wanxing).

As for the White Moonlight’s feelings for the male lead…

Sheng Xia thought of Lu Wanxing’s cold and aloof demeanor. She couldn’t imagine what she would look like when she liked someone, and she felt that liking Murong Hanwen wasn’t worth it at all.

In the early stages, Murong Hanwen’s attitude toward Lu Wanxing was actually decent. He was cold and ruthless to outsiders but much easier to talk to in front of her. Even if Lu Wanxing ignored him, he didn’t mind persistently trying to please her.

However, many details made Sheng Xia feel he was only after the Lu family’s assets especially after he met the female lead and discovered she was the long-lost daughter the Xu family in Kyoto had been searching for. His attitude toward Lu Wanxing chilled significantly after that.

One could say those men treated Sheng Xia like a game character to be conquered; once the affection meter was full, they would use her to slowly cannibalize the Xu family to strengthen their own clans.

She was worried the Eldest Miss would be deceived or forced by the plot to do things she wasn’t even aware of. Sheng Xia strained her ears, terrified of missing even a whisper from downstairs.

“How is your health?” Murong Hanwen asked, looking at the elegant woman before him.

“The same as always,” Lu Wanxing responded coldly.

A long silence followed.

It was so awkward that Sheng Xia, eavesdropping upstairs, and the “ghosts” in the livestream felt their scalps go numb. This conversation died out faster than awkward small talk with distant relatives during New Year’s.

That sense of déjà vu grew stronger when Murong Hanwen had boxes of supplements brought in. Just as they were wondering if the Eldest Miss would engage in a round of “New Year’s Wing Chun” the classic back-and-forth of “No, no, I can’t accept this!” Uncle Li had already swiftly tucked the supplements away.

Murong Hanwen: “Remember to eat the supplements.” Lu Wanxing: “Mhm.”

Silence. Silence is the Cambridge of tonight.

Sheng Xia had originally worried the Eldest Miss might fall into the male lead’s “love trap,” but now she felt that possibility was microscopic. Forget falling into a trap; the Eldest Miss didn’t even acknowledge the road existed.

In the original novel, Murong Hanwen was overbearing and cold to others, but he felt Lu Wanxing was special. He felt their family backgrounds matched, and her personality was as clear and cold as the moon. That was why he was eventually drawn to the female lead, who initially despised him.

In old-school melodramatic novels, the male leads basically have logic issues. If someone likes you, you think they’re after your money; if they’re cold to you, you want to “conquer” them.

Thinking about the paralyzed facial expression she triggered whenever she met a main character, Sheng Xia felt a chill. She practiced hard in the mirror, hoping to master an expression that would make the male lead lose his appetite.

[Streamer, I actually have an idea.] [The Underworld recently published a ‘Custom Emoji Pack.’ It can integrate with your features to create a customized expression for a specific person and only that person can see it.]

Sheng Xia was interested and opened the livestream mall, only to find… she couldn’t afford it.

She scrolled to the bottom and found she could only afford the cheapest item: a blank piece of paper where she could draw an emoji herself. Sheng Xia thought about her drawing skills and did a quick sketch on a piece of scratch paper.

Great. Her drawing skill wasn’t unlocked either. Perfect.

Sheng Xia drew three: one with a fawning and greedy smile, one with a dejected and somewhat eerie expression, and one where the facial features were rearranged in a bizarre, chaotic way.

The viewers felt all three were incredibly off-putting, but since she could only afford one, they voted.

[I suggest the first one. The male lead hates it when people are too enthusiastic, right? If you use the second one, he might think the streamer is staring at him because of ‘unrequited love turned to hate.’ The third one might just pique his curiosity. The first one is the safest bet to make him recoil.]

Ultimately, the livestream audience agreed. Sheng Xia bought the paper, drew it, and checked the virtual effect.

[…Wait, why do I feel like this expression is actually kind of cute when the streamer does it?] It had a “greedy little money-grubber” vibe that looked adorable on her pretty face.

[…Me too. What do we do now?] They suggested it, and now it had backfired.

After some thought, they crowdfunded to buy a new high-quality sheet that came with built-in “repulsive” effects. Finally, it worked.

Downstairs, the conversation shifted. Murong Hanwen invited Lu Wanxing to the beach. Sheng Xia’s heart skipped a beat.

Never mind the risk of being tricked by him; with the Eldest Miss’s frail constitution, wouldn’t a gust of wind give her a cold?

Sheng Xia slapped the “emoji” on her face and prepared to head down to test the effect.

“Eldest Miss,” Sheng Xia stood beside Lu Wanxing. The latter nodded but said nothing.

As for Murong Hanwen, Sheng Xia didn’t even have to guess. With his brain chemistry, he was definitely thinking: Heh, woman. To get close to me, you actually became a bodyguard for my fiancée. Truly persistent.

Seeing Sheng Xia’s “mercenary” look, Murong Hanwen felt even more disdain.

Hearing the inner monologue Heh, mercenary woman, becoming a bodyguard just to get close to me—Lu Wanxing was stunned. She looked at Sheng Xia’s expressionless face and couldn’t fathom how he saw “mercenary” in that wooden expression.

Thinking back to the bizarre meeting between him and Sheng Xia a few days ago, Lu Wanxing felt that perhaps Murong Hanwen’s brain had truly suffered a severe trauma, leading to some mental instability.

“It’s a company team-building event. You are my fiancée; it’s best if you attend.”

“We’ll see,” Lu Wanxing yawned, hoping he would take the hint and leave.

However, Murong Hanwen was not one for hints. To force Sheng Xia to reveal her “true intentions,” he intentionally said, “Go pour me a glass of wine.”

Next, she will definitely ‘accidentally’ spill the wine on me to start a conversation and touch me.

Lu Wanxing/Sheng Xia: “…” What a ridiculous inner monologue/plot point. Do you think this is your office and you’re flirting with a secretary?

Sheng Xia skillfully poured the wine and didn’t linger for a second, swiftly returning to her spot behind the Eldest Miss. When he looked over, she “sent” him the emoji.

Murong Hanwen’s brow furrowed in annoyance. “Control your expression.”

Lu Wanxing glanced sideways. Sheng Xia was like a wooden statue; nothing was out of the ordinary. It was Murong Hanwen’s behavior today that was bizarre.

Seeing the Eldest Miss look over, Sheng Xia felt nervous. Seeing her calm expression, she breathed a sigh of relief. She didn’t care what Murong Hanwen thought of her, but she cared about the Eldest Miss’s opinion. If the emoji glitched and the Eldest Miss saw it, she would leave immediately out of pure embarrassment.

“Where did you find this bodyguard? She’s so ill-mannered,” Murong Hanwen’s face darkened. Seeing no reaction from Lu Wanxing, he grew frustrated. Not wanting Sheng Xia to witness his irritation, he said, “You, leave.”

When she didn’t move, his anger flared. Lu Wanxing hummed thoughtfully. “Go find Uncle Li and see if there’s anything to do.”

“Yes, Eldest Miss.” Sheng Xia nodded and exited briskly.

Once outside, she grabbed the large shears from Uncle Li and began “trimming” the plants while eavesdropping.

She hadn’t intended to draw the male lead’s attention so frequently, but a thought struck her when Lu Wanxing looked at her: if Murong Hanwen was angered by an expression only he could see, while she looked normal to the Eldest Miss, it would make him look crazy.

It was also a test of the Eldest Miss’s attitude. If she didn’t blindly follow the plot and obey him, then staying was the right choice. If she used this as an excuse to kick her out… then she would just leave.

Despite her logic, Sheng Xia was still nervous.

Inside the villa, Murong Hanwen proposed: “Fire this bodyguard. I’m not comfortable with her by your side.”

“Why?” Lu Wanxing propped her chin on her hand, her tone lazy.

“Did you see the way she looked at me just now?”

“Mhm.” Like a hard rock.

Murong Hanwen was incredulous. “Just ‘mhm’? I am your fiancé. Aren’t you angry that she’s looking at me with such a covetous gaze?”

Lu Wanxing found this baffling. “Setting aside whether there’s anything wrong with her expression… do you have anything worth coveting?”

Hearing this, Sheng Xia and the “ghosts” in the stream nearly burst out laughing. It turns out “Straight-Girl Literature” is a highly effective weapon against narcissistic men.

Murong Hanwen was choked up, unable to respond for a moment. “Anyway, I don’t want to see her next time I come.”

“What do you mean?” Lu Wanxing raised her chin, her eyes narrowing.

“This kind of low-class person isn’t fit to be here.” He had investigated Sheng Xia. She was just a daughter from a bankrupt family with no background and no good people in her life.

He couldn’t understand why the old lady put such a “country bumpkin” next to Lu Wanxing. Her frame was thin and unappealing; he felt the only thing she had going for her was her face, and even that was ruined by her expressions.

Last time in the alley, looking at her back, he’d felt a sudden impulse to grab her. Having looked a few more times, a sense of “conquest” had risen in him—he wanted to see other expressions on that wooden face, just as he wanted to conquer Lu Wanxing. He enjoyed that thrill.

Now, that desire was obliterated by her “expression.” He didn’t want to see her ever again.

“Sure, okay,” Lu Wanxing nodded. Just as a smile began to form on Murong Hanwen’s face, she added: “Then don’t come next time.”

Every time he came, he tried to drag her out. It was annoying.

Outside, Sheng Xia had to recall every sad memory in her life just to stop herself from laughing out loud. Oh my god, why is the Eldest Miss so cutely blunt?

The smile shifted. As it appeared on Sheng Xia’s face, it vanished from Murong Hanwen’s.

“Wanxing, you’ve always hated it when people try to plant staff in your villa. Now I’m helping you get rid of her, why are you embarrassing me?”

Murong Hanwen thought he was being helpful, not realizing he was stomping all over Lu Wanxing’s pet peeves.

“Who told you she was ‘planted’ here?” She didn’t realize her villa had become a sieve where news leaked out after only a few days.

Realizing his slip, he explained, “It doesn’t matter who brought her. With her background, how could she possibly end up by your side? As a bodyguard? I could knock out four people of her stature with one punch.”

“Are you questioning my judgment?” Lu Wanxing asked.

This left him stuck. Saying “yes” or “no” was a losing move. He could only mutter, “I’m doing this for your own good. People like her will do anything for money. You’ll regret it.”

“We’ll see about that. For now, she’s in my villa. Unless she makes a mistake, I won’t kick her out.”

Murong Hanwen: “???”

That’s not what you said when you kicked out the other bodyguards. He remembered the time he tried to plant a mole in her villa; Lu Wanxing had taken one look at him and thrown him out because his “unshaven beard ruined her mood.”

“It’s late. Time for bed,” Lu Wanxing said, blatantly lying while the sun was still high in the sky.

In the original novel, Murong Hanwen’s face was usually as cold as an icicle, melting into a smile only for Lu Wanxing. Now, thanks to Sheng Xia’s interference, he didn’t want to stay another second. He stormed out in a huff.

Passing Sheng Xia in the yard, he was further infuriated by her “expression,” convinced that Lu Wanxing was intentionally protecting her.

Sheng Xia didn’t feel a shred of guilt.

Walking back inside, Sheng Xia’s face automatically reset to its paralyzed state. No one could tell she had just been laughing to the point of tears.

“Eldest Miss, I was standing right behind you just now… I hope I didn’t affect your relationship with Young Master Murong?” Sheng Xia spoke with the expertise of a seasoned “Green Tea” manipulator.

Lu Wanxing initially didn’t want to answer, but seeing the faint moisture at the corners of Sheng Xia’s eyes, she spoke up: “No. Don’t worry about it.”

“That’s good. But if Young Master Murong comes again and I’m hanging around, will he be unhappy?”

Lu Wanxing turned her wheelchair and gave Sheng Xia a long look. “Have you been drinking too much Biluochun tea lately?”

“The ‘tea’ scent is becoming a bit overwhelming.”

Support