Damn It! I Fell for the Hated Villainess Again! - Chapter 27.1

Su Xiao had been sheltered like a hothouse flower since childhood. Even after her family’s bankruptcy, Yu Ting had taken her in. She had never encountered anyone as fierce as Jiang Yao.

Her delicate, white-flower face immediately crumpled, tears streaming down her cheeks.

The product hadn’t even launched yet, and Yu Tanning didn’t want Su Xiao running to Yu Ting with complaints. She quickly grabbed Jiang Yao’s hand.

“Boss, calm down. I’ll get the clothes dry-cleaned right away. There won’t be any trace left.”

Yu Tanning was defending this woman!

A sharp pain pierced Jiang Yao’s heart. She violently shook off Yu Tanning’s hand. “Do you even know what material this is?! This is mulberry silk! It’s completely different from the other fabrics in the factory!”

“I know,” Yu Tanning said urgently. “I’ll send it for professional dry-cleaning right now, with special detergent. Trust me.”

“And what about her? Does she just walk away scot-free?” Jiang Yao interrupted, her voice tight with anger as she glared at Su Xiao.

Large tears streamed down Su Xiao’s face, her hand trembling as she clutched a tissue. “I’m sorry… I-I really didn’t mean to.”

“Saying ‘I didn’t mean to’ and shedding a few tears. Does that make it like nothing happened?”

Yu Tanning tried to smooth things over. “Boss, let’s get your clothes cleaned first.”

Jiang Yao turned to her, her gaze sharp. “Yu Tanning, does the principle of taking responsibility for one’s actions not apply at Muse? This dress is expensive, and dry cleaning it won’t be cheap either. If it were me, I wouldn’t try to evade responsibility with a simple ‘I didn’t mean to’!”

Yu Tanning took a deep breath. “Are you asking her to pay for it?”

“What else? She spilled the coffee. Regardless of her motives, the damage is done. She needs to show some accountability!” Jiang Yao’s voice rose sharply, drawing curious glances from people in the hallway.

Su Xiao’s sobs grew louder. “But I… I really don’t have any money. My family went bankrupt, we owe so much, and my mother needs surgery…”

The mention of “surgery” triggered something in Jiang Yao’s mind, and a sudden ringing filled her ears.

Yu Tanning sighed. “Yaoyao, let it go.”

Jiang Yao stared at Yu Tanning’s conflicted expression, her heart sinking with each heavy beat.

The surrounding noise gradually coalesced into a clear narrative, tightening around her heart like a vise, drawing blood and leaving her breathless with pain.

A School Belle. A poor, innocent flower.

What defense did she have left?

Yu Tanning was the main female lead of this world! Her destined partner was this crybaby woman right in front of her!

So what was Jiang Yao? What had their time together meant?

She had met Yu Tanning first! She had poured her heart and soul into preparing a gift for her. And now? It meant less than a few tears from this woman?

Ha! What bullshit setting!

No matter how close they had been, even if they were about to break through the paper-thin barrier of ambiguity, now that the destined partner had appeared, Yu Tanning would transform into a saintly martyr! She would ruthlessly abandon Jiang Yao! She would shower all her affection on this woman named Su Xiao! She would brand Jiang Yao as the villainess, joining the world in condemning her?!

Why?!

“I refuse to let it go!” Jiang Yao trembled with fury. “That was my gift! I have every right to demand answers!”

Su Xiao’s sobs grew more pitiful, and the murmurs of the surrounding employees rose in volume. Without knowing the full story, people always sided with the one who cried the most bitterly.

Hearing someone whisper that Jiang Yao was being aggressive, Yu Tanning grew anxious. “Yaoyao, please calm down…”

Those were the last words Jiang Yao wanted to hear right now. Especially from Yu Tanning.

It only confirmed her belief that she was protecting Su Xiao and trampling on her hard work.

Jiang Yao cut her off fiercely. “Don’t call me Yaoyao!”

“Yu Tanning, are you deliberately trying to make things difficult for me?! Do you have to defend her?!”

“I’m not defending her. It’s just…”

“Just what?! Yu Tanning, aren’t you just trying to excuse her?!”

“There are too many people here. Can we talk about this privately? Please?”

Jiang Yao was beyond reason, her mind consumed by the plot of the novel. Every word Yu Tanning spoke twisted into something else in her ears.

Her imagination fueled her anger, the flames licking at her trust and burning her heart cold.

Clutching the cold document in her hand, Jiang Yao looked at Yu Tanning with utter disappointment. “Yu Tanning, do you also think I only care about money and not about what’s right? Do you think I’m vicious and aggressive?”

“But this fabric is what I spent seven days scouring every supplier to find. The embroidery on your shoulder was stitched by my own hand. My hard work has been defiled, and a mere verbal apology can’t ease my hurt. So, I won’t let this go.”

“I’ll personally find a laundry service that’s affordable, one that even a capable adult can manage. Then, Miss Yu, please send the bill to your assistant.”

With a cold laugh, she shoved the document back into Yu Tanning’s arms.

“Since my gift means less to you than a few tears, then let’s return the favor. I don’t want your gift either.”

Her words struck Yu Tanning like a hammer, a sharp pain piercing her chest. Seeing the disappointment and anger in Jiang Yao’s eyes, panic surged through her like a tidal wave. Her usually composed face drained of color, turning deathly pale.

She reached out to grab Jiang Yao’s wrist, but only managed to clutch a corner of her sleeve.

Yu Tanning nearly chased after her, but Su Xiao behind her had already begun sobbing as she called Yu Ting.

Yu Ting was in a foul mood that day. Even from a distance, his furious curses could be heard over the phone, his tone suggesting Yu Tanning was just some disposable intern he could fire on a whim.

In that moment, Yu Tanning felt her heart tear in two, the ends of her soul stretched taut between them, every step forward or back burning with agony.

She stopped, rooted to the spot, watching Jiang Yao’s retreating figure disappear down the corridor. Her legs felt numb.

Yu Tanning found the situation absurd.

Just moments ago, she had been weighing the pros and cons, debating whether to appease the complaining Su Xiao first or chase after Jiang Yao, who had left in disappointment.

At her core, she was nothing more than a profit-driven businesswoman. Money and power were the only things she could never relinquish. How dare she claim to be Jiang Yao’s closest confidante?

She was no different from the other women Jiang Yao had encountered—all betraying their feelings for financial gain, all despicable.

She didn’t deserve to be by Jiang Yao’s side.

Midday sunlight streamed through the glass curtain wall of Muse’s office tower, forming a shimmering river across the corridor floor.

Yu Tanning stared at her shadow cast against the wall. Its fragmented outline mirrored her own fractured self—a mere facade in the ruthless arena of fame and fortune.

The cold air from the central air conditioning, carrying the bitter aroma of stale coffee, seeped into her collar. Suddenly, the perpetually climate-controlled building felt chillingly cold. Even the documents Jiang Yao had flung back at her felt icy to the touch.

The corridor’s gawking employees gradually fell silent.

The usually poised and flawless heiress, known for her impeccable composure, actually had tears welling in her eyes.

And it didn’t look like an act! The scene was straight out of a drama—a classic “wife-chasing hell” scenario!

After that fight with Yu Tanning, Jiang Yao was definitely not going back to the dorm. This time, she was truly determined, blocking Yu Tanning’s WeChat account and cutting off all communication.

Leaving Muse, Jiang Yao found a five-star hotel far from Beijing University to hide in. Just like before, she tossed her phone aside, making it clear she wouldn’t let Yu Tanning find her, no matter what.

Curled up on the hotel’s plush king-sized bed, the air conditioning wrapped her in a chill, mingling with the unfamiliar scent of incense. Jiang Yao had hoped to sleep and forget her troubles, but the ticking clock on the nightstand seemed to tear at her heart with each passing second, making it impossible to close her eyes.

She tossed and turned for hours, flipped through movie posters on the TV, and took a restless shower…

Night had fallen.

Her phone lay untouched in the distance, but Jiang Yao couldn’t stop glancing at the clock. Seven hours had passed since she left Muse.

Could Yu Tanning still be looking for her…?

The thought flashed through her mind, and she slapped herself hard.

She’s the main female lead, and you’re just the supporting character! To her, you’re not even worth a strand of her official partner’s hair! Stop being delusional!

Enraged at herself, Jiang Yao threw herself face-first into the pillow.

The soft fabric beneath her became a dark, bottomless sea, her body sinking into its depths as memories surged uncontrollably.

She remembered the gentle pressure of Yu Tanning’s hands as she massaged her arm, the cloying sweetness in her voice when she acted coy, and those repeated “Jiejie”s…

Sweet memories flashed by like a carousel, only to be stained by coffee and Su Xiao’s tears, turning bitter and unbearable.

Her emotions surged like a torrential downpour, but they also washed away all her confusion and pretense.

Jiang Yao felt much clearer now.

In truth, she didn’t care about the dress. If it was ruined, she could simply make another.

She had been using anger to mask her fear—the fear that she was no longer Yu Tanning’s sole, irreplaceable person.

“Just an assistant?” Jiang Yao muttered to herself, her voice tinged with a resentment she hadn’t even realized she felt. “So what if she’s the main female lead? Why should I have to compromise?”

Why should their relationship be threatened by some suddenly appearing assistant?

Jiang Yao’s heart burned with defiance.

She climbed out of bed, grabbed her phone, and bit her lip. Her finger hovered over Yu Tanning’s profile picture for a long moment before finally, with a decisive click, she removed her from the blacklist.

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