I Am Her Secret Beauty - Chapter 19

Regarding this matter…

Nan Xi first began to harbor doubts on the morning after she secretly kissed Mu Xi.

Mu Xi told her she had slept well the night before.

But Nan Xi had clearly seen the dark circles under Mu Xi’s eyes, something that wasn’t normally there.

And then there was that one strand of hair at the back of her head that had stubbornly stuck up. The usually impeccable Mu Xi would never allow herself to appear anything less than perfectly put together, yet yesterday, that strand had been left untamed. Nan Xi had noticed it when Mu Xi got into the car.

Nan Xi really wanted to tell her that if she wanted to look refreshed and not overly exhausted, applying lipstick alone wouldn’t cut it.

Mu Xi still had a lot to learn.

For some reason, the moment they got into the car again, just the two of them, the memory of Nan Xi stealing that kiss the night before flooded her mind.

Mu Xi’s sweet, peaceful sleeping face, the soft and warm sensation of her lips, and the little bite Nan Xi had left on them…

Biting her had felt like sinking her teeth into jelly, only softer, bouncier, and sweeter.

Maybe it was guilt, but Nan Xi would never admit it.

When Nan Xi glanced at Mu Xi through the rearview mirror, Mu Xi immediately averted her gaze, pretending she had been looking straight ahead the whole time, avoiding any eye contact.

But despite Mu Xi’s best efforts to hide it, Nan Xi still caught the flicker of unnatural tension in her expression.

That fleeting discomfort convinced Nan Xi that Mu Xi had probably been watching her before she turned her way.

She understood Mu Xi, far better than Mu Xi thought.

Right then, Nan Xi started wondering, what if Mu Xi had already been awake when she bit her?

What if she knew exactly what Nan Xi had done and was just pretending she didn’t?

That seemed entirely possible.

After all, Mu Xi was currently playing the role of the dutiful butler to perfection, meticulously fulfilling her duties and guarding her well-paid position with all her might.

Silly girl.

If she just seduced Nan Xi, she’d earn way more than she ever could as a butler.

…

In the suffocating silence, Mu Xi’s lips began to tremble slightly, her cheeks flushing a burning pink.

She parted them as if to speak, but then, as if overwhelmed by embarrassment, pressed them tightly together again, draining them of color.

Seeing her reaction, Nan Xi understood everything.

Nan Xi felt no awkwardness, she had done it, she had asked, and she felt no shame for her actions.

Not only that, but she now very much wanted to tease Mu Xi a little more.

“Why isn’t the butler saying anything?” Nan Xi

At the same time, her face had turned as red as a boiled shrimp, with her ears and neck also flushed crimson.

Nan Xi raised an eyebrow.

Was she really that shy?

Mu Xi spoke with a lack of confidence, yet she stubbornly tightened her grip on the steering wheel and forced out the words she needed to say:

“I know what you… did to me yesterday. I won’t, and have no right to blame you, Young Miss, because I am the Nan family’s butler. But I hope you won’t do such things to me again. You know that alphas and omegas are different, and besides, I’m not… the person you want me to be.”

If the words she had struggled to say were a stone thrown into water,

Then Nan Xi’s current state of mind was like the entire ocean.

She effortlessly absorbed the stone Mu Xi had hurled, not even a ripple forming on the surface. Instead, she responded with a gentle breeze, treating it all as nothing more than a playful jest.

Nan Xi replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world: “What if I refuse? What will you do then?”

“Then I…”

Mu Xi faltered, her hands still gripping the steering wheel stubbornly, but her head drooped slightly.

Because she realized she had no means to oppose Nan Xi.

Even so, Mu Xi tried her best to uphold the last shred of dignity she had as a butler:

“Then I’ll have no choice but to report everything truthfully to Madam.”

“Heh heh heh…”

What answered her was Nan Xi’s mocking laughter.

The kind laced with heavy derision, as if Mu Xi had just told the most ridiculous joke. She even lifted her arm to cover her mouth with the back of her hand.

“Butler Mu, it seems you haven’t grasped the situation at all.”

Nan Xi felt like a true villain at this moment, the kind of scoundrel or pervert who bullied innocent girls. Yet, to her surprise, she was somewhat enjoying the feeling:

“Do you know how much my mother hates that woman? If she found out you share the same name and face as her, do you really think losing your job would be the worst of it?”

“…”

Mu Xi looked up blankly, catching Nan Xi’s faintly amused expression in the rearview mirror.

“You’ll never set foot in City A again in your life. Not just City A, you won’t even get close to any of the surrounding cities like B or C. Your home economics university is in City Z, right? That’s probably the only place you can return to.”

Nan Xi cruelly informed her, “I’m not trying to scare you. Eight years ago, the person who hurt my sister ended up exactly like this. It’s already happened before.”

Mu Xi didn’t seem afraid, but she was helpless, utterly helpless against Nan Xi’s pressure.

Nan Xi was certain that, at this very moment, Mu Xi’s mind was in turmoil, desperately searching for some way out.

If Mu Xi had continued studying military strategy at A University, this situation might have been simple for her. But for some reason, she had graduated from a home economics university instead, so she likely lacked the strategic thinking she should have mastered.

Nan Xi had never been one to be constrained by gender. Even the most delicate omega could dominate a powerful alpha, and that was exactly what she was doing right now.

“Then what should I do?” Mu Xi’s eyes were slightly red. It was unclear whether it was from helplessness or grievance. “Young Miss, Nan Xi, I’m really not that person. I shouldn’t have to bear these consequences for her. I truly haven’t done anything…”

Nan Xi narrowed her eyes slightly, catching a glimpse of Mu Xi’s current state in the narrow rearview mirror.

Mu Xi was definitely not a fragile person, neither five years ago nor now. So, the way she was lowering her stance and pleading for mercy now greatly pleased Nan Xi.

Moreover, that long-lost “Nan Xi”… was indeed too pleasing to the ear.

A wave of nostalgia overlapping with past memories flooded Nan Xi’s mind. She also took a step back, leaning gently against the car seat and letting out a sigh.

“Ah…”

Nan Xi waved her hand, deciding to let her off for now. “We’ll talk about it later. Drive, I’m going to be late.”

Mu Xi numbly started the car, stepped on the gas, and drove as steadily as usual.

When they arrived and Nan Xi got out of the car, Mu Xi even said, “Goodbye, Young Miss,” though her voice sounded a bit muffled.

Nan Xi maintained her demeanor perfectly today, merely responding with a faint “Okay,” instead of pouncing on her to give her a fierce peck.

Mu Xi drove off, and Nan Xi headed into the lab to start her work for the day.

Perhaps her unusually cheerful mood was too obvious, because Tong An’an quickly came over to chat, pointing at the conical flask in front of Nan Xi. “Bubbles?”

“Yeah.” Nan Xi, surprisingly, responded.

Encouraged by this success, Tong An’an confirmed that Nan Xi was in an exceptionally good mood and began steering the conversation away from work. “Want to have lunch together?”

“I brought my own food.” Nan Xi thought for a moment but then changed her mind. “Sure, I’ll bring my lunch and join you in the cafeteria.”

Tong An’an happily returned to her workstation, continuing her own tasks while eagerly waiting for noon to arrive.

During lunch.

Tong An’an marveled at the visually stunning dishes in Nan Xi’s lunchbox, clicking her tongue in admiration. Nan Xi was indeed in an extraordinarily good mood today, seeing Tong An’an’s eager expression, she even offered to share, letting her pick whatever she liked.

Tong An’an was naturally thrilled, quickly helping herself to Nan Xi’s food while keeping up the chatter. “Did your housekeeper drive you to work this morning?”

“Yes.” At the mention of Mu Xi, Nan Xi couldn’t help but curl her lips into a smile.

Tong An’an, as if emboldened, leaned in closer and lowered her voice, though her excitement was unmistakable. “That’s so great! Who knew the story could continue like this? Nan Xi, you’re really living the good life now, hehe.”

Nan Xi wasn’t sure what scenario Tong An’an had in mind but nodded generously. “Thank you.”

Having eaten her fill, Tong An’an felt obliged to keep the compliments coming to keep Nan Xi happy, so she doubled down. “This housekeeper of yours is really something. The way she looks at you, just, wow! it’s so intense.”

“Is that so?”

Nan Xi thought back. Truthfully, she found Mu Xi intense quite often.

Especially when she looked so pitiful this morning.

After finishing lunch, the two walked back to the lab building together. Tong An’an said she wanted to take a nap, so Nan Xi entered the lab alone but didn’t start working right away.

She stood in front of her workstation, staring intently at the unstable solution in the container, but her thoughts were still fixated on that person.

… Did Tong An’an mean that Mu Xi had feelings when she looked at her?

What a strange notion.

Nan Xi smiled, though only briefly.

If she wasn’t mistaken, Mu Xi probably wanted to kill her right now, given how terribly she had treated her.

Could this be considered forcibly taking a woman?

Nan Xi began working while waiting for the “taken woman” to arrive.

Her emotions were tangled. She felt joy over the ambiguous relationship she currently shared with Mu Xi, yet she also despised herself for indulging in this one-sided game. But she truly couldn’t extricate herself from this pleasurable charade, because the happiness outweighed the pain.

The root of it all was that Mu Xi didn’t love her now. If only she did, they would both be so much happier.

When the day ended, Nan Xi walked to the parking lot in the twilight.

The person in the car wasn’t Mu Xi, it was some driver who had picked her up before.

This had happened two or three times over the past three days. Mu Xi was simply too busy, often unable to free herself. And since she would be at home anyway, with nowhere to escape, Nan Xi didn’t say anything, simply getting into the car and letting the driver take her back.

Nan Xi returned home, but even there, she didn’t catch a glimpse of Mu Xi.

… Out working?

Of course, the more likely scenario was that Mu Xi was deliberately avoiding this time slot under the guise of work, in other words, avoiding her.

Nan Xi wasn’t angry. Instead, she laughed cheerfully, had dinner in the dining room with Guan Yan and Nan Nan, chatted for a while on the sofa, and then returned to her room.

Throughout all this, Mu Xi never appeared.

But the next morning, Mu Xi still hadn’t shown up.

Nan Xi stared at the driver standing before her. After frowning and muttering an apology, she turned and went back inside, asking Nan Nan, who was scrolling through her phone in the living room:

“Where’s Butler Mu?”

“Ah, Butler Mu?” Nan Nan was engrossed in reading jokes on her phone, her tone lively. “She didn’t tell you? For the next few days, the driver will be taking you around. Household matters have also been delegated to different assistants.”

“Butler Mu started her leave yesterday.”

“?!”

Nan Xi was stunned.

No… according to the schedule, Mu Xi’s sensitive period shouldn’t be for another few days.

Why would it have started yesterday…?

Nan Xi turned and stared fixedly at the inconspicuous housekeeper’s room at the far end of the Nan family’s first floor.

The door was tightly shut. Nan Xi didn’t know whether Mu Xi was inside right now, nor whether she would leave the Nan residence during her sensitive period.

… But even if she was inside, so what?

She had to leave now, she had work to do, a lab at A University to attend. Nan Xi might be somewhat casual at times, but she wasn’t about to ask Yu Yacheng for leave over something like this.

Gritting her teeth, Nan Xi picked up her bag and walked out step by step, stomping so hard it was as if she were trying to leave footprints on the floor. The noise made Nan Nan look up from his phone in confusion, wondering why she was suddenly throwing a tantrum.

The sharp “click-clack” of her steps echoed through the quiet first-floor living room of the Nan residence. Nan Xi thought that, given how perceptive that person was, she might just hear her frustration right now.

FUCK.