I Am Her Secret Beauty - Chapter 24

Mu Xi fell silent.

It felt as long as a century.

Then she finally spoke: “Young Miss, I don’t have much of a personal life.”

“I know. That’s what I like most about you,” Nan Xi said calmly. “Alright, I understand the situation now. Goodbye.”

She hung up without hesitation, leaving Mu Xi standing there like a fool, still holding her phone in a daze.

Had Nan Xi just… casually said she liked her?

And then hung up so decisively, not even giving her a chance to react?

…Did she say that kind of thing to everyone?

Nan Xi had returned from abroad, where people were more open and affectionate, words like “like” and “love” were probably thrown around all the time.

Mu Xi, feeling utterly lost, picked up the empty bag Nan Nan had left behind and left the office with it, driving home.

She knew that even more trouble awaited her there.

The moment she stepped through the Nan family’s front door, pairs of curious and questioning eyes locked onto her, trying to glean any clues from her demeanor.

No matter how deep their admiration for the butler had been, it should have completely evaporated by now. Everyone quickly realized that Mu Xi had ended her rut early because she had marked someone.

In an instant, the thought “Butler Mu actually has a sex life?” popped into their heads.

Now that the “actually has a sex life” butler had returned, the staff couldn’t help but reevaluate this woman, eager to uncover the secret to her success.

How exactly had she managed it? What was the method to balancing work and romance so perfectly?

Butler Mu always seemed so upright, everyone assumed she wasn’t the type to casually hook up with an omega just because of her rut. So, they concluded she must have a secret lover.

Mu Xi squirmed under their scrutiny, forcing a smile in a futile attempt to smooth things over:

“Well, my vacation is over. Thank you all for taking care of things these past few days.”

No one moved. No one responded. Mu Xi quietly walked through the crowd and headed to the laundry room to drop off Nan Nan’s dirty clothes.

After ensuring the staff in the laundry room knew exactly how to handle Nan Nan’s suit, Mu Xi turned to leave.

But then she spotted two people lurking outside the door, still staring at her.

Mu Xi sighed inwardly and stopped where she stood.

A butler’s job was to manage the household.

If it weren’t for her responsibilities, she’d rather not address this situation so openly.

“What are you two doing? Have you finished your tasks?”

Mu Xi sternly called out Xiao Wang and Xiao Ji, who had been peeking at her, and dragged them to an empty corner.

One beta, one omega, they exchanged guilty glances but mustered the courage to ask:

“We… no, not just us, everyone wants to know if Butler Mu is in a relationship.”

Mu Xi was serious about her work but easygoing, never making things difficult for anyone. She got along well with the staff, which was why they dared to ask such a direct question.

Xiao Wang started giggling, unable to contain her excitement: “If you could just tell us who you’re dating-”

“Stop imagining things,” Mu Xi cut her off with a glare. “I’m not dating anyone.”

She wasn’t lying. It was the truth.

The two of them wore expressions of disbelief but shrank back, not daring to push their luck.

Seeing them quiet down, Mu Xi’s tone softened slightly. “Not just you two, when you go back, tell everyone else too. Don’t let these things affect your work.”

The moment her voice gentled, the two across from her immediately grew bolder again.

Xiao Ji bravely clenched her fists to psych herself up. “But, why would Steward Mu cut her vacation short? If A’s rut ended early, doesn’t that mean she was marked?”

Mu Xi stared at her.

In fact, Xiao Ji had just been among the potential romantic partners Nan Nan had speculated about for Mu Xi.

Mu Xi found it both amusing and exasperating, but she couldn’t let even a hint of it show on her face. If she lost her composure again, who knew how much more audacious these people would get?

“Xiao Ji, this is my personal life. It has nothing to do with work.”

“If you insist on asking, my answer is no.”

Xiao Wang and Xiao Ji were promptly shooed back to work by Mu Xi. When questioned by the others, they said Butler Mu stubbornly refused to reveal anything about that precious little omega, clearly determined to deny everything and not share a single detail with them.

What a shame, work hours had just lost a lot of their entertainment value.

But there was nothing anyone could do about it. They could only continue tidying up and cleaning as usual.

Mu Xi, who had been secretly monitoring their movements, quietly let out a sigh of relief.

The staff gossiping was one thing.

But if Nan Zhiya and the others returned and started asking questions, that would be the real challenge.

Sure enough, the moment Nan Lian returned home that evening, the first thing she did was glance at Mu Xi, who was directing the dinner setup, and ask, “Are you dating someone?”

She promptly showed Mu Xi her chat history with Nan Nan.

Nan Nan: “Done with the meeting.”

Nan Nan: “Sis, let me tell you something interesting.”

Nan Lian: “What?”

Nan Nan: “Butler Mu came back to work today. You know what that means, right?”

Nan Lian: “?”

Nan Lian: “Making a fuss over nothing. She’s a healthy adult alpha.”

Despite her composed, elder-sister tone in the messages, Nan Lian, being the first to return home, was genuinely curious about the matter.

Mu Xi thought with some relief that this could be considered an indirect acknowledgment of her work ethic and competence.

Lowering her head respectfully, she replied, “Miss, I’d like to keep my privacy.”

Nan Lian gave her a slightly surprised look but didn’t press further, retreating thoughtfully to her room to put her things away.

The hurdle of Nan Lian, the least persistent questioner, had been cleared.

But when the entire Nan family gathered at the dinner table that evening, Nan Nan once again brought up the topic, and the focus of conversation shifted back to Mu Xi.

This time, it wasn’t just the dining Nan family members, even the staff standing behind Mu Xi, ready to assist at any moment, secretly pricked up their ears. Everyone was intensely interested in the matter.

Nan Nan: “I was in a hurry this afternoon and didn’t get to ask properly. Does Butler Mu have a partner or not?”

Several pairs of eyes instantly locked onto Mu Xi.

Mu Xi looked back at them, each one brimming with curiosity, clearly delighted to have such an entertaining topic to spice up their meal.

As for Nan Xi, she seemed even more interested than the others, setting down her fork and folding her hands as she waited for Mu Xi’s answer.

Nan Xi was enjoying her predicament, wasn’t this just feasting on her misery?

Seeing Mu Xi hesitate, Nan Nan generously gave her an out: “It’s alright, Butler Mu. We’re not prying into your private life or personal secrets, and we don’t need to know who the other person is. Just tell us, are you in a relationship or not?”

“……” The thought of admitting in front of Nan Xi that she was involved with someone filled Mu Xi with an indescribable sense of shame.

But even Nan Zhiya was watching with keen interest. No matter how stubborn Mu Xi was, she didn’t dare spoil the mood and had no choice but to yield under the capitalists’ oppressive authority. She nodded weakly, “Yes.”

The moment the word left her lips, Nan Nan let out a triumphant cheer. “See, what did I tell you? Butler Mu is definitely the type to have a proper relationship! Sis, transfer the money now!”

Nan Lian, unruffled, calmly picked up her phone and tapped a few times. “Sent.”

Guan Yan watched their exchange with amusement. “You two were betting on Butler Mu’s love life?”

“Yep!” Nan Nan proudly waved her payment confirmation. “Look, 20,000 in the bag.”

The attendants standing behind Mu Xi couldn’t help but exchange knowing glances.

See! Earlier in the afternoon, Butler Mu had stubbornly denied being in a relationship, but now, in front of the masters, she had no choice but to admit it!

She’s definitely dating someone, we knew something was off about her.

At this point, Nan Zhiya, who had been quietly observing, finally spoke.

With just a faint smile, she immediately drew everyone’s attention:

“If only you all could be this worry-free someday.”

“It’s not that I fear you don’t want to settle down. If you truly have no interest in it, I wouldn’t say much.” Nan Zhiya’s gaze swept over Nan Lian and Nan Xi, who were seated together. “What I fear is that you’ll be held back by useless obsessions. Sooner or later, they’ll bring you nothing but trouble.”

The previously cheerful atmosphere at the table instantly turned heavy. Guan Yan, while glancing at the sisters’ reactions, moved to soothe Nan Zhiya.

Nan Lian remained silent, lowering her head to continue eating.

Nan Xi, however, acted as if she hadn’t heard a word, turning to Nan Nan with an air of indifference. “Next time there’s a fun bet like this, count me in.”

Nan Nan grimaced in horror, frantically lowering her head to make herself as inconspicuous as possible, afraid of drawing Nan Zhiya’s wrath.

Don’t drag me into this, sis! Unlike my sisters, I’ve never been into those tragic love affairs, I’ve always been steadfastly single, okay?

Nan Zhiya naturally took the opportunity to mock Nan Nan as well: “A 27-year-old who still needs the butler to deliver their clothes, there’s really nothing to say.”

Nan Xi burst into laughter, waving for Mu Xi to come refill her glass for the celebration.

As Mu Xi stood beside her pouring the wine, her emotions were strangely tangled.

It wasn’t just the secretive, almost illicit nature of her relationship with Nan Xi, there was something else weighing on her mind.

Nan Lian’s reaction just now.

She suddenly recalled what Nan Xi had mentioned, the person who had hurt Nan Lian eight years ago and was subsequently punished by Nan Zhiya.

From what Mu Xi remembered… Nan Lian had always had female companions.

Though she wasn’t sure if it was the same person all along.

Lost in thought, Mu Xi vaguely recalled Nan Xi’s words when a voice suddenly snapped her back to reality: “Butler Mu.”

She jolted, only to realize the wine in Nan Xi’s glass had long surpassed the baseline and was still rising toward the rim.

Mu Xi immediately straightened the bottle and apologized to Nan Xi, attempting to take her glass to pour out the excess wine.

But Nan Xi stopped her again: “No need, leave it as it is.”

“However.” Nan Xi tilted her head and raised her eyes, and from this angle, only Mu Xi could see the sly mischief in her gaze.

Her tone was distant, making others think she was genuinely reprimanding Mu Xi. “Don’t let your relationship distract you from work.”

Nan Xi paused slightly when saying the words “in a relationship”, a subtle malice only the two of them could understand.

Yet her attitude and phrasing were impeccably normal, exactly how a young mistress would speak to her butler, not a secret lover in some role-play scenario.

Butler Mu Xi was deeply ashamed of her negligence at work and immediately set down the wine bottle to bow and apologize to the young miss:

“My apologies, young miss. I will remain vigilant from now on.”