I Am Her Secret Beauty - Chapter 3

The moment Mu Xi came into view, Nan Xi felt something explode in her mind.

What was it…? The obsession and painful memories that had haunted her for five years? Her dignity and pride? Or the fragile heart she had painstakingly pieced back together?

Why was she here?

So, she hadn’t died or been crippled after all? She had been living just fine, and now she had the audacity to walk toward her like this?

How dare she show up in her home, smile at her, and even call her “Young Miss”?

Nan Xi trembled harder the more she thought about it, her face flushing a concerning shade of red. The humiliating, bitter memories flashed before her eyes again and again, like a movie made solely to mock her filmed five years ago and now playing back to slap her hard across the face.

No. Nan Xi thought. No matter what, she had to return that slap.

She had to strike her first. Everything else could wait.

So the moment Mu Xi stopped in front of her, before she could even finish that infuriating self-introduction, Nan Xi swung her arm with all her might and landed a resounding slap across Mu Xi’s left cheek.

Mu Xi’s reaction only made Nan Xi angrier.

She was shocked, of course. But after the initial surprise, Mu Xi didn’t seem the least bit intimidated. Instead, she wore an expression of humiliating tolerance, as if Nan Xi were just a tantrum-throwing child she was willing to indulge.

But that wasn’t right. The one who had vanished without a word for five years was her.

Nan Xi stared at her, tears welling up in her eyes.

She was waiting, waiting for the first words Mu Xi would say to her after five years. She wanted to hear what they would be.

And those words were:

“I apologize, Young Miss. That was rude of me.”

Mu Xi bowed deeply at a 90-degree angle, even though she had no idea what she had done wrong.

The nearby servants didn’t dare speak, only watching the interaction in shock.

Their gazes toward Nan Xi grew even more fearful. Who would have thought this young miss had such a temper, striking the butler on their very first meeting?

But soon, Nan Xi unleashed a reaction that shocked them even more.

Nan Xi had once seriously considered that maybe Mu Xi had disappeared for some unavoidable reason. That would have been fine. If she had sincerely apologized and properly explained why she had vanished without a trace, Nan Xi wouldn’t have made things too difficult for her. Maybe just three times, and then she would have forgiven her. They could have moved on, leaving no grudges between them.

But a “sincere apology” was definitely not “That was rude of me.”

So, in a completely undignified manner, Nan Xi took a large step forward, grabbing Mu Xi by the collar and pulling her so close their faces were almost touching:

“Are you really not going to explain why you disappeared?”

To an SSS-ranked Alpha, Nan Xi’s forceful movements were as insignificant as an ant trying to shake a tree. But to match her fury, Mu Xi deliberately bent slightly, making it seem as though she had been yanked forward.

She could clearly see the rage in Nan Xi’s eyes, the terrifying red veins streaking through those beautiful irises.

But she also saw her own reflection, utterly lost, unsure of what to say to salvage the situation.

What the hell was all this…?

Had I forgotten some crucial plot point when I transmigrated here…

“…Miss Nan Xi.” Mu Xi felt she had to say something, so after a moment’s hesitation, she tentatively began to explain, “We… shouldn’t have met before.”

As soon as these words left her mouth, Nan Xi’s gaze toward her grew several degrees colder.

Nan Xi’s chest was heaving violently, and at times, her face twisted with pain and struggle. Mu Xi immediately wanted to pull out her phone to call the family doctor, but Nan Xi stopped her.

It was true that Nan Xi’s grip was weak.

But since she had made a move, what could Mu Xi do? She could only obediently halt her actions and wait for further instructions.

Nan Xi stubbornly clung to Mu Xi’s collar, refusing to let go. “Answer me, are you Mu Xi?”

“Yes.”

Nan Xi then glared at her as if it were the most natural thing in the world, seemingly waiting for her to say something else.

…What was she supposed to say?!

“Uh.” Mu Xi awkwardly cleared her throat. “Have you perhaps met someone who looks like me before? Maybe… with the same name?”

She admitted it was a strange coincidence, but she genuinely couldn’t recall anything related to Nan Xi in her memories! Mu Xi had never even seen her face before, so the awe she felt upon seeing her two minutes ago wasn’t fake, she was certain this was their first meeting.

If there was some romantic debt involved, it must belong to the original owner of this body. It had nothing to do with her.

Mu Xi thus drew a clear line for herself with a clear conscience.

This subtle shift in attitude did not escape Nan Xi’s notice.

Nan Xi then released her poor collar, looking at her with a gaze that was both icy and mocking.

The stalemate lasted a long time until Nan Xi spoke again: “You’re currently the butler of my household?”

“Yes, Young Miss.”

“Do you want to keep working here?”

Nan Xi’s tone was sharp with sarcasm. “Don’t even think about it. I won’t let you stay a single day longer.”

Mu Xi had to admit, after being berated by Nan Xi up to this point, her heart truly shattered at this moment.

No matter how she looked at it, she never expected that after dutifully and tirelessly serving as a tool in the Nan household until now, her exit would take such a humiliating form.

Do workers have no dignity?!

Do butlers have no dignity?!

“…Young Miss.” Mu Xi maintained her flawless smile, neither subservient nor arrogant as she bowed slightly toward her. “I respect all your decisions. However, until my resignation is finalized, I remain the butler here. Please allow me to call the family doctor for you, you don’t look well.”

Nan Xi fell silent, simply staring at her.

Mu Xi calmly bent down to touch the teacup in front of Nan Xi, then turned to the few servants watching the drama unfold with relish and said,

“The tea is too cold. The Young Miss has a delicate constitution, prepare warm water from now on.”

“…”

Nan Xi’s expression was complicated as she stood there, neither speaking nor moving.

Mu Xi then tidied up the snacks Nan Xi had finished before bowing once more. “I apologize for displeasing you. The family doctor will arrive shortly. I shall take my leave now.”

“Stop.” Nan Xi instinctively shouted to halt her, the words leaving her mouth before her brain could catch up. By the time she realized what she’d done, Mu Xi had already frozen in place.

She just… couldn’t let her leave like this.

After all, this person’s track record was such that once she left, it would be for at least five years.

“…I don’t want a family doctor, and I won’t drink warm water.” Nan Xi kept her gaze fixed solely on Mu Xi. “Come here, sit down.”

She gestured to a spot on the sofa for Mu Xi.

Mu Xi had no choice but to comply with her request. She walked over and sat down in the designated spot, tilting her head up slightly as she waited for Nan Xi’s next instruction.

Would she ask her to pick up the fruit knife on the table and commit suicide?

If so, should she obey?

The employment contract probably had clauses allowing her to refuse orders that threatened her personal safety… but would the contract even hold any weight against the Nan family?

Mu Xi couldn’t help but glance at the fruit knife on the table.

Nan Xi, who had been watching her closely, naturally noticed her gaze. Following her line of sight, Nan Xi looked at the knife and suddenly seemed inspired. She picked it up and handed it to Mu Xi. “Peel an apple for me.”

Mu Xi obediently took the knife and selected the largest, reddest apple from the pile, carefully beginning to peel it.

Her control was impeccable, she removed only the thinnest layer of skin while preserving as much of the fruit as possible. It was the kind of peeling technique that would make any mother proud.

As she peeled, Nan Xi persisted with her questions:

“You really don’t remember anything?”

“Miss, I remember everything,” Mu Xi corrected her earnestly, her hands still working on the apple. “But I’m certain that in all my 25 years of life, I’ve never met you before.”

The moment the words left her mouth, Nan Xi swayed slightly, her soft black hair swaying with the movement.

She looked like a porcelain doll on the verge of shattering. While omegas were indeed more fragile, they shouldn’t be as perpetually close to collapse as she appeared now.

Mu Xi glanced at her several times, concerned, only continuing to peel the apple once she saw Nan Xi gradually steady herself.

But the image that filled her mind wasn’t the apple, it was Nan Xi, teetering on the edge.

Though she hadn’t made a sound, the intermittent tears streaming down her face had already left noticeable trails on her delicate skin, as if they might carve into her cheeks at any moment.

Her complexion was pale, extremely so, but now it was flushed an unnatural shade of red. Anger and sorrow were reshaping her features. If Mu Xi had looked closer, she might have even seen the veins beneath her skin becoming more pronounced, a physical manifestation of her chaotic thoughts.

“…Tell me about your background, starting from university.”

“I’ve always enjoyed the sense of fulfillment that comes from serving others, so after the college entrance exams, I enrolled in a domestic science university.”

“Four years later, I graduated with honors and worked for two households, first as a family consultant, then as a housekeeper. Those two jobs lasted three years in total, but the second employer passed away suddenly. Her family left City A to escape the painful memories, and that’s when I came across the Nan family’s job posting…”

Mu Xi recounted her background methodically, her expression calm and composed the entire time. Even her hands remained steady as she peeled the apple, showing no signs of deceit.

Nan Xi covered her face in agony.

It all sounded so reasonable, yet it was completely different from what she knew…

A domestic science university? A love for serving others?

All the grievances and heartache of the past five years were magnified beyond measure at this moment. Nan Xi felt the warm tears welling up uncontrollably in her eyes, seeping into every crevice between her fingers. Some merged with her skin, while most quickly turned cold before trickling down from the palm of her hand.

Mu Xi, seeing her like this, immediately stopped again and looked at her with concern.

Though he wasn’t the one she had been longing for all this time, witnessing her in such a state filled Mu Xi with a deep sense of melancholy.

If she was in so much pain now, she must have loved him very, very much back then.

She had slapped him, but it didn’t hurt, no need to dwell on it.

“Are you sure you don’t need a family doctor?”

Mu Xi heard himself ask. Just moments ago, he had privately harbored some criticism toward Nan Xi, but now he genuinely wanted to call a doctor for her.

A doctor couldn’t heal the wounds in Nan Xi’s heart, but at least they could ensure her physical well-being.

Nan Xi raised her head and rubbed her tearful eyes.

Through her blurred vision, she murmured:

“I don’t need one. I just need you.”