I Am Her Secret Beauty - Chapter 31

Nan Lian actually nodded, quickly releasing her grip and shoving the girl away from her embrace, then standing aside as if it had nothing to do with her.

She pulled her sunglasses from her pocket and put them on again, the hem of her evening gown fluttering in the cool night breeze, making her appear utterly solitary.

She didn’t even spare her a glance:

“You’ve already heard what I just said. Bai Ran, got any more tricks up your sleeve?”

Tricks.

To call the life born from their love, from their passion, a “trick”… How cruel.

Mu Xi and Nan Xi both turned their gazes toward Bai Ran. Given how Bai Ran had been sitting on the ground crying earlier, they expected her to be either utterly disheartened or seething with resentment.

Mu Xi was already prepared to step in and shield Nan Lian, because Bai Ran’s mental state seemed like the type to carry a knife on her at all times.

Her tense, slightly forward-leaning posture annoyed Nan Xi to no end. She tugged at Mu Xi’s sleeve and muttered under her breath, “Why are you so nervous? Just enjoy the show.”

Nan Xi didn’t understand the struggles of being an employee.

Just as everyone fully expected Bai Ran to have an emotional outburst, Bai Ran bit her lower lip, her eyes red as she tried to move closer to Nan Lian:

“A-Lian, why do you always pretend to be this kind of villain? You’re not really like this, your heart isn’t this hard. I can see it.”

Mu Xi straightened up again.

Nan Xi fell silent too.

They exchanged a glance, both seeing profound bewilderment and speechlessness in each other’s eyes, and only then did they relax.

Good. At least the majority were still normal.

Even Nan Lian’s lips twitched violently. The closer Bai Ran got, the faster she retreated, her words cutting deep:

“Life isn’t some tragic melodrama. There’s no need for you to romanticize me like this, because I know exactly what kind of person I am. Our short-term relationship is over, do you understand?”

Mu Xi uncomfortably pinched her fingers, then glanced at Nan Xi, whose expression was now too complex to put into words.

Suddenly realizing that her sister was the ultimate scumbag Alpha… Well…

She could kind of understand how Nan Xi felt now.

Nan Xi also looked at Mu Xi. After a moment of silent eye contact, Nan Xi suddenly stood on her tiptoes and leaned in to whisper in Mu Xi’s ear: “I suddenly think you’re not so bad after all. At worst, you just lose your memory, play dumb, or turn on people without warning. If you were like this, I’d really stab you to death, wouldn’t care if I had to spend the rest of my life in prison.”

Mu Xi was terrified by her words and immediately checked Nan Lian’s reaction. Only when she confirmed Nan Lian hadn’t heard Nan Xi did she relax.

Memory loss and playing dumb, Mu Xi denied one and didn’t dare admit to the other. As for turning on people without warning, Mu Xi felt Nan Xi was just as guilty.

“You still know how to be scared?” Nan Xi whispered shamelessly into Mu Xi’s ear. “Relax, my sister’s hearing was damaged. She can’t hear us from this far away.”

Mu Xi stood stiffly, pretending she hadn’t heard Nan Xi.

Nan Xi scoffed and didn’t press further, turning her attention back to the two in front of them.

Bai Ran clutched her chest, her face twisted in pain as if something inside her had shattered. She looked up at Nan Lian with an accusatory glare, her voice finally dripping with venom, though not directed solely at Nan Lian:

“A tragic melodrama…? A-Lian, isn’t being the stand-in for a white moonlight also a tragic melodrama? Who’s the one who loves these tropes the most, if not you? Do you really think I haven’t seen those things…?”

“That woman is very beautiful. Isn’t the reason I’ve stayed by your side the longest because I resemble her the most? Do you really think I don’t know anything at all?”

“I can pretend to be ignorant, so why can’t you? Wouldn’t it be nice if we just lived on foolishly like this together…?”

?

!

Mu Xi had only vaguely known that Nan Lian had suffered heartbreak before, but today she heard it stated so bluntly, and from the omega Nan Lian had dumped, no less… Good heavens!

She turned to Nan Xi for confirmation, only to see Nan Xi’s gaze flicker, the previously amused expression finally fading into one of weariness.

Mu Xi knew then that this was indeed true.

When she looked back at Nan Lian, she found her frozen in place, staring at Bai Ran with a murderous glare far more genuine than her earlier cold demeanor.

No longer retreating, Nan Lian stepped forward, closing in on Bai Ran, and grabbed her by the throat: “What did you see?”

Bai Ran’s face flushed red from the choking, yet her eyes were filled with triumph, as if she had finally scored a victory over Nan Lian.

Gasping for breath, Bai Ran seemed on the verge of collapse, but Nan Lian appeared oblivious, relentlessly pressing: “Answer me. What did you see?”

Mu Xi didn’t have time to ponder whether this vengeful emotion could even be called love. She rushed forward to pull Nan Lian’s hand away from Bai Ran’s throat.

If this continued, someone would die, no doubt about it. Possibly even two lives.

Stronger than Nan Lian, Mu Xi forcibly separated them and, driven by her true feelings, shielded Bai Ran behind her: “Miss, please calm down.”

Bai Ran coughed violently behind her but still couldn’t resist taunting Nan Lian: “I saw… the photos in your office drawer, the handwritten letters in your room’s cabinet, and the name… the name in your sleep-talking. You hid them so poorly.”

Nan Lian stood rooted to the spot, her body beginning to tremble.

“I can’t be the only lover who’s discovered these things, can I?” Bai Ran laughed, her eyes brimming with madness in a way Mu Xi couldn’t see. “Didn’t she die for you? I could die for you too.”

Something about those words struck Mu Xi as off. The moment she turned, she heard Nan Xi’s startled cry.

From somewhere in her disheveled clothes, Bai Ran pulled out a small knife and, without hesitation, slashed it toward her own neck.

Mu Xi’s first thought was:

She really did carry a knife!

But contrary to her expectations, the knife wasn’t meant to harm Nan Lian, it was meant to end Bai Ran’s own life.

Everything that followed happened in the blink of an eye. That moment seemed stretched by invisible hands, long enough to contain every action from everyone, yet leaving no time for thought to catch up with motion.

By the time Mu Xi regained her senses, her left hand was drenched in blood, though it now clutched the small, sharp blade.

Bai Ran had been gripping the handle, so to wrest the knife away, Mu Xi had no choice but to grab the blade, inevitably cutting herself.

Honestly, it didn’t hurt much. The blood just looked terrifying.

Just look at how frightened Nan Xi was.

Bai Ran was likely suffering more than Mu Xi. Instead of exacting revenge by killing herself in front of Nan Lian as planned, she had ended up causing an innocent person to bleed in her stead.

Bai Ran was stunned, repeatedly apologizing to Mu Xi.

Soon, Nan Xi grabbed her by the collar and shoved her aside, leaving Bai Ran standing empty-handed, dazed.

“Uh.” Mu Xi raised her left hand, intending to show Nan Xi that she could still move it and that it wasn’t a big deal. But Nan Xi’s eyes only grew redder, so she could only weakly say, “It’s fine, it’s… my left hand.”

Nan Xi wanted to scold her but couldn’t bring herself to. Her vision was completely blurred by tears, so she could only grab Mu Xi’s uninjured left arm and shout, “Nan Lian, take off your jacket and use it to bandage her!”

Nan Lian silently complied. As soon as she removed the jacket she was wearing, Nan Xi, who had wiped her tears, snatched it away to wrap Mu Xi’s wound and stop the bleeding.

Nan Lian glanced at Bai Ran, who had been pushed aside.

The situation was strange. Among the four of them, the only one not crying was Mu Xi, who was the one actually bleeding.

While carefully bandaging Mu Xi, Nan Xi yelled at Nan Lian, “Drag that omega of yours away! I’ve had enough of her, don’t let her show her face here again!”

It wasn’t just her eyes that were red. Mu Xi noticed fine blood vessels had also appeared in them. The usually composed and proud woman was now so furious that strands of her hair clung to her face with sweat, her pale lips flushed crimson from the rush of blood.

Mu Xi felt oddly at ease, as if she had just gulped down her favorite… orange juice? Her hand still hurt, but the surge of pleasure-induced hormones quickly dulled the pain, leaving only a shallow, stream-like happiness.

She looked down at Nan Xi with warm, bright eyes, only to be met with a fierce glare.

…Uh, okay.

Nan Lian stood motionless.

Just as Nan Xi was about to lose her temper, the muffled sound of footsteps came from the side.

Bai Ran, hugging herself, walked away.

“……” Nan Lian watched her disappear into the distance but still didn’t move.

Mu Xi raised her surviving right hand to rub her nose, worried that Nan Lian might feel cold after taking off her jacket. Even injured, she dutifully reminded her, “Miss, please get in the car first.”

Before she could finish, she felt Nan Xi tighten the jacket around her wound, not enough to hurt, but enough as a small warning.

When Mu Xi looked up, Nan Xi was holding the ends of Nan Lian’s jacket, glaring at her resentfully as if ready to tighten it again at any moment, depending on Mu Xi’s next move.

Mu Xi fell silent.

Nan Lian seemed completely unaffected by the cold. Only after Bai Ran’s figure had vanished into the night did she turn back to Mu Xi and say, “I’m sorry, Butler Mu. Both Bai Ran and I owe you an apology. This had nothing to do with you, and you shouldn’t have been hurt.”

Before Mu Xi could respond, Nan Xi cut in sharply, “Exactly. What does this have to do with Butler Mu?” Having finished bandaging, Nan Xi eagerly lifted Mu Xi’s uninjured right hand for her. “Didn’t we agree to return that slap to Butler Mu? Her other hand is fine, get ready, sis.”

She even raised Mu Xi’s hand toward Nan Lian’s face, startling Mu Xi so much that she quickly exerted some force to pull it back down.

True to her word, Nan Lian actually nodded at Nan Xi’s suggestion, slightly lowering her head as if preparing to take the hit, standing perfectly still to let Mu Xi slap her.

“No, no, no, Miss, there’s no need for this. It’s all part of my duties, and it really doesn’t hurt at all.”

Mu Xi had absolutely no intention of returning that slap to Nan Lian, not because she didn’t dare, but because…

Because…

She loved peace and was utterly loyal to her master’s family.

Honestly, just thinking about it logically, how could a butler possibly strike their master?

Nan Lian was the first to come around to this realization. With an expressionless face, she raised her hand and slapped herself across the cheek.

The force was definitely stronger than Bai Ran’s slap. Though it was somewhat immoral, Mu Xi felt a fleeting sense of satisfaction.

“Then I won’t insist any further, Butler Mu. The medical expenses and other compensation will be transferred to your account by my assistant tomorrow.”

Nan Lian gave Mu Xi a deep look. “I just hope that no matter what, tonight’s incident remains confidential, especially from my family, particularly Mom and Dad. Thank you.”

Mu Xi naturally understood the importance of secrecy.

By now, she already had secrets to keep for Nan Xi, Guan Yan, and Nan Lian. She just needed to hold her tongue for the remaining two.

Nan Xi wasn’t entirely satisfied with this resolution, but since Mu Xi seemed pleased, she didn’t press further. She’d just have to find another opportunity to settle the score with Nan Lian or Mu Xi later.

The three of them, each injured to varying degrees, returned to the car together. With Mu Xi’s hand injured, Nan Lian took the wheel.

Mu Xi and Nan Xi sat together in the backseat.

Nan Xi had been closely watching Mu Xi’s hand the entire time. Earlier, she had been worried about a potential arterial injury and insisted on applying pressure to the wound. It took Mu Xi a while to reassure her before she finally let go, only relaxing when she saw no blood spurting out.

Now that Mu Xi’s condition had stabilized for the moment, Nan Xi hesitated briefly before asking Nan Lian in the driver’s seat:

“Sis, do you really… plan to let Bai Ran have the baby?”

“She’s bluffing.” Nan Lian’s grip on the steering wheel remained steady, her tone indifferent. “I won’t give her the chance to get pregnant. Besides, I could tell at a glance she was lying. She isn’t pregnant.”

No wonder Bai Ran had acted so recklessly. If she had truly been carrying the child of someone she loved deeply, she would have been much more cautious.

At least, that’s what Mu Xi thought.

“Then, about Su Wen…”

“Nan Xi.” Nan Lian’s grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly. “Please, don’t.”

So, Nan Lian’s white moonlight was named Su Wen.

And according to Bai Ran’s words, Su Wen had once died for Nan Lian…?

Mu Xi had no right to judge Nan Lian’s habit of seeking replacements after Su Wen’s death, but she instinctively felt it wasn’t the best approach.

After all, this was reality, not some melodramatic novel. Nan Lian had hurt real, flesh-and-blood people, like Bai Ran, whose heart had shattered into pieces tonight.

Thinking back to the girl’s fragile, almost self-abandoned state, Mu Xi still couldn’t help but pity her.

Maybe she should have taken that slap for Bai Ran after all.

But Nan Lian had struck herself pretty hard too. Maybe she also felt she had done wrong.

…No, she shouldn’t think like that. It wasn’t right to make excuses for the perpetrator.

Mu Xi pricked up her ears to listen as Nan Lian continued speaking cryptically:

“I know I’m beyond redemption, Nan Xi. If you still have the chance, don’t let yourself become like me. Whatever you do, don’t.”