I Am Her Secret Beauty - Chapter 34

“Introverted, scholarly, scientific research…” Guan Yan kept repeating these keywords, searching his mind before finally turning to Nan Zhiya with a frown. “Zhiya, I don’t think we have much connection with the research community, do we?”

To his surprise, Nan Zhiya smiled mysteriously. “Actually, we do.”

The moment Mu Xi saw that smile, a wave of regret washed over her. She hadn’t expected them to actually know someone like that.

If only she had made the criteria more complicated…

Both Mu Xi and Guan Yan perked up. “Who is it?”

“Do you remember the daughter of the Wu family?” Nan Zhiya said. “I recall she’s also a high-ranking Alpha and has pretty much taken over S.Life now. We collaborated with them recently, isn’t she exactly the kind of steady and intelligent person we’re looking for? The Wu family has been in medicine for generations, and before she took over the company, she was already a leading figure in the field.”

Guan Yan suddenly understood. “Oh, you mean Wu Quan!”

Wu Quan.

Mu Xi remembered now.

She had seen this person at Nan Youlin’s funeral. Her first impression had been one of dislike. Mu Xi could never warm up to people who were too cold-hearted. Nan Zhiya might exploit his subordinates, but at least he cared for his family. Wu Quan, however…

The image of those indifferent eyes surfaced in Mu Xi’s mind. Wu Quan’s irises were unusually light, and when their gazes had met, the corners of her lips had turned down slightly, Mu Xi still remembered it clearly.

She hadn’t expected Wu Quan’s name to come up in this conversation between the two Nan family members.

Yet, for some reason, recalling Wu Quan herself made Mu Xi feel an odd sense of relief. She was ashamed of her inexplicable confidence, but she just couldn’t imagine Nan Xi liking Wu Quan either.

With that conviction, Mu Xi calmly listened as the two in the backseat continued their discussion:

“If there’s a chance, we should interact more with the Wu family.”

“Right. Some people in our life sciences division are also interested in what S.Life is doing. Either way, more connections won’t hurt.”

That made sense. In any case, this so-called “interaction” would likely just mean Mu Xi making a few extra trips to their doorstep with gifts.

Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the lakeside where Nan Zhiya and his wife planned to picnic. The driver stayed in the car on standby while Mu Xi followed them out, dutifully setting up food and drinks by the shore.

This outing had been Guan Yan’s idea, he had been longing to visit this place for a while.

His enthusiasm was palpable. The moment they stepped out of the car, he grabbed his easel and began scouting for the best spot with good lighting. Meanwhile, Nan Zhiya lounged leisurely on the grass, watching him with a doting smile.

White clouds drifted lazily across the sky, and the lake shimmered gently. The early autumn scenery was soft and beautiful, even softening Nan Zhiya’s usually sharp features.

Casually picking up a cookie and popping it into her mouth, Nan Zhiya said offhandedly,

“You don’t need to keep working, Butler. Sit down.”

Mu Xi: “…”

Well, she had already finished setting everything up anyway.

Mu Xi smiled and obediently sat down near Nan Zhiya, her mind at peace.

She, too, gazed at the lake in the distance. Artists always had an eye for beauty, this little-known spot was truly picturesque. It was just a shame she was here on duty with her employers.

If only there was someone sitting beside her.

And if that someone happened to be…

Just as a thought about a fluttering black skirt slowly descending beside him crossed his mind, Guan Yan plopped down next to Nan Zhiya. The two leaned against each other and began talking, soon embracing again.

Fragments of their intermittent sweet nothings drifted into Mu Xi’s ears, but his heart remained as still as water. He hugged his knees and continued watching the flocks of birds passing by in the distant sky.

Finally, Guan Yan, having eaten and drunk his fill, went to the lakeside to take photos, and peace returned to Mu Xi’s ears and eyes.

Before he could relax, Nan Zhiya’s voice abruptly sounded beside him: “Butler.”

A tone entirely different from before. Mu Xi had a conditioned reflex to Nan Zhiya’s serious calls and instinctively bent his waist: “Yes, Madam.”

“You were with Nan Lian last night, weren’t you?” Nan Zhiya glanced at Mu Xi’s heavily bandaged left hand. “I doubt this injury was caused by any steel bar.”

Mu Xi swiftly switched sides: “Yes, Madam.”

She knew very well who her real employer was.

The night before, when Mu Xi had claimed her hand was injured by a falling object and Nan Lian silently went upstairs, Nan Zhiya had felt something was off, Mu Xi had noticed this.

She knew Nan Zhiya would ask eventually.

Seeing Nan Zhiya remain silent, Mu Xi took the initiative: “One of the young mistress’s female companions had a conflict with us, but I’ve already resolved it. Please rest assured, Madam.”

She wasn’t sure how Nan Zhiya would interpret the word “resolved,” but the more severe the interpretation, the safer Bai Ran might be.

“Hmm.” Nan Zhiya responded with a faint smile. “With you in the house, I feel at ease.”

She didn’t ask for specifics, how Mu Xi’s hand was really injured or how a female companion had clashed with Nan Lian. This allowed Mu Xi to exhale in relief.

She had initially expected Nan Zhiya, true to her style, would demand she unwrap the bandages on the spot to prove her claim before letting it go.

Mu Xi flexed her fingers slightly, relieved to have escaped Nan Zhiya’s interrogation.

Every time she was alone with Nan Zhiya, Mu Xi felt like a cowering eunuch serving an emperor.

Thankfully, this wasn’t feudal times, emperors had long since lost their heads.

Just as this thought crossed her mind, Mu Xi heard Nan Zhiya speak again:

“You and Nan Xi have something going on too, don’t you?”

?!

Mu Xi nearly blurted out, “Spare me, Your Majesty.”

Though autumn had already arrived, beads of sweat instantly formed on Mu Xi’s body. She clenched her fingers, forcing herself to stay calm to avoid revealing any cracks, but she couldn’t stop trembling.

Only then did Mu Xi realize that when someone is truly guilty, they can’t control their reactions.

And the root of her guilt was that she had indeed done something wrong.

As the saying goes, if you often walk by the river, your shoes will eventually get wet…

Seeing her silent reaction, Nan Zhiya curled her lips into a mocking smile.

“Butler…”

With every word she spoke, Mu Xi felt as though a bolt of lightning had struck her.

Would she lose his job? Her life? What would Nan Xi lose…?

“Almost every butler who enters the Nan household makes the same mistake,” Nan Zhiya said darkly. “You’re no exception.”

She also…

Wait.

Every butler made the same mistake?

Mu Xi snapped back to reality.

Surely, not every butler in the Nan family had an affair with the young master or mistress.

What Nan Zhiya was referring to wasn’t what she had thought.

Realizing that her affair with Nan Xi hadn’t been discovered, Mu Xi immediately stopped trembling. Instead, she lowered her head heavily, her voice filled with overwhelming shame: “Madam, I’m sorry…”

“Heh.” Nan Zhiya let out another mocking chuckle, but this time Mu Xi could bear it calmly. “Do you know how I found out? You’re usually highly efficient, but this time you kept dragging your feet. That’s how I knew… you had a private arrangement with Nan Xi.”

She spoke mysteriously, and it took Mu Xi a moment to realize what Nan Zhiya was actually concerned about.

It was still about finding an alpha for Nan Xi. Mu Xi had been putting it off, making Nan Zhiya think she was following Nan Xi’s instructions on this matter.

Well… she had listened to some of Nan Xi’s words… but not about this…

In any case, Mu Xi lowered her head even further, sounding like she was about to cry:

“The young mistress did tell me she doesn’t want an alpha. She was very firm and forbade me from mentioning it again…”

“But what about her liking reserved, scholarly types? Is that true?” Nan Zhiya seemed particularly fixated on this detail.

Mu Xi nodded vigorously: “Yes, she told me that before saying those other things.”

Nan Zhiya let out a slight sigh of relief.

“As for Wu Quan… never mind, go handle what needs to be done first.”

“As the housekeeper, you’re the most important person in household management. You’re privy to what should and shouldn’t be known, so loyalty is non-negotiable. You understand that, right?”

“Still, you’re young. The issues that plagued previous housekeepers haven’t surfaced in you yet, and I hope they never will.”

Following Nan Zhiya’s usual pattern, after the stick came the carrot,

“After this is done, I’ll give you another 200,000. Think carefully about it, Butler.”

With that, Nan Zhiya no longer looked at Mu Xi. Instead, she stood up from the lawn and walked over to speak with Guan Yan, leaving Mu Xi alone on the grass to reflect.

Mu Xi kept her head bowed, but in reality, she was staring at the damp green grass in front of her, completely unaware of how many ants might have crawled past her.

What she had known before was that the master of the house could speak freely about family secrets in front of the housekeeper because they had no fear of the information leaking.

It held no benefit for the housekeeper, and those with money and power naturally had ways to keep an ordinary person’s mouth shut.

Now that Nan Zhiya had made things so explicit, Mu Xi could no longer avoid the matter.

Personally selecting a suitable alpha for Nan Xi or something like that…

What Nan Zhiya demanded wasn’t whether Nan Xi would accept it, but whether Mu Xi, as the butler, would obey her orders.

Today, she had only been given a few pointed remarks. Next time, the secret between her and Nan Xi might truly be exposed.

Mu Xi raised her head and saw Nan Zhiya bending down to speak with Guan Yan in the distance, her smile warm and her affection genuine, nothing like someone who had just reprimanded another.

It seemed it was time to resort to that method.

The one she’d heard about at the housekeeping academy, the little-known technique passed among housekeepers to help their masters find suitable candidates.

…

Mu Xi opened a certain recruitment app and began registering employer information.

After navigating through layers of complex verification systems, she arrived at the strategic core of the entire platform.

Posting a job listing.

The world is truly a strange place. Someone on the verge of tears just five minutes ago can now calmly and composedly start drafting a job posting, as absurd as an alpha seeking another alpha to mark their already claimed omega.

“Wanted:

1. 1. 1. 1. A beautiful female alpha of S-rank or above. Job specifics to be discussed in person.

1. 1. 1. 1. Height must be at least 1.75m. Preference given to those with fitness habits, no vices, and refined hobbies.

1. 1. 1. 1. Outgoing and optimistic personality, but not overly talkative. Must be caring with a considerate service mindset.

1. 1. 1. 1. Work required once a month. Schedule and location to be discussed.

1. 1. 1. 1. Job duties subject to a confidentiality agreement.”**

After finishing this vague yet decipherable-to-those-in-the-know posting, Mu Xi hesitated slightly at the salary field before finally filling in the number: 200,000.

She didn’t deserve this money. She couldn’t take it.

Better to give it to someone more worthy.

Expressionless, Mu Xi clicked “Post,” then turned off her phone and stuffed it back into her suit pocket, unwilling to look at it again anytime soon.

At that moment, Nan Zhiya casually turned her head to glance in Mu Xi’s direction.

Mu Xi responded with a sincere yet guilt-ridden smile, bitter as a condemned criminal’s final confession before execution.

Nan Zhiya, reassured, turned away again.