I Am Her Secret Beauty - Chapter 35

The world is going downhill.

Perhaps the figure Mu Xi had posted was simply too enticing. Despite the high requirements and the unusual nature of the job, her inbox was quickly flooded with a steady stream of messages.

After being relentlessly harassed by twenty people, Mu Xi had no choice but to turn off her notifications and retreat to her butler’s quarters, flopping onto the bed to escape.

Nan Zhiya had given her just three days to complete this task because Nan Xi’s heat cycle wasn’t entirely stable, and it was best to have some buffer time.

Flipping through the explicit photos sent by applicants showcasing their figures, Mu Xi’s mood gradually sank to rock bottom. She was doing something vulgar and sordid, becoming an accomplice in Nan Xi’s oppression. Yet, at the same time, another thought surfaced,

Maybe this was the perfect opportunity to reset her relationship with Nan Xi to a normal master-servant dynamic. After all, she didn’t want to face it either.

If Nan Xi was willing to accept the alpha they found, wouldn’t that also mean she was willing to give up on Mu Xi as her alpha…

Mu Xi pinched her thigh hard, wrinkling her suit pants.

After barely ten minutes of avoidance, she dejectedly reopened her phone and sent interview notices to a few applicants with decent figures and less explicit photos.

There was no way she could conduct the interviews at the Nan residence. Mu Xi chose a quiet, sparsely populated café near the outskirts, scheduling the meetings to coincide with the time she’d normally pick Nan Xi up from work.

Nan Zhiya knew what she was up to and wouldn’t mind her delegating the pickup task to the driver.

After sending out the first batch of interview notices, Mu Xi returned to her usual duties. The only difference was that around four in the afternoon, she went back to her butler’s quarters to change into something other than her uniform.

Opening the wardrobe door, rows of neatly arranged black butler uniforms greeted her. Mu Xi fell silent for a moment, she truly couldn’t remember the last time she’d worn anything else.

She crouched down and pulled open the bottom drawer, where the clothes she’d brought with her when she first joined the Nan family over a year ago were stored. Digging deeper, she found casual outfits and a few dresses, some possibly dating back to her university days.

Driven by some inexplicable impulse, she picked out a green dress and put it on.

Then she turned to the full-length mirror.

The reflection showed someone unfamiliar, long hair loose, the green dress flowing gently, her face tinged with an awkward shyness that added a touch of softness.

The dress was sleeveless, leaving her arms unusually exposed to the air. Mu Xi instinctively crossed them behind her back before catching herself and letting them hang stiffly at her sides.

…Had she ever actually worn this dress since buying it?

It struck Mu Xi that she had nearly forgotten, she, too, was a young woman in the prime of her life.

She tucked her essentials into a small bag, slung it over her shoulder, and slipped out of her room, making sure to leave the house unnoticed while the living area was empty of staff.

Mu Xi arrived ten minutes early, only to find the first interviewee already waiting in a corner of the café, a detail that pleased her.

The short-haired woman in the corner spotted Mu Xi, her eyes lighting up as she stood to greet her. “Hello,” she said.

Mu Xi quickly shook her hand and then took a seat inside:

“You’re Ding Na, right?”

The woman before her was quite attractive, wearing silver-framed glasses, with an outstanding demeanor.

“Yes,” Ding Na replied bluntly, then immediately asked, “Is the nature of this job what I think it is?”

“Well… if what you’re imagining is something not entirely legal, a bit vulgar, involving money and favors, then yes, probably.”

Mu Xi phrased it delicately.

Ding Na actually laughed at that. “No problem. The salary you’re offering is high enough, and I happen to be short on cash lately. What I’m selling doesn’t matter.”

Mu Xi began verifying Ding Na’s personal information from her submitted resume.

29 years old, master’s degree, currently an independent writer (likely the reason she’s short on money), 176 cm tall, 65 kg, blood type A, Scorpio, an S-class alpha…

“Quite impressive qualifications,” Mu Xi remarked objectively, marveling at how money could indeed move mountains, even someone this capable could be summoned or dismissed at the drop of a coin. “Have you had any… um, relevant work experience before?”

“Work experience? No. Sexual experience? I’ve had quite a few partners. My writing is largely based on my experiences.”

Mu Xi immediately cautioned her seriously, “But any experiences from this job cannot appear in any written form. I’ll have you sign a very strict confidentiality agreement. If violated, you’ll face hefty fines and even prison time.”

Not to mention personal retaliation from Nan Zhiya and Nan Xi.

“I understand. If I can get so much money without lifting a finger, why would I go through the trouble of writing about it?” Ding Na smiled, her eyes fixed unwaveringly on Mu Xi. “Can I ask a question?”

“Go ahead.”

“Who’s the client? Is it you?”

Mu Xi: “…No.”

“Oh… I didn’t think so. If you were looking for someone, you wouldn’t need to go through all this trouble.” Ding Na muttered, “Then, if they’re willing to pay so much, is the client old and ugly?”

“Watch your words.” Mu Xi frowned, mentally noting this down about the candidate.

Ding Na stayed silent. After a few seconds of silence, Mu Xi couldn’t help but add, “No matter how you look at it, the person taking this job is the one getting the better end of the deal.”

Ding Na left.

…

The next candidate sat across from Mu Xi.

“Is this really a job posting, or are you just phishing for scams? The salary seems way too high.”

“It’s a real job.”

“Save it. Here’s my badge. You’re suspected of solicitation and fraud. Come with me.”

“Officer, officer, please wait, let me make a call to your chief…”

…

“Sister, how do you plan to assess the candidates’ job performance?”

“Hmm?”

“Why don’t you try me out first? I’m free right now.”

“…Sorry, I’m also an alpha.”

“Can’t two alphas have a good thing going? What era is this? I didn’t expect someone as old-fashioned as you. I’ll give you another chance, are you coming with me or not?”

“You make a fair point, but no.”

…

Mu Xi slumped exhaustedly over the table, the coffee beside her untouched.

She had endured far too much in these three hours.

Perhaps due to the nature of the job, the applicants included all sorts of unsavory characters, at least five of them had subtly or directly expressed their desire to sleep with Mu Xi.

How could Mu Xi possibly feel at ease bringing these people to Nan Xi?

Mu Xi drove back to the Nan residence. As she entered, Nan Xi happened to walk past the living room holding a glass of water, and their eyes met.

Hearing someone return, Nan Xi looked up, surprised and delighted to find Mu Xi looking particularly different today, utterly delectable.

Just as she was about to tease her with a few flirtatious words, Mu Xi brushed past her, her voice filled with exhaustion and apology:

“I’m sorry… Young Miss.”

Nan Xi had no idea what was going on.

Mu Xi was apologizing to her out of the blue, but what had she done wrong?

Before she could even voice her confusion, Mu Xi had already hurriedly retreated to the butler’s quarters, leaving behind only a firmly shut door.

…Huh?

Over the next two days, aside from her usual duties, Mu Xi continued interviewing applicants.

The numbers only grew, leaving Mu Xi even more mentally drained than before. Each night she returned to the Nan residence in silence.

Moreover, she kept avoiding Nan Xi, refusing to explain why she was so busy or where she kept going. She was careful with every extra word she spoke. Nan Xi rode to work in her car each morning fuming, only to spend the evenings restless and agitated because Mu Xi was nowhere to be found.

Seeing her grit her teeth in anger and actually look like she was about to kiss him, Mu Xi took another step back and finally spoke with difficulty:

“Young Miss, let’s meet tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow? What do you mean? Why tomorrow? Can’t we do it now? Fine, but what are we doing tomorrow? Where are we meeting? Don’t we see each other at home every day?”

Nan Xi took another step toward him.

Mu Xi insisted on keeping his distance, taking a large step back.

Just as Nan Xi was about to feel heartbroken, she heard Mu Xi say something that made her face flush uncontrollably.

“At a hotel. I’ll send you the room number once I’ve booked it.” Mu Xi turned to leave. “That’s it then.”

Nan Xi stood rooted to the spot, her face growing hotter and hotter until she finally covered it with her hands and let out a high-pitched squeal.

What the! This Mu Xi really… either completely clueless or…

And going to a hotel? Ignoring her for days, could it be she’s been too embarrassed all this time?!