I Am Her Secret Beauty - Chapter 46

When Mu Xi came to pick up Nan Xi, she noticed something was off the moment she laid eyes on her.

Instead of rushing over eagerly for a kiss, Nan Xi bypassed her and directly got into the back seat. She didn’t look at Mu Xi or out the window but kept her head lowered, sullen and silent.

Most tellingly, Nan Xi hadn’t even brought her lunchbox, and Mu Xi had no idea which corner the upset young lady had tossed it into.

Although Nan Xi was the cherished jewel of the Nan family, she was far from incapable or scatterbrained… in fact, she was quite meticulous.

With a soft sigh, Mu Xi withdrew her hand from the car door and didn’t immediately return to the driver’s seat. Instead, she bent down and slid into the back seat, sitting beside Nan Xi.

This seemed to be the first time they had done this.

“Is the young lady unhappy?”

Mu Xi’s gentle inquiry only made Nan Xi bury her head even deeper, twisting Mu Xi’s heart with discomfort. She reached out to wrap her arm around Nan Xi’s shoulder, intending to draw her into an embrace.

But before their bodies could touch, Nan Xi gently pushed her away, still avoiding her gaze.

“…”

Mu Xi was certain she hadn’t done anything to upset Nan Xi these past few days, every action she took had been with Nan Xi’s approval. Her butler’s habits had played a crucial role in their interactions.

So, when Nan Xi pushed her away, Mu Xi’s heart quite reasonably shattered into pieces.

Assuming Nan Xi needed some space, Mu Xi silently prepared to leave her side and return to her rightful place in the driver’s seat.

She had only halfway exited the back seat when Nan Xi firmly pressed down on her calf from behind, a clear gesture of wanting her to stay.

Mu Xi’s heart eased considerably.

But why press her calf? Wasn’t it rather odd to bend over and press inward like that?

Then she heard Nan Xi whisper, so softly it was almost inaudible, “I don’t want anyone to see us close together.”

So, it was about being seen.

Unwilling to accept her embrace, bending over like a thief to press a calf hidden by the front seat, it all made sense now.

Resigned, Mu Xi lowered the window’s privacy screen and drew the seldom-used curtain that blocked the view between the front and back seats.

Now the back seat was completely private. No one outside could see inside, and it was difficult for those inside to see out clearly.

Nan Xi’s eyes widened in surprise. She had never driven the family car and hadn’t noticed such features existed.

“Is this better now?” Mu Xi shifted closer to Nan Xi. “Can you tell me what’s going on? Why are you afraid of being seen?”

She had expected to need some careful coaxing to get Nan Xi to open up, but as soon as the curtain was drawn, Nan Xi let out a sudden “wah!” and threw herself straight into Mu Xi’s arms. She nuzzled and squirmed against Mu Xi for a good while before finally lifting her head.

When she looked up, her beautiful eyes were already red-rimmed, glistening with unshed tears.

Nan Xi gazed at Mu Xi, her face scrunched up in distress. “Mu Xi, you’re so good.”

“…!”

Mu Xi, who had no idea what had prompted this praise, blushed as well. Her heart quietly bore the impact of Nan Xi’s words, and she stiffly raised a hand to hold her. “Thank you…”

Nan Xi drooped her head again. “But I got you scolded because of me.”

In fact, from the moment Nan Xi feared being seen intimate with her, Mu Xi had vaguely guessed that someone had spotted them.

The probability of such things happening was simply too high. Mu Xi had previously thought Nan Xi didn’t care at all, which was why she kept asking for farewell kisses one after another.

Having considerably more life experience than Nan Xi, Mu Xi understood clearly that given Nan Xi’s family background and status, she would naturally face plenty of criticism in intimate relationships, especially since their relationship had to remain hidden.

Perhaps I’ve already become a kept woman in many people’s eyes…?

But then again, I’m not much different from a kept woman anyway.

“It’s fine.” Mu Xi was remarkably broad-minded and took potential malicious remarks in stride. “I’ve never cared about reputation. Besides, I spend most of my time working at your place and hardly have any contact with the outside world anyway.”

The more she said this, the more Nan Xi felt her considerate nature was heartbreaking.

She didn’t even ask what insults had been hurled at her.

Mu Xi had already been isolated from the world by Mother’s exploitation, yet now she had to endure being spoken to like that by Zhao Liang because of me…

Really, so pitiful.

With red-rimmed eyes, Nan Xi held Mu Xi tighter, feeling the reliable warmth from the embrace, finally feeling somewhat grounded.

“But that’s not acceptable. Because I don’t want you to be insulted. And another thing, I’m afraid the situation might not be that simple.”

“Hmm?”

Holding Nan Xi, breathing in the fragrance of her hair, Mu Xi listened attentively to what she was saying.

“You should understand this… since childhood, nobody has ever dared to bully me.” Resting her chin on Mu Xi’s shoulder, Nan Xi’s voice carried clearly into her ear, warm with emotion. “Once people find out who my mother is, they all want to stay as far away from me as possible, terrified of offending me. Those who approach me are the opposite, they’d never dare go against my wishes. It’s utterly boring.”

At this point, Nan Xi suddenly turned and planted a kiss on Mu Xi’s cheek. “But you’re interesting. What I love most about you is how you resist me.”

“…So that’s why I earned Young Miss’s favor.”

Because I’m that unique little white flower who isn’t afraid of authority?

“Not entirely. You have many other qualities, too many to count.”

Nan Xi chuckled softly, then remembering the main topic, her voice turned serious again. “Back in elementary school, when our company went through a rough patch, some people thought my family was finished. But even then, they only dared to write nasty notes about me secretly. They were severely punished later.”

“So, someone who dares to stand in front of me and curse me to my face… I feel there must be more to her.”

Nan Xi was acutely aware of her family’s status and the privileges it had always afforded her.

Therefore, her first reaction to being bullied wasn’t fear, as it would be for most people. Everyone in the group knew exactly who she was and where she came from, she was curious why Zhao Liang would dare to act this way.

After hearing her analysis, Mu Xi also found it quite reasonable.

The Nan family wasn’t just ordinarily wealthy, more than money, what mattered was their reputation and the corresponding power and status.

As the butler, how could she not know? When she had to handle that… incident for Nan Xi, even the police chief had been obsequiously respectful just hearing her title as the butler, let alone Nan Xi herself.

However, just to be cautious, Mu Xi still raised an objection: “But, young miss, there are many fools and outright bad people in this world. Perhaps they simply want to cause trouble.”

Nan Xi pondered this seriously.

Then, she shook her head firmly. “No, before this incident, the impression that person gave me was that although she had a bad temper, she was polite. I’ve seen her help her group members carry things, always speaking softly. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have so many friends.”

That was why she remembered Zhao Liang, even though she didn’t know her name.

Mu Xi nodded in agreement.

Often, a good way to understand someone’s character is to observe their friends.

Of course, there are exceptions like Nan Xi, but most of the time, people with many friends aren’t too bad.

“So, young miss, why do you think this person acted in a way that contradicts her usual behavior?”

Mu Xi knew she likely already had an idea and asked for her thoughts.

Nan Xi moved away from Mu Xi’s embrace. The suit jacket on Mu Xi’s chest had been warmed by her, and the moment they separated, there was a slight emptiness.

Nan Xi said, “Senior Xiao Tong said it’s because she has a crush on me, but I know she was joking. The way someone looks at you when they like you isn’t like that. You don’t look at me that way either.”

She turned her attention to Mu Xi, who had mostly grown accustomed to such remarks.

However, since neither of them was willing to admit their feelings for the other first, Mu Xi instinctively averted her gaze, not wanting Nan Xi to analyze what her own gaze might reveal.

Nan Xi was considerate and didn’t dwell on the topic of “the look of affection.”

“I tend to be a bit cynical and always assume the worst,” Nan Xi said, lowering her voice again even though they were the only two in the car, leaning closer to Mu Xi. “Her tone and expression told me she wanted information about you.”

“Me?”

“Yes, she provoked me so that, to prove my innocence, I’d have to explain myself and inevitably reveal who you are.”

Nan Xi’s eyes curved with a hint of pride. “Luckily, our relationship isn’t exactly innocent to begin with, so don’t worry, I didn’t tell her a single word.”

“…”

Mu Xi leaned back and took a deep breath, unsure if this was the right moment to reflect on their improper relationship.

In the end, she decided to set that aside for now. It had persisted for so long; a little longer wouldn’t hurt.

Mu Xi leaned in again and asked seriously, “You said she did all this to find out who I am. What’s your evidence, aside from her tone and expression?”

“Hmm, intuition?”

Nan Xi reasoned logically, “You know, whenever something involves you, I become extra sensitive and develop a lot of intuitions.”

Mu Xi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, feeling as though she had meticulously unwrapped ten nested boxes only to find a crumpled ball of wastepaper inside.

But she didn’t dare dismiss Nan Xi’s intuition as mere trash. The thought processes of intelligent people are often peculiar, yet strangely accurate in their peculiarity.

After all, Nan Xi was a scientific genius; there might genuinely be something to it.

However, geniuses often stand apart from the masses. As a pragmatic butler, Mu Xi felt her current duty was to offer practical advice from a realistic perspective.

“Alright. If we’re still not entirely sure of the other party’s intentions, then I suggest you proceed cautiously, young miss. It would be best to seek Professor Yu’s help within the group.”

“Continuing like this isn’t sustainable, your mood and work efficiency will both be affected. I’ll also report the situation to Madam. If that person truly has ulterior motives, then informing Madam is clearly the most appropriate course of action…”

But Nan Xi immediately rejected it firmly: “No.”

Mu Xi fell silent for a moment. “May I ask why?”

“She saw us kissing!” Nan Xi’s voice grew noticeably shriller, betraying her inner turmoil. “If Mom gets involved, she’ll definitely find out about this… Besides, even though Zhao Liang said many inappropriate things, she doesn’t deserve to die, does she?”

Mu Xi fell silent again for a second.

“So, you’re saying if Madam finds out this Zhao Liang person spoke ill of you, she’ll have her killed?”

“I’m not certain, but even if she doesn’t die, she’ll surely be skinned alive?”

“I knew maintaining an improper relationship with you was extremely dangerous.”

Nan Xi clawed at the lapels of her suit jacket frantically: “I don’t care, you have to keep it up anyway.”