I Am Her Secret Beauty - Chapter 50

Mu Xi’s expression could be described as affectionate.

Yet, far from comforting Nan Xi, it stirred unease in her. From Mu Xi’s demeanor, she sensed a hint of “kind words from one nearing death”, a resigned calm in the face of impending disaster that left her deeply unsettled.

“Soon, I might not need to call you ‘young miss’ anymore. So, Nan Xi,” Mu Xi took her hand and pressed it against her own cheek, “no matter how I’ve expressed it or acted during your time back in the country… deep down, I’ve been truly happy.”

Nan Xi wrinkled her nose. “Don’t talk like that. It sounds like you’re saying your final words.”

She gently stroked Mu Xi’s face in return, watching as Mu Xi closed her eyes and nuzzled her hand like a kitten clinging to its owner.

“Although my time with the Nan family has been short, I’ve managed to save up some money. If Madam decides to dismiss me, out of consideration for our past relationship, she might even give me severance pay.”

Mu Xi smiled, her tone exceptionally calm. “After all, I’ve been diligent in my duties as a butler and haven’t made any mistakes… though this last one is enough to get me fired ten times over.”

“With that money, I can find my own place and start preparing for the next chapter of my life…”

Nan Xi listened quietly.

Hearing Mu Xi mention finding a place to live outside, she immediately raised her other hand, cupping Mu Xi’s face and squeezing her cheeks until they puffed out.

“Didn’t Mom just say she could give me the house in the west of the city? Let’s move there together. This home… this place where we’re constantly watched, I need some time to calm down and figure out what to do.”

Nan Xi’s relationship with her parents was generally good. Conflicts might arise over Guan Yan’s actions, but after the storm, the bonds between mother and daughter, father and daughter, would remain unchanged.

Mu Xi had always known this, which was why she had kept silent about the orders Guan Yan had once given her, unwilling to jeopardize the precious familial ties Nan Xi held dear.

Seeing Nan Xi so disheartened because of Guan Yan, Mu Xi began to think of a way to lift her spirits.

Cheering Nan Xi up in a short time would be difficult, but making her angry was remarkably easy.

Anger is better than sorrow, Mu Xi thought.

“Live together? But Nan Xi, have you forgotten something?”

Mu Xi blinked, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “We haven’t officially defined our relationship yet. It wouldn’t be proper for us to live together without any clear status, would it?”

She knew Nan Xi’s sore spots all too well. As expected, within five seconds, Nan Xi’s expression shifted from stunned to flustered and indignant, and the hands cupping Mu Xi’s face tightened with all their might.

Mu Xi’s cheeks grew hot and sore from the squeezing, but she felt no anger, only a profound sense of fulfillment.

Her evident enjoyment only irritated Nan Xi further, who stood on her tiptoes and bit Mu Xi’s earlobe.

Finally, Mu Xi could no longer maintain her smile.

“Do you have to bring this up now? It’s not like I’m that eager to live with you anyway!”

Nan Xi released her, stomping away in a huff, gritting her teeth and stamping her feet. But after only a few steps, she turned back, wrapping her arms around Mu Xi’s neck with an air of finality. “Then confess your feelings to me now. Hurry up.”

“Well,” Mu Xi slowly rolled her eyes twice before settling her gaze back on Nan Xi’s flushed, angry face. “Actually, I’d like to hear you say it first.”

“…Keep dreaming!”

Nan Xi sat on the bed, clearly unwilling to engage with Mu Xi any further.

Mu Xi’s heart softened. If not for the circumstances, she would have loved to lean in and kiss Nan Xi’s cheek.

But she didn’t. After lingering briefly in Nan Xi’s room, she stepped out, murmuring a soft “I’m heading back” before closing the door behind her.

As she passed the study, Mu Xi noticed the door was tightly shut. Through the heavy wood, she could faintly hear Nan Zhiya’s fragmented voice, though the words were indistinct.

Back in her own butler’s quarters, Mu Xi locked the door as well. With a soft click of the bolt, the smile on her lips vanished instantly.

Nan Xi naturally didn’t know much about the profession of a butler, but Mu Xi had studied and worked as one long enough to understand certain realities, chief among them, what her future would hold once she left the Nan family.

Being a butler was unlike other jobs, distinct even from other roles in household management. Mu Xi was privy to about eighty percent of the Nan family’s most private and shadowy secrets, from family scandals to the personal habits of its members, all highly sensitive and dangerous information.

Moreover, Mu Xi was young and capable. How could Nan Zhiya possibly let her leave freely, let alone allow her to serve as a butler for another household?

Mu Xi lay down on her bed, a bed she had always adored, not just for its comfort and spaciousness, but because it held most of her cherished memories with Nan Xi. Yet soon, she wouldn’t even have this bed anymore.

Typically, butlers in wealthy families would work for one household until they were no longer capable, after which some would retire to remote places like the countryside, while others, like the previous butler Vincent, would be assigned to one of the family’s unused properties, effectively retiring as well.

…But for those like Mu Xi, dismissed midway through their service, the outcome was rarely favorable.

Nan Zhiya demanded absolute loyalty from her butlers, and Mu Xi’s entanglement with Nan Xi inherently conflicted with that requirement, a situation that had already caused friction before.

Back in domestic management college, Mu Xi had heard countless stories about predecessors entangled in wealthy family secrets. Some were locked in basements, continuing to “serve” their masters in a different capacity; others simply vanished without a trace, their fates all too easy to guess.

Mu Xi was now practically a semi-attached alpha to the Nan family, making it unlikely that Nan Zhiya would eliminate her outright. Nor had Nan Xi shown any inclination to imprison her.

So, where did that leave her career path?

Lying there, Mu Xi’s mind raced through possibilities.

Becoming Nan Xi’s personal butler? That would quickly devolve into a different kind of dynamic, and given their relationship, maintaining the same professionalism as before would be nearly impossible.

Becoming Nan Xi’s house-husband alpha? That seemed little different from the previous option.

Or working for Nan Lian or Nan Nan? But Nan Lian’s relationship with the family was strained, and as far as Mu Xi knew, she already had a butler in her private residence. As for Nan Nan, Mu Xi had no doubt he’d cling to his parents’ side until retirement, with no signs of ever striking out on his own.

Perhaps it was time to consider a completely different line of work?

But she had only ever learned how to be a good butler, and her work experience was solely related to that role. If she were to reconsider her career now, what else could she even do?

Five years from now, Nan Xi might become a world-renowned scientist, while she herself would just be starting out as a low-level employee, enduring the misery of no weekends and a meager monthly salary of three thousand…

Mu Xi broke out in a cold sweat, realizing for the first time in her life just how precious and respectable the profession of a butler truly was.

At that moment, her phone rang with impeccable timing, rescuing Mu Xi from her terrifying thoughts about work.

Mu Xi picked up her phone and saw that Nan Xi had sent her a message.

Nan Xi was fickle, one moment she would say she didn’t want something, and the next she would beg for it. This time was no different. Half an hour ago, when Mu Xi had left her room, Nan Xi had been sulking angrily. Now, half an hour later, she was proactively sending a message, inviting Mu Xi to sleep in her bedroom that night.

“Since we’ve already been found out, we might as well go all the way,” Nan Xi said.

Her choice of words was interesting, but Mu Xi didn’t feel like reading too much into it.

As for Nan Xi’s proposal, Mu Xi wholeheartedly agreed.

The days she could spend at the Nan residence, secretly involved with Nan Xi, were numbered. Every single day she could grasp needed to be cherished.

So, Mu Xi sat up from the bed, went to the wardrobe, and packed a small bundle. Carrying it, she opened the door and stepped out.

In the hallway, she ran into Xiao Ji, who had been lingering outside her door for a long time, too hesitant to knock. Finally seeing Mu Xi emerge on her own, Xiao Ji’s eyes lit up, though they were quickly clouded with worry.

“Butler Mu!” Xiao Ji exclaimed, her expression shifting from relief to concern. “Did something happen? Just now, Madam and Sir went upstairs together and stayed for a long time. And you came down from upstairs too… Did you get scolded?”

The girl’s sincere concern, not an act, warmed Mu Xi’s heart but also made her feel a little guilty.

“It wasn’t exactly a scolding,” Mu Xi replied calmly. “Xiao Ji, I’ve been well taken care of by everyone all this time, but I’d like to trouble you to let everyone know that I won’t be the butler here for much longer.” She added, “I’ll be going now.”

Only then did Xiao Ji notice the small bundle in Mu Xi’s hand. Tears welled up in her eyes instantly. “Butler Mu… Did Madam kick you out? What could be so serious…?”

Mu Xi wanted to reach out and pat Xiao Ji’s shoulder to comfort her.

But before her hand could make contact, she changed her mind and withdrew it.

She told Xiao Ji honestly, “I’m not leaving the house right now. I’m going to the young lady’s room. Our affair has been discovered by Madam.”

“Ah…”

Xiao Ji stood frozen in place, stunned, as she watched Butler Mu stride steadily upstairs with her bundle, disappearing from view.

…Wait, what?

Butler Mu and the young lady’s affair?

Before she could even process her grief, Xiao Ji let out a sharp gasp, covered her mouth, and dashed toward the servants’ lounge, eager to share the shocking news that had nearly scared her to death.

Meanwhile, Mu Xi arrived at Nan Xi’s bedroom.

Nan Xi was no longer angry. She was broad-minded, especially when it came to matters involving Mu Xi. Seeing Mu Xi obediently enter with her belongings, Nan Xi went to greet her and excitedly told her…

“I just realized something.” Nan Xi showed Mu Xi the spreadsheet on her computer. “While working on this month’s expense report, I noticed that after our situation got exposed, we no longer need to pay Du Sha that monthly 200,000. This money could be used to support you, so you can live comfortably even without a job.”

Mu Xi glanced at the staggering amount flashing on Nan Xi’s computer screen, enough to devastate any ordinary family, yet remained calm.

“Well, first of all, the monthly 200,000 paid to Du Sha was actually covered by your mother. You might have forgotten that. Secondly, supporting me doesn’t require 200,000 per month. Even one-tenth of that would allow me to live quite comfortably. I’m just an ordinary person after all.”

Nan Xi suddenly understood. “Oh, originally the plan was for Mom’s 200,000 to go to you, while I would pay another 200,000 to Du Sha. Now that’s no longer necessary.”

Mu Xi felt a headache coming on.

“Nan Xi… although I’m quite honored to be a kept woman at the young age of twenty-five, the truth is, I’d still very much like to continue working, even if I can’t work for the Nan family anymore.”