I Am Her Secret Beauty - Chapter 78

Nan Xi’s words were so resolute and forceful that it truly sounded as if she wouldn’t hesitate to smash the door down just to see Mu Xi.

At times like these, Mu Xi’s rationality would resurface, making her yield to reality first.

She was afraid Nan Xi would go directly to confront Nan Zhiya.

She had almost forgotten the existence of the door in front of her. Taking a step forward, she only bumped her knee. Ignoring the pain, she hurriedly asked Nan Xi:

“What do you want to do? Calm down. Actually, you don’t necessarily have to come out.”

She still wanted to see Nan Xi, but what came out of her mouth was: “There have been times before when we didn’t see each other for several days in a row. It’s nothing. We can still text and talk, and being apart occasionally helps maintain harmony in our relationship.”

Mu Xi could hear Nan Xi pacing outside the door, which made her breathe a temporary sigh of relief. At least Nan Xi hadn’t left yet, and she still had a chance to persuade her.

Nan Xi was pacing outside but remained silent.

The image of the woman pursing her lips and pacing with her arms crossed appeared vividly in Mu Xi’s mind. If she didn’t support her, Nan Xi might get angry.

“…What do you plan to do?” Mu Xi immediately softened and slowed her tone, trying to negotiate with Nan Xi outside the door. “Let’s discuss and come up with a suitable plan before taking action, alright? That way, the chances of success will be higher.”

She waited for a long while before hearing Nan Xi let out a “hmph.”

“I plan to steal Sean’s fingerprint.”

Nan Xi said, “If my fingerprint doesn’t work, does that mean no one’s will? It’s impossible that no one is assigned to bring you food. Mom wants to confine you, not starve you to death.”

She was calmer than Mu Xi because this plan actually sounded quite reasonable. Indeed, when people are deprived of their freedom, they tend to become trapped animals, losing both wisdom and spirit.

Mu Xi leaned against the wall, comforted, and secretly laughed at herself for being overly cautious.

Sean was the current butler of the Nan family. It wouldn’t take much effort to find her fingerprints, as they were everywhere.

Nan Xi was an expert at experiments and had plenty of experience collecting such minute materials. For her, it was as easy as lifting a finger.

“So clever.”

Mu Xi praised with a laugh, supporting herself by holding her knee as she leaned against the wall.

“Thank you. Then I’ll go look for the fingerprint. Wait for me.”

After saying this, Nan Xi’s footsteps gradually faded into the distance. Mu Xi stayed by the door, holding her breath and listening intently, only returning to sit on the edge of the bed when she was certain she could no longer detect even the faintest trace of Nan Xi’s presence.

When she first entered the room and was locked inside, she hadn’t felt it.

But after Nan Xi came to the door and left, Mu Xi belatedly began to feel empty.

Empty… perhaps that wasn’t quite accurate. It was as if thousands of ants had appeared out of nowhere, swarming and gnawing at her heart. The loss was too subtle to cause immediate pain, yet she was acutely aware that she was being slowly dismantled, piece by piece.

Originally, Mu Xi had made some plans for her life in confinement. Since she had decided to return to school to study military science in the future, she needed to prepare in advance. She intended to use this time alone to read, even if she couldn’t match Nan Xi’s efficiency in reading academic papers, she would still try to read as much as possible.

Now, the book lay open beside her, but Mu Xi had no desire to pick it up at all.

Her mind was completely filled with images of Nan Xi, how she might have been angry or annoyed outside the door earlier. Even without seeing her, Mu Xi couldn’t help imagining it. Those vivid scenes had already taken control of her thoughts.

…When had she started thinking about Nan Xi this way? Mu Xi herself couldn’t quite remember.

She used to find it amusing watching Xiao Jiang and the others in love, smiling brightly even during work hours.

As the emptiness inside her grew, those fragmented feelings gathered into a burning obsession, calling out for the person she longed to see and hold.

Soon, Mu Xi grew restless, feverish and agitated. The all-consuming longing made it impossible for her to sit still.

Was this door truly impenetrable? Could she really not break through it?

But this was the Nan family’s door, and she had willingly let Nan Zhiya lock her inside. So, she couldn’t do it.

Besides, the thought of Nan Xi anxiously trying to rescue her from inside, even if only through her voice, was heart-stirring. She couldn’t ruin that anticipation.

For the past five years, Mu Xi had dedicated herself to learning how to care for others. She studied tedious courses, learned how to manage household chores, handle personnel, control her strength, and decipher the intricacies of relationships, all to become a better butler, providing meticulous care for her employer.

It was only today that she realized: between lovers, care must be mutual. Nan Xi was also taking care of her.

And as soon as this thought occurred to her, Nan Xi had immediately set out to find a way to get her out, proving her point through action.

Recalling the past, Mu Xi realized she had indeed been cared for by Nan Xi all along, even though Nan Xi was originally her employer’s daughter.

What’s more, Nan Xi had grown up pampered and privileged, she shouldn’t have known how to care for others at all.

…If Nan Xi knew what she was thinking, she would surely be upset again, thinking Mu Xi saw her as a spoiled young lady.

Mu Xi chuckled at the thought. Nan Xi had always been sensitive about this, not wanting to be seen as a delicate young miss who needed to be coddled and protected.

Could this, too, serve as further evidence for her theory about Nan Xi’s care? At the very least, for two people to care for each other, their status must be roughly equal.

Otherwise, a love story between a young lady and her butler would only become a fleeting scandal among the wealthy, unable to last or bear fruit.

Just then, a “ding” sounded. Mu Xi waited a moment before slowly picking up her phone. When she looked down, her spirits lifted instantly.

Nan Xi: “Sean usually wears gloves, so her fingerprints aren’t easy to find.”

That’s right. Mu Xi also wore gloves often when working as a butler, though she tried to take them off indoors whenever possible.

Her restless heart clenched sharply, but Mu Xi replied:

“It’s okay.”

It’s okay, just do your best.

It’s okay, even if I can’t get out.

It’s okay, this door can’t truly separate us.

Nan Xi quickly replied again: “I have another idea.”

“What idea?”

But Nan Xi didn’t respond further, seemingly already carrying out her “idea.”

Mu Xi could only clutch her phone and continue sitting on the edge of the bed, waiting. Her long legs swung idly, her gaze unfocused.

On the other side, Nan Xi glared coldly at Xiao Ji, whom she had unfortunately cornered, backing her into a wall.

A domineering young lady and a trembling servant in the corner, the scene resembled the bullying tropes often seen in TV dramas. In reality, however, Nan Xi only wanted to ask her to open a door for her.

It might not just be a “request” a little bit of “threat” might be used if the situation called for it, depending on how their conversation unfolded.

“Do you know any way to open the door to that room over there?” Nan Xi said calmly, her tone devoid of emotion.

Xiao Ji trembled. “Uh… Young Miss, I… I have no way to open it.”

Oh no!

She had already seen and heard how the young miss spoke to Butler Mu, Mu Xi, in front of the locked room earlier.

The young miss’s expression and tone back then were completely different from now. She had been cold and stern toward Xiao Ji, but with Mu Xi, she was tender, affectionate, and coquettish. Their relationship was truly something.

But being too nosy could bring trouble. Xiao Ji had lingered a little too long, unable to tear herself away, and now Nan Xi had caught her, dragging her into a corner for interrogation.

Xiao Ji lowered her head, trying to avoid Nan Xi’s gaze. She had something on her mind, something she absolutely couldn’t let the young miss know right now.

“…Really, I don’t, Young Miss.”

“Is that so?” Nan Xi sneered, her hawk-like eyes locking onto Xiao Ji’s shifting gaze, forcing her to meet her stare. “Don’t lie to me.”

“Young Miss, the Madam said we’re not allowed to open the door and let Mu Xi out. Please don’t make things difficult for me… No, I mean, Young Miss isn’t making things difficult for me, but I really can’t do it.”

Xiao Ji looked on the verge of tears, trying to play the pity card to get Nan Xi to let her off.

But if Xiao Ji was pitiful, Nan Xi was even more so.

Xiao Ji stared in astonishment as tears quickly gathered and shimmered in Nan Xi’s eyes. In the blink of an eye, the young miss, who had been cold and aloof just moments before, now looked utterly pitiable, somewhat like… somewhat like Guan Yan.

“Xiao Ji, I know I’m making things difficult for you,” Nan Xi said, wiping her tears and turning her face away just like her father would, yet still allowing Xiao Ji to see her red-rimmed eyes. “But I have no choice. Please forgive me. I really want to see Mu Xi, I miss her so much.”

“Ah…” Hadn’t Mu Xi only been locked up for half a day?

Xiao Ji was a kind person, and she got along well with Mu Xi. After Mu Xi left the Nan family, she would occasionally like the boring news updates Xiao Ji shared on her social media. The only reason she was refusing to help now was to keep her job.

She had heard about the terrifying scene in the living room that afternoon. Though she didn’t know the specifics, if it was serious enough for the Madam to lock Mu Xi up, it must have been something major.

But the young miss was so pitiful, and Mu Xi, locked in the room, was even more so.

Xiao Ji wanted to offer some advice: “Young Miss, the Madam loves you so much. Why don’t you try talking to her again? Wouldn’t it be better for her to open the door than for you to feel so helpless now?”

Seeing her attitude soften, Nan Xi immediately extended an olive branch: “She won’t agree. But Xiao Ji, you don’t need to worry, I won’t tell anyone you opened the door. Not only that, I’ll also give you a fitting reward as thanks. Please, you have to help us.”

“Ah…” Xiao Ji was quite curious about what the Nan family young miss’s “reward” might be.

A brand-name perfume? An expensive meal?

…

“How about 200,000?”

Nan Xi blurted out the number, Nan Zhiya’s favorite.

Xiao Ji gasped, stumbling backward and bumping solidly into the wall.

“If I’d known my fingerprint was worth so much, I would’ve taken better care of my hands with moisturizer and spared my poor thumb the hardship!”

“Wait a minute.” Nan Xi stepped closer, cornering her further, and asked keenly, “Your fingerprint can unlock that door?”

“Uh…”

Ten minutes later.

Xiao Ji, with a crestfallen expression, was brought by Nan Xi to unlock the door. She lightly pressed her right thumb against the screen, and sure enough, the lock clicked open with a sound.

Nan Xi gripped the door handle and sincerely expressed her gratitude to Xiao Ji, “Thank you so much. The money I promised will be transferred to you on time.”

“No need.” Xiao Ji forced a smile as she imagined herself jobless and wandering the streets. “I just hope you two are happy… Also, if Madam fires me, could you hire me to work for you, Miss?”

“Definitely, don’t worry about losing your job.”

Nan Xi made the promise, then took a deep breath and turned to open the door.

Xiao Ji had already discreetly disappeared. Nan Xi turned the handle and gently pushed open the door that had separated them.

As the gap between the door and the frame widened, Mu Xi’s face by the bed gradually came into view. Nan Xi saw her sitting foolishly on the edge of the bed, staring without saying a word, as if she hadn’t yet realized what was happening.

Mu Xi had heard Nan Xi and Xiao Ji at the door earlier.

They had only exchanged a few words, and the brief minute wasn’t enough for Mu Xi to process it all.

Nan Xi had really opened this door, she had come to rescue her.

“Aren’t you going to praise me?” Nan Xi pouted. “I’m so clever and brave.”

The next moment, a shadow darted toward her. Before Nan Xi could make out the blurry figure, she was pulled into a tight embrace, a warm head resting against her shoulder and neck.

Mu Xi pressed her nose firmly against Nan Xi’s shoulder, her lips unconsciously brushing against Nan Xi’s collarbone, sending warm, tingling breaths that made Nan Xi shiver.

It took a moment before Nan Xi remembered to wrap her arms around Mu Xi’s waist in return.

She had thought she was the impatient one, but she hadn’t expected Mu Xi to be so emotional.

Mu Xi was rarely this passionate, so Nan Xi found herself swept up in the moment as well.

“Nan Xi, you… are amazing.”