I Could Never Fall In Love With A Villain - Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Starting from the back of the neck, his entire body…

Song Jinxun stood in the eerily peaceful room for a long while, seemingly unnoticed—or rather, ignored. He watched in silence before finally speaking up: “What are you doing?”

Mu Yin, who had been focused entirely on Mrs. Song, immediately turned around and pressed a finger to her lips.

Shhh.

The moment she moved, Pei Che also looked up. But instantly, he calmly lowered his head and reached out to adjust the headset. This headset was different from standard ones, with several wires connecting to a laptop on the nightstand. The wires were spread across the quilt, tangled together. As he untangled them, his finger inadvertently brushed against the back of Mu Yin’s hand.

Mu Yin’s attention was already back on Mrs. Song; she didn’t care about such a small detail.

Song Jinxun captured this scene and raised an eyebrow slightly. However, he remained silent, even softening his footsteps as he walked forward, wanting to see exactly what they were doing.

It didn’t look like they were just listening to music. On the laptop screen to the left, strings of code were scrolling. On the right nightstand sat a small heart rate monitor, showing that his mother’s emotions were currently very stable.

Song Jinxun waited for twenty minutes. Mrs. Song yawned, tucked herself into the covers, and fell asleep. He hadn’t seen his mother sleep so peacefully in years—almost every time, she only slept after exhausting herself through tantrums, fueled by sadness or anger. Sometimes she suffered from insomnia, staying awake all night and making the entire Song household miserable. His grandfather, unable to bear it, would secretly have doctors prescribe sleeping pills for her. He knew all of this; he remembered it all.

Recalling those times, he unknowingly drifted into a daze until he felt a gentle tug on his sleeve.

“Let’s go.”

He looked down at his cuff to see a slender, fair hand with beautiful knuckles. Mu Yin was lightly pulling his sleeve, mouthing for him to leave the room so as not to disturb his mother’s rest. He stepped back discreetly, letting his sleeve slip from her hand.

Pei Che withdrew his gaze, picked up the laptop and monitor, and led the way out of the room.

The three of them took the elevator down to the first-floor living room in silence. Seeing how quiet they were, the butler tactfully brought out sliced fruit and tea before retreating, giving them space.

Just as Mu Yin was about to break the silence, Song Jinxun suddenly stood up: “Give me ten minutes.”

“…?”

“Oh, okay.” Mu Yin was puzzled but respectful.

Ten minutes later, Song Jinxun returned. Mu Yin had a vague impression that he wasn’t wearing the same clothes as before. So, he specifically went to change?

Song Jinxun spoke: “What exactly were you doing just now?”

Mu Yin opened her laptop: “Wait a moment, I’ll pull up a PPT.”

“…”

Next, Song Jinxun felt as if he weren’t sitting in his own living room, but rather in a corporate boardroom. Mu Yin gave him a presentation.

At first, he frowned, finding it bizarre. He originally wanted to stop her, but he unknowingly got sucked in. By the time he snapped out of it, she was on the last slide. Mu Yin actually had a talent for public speaking.

“Based on the psychological assessment, this demo has led Mrs. Song’s psychological state toward a positive sign. Though the margin is small, it confirms that it is effective. We can foresee that as the product improves, the effects will become even more pronounced.”

When Mu Yin spoke, her eyes were bright and spirited. Such confidence and passion could easily infect an audience. She believed Song Jinxun would be moved. Sure enough, she caught a flicker of interest in his expression. But within a moment, he tucked that interest away, his eyes returning to a calm, unruffled state. He was very composed.

Pei Che handed over the psychological evaluation form. Song Jinxun flipped through it. His expression had returned to its usual gentle smile—a look that lacked any aggression and reminded people of a kind, approachable, and easy-going personality.

He asked with a smile: “So—are you two in this together?”

“No.” “Yes.”

Mu Yin and Pei Che spoke at the same time, giving completely different answers. At this, Song Jinxun maintained his gentle smile, seemingly unbothered, or perhaps possessing enough sense of boundaries not to pry too much.

Mu Yin thought to herself: How could I possibly be ‘in this’ with my arch-nemesis? But she had already acknowledged Pei Che’s ability.

“Professor Pei is a consultant I invited, specifically to help with the psychological counseling and assessment content.”

“Mhm. Then you are still together… at least, you agreed to come together, didn’t you?” Though his eyes were curved in a smile, Mu Yin vaguely sensed the omen of an interrogation.

She cleared her throat and tried to explain: “While that’s true…”

“Miss Mu,” Song Jinxun interrupted calmly. “My mother is not a lab rat. So, shouldn’t you have informed me in detail and in advance?”

His tone wasn’t accusatory, but through that gentle expression, the coldness in his eyes was visible. Mu Yin knew she was in the wrong. She had prepared for any consequences and was willing to accept them.

She immediately apologized sincerely: “I’m sorry. But rest assured, we have tested this many times. You can view it as a healthy little game; it won’t cause any harm. As for not telling you in advance… it’s because you wouldn’t have agreed, right?”

Despite Song Jinxun’s gentlemanly behavior, his impression of Mu Yin was undoubtedly terrible. No matter how much she sugarcoated it, he would never believe that his arrogant, uneducated fiancée could create anything worthwhile. He had to see it first to believe it. But that belief would inevitably be preceded by anger.

Sure enough, Song Jinxun said: “Correct, I wouldn’t have agreed.” He added calmly: “And as of now, I still don’t agree.”

Mu Yin wasn’t in a hurry. Rather than arguing here, it was better to give him time to think. She said sincerely: “Regardless, I hope Mr. Song considers it carefully. If Mrs. Song’s condition improves… perhaps she won’t need to be sent abroad. Being away from family will only worsen her issues; I’m sure you’ve anticipated that.”

“Fine, I will give it some thought.” Song Jinxun’s refusal was decisive, but his agreement to think it over was equally prompt. The more he acted this way, the more Mu Yin felt his heart was like the deep sea—bottomless and dark. No one could see through him.

Is this… the gentle ‘Second Male Lead’ from the original novel? Mu Yin now felt that “gentleness” was merely a mask he wore.

Song Jinxun said: “I have other matters to attend to, so I can’t host you further. But feel free to sit a while longer and have some fruit.”

This was a polite eviction. Mu Yin and Pei Che were not tactless enough to stay for fruit and promptly got up to leave. Watching their figures fade into the distance, Song Jinxun withdrew his gaze and looked at the table. He picked up the proposal and the evaluation form again. The content was rational and scientific, without a single wasted word—concise and easy to understand, yet simple enough to move someone.

But… was that Mu Yin? At least, it wasn’t the Mu Yin he knew.

Song Jinxun took out his phone and dialed a number labeled “Mu Xuan.” Once the call connected, he asked directly: “What has Mu Yin been up to lately?”

Being asked so suddenly, Mu Xuan was surprised: “Why are you suddenly concerned about her?”

“Just give me an answer.”

“Same as always, what else could she be doing?” Mu Xuan seemed busy, typing on his keyboard as he spoke nonchalantly. “If she’s not at work, she’s at a beauty parlor, a luxury store, or having afternoon tea with her friends at some restaurant.”

Song Jinxun interrupted coldly: “In other words, you’re just guessing. You have no idea what she’s actually doing.”

“…” At his desk, Mu Xuan stopped typing, his back instinctively tensing. “Why are you suddenly asking about her?”

Song Jinxun didn’t answer. Instead, he said: “I helped you last time… now, is it your turn to help me? I want to know all of Mu Yin’s recent movements—don’t give me any nonsense about privacy or spying. She’s your sister; finding out about her should be easy for you.”

“…” Mu Xuan tugged at his tie, making no effort to hide his mockery. “What rattled you? You’re not even pretending anymore?”

…

The moonlight was as cool as water, spilling across the wooden floor through the floor-to-ceiling windows. After seeing the message he received, Mu Xuan immediately turned on the light and read the content again.

If it hadn’t been for Song Jinxun, he wouldn’t have noticed. He didn’t know until he checked, and the check left him stunned.

Mu Yin had recently bought a house. A very ordinary apartment in an ordinary complex, located near Jiabei University. She didn’t go there much herself. But according to neighbors, university students—both male and female—were often seen coming and going. The neighbors assumed it was a group rental.

Originally, when he got Song Jinxun’s call, Mu Xuan hadn’t taken it seriously. Now, he was truly baffled—what on earth was Mu Yin doing lately? Moreover, the location near Jiabei University made him uneasy. He couldn’t help but think of Liang Yunxi.

Based on his understanding of Mu Yin, he didn’t think she was up to anything good. Song Jinxun refused to say why he wanted to know her whereabouts, and Liang Yunxi was an intern at the Song Corporation. A drama was already playing out in his head: Song Jinxun has fallen for the intern Liang Yunxi, and Mu Yin is targeting her out of spite. Finally, even someone as gentle as Song Jinxun has been pushed to the edge—

Mu Xuan quickly cut off that line of thought. This series of events was like a feather tickling his heart. He was too curious. Driven by this curiosity, he unknowingly walked out of his room and ended up outside Mu Yin’s door.

Is she back? What is she doing? He instinctively leaned toward the door, trying to hear if there was any noise inside. But the moment he did, he felt like a pervert. Realizing this, a surge of heat climbed from the back of his neck to his face. Flushing with embarrassment, he wanted to retreat.

But then, disaster struck. The bedroom door was pulled open without warning—

He didn’t have time to back away; he was still pressed close to the door. When it opened, the momentum sent him pitching forward—

Thud!

He slammed into Mu Yin. Because of his years of working out, his weight bore down on her; Mu Yin had no chance of pushing him away. The two of them fell to the floor in a cliché and ridiculous tangle, making a deafening noise.

Only the bedside lamp was on in the room, making the light dim and hazy. The warm glow fell on Mu Yin’s face, outlining her radiant features. Then, he smelled a faint floral scent—a familiar fragrance. Since the auntie in the house bought the same shower gel for everyone, he recognized it as the scent of someone fresh out of the shower.

His gaze involuntarily drifted down to her collarbone, where droplets of water still clung, undried. And further down…

He didn’t dare look further. Starting from the back of his neck, his entire body felt like it was on fire.

Mu Yin spoke expressionlessly: “How long are you going to stay on top of me? Can you get up?”

Mu Xuan practically jumped up. The emotion that followed was a mix of embarrassment and indignation he couldn’t quite distinguish: “Why did you open the door so suddenly?!”