I Could Never Fall In Love With A Villain - Chapter 21

Chapter 21: I Never Knew Brother Had Such A…

“…?”

He’s actually trying to turn the tables on me?

Mu Yin simply sat cross-legged on the floor, looking up at him with a half-smile. “I thought I heard something outside my door and assumed it was a thief. Who would have thought it was my brother?”

She was essentially calling him a burglar. Although Mu Xuan felt guilty, his imposing manner didn’t weaken in the slightest. He replied righteously, “Our home security is top-notch; how could there be thieves? As for you, staying up this late… don’t tell me you just got home?”

Mu Yin answered candidly, “Yeah, I just got back from messing around.”

That one sentence completely blocked Mu Xuan’s path to using an interrogation to mask his own guilt. Her tone was so unapologetic that his authoritative stance crumbled.

Mu Xuan frowned. “What have you been doing lately?”

Mu Yin shrugged. “The usual.”

Lies.

He wanted to lay out all the “evidence” he had and see what she had to say. But doing so would be admitting he was investigating her… besides, all she had done was buy an apartment. If she was just using it as an investment, he would look like he was overreacting.

After weighing it in his mind, Mu Xuan chose not to pierce that paper-thin veil.

“You have the nerve to say ‘the usual’? You’re an employee of Tianmu Entertainment. You don’t do any work, you don’t show up at the office—what are the subordinates supposed to think?”

“True.” Mu Yin actually nodded in agreement. “You can dock my pay. Dock a lot of it, actually. Make an example out of me.”

“…”

Am I supposed to thank her for the suggestion?

Mu Xuan glared at her, tired of her ridiculous remarks. He laid down the law: “Get your act together and go to work. From now on, your monthly leaves are not allowed to exceed company regulations.”

Since he wasn’t sure what she was up to, it was better to keep her under his nose. If she really was getting into something illegal, he could find out in time and pull her back.

Mu Yin wanted to refuse, but seeing the depth in Mu Xuan’s eyes, she stayed quiet for a moment. Mu Xuan had always looked down on her; today wasn’t an accident. It was possible Song Jinxun wanted to check up on her and Mu Xuan was helping out. This might be a good chance to put Song Jinxun’s mind at ease.

Seeing her being somewhat obedient, Mu Xuan’s mood smoothed out. He turned to leave.

“By the way.”

Mu Yin’s voice rang out from behind him, carry a hint of amusement.

“I never knew Brother had a voyeuristic hobby… Do you want to install a camera in my room? It might be more convenient.”

Cough.

Mu Xuan nearly stumbled. “What nonsense are you talking about?!”

He turned his head slightly, terrified she would see the shame and annoyance in his eyes. This woman gave him zero face and spoke so wildly that he didn’t know how to handle her. She was harder to deal with than the old foxes in the business world!

Mu Yin smiled radiantly. “Really? You don’t need one?”

“I don’t! Why would I ever do such a thing!”

Leaving that sentence behind, Mu Xuan practically fled the scene. Once his silhouette disappeared, Mu Yin’s smile vanished. She climbed up from the floor and closed her door. She didn’t mind being discovered, but the timing wasn’t right yet. To get Song Jinxun to agree to Madam Song’s treatment, she had to behave for a while.

…

The “Worth It” Consultant

Mu Yin opened her laptop and began organizing her tasks. The thought of working two jobs gave her a headache. Time flew by, and soon it was 1:00 AM.

She sent a formal invitation to Pei Che to be her consultant. Although she knew psychology, she was going to be busy, and she needed a professional. Pei Che was perfect. She was willing to drop her prejudice against her “nemesis” for a sincere invitation.

To her surprise, Pei Che was still awake.

Pei Che: OK. Pei Che: If you need demo testers, I have other channels. I’m close with the director of the Jiabei Psychiatric Hospital. We might be able to reach a cooperation agreement. Mu Yin: Once the product is upgraded, I will definitely request a partnership. Mu Yin: But for now, I still hope to get the Song family’s consent.

Right after she sent that, Pei Che called her. She picked up.

“Mu Yin.”

Pei Che’s voice came through, slightly nasally, softening his usually cold tone. He sounded like he had just woken up. He’s this hardworking even when he’s sleepy? This consultant is worth every penny!

Pei Che asked lazily, “Does it have to be Madam Song? The Song family doesn’t care about her as much as you do… it’s going to be troublesome.”

“Yes,” Mu Yin replied while organizing her files. “It has to be her. I won’t give up easily.”

“Is it because…” Pei Che paused, his voice low, “the relationship between the Song and Mu families?”

Mu Yin laughed. “No. I want to treat her regardless of the families or Song Jinxun. Simply because I researched this product to heal people with psychological issues.”

“Munchausen syndrome has no effective drug treatment; in fact, medication can worsen it. If my product can help someone like Madam Song return to an orderly, positive life, that is the true meaning of my research.”

…

The “Family” Rivalry

At the Song family home, Song Xingyao was smiling as he fed his mother fruit cut into animal shapes. “Try it, it’s sweet.”

After some back-and-forth, Madam Song gave in with a satisfied smile. “Have you forgiven me?” Song Xingyao chirped. “I really had things to do yesterday; I didn’t skip visiting you on purpose.”

“Hmph. You brothers are always busy… none of you care about me.”

Song Xingyao was used to this. But Madam Song continued, “Luckily, Mu Yin came to see me yesterday. I wasn’t all alone and neglected.”

Mu Yin? Song Xingyao was surprised. The Mu Yin I know? Why would she come? Then again, she was Song Jinxun’s fiancée. It made sense to visit her future mother-in-law.

However, he noticed his mother’s attitude was softer than usual. Normally, she would find any excuse to complain about her pain and loneliness. Today, the resentment was diminished.

“Did Mu Yin… say anything?” he asked tentatively.

Madam Song smiled. “That girl is quite nice. I liked what she had to say. I need to tell Jinxun to hurry up with the wedding.”

Heh, Song Xingyao sneered internally. But he nodded and smiled.

“I felt unwell again yesterday,” Madam Song added. “Luckily, Mu Yin brought a doctor.”

“A doctor?”

“Yes, he examined and treated me. I feel much better today.”

Song Xingyao tucked her in. Usually, no matter how many doctors they saw, she claimed they were useless. Today, she said she “felt much better.” He was bewildered. He didn’t push her, but he intended to find out who this doctor was.

Leaving the room, his smile vanished. He found the butler. “Who visited my mother yesterday?”

“Miss Mu and Mr. Pei,” the butler replied.

“Mr. Pei? Which Mr. Pei?”

“Pei Che, from the Pei family.”

Song Xingyao was stunned. Their families weren’t close. Why would a Pei visit? Then the butler reminded him that Pei Che was now a psychology professor at Jiabei University.

Right. He gave up his inheritance to be a professor. I forgot.

Song Xingyao strode toward the main house, his face cold.

…

Cold Office, Hot Tempers

Song Xingyao sat in the office, his long legs resting on the desk. He looked like a roguish noble. The secretary brought coffee, but he waved her off, insisting on waiting for Song Jinxun.

When Song Jinxun finally entered, wearing silver-rimmed glasses, his expression was flat. “I can’t arrange your work. Go to Grandpa for that.”

” I didn’t come here for company business.”

“Then why?”

“You’re good at playing dead,” Song Xingyao sneered. “Besides Mom, what else would bring me to this stinking place of yours?”

Song Jinxun smiled gently. “There is wood-scented incense in this office. If you think it stinks, you should see an ENT specialist. Perhaps your sense of smell is broken.”

“My smell is fine. Some people are so rotten they can’t smell their own stench.”

The temperature in the office plummeted to freezing.