I Could Never Fall In Love With A Villain - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Come Home with Me

The rain fell in a steady drizzle, fine threads weaving a hazy net that shrouded the entire city. The damp air brought to mind the scent of a moldy sponge.

Mu Yin stepped out of the hotel, preparing to call a car.

At that moment, her phone vibrated—one message after another popped up, covering the entire screen.

Lin Ying: Come home for dinner tonight and apologize properly to your father.

Lin Ying: Stop being so willful. You must realize that everything you have now was given to you by your father!

Lin Ying: Don’t play dead with me. Do you hear me?

Only then did Mu Yin notice over twenty missed calls on her phone. Combined with the frantically appearing messages, it felt like a death curse.

She didn’t bother reading further and was about to swipe them away when another call came in.

This time, it wasn’t Lin Ying.

“Hello—Mu Yin, are you up?” A vibrant female voice came from the other end. Without waiting for an answer, she continued, “I spent two hours rummaging through my closet this morning and couldn’t find a single decent thing! I literally have nothing to wear! Come shopping with me, okay? How about it?”

Mu Yin wasn’t in the mood. “In this heavy rain?”

Too much energy.

The person on the phone was Cai Xiaochun, a friend of Mu Yin’s—at least within the same social circle. In the original plot, she was a member of the villainess’s “clique.”

Cai Xiaochun gave a sneaky giggle, using a coquettish tone to reveal her true intent: “My family’s new mall just had its grand opening. Come support me, won’t you?”

Mu Yin suddenly went quiet, holding back her rejection. This sentence sounded familiar.

Three seconds later, she remembered.

“Come pick me up.”

…

Cai Xiaochun rushed over instantly, terrified that Mu Yin might change her mind.

She drove a conspicuous pink sports car, rolling down the window in the rain to give Mu Yin a wink by the roadside.

As soon as Mu Yin sat in the car, Cai Xiaochun started the engine and immediately began spilling gossip.

“Why were you at a hotel? Wait… I remember now. Yesterday was Song Jinxun’s birthday, wasn’t it?”

“Don’t tell me you two spent a night of passion and officially established your relationship.”

Mu Yin: “With an imagination that vivid, have you considered a career change?”

Cai Xiaochun ignored the sarcasm—she was naturally slow on the uptake and hadn’t yet noticed that Mu Yin had changed from before. Her mind was entirely on the gossip.

“It’s bound to happen sooner or later, anyway.”

“Everyone says I’m not smart, but I don’t think I’m stupid either. Once the Mu and Song families unite through marriage, it’ll be a match made in heaven.”

“Otherwise, why would so many people be so desperate to stop it, racking their brains to send women to Song Jinxun’s side?”

“Mu Yin, I’m talking to you! Why are you so quiet? Don’t worry, everyone praises Song Jinxun’s character. He keeps himself so clean that he’s practically an outsider compared to the other men in our circle.”

Mu Yin finally spoke.

“No, I was just thinking… if it’s all about stopping the marriage alliance…” Her tone was unusually serious. “Why are only women throwing themselves at Song Jinxun? Why hasn’t a man come to seduce me?”

“…”

…

The newly opened mall featured cutting-edge decor, with the scent of elegant perfume floating in the air. Although luxury brands were gathered everywhere, the design wasn’t overly flamboyant, opting instead for a style that appealed to younger preferences.

“Why aren’t you trying on clothes?” Cai Xiaochun leaned in and asked cautiously. “Is it because I invited others… are you unhappy?”

Mu Yin glanced to her side.

After they arrived at the mall, several girls had stepped out of the two luxury cars following them. The “besties’ shopping trip” had upgraded into a “squad shopping trip.”

“I’m not unhappy.”

Mu Yin knew they would come. Only with them here could today’s “Villainess Support Group” be officially established.

This was one of the major plot points from the original novel.

The male and female leads were supposed to have their first encounter here.

Key plot points like this were the best times to increase health points. If Mu Yin missed it, wouldn’t she be losing out?

Her gaze swept across the glass display windows.

The book spent pages describing the appearance of the male characters, but for the female lead, there were only a few brief mentions. It repeatedly mentioned “eyes that are stubborn yet clear” and “working like a little sparrow”…

It was too abstract.

Trying to find a female lead matching that description was a tall order.

However, Mu Yin didn’t expect to find her so quickly. Her gaze locked onto a figure.

She couldn’t tell if the eyes were stubborn and clear, but judging by her age and noticeably simple makeup, it was ten to one the female lead.

“What are you looking at?” Cai Xiaochun was still worried she was angry, so she looked for a chance to talk.

Following her gaze, Mu Yin was looking at a high-end light luxury shoe store.

“See something you like? Let’s go in and try some on. You can just buy them for fun.”

The group of girls walked into the store.

Liang Yunxi was a college student working part-time during the holidays. Normally, a store like this wouldn’t hire a short-term part-timer like her, but she had performed exceptionally well and was hired as an exception.

Many people said that after working so hard to get into a prestigious academy, being a shop assistant at a shoe store was beneath her. But she didn’t think so; she needed money, and this job paid handsomely. Moreover, she could use her free time to study. Overall, she was very satisfied.

Suddenly, a large number of customers arrived, and the other senior staff immediately became busy. Liang Yunxi also braced herself. Serving the wealthy wasn’t easy; failing to make a sale was a small matter, but losing her job would be a disaster.

“You, come and help me.”

A lazy voice drifted over.

When all eyes converged on her, Liang Yunxi finally realized the customer was specifically asking for her service. She hurriedly put on a smile and walked over warmly.

The customer sat on the sofa, looking as beautiful as moonlight, but… seemingly distracted.

Mu Yin appeared to be spaced out, and she truly was. She was thinking about how to make things difficult for the female lead.

There was a particularly cliché scene in the original plot. The “Villainess Squad” just loved to bully ordinary workers—don’t ask why, they just did. While the female lead was being tormented, the male lead would appear at the right moment to play the hero, and that was how they would meet.

But looking into it, being a villainess was hard work.

Humiliating someone with money? That made her look like a nouveau riche—no class.

Throwing socks at her? That made her look like she lacked civic-mindedness.

Mu Yin thought about it with a frown. But she was destined to be a villain anyway, so why overthink it? In a romance novel, isn’t it quite happy to be a brainless villain who does whatever they want?

Thinking of this, Mu Yin had an epiphany: “Pick out some shoes that suit me.”

“No problem,” Liang Yunxi, the “little sparrow,” replied happily.

But very soon, she wasn’t happy. This was indeed a “troublesome” customer.

“These shoes are our new arrivals. How do you feel about them?”

Mu Yin glanced at them. “They’re okay, but I don’t like the color.”

“We have other colors here. This is the most popular one. Would you like to try it?”

Mu Yin looked up from her phone screen. “It’s pretty, but I think this color makes my skin look dark.”

…

Time ticked by. Liang Yunxi had squatted down and hadn’t stood up since. Eventually, the other members of the “Villainess Squad” grew tired, but Mu Yin continued.

So classless! They condemned her in their hearts.

Mu Yin was also tired—but why hadn’t the male lead shown up yet? Was he stuck in traffic because of the rain?

Just then—

“Sir, I’m sorry, we have many guests today and have already closed.”

The clerk’s apology drifted in from the door.

Although it differed slightly from the original plot, Mu Yin spoke up without thinking: “The store is big enough. One or two more people won’t make a difference.”

A moment later, footsteps approached.

A man and a woman walked into the store. The woman had her arm around the man’s, whispering and laughing.

Mu Yin focused on the man. His features were striking, but there was a hint of impatience in his eyes that created a sense of distance.

Wait. This doesn’t match the description of the male lead in the novel.

The man’s gaze suddenly landed on her, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Mu Yin, what are you doing here?”

Whoops.

It really wasn’t the original male lead. But how could it be him?

Cai Xiaochun immediately stood up. “Cough, I asked Mu Yin to come shopping with me…”

The man interrupted impatiently, “I’m asking Mu Yin.”

Mu Yin refrained from rolling her eyes only because she didn’t want to be classless. The man was Mu Xuan—Mu Yin’s older brother. Their dynamic was written all over their conversation: they had a terrible relationship.

According to the plot, Mu Yin was supposed to fall in love with the male lead at first sight here… which would later spark her wicked intentions. But now that scene had disappeared. Why? Was it because her actions caused a butterfly effect?

Mu Yin gave up waiting entirely. Ignoring Mu Xuan, she stood up and said, “Wrap up all the shoes I tried on just now.”

Mu Xuan pushed away the arm holding him. He glanced at the shoes scattered around and immediately understood what had happened.

“You’re still the same. No matter how much you pretend, you can’t hide the fact that you have no manners. Do Mom and Dad give you money just so you can bully people outside?”

Before Mu Xuan could finish his lecture, Mu Yin cut him off.

“Oh? What do you consider ‘manners’? To be gentle and kind, but not spend a single cent? If you love doing charity so much, why don’t you pull out your card and give everyone here a million?”

“If you’re worried they won’t accept a handout, you can add a small condition—like the task of slapping you once. That way, everyone can accept your money with a clear conscience.”

“…”

Mu Yin turned to Liang Yunxi and smiled slightly. “Wrap the shoes up. Charge them to this gentleman.”

Mu Xuan’s veins bulged. “Mu Yin!”

Mu Yin turned back. “Brother, we’re family. You wouldn’t refuse to pay for your sister, would you?”

“…”

Who wants her to call me ‘Brother’! He got goosebumps. Has Mu Yin taken the wrong medicine today?!

Mu Xuan felt like his brain had turned into a rusty gear. It took him a long while to react. Seeing Mu Yin about to leave, he lunged forward and grabbed her.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“Come home with me.”