I Could Never Fall In Love With A Villain - Chapter 6

Chapter 6: You Can’t Do It Like This, You’re Too Innocent…

“An affair?”

Mu Yin repeated his words, looking at him with a half-smile.

“Mm-hmm.” Song Xingyao looked down at her, his tone ambiguous. “My brother is busy. A bunch of old men will have him cornered for the rest of the night. He can’t get away; there’s absolutely no way he’ll show up here.”

Mu Yin countered, “Is that exciting enough? Shouldn’t this kind of thing be done right under your brother’s nose to be interesting? That would be an affair.”

A flicker of surprise flashed through Song Xingyao’s eyes, followed by a widening grin.

“Sister-in-law, is your courage really that big? I’m fine with it, but I’m afraid you’ll run away—if that happens, our ‘mutual consent’ would turn into me harassing you… and that won’t do.”

“Better to do it like this…”

He leaned in, closing the distance until his nose almost brushed hers. Song Xingyao had been drinking; although it wasn’t much, a faint scent of alcohol lingered in the air. In the dim light, their senses were magnified, their breaths intertwining.

They looked as if they were about to kiss.

Mu Yin let out a laugh. “Are you looking for another slap? Did the last one feel that good?”

“…”

Song Xingyao recalled the slap from a few days ago. He realized that although he was holding one of her arms, Mu Yin’s other hand was free.

“Forget it then. I’m the protagonist of tonight’s banquet. How can the lead actor show up with a bruised face?”

Despite his words, he didn’t pull away. Mu Yin didn’t move an inch, nor did she avert her gaze. Song Xingyao realized his initial plan had failed. To see if seduction works, one must look at the target’s reaction. If Mu Yin had looked down shyly, he would have been certain of his success.

But the Mu Yin he saw now was completely unfazed. Her eyes sparkled with interest, as if she were waiting to see what other “tricks” he had up his sleeve, staring straight at him with a smile.

“…”

Song Xingyao was the first to look away, and he released her arm.

That’s it?

Mu Yin felt a wave of disappointment. She felt cheated by the original novel’s descriptions. Didn’t the book say Song Xingyao had many seductive tricks that led Mu Yin into his trap?

Her gaze toward him turned critical.

“You’re dressed so conservatively. How do you expect to seduce anyone like this?”

“You should wear something lower, a V-neck. Best if there’s a glimpse of abs.”

“You can’t do it like this. You’re too innocent.”

“…”

Mu Yin’s criticisms rained down on him. Song Xingyao couldn’t even find a gap to interrupt.

He laughed out of pure exasperation. “Mu Yin, you sure know a lot.”

Mu Yin clicked her tongue. “You look so wild, yet you know so little?”

“…”

“For example, just now…”

Mu Yin reached out and yanked him. Caught off guard, Song Xingyao found their positions reversed. His back hit the wall, and before he could react, Mu Yin’s hand slid from his chin down to his neck, passing over his collarbone.

She looked at him with beautiful eyes—eyes that weren’t flirtatious but possessed a natural allure. Song Xingyao’s Adam’s apple bobbed.

She whispered, “Go back and practice more.”

Leaving him with that, Mu Yin turned the handle and prepared to exit the room. Song Xingyao, having recovered, felt a surge of indescribable humiliation. He couldn’t admit he had actually “frozen up” because of her. He reached out to pull her back, wanting to settle who was truly the better player.

The door swung open, and a figure in the quiet corridor entered their vision.

The silhouette of a young man was elongated by the lights. His profile was sharp and distinct, the kind that made it hard to look away. He was holding a phone, listening silently to a call. Hearing the commotion, he looked over, his light brown eyes cold and detached.

He caught Mu Yin and Song Xingyao emerging from the dark room together. Song Xingyao’s clothes were slightly disheveled.

“…”

From any angle, this scene was scandalous. However, the man merely glanced at them, responded briefly to his phone, and walked toward the end of the hallway. He didn’t seem to care at all.

Song Xingyao looked complicated. “Why is Pei Che here?”

His heart was on a roller coaster. If anyone else had caught them, it would be a bomb. But Pei Che was indifferent; he wouldn’t gossip. Still, whether this bomb would ever go off remained unknown.

Hearing the name, Mu Yin’s eyes lit up.

The Male Lead! Pei Che!

He hadn’t appeared in the previous plot points. She wondered if he and Liang Yunxi had already met. Regardless, she decided to follow him tonight. Following the lead usually triggered plot events, and her life points were running low—she couldn’t afford to wait.

…

The Banquet and the Lead

Song Xingyao and Mu Yin returned to the banquet. Shortly after, Pei Che returned as well. The party was in full swing; music flowed, people drank and danced.

Song Xingyao, the man of the hour, was surrounded by people. Though he used to be arrogant and avoided social pleasantries, his years abroad had changed him. He was now smooth and tactful—which, in the eyes of others, confirmed he was ready to fight for the family inheritance.

Mu Yin stayed in a quiet corner, happy to be ignored. She watched Pei Che, who sat like a block of wood, his eyes glued to his phone as if handling work. People tried to talk to him, but they quickly left after the conversation turned awkward.

Mu Yin contemplated whether she should approach him. Maybe a proactive move would grant her life points.

Mu Xuan appeared. “You’re alone here. How much are you planning to eat?”

Mu Yin: “Why? Are you worried about Song Jinxun’s money?”

“…” Mu Xuan hissed, “I don’t want you looking like you’ve been abandoned. People will say the Mu family mistreats you.”

Mu Yin raised an eyebrow. “Is that so? Maybe I should take out a newspaper ad saying Mu Jiarong won’t let me eat dinner. Let public opinion drown him. If he steps down early, you can take over the company sooner.”

“…” Mu Xuan ignored her wild ideas. “Follow me.”

“Where?”

Mu Xuan didn’t answer, but he was heading straight for Pei Che. Mu Yin followed immediately. Although the Pei family was prominent, Mu Yin and Pei Che had never met. Their businesses—medical technology versus entertainment—were worlds apart. She was surprised Mu Xuan knew him.

Actually, Mu Xuan was arrogant too; the two men mostly just nodded at each other. But bringing Mu Yin allowed for a proper introduction.

“This is my sister, Mu Yin.”

Mu Yin smiled. “Hello, Mr. Pei.”

Mu Xuan narrowed his eyes. Was Mu Yin always this enthusiastic?

Mu Yin had her own plans. As the villainess whose downfall is tied to the male lead, she had to lay the groundwork early. Suddenly, the countdown before her eyes jumped—her life points increased!

Success! This meant her behavior was in character. Her plan to get close to Pei Che was working.

Pei Che looked up and gave a slight nod. Mu Yin didn’t mind his coldness; in fact, the colder he was, the more it fit the plot. After the greeting, Mu Xuan prepared to lead her away.

Just then, Mu Yin saw a familiar figure crossing the ballroom. Among the suits and gowns, this person stood out because she was wearing an ordinary professional internship outfit.

It was Liang Yunxi.

What was she doing here? Mu Yin immediately looked at Pei Che—and their eyes met.

Pei Che was looking at her.

Mu Yin felt like a peeping tom caught in the act and quickly looked away. But then she realized—wait, Pei Che was looking at her too! She turned back boldly, but he was already looking away, his gaze sweeping the hall before returning to his phone.

He must have seen Liang Yunxi, but his expression didn’t change. It seemed they didn’t know each other yet.

So, who was Liang Yunxi looking for?

Liang Yunxi clutched her handbag nervously. After scanning the crowd, she finally found a familiar face. She let out a sigh of relief and hurried forward.

“Mr. Song, hello. I’m the intern sent by Secretary An. The data you requested is all on this laptop.”