The Villainess’s Darling [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 59

After dinner, Ning Xiao took Yun Can’er out for a short stroll before finally letting her return to her room to rest.

As Yun Can’er pushed open her bedroom door and flicked on the light, she suddenly froze. There, sitting on the cabinet, were four pink gift bags.

Yun Can’er:

How did these things end up in her room?

She walked over and picked them up, pondering what to do with them. She wouldn’t use a single one of these accessories absolutely not!

Throw them away? No, the servants were all Ning Xiao’s eyes and ears; what if someone saw? Regardless, she couldn’t leave them where Ning Xiao might notice. If Ning Xiao saw them, she might force her to wear them, and that would be a disaster.

Yun Can’er paced around the bedroom clutching the bags until her eyes landed on her pajama cabinet. She pulled the door open. Dozens of various pajamas hung inside, providing the perfect cover.

Her eyes lit up. She quickly parted a row of skirts and tucked the four gift bags neatly into the very back. After smoothing the clothes back into place and checking from the outside to ensure nothing was visible, she finally let out a sigh of relief.

Knock, knock, knock! A sudden rap at the door startled her.

Yun Can’er jumped, hurriedly shutting the cabinet. Burdened by her “crime,” her eyes darted nervously and her cheeks flushed as she went to open the door.

“Is something wrong?” She glanced at Ning Xiao, unable to stop herself from acting guilty.

Ning Xiao said, “Sister He told me my mug is in your bedroom.”

Ning Xiao had wanted a drink and remembered the new mug she bought yesterday. When she asked the housekeeper where it was, Sister He said it had been placed in Yun Can’er’s room along with the accessories.

As Ning Xiao spoke, she noticed Yun Can’er’s body stiffen. Her slender white fingers curled tightly around the dark gold door handle. It took her several seconds to even process the words before she whispered, “I… I didn’t see any mug.”

Yun Can’er’s thin voice trembled slightly, radiating guilt.

Ning Xiao arched an eyebrow. “Is that so? Sister He said she definitely put it here. It’s not like a mug can run away on its own. Let me come in and have a look.”

Without waiting for an answer, she began to walk inside.

Panicked, Yun Can’er reached out to block her. “No! You can’t come in!”

Ning Xiao stopped, lowering her gaze to meet Yun Can’er’s dark, flickering eyes. “Why not? Unless you’ve deliberately hidden my mug and are afraid I’ll find it?”

“If you liked it, you could have just told me and I would’ve given it to you. But hiding it secretly isn’t right.” Ning Xiao’s gaze held a hint of gentle reproach.

Yun Can’er was stuck between a rock and a hard place. If she kept Ning Xiao out, the suspicion would grow; if she let her in, she might find the stash…

She bit her lower lip, agonizing over the decision for a long time before finally saying, “Fine, you can come in. But you aren’t allowed to rummage through my things.”

The last sentence was a dead giveaway a classic case of “the lady doth protest too much.” It was obvious there was something in the room.

What a pure little darling, Ning Xiao thought, a flicker of amusement passing through her eyes. She nodded. “I’m only looking for the mug. I’ll respect your privacy and won’t rummage.”

Hesitantly, Yun Can’er stepped aside to let Ning Xiao enter.

Click. The door closed, making Yun Can’er’s heart skip a heavy beat.

“See? My room only has these few things, and they’re all out in the open. Your mug really isn’t here.” Yun Can’er followed Ning Xiao closely, step for step.

Ning Xiao scanned the room. Indeed, there was nothing to be seen. However, she noticed that every time her gaze drifted toward the wardrobe, Yun Can’er’s body became exceptionally tense.

“Maybe Sister He put it in one of the cabinets,” Ning Xiao suggested, sounding nonchalant.

Yun Can’er’s heart hammered against her ribs, and a thin layer of sweat broke out on her back. “I… I doubt it. Every cabinet has a specific purpose. Sister He wouldn’t just put things anywhere.”

“Let’s just check. It’s no trouble.” Ning Xiao walked toward the pajama cabinet.

Yun Can’er closed her eyes in despair, waiting for her lie to be exposed. To her surprise, Ning Xiao stopped in front of it but didn’t reach for the handle.

“Can’er, come here.”

Yun Can’er opened her eyes cautiously. “What is it?” Why hadn’t she opened it? Hope began to rise in her chest.

“I promised not to touch your things. You look for it.”

What a turn of events! Yun Can’er was instantly revitalized. She ran over, her dark eyes glowing. “I’ll do it, I’ll do it!” She looked incredibly happy.

Suppressing a laugh, Ning Xiao stood politely to the side and waited, making sure not to peek. Yun Can’er opened the cabinet and looked back at her.

“Is it in there?” Ning Xiao asked.

Feeling nervous, Yun Can’er rustled through the clothes a few times, gave it a casual glance, and declared, “No, nothing.”

Ning Xiao nodded. “If it’s not there, then forget it. I’ll just buy another one. Get some rest.”

With that, she turned and left the room.

Yun Can’er was left standing there in utter confusion. “???”

Was Ning Xiao really that easy to fool?

A pang of guilt for deceiving Ning Xiao pricked at her heart. She walked to the door, made sure Ning Xiao was gone, then locked it. She turned back, pulled the gift bags out of the pajama cabinet, carefully fished out the two mugs, and then hid the rest of the accessories back inside.

“The servants stay up late… I’d better set an alarm for 5:00 AM. I’ll get up early and put the mugs downstairs.”

The next morning, before the sun had even risen, Yun Can’er’s alarm went off right on time.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

Because she had been preoccupied with her plan before sleeping, she opened her eyes the moment the alarm sounded, her mind perfectly clear. She turned off the alarm, moved with utmost caution, and carried the two mugs down to the first floor.

The ground floor was silent; the servants hadn’t started their work yet.

Yun Can’er successfully placed the mugs in a spot that wasn’t too obvious. Thinking about how she would act surprised later and “point out” the mugs to Ning Xiao, she couldn’t help but grin.

“Ning Xiao was going to buy new ones. She’ll be so pleasantly surprised when she finds out they aren’t lost~”

Satisfied, she returned to her bedroom and managed to catch a bit more sleep.

At 6:30 AM, Ning Xiao came to call her for their workout. Yun Can’er got up briskly, showing an unexpected level of enthusiasm.

In the elevator, Ning Xiao pressed the button for the basement level and asked with a smile, “Have you started liking exercise? Why so proactive today?”

Though Yun Can’er tried to control her expression, her eyes curved into little crescents. “I think exercise is good for you. Good for the health.”

In reality, her mind was entirely focused on the mugs.

Usually, after working out, Yun Can’er would be so limp she had no strength left to walk and needed Ning Xiao to support her. Today, however, she insisted on leaning against the wall and walking herself, refusing Ning Xiao’s help.

Upon reaching the first floor, she stubbornly shuffled along the wall. Ning Xiao couldn’t talk her out of it, so she simply followed behind to catch her in case she fell.

Yun Can’er slowly moved toward the curio shelf. She feigned a casual glance and, using some very dramatic and clumsy acting, pointed to the bottom shelf. “Isn’t that your mug?!”

She immediately turned to watch Ning Xiao’s reaction.

 It took Ning Xiao a moment to process.

Seeing the faint look of disappointment in Yun Can’er’s eyes when she didn’t get the expected response, Ning Xiao immediately put on a face of pure delight. “I thought they were lost! So they were here all along!”

“Can’er, it’s all thanks to you that I found them,” Ning Xiao said earnestly.

Though the transition in her attitude was quite stiff, her acting was convincing enough that Yun Can’er believed she was truly “surprised.”

Yun Can’er’s cheeks heated up. “It was just a coincidence. I didn’t really do anything,” she said bashfully.

It would be weirder if I didn’t find them, considering I’m the one who hid them. But Ning Xiao’s surprised expression just now was so beautiful, she thought with a bit of pride. Much prettier than usual, and it’s all because of me!

During breakfast, neither of them mentioned the mugs to the housekeeper. Yun Can’er was afraid of blowing her cover, and Ning Xiao was afraid of blowing Yun Can’er’s.

After the meal, the housekeeper brought the ceramic mugs over—an iced Americano for Ning Xiao and hot milk for Yun Can’er.

Ning Xiao noticed the matching patterns and asked with a smile, “Did Can’er pick a mug that matches mine on purpose?” Her eyes held a flicker of expectation.

Yun Can’er had intended to say “I just picked at random,” but meeting Ning Xiao’s shimmering gaze, the words somehow turned into, “Mhm. The pattern is very pretty.”

Only after saying it did she realize what she’d admitted, and her face turned a soft shade of pink.

Ning Xiao smiled. “It seems our tastes are very much in sync.”

Yun Can’er thought of the ruby necklace and the mountain of pink, “cute” accessories from the day before.

Their tastes were definitely not in sync!

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