The Villainess’s Darling [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 70

Zhuang Yuzhen woke up in a daze to find himself in a hospital ward, surrounded by doctors and nurses.

“The patient is awake. The examination shows no major issues; you can process his discharge in a bit,” the doctor said, peeling back Zhuang Yuzhen’s eyelid before speaking to someone behind him.

Who was the doctor talking to?

Zhuang Yuzhen followed the doctor’s gaze and locked eyes with Ning Xiao’s shimmering gaze. Memories of his collapse flooded back, and his face turned deathly pale.

Ning Xiao and Yun Can’er were actually… together!

They were supposed to despise each other. How could this happen? Something was definitely wrong, something he had overlooked.

Originally, Zhuang Yuzhen felt that lacking this body’s memories helped him think calmly without confusion, but now he desperately wanted to know what had transpired before. Perhaps “Zhuang Yuzhen’s” memories held the answer.

The doctor finished his instructions and led the nurses out of the ward.

Ning Xiao walked to the bedside, looking down at Zhuang Yuzhen with a searching expression. “Who are you?” she asked.

Zhuang Yuzhen’s heart skipped a beat. “What do you mean ‘who am I’? Who else could I be? I’m Zhuang Yuzhen, the one you deceived!”

On the surface, he was aggressive, but internally, he was incredibly shaken. Why would she ask that? Had she seen through him? He didn’t understand why he had been reborn, and he certainly didn’t want to expose it. If Ning Xiao found some occult master to send him back to his original timeline, wouldn’t he just be dead?

Ning Xiao said flatly, “You don’t seem like Zhuang Yuzhen.”

Zhuang Yuzhen’s lips went white, but he remained steady. “I am Zhuang Yuzhen himself. What’s this about ‘seeming’ or ‘not seeming’?”

“On the other hand,” he countered, “Are you really Ning Xiao? Since when would Ning Xiao like Yun Can’er?” He wondered if her body had been snatched by some wandering ghost.

Ning Xiao chuckled. “Can’er is kind, pure, and cute. Why wouldn’t I like her?”

“The Ning Xiao I know is nothing like you,” Zhuang Yuzhen stated firmly, staring intently at her face, hoping to catch a flicker of panic.

However, he saw nothing. Ning Xiao was calm—leisurely, even.

“Is the [Ning Xiao] you know really me?” she asked meaningfully.

Zhuang Yuzhen paused. “Of course.” He was Zhuang Yuzhen; the [Ning Xiao] he knew was the one he had dealt with. Was there a difference?

“I beg to differ,” Ning Xiao said. Her phone chimed, and as she checked a message from Yun Can’er, a genuine smile spread across her face.

Zhuang Yuzhen was stunned for a moment, his eyes lingering on her radiant face. Ning Xiao… really was different from his memory. Something in the sequence of events must have gone wrong; he had to figure it out!

[Ding! Reborn Male Lead Return Value: 0.]

Ning Xiao hadn’t expected the reborn Zhuang Yuzhen to be so resilient. Even at this stage, he had no intention of returning to his proper timeline. Her confession with Can’er hadn’t broken him, and pressuring him hadn’t worked either. It seemed she needed to turn up the heat.

“You’re fine now,” Ning Xiao said. “You can leave the hospital.”

Seeing she wasn’t moving, Zhuang Yuzhen asked, “What about you? Why aren’t you leaving?”

“I’m waiting for someone.”

As soon as she spoke, the door pushed open. Yun Can’er walked in carrying a bag of “sugar snowballs” (candied hawthorn berries). Seeing Ning Xiao, her eyes crinkled into crescents, and she leaned in to feed Ning Xiao a berry.

“Ning Xiao doesn’t like sour things,” Zhuang Yuzhen suddenly interjected, watching the scene with irritation.

Yun Can’er froze. The rosy tint faded from her cheeks, and she looked panicked. “Ning-ning, I didn’t mean it. I didn’t know you didn’t like sour food.” She clutched Ning Xiao’s sleeve, looking up with watery eyes.

She was both guilty about her lack of knowledge and jealous that Zhuang Yuzhen seemed to know Ning Xiao so well. Tears quickly pooled in her eyes.

Ning Xiao shot a cold look at Zhuang Yuzhen that made him stiffen. She then lowered her voice to comfort Can’er. “The snowballs Can’er feeds me are incredibly sweet—exactly what I like. Don’t listen to him; he’s just desperate to start a fight between us.”

Ning Xiao’s tone and actions were incredibly tender. The sunlight caught her vibrant features, making her look like a celestial being.

Zhuang Yuzhen’s rising anger was instantly replaced by infatuation. Simultaneously, a boundless jealousy rose within him, but not toward Ning Xiao. It was toward Yun Can’er. He was certain he loved the kind Can’er in his original timeline, but now he felt she was being far too “fake.”

It’s just a hawthorn berry she doesn’t like. What’s with the acting and the crying!

Soothed by Ning Xiao, Yun Can’er picked out a candied cherry tomato and held it to Ning Xiao’s lips. “I tried this one; it’s very sweet, not sour at all.”

Ning Xiao smiled and leaned down, taking the whole tomato from Can’er’s hand. Can’er watched as the juice moistened Ning Xiao’s red lips, and she subconsciously swallowed, staring blankly at her.

“Is it good?” Can’er asked, her face slightly flushed.

Ning Xiao nodded, leaning close to whisper in her ear, “Just as sweet as you.”

The intimate warmth against her ear turned Can’er’s earlobes bright red. Her heart raced, and she was too shy to look at Ning Xiao. “Th—That’s good, then.”

Zhuang Yuzhen, watching this display of affection, nearly coughed up blood. He never knew Can’er was such a temptress—even a woman like Ning Xiao, who only cared about profit, had been won over. He had truly underestimated her.

“Your public relationship is still mother and daughter,” Zhuang Yuzhen said gloomily. “You should be careful. If this gets out, the Yun Group’s stock will plummet.”

The romantic atmosphere was shattered. Can’er turned and glared at him.

Ning Xiao pulled Can’er close, holding her shoulder protectively. “The only person I can think of who would leak our relationship is you,” she said coldly. “If you don’t talk, no one will know.”

“Do you plan to be secret lovers forever?” Zhuang Yuzhen sneered. “Ning Xiao, you’ve calculated well. As long as you keep her hooked so she never marries, you can control the company for life.”

“Yun Can’er, you need to see her true face.”

And once you see it, stop liking her and clinging to her.

Knowing Ning Xiao wasn’t greedy for fame or fortune, Can’er said angrily, “I’m willing to give Ning-ning everything! What business is it of yours? You’re overstepping!”

“Ha! People in love really have no IQ. I hope you don’t regret this later,” Zhuang Yuzhen snarled. He wanted nothing more than for them to break up immediately.

Ning Xiao’s expression turned icy. “Zhuang Yuzhen, if you have nothing good to say, shut up.”

“You say I’ve calculated well. Where exactly have I schemed against her? If I wanted the company, it would be easy. I could just marry her. But I have no interest in the company, nor do I want to be CEO forever. There is someone far more suited for the role.”

Surprise flashed in Can’er’s eyes. Someone better? Who?

Zhuang Yuzhen didn’t believe a word. “Anyone can tell a lie. If there’s someone better, why don’t you show them to me? Keeping them hidden… who knows if they even exist!”

Ning Xiao didn’t even bother looking at him. She spoke softly to Can’er. “Can’er, tell him what you’ve been doing all summer.”

“She doesn’t need to,” Zhuang Yuzhen interrupted. “Wasn’t she at the Blue Sea Club?”

Ning Xiao said flatly, “Either your memory is malfunctioning, or you are.”

Can’er added, “President Zhuang, I was indeed caught at the Blue Sea Club because of Tan Rui, but Ning-ning called the police and rescued me almost immediately. Your brain really does seem to have a problem; maybe you should have the doctor do a CT scan.”

Can’er said the last part with total sincerity. Zhuang Yuzhen’s face darkened. But he was listening. His confidence in his memories began to waver. Had he remembered wrong? Or… was there something wrong with this world?

[Ding! Reborn Male Lead Return Value: 20%.]

Ignoring his expression, Can’er continued. “After I was rescued, Ning-ning thought I was too weak, so she started training me. Not only that, she made me her assistant at the company. I started by memorizing her schedule to understand what a CEO does every day. Once I mastered that, she started teaching me how to review documents.”

She glanced at the astonished Zhuang Yuzhen. “Even after school started, she hasn’t let me slack off. I still have to work at the office on weekends. I only recently realized why she’s doing all this…”

“She’s training me to take over the Yun Group. She isn’t trying to steal the company; she’s trying to give it back to me.”

Zhuang Yuzhen’s eyes widened. “That’s impossible!”

“Why is it impossible? Ning-ning just said she doesn’t want to be CEO forever. The company is my responsibility. She has helped me enough; I can’t let her stay trapped in the office. The best way is for me to take over.”

By now, Can’er had forgotten Zhuang Yuzhen was even there. Her heart and eyes were filled only with Ning Xiao.

“Ning-ning, I might be shy and a bit slow, but I’ll work hard for you. Until I succeed, can you stay with me forever?”

The girl’s gaze was pure and intense. Ning Xiao, even having loved Can’er for a lifetime already, found it hard to resist. Her heart hammered against her ribs. “And after you succeed, you won’t need me anymore?”

“Of course not! Once I take over the Yun Group, let’s get married.”

Zhuang Yuzhen:

F**! * It was beyond ridiculous to watch them discuss their wedding right in front of him!

Support