Back in her room, Mu Xi plopped down onto the soft, oversized bed, but her mind couldn’t help but replay the cold figure of Li Xin.
She held the silver spear, cleanly and decisively taking down Wuhen.
The moment the bullet pierced the skull, blood splattered everywhere…
That scene was brutal, yet carried a strange kind of beauty.
“Wow, so cool…” Mu Xi couldn’t help but whisper in admiration, then suddenly covered her mouth, as if she had done something shameful.
“What’s wrong with me?” She patted her slightly flushed cheek.
“Could it be that after becoming a girl, even my tastes have changed? Am I starting to like this type of girl now?”
Mu Xi scratched her silver-white long hair in frustration.
Though, to be fair, Li Xin was indeed quite charming.
‘Wait!’
Mu Xi suddenly became alert.
‘Could Li Xin have been acting?’
Teaming up with Ye Lan, deliberately putting on a hero-rescues-beauty act?
The more she thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
After all, Ye Lan was the kind of woman who could do anything.
But… Mu Xi was reluctant to believe it.
Li Xin’s eyes—clear and sharp—didn’t look like someone who was lying.
If she really was acting, then her acting skills were incredible.
She might as well win an Oscar!
Mu Xi rolled over and buried herself in the soft quilt, the familiar sweet scent of cream, milk, and faint perfume lingering at her nose.
She gently rubbed her pillow, trying to shake off the tangled thoughts swirling in her mind.
Li Xin…
That figure, wielding the silver spear with resolute determination, the cruel bullet piercing through the skull, and… that sincere, earnest gaze.
Mu Xi didn’t want to entertain those dark suspicions.
She preferred to believe that Li Xin truly wanted to protect her.
At least, for now, that was what she hoped.
She closed her eyes, long eyelashes casting two faint shadows beneath her eyelids, like two weary butterflies finally finding a place to rest.
***
The next morning, sunlight streamed through the Gothic pointed windows, casting mottled light and shadows onto the dark green silk bedding.
Mu Xi woke up from the soft bed, feeling a bit languid, as if still intoxicated.
She rubbed her sleepy eyes, her silver-white hair spread messily across the pillow like a scatter of moonlight.
The room was filled with a faintly sweet aroma of cream and milk, a scent that belonged to her, and was also the “Pet Perfume” that Ye Lan had imposed on her.
After her usual wash-up, breakfast was promptly delivered.
The exquisite silverware accompanied carefully plated dishes, everything like delicate works of art, yet making Mu Xi feel slightly suffocated.
She mechanically poked a piece of fried egg, tasting nothing but blandness.
Li Xin’s figure from last night still lingered in her mind—the cold yet captivating woman.
Was she truly protecting her, or was she just another part of Ye Lan’s twisted script?
Just as she was absentmindedly eating breakfast, a soft knock came at the door.
A maid stepped in respectfully and said, “Miss Mu Xi, please change into a beautiful dress and prepare to go downstairs to greet the Guest.”
“Guest?” Mu Xi froze for a moment, her fork stopping mid-air.
“I thought the Guest was supposed to come at the end of the month? Why so suddenly today…”
The maid smiled faintly, her tone professional but distant.
“Yes, Miss. The Guest has arrived early today. Boss Ye has instructed you to go downstairs quickly to receive her. She is already waiting in the main hall on the first floor of the manor.”
Mu Xi’s heart sank abruptly, a wave of unease rising within her.
Arriving early?
What exactly was Ye Lan up to?
She hurriedly finished the rest of her breakfast and got up to head toward the dressing room.
The so-called “getting dressed up” was practically a disaster for someone like her, whose soul still felt like a man’s.
The dressing room was filled with all sorts of elaborate and gorgeous dresses—lace, silk, puffy skirts—the very embodiment of a princess’s dream, yet it sent chills down her spine.
She randomly grabbed a relatively simple white dress and hurriedly slipped it on.
Looking into the mirror, the reflection was an outrageously delicate young girl—silver hair, porcelain skin, red lips, and white teeth, like a porcelain doll.
But only she knew how out of place the soul was beneath this beautiful exterior.
She irritably scratched her head, trying to make her “look” more natural, but only made things worse.
Forget it, this will have to do.
Mu Xi gave up struggling and stepped into the vintage elevator with gilded edges to go downstairs.
As the elevator slowly descended, she felt her heart sink bit by bit.
***
The first-floor hall was magnificent and lavish, with a dazzling Crystal Chandelier sparkling above.
Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows lay a neatly trimmed Lawn and a fountain, all as beautiful as a painting.
Ye Lan was already waiting in the center of the hall, dressed in her signature tight black leather suit, standing tall with an imposing aura.
Seeing Mu Xi approach, she curled the corners of her lips into a meaningful smile.
“My little pet, you’ve finally come down.”
Ye Lan’s voice carried a hint of pleasure, her gaze sweeping over Mu Xi as if admiring a fine piece of art.
“Your outfit today is nice, has a kind of… careless beauty.”
Mu Xi forced down the discomfort rising within her, forcing a smile as she walked over to Ye Lan and whispered, “Master, who is the Guest? Why did they come early all of a sudden?”
Ye Lan didn’t answer directly but gave a mysterious smile and gestured toward the main door.
“The guest has arrived. Why don’t you just see for yourself?”
No sooner had she finished speaking than the heavy manor doors slowly opened.
A blonde, blue-eyed woman walked in, adorned with jewels and radiating an unmistakable aura of “I’m expensive.”
She wore a mink coat and didn’t bother taking it off, even indoors.
Her makeup was exquisite but couldn’t hide the sharp acidity ingrained in her bones.
Her eyes were proud and picky, as if inspecting some low-quality merchandise.
Mu Xi glanced at her once and instinctively felt a repulsion toward this so-called “Guest.”
This woman clearly was not to be trifled with.
Beside the blonde woman followed a girl of about seventeen or eighteen, dressed in shabby clothes, hair messy, timidly hiding behind the blonde.
The girl’s eyes were hollow and numb, about the same age as Mu Xi but seeming from an entirely different world.
“This is the honored Guest, Mrs. Karin,” Ye Lan’s voice broke the brief silence in the hall.
“Mrs. Karin, this is Mu Xi, whom I mentioned to you before.”
The blonde woman showed no interest in Mu Xi the “pet,” not even bothering to glance her in the eye.
Her attention was fully fixed on Ye Lan, speaking in a slightly exaggerated tone filled with business flattery and meaningless pleasantries.
Mu Xi quietly exhaled in relief.
Mrs. Karin’s disdain somehow made her feel a little fortunate.
Being singled out by this obviously difficult noblewoman could only mean trouble.
She wisely stepped back to the side, turning her gaze to the girl who had been hiding behind Mrs. Karin all along.
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