I Turned Out To Be The Paranoid Villain’s White Moonlight - Chapter 25

Did that make her a little happier?

Zhan Yao cleared her throat. She had to admit that it really did.

“Then thank you, Wanqiao,” she said. Having been won over by the gifts Yu Wanqiao had carefully prepared, her expression and tone were noticeably better than before.

She even had enough energy left to show some concern for Yu Wanqiao. “What about the rest of your work?”

“It’s fine,” Yu Wanqiao said. “I left someone there to handle it.”

That was good. Zhan Yao did not want Yu Wanqiao delaying work because of her. Her heart would ache if she earned even one cent less!

“Have you eaten breakfast yet…” It was not too late, and Yu Wanqiao had rushed home, so she probably had not eaten. Zhan Yao glanced at the servant beside her and was about to ask them to prepare another portion when Xiao Yue suddenly poked her head out of the kitchen.

She enthusiastically asked, “Miss Zhan, all the ingredients you asked me to prepare yesterday are ready. Will you continue developing new dishes today?”

Yu Wanqiao immediately picked up on those words. “New dishes? What new dishes?”

“Nothing,” Zhan Yao replied instinctively.

Yu Wanqiao clearly did not believe her. “Have you become interested in cooking, Yaoyao?”

“Could I try some, if possible?”

“…”

Zhan Yao fell silent.

“No.” After a long while, she shook her head and refused very clearly.

She had always possessed an accurate understanding of her own abilities. Even after cooking for several days, her food remained at a level that enraged both gods and humans and was rejected even by dogs. How could she possibly bring it up openly, much less serve it to Yu Wanqiao?

Sensing her thoughts, the system instinctively said, “Didn’t you make Cheng Yu and the others taste your cooking a few days ago? Why is it suddenly unacceptable when it comes to Yu Wanqiao?”

“How is that the same?” Zhan Yao immediately retorted. “Cheng Yu isn’t my wife, and Cheng Yu doesn’t earn money for me to spend.”

Good grief. Her double standard could not have been clearer.

Zhan Yao could not be bothered with the system. She raised her eyes toward Yu Wanqiao again without saying anything.

Yu Wanqiao looked back at her and likewise remained silent.

The atmosphere became inexplicably strange. After a while, Zhan Yao heard the person before her release a soft sigh.

“Ah…”

“……?” Why are you acting aggrieved now?

“It isn’t that I don’t want you to eat it.” After several seconds of silence, Zhan Yao felt she ought to explain. “I simply haven’t made anything I’m satisfied with yet, and I don’t want to embarrass myself by serving it.”

“Give me a little more time,” she said, inexplicably feeling as though she owed Yu Wanqiao something. “I’ll definitely cook for you in a few days.”

“All right.” Yu Wanqiao nodded gently and smiled again. “Then I’ll look forward to it.”

Her tone was filled with reassurance and tenderness, the special attitude she only ever used when speaking to Zhan Yao.

Strangely enough, Zhan Yao felt soothed by her.

After a while, she beckoned toward Yu Wanqiao. “…Then hurry over and eat.”

Zhan Yao always followed the rule of not speaking while eating. To accommodate her, Yu Wanqiao remained silent too.

Before long, however, a phone call broke the quiet around them. Yu Wanqiao glanced at the screen but did not answer.

Not much later, the phone rang again. Seeing that she still did not react, Zhan Yao instinctively looked at the screen.

Unknown number.

“Why aren’t you answering?” Zhan Yao asked.

“There’s no need,” Yu Wanqiao said.

No need. It did not sound like a spam call, but rather someone she knew.

For some reason, Jiang Anran’s face suddenly appeared in Zhan Yao’s mind. She might genuinely have been allergic to that idiot, because the mere thought of her immediately reignited her anger.

“Just answer it,” Zhan Yao said, lowering her eyes as she stirred the coffee in her cup with a spoon, pretending not to care. “They’ve already called twice. It might really be something urgent.”

As soon as she finished, the phone, which had only just gone silent, began ringing for a third time.

“…”

Zhan Yao’s hand paused around the spoon. After several seconds, she said sarcastically, “That’s the third call. What could possibly be so urgent?”

“I don’t know.” Yu Wanqiao looked at her, seemingly intending to tease her. “What do you think, Yaoyao?”

“How would I know?” Zhan Yao replied, raising her eyes to meet Yu Wanqiao’s gaze. She said nothing aloud, but inwardly she was already complaining furiously.

It was either Jiang Anran calling to complain or some other white moonlight trying to reminisce about the past.

Judging by Yu Wanqiao’s behavior, she clearly had a guilty conscience. Who knew how many romantic debts she had accumulated before? One person had shown up at the door yesterday, and now another was calling nonstop today.

Zhan Yao had no desire to deal with these people again. Their contract had never said she was responsible for this sort of thing. If it happened again, she would quit and get divorced immediately!

As though she could read her mind, Yu Wanqiao shook her head and finally answered directly.

“It’s my father.”

Zhan Yao froze.

Most of her irritation instantly disappeared, replaced by overwhelming awkwardness.

After a moment, she decided to strike first. “Then why didn’t you say so earlier?”

It was Yu Wanqiao’s fault for not even saving his number under a contact name.

Still, she understood why Yu Wanqiao had done that. A scumbag father who abandoned his wife and child truly did not deserve much respect or attention from his daughter. Now that Yu Wanqiao had finally begun living more happily, who knew why he was calling again?

“If you don’t want to answer, then don’t,” Zhan Yao said, her delicate brows furrowing slightly. “If he calls again, I’ll speak for you.”

Yu Wanqiao seemed puzzled. “What would you say, Yaoyao?”

Zhan Yao gave a cold snort and slowly folded her arms. “He doesn’t know who I am anyway. I can curse him out for you.”

“…” As though the words had struck her sense of humor, Yu Wanqiao laughed softly. “What if he recognizes your voice in the future?”

“It’s fine. I can speak in dialect,” Zhan Yao said. “As long as the money is right, I can speak anything. English, Japanese, and Korean are fine too. Russian and French will cost more, since they require rolling the tongue.”

Even her righteous indignation was adorable.

Yu Wanqiao shook her head. “Thank you, Yaoyao. I’ll reserve that service for now, but I won’t need it today.”

“The housekeeper at the old residence called me earlier,” she continued. “He told me that my father’s health has been poor lately and asked me to return and see him.”

“Oh.” Zhan Yao nodded. “Are you going?”

“Yes,” Yu Wanqiao said softly. “After all, he handed most of Chuansheng over to me. As his daughter, it’s only right that I fulfill a few obligations.”

“Besides, he hasn’t met you yet, Yaoyao.”

At that point, Yu Wanqiao paused. The words her father had once spoken echoed in her mind again, like the cruelest curse, one she had been unable to escape or resolve for all these years.

He had said, You will never be happy in this lifetime.

Yet now, he was the one who had become the most miserable.

At that thought, Yu Wanqiao gently curved her lips.

“I need to tell him personally just how happy I am.”

After class, Zhan Yao got into Yu Wanqiao’s car as they had agreed.

The Yu family’s old residence was about half an hour away—not particularly near, but not too far either. Perhaps because she was in a poor mood, Yu Wanqiao spoke far less than usual throughout the journey.

Parents were tremendously important to their children. Zhan Yao had lost hers many years ago, so she inevitably envied families whose parents were alive and whose relationships were harmonious.

But sometimes, parents could also become nightmares and curses to their children, as in Yu Wanqiao’s family.

At times, it was difficult to tell who was actually more fortunate.

After a while, Zhan Yao sighed and unusually offered her some comfort.

“It’s all right. Sister Zhan is here.”

Yu Wanqiao looked over and nodded gently. “Mm. All right.”

As they spoke, the Yu family’s old residence drew closer.

When they arrived, Housekeeper Zhao and Aunt Zhang came out together to welcome them.

Both had played significant roles in Yu Wanqiao’s life. One had remained beside her since childhood like an older sister, caring for her attentively, while the other had been like a mother, offering selfless devotion and meticulous care.

Aunt Zhang in particular had worked for the Yu family since she was young. She had never married or had children and practically regarded Yu Wanqiao as her own daughter.

Seeing her return after so long, Aunt Zhang was so emotional that she nearly cried.

“Wanqiao, you’ve finally come home.”

“How have you been lately?” she asked, holding Yu Wanqiao’s hand and checking on her. Then she looked toward Zhan Yao. “And you brought Niannian back with you. Wonderful, wonderful. Did Niannian miss Aunt Zhang?”

…Niannian?

Zhan Yao froze.

Who was Niannian? She had no idea.

Countless thoughts immediately surfaced in her mind. She instinctively glanced at Yu Wanqiao beside her before saying, “Auntie, you’ve mistaken me for someone else.”

“I’m not Niannian. My name is Zhan Yao.”

“Zhan Yao?” Aunt Zhang paused and stared at her for a long while. “Th-Then Auntie must have mistaken you.”

“You look so much like Niannian. I thought you were…” She trailed off, her gaze instinctively falling on Zhan Yao’s right hand. Only when she saw the cinnabar mole in her palm did she finally confirm her identity. “I’m sorry, Miss Zhan. I truly mistook you for someone else.”

Zhan Yao noticed the movement, but after several seconds of silence, she said nothing about it.

“It’s all right.”

“Miss Zhan, tea and refreshments have already been prepared.” At the same time, Housekeeper Zhao approached. “Please come over here and rest.”

“All right.” Zhan Yao followed her guidance and sat beside the sofa, though her gaze remained fixed on Yu Wanqiao as she lowered her eyes and said something else to Housekeeper Zhao.

Before long, as though sensing her stare, Yu Wanqiao raised her head again and met her gaze from across the room.

“What is it, Yaoyao?”

Zhan Yao paused, then asked directly, “Who is Niannian?”

Yu Wanqiao instinctively fell silent for several seconds before returning the question.

“Does it matter to you, Yaoyao?”

Obviously.

Zhan Yao rolled her eyes. Although she had long heard rumors about Yu Wanqiao having a white moonlight, she had never believed them. Yet unexpectedly, reality had now dealt her a heavy blow.

Judging by Aunt Zhang’s words, this Niannian truly seemed to look extremely similar to her—so similar that they had to be distinguished by the mole on her hand.

Then what was she?

A substitute?

Even though they were merely a fake couple in a contract marriage, Zhan Yao was genuinely displeased. She wished she could instantly learn every single detail about that Niannian.

But right now, she wanted even more to make Yu Wanqiao just as unhappy as she was.

“Does it matter?” Zhan Yao curved her lips into a smile. “Only an idiot would care.”