I Turned Out To Be The Paranoid Villain’s White Moonlight - Chapter 26

She claimed she did not care, yet she clearly cared far too much.

Yu Wanqiao looked at her, the corners of her lips lifting unconsciously. She had been about to say something more when an elderly man’s voice suddenly came from nearby.

He tentatively called her name.

“Wanqiao…”

Yu Wanqiao’s brows immediately drew together.

“Yaoyao, I’ll come back to you in a little while,” she said. Rather than answering the man, she turned to explain herself to Zhan Yao. “All right?”

“Mm.” Zhan Yao replied irritably, shooting her a sideways glance. “Then hurry back.”

“All right.”

With that, Yu Wanqiao turned and left.

Zhan Yao followed her with her gaze, which gradually shifted from Yu Wanqiao’s retreating figure to the man. He appeared to be in his sixties and was dressed impeccably. He was also remarkably handsome, though his health was clearly poor, as his face was extremely pale.

Zhan Yao also noticed that his legs did not seem particularly steady and that he supported himself with a cane.

This was probably Yu Wanqiao’s father.

Tsk. Although he looked rather pitiful now, Zhan Yao could not bring herself to feel sorry for him. Society did not operate on the principle that whoever was weaker was automatically right or that whoever suffered more deserved sympathy.

Besides, if they were comparing misery, Yu Wanqiao—whose mother had died when she was young, whose father had abandoned her, and whose stepmother had suppressed her—had clearly suffered far more.

The system chose that moment to interject. “Do you feel sorry for her?”

“No,” Zhan Yao said firmly. “I’m still angry with her.”

The system: “…”

Mm. Our host certainly draws a clear line between love and hatred.

There was no telling how long the conversation between father and daughter would last, and Zhan Yao had no interest in paying attention. It was rare for her to visit, and as Yu Wanqiao’s wife, she was treated with great respect by all the servants in the old residence.

Aunt Zhang in particular came over several times to bring her tea and refreshments.

“You should rest for a while,” Zhan Yao said. Seeing someone of Aunt Zhang’s age constantly bustling around inevitably made her feel a little guilty. “I can take care of myself.”

“It’s all right, it’s all right.” Aunt Zhang was delighted and found herself liking Zhan Yao more the longer she looked at her. “Have some more, Miss Zhan.”

“I made these osmanthus cakes myself. Try one and see what you think,” she recommended. “Ever since Wanqiao was little, she has only liked the ones I make. There was once a period when I became ill and took some time off. When I returned, I learned that Wanqiao had missed my pastries so much that she cried.”

So Yu Wanqiao had once been like that.

Zhan Yao immediately became interested and deliberately encouraged Aunt Zhang to say more, so she could use it to tease Yu Wanqiao in the future.

“Really? Wanqiao must have been rather adorable back then.”

“She was.” Aunt Zhang nodded, then continued, “Wanqiao was completely different as a child. She was softhearted and introverted. Even when other children bullied her, she would never say anything after returning home. She would only hide somewhere and cry by herself.”

“It infuriated me. I wanted to collect the names of every troublesome brat who bullied her, take a big stick outside, and hit every single one of them!”

Aunt Zhang possessed quite a bold temperament.

Zhan Yao got along well with her. As they exchanged one remark after another, Aunt Zhang completely exposed every embarrassing detail about Yu Wanqiao’s childhood. Only now did Zhan Yao truly understand that people were multifaceted, and Yu Wanqiao was no exception.

“Then how did she become the way she is now?” Zhan Yao asked.

The moment the question left her mouth, however, she regretted it.

The reason was actually obvious.

Aunt Zhang sighed. That period was undoubtedly among her most painful memories.

“Ah, all I can say is that the child had a difficult life. She lost her mother when she was so young, and later…”

As someone employed by the family, she could hardly speak badly about her employer. Although Aunt Zhang disagreed with many of Father Yu’s actions, she was ultimately only a servant whose words carried little weight.

“I visited her several times during that period. She was unhappy and had lost so much weight. She would not even eat her favorite osmanthus cakes anymore. I didn’t know what else to do, so I could only visit and keep her company whenever I had free time.”

“It broke my heart.” Aunt Zhang shook her head, her eyes filling with tears. “I wished I could suffer in her place.”

Her concern and heartache were completely sincere.

As Zhan Yao looked at her, she unconsciously thought of her own parents again. Had they still been alive, they would probably have loved her just as deeply as Aunt Zhang loved Yu Wanqiao.

“…”

Zhan Yao sighed softly and offered Aunt Zhang a few words of comfort.

“With you accompanying her, Wanqiao was still fortunate in the end.”

“As long as she’s happy.” Aunt Zhang nodded and discreetly wiped at her eyes, looking slightly embarrassed. Then she continued, “And now Miss Zhan is by her side too.”

“The two of you must love each other very much,” she said. “A person’s eyes cannot lie. I can see how much Wanqiao likes you.”

“…?”

A question mark slowly appeared in Zhan Yao’s mind.

Had Aunt Zhang not been her elder, she would have asked these questions with great emotion—

Do you know Yu Wanqiao’s acting skills have already reached a supernatural level?

With a plastic marriage like ours, don’t even mention love!

Which one of your eyes saw that?!

Half an hour later, Yu Wanqiao finally emerged from the study.

Dinner happened to be ready at that moment. The servants invited the two of them to sit at the dining table, and the meal soon began.

Zhan Yao looked around but did not see Father Yu anywhere.

“…Where’s your father?”

“He’s in a poor mood,” Yu Wanqiao said. “He won’t be joining us for dinner.”

Oh. She had no idea what Yu Wanqiao had said to him, but in ordinary terms, he was probably already full from anger.

“Eat some more, Yaoyao.” Yu Wanqiao picked up the serving chopsticks and placed several dishes into her bowl. “The chefs at the old residence are all quite skilled. Their food should suit your tastes.”

It sounded almost ingratiating.

She had to admit that, from an outsider’s perspective, the two of them truly resembled a deeply loving married couple.

She was being paid to play her part, and by now most of Zhan Yao’s anger had faded anyway. Their marriage was fake, and they would be divorcing after three years. Yu Wanqiao’s past no longer seemed quite so important.

“You should eat too, Wanqiao.” She picked up the serving chopsticks and tossed a few pieces of food into Yu Wanqiao’s bowl. Only then did she return to tasting the dishes in her own.

“They really are good,” she said afterward, smiling with exaggerated delight. “I truly like them.”

“Everything Wanqiao serves me is delicious~”

Her tone made even the system feel as though goosebumps were spreading over its entire body.

Yet Yu Wanqiao played along perfectly, curving her lips into a gentle smile. “Is that so? As long as you’re happy, Yaoyao.”

Zhan Yao: “…”

She had failed to disgust her.

Thank you very much. I am not happy at all.

After dinner, Yu Wanqiao called Zhan Yao into her bedroom.

Since it was rare for them to return, they were naturally expected to stay the night at the old residence. Aunt Zhang had begun making preparations early and had thoroughly cleaned the room where Yu Wanqiao had once lived.

Unexpectedly, yet also entirely as expected, it was a very warm room.

Considering everything Aunt Zhang had told her, Zhan Yao was now beginning to believe it. She could even glimpse another side of Yu Wanqiao through the pencil drawings hanging on the walls, the toy models arranged on the table, the tiny stars stored in glass jars, and the wind chimes hanging by the window.

A very young Yu Wanqiao who loved osmanthus cakes, who was introverted and timid, kind and adorable.

Only when Yu Wanqiao called her name from behind did she turn around.

“Yaoyao.”

“What?” Zhan Yao glanced back at her. The present version did not count. There was nothing adorable about her.

“I remember you asked me earlier who Niannian was,” Yu Wanqiao said, her tone serious and sincere. “If you truly want to know, may I tell you everything?”

So she was preparing to confess everything.

Zhan Yao had nothing else to do anyway, so listening would not hurt. With that thought, she nodded gently.

“All right, then. You—”

Before she could finish, an inexplicable chill suddenly swept through her body.

The cold seemed to spread outward from her heart, gradually invading every organ. Zhan Yao wanted to speak, but her throat felt frozen solid. She could not force out even a single word.

Time seemed to stop at that moment.

Only when Yu Wanqiao’s voice reached her ears again did everything resume.

“Yaoyao? Yaoyao?!”

Zhan Yao released a deep breath and finally returned to her senses. She raised her eyes and looked into Yu Wanqiao’s, stung by the concern and worry filling them.

“…I’m fine. I suddenly felt a little unwell just now.”

Even though, for one brief moment, she had genuinely felt as though she was about to die.

Why?

Zhan Yao refused to believe it was a coincidence. Was it because of the question she had just asked? Because she wanted to learn the identity of this Niannian?

In more than twenty years of life, Zhan Yao had never experienced such intense fear.

After remaining silent for a very long time, she finally forced out a few words.

“Forget it. I don’t want to hear it anymore.”

“Let’s talk about something else,” she said. Some inexplicable sense of dependence was affecting her, making her unwilling to leave Yu Wanqiao’s room for the moment. “Aunt Zhang, for example.”

“She really loves you,” Zhan Yao continued. “She told me many things about you downstairs earlier.”

“Is that so?” Yu Wanqiao nodded. Although she answered along with Zhan Yao’s words, her attention remained fixed on Zhan Yao’s condition. “It seems the two of you got along well.”

“We did.” Being watched so closely made Zhan Yao inexplicably embarrassed. “Aunt Zhang is such a good person. Why didn’t you ask her to work at our villa?”

“Aunt Zhang is getting older, and she has lived at the old residence for so many years. It would be difficult for her to adapt to a new environment,” Yu Wanqiao replied immediately. “Bringing her there would cause more harm than good.”

“Besides, she’ll be returning to the countryside next year,” she said softly. “The scenery and climate there are suitable, making it an excellent place for retirement. I’ve already bought a house for her there. When the time comes, I’ll also hire someone specifically to take care of her daily needs.”

Mm. That was quite good.

Zhan Yao nodded. She was already feeling much better.

“Will you be reluctant to let her go after she leaves?”

“Probably.” Yu Wanqiao nodded. After a while, she curved her lips into a gentle smile. “But separation and death are ordinary parts of life. No matter how reluctant one feels, those emotions will eventually fade with time.”

“As long as she’s happy, that’s enough.”

She was lying.

Zhan Yao raised her eyes and looked into Yu Wanqiao’s. Although that was what she claimed, she clearly did not truly believe it. It seemed that over the years, Yu Wanqiao had not only matured considerably but had also gradually learned how to lie.

“But if you were ever to leave me, Yaoyao, I think I would be sad for a very long time,” Yu Wanqiao abruptly added.

“?”

Zhan Yao paused and met her gaze again. Beyond sincerity, she felt as though she could see many other things hidden in Yu Wanqiao’s eyes.

“…Why?” she instinctively asked after several seconds.

“Because you’re my wife,” Yu Wanqiao said. “Before you, there was never anyone else.”

Nor would there ever be anyone after her.

She did not dare tell Zhan Yao that part, afraid she would regard it as a shackle or a form of restraint.

So she only dared say it silently to herself, very softly yet with unwavering certainty.