I Turned Out To Be The Paranoid Villain’s White Moonlight - Chapter 28

During lunch, Yu Wanqiao was clearly still in low spirits.

Zhan Yao had no time to pay attention to her. Her mind was still filled with that kiss, and she could not easily escape the image from earlier. The moment her thoughts went blank, the memory would surge back again.

She could even… remember the sensation of Yu Wanqiao’s lips.

Yu Wanqiao had kissed her again. Last time it had been her hand; this time, her forehead.

Considering they had still been in Mother Yu’s room at the time, Zhan Yao had been too embarrassed and flustered to make a scene. She had stared at Yu Wanqiao for a long while, but ultimately remained silent.

Yet just because she said nothing did not mean she would not complain internally. The kiss on the back of her hand could perhaps be explained as a courteous gesture, but the one today clearly could not.

Zhan Yao could not understand what Yu Wanqiao intended, and that made her especially irritated.

She remained irritated until one of her favorite dishes was served.

Zhan Yao sighed. Why was she thinking so much about it? Was she the sort of person who could be easily affected by a single kiss?

Obviously not.

With that thought, she finally picked up her chopsticks, placed a piece of beef onto her plate, and decided to fill her stomach first. She lowered her eyes and focused on eating.

After lunch, Yu Wanqiao did not stay long.

Father Yu had still not returned. According to the servants at the old residence, he had gone to the cemetery to mourn his late wife, just as he did every year.

The very idea disgusted Zhan Yao. The woman was already dead. His display of deep devotion was nothing more than an act for outsiders.

She truly hated hypocritical people more than anything in this life.

But that thought lasted only a few seconds before she paused.

When it came to being fake, who could possibly be more fake than her marriage to Yu Wanqiao…?

The thought had only begun when irritation and awkwardness swept through her mind.

To relieve those feelings, Zhan Yao decided she absolutely had to invite Ding Xiaoxiao and the others out tomorrow and go on an extravagant shopping spree.

While she was thinking, the driver brought the car around. The two of them got in together and remained silent throughout the journey back to the villa.

Zhan Yao had not slept well the previous night. Now that she had finally returned to her own territory, she naturally intended to catch up on her sleep.

However, before returning to her room, perhaps out of sympathy, she unusually glanced back to see what Yu Wanqiao was doing.

She discovered that Yu Wanqiao had also turned toward her own room.

Yu Wanqiao had an excellent figure. Even her back alone was beautiful. Her waist was slender, and her legs were long, but the most striking thing was her posture. Whether walking or standing, her back was always perfectly straight, making her appear restrained and dignified.

Whenever Zhan Yao looked at her before, similar words would always appear in her mind.

But today was different.

She felt as though she could see something else in Yu Wanqiao’s retreating figure.

Her sympathy seemed to be overflowing again. This was not a good habit. It needed to be treated.

Even so, Zhan Yao instinctively stopped walking. If Yu Wanqiao turned back and said goodbye to her as usual, Zhan Yao would not mind showing a little mercy and sacrificing some of her precious sleep to stay with her longer.

After all, Yu Wanqiao herself had said that Zhan Yao’s companionship and concern were extremely important.

At this moment, Zhan Yao felt she was extraordinarily thoughtful.

Until she watched Yu Wanqiao walk directly into her room without even turning her head.

“…”

Several seconds later, Zhan Yao gave a cold snort.

Hah. Yu Wanqiao’s mouth was full of lies.

With that thought, Zhan Yao turned and returned to her own room, closing the door behind her.

She had no idea how long she slept. She only knew that when she woke, it was nearly evening.

After checking the time, she discovered that it was already seven o’clock.

Zhan Yao rubbed her temples and sat up.

She had eaten quite a lot at lunch and was not hungry at all. It was completely silent outside. Whenever Yu Wanqiao was home, she disliked being disturbed, so the servants performed all their tasks as quietly as possible.

Still, it was clearly dinnertime. The atmosphere seemed far too quiet.

Had Yu Wanqiao overslept too?

Zhan Yao frowned. Sleeping so long had not improved her condition. Instead, she felt even more sluggish and tired.

She sat on the bed for a while to regain her senses, then finally decided to go outside and take a look.

The moment she opened the door, she found Xiao Yue waiting outside.

“You’re awake, Miss Zhan.” Xiao Yue respectfully handed her a cup of black tea at the perfect temperature. “Would you like dinner now?”

“No.” Zhan Yao shook her head, accepted the tea, and took a sip. “I’m not eating. I have no appetite.”

“Where’s Wanqiao?” She looked downstairs but did not see Yu Wanqiao in the main hall. “Has she eaten?”

“No.” At the mention of Yu Wanqiao, Xiao Yue’s expression clearly became worried. “President Yu has remained in her room the entire time. She hasn’t come out at all.”

“Housekeeper Yang knocked on the door, but there was no response.” The more she spoke, the more worried she became. “If you aren’t busy, Miss Zhan, could you please go and check on President Yu?”

She had not come out at all?

Zhan Yao paused, inexplicably remembering Yu Wanqiao’s condition at noon.

“I understand.” After several seconds of silence, she ultimately decided to check on her. “I’ll go.”

“You should get back to work,” she added.

Xiao Yue nodded and quickly left.

Zhan Yao sighed before walking forward and knocking on Yu Wanqiao’s door.

Just as Xiao Yue had said, there was no response.

Zhan Yao was not the sort of person willing to wait patiently. Since no one answered, she simply placed her hand on the doorknob.

She pressed down lightly, and the door slowly opened.

The lights were off. The curtains had probably been drawn as well, leaving the room extremely dim.

For some reason, Zhan Yao felt slightly nervous. She instinctively assumed Yu Wanqiao was asleep, but to make sure, she switched on the table lamp.

When the room was illuminated by its warm yellow glow, she finally saw Yu Wanqiao’s face again.

She was not in bed. She was sitting beside the desk, where many things had been scattered around, most of them disorganized documents.

But Zhan Yao soon noticed something else.

Several bottles of pills had clearly been placed in front of Yu Wanqiao. She paused and glanced sideways, then noticed a thin layer of sweat covering Yu Wanqiao’s forehead.

Had her condition… flared up again?

Judging by her current state, it was clearly far more serious than last time.

“Are you all right?” Zhan Yao asked.

Yu Wanqiao seemed to be staring blankly into space. Although her eyes were open, she gave no response and did not even notice Zhan Yao approaching.

Not until Zhan Yao gently placed her hand on her shoulder.

As though startled, Yu Wanqiao reflexively raised her right hand and seized Zhan Yao’s wrist with tremendous force.

This was the first time Zhan Yao realized Yu Wanqiao could be so strong.

It hurt.

No one had ever dared treat her this way before.

Zhan Yao hissed, her body trembling instinctively as she complained, “What are you doing?!”

Only then did Yu Wanqiao seem to recognize her voice. She paused and slowly turned her gaze toward her.

“…Yaoyao?”

“You still recognize me!” Zhan Yao’s wrist hurt terribly. She resembled a frightened hedgehog, even the corners of her eyes turning red. “Someone who didn’t know better would think you were trying to assassinate me!”

“I’m sorry.” Yu Wanqiao returned to her senses. She looked down at the place where their skin touched and quickly released her. “I didn’t mean to. I only…”

“That’s enough. You don’t need to explain.” Zhan Yao lowered her eyes and rubbed her wrist. She knew Yu Wanqiao’s condition was unusual right now and that she should not argue with her. “I’m not badly hurt.”

“But you seemed better this afternoon. Why did you suddenly…”

She stopped before finishing, because she realized some things could not be controlled by willpower. If Yu Wanqiao had a choice, she would not want to be like this either.

So the words at the tip of her tongue changed.

“Do you feel any better now?”

“Much better,” Yu Wanqiao said.

Zhan Yao glanced at her still-trembling hand, and several words immediately appeared in her mind:

Like hell you are.

She did not know how to help ease Yu Wanqiao’s suffering. At that moment, she even felt a little regretful. Had she understood her better and shown her more concern, perhaps they would not be facing this situation now.

Was it too late to make up for it?

“Is there anything I can do?” she asked softly after several seconds. “A massage, getting you water—anything within my ability…”

Yu Wanqiao did not answer.

Assuming she was embarrassed, Zhan Yao continued, “Hurry up and tell me. Since you’re suffering so badly, I won’t charge you today.”

Zhan Yao had no idea which part of that statement had affected Yu Wanqiao. After a long silence, Yu Wanqiao struggled to curve her lips.

“Anything?”

“Yeah,” Zhan Yao said. “You have one minute to think about it. This offer won’t be available again.”

This time, Yu Wanqiao did not hesitate.

“Then could you hug me, Yaoyao?”

…She had kissed her that morning, and now she wanted a hug.

Zhan Yao hesitated. But she had already promised, and there was no reason to go back on her word. After they looked at each other briefly, she finally took two steps forward.

Yu Wanqiao did not stand. She merely opened her arms, gently wrapped them around Zhan Yao’s waist, and rested her head against her stomach.

It tickled slightly.

Zhan Yao was only wearing a thin set of loungewear she had bought recently. According to the saleswoman, the fabric was so comfortable that whoever wore it would feel as though they were not wearing anything at all.

Indeed, Zhan Yao truly felt that way now.

Yu Wanqiao’s fingertips were hot, their touch distinct. Her breath was warm, and so was her cheek.

Zhan Yao could tell that she was holding her extremely tightly, like someone who had wandered through the desert for days and had finally found water—yearning, pleading, clinging to her as though she were her only chance of survival.

As though infected by Yu Wanqiao’s warmth, Zhan Yao’s cheeks grew hot too.

The atmosphere remained silent.

After an unknown amount of time, Yu Wanqiao finally stopped trembling. Even her breathing became calm again, and she looked far better than before.

Zhan Yao’s entire body had stiffened from standing there. But when Yu Wanqiao still did not release her, she could not bring herself to pull away.

“Do you feel better?”

“Mm,” Yu Wanqiao said softly. “Much better.”

“Why was it so serious this time?” Zhan Yao asked. Remembering Yu Wanqiao’s previous episode, she instinctively muttered, “It wasn’t anything like last time.”

“You nearly made me think you were pretending before.”

It was only an insignificant remark to herself. She had not expected Yu Wanqiao to hear it, but her hearing was apparently excellent.

Several seconds later, Yu Wanqiao honestly admitted, “…Perhaps you were right, Yaoyao. Maybe that time really was fake.”

What?

Zhan Yao froze. Had Yu Wanqiao’s illness affected her mind? What was this—confessing against herself?

“You lied to me?” She found it unbelievable. Remembering how she had rushed around pouring water and taking care of her last time, she nearly laughed in anger. “Why?”

“There was no particular reason,” Yu Wanqiao said softly. “I only wanted you to stay with me.”

“Because you’re my wife.” She suddenly raised her head and met Zhan Yao’s gaze with her beautiful eyes. “Is it wrong to want my wife to keep me company?”

She was feeling better now, wasn’t she? Just listen to how righteous she sounded.

Had they been an ordinary couple, Zhan Yao might have believed her nonsense and treated it as Yu Wanqiao acting spoiled.

But that clearly was not the case.

They were only a fake couple, fake wives who each took what they needed from the arrangement.

Zhan Yao had truly had enough of Yu Wanqiao’s ambiguous behavior that seemed both genuine and false. She finally decided to confront her directly.

“Yu Wanqiao, behaving like this can easily cause misunderstandings.”

“Misunderstandings?” Yu Wanqiao shook her head gently. “What have you misunderstood, Yaoyao?”

It was her favorite kind of question—answering a question with another question.

Zhan Yao could not be bothered exchanging riddles with her anymore and spoke plainly.

“You’re making me think you actually have feelings for me.”

“There’s no one else here. I don’t think you need to continue pretending we’re sweet and loving.” She lowered her eyes and looked directly into Yu Wanqiao’s. “Aren’t you tired?”

She seemed angry.

Several seconds later, Yu Wanqiao slowly released her arms. The room was dim, and everything seemed concealed beneath a layer of shadow.

Only her gaze remained bright.

“But I’ve never pretended. Every emotion I’ve shown you from the beginning has been genuine.”

“Including my feelings for you,” she said sincerely.

“…”

Her memories flowed backward.

Only moments ago, Yu Wanqiao had drifted into a dream.

Fortunately, she had dreamed of her Yaoyao.

Unfortunately, she had once again failed to keep her. She could only watch as Zhan Yao disappeared completely before her eyes, just like her mother.

After waking, Yu Wanqiao had remained dazed for a very long time.

Like the roses planted in the garden of her old residence, Zhan Yao did not know that there had always been a rose inside Yu Wanqiao’s heart.

That rose was beautiful and dazzling, the most wonderful thing Yu Wanqiao had encountered in all these years. To embrace it, she had tried every possible method and devoted far too much of herself.

But in the end, the rose had still disappeared from her life.

Without it, Yu Wanqiao went mad. Like someone obsessive and pitiful, she remained alone, guarding the few withered branches and leaves that remained, year after year.

Until she met her again.

And this time, Yu Wanqiao was still willing to give her everything, asking only that she remain by her side a little longer.

But if the rose ever wished to leave, she had intended to respect her choice and let her go.

That was what Yu Wanqiao had believed.

Until she awakened from the dream just now.

This time, she changed her mind.

Rather than continuing to remain silent, she might as well fight for whatever she could.

Perhaps this time… the ending would be different.

“Feelings?” Zhan Yao froze. “Yu Wanqiao, do you know what you’re saying?”

“I do.” Yu Wanqiao nodded gently. “Yaoyao, every word I just said is true.”

“Including my feelings for you.” A faint smile gradually appeared on her lips. As though afraid of frightening Zhan Yao, she deliberately softened her voice until it was almost a whisper. “I never wanted us to be nothing more than fake wives.”

“I’m very glad you finally noticed today.”