I Turned Out To Be The Paranoid Villain’s White Moonlight - Chapter 3

That little stunt would probably leave Xu Yingxi too furious to sleep properly for at least three days.

Zhan Yao yawned, too lazy to bother with her any further. She set her phone aside and began applying a face mask.

Of course, she was using the simplest kind—cucumber slices.

She had been making do like this for the past three days.

The original Zhan Yao had excellent grades and had received quite a few scholarships over the years. Combined with the scattered income she had earned from part-time jobs, she had several tens of thousands saved in her bank account, which was enough to cover her usual food, clothing, housing, and transportation expenses.

Unfortunately, she was far too frugal. She washed her face with the most ordinary facial cleanser, and her skincare products were limited to two nearly empty bottles of toner and lotion. Xu Yingxi had given her some products before, but the moment she saw their prices, she could not help sucking in a sharp breath. She had been too embarrassed to accept them and returned everything completely untouched.

It was only because she was young that her skin could remain so delicate and smooth without much care.

At the thought of her face, Zhan Yao instinctively picked up the small mirror beside her pillow and examined herself.

Whether it was a coincidence or not, the original character did not merely share her name—she looked exactly like her as well. However, the former Zhan Yao had been introverted and restrained and paid little attention to her appearance. Her gaze looked innocent and inexperienced. According to the novel’s description, she was the sort of person who most easily aroused others’ protective instincts.

Now that Zhan Yao had taken her place, that innocence and inexperience had naturally disappeared, replaced by an air of privilege and pride.

Even several of the original character’s roommates had commented that she seemed completely different these past few days.

“How am I different?” Zhan Yao asked while applying her “face mask.”

“I can’t really explain it,” said her roommate Jiang Yi. “It just… feels like you’ve become more confident.”

“And prettier,” another roommate named Ding Xiaoxiao quickly added. “You know how to dress up now, and you’re better at matching your clothes.”

“Yaoyao, what happened to you?” Jiang Yi asked. When someone’s personality suddenly changed so drastically, there was usually a reason.

“Maybe I’ve just been in a good mood lately,” Zhan Yao said.

“Did something good happen?”

“You could say that.” Zhan Yao smiled. “I dumped a piece of trash.”

“A piece of trash?”

“Mm.” Zhan Yao lowered her eyes to examine the back of her hand, thinking that she should buy some hand masks as well. “My ex-girlfriend.”

Her ex-girlfriend—that Xu Yingxi?

Jiang Yi and Ding Xiaoxiao exchanged glances, each seeing the surprise in the other’s eyes. As Zhan Yao’s roommates, they were no strangers to the name Xu Yingxi. She was beautiful, came from a good family, and was already remarkably capable despite her young age.

Most importantly, she was gentle and considerate and treated Zhan Yao very well. Their sudden breakup was indeed unexpected.

After a moment of silence, Ding Xiaoxiao spoke first. “Did something happen between the two of you? I thought Miss Xu treated you pretty well, Yaoyao. What exactly made you…”

“Pretty well?” Zhan Yao raised an eyebrow.

It seemed Xu Yingxi really was good at maintaining her disguise. Even the roommates who lived with Zhan Yao every day had failed to discover her true nature.

Scumbags were frightening, but scumbags who knew how to pretend were even worse. As someone with personal experience, Zhan Yao decided to open these two young women’s eyes so that no other innocent person would be deceived. She selected several particularly representative incidents and recounted them one by one.

Jiang Yi and Ding Xiaoxiao stared at her in disbelief.

Oh my god, someone could actually behave like that?!

Then Zhan Yao had done well to dump her. She had done wonderfully!

“You’ve suffered so much, Yaoyao.” Jiang Yi hated scumbags more than anything. After hearing what Zhan Yao had experienced, her heart ached terribly for her. “Thank goodness you escaped that pit of fire.”

“We have to celebrate this properly!” Ding Xiaoxiao quickly agreed. “Let’s go shopping together sometime!”

“Sure.” That was exactly what Zhan Yao had in mind, but now was not the time to discuss it. She promptly changed the subject. “Xiaoxiao, how are your perfumes selling?”

“Not very well…” At the mention of perfume, Ding Xiaoxiao immediately frowned.

Compared with Zhan Yao and Jiang Yi, Ding Xiaoxiao came from an upper-middle-class family. Her parents were both businesspeople and had received excellent educations. Not only did they place importance on their daughter’s academic development, but they also encouraged her in every other aspect. Whatever Ding Xiaoxiao wanted to try, they were willing to provide the necessary funds and support.

Perfume-making, for example.

Ding Xiaoxiao loved perfume and aspired to establish her own perfume brand one day.

To be fair, she genuinely had some talent in this field and could be considered one of the best among her peers. However, perhaps because she lacked experience, although the perfumes she created smelled pleasant enough, they always seemed to be missing something.

XX University strongly encouraged entrepreneurship. In recent days, it had even organized a week-long summer market. Ding Xiaoxiao had excitedly brought her perfumes there to test the waters, only to receive a lukewarm response. Her sales were far below what she had anticipated.

At this rate, she was going to lose all confidence…

“If you’re willing, perhaps I can help you,” Zhan Yao suddenly said before Ding Xiaoxiao could finish worrying.

“Hm?” Ding Xiaoxiao’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Yaoyao, you… know about perfume-making too?”

Zhan Yao did not answer. Her gaze swept over the bottle of homemade perfume on the table, and she extended a fair hand toward it. “Let me borrow that.”

“Oh, all right.” Ding Xiaoxiao nodded and quickly handed the bottle to her.

Zhan Yao sprayed some into the air, then gently waved the fragrance toward herself and smelled it carefully.

Jiang Yi and Ding Xiaoxiao stared at her, neither daring to move for fear of disturbing her. About two minutes later, they heard Zhan Yao speak.

“It’s a fruity fragrance with a very fresh pear scent, mixed with notes of iris and gardenia. It certainly smells pleasant, but when you examine it more carefully, it’s a little too sweet. Also, because some of the ingredients smell too similar, there isn’t much variation between the middle and base notes. It comes across as rather one-dimensional.”

“I think you could replace the iris with hawthorn and licorice, then add an appropriate amount of patchouli and amber. That might give it more layers while also balancing out the overly cloying sweetness.”

She was actually right…

Ding Xiaoxiao roughly imagined the combination Zhan Yao had described, and it truly seemed excellent. She immediately became excited, not even pausing to ask how Zhan Yao knew any of this.

“I have several other fragrances too. Yaoyao, help me look at them later!”

“Sure.” Zhan Yao smiled. “However…”

“I understand, I understand!” They were all adults. There was no reason to ask someone to help for free. Ding Xiaoxiao patted her chest and generously declared that if Zhan Yao was willing to assist her, she would split the profits earned during this period fifty-fifty.

“There’s no need for fifty-fifty. Thirty percent is enough for me,” Zhan Yao said.

It was about time she bought some skincare products. The money in the original character’s bank account had been earned through hardship, so Zhan Yao felt embarrassed using it. She might as well earn some spending money herself.

She knew plenty of things. Any skill she casually chose would be enough to support herself.

“Then why don’t you sell perfume yourself?” the system asked curiously.

Zhan Yao blinked, her tone perfectly matter-of-fact. “Because I’m lazy. Isn’t it better to sit around and collect money?”

That really did make sense…

Once again, the system was impressed by its host.

Zhan Yao removed the cucumber slices from her face and prepared to clean up before getting her beauty sleep.

Before climbing into bed, she checked her phone again. Xu Yingxi had probably been greatly angered by her words. The post she had reposted had clearly been deleted, and several large words appeared beneath it: This post is unavailable. It has been deleted.

At the same time, however, Zhan Yao had received a message.

She opened it and found only two concise words—

【All right.】

The next evening, Ding Xiaoxiao brought the improved perfumes to the summer market. She had also specially prepared free samples to hand out to passing students.

Zhan Yao had nothing else to do, so she went with her.

Ding Xiaoxiao had specifically set up a chair for her, with watermelon and drinks placed beside it. There were many mosquitoes in summer, and Zhan Yao was terrified of being bitten. Not only was she wearing long sleeves and trousers, but she had also put on a sun-protective jacket made from ice-silk fabric.

Sitting there, she looked like some kind of guardian statue.

Before long, the sky darkened and the crowd grew larger. Ding Xiaoxiao handed samples to everyone she saw. Soon, quite a few people had gathered in front of the stall. In just half an hour, their revenue was already three times what it had been the previous day.

“You’re incredible, Yaoyao.” As Ding Xiaoxiao worked, she cheerfully formed a heart with her fingers toward Zhan Yao. “I love you so…”

Before she could finish, a woman suddenly approached them.

The summer market had been promoted extensively. Not only had it attracted students from the university, but many people from outside the campus had also come after hearing about it. However, most of them were students from nearby schools. Even office workers were rarely seen.

Much less… a woman this beautiful, who looked noble and elegant, with a mature bearing that even carried a considerable sense of pressure.

Ding Xiaoxiao stared blankly. Even her voice instinctively became much softer. “M-Ma’am, are you here to buy perfume as well?”

“I’m a little busy right now. Please wait for a moment.”

“There’s no need.” The woman slowly shook her head. “I’m only here to see her.”

Her gaze was fixed on Zhan Yao not far away.

“All right, all right.” Ding Xiaoxiao hurriedly nodded, then turned and called out to Zhan Yao. “Yaoyao, come over for a moment! Someone’s looking for you!”

In the midst of her “busy schedule,” Zhan Yao raised her eyes and glanced over.

She recognized the woman as the same person she had encountered several days ago. However, she had a poor impression of her and assumed she had merely come here by coincidence. She had no desire to pay her any attention.

“I’m busy. I don’t have time.”

Judging by her tone, one might think she was handling some important matter, but she was clearly only scooping out watermelon to eat!

“Well…” Since Zhan Yao was unwilling to come over, Ding Xiaoxiao could not force her. Afraid that the woman might become angry, she began, “Perhaps you could…”

“It’s all right.” Before she could finish, the woman spoke. “I’ll go over to her.”

Ding Xiaoxiao could only nod repeatedly. “That works too. That works.”

The woman soon arrived in front of Zhan Yao.

A moment later, Zhan Yao once again looked up from her “busy schedule.”

“If you’re not buying anything, don’t linger here.”

Her tone was somewhat fierce, yet it somehow sounded pleasant to the ear. The woman lowered her gaze slightly and spoke in an almost negotiating tone.

“If I buy all of your perfume, would you be willing to talk to me for a little longer?”

Perhaps she had not expected the woman to say that. This time, Zhan Yao finally set down the watermelon and looked at her properly.

“Wouldn’t buying so much be wasteful?”

“There are plenty of people working in my household. I can distribute it among them.”

“I see.” Zhan Yao nodded. Since the woman already had plans for it, she said nothing more. “Then go ahead. What exactly do you want?”

The woman took her phone from her pocket and unlocked it.

Displayed prominently on the screen was the post Zhan Yao had made only the night before—

【I’d rather marry Yu Wanqiao than marry you.】

The woman raised her eyes, the corners of her lips curving gently upward.

“I saw this post.”

“You… will keep your word, won’t you?”