I Turned Out To Be The Paranoid Villain’s White Moonlight - Chapter 9

After soaking comfortably in the bath, Zhan Yao’s mood improved considerably.

It was almost noon, and the housekeeper had already begun arranging lunch. Wrapped in the bathrobe the servants had prepared in advance, Zhan Yao sat at the vanity applying a face mask while ordering someone downstairs to bring her a menu.

What kind of joke was this? They had not even asked about her preferences, yet they had already started cooking.

“Miss Zhan.” A few minutes later, a servant knocked on the door with the menu in hand. Xiao Yue, who had originally stayed behind to attend to her, had probably been unable to take it anymore and escaped. Now, someone else had been sent in her place.

This woman was called A-Fang. She looked a little older than Xiao Yue and had a rather sharp face. When she saw Zhan Yao sitting there seriously applying a face mask, she secretly clicked her tongue in mockery. “I brought the menu.”

“Mm.” Zhan Yao nodded. “Put it there for now.”

After speaking, she carefully began applying hair oil.

A-Fang stood there waiting for quite some time. Seeing Zhan Yao continue taking her time, she inevitably became dissatisfied and emphasized, “Miss Zhan, I brought the menu.”

Her voice rose by a degree.

Zhan Yao glanced at her. “I know. I’m not deaf.”

“The stove downstairs is still on,” A-Fang said, her tone sour as though she had decided to challenge her. “Everyone is waiting. Why don’t you put aside whatever you’re doing and check whether you’re satisfied with the menu first? Don’t waste everyone’s time.”

Judging by her attitude, anyone who did not know better might have thought she was the mistress of the house.

“What?” Zhan Yao found it amusing. “Do all of you have some urgent engagement later? Are you attending a state banquet together, or are you collectively flying to Fashion Week to walk the red carpet? Or is Yu Wanqiao so poor that she’ll go bankrupt tomorrow and can’t afford to keep the stove on or use a few kilowatt-hours of electricity?”

“This…” A-Fang was stunned by her words. She had never encountered anyone like this before. “How can you speak about President Yu that way? Please show her some respect!”

Respect. So they did understand what respect meant.

“Did no one teach you the rules on your first day of work?” Zhan Yao said. She folded her arms and stood, lowering her eyes as she examined A-Fang from head to toe. “Your uniform isn’t being worn according to regulations. Put down the sleeves and trouser legs that are supposed to be down, and wear your hat when you’re supposed to. If I ever find anything like hair in my food or drinking water, I’ll dismiss one person for every strand I discover.”

“And the next time you speak to me, make sure you address me respectfully. I don’t necessarily care about nitpicking over a single word, but as you said, it’s a sign of respect. I’m worried that when guests visit one day, they won’t be able to tell who the mistress of this house actually is.”

“Ah, this is also for your beloved President Yu’s sake.” She smiled. Although she looked cute and obedient, her words showed no mercy. “That way, no one will laugh and ask where Yu Wanqiao hired immortals like you who don’t understand the rules.”

“And this menu.” She glanced over it before tossing it back. “Go downstairs and bring me a new one. Clearly list the ingredients and seasonings to be used. Specify the grade and standard of every cut of meat, the exact time the seafood was caught, the types of seasoning, and the cooking temperature. Write everything out clearly.”

“W-What would be the point of that?” A-Fang was dumbfounded.

“No point at all.” Zhan Yao smiled. “But I enjoy wasting your time.”

“…”

“Don’t think you can brush me off carelessly,” Zhan Yao continued before A-Fang could respond. “I’m particular about flavors, and my skin and stomach are both extremely sensitive. Everything I eat, wear, and use must be the best. Otherwise, if I fall ill, none of you will escape responsibility.”

“Oh, right. Most importantly, I’m also very emotionally fragile. I can’t bear unpleasant sights or listen to nonsense.” She raised a hand to her chest and put on an uncomfortable expression. “When I’m in a bad mood, even being touched by someone I dislike might make me ill. When that happens, the respected and magnificent President Yu you speak of will definitely come looking for trouble with all of you.”

“Is it… really that serious?” A-Fang seemed to have been fooled by her, her expression unusually blank.

Zhan Yao did not answer. She merely extended a hand toward her. “Why don’t you try?”

Wasn’t this blatant entrapment?!

A-Fang did not dare provoke her. She even forgot why she had come to replace Xiao Yue in the first place. Lowering her head, she picked up the menu and fled without looking back.

As she ran, she quietly muttered, “List the ingredients and seasonings, label the grades of the meat, note the time the seafood was caught…”

After she left, the room grew quiet once again.

Still wearing her face mask, Zhan Yao wandered over to the wardrobe, opened it, and examined it carefully.

Compared with the other furniture, the wardrobe’s design and size were satisfactory enough. While she had been leisurely soaking in the bath earlier, the housekeeper had already instructed someone to hang up the few clothes she had brought.

There were hardly any. They had looked sparse when folded, and now that they were hanging, the wardrobe appeared even emptier. The longer Zhan Yao looked, the more uncomfortable she felt. She wished she could fill it completely at once.

While she was thinking, the phone in her bathrobe pocket suddenly chimed.

She opened it and found that Yu Wanqiao had sent her a WeChat message during a break from work.

【Is the house comfortable enough? Tell me if you need anything.】

Her message could not have arrived at a better time.

Zhan Yao curved her lips, stepped back several paces, and took a full picture of the wardrobe.

【Can you tell what’s wrong?】

Then she asked.

This time, Yu Wanqiao seemed to fall silent for a moment. It took quite a while before her reply arrived—

【I just transferred several million yuan into your account.】

【Spend it however you like.】

After lunch, Zhan Yao returned to her room and took a short nap.

Following her brief instruction, the cuisine, flavors, and seasoning of today’s lunch were acceptable enough. The cooks in the villa were reasonably skilled, though if she wanted every future meal to suit her tastes, she still had plenty to teach them.

But teaching them was fine. After all, she had nothing else to do.

A wealthy wife left alone in an empty mansion needed something to occupy herself besides her daily studies and life, especially since her wife would probably often be away from home.

Of course, theirs was only a contract marriage with no emotional attachment. As long as Yu Wanqiao gave her money to spend, that was enough.

At this thought, Zhan Yao sighed with feeling. “What an empty capitalist life…”

Even the system was rendered speechless. “…”

Please shut up.

Time passed quickly, and before long, Zhan Yao woke from her afternoon nap.

After witnessing how formidable she was, no one dared come to disturb her this time. The villa was so quiet that there was barely any sound at all, allowing Zhan Yao to enjoy a rare, restful sleep.

By the time she had finished getting ready and stepped outside, a car was already waiting for her at the entrance.

Since she had only recently transmigrated and had neither the time nor the money to buy many new clothes, she was still wearing an ordinary white dress. Her appearance was pure and youthful, making her identity as a student obvious at a glance.

However, after what had happened that morning, no one dared treat her as an ordinary university student anymore. Not only did someone help her into the car, but a crowd stood beside it to bid her farewell and remind her to travel safely.

“Mm.” Zhan Yao nodded, lowered her eyes, put on her sunglasses, and departed with effortless flair.

Before long, Zhan Yao arrived at the largest shopping center nearby.

The shopping center was also owned by Chuansheng Group and contained everything from clothing and jewelry to restaurants and cinemas. After getting out of the car, Zhan Yao took the elevator directly to the second floor and entered a boutique.

Although the original novel was an old-fashioned angst story, perhaps in consideration of her as a transmigrator, many things had been adjusted accordingly. Some clothing brands and even certain popular seasonal styles had counterparts in the real world.

The store Zhan Yao entered had once been positioned as an affordable luxury brand. However, after collaborating several times with a few popular young actresses in recent years, its prestige had risen dramatically, and the prices of its clothes and accessories had climbed accordingly.

Even the most ordinary dress cost tens of thousands.

But it did not matter. She had a powerful golden thigh behind her, waiting for her to cling to it.

Since Yu Wanqiao had said she could spend the money however she liked, Zhan Yao naturally did not stand on ceremony. Anything she liked was immediately wrapped up. Once she finished spending at one store, she turned and entered the next, spending money with tremendous satisfaction.

“Are you happy?” the system asked inside her mind. Watching its host buy whatever she wanted and live so freely made it a little envious.

“Very,” Zhan Yao replied. The trip had been worthwhile. Many of the clothes and pieces of jewelry she had bought were personal favorites. “And it feels amazing.”

“But do you know what feels even better?” Zhan Yao asked.

“What?” the system replied.

Zhan Yao raised her eyes and handed over the card in her hand. She generously uttered two words.

“Swipe it.”

“…”

That did sound pretty satisfying.

Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, two hours had gone by.

Zhan Yao glanced behind her. The three bodyguards who had accompanied her were already carrying as much as they could hold.

If she bought any more, the wardrobe probably would not have enough space. Zhan Yao decided to stop for the day and return another time.

Just as she was about to turn around, a flash suddenly lit up nearby. It was accompanied by the sound of a camera shutter.

Zhan Yao paused and quickly glanced sideways. She soon spotted someone nervously fiddling with his phone.

It was a man, thin as a stray dog, with a sleazy and greasy appearance. Even an outfit covered in luxury labels could not conceal his tackiness. Because he was so distinctive, Zhan Yao quickly recognized him as one of the wealthy heirs who had been sitting with Xu Yingxi at the bar that night.

Oh? What was he photographing?

Zhan Yao signaled to the bodyguards behind her. One immediately stepped forward and snatched the phone from the man’s hand.

Everything happened so quickly that the screen had not even locked. A long chat history was displayed prominently on it.

It was a conversation with Xu Yingxi. The man had been reporting to that piece of trash.

【Hey, Old Xu, I saw your girlfriend.】

【She’s at the shopping center. She bought tons of clothes and jewelry. I’d estimate she’s spent at least a million. Did you two get back together? Where would a university student like her get that kind of money?】

【Did she dump you and get together with someone else? This girl has some skills. The other person must at least be some nouveau riche willing to throw money around like this.】

【I’ll take a picture for you.】

The messages ended there, replaced by a secretly taken photograph—the one he had just taken.

Zhan Yao stared at the picture without speaking for a long time.

“What are you doing? Stop holding me!” The man was still being restrained by the bodyguards and had been unable to break free despite struggling for a long time. He probably became frightened and finally said, “It has nothing to do with me. Xu Yingxi told us to do this.”

“I-I won’t do it again.” When the bodyguards still did not release him, he continued, “I’ll apologize and compensate you, all right? I shouldn’t have reported your movements to Xu Yingxi. I shouldn’t have taken your picture in secret…”

His words sounded sincere, but he clearly still had not realized the worst thing he had done.

How could he have made her look so ugly?!

Zhan Yao enlarged and shrank the picture, then shrank and enlarged it again, repeatedly examining it several times. She could not believe such terrible photography skills existed in this world. And with talent like this, he still dared secretly photograph people?

Her anger immediately surged. “Hit him a couple of times so he remembers this lesson!”

“Yes!” The bodyguards responded, cracking their knuckles as they prepared to approach the man. However, just before they acted, Zhan Yao stopped them.

“Wait.” She had been blinded by anger earlier and only now regained some clarity. “Don’t hit him here. It would look bad. This is Yu family property.”

She said, “Quickly, drag him outside!”

“…”

As a minor punishment and a stern warning, the man was ultimately punched several times by the bodyguards before fleeing with a black eye.

Zhan Yao sighed and returned to the car. This small incident had somewhat spoiled her mood.

Fortunately, she had purchased many things she liked. As she tried them on one after another, time passed quickly without her noticing.

Dinner that evening was steak.

When the servants saw Zhan Yao coming downstairs, they hurriedly arranged her place setting and chair. Once she sat, they quickly placed the napkin over her and served the steak and various side dishes before her.

Zhan Yao used her knife and fork to cut off a piece and place it in her mouth. After chewing briefly, she found the flavor quite good.

“Keep up the good work,” she finally said.

At those words, everyone around her released a quiet breath of relief.

However, before they could fully relax, Zhan Yao spoke again.

“Why is this orange juice?”

“Didn’t I ask for red wine?”

“This…” The servant beside her paused. After some time, she finally said, “This was President Yu’s instruction.”

Yu Wanqiao?

Zhan Yao was puzzled. “She’s back?”

“No.” The servant shook her head and hurriedly explained, “President Yu called and said she couldn’t get away from work and might return a little later. She also told us not to let you drink alcohol tonight. A glass of orange juice would be enough.”

“…”

Wait. Had this been written into the agreement too? Why was Yu Wanqiao even controlling what she drank?

There was an eight-year age difference between this body and Yu Wanqiao. People said there was a generation gap every three years, so there must be more than two and a half generation gaps between them. Yu Wanqiao probably regarded her as a child, which was why she had instructed the servants not to let her drink in the evening.

Thinking back, she truly had not been able to hold her liquor well when she was younger. If she drank too much, she would not only vomit but also suffer stomach discomfort. It was only because she later frequently attended banquets and business dinners that she gradually built up her tolerance.

However, she had been twenty-six in the real world, while she was only twenty-two now.

Fine. She would reluctantly listen to Yu Wanqiao this time.

“Mm, understood.” Zhan Yao nodded and finally abandoned the idea of drinking.

She quietly finished the steak on her plate and returned to her room to wash up.

When she finished, Yu Wanqiao still had not returned.

The villa had a duplex design with three floors in total. Both of their bedrooms were on the highest floor, on the same level but in separate rooms.

Zhan Yao stood before the mirror and tried on clothes for a while longer. Sleepiness gradually washed over her.

Yu Wanqiao had spoken so nicely over the phone earlier, saying she would come home early, but there was still no sign of her.

Look at the time. It was already ten o’clock!

Zhan Yao still wanted her beauty sleep.

But remembering that she had promised to wait for her, Zhan Yao turned around, returned to the bathroom, and washed her face again. She sat on the bed, drowsily playing with her new clothes.

She did not know how much time passed before she vaguely heard a few soft knocks outside the door.

Then a series of gentle footsteps gradually sounded, moving closer until they stopped directly before her.

Zhan Yao paused. It took her quite a while to react before she slowly opened her eyes.

The moment she did, her gaze met the person standing in front of her.

It was Yu Wanqiao, who was currently staring at her.

Zhan Yao was startled and instantly became much more awake.

Yu Wanqiao had probably only just returned. A faint chill still clung to her body, and she had yet to change out of her beautiful, well-fitted suit. She stood quietly beside the bed, watching Zhan Yao with a pair of lovely peach-blossom eyes.

She was beautiful—stunningly so, with the kind of beauty that could be used as a weapon.

But it did not matter how attractive she was. Frightening someone was still frightening them.

Zhan Yao trembled and instinctively cried out, “Ah!”

Yu Wanqiao paused, then straightened and stepped farther away. “Did I… wake you?”

“No.” Zhan Yao patted her chest, unwilling to admit it.

She had clearly said she would wait for Yu Wanqiao to return, so falling asleep first was somewhat embarrassing.

“I wasn’t asleep.”

Yu Wanqiao asked, “Then what were you doing?”

Zhan Yao continued stubbornly defending herself. “I was thinking with my eyes closed.”

As she spoke, she immediately demonstrated the process for Yu Wanqiao.

She closed her eyes, opened them, formed a fist with her right hand, and lightly struck her left palm.

“Ah. I’ve figured it out.”

“…”

For some reason, it made one inexplicably want to laugh.

Yu Wanqiao looked at her. She knew Zhan Yao was lying but made no attempt to expose her.

“I’m sorry. Something unexpected happened tonight, and I couldn’t get away. Next time, I’ll return as early as possible.”

“Did you buy all of these?” she then asked softly, looking at the clothes and jewelry covering the bed.

Zhan Yao nodded proudly. “Yes.”

“They’re beautiful,” Yu Wanqiao said.

Zhan Yao’s taste had never been wrong. Everything she bought was always beautiful and suited her perfectly. It was simply common for her to find too many things she liked and be unable to choose among them.

“Which one do you think looks best?” Zhan Yao asked.

Since they were already discussing it, she might as well ask Yu Wanqiao’s opinion.

Yu Wanqiao fell silent for several seconds, genuinely considering the question.

“That dress,” she finally said.

Zhan Yao looked over and saw that she was pointing to a pale purple gown.

She had tried it on at the boutique, and it truly fit her extremely well. Its design also emphasized the advantages of her figure to the fullest extent.

Yu Wanqiao did have good taste.

After all, Yu Wanqiao had paid for everything she bought that day. As a reward, Zhan Yao nodded and said she would wear that dress tomorrow.

“What else did you do today?” Yu Wanqiao soon asked.

Although the housekeeper had already reported Zhan Yao’s entire itinerary, Yu Wanqiao still wanted to hear her speak about it personally.

She soon saw Zhan Yao slowly furrow her delicate brows.

“I was extremely busy,” Zhan Yao said.

“I helped the servants improve their aesthetic sense, broadened their horizons, and cultivated their artistic taste.”

In other words, she had ordered the servants to rearrange the villa’s furnishings and layout according to her demands.

“I tested their patience while helping them improve their cultural development during work. They practiced cooking and writing at the same time, learning to multitask.”

In other words, she repeatedly had the cooks revise the menu and send it back to her.

“I also trained your bodyguards,” Zhan Yao added. “Outdoor hiking and weighted endurance exercises.”

She was referring to the shopping trip that afternoon.

“I’ve worried myself sick for the sake of this family,” Zhan Yao concluded, elevating the theme at the very end.

“Very impressive.” Yu Wanqiao gently curved her lips and handed her a diamond brooch she had purchased that afternoon. “You’ve worked hard, Yaoyao.”

“This family couldn’t do without you.”