The Yellow-Haired Villain in Soaring Phoenix’s Novels Also Desires Happiness

Chapter 64, Confession

“True love can transcend all…”

The music had unknowingly stopped.

Anna’s voice echoed in the narrow restaurant, so melodious and pleasant, like a clear spring flowing over smooth pebbles, causing Mu’en beside her to momentarily lose his senses.

“Can true love really overcome everything?”

An repeated this sentence in her mind, then revealed a captivating smile that could bewilder anyone.

“What a coincidence, I think so too.”

“So no matter if it’s space, time, or anything else, nothing can sever my love, nor can it stop me from seeking the one I love, right?”

She raised her hand, slowly reaching out towards Mu’en.

As he watched that delicate, fair hand draw closer, Mu’en’s heart couldn’t help but leap to his throat.

With An’s keen perception, as long as she could make contact with him, she could instantly eliminate the interference of the perfume he had intentionally sprayed around, confirming his identity.

But.

At the moment that hand was about to touch Mu’en.

It was caught by another equally delicate and fair hand.

“Didn’t I say? This is my boyfriend, you can’t just touch him.”

Anna’s smile was equally stunning, rivaling An’s in beauty.

She placed heavy emphasis on the words “my boyfriend,” as if to assert a sense of ownership.

An’s smile instantly faded.

Her eyes narrowed slightly, her body bent as she leaned over the table, locking eyes with Anna across the distance.

At that moment, the two fragile hands brushed against each other, and Mu’en felt as if he were witnessing a doomsday scene with dark clouds looming overhead, thunder and lightning crashing around.

It was as if two supreme beings had battled to the edge of the universe, erasing even the Great Dao, leaving only Mu’en, a small lamb, trembling in the corner.

Oh, and there was Shali, who seemed frightened, turning pale since just now, unable to utter a single word.

“I just wanted to confirm something, why be so tense?” An said.

“Oh, so if someone you like were to be harassed and touched by another woman, would you be so generous?” Anna responded.

“…”

“…”

The two fell silent once again.

But this silence was even more suffocating.

Mu’en was drenched in cold sweat, and in his perception, all the metal in the restaurant began to hum softly, the knife and fork in his hand trembled uncontrollably, as if they might transform into deadly weapons under the divine power of the moment.

And Anna’s other hand was hidden in her sleeve, faint waves of magical energy emerging.

What… what to do, it seemed like these two could start fighting at any moment.

Should he escape or intervene?

If he intervened… who would he help?

Mu En swallowed hard, his gaze darting back and forth between An and Senior Sister Anna, finally feeling the difficulty of being in a situation akin to being asked whether to save a girlfriend or a mother who had fallen into a river.

It seemed that helping anyone… would lead to his own doom.

He couldn’t let them fight!

Mu En finally realized, but just as he was preparing to throw caution to the wind, even if it meant exposing his identity to stop the two of them…

“It seems I was mistaken.”

In Mu En’s slightly surprised gaze, An suddenly straightened up.

It was as if sunlight broke through the cracks in the clouds, and the scene of thunder and lightning vanished in an instant.

The buzzing metal returned to calm.

An’s gaze swept deeply across Senior Sister Anna’s face, as if trying to remember her, then nodded slightly with an air of apology:

“Sorry for the interruption.”

“It’s fine.”

Senior Sister Anna also extended her hand from her sleeve, offering a calm smile.

“I can understand.”

“Then, goodbye.”

“Goodbye.”

The two nodded at each other in farewell, like strangers who had just crossed paths.

As if the earlier confrontation had merely been an illusion.

Then, An turned and walked out of the cafeteria.

Not looking back.

Not once did he glance at Mu En again.

Mu En couldn’t help but widen his eyes in disbelief.

He left?

An just walked away like that?

Mu En waited for a few minutes, cautiously peeking out to look beyond the cafeteria.

The silent street was empty.

An had indeed left.

The battlefield was over!

I’m still alive!

A tremendous joy surged within Mu En’s chest.

Praise God.

Praise the Tathagata.

Praise the Jade Emperor.

Praise Nyarlathotep.

I have finally survived—

“That person just now, is she the girl the junior mentioned before, who likes you?”

Senior Anna’s seemingly casual words fell into my ears.

Ecstasy froze in an instant.

Mu En stiffly turned his head; the senior had somehow returned to her original position, sipping red wine delicately.

With the effects of the wine surfacing, Senior Anna’s enchanting face flushed slightly, exuding a unique charm.

But Mu En couldn’t muster any feelings of appreciation.

Because in a daze, he seemed to be thrust back onto the guillotine, the stern executioner loudly reading out his crimes.

Scumbag, must be executed!

“Y-yes, I suppose.”

At this point, there was no way to lie anymore.

“Then—”

Senior Anna shifted her tone and continued to ask:

“Junior, do you like her too?”

Crack.

Mu En seemed to see the glinting blade of the guillotine being raised abruptly, ready to fall at any moment, severing the wicked scumbag in two.

“I… I…”

Mu En wiped the sweat from his forehead, stammering.

What to do, what to do, how should he respond?

How should he reply to…

“Forget it.”

In his hesitation, Senior Anna suddenly retracted her previous statement:

“After all, asking such questions is too rude. Sorry, junior, just consider me drunk.”

Then, she whispered in a voice only she could hear:

“It’s just a pity that the girl is a bit too strong; I can’t collect her tears.”

“Eh?”

Mu En was momentarily stunned, unable to regain his senses from this sudden shift.

Anna, the senior, continued to smile at him:

“You owe me another favor, junior. You must fulfill your promise.”

“Ah… oh.”

Mu En nodded stiffly.

At this moment, even though all the crises had finally been resolved, he couldn’t bring himself to feel happy.

He looked at Anna, who seemed completely unconcerned about what had just happened, and felt as if something was blocking his chest, making it hard to breathe.

……

……

Fortunately, after An’s sudden attack, this awkward three-person candlelight “dinner” finally came to an end.

Shali, with a reluctant expression, began to clear the dishes. Under the senior’s urging, Mu En rolled up his sleeves and started to help her. After all, being a guest, he couldn’t just freeload from start to finish.

But helping was merely rinsing the plates with water; Shali was unwilling to let him do anything more complicated. Even the task of washing the plates was something Mu En had to work hard to be allowed to do.

In the dishwashing area for just the two of them, there was a moment of silence.

Accompanied by the sound of running water, Mu En listened to the chopping sounds coming from the kitchen and couldn’t help but bring up a topic:

“Is your father still busy?”

“Dad is preparing ingredients for tomorrow, so he might be busy until very late. But Mu En, you don’t need to worry; he has already eaten lunch.”

“Being a chef is quite hard, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“……”

“……”

Silence again.

Since what had happened earlier, Shali had been like a defeated rooster, lacking any spirit.

However, Mu En had no intention of comforting her.

Because compared to being cold and unfeeling, the gentleness that might rekindle her hopes would be even more cruel.

Thinking this, Mu En sighed and focused more on washing the dishes.

But as he was washing, he suddenly felt a hand gripping the corner of his shirt.

Turning around, it was Shali.

She was looking down, seemingly hesitating about something.

But from her fingers, which had turned pale at the knuckles, Mu En could almost see her gradually solidifying determination.

No way…

Mu En suddenly had a bad feeling.

But he hadn’t had the chance to say anything yet.

——“Mu En, I like you.”

No buildup whatsoever.

No accumulation of emotions.

And no atmospheric embellishment.

So sudden.

In the extremely casual setting of the dishwashing area, Shali confessed to him.

“Why?”

Mu En’s mind went blank for a moment, unable to help but ask, “Shali, we… shouldn’t we have only just met not long ago?”

No, it shouldn’t be said that they had only just met, because counting from the time she misunderstood him, it had already been over a month.

However, he and Shali had only truly met and spoken, including this time, for the fourth time.

Shali’s sudden declaration of affection made him doubt whether she had some ulterior motive.

“Is that not okay?”

Shali looked up, gazing at Mu En.

Big drops of tears fell from her eyes, already smearing the lenses of her black-framed glasses into a mess.

“I know I’m not as pretty as Senior Anna or that woman from earlier. I also know that my relationship with you isn’t particularly close. I even lacked the courage to help you just now, but I like you, Mu En. Is that not okay?”

“Of course, it is…”

At that moment, looking at Shali’s tear-streaked face, Mu En suddenly felt a wave of self-loathing.

What’s wrong with me? How could I doubt Shali’s genuine feelings?

If this were all an act, she could have long since competed for an Oscar!

“But—

I’m sorry.”

Mu En set down the plate in his hand, lowered his head, and earnestly refused:

“Shali, you’re a good girl. You should be able to find someone better than me.”

“But I only like you, Mu En.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Is that so…”

Shali stumbled back a step, her small face pale.

But just as Mu En sighed and prepared to offer some more comforting words, she suddenly stepped forward, grasping Mu En’s hand, her face filled with hope.

“Mu En, can you think about it a little more? Is that not okay?”

Consider?

What is there to consider?

If you like this kind of thing, can thinking about it change your mind…

Eh?

In that moment, seeing the tears welling in Shali’s eyes and the pitiful pleading expression on her face, Mu’en suddenly hesitated.

Right.

Look at how cute Shali is, how gentle, how considerate.

Moreover, she can make delicious snacks and meals.

She’s simply the perfect partner.

Why am I so eager to refuse? Isn’t it better to think it over a bit more?