After Marking a Paranoid CEO [Transmigration] - Chapter 8

Wen An held up the umbrella, helping Xia Youxi open the trunk. Rainwater dripped from her collar as Xia Youxi stood hesitantly, clutching the coffee bag.

She had been running too fast and slipped, falling hard and spilling her coffee. She thought her day couldn’t get any worse, but then an umbrella appeared overhead. Looking up, she saw the person she had been chasing standing before her, urging her to get in.

Her empty heart instantly filled with warmth, and her nose tingled with emotion. She rose and moved toward the car, but just as she was about to climb in, she remembered her disheveled state. She didn’t want to dirty the expensive vehicle.

“What are you waiting for? Get in,” Mu Huayue urged impatiently.

Hesitating, Xia Youxi heard Mu Huayue’s impatient tone and quickly stepped forward. But halfway in, she noticed Mu Huayue frowning, asking disdainfully, “Can’t you see the bag is leaking? Why are you still holding it?”

Xia Youxi’s heart ached at the reminder. She lowered her head, her face filled with melancholy. “The Young Miss asked me to bring the coffee back.”

Young Miss?

Her little pet has a new owner?

Mu Huayue lowered her voice. “So you’re going to bring back a cup of trash?”

Trash people drink trash coffee—a perfect match, Xia Youxi thought. But why does Sister Mu sound so unhappy?

Xia Youxi glanced at the bag, a sudden inspiration striking her. Clutching it tightly, she bit her lip and suppressed a sob. “I… I don’t have the money or time to buy another cup. The Young Miss said if I don’t get it to her within an hour, she’ll dock my pay. There’s only fifteen minutes left, Sister Mu. Could you please give me a ride back to the set? I’m going to be late.”

Mu Huayue’s expression darkened slightly. She coldly ordered Xia Youxi to get in the car, then frowned at her costume. “I thought your role was a refined young lady? Why are you dressed like a background extra’s maid?”

Xia Youxi noticed the assistant in the front seat watching her through the rearview mirror, but she paid it no mind. Lowering her head, she poured out her troubles to Mu Huayue. “Because of my absences, the company reassigned my role to someone else. To have a place to live and earn some money, I’m now working as an assistant for the company’s Young Miss. But I’m useless—I can’t even buy a cup of coffee from Percentage properly. Ugh.”

She pressed a hand to her knee, wincing. When Mu Huayue glanced over, Xia Youxi forced a bitter smile. “Sister Mu, thank you for the ride. I’ll pay you back for the gas when I get my paycheck.”

Is she trying to guilt-trip me?

Mu Huayue scoffed inwardly, her gaze flicking to Xia Youxi’s knee. The situation was clear enough: her little pet was being bullied by the company, yet she was foolishly blaming herself.

Honestly, with an owner like her, why wouldn’t she complain?

What’s with this “Young Miss” act? So many cafes near the studio, but she insists on getting Percentage from downtown?

Mu Huayue glanced again at her pet’s gloomy face and ordered the driver to head to Percentage, instructing her assistant to get out.

Xia Youxi assumed Sister Mu was going to buy her another coffee. She was surprised when the assistant returned not with coffee, but with a pack of bandages and an alcohol spray.

“Roll up your pant leg,” Mu Huayue commanded.

Xia Youxi complied, revealing her scraped and injured knee. Mu Huayue glanced indifferently at the wound. “Does it hurt?”

Xia Youxi shook her head. She’d even broken a bone during a previous shoot; this scratch was nothing.

But this answer didn’t satisfy CEO Mu. She reached out and pressed the alcohol spray against the knee. The moment the alcohol touched the wound, Xia Youxi cried out, “It hurts!”

Mu Huayue smirked. “I knew it would. Put this on yourself.”

Xia Youxi took the large bandage and applied it to the wound. Wen An, the assistant, maintained her usual expressionless face, yet the bandages she’d bought were cartoon-themed. A cute little smiling cat now adorned Xia Youxi’s injured knee, and she smiled back at it.

Mu Huayue shot her a sideways glance. “What are you grinning at like an idiot?”

Xia Youxi turned her head, revealing a faint dimple. “It’s nothing. Thank you, Sister Mu. You’re so kind to me.”

Mu Huayue averted her gaze and snorted. “Wen An bought it for you. Remember to pay her back.”

Wen An, the life assistant sitting in the front seat, who had been eavesdropping through the rearview mirror, was utterly bewildered.

CEO Mu, didn’t you just text me to bring this up?

Am I part of your little game too?

Buying you toys isn’t enough—now I have to act it out myself?

Her poker face concealed her inner turmoil. Xia Youxi, either oblivious or too preoccupied to notice, kept her eyes fixed on Mu Huayue. Hearing this, her lips curved into a smile, and she scooted forward obediently. “Sister, I’m a bit short on funds lately. Can I add you on Green Chat and pay you back later?”

Wen An was momentarily distracted by Xia Youxi’s radiant smile and nodded mechanically, as she usually did.

Xia Youxi reached for her phone, ready to add Wen An, when CEO Mu suddenly changed her tune. “Sit back down. You’ve only just met Wen An, and you’re already calling her ‘Sister’? Does that mean everyone who spends money on you is your ‘sister’?”

Xia Youxi immediately retreated, meeting CEO Mu’s imposing gaze with an awkward smile. “Of course not. I’ve just been spending too much time with the people from Gengdu on set. They’ve influenced me.”

“That’s not the accent either,” Mu Huayue observed, her eyes narrowed as she studied Xia Youxi in silence.

Feeling the pressure radiating from the woman beside her, Xia Youxi curled her lips into a smile and leaned closer, lowering her voice. “Besides, Sister Mu isn’t just my sister, she’s also my…”

Is this silly girl about to call me “Master” in front of everyone? Mu Huayue’s ears flushed crimson as she cut Xia Youxi off. “Alright, I’ll cover the money for now. Just remember to pay me back.”

Xia Youxi nodded enthusiastically. “Yes! Sister Mu, you’re truly my greatest benefactor!”

So she was going to say “benefactor”?

Mu Huayue was stunned. She straightened up stiffly, feeling stifled, yet the irritatingly naive girl still pressed closer.

“Sister, thank you for helping me. Can I add you on Green Chat to pay you back later?”

Now she’s calling me “Sister” again? This silly girl—

Mu Huayue turned her head and found herself staring into a pair of long, delicate eyelashes framing innocent, luminous eyes. They reminded her so much of Yousey, the cat she used to keep.

She hummed in acknowledgment, feigning impatience as she accepted Xia Youxi’s friend request.

The very next second, a message from “Cat Cat” popped up, making her face burn crimson.

It was a picture of a kitten with rosy cheeks, captioned “Thank you, Master~”.

Mu Huayue glanced at Xia Youxi again, only to find the silly girl staring back at her, a hint of bashfulness in her smile.

So, she really was going to say those two words after all.

What a silly girl.

Mu Huayue put away her phone, crossed her legs, and gazed straight ahead.

Beside her, Xia Youxi continued to stare intently. Noticing the faint blush on Mu Huayue’s earlobes, she couldn’t help but smile, thinking, Sister Mu is so easily teased, just like a little cat. So adorable.

As the car approached the film studio entrance, Xia Youxi had long exceeded the time limit set by Young Miss Han. She put on a show of distress and timidity, tilting her head slightly as she looked up at Mu Huayue. “What should I do, Sister Mu?” she asked. “Will Young Miss Han even give me a background role now?”

Xia Youxi had expected CEO Mu, who wanted to be her “master,” to intervene on her behalf. Instead, the notoriously capricious villain coldly ordered her out of the car, adding, “That’s your own problem. Listen, you’re not allowed to tell anyone you know me. Now get out.”

What’s going on?

Xia Youxi, clutching the spilled coffee bag, her messy, damp hair drawing stares from passersby, slowly made her way to the film set.

Han Bei spotted her and burst into laughter, covering her mouth. She nudged her scene partner and quipped, “Look at her! Covered in mud and with that bird’s nest hair—she could go straight on set to play a lunatic!”

The scene partner remained silent, unimpressed. Bored, Han Bei stalked over to Xia Youxi and scrutinized her with disdain. “I gave you an hour, and you’re just getting back now? Don’t you want your pay today?”

Xia Youxi lowered her head and replied through gritted teeth, “I do.”

Young Miss Han pressed on relentlessly. “Then explain this! You went out for coffee and ruined the film crew’s costume bag. How much do you think that’ll cost? Will your daily wage even cover it?”

Xia Youxi said nothing. This scene reminded her of her early days at work, when senior colleagues had bullied her in the same way. Back then, she had remained silent, and no one had spoken up for her either. This was the norm in the real world—she was used to it.

“Cat got your tongue? Can’t even speak? Where’s the coffee? Give it to me.”

Xia Youxi pulled a coffee cup from the bag and handed it to Han Bei. Noticing the condensation on the cup, Han Bei frowned and slapped it away, her palm striking Xia Youxi’s hand and knocking the cup to the ground. The brown liquid splattered across the floor, but Han Bei remained unsatisfied, cursing, “You dare offer me this trash? Are you brainless?”

The paper cup rolled twice across the floor, leaving a trail of coffee in its wake. Xia Youxi stared at the mess, feeling a twinge of regret. If only this Young Miss had taken a sip, she thought. I added a special ingredient that would have guaranteed her frequent trips to the restroom. What a waste.

Seeing Xia Youxi’s dazed expression, Han Bei reached out to shove her. This was the moment Xia Youxi had been waiting for. Before Han Bei’s hand could make contact, she cried out, stumbled backward, and prepared to feign a fall, ready to play the victim and smear Han Bei’s reputation. But just as she was about to collapse, a steady hand caught her arm.

Xia Youxi froze, turning her head to see a beautiful, familiar profile. The person didn’t look at her, but stared straight ahead, asking coldly, “Do you think this coffee is trash?”