After Marrying the Aloof Beauty, I Totally Fell for Her - Chapter 14

Chapter 14 – What Else Do You Want to Say?

The smug smile froze on Hong Tianjiao’s face. She stared unblinking at the car key on the table. The longer she looked, the more twisted her expression became—until it seemed like she might actually swallow that key whole.

The girls who had been rowdy a moment ago were now dead silent. They had thought Mu Yan, young and beautiful, with her calm and unassuming demeanor, was just a fresh art graduate with no airs about her.

But now this so-called “just trying to make a living” young artist had casually pulled out a car key worth tens of millions. Even the most clueless among them could tell that phrase was just modesty.

In front of someone unknown but clearly powerful, most people’s instincts leaned toward caution.

Amid the silence, Mu Yan’s soft, derisive laugh was clearly heard. Her usually gentle, spring-water-like voice now carried a cutting chill.
“Your game’s mediocre, but your gossip skills are top-tier. See an expensive car and immediately jump to ‘sugar baby’? Did your political ethics class get taught to a dog?”

Though her voice was calm and unhurried, every person in the room unconsciously held their breath. It felt like they were back in elementary school, with the teacher scolding the most unruly student. You knew the teacher sounded nice, but the pointer stick was already in her hand, and if you dared make a sound, you’d definitely get caught in the crossfire.

Too terrifying. This wasn’t the same person from before.

Ning Ning actually likes this kind of woman?

Ren Tiantian peeked at An Ning through her fingers and found that An Ning wasn’t looking smitten or afraid—instead, her expression held a trace of… worry.

“You!”
Hong Tianjiao had always been overbearing. The team usually avoided conflict, often yielding to her like An Ning did. Even those who dared talk back, like Coach Chen Ying, just raised their voices—it was never like this, being stabbed right in the gut with words.

Blazing with fury, she grabbed a badminton racket from nearby, pointed it at Mu Yan, and shouted,
“Say that again!”

The racket was less than two centimeters from Mu Yan’s nose. But the woman didn’t even blink. Her voice remained exactly the same:
“Now let me add another point—you’re wrong and loud.”

Hong Tianjiao snapped.

She raised the racket high—and that’s when the others finally reacted.

“Stop!”

“Ah!” Ren Tiantian screamed and covered her eyes.

Thud! Crash!

No screams of pain, no splattering bl00d—just the dull thud of a body hitting something heavy, and the shattering of glass on the floor.

Ren Tiantian cautiously opened her eyes and peeked through her fingers.

Hong Tianjiao was sitting dumbfounded on the ground. The badminton racket had fallen beside her, and behind her lay a toppled glass table.

Standing in front of her was An Ning, brows furrowed tightly.

For the first time, the girl who always wore a warm smile looked stern and intimidating. She stared coldly at Hong Tianjiao, enunciating each word:
“Take your tantrum outside.”

Ren Tiantian swore—it was the first time she had ever heard An Ning curse.

Thank goodness everything’s okay…

But An Ning’s heart was far from calm. Her tightly clenched hands were trembling slightly.

If she’d been half a second later, the consequences would’ve been unthinkable.

Just the image of Mu Yan’s head covered in bl00d was enough to make her stomach turn. She turned to look at the woman with a mix of guilt and… something dangerously close to anger.

And yet, the instigator showed not a shred of remorse or fear. She shot An Ning a cold glance, then turned and walked out.

“Teacher Mu!”

The girl who had just played the hero instantly forgot all her frustration, rushing after Mu Yan in a panic, leaving her stunned teammates behind.

“So…”
It was Coach Chen Ying who recovered first. She glanced at Hong Tianjiao, still stunned on the floor, then at Jing Tong, who looked devastated in the corner, and another teammate so deep in gossip she’d forgotten what planet she was on. Finally, she looked toward the now-empty doorway.
“Are we still playing this match or what?”

“Teacher Mu, Teacher Mu—”
Mu Yan was walking fast. An Ning could keep up, but she didn’t dare grab her hand. All she could do was quicken her pace and follow closely behind.

“Please don’t be mad. It’s not that I didn’t want to tell you, I just…”

She was never good at explaining herself. Now, flustered and panicked, her words came out even worse. And Mu Yan showed no signs of slowing down—only walking faster.

An Ning couldn’t understand how someone with such a slender frame could walk so fast.

“Teacher Mu!”
Just as Mu Yan was about to reach the security gate, An Ning finally mustered the courage to grab her hand, panic and guilt written all over her face.
“Please, just listen to me!”

Her hand was soft, cool, and delicate—like a fragile bird in her palm. The bones were fine and brittle, almost weightless. Even her attempts to break free were barely noticeable.

An Ning froze for a moment. After a few failed attempts to shake her off, Mu Yan finally turned around and looked at her.

“What else do you want to say?”

Though she tried to keep her voice low, it still couldn’t hide the slight tremble in her words.

Her sharp peach blossom eyes were tinged with red at the corners, like the faint blush at the tip of a flower petal—adding an unexpectedly alluring charm.

But it was clear she had no intention of being alluring. The hand An Ning held was trembling slightly from emotion.

An Ning was stunned. This might have been the first time she’d seen such raw and intense emotion from Mu Yan.

Then a crazy thought popped into her head—

Is she about to cry…?

In an instant, every grievance and frustration An Ning had melted away, replaced by overwhelming guilt and heartache.

She let go of Mu Yan’s hand, then timidly tugged at her sleeve.

“I’m sorry…”
The weak explanation she had prepared no longer mattered. All that came out was a stammered apology.
“I really didn’t mean for this to happen. It’s my fault. Please don’t be mad…”

It’s happening again…

Mu Yan looked at the girl’s lowered head and knew her own expression must be terrible.

Lost control… again…

She shouldn’t be angry. Given their current relationship, it was perfectly normal for An Ning to keep something from her.

But at the same time, another voice kept whispering like a broken record—

How could she not tell me?

She never hides anything from me.

I’m the closest person to her.

It should be me!

Her heart drifted between past and present. But all she could do was force her voice into something calm.

“That day you were chatting with me… it was about this, wasn’t it?”

The girl’s head drooped lower. “Yes.”

Holding back the bitter anger that surged up again, Mu Yan still couldn’t keep the frustration from her tone.

“Even your teammates knew to come ask me for help. But you didn’t say a word?”

The past and present began to blur together—

“Do you really like it that much?”

“Of course. You gave it to me, after all.”

The beautiful memories had become one person’s secret. The once-sweet wine now fermented into a bitter poison.

Mu Yan’s pale lips trembled as she looked at the dazed girl before her.

“Are you really that afraid of me?”