“What?! Everyone Except Me Is a Villain (GL) - Chapter 32

Jin Bu Ning kept her face blank as she gently pushed Xu Yixin’s hand away.
“Don’t mess around. Even if I have secrets, they have nothing to do with you… But, senior, you’re awfully calm. Has no one told you the rumors about Paradise High?”

Xu Yixin didn’t flinch. She caught Jin Bu Ning’s wrist and continued speaking evenly.
“You mean the rumor that Paradise High eats people? Heh, that’s just something to scare kids with. What’s wrong, Ning Ning? You’ve only been here a day and you already know about that?”

Her tone was casual, untouched by fear or surprise. That alone told Jin Bu Ning that Xu Yixin likely had nothing to do with the string of missing students. Besides, Xu Yixin’s only goal seemed to be money there was no reason for her to kill anyone.

Still, Jin Bu Ning couldn’t help picturing her neighbor Zheng Si’s face. The thought stirred unease. Zheng Si had been in charge of the school’s renovation, a project entirely handled by her family. It wouldn’t be hard for her to… add a few things of her own.

“I’m talking to you, who are you thinking about?”

When Jin Bu Ning spaced out in front of her, Xu Yixin lifted the girl’s chin with clear annoyance, forcing her to meet her gaze. The closeness went beyond ordinary boundaries. Jin Bu Ning froze for a moment, caught by those eyes, until Xu Yixin seemed to realize what she’d done and abruptly stepped back.

She began straightening her clothes, an unconscious habit, Jin Bu Ning noticed, her way of keeping her emotions under control. Xu Yixin was confident, almost prideful; Jin Bu Ning’s repeated indifference must have irritated her.

“I was thinking,” Jin Bu Ning said lightly, “about who started that rumor and why students keep disappearing.”

“That’s not something a transfer student should concern herself with.” Xu Yixin’s tone turned cold, her eyes narrowing. “You’d be better off worrying about how to survive your final year.”

Her voice carried such certainty that Jin Bu Ning found herself wondering if Xu Yixin, too, had memories of a previous life.

“Why do you say that?”

Jin Bu Ning asked calmly as they walked toward the school gate. The hallway was empty, the lights off. Moonlight spilled in, pale and cold, making the early September air feel like winter.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Xu Yixin replied. “Eighteen’s an important age. And you just happen to transfer here and meet Xier.”

She smiled, deliberately avoiding Xier’s surname. Then, with a quicker pace, she added, “Besides, you don’t seem like one of them.”

Jin Bu Ning realized she had no idea where they were heading, so she obediently followed. She’d met Xu Yixin in every lifetime, yet this felt like the first time she truly knew her.

They fell silent the rest of the way. Maybe the route Xu Yixin chose was safe Jin Bu Ning didn’t hear a single alert from the system. The path was longer than expected, looping around before reaching the front gate. She quietly memorized every turn.

Her new driver and part-time bodyguard, Number Nine, had been waiting a while. When Jin Bu Ning appeared, she stubbed out her cigarette and watched her approach. Her expression didn’t change maybe she was too used to waiting to feel anything about it.

Jin Bu Ning thought of her old driver. He’d always shown polite irritation if she was late, reporting every small detail to the Zhen family. The Zhens, steeped in deceit, saw everything through suspicion. Jin Bu Ning might look like their glamorous fake daughter, but she was just a marionette.

Even so, compared to the last driver, Number Nine’s indifference was almost comforting.

Jin Bu Ning opened her mouth to introduce Xu Yixin, but before she could, she saw Number Nine’s eyes freeze on Xu Yixin. The earlier calm melted away for a split second, replaced by something close to panic. Then, quickly, Number Nine composed herself and nodded politely.

Jin Bu Ning hadn’t said a word yet, but suddenly she suspected these two already knew each other.

“Ning Ning, aren’t you going to introduce me to this lovely lady?” Xu Yixin smiled, stepping closer. To an outsider, it would look like they were too close.

“This is my driver, Sister Jiu. And this is my senior, Xu Yixin, who helped me with tutoring today.” Jin Bu Ning lied smoothly, giving Xu Yixin an excuse to appear in her circle.

“Hello, Sister Jiu. I’ll be in your care.” Xu Yixin greeted with a bright smile, offering her hand.

For reasons she couldn’t explain, Jin Bu Ning suddenly felt like the unnecessary third wheel. Number Nine’s eyes were glued to Xu Yixin, not with suspicion, but something softer. If they didn’t already know each other, then this looked exactly like a scene out of a romance novel.

Like Sister Jiu had just fallen for Xu Yixin at first sight.

“You’re so tall, Sister Ji, you are one-eighty?” Xu Yixin chatted easily all the way.

And just like that, the cold, killer-like image Jin Bu Ning had of Number Nine began to crumble. She was clearly charmed, her voice gentler than Jin Bu Ning had ever heard.

Xu Yixin, Jin Bu Ning thought, was like a temptress straight out of a cultivation novel, dangerously skilled at using her beauty and wit to make others fall for her. Someone like her could easily marry into wealth and live comfortably, so why go fishing for dozens of lovers only to “kill” them one by one?

“Are you jealous, Ning Ning? Don’t worry, I’m only interested in the Zhen family’s money for now.” Xu Yixin’s teasing voice snapped Jin Bu Ning out of his thoughts.

“I don’t get jealous,” Jin Bu Ning muttered, turning away. “Though, senior, have you ever heard a saying?”

“Oh? What saying?”

“Don’t flirt if you don’t plan to marry.”

Xu Yixin burst out laughing as if she’d just heard the funniest thing in the world. Her eyes locked onto Jin Bu Ning’s as she said, “Then I’d be exhausted. One look from me and people already think I’m flirting. So, tell me by your rule, how many people am I supposed to marry?”

Her voice was amused, but her eyes were cold. Her beauty had always been her greatest advantage and her curse. People gossiped, assumed, and judged. Eventually, she stopped explaining herself and started using that power instead.

“Or,” she added softly, “are you jealous?”

Jin Bu Ning hesitated, unsure how to respond. Xu Yixin smiled faintly, easing the tension just enough to keep the conversation flowing. Every move she made was perfectly measured, never too much, never too little. Men adored her wicked charm; women admired her effortless allure. She’d never once lost control of her “pets.”

“Sorry,” Jin Bu Ning said after a moment. “That was my bias talking.”

“Heh. My little junior, you’ve still got so much to learn about me.” Xu Yixin smiled again.

Jin Bu Ning didn’t respond. Her face was calm, but her thoughts churned. I already know too much, she thought silently, turning to gaze out the darkened window.

Xu Yixin didn’t press further. She watched Jin Bu Ning quietly, then forced herself to look away, scrolling through her phone to reply to other “fish.”

About twenty minutes later, they arrived at the Zhen residence. Number Nine stayed outside, but before leaving, Xu Yixin and she exchanged contact information Xu Yixin was visibly pleased.

“I can’t agree to you living here long-term,” Jin Bu Ning said once they were inside, pulling Xu Yixin aside to a quiet corner, “but you can be my private tutor. That’ll give you a reason to stay for a few months.”

Xu Yixin smiled faintly but looked puzzled. “I understand what you’re saying, but… why are we hiding in such a corner to talk?”

They stood at a camera blind spot so close that Jin Bu Ning could feel her breath. She didn’t answer. Xu Yixin had found this very spot in another lifetime, though clearly, she didn’t know that now.

“What’s this, then?” Xu Yixin teased softly. “You pretend not to like me, but you’re actually trying to do this and that to me?”

“Relax. I’m not into girls.” Jin Bu Ning cut her off quickly before she could continue, then explained seriously, “There are cameras everywhere here. Don’t talk about anything important or change clothes in their view. The only private spots are this corner and the bathroom.”

Xu Yixin’s expression shifted, surprise flickering across her face.

“Tired?” she asked gently after a moment, her voice softening with something like pity.

The question caught Jin Bu Ning off guard. She hesitated, feeling an unexpected sting behind her ribs. Yes, she was tired. But she’d never stopped fighting for the freedom she wanted. Maybe her greatest demon wasn’t anyone else, it was herself, trapped by fear, clawing toward freedom like a fallen immortal.

“I am,” Jin Bu Ning said quietly. “That’s why I need to be independent. I don’t know what exactly you’re looking for in the Zhen family, senior, but I’m willing to help in any way I can.”

For the first time, she spoke honestly. She shouldn’t be fighting the villains she should be working with them, to take back everything she wanted.