The Birth of a Villainess

Lin Xiaofei did not mind Qi Yandi's amiable character and let him continue to speak with her. This continued until her maid arrived to serve her tea. Upon seeing two other men inside the study, Su Tang hesitated a little bit, but after seeing the calm expression on Lin Xiaofei's face, she proceeded to enter.

"Milady, I have brought the tea over," Su Tang put the wooden tray on the table, carefully pouring out the tea from the teapot to the small cup before offering it to Lin Xiaofei.

Lin Xiaofei took the cup and sipped a bit. Her eyes automatically landed on the two males in the study.

"Su Tang, why don't you bring two cups over and serve our guests," Lin Xiaofei finally said.

Upon waking up, Lin Xiaofei already planned to head over to the study. And thus, she didn't think that someone else would arrive faster than her, so she didn't get to order her maid to prepare more cups to bring to the study. Hence, the two males weren't offered the same privilege at the start.

Su Tang mumbled her response, bowing slightly before heading back to the kitchen. She didn't even wait for the two males to reject or add something to what she would bring to the study.

"Forgive me. I wasn't informed that you two would come here," Lin Xiaofei told them as she put the cup down. "If I knew, I would have already sent tea over for you to enjoy."

Qi Yandi reacted quickly and waved his hands dismissively. He was slightly anxious and embarrassed. "No, no. It was us who were being rude. We entered this place without telling sister-in-law."

Lin Xiaofei hummed and didn't try to prolong this subject. 

"By the way, sister-in-law. I've been curious, but... Are you truly human?" 

Qi Yandi's question caught her off guard. It was not only her who was shocked at his strange question as Ni Zixuan, who was about to speak ahead of him after staring at her for a long time, glanced over at him as if he had grown two more heads on top of his shoulders.

"What about you? Are you all human?" Instead of answering, Lin Xiaofei threw the question back to him.

Ni Zixuan narrowed his eyes but did not say a word. He didn't even open his lips to answer or stop Qi Yandi.

Qi Yandi raised his eyebrows to his hairline and laughingly said, "Of course, we are. If we are not. How can we still be here?"

"That's true." Lin Xiaofei nodded. "If you're not human. You would already be buried 7 feet under the ground."

As she said this, her eyes traveled to them. They both felt uneasy upon being stared at like that by Lin Xiaofei. It was as if she was already imagining their bodies being buried to the ground.

Shivers ran through their skin, and Qi Yandi tried to dispel the strange atmosphere, but Lin Xiaofei was faster to add, "As for me... What do you think?"

She tilted her head and had a mysterious smile on her lips, making her look more wicked and beautiful. At the same time, the rays from the sunlight chose this time to invade the window behind Lin Xiaofei, creating an illusion of a halo shining behind her, blinding those who gazed upon her.

It almost made her look like a fairy who did not come from this world.

Ni Zixuan frowned at her words. He, too, like his brother, Qi Yandi, was mesmerized by her beauty. No man could stay nonchalant if they were faced with such a beautiful woman. But he could feel that something in her words had a deeper meaning. 

However, he couldn't figure out why he was feeling that way, nor did he find the meaning of her words.

On the other hand, Qi Yandi was completely awestruck. He did not react until a full minute passed, and he had to blink rapidly to dispel his astonishment.

"Of course, my sister-in-law is a mortal whose beauty transcends an immortal's." Qi Yandi praised her endlessly. 

When he was tired of praising Lin Xiaofei's beauty and felt more embarrassed when Lin Xiaofei only smiled at him, he excused himself and said he would go to the kitchen to help the maid who would bring them their tea.

Just what kind of young master would help a maid to bring tea?

That was an absurd excuse made by Qi Yandi, but he already said it, so he could only swallow his pride and leave the study.

Once only the two of them were inside the study, Ni Zixuan and Lin Xiaofei did not start a conversation. It was as if they already had a tacit understanding that neither would speak. 

Thus, the impregnable silence stretched until Ni Zixuan couldn't take it any longer and gave up.

He cleared his throat and started to stand up from his chair, "Ahem! I should go first. I have some important things to do."

Lin Xiaofei stared at him for an extended period of time while smiling and finally nodded. "I won't stop you then."

Ni Zixuan pursed his lips and turned his back to leave. Just as he passed through the threshold, he heard the voice inside the study suddenly speaking once again.

"Be careful of buŧŧerflies. They may appear beautiful, but they can also be deadly."

Ni Zixuan's steps halted. He turned his head to look at Lin Xiaofei, who sat behind the desk and was looking down at the scroll on top of the table. She looked like she was reading and didn't say these words to him at all.

But Ni Zixuan was clear of what he had just heard.

She was warning him.

After standing by the door for a few more seconds, Ni Zixuan finally left the study with his thoughts filled with uncertainty. Something was growing in his heart as he started to become interested and curious about this sister-in-law of his.

Unfortunately, he wouldn't be able to observe her more and find out what she's like because tomorrow, Qu Xing Xu and all of his brothers including Ni Zixuan, will leave the Qu residence and travel to the North.