The Destiny Villainess Wants Me To Work!-Chapter 48: Magnanimous Yang Zhen!
No matter how many times he relived it, the shock never dulled.
Insomnia clung to him like a curse. Even when he slept, it was shallow and broken, torn apart by memories that refused to loosen their grip. In the daylight, her shadow followed him just as closely—her smile, her voice, the way she had forced herself to act normal before everything collapsed.
’I failed you.’
Six months.
Six months, and he still hadn’t taken revenge.
The thought was like a blade twisting deeper into his chest every single day.
Incompetent. Useless.
Those words were harsher than any accusation spoken aloud. He had failed to protect her. Failed to punish the one who destroyed her. The guilt weighed so heavily that sometimes he wondered if he even deserved to keep breathing.
The officers turned a corner.
Gu Xuan’s steps slowed slightly.
Then today happened.
This morning, he had sat in silence, the television playing in the background like meaningless noise. He hadn’t been watching—until a name cut through the haze.
The image flashed across the screen.
A face he knew far too well.
A face he had hunted in his dreams, in records, in shadows—only to come up empty every time.
Ye Chen.
His fingers had trembled. The remote had slipped from his grasp. For the first time since her death, something inside him had shifted. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮
The despair didn’t vanish.
But it cracked.
The corridor lights grew dimmer as they approached the holding cells.
Gu Xuan raised his head.
Through the metal bars, a figure came into view—sitting quietly inside the cell, head lowered, hands resting on his knees.
That face.
The same face from the screen.
Alive. Breathing. Within reach.
Gu Xuan stopped walking.
His heart, which had been numb for months, began to pound violently against his ribs.
Fate had finally answered him.
---
Meanwhile, as agreed the previous night, Yang Zhen was on his way to his sister’s villa.
The closer the car drew to the gates, the tighter his nerves became. By the time they entered the estate, his resolve had already started wavering.
"Brother Hua..." Yang Zhen hesitated, with a light pat on his shoulder, he suggested. "What if Sis is busy? Wouldn’t it be better if we came another day? I don’t want to disturb her."
Hua Cheng didn’t even look at him properly, only casting a sideways glance through the corner of his eyes. "Miss Zhang had already confirmed your visit, Young Master."
Yang Zhen stiffened.
"And," Hua Cheng added calmly, "if Lady Qingxi finds out that you turned back halfway, she will be... extremely displeased."
That did it.
Yang Zhen shot him a resentful look, feeling utterly betrayed. "Fine, fine. I was planning to see my sister anyway. It’s been a while since I’ve been here."
Hua Cheng said nothing more and continued driving.
---
After entering the estate, Yang Zhen braced himself for the familiar routine—being escorted straight into the villa, followed by an interrogation, a lecture, and possibly a beating depending on his sister’s mood.
But something felt off.
Instead of leading him toward the main building, the butler quietly guided him along a stone path that curved away from the villa and toward the back garden.
Yang Zhen slowed his steps.
...The back garden?
His gaze flicked ahead, and recognition dawned. ’Isn’t that where Mom’s favourite goldfish pond is?’
A strange thought crossed his mind. ’Is Sis there?’
His curiosity sharpened as they drew closer.
Yet the scene that greeted him was nothing like what he had expected.
The old pond was still there—small, elegant, exactly as he remembered. But beside it now lay a second pond.
A massive one at that.
It was at least three times larger than the original, its surface smooth as glass, water faintly shimmering beneath the sunlight. The design was refined yet imposing, seamlessly integrated into the garden in perfect harmony.
Yang Zhen blinked.
’Is that demonic sister of mine... interested in ponds now?’ he wondered, baffled.
Then he noticed three figures standing by the water’s edge. His sister, Zhang Xulin.
And a tall, unfamiliar man.
Yang Zhen’s steps unconsciously slowed.
’Who is he?’
Just as he was about to head over, a hand stopped him.
"Young Master," the butler said quietly, his voice tight, "please proceed safely from here onwards."
Yang Zhen frowned and turned toward him. "Safely? What do you mean by ’proceed safely’? Aren’t you coming with me?"
The butler shook his head immediately, panic flickering across his face. "I don’t dare to."
That answer stunned him.
Yang Zhen stared at the man, then suddenly understood. ’Ah... so he’s afraid of Sis too.’
With a look of sudden sympathy, Yang Zhen waved his hand magnanimously. "Alright, alright. You can go back."
The butler’s eyes widened as if he’d just been granted a second life.
"Thank you, Young Master," he said fervently, bowing deeply. "I will be forever grateful to you in this life."
"...Isn’t that a bit much?" Yang Zhen muttered, taken aback.
’No matter how scary my sister is,’ he thought, ’she’s not going to kill someone, right?’
Before he could ask anything further, the butler had already turned around and fled, his steps hurried, as if afraid that Yang Zhen would order him to stay there.
Yang Zhen shook his head helplessly. ’A weird guy.’
Then, adjusting his posture, he continued forward.
As he walked toward Yang Qingxi, Zhang Xulin, and the unfamiliar man, his gaze lingered on the new pond—admiring its scale, its careful design, and the faint unease it stirred in his chest... though he couldn’t quite explain why.
Soon, as he drew closer, he heard their conversation.
"This can’t go on, Su Mo! The maids have been scared away!"
It was his sister’s voice. From the looks of it, she’s scolding that handsome guy.
’So, his name is Su Mo? Did he scare the maids?’ Yang Zhen thought with piqued curiosity.
Just then, Yang Zhen heard the guy named Su Mo respond to his sister in a lazy tone.
"You can’t blame me for that~ Those fish are just a little naughty. Just give those maids some time to adjust. They will soon get used to them."
