I’m a Villain! Why Are You Trying to Date Me?

Chapter 28: No, From Now On, Call Me Mengmeng!

Switching effortlessly between crying her eyes out and acting like nothing had happened—it seemed this was a natural-born talent of Zhao Mengmeng. Throughout the entire exchange, Lin Tian couldn’t spot a single flaw or unnatural break in her performance.

He twitched his lips and muttered helplessly, “You’re seriously wasting your talent not becoming an actress…”

Zhao Mengmeng beamed, wrinkling her little nose with a soft snort. “I actually wanted to get into acting, but my dad wouldn’t let me. He says that industry is way too messy.”

Lin Tian nodded. That made sense. This world wasn’t all that different from the one he came from—chaos and scandal in the entertainment circle were practically a given.

Or rather, in places where extravagance, money, and power reigned, filth and disorder naturally followed.

Still, even in murky waters, a clear stream could emerge. Lin Tian recalled that later in the original novel, one of Jiang Yifeng’s harem members did in fact come from the entertainment industry—but that was who knows how many chapters down the line.

…….

“Um, this ancient mansion deep in the mountains is so big—don’t you have anything fun to do around here? Let’s not go down the mountain,” Lin Tian said.

Even though staying in the Zhao family mansion and playing with Zhao Mengmeng was quite dangerous, it was still better than taking her down the mountain…

If Zhao Dongyun found out, the worst that could happen inside the mansion was getting scolded a bit. But if they were caught off the mountain—who knows what that old father of hers might do!

Zhao Mengmeng pouted slightly and spoke in a soft voice, her tone light but tinged with sadness.

“I’ve lived in this mansion for over ten years. There’s not a single place I don’t know…”

In other words, she was bored out of her mind, right?

Lin Tian’s mouth twitched. Then why the hell did you say you were scared just now?!

And what was up with that bizarre, ever-changing voice of hers?

He’d once heard a saying: “Voice actors are monsters,” meaning they could shift their vocal tone at will.

But now, it seemed Zhao Mengmeng was a monster among monsters!

This little girl could not only change her voice on a whim, but the emotion laced within it—the subtle quivers, the soft sighs—everything was flawlessly on point!

More than that, even the expressions on her face could shift in an instant.

Tears could come just like that, and she could return to normal in a second flat…

In that moment, Lin Tian suddenly understood why Zhao Mengmeng had become the key figure in stabilizing Jiang Yifeng’s harem.

Her gentle personality and upbringing in the intricacies of inner-court politics were definitely important factors—but this innate talent for acting and voice control might just be the true “divine weapon” that let her connect deeply with anyone she met!

Lin Tian had no doubt that she could cry her heart out to Shang Chan one moment, then happily drag Bai Bing’er out for hotpot the next, and afterward still have the energy to hang out with the other women in the harem…

For a moment, Lin Tian wasn’t even sure if he should trust the expression on her face right now—this girl was just too much of a little demon!

All he could say was: no wonder she was, in a certain sense, the most important member of Jiang Yifeng’s harem.

…

“But… are you sure your father won’t say anything if I take you down the mountain?” Lin Tian asked hesitantly.

And as his words reached Zhao Mengmeng’s ears, so too did his inner thoughts.

[Sigh! I haven’t even figured out the Shang Chan situation, and now I’ve got to deal with Zhao Mengmeng too… Jiang Yifeng might not be much of a threat at the moment, but I’m really afraid Zhao Dongyun’s gonna come at me with a knife! If he finds out both of his daughters are somehow involved with me, won’t that old man be so furious it ruins his health?]

Pfft!

Zhao Mengmeng couldn’t hold it in and burst out laughing.

After all, Lin Tian hadn’t said anything bad about Zhao Dongyun, and when she imagined the scene of her father discovering that both of his daughters had gotten tangled up with Lin Tian—even as one of the people involved—she had to admit, it sounded pretty entertaining…

Ever since she started hearing Lin Tian’s inner thoughts, the little devil in her had been getting harder and harder to suppress.

She gave a sly grin and shook her head.

“It’s fine. My father doesn’t interfere with what I do. Lin Tian, you promised me, remember? You can’t go back on your word.”

Of course, there was no way Zhao Dongyun didn’t care about his precious youngest daughter.

Looking at Zhao Mengmeng’s wide, blinking eyes, Lin Tian could only sigh in resignation and agree.

Well, at least for tonight, Jiang Yifeng probably wouldn’t be showing up anywhere near the Zhao estate.

After being publicly humiliated by Shang Chan, Jiang Yifeng had most likely gone off with that squad of black-clad men to seek out the third female lead from the original novel.

In this situation, as long as Zhao Dongyun didn’t kill Lin Tian on the spot, there really wasn’t much danger in taking Zhao Mengmeng out for some fun.

The two of them fell into a brief silence before Lin Tian finally gave in, turned around helplessly, and led Zhao Mengmeng out of the Zhao estate through a side gate.

It wasn’t until they were seated in a BMW Mini that looked like it had been prepared in advance that Lin Tian started feeling like the whole thing was surreal.

Damn it, the last couple of days have been completely insane!

When Shang Chan’s character completely collapsed, Lin Tian hadn’t even figured out what had gone wrong. One thing led to another, and he somehow ended up at the Zhao family home.

Now, not even a full day had passed, and Shang Chan had twisted her ankle—only for Zhao Mengmeng to end up clinging to him instead!

And here he was, sitting in a BMW Mini that had appeared out of nowhere, with the Zhao clan leader’s precious youngest daughter beside him, heading down the mountain…

Even in the most cliché white novels, they wouldn’t dare write something this outrageous!

“You… where do you want to go?”

Lin Tian asked, his voice full of helplessness.

But to his surprise, Zhao Mengmeng didn’t answer. Instead, she glanced at him and asked a different question.

“Lin Tian, what do you call my sister?”

Lin Tian didn’t hide anything and replied naturally, “Shang Chan, of course. What else would I call her?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, his heart skipped a beat. He quickly looked over—only to see Zhao Mengmeng staring at him with a strange expression.

Lin Tian cleared his throat awkwardly and tried to explain, “Uh… your sister said that once we’re back at the Zhao home, I don’t have to call her ‘President’ anymore. Usually, that’s what I call her.”

[Tch, it’s not like I don’t want to call her President—Shang Chan just won’t let me! Every time I try, she glares at me! How the hell is that my fault?!]

Zhao Mengmeng’s eyes widened—so her guess had been right. It was Shang Chan who told Lin Tian to call her that.

The girl’s thoughts drifted somewhere unknown, and after a while, she softly asked, “Then… what should you call me?”

“Uh… Second Miss?”

Upon hearing that title, Zhao Mengmeng suddenly fell silent for a moment.

Maybe it was true—she’d never really fought anyone for anything before. Not for food, not for toys or affection. Even though everyone in the Zhao family had always doted on her, Zhao Mengmeng had never liked to compete.

In her eyes, fighting for something would only make people dislike her.

But now, hearing Lin Tian refer to her with that distant, formal “Second Miss”… for some reason, Zhao Mengmeng suddenly felt a little sad.

Just like Lin Tian’s indifferent attitude toward her—without even realizing it, Zhao Mengmeng’s eyes began to well up with tears.

She hadn’t noticed that the moment she started hearing Lin Tian’s inner thoughts, her emotions had already begun slipping out of her control.

Maybe she didn’t exactly like Lin Tian yet, but there was no doubt—she wanted to be close to him.

A flicker of hesitation passed through the girl’s clear, delicate features, but it quickly transformed into determination.

This gentle-natured heroine, who in the original story had never fought for anything, now only wanted to fight for her own happiness—even if the person she had to compete with… was her own sister.

Zhao Mengmeng spoke softly, her voice laced with a depth and resolve that Lin Tian couldn’t quite read.

“No. From now on, call me Mengmeng… That’s what my family calls me.”

“Huh?”

Lin Tian stared at her in surprise.

What’s with this Zhao family? Do they all have some kind of compulsive naming disorder? If I don’t call you by your chosen nickname, are you going to transform into a werewolf or something?

First it was Shang Chan, and now Zhao Mengmeng—Lin Tian was honestly at his wits’ end.

“Ahem… I’m not really part of your family, so I’d better stick with ‘Second Miss,’” he said.

He thought about it and figured the nickname sounded a bit too intimate. Better to keep some distance—he didn’t want Zhao Mengmeng to get the wrong idea. So he politely declined.

But the very next second, he heard the soft sound of sniffles beside him. When he turned to look, the once-excited Zhao Mengmeng now had tears welling up in her eyes!

Ever since she stopped holding back her emotions, the sadness had started bubbling up almost the moment Lin Tian rejected her. She could barely control it.

Though Zhao Mengmeng had no shortage of hidden depth, she was still pure in her own way. Before she even fully understood how her feelings for Lin Tian were changing, her heart was already reacting on instinct.

Lin Tian instantly felt his scalp tingle.

This little troublemaker—she’s really going to start crying every time I say no, huh? Is she seriously using tears as a weapon now that she’s got me by the throat?

Even his gums started aching from the stress.

But he already had the walking disaster that was Shang Chan to deal with—there was no way he could afford to get tangled up with Zhao Mengmeng too…

Even though seeing the girl with tears in her eyes tugged at his heartstrings, Lin Tian steeled himself and held his ground.

“Crying won’t change anything. I’m not part of your family, so I’ll stick with ‘Second Miss.’”

Zhao Mengmeng blinked in surprise. She’d heard Lin Tian’s inner thoughts—she knew he wasn’t someone with a cold heart.

Even when she cried like this… he still refused to call her by her nickname?

The girl fell silent, but then Lin Tian’s thoughts echoed in her ears:

[Did I really piss her off that much? Tch… honestly, if she storms off because of this, that’d be perfect. I haven’t even dealt with Shang Chan yet—now Zhao Mengmeng’s clinging to me too? How the hell am I supposed to survive this?!]

Zhao Mengmeng’s heart gave a sharp jolt.

Suddenly, a thought struck her—was she being selfish?

Forcing Lin Tian to take her out to play… was that actually kind of unfair to him?

If her father found out… or worse, if Jiang Yifeng—the one Lin Tian truly feared—discovered what was going on, wouldn’t that bring danger and trouble down on Lin Tian’s head?

Zhao Mengmeng was extremely perceptive, especially when it came to reading people. Now that these thoughts had surfaced, how could she not realize the mistake she was making?

For a moment, she even had the urge to ask Lin Tian to take her back to the Zhao estate. She didn’t want to be a burden to him.

But…

If she gave up now, what chance would she have left to fight for her own happiness?

In that instant, Zhao Mengmeng suddenly understood something clearly:

If she didn’t take the initiative, then she might never have any real connection to Lin Tian at all.

She calmed herself, looked up at Lin Tian with an obedient expression, and said softly, “Second Miss it is, then.”

But in her heart, she quietly added the words she didn’t say out loud:

I really hope… that one day, you’ll call me Mengmeng.

Lin Tian glanced at her in surprise.

[She’s not mad? What the hell… Isn’t this the part where a normal girl tells me to pull over, throws the door open, and storms off? Tch, that actually wouldn’t be so bad!]

[No, seriously, sis—can’t you just get mad or something?! Damn, the calmer you are, the more on edge I get…]

Lin Tian couldn’t begin to guess at the complicated thoughts swirling through the girl’s mind. He just felt exasperated—she’s seriously not angry?

If he could control Zhao Mengmeng’s emotions right now, he’d absolutely make her angry. Maybe even have her throw a tantrum.

Not because he was into that kind of thing or anything… but because the calmer she was, the more panicked he felt.

This little devil… was she going to end up like her sister Shang Chan too? Wrapped up in some messy, unclear relationship with him out of nowhere?

With that tangled mess of thoughts weighing on him, Lin Tian let out a long sigh—and resigned himself to just driving the car quietly.

…….

The car smoothly wound its way down the Zhao family’s mountain road, and about an hour later, they arrived in the heart of Licheng.

At Zhao Mengmeng’s request, Lin Tian took her straight to a sashimi restaurant called “Arctic Fresh.”

Normally, if someone wanted sashimi, they’d just hit up a regular Japanese spot. But “Arctic Fresh” was different—it was a private kitchen that only served sashimi. According to Zhao Mengmeng, they only accepted ten guests per month, and the last of those ten was always the owner themselves. Meaning there were only nine actual reservations available each month.

If you wanted to eat here, you had to book months in advance.

Zhao Mengmeng had been wanting to try this place for ages. She’d finally managed to snag a reservation not long ago—and now she’d brought Lin Tian along to enjoy it with her.

She’d said she wanted him to take her out to have fun, but in reality, it was more like she was calling the shots and Lin Tian was just along for the ride.

Lin Tian couldn’t be bothered to argue with her anymore. He just hoped this little troublemaker would tire herself out soon so he could get her home to rest. Until then, all he could do was pray that Zhao Dongyun really didn’t pay much attention to his precious youngest daughter.

Although Arctic Fresh was located right in the center of Licheng, it was housed in an unusual single-level building.

In an area where every square meter of land was worth a fortune, someone buying up a plot just to build a single-story structure? That alone screamed: the person behind this place is no ordinary figure.

Out front, a smiling female staff member noticed the BMW Mini pulling into one of their exclusive parking spots. She took a few steps forward and politely asked, “Do you have a reservation with Arctic Fresh?”

Zhao Mengmeng opened the door, stepped out, and nodded with a smile.

“Yes, we do. My name’s Zhao Mengmeng.”

“One moment, let me check… Yes, found you. You’re this month’s final guest. This way, please.”

The hostess turned and led the way.

Lin Tian, following behind, raised an eyebrow.

Final guest of the month?

So that meant… aside from the owner, Arctic Fresh wouldn’t be serving anyone else this month?

It wasn’t even the 20th yet!

What kind of restaurant just casually shuts down for the rest of the month?!

This place was seriously operating on a whole different level of unbothered.

As Lin Tian and Zhao Mengmeng followed the hostess into the elegant interior of Arctic Fresh—complete with flowing water, quaint wooden bridges, and a traditional aesthetic—

…

A bright red custom Bentley glided smoothly into the space right next to their BMW Mini.

The car door opened, and a white dress slipped elegantly down a pair of long, shapely legs, concealing the breathtaking view underneath.

A woman stepped out—hair like a waterfall of ink, eyes exuding a lazy, languid charm. Her beauty was breathtaking.

Her lips were painted in a bold, vibrant red that somehow didn’t come off as gaudy in the slightest—on her, it looked regal.

At that moment, Arctic Fresh’s supposedly closed main entrance suddenly opened.

Two hostesses stepped out and stood before the woman, bowing respectfully as they greeted her.

“Boss!”

“Mm. Do we have guests today?”

“Boss, two guests just arrived—they booked the last reservation for the month.”

“Alright, prepare the Arctic Fresh Banquet. I barely ate at the Zhao house and ended up leaving in a rage…”

“Um, Boss…” the hostess hesitated for a moment, her tone careful. “Those two guests… one of them seems to be the Zhao family head’s youngest daughter.”

As staff at such an exclusive private restaurant, keeping track of guest backgrounds was basically part of their job description.

And considering their boss’s status—on par with the Zhao family—it was no surprise they recognized Zhao Mengmeng immediately.

Upon hearing this, the woman in the white dress narrowed her long, graceful eyes ever so slightly.

The Zhao family head’s youngest daughter?