I'm a Villain! Why Are You Trying to Date Me? - Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Zhao Mengmeng’s Little Seductress Potential! The Trouble Isn’t Resolved—It’s Just Getting Worse?!

In the original novel, although Zhao Mengmeng was still quite young, she had a calm and mature temperament. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have become a key figure in stabilizing Jiang Yifeng’s harem.

A harem full of peerless beauties, each one possessing exceptional talents—how could such a thing be easy to maintain?

Just based on that alone, Zhao Mengmeng fully deserved her title as the fourth female lead!

But right now, as Lin Tian looked at the tearful Zhao Mengmeng before him, he just couldn’t reconcile her with the gentle, serene, and graceful girl described in the novel…

You couldn’t really blame Lin Tian for feeling helpless.

All in all, he had only met Zhao Mengmeng two or three times, and the most “intimate” moment they’d shared was a simple handshake.

And now, here she was, putting on this fragile little-girl act in front of him, pitifully asking, Are you really going to leave me here?

Who wouldn’t be thrown off by that kind of situation?!

Lin Tian let out a quiet sigh. Of course, the girl wasn’t really crying, but the pitiful look she wore was still enough to tug at one’s heartstrings. Even someone like Lin Tian—a transmigrator hardened by strange circumstances—couldn’t help but feel a little soft inside.

“You… what exactly do you want? I need to go get some sleep!”

Zhao Mengmeng pouted, her large eyes blinking, as if they were brimming with tears, ready to fall at any moment. Lin Tian had no idea how this little girl managed to control her expressions so precisely…

She spoke in a small voice, soft and delicate, and yet, if you listened carefully, you could catch a trace of innocence and sincerity in her tone.

“I’m scared… Lin Tian, can you stay with me for a bit?”

Of course, Zhao Mengmeng was acting. But she had been doing this ever since she became aware of the world. After more than ten years of playing the part, it had become second nature to her—almost like it was a talent she was born with.

Her voice, at first listen, was reminiscent of a cutesy, high-pitched tone, but it was indeed her natural voice. It didn’t feel forced or fake in the slightest—clear, pure, and surprisingly pleasant.

Even Lin Tian, who normally had zero tolerance for that kind of tone, found himself unbothered by it when it came from Zhao Mengmeng.

What puzzled him was—why did this girl trust him so easily?

This was the Zhao family, her home for more than a decade. What on earth was there to be afraid of here?

Given the current situation—shouldn’t she be the one afraid of him?

A man and a woman, alone, in a deserted place…

And yet, faced with such a cute, gentle girl looking at him with pitiful eyes, how could Lin Tian possibly feel nothing at all?

But still—the same thought repeated in his mind: he wanted to stay alive.

Even though the plot had clearly started to change, Zhao Mengmeng was still one of the main female leads.

And everyone knew, any non-protagonist who got involved with a female lead… usually ended up dying horribly.

Lin Tian already had no clue how to deal with the “villain halo” hanging over his head. Add in the walking landmine that was Shang Chan, and now Zhao Mengmeng too? He really couldn’t afford the chaos.

He let out another sigh, shook his head, and spoke with a deliberately indifferent tone.

“Second Miss, don’t mess around. If you don’t go back soon, the family head’s probably going to start worrying.”

Zhao Mengmeng stared at Lin Tian’s indifferent expression, her pearly teeth gently biting her lower lip—then, a single teardrop rolled down her cheek.

When it came to acting, Zhao Mengmeng never claimed to be second best—because no one in the Zhao family dared claim first.

The tear slid down her delicate face, and under the dim lighting, Lin Tian suddenly felt as if he had really wronged her.

What the hell!

Lin Tian was completely defeated. He couldn’t stand seeing women cry—even knowing well this little girl was probably putting on a show, he still couldn’t bring himself to keep playing it cold.

“Y-You—don’t cry, alright? Just—what’s wrong with you, seriously?”

“I’m scared!”

“Scared of what?”

“I…”

Zhao Mengmeng suddenly froze, completely forgetting to keep up the act.

What was she afraid of?

The excuse she’d just made up about ghosts? The quiet darkness of the late night?

In that moment, she asked herself in earnest—and maybe, just maybe, that teardrop from a few seconds ago hadn’t been acting after all…

After hearing Lin Tian’s inner thoughts, Zhao Mengmeng already knew—he didn’t dislike her.

But even so, on some subconscious level, she still couldn’t stand seeing Lin Tian treat her with such cold indifference, even if she knew it was intentional.

That teardrop she shed… even Zhao Mengmeng had assumed it was part of the act—just something to tease Lin Tian, or to play the pitiful girl so he’d stay with her a bit longer.

But now, reflecting on it, Zhao Mengmeng suddenly realized—maybe that tear wasn’t acting at all. Maybe it had fallen because of Lin Tian’s indifference.

…

Her expression froze, and before she even realized it, another tear quietly slid down her cheek.

She’d grown up in a strict and deep-rooted household, and no one understood the importance of emotional restraint better than Zhao Mengmeng. If you looked back ten years, you could count on one hand the number of times she’d truly opened her heart.

Years of wearing masks—though long turned into habit—had left behind an invisible weight on her chest.

And Lin Tian’s voice, his inner thoughts, had struck like a blade of truth. A sword that cut through her masks, through time and space, and split open the walls of her carefully maintained facade—Releasing the girl within.

Faced with the quietly weeping girl before him, her lashes trembling with each tear, Lin Tian was completely dumbfounded.

He couldn’t help but think, What is it with you sisters?

He remembered how Shang Chan once cried at the dinner table—just from drinking a little wine. Tears streamed down her delicate face like a weeping blossom in the rain, and even now, the memory stirred in him a natural urge to protect her.

And now, he hadn’t even done anything—yet Zhao Mengmeng’s tears were falling like they cost nothing, one after another…

What he didn’t know was that his thoughts—his observations as a time traveler, a bystander—his musings about these two sisters had landed squarely on target, hitting straight at the depths of their hearts.

People are complicated… and at the same time, they’re simple.

Sometimes, a single moment, a small gesture, or a stray thought was enough to spark feelings for someone—without any real reason.

That’s how it was with Shang Chan.

And that’s how it was with Zhao Mengmeng.

The difference, however, was that Zhao Mengmeng had spent over a decade growing up in a guarded mansion. On the surface, she appeared cunning, her acting impeccable—but deep down, her heart was even more fragile than Shang Chan’s.

Maybe it was the classic case of extremes reversing—Zhao Mengmeng had worn her mask so flawlessly for so long, that once Lin Tian pierced through her defenses, she fell even deeper into the feelings she tried so hard to hide.

It was like someone who always pretended to be fine, no matter the injustice they suffered—once someone offered them even a shred of genuine comfort, even the strongest would break down in tears.

Disguises, strength, all of it—just armor on the outside. It could block out harm, silence gossip, fend off schemes… but it couldn’t stop sincerity or true empathy.

……

“Alright, alright, stop crying already! I… I’ll just sit here with you for a while, okay?”

Lin Tian fumbled around and pulled out a pack of tissues, handing them over awkwardly. Zhao Mengmeng accepted them without a word, still quietly shedding tears.

Helpless, Lin Tian could only give in.

And the moment she heard him agree, her expression lit up like sunshine breaking through clouds—and that alone made Lin Tian sigh deeply inside.

This is karma, I swear…

He’d only ever wanted to stay as far away as possible from all this main-character drama.

But looking back at the past day or two, Lin Tian honestly couldn’t figure out where it all went wrong.

He had already decided to resign, but Shang Chan simply refused to let him go.

He tried to avoid her, but Shang Chan went as far as chasing him to his home.

He only meant to be polite, yet somehow Shang Chan ended up getting drunk and sleeping at his place.

Then came the inexplicable visit to the Zhao family estate, his ties with Shang Chan growing deeper and messier by the minute…

And now, before he even had the chance to untangle the mess with Shang Chan, Zhao Mengmeng suddenly popped up—tears streaming down her cheeks like a weeping flower, looking heartbreakingly pitiful.

This girl’s supposed to be the gentle and graceful one, right? The soft-spoken, composed girl who would one day manage Jiang Yifeng’s chaotic harem with grace and never step out of line?

Now here she was, tear-streaked, begging him to stay with her, acting all pitiful—where was the gentle grace in this?

If anything, she was just another little enchantress—just like her sister!

No—Zhao Mengmeng might even be more exhausting than Shang Chan.

Faced with her, Lin Tian couldn’t help but feel helpless, like he had strength but nowhere to use it. A supposedly pure, innocent girl had just cried her eyes out in front of him—could he really just walk away and leave her like that?

Lin Tian let out a heavy sigh in silence—only to watch in shock as Zhao Mengmeng suddenly pulled out a tissue, swiftly wiped away her tears, and within seconds, transformed right back into a lively, spirited young girl!

“You said it, no take-backs… Heehee~ then will you come down the mountain and hang out with me?”

Seeing her switch expressions three times in the span of barely a minute, Lin Tian’s mouth twitched violently.

The old saying really didn’t lie—a woman’s face changes faster than the speed of light…

But wait a minute—when did he ever agree to go down the mountain with her?

Never mind what might happen if Shang Chan found out—just Zhao Dongyun alone would be enough of a problem! If that protective father discovered his precious daughter had snuck off the mountain to play with Lin Tian, wouldn’t he go berserk and hunt him down?!

Lin Tian was just about to refuse, when he saw tears welling up in Zhao Mengmeng’s eyes again—his scalp instantly went numb.

“Y-You… don’t cry! Please don’t cry!”

Lin Tian rubbed his temples, feeling utterly defeated.

This little enchantress is way too much trouble…!