The Villain Who Stole Hearts-Chapter 105: Anna’s Misunderstanding — She Took the Bait

Today, Veil seemed like a completely different person. Gone were all his usual flirtatious tricks—no more sly words or ambiguous glances. Instead, he had suddenly become a serious, straightforward man. Without the slightest attempt to sugarcoat it, he said:

"Senior, you really don’t need to be so grateful. Honestly, I only acted so quickly to protect you because I want you to endorse our company’s product."

Anna pouted slightly, clearly displeased. The cold, glamorous aura she usually carried faded away, replaced by a subtle trace of playful pride.

"Junior, don’t tell me you’re still single? Who talks like that? Even if that’s what you’re thinking, you don’t have to say it out loud. Are you saying that no matter what I do, I still can’t compete with a pile of cash?"

Before Veil could respond, Anna narrowed her eyes and studied his awkward expression for a moment. Then, with a soft laugh, she gave his shoulder a light pat.

"Forget it, no need to answer. Judging by how flustered you look, I must’ve overestimated myself. Let’s head back."

Once they got into the luxury van, Veil took the driver’s seat. His hands gripped the steering wheel, but his eyes kept drifting toward Anna, who sat beside him in the passenger seat.

"Uh... Senior, about the endorsement... You still haven’t said if you’re agreeing or not."

Anna crossed her arms and leaned back in the seat, giving a light huff. "That’s right—I haven’t agreed."

She shot him a quick side glance, her tone laced with a hint of mock annoyance. "Now you know how to ask nicely, huh? The way you talked earlier really ticked me off. I’m still mad! There’s no way I’d just say yes that easily. I mean, just because you saved me, I’m supposed to give in? What would that say to the fans who support me?"

She paused, then added, "Let’s take it one step at a time. I’ll check out your company’s production line and try the product when I get a chance. But that’s only if you can manage to make me not mad anymore!"

In front of those thugs, Anna had worn a face of cold resolve, exuding the kind of queenly presence that could make grown men tremble. But in private... whether she always acted like this, or only did so around Veil, was unclear. Still, there was something undeniably playful about her now—a girlish charm that peeked through her proud demeanor. With her arms crossed, she kept stealing glances at him from the corner of her eye. And when their eyes happened to meet, she immediately turned her head away, as if to reinforce just how upset she still was.

"Alright then, grilled fish it is. My treat!"

Veil shifted gears and stepped on the accelerator, the van smoothly gliding back onto the road.

He breathed an inward sigh of relief. Around someone like Anna, if he acted too eager or exposed his true intentions too obviously, he’d only end up pushing her away.

After all, in the glitzy world of showbiz, she was constantly surrounded by people eager to flatter and please her.

If he really wanted to stand out, to leave a lasting impression, he had to do the opposite—take a different approach.

That’s why Veil had positioned himself as a blunt, unromantic kind of guy.

But the more he kept at it, the more his tone began to shift, softening ever so slightly. Someone as sharp and perceptive as Anna surely noticed the change.

And yet, he didn’t make a move. Didn’t confess anything. He just acted, subtly but surely.

What would Anna make of that?

Would her mind start to wander?

Would she begin to feel uncertain, unsure?

Maybe... that was exactly what he was counting on.

After returning to the city, Veil took Anna to a grilled fish restaurant that had been around for over twenty years.

They sat in a corner like a couple of thieves, hiding away to avoid anyone recognizing Anna. The two of them couldn’t even sit separately—they had to stay together the whole time.

Whenever someone passed by, Anna would instinctively pull down the brim of her cap and inch closer to Veil, her head slightly leaning against his shoulder.

To any onlooker, they looked just like a pair of young lovers caught up in the sweetness of a new romance.

You think that was the end of it?

Hell no.

Anna’s popularity wasn’t just for show!

Even after lunch, fully covered and walking down the street, her curvy figure still drew stares from passersby. Some hardcore fans even started to get suspicious just from her silhouette.

"What the fuck, don’t tell me that’s Anna—the queen of the entertainment industry?"

"Are you serious? There’s no way someone like Anna would just randomly appear in Veyport City. She doesn’t even have a concert scheduled here."

"Bro, I think you’ve gone off the deep end fantasizing about Anna too much."

A group of college students stopped in their tracks, whispering and pointing at Anna, who was walking alongside Veil.

One of them, just about to speak, was quickly silenced by his friend who stared with wide eyes. Then, with a firm tone, he said, "No, something’s off. I swear I saw a candid photo of Anna before—she was wearing that exact outfit. The same hat too! I’m telling you, this is way too much of a coincidence. That body... it’s like my Anna was cloned!"

"For real? Now that you mention it... yeah, that’s freakishly similar. No normal girl dresses like that just to go out."

Shit!

Anna’s heart skipped a beat. She never imagined that some fan would recognize her just from her clothes and hat!

Where the hell did they even see that photo? Some tabloid maybe? She didn’t even know that picture existed herself.

This was way too coincidental.

No. She had to get out of here immediately. If her identity was exposed, it would cause a commotion, and she might never get the chance to enjoy local food like this again.

Just as Anna was about to speed up her pace, Veil reached out, pulled her into his arms, and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

He turned to the group of guys by the roadside and said with a bitter smile, "Sorry, my girlfriend’s not very confident about her looks. She’s afraid that if we stand together, people might whisper behind her back. That’s why she’s all covered up. So please, don’t overthink it—otherwise, she’s going to be upset again when we get home."

"We’re so sorry! We didn’t mean anything by it!"

"Yeah, our bad. We had no idea she was your girlfriend!"

"Dude, your girl’s figure is insane. Absolute ten. We seriously thought she was someone else—really sorry, man. We’ll get going."

The guys looked completely embarrassed. Who would’ve thought the woman they were talking about was actually someone else’s girlfriend?

Talk about awkward.

They were gossiping right in front of her boyfriend—if it had been them, they’d be pissed too. After a round of sincere apologies, they quickly shuffled away.

"Hsss..."

As the group disappeared into the distance, Veil couldn’t help but rub his waist and suck in a sharp breath.

"Let’s not even talk about how you made me your girlfriend without asking," Anna said coldly. "But ugly? You used the word ’ugly’ on me? And you said I think I’m not good enough for you? I didn’t realize you were this narcissistic, little junior."

She looked up at him. Even with her full disguise, her bright eyes narrowed slightly in judgment.

Veil quickly tried to explain. "It’s a misunderstanding! We were about to be exposed. I had no choice. And look—it worked, didn’t it?"

"I’d rather be recognized than called ugly!"

What woman doesn’t care about her looks?

And especially someone like Anna—a top-tier star who made her living off her appearance. Her face was her brand. She cared more about it than anyone.

Even if she understood Veil’s reasoning and wasn’t actually mad, she didn’t want to pretend like it didn’t bother her.

"Ugly? I’m ugly? Then I’m leaving."

Triple strike.

She stopped in her tracks, and when Veil didn’t respond immediately, she stomped off in her high heels, putting distance between them.

But she didn’t get far before she realized her mistake.

Still fuming, she’d forgotten to lower her head. Her figure was already eye-catching—tall, curvy, graceful. With her posture and sway, it was enough to draw everyone’s attention.

She immediately lowered her head, trying to avoid the curious stares of approaching pedestrians. But just then, a warm hand wrapped around her shoulder.

No words. No explanation.

Just like that, Veil pulled her close and strode forward, calmly guiding her away from the crowd.

"Holy shit, I thought that was Anna! Turns out she’s taken!"

"What makes you so sure? It really looked like her. What if that guy’s just pretending to be her boyfriend?"

"Dream on. When has Anna ever had a rumored boyfriend? My Anna baby isn’t like those cheap tabloid queens—she doesn’t rely on scandal to stay relevant."

"Take a look, man. That guy’s hand? It’s not just around her waist—it’s practically on her ass. If that’s really Anna, I’ll drink piss upside down."

Someone in the crowd had noticed—Veil’s hand wasn’t exactly behaving.

"Damn, she really looks like her!"

"Even the body matches!"

"Turn off the lights and there’s no difference. It’s like having a top-tier celebrity girlfriend. I’m so jealous!"

While the crowd buzzed with envy, Anna and Veil gradually moved away, deliberately heading for a quieter area. Once they reached a secluded alley, Anna finally pushed him away.

Her voice was tight with anger as she bit out, "You did that on purpose, didn’t you? Hugging wasn’t enough, you had to grope me too?!"

Gone was the coyness. Anna’s beautiful eyes were now filled with restrained fury.

There’s a line between bold and disrespectful, and Veil had just crossed it. Even if his intentions weren’t bad, he’d gone too far—and Anna’s goodwill had taken a major hit.

If he didn’t give her a proper explanation, this might become a rift that couldn’t be smoothed over.

Tch.

Plans never keep up with surprises, do they?

Why did unexpected people always show up to stir the pot?

Veil’s expression suddenly cooled as he looked at an approaching old man with white hair. He didn’t bother to explain himself to Anna. Instead, he deliberately turned the situation into something more ambiguous, shifting the tone entirely.

"I did it. If you’ve got a problem, take it up with me. This woman has nothing to do with you anymore. Can you let her go? She doesn’t deserve to be caught up in this. You’re a powerful man—I might not even be a match for you. I’m sure someone like you wouldn’t lower yourself to settle scores with a weak woman."