The two of them stared at each other in silence for a moment, until Jiang Jiang let out another yawn, finally pulling Ji Xu'an's drifting thoughts back.
"I understand. I'll have someone handle this matter," Ji Xu'an said. Looking at the undisguised drowsiness on Jiang Jiang's face, the corner of her lips seemed to lift slightly.
"If you run into Zheng Zhouzhou again in the future, you don't need to be too polite to her."
Jiang Jiang hesitated. "She is, after all, Xiaoyuan's friend."
"Friend?" Ji Xu'an was unconcerned. "She's nothing more than someone who keeps Little Yuan entertained."
If Zheng Zhouzhou truly regarded Ji Heyuan as a friend, Ji Xu'an would not have looked down on her so much.
What she targeted was not Zheng Zhouzhou's identity as a celebrity, but the fact that from beginning to end, Zheng Zhouzhou had only ever treated Ji Heyuan as a ladder to climb upward.
The reason Ji Xu'an kept this person around was, first, that she did not want to argue with Ji Heyuan, and second, that she also wanted to temper Ji Heyuan a little.
Little Yuan had been spoiled by her and Grandma. On the surface, she appeared arrogant and willful, but in truth, innocence still occupied the greater part of her nature.
She trusted others too easily and had soft ears. As long as someone told her a few half-true "heartfelt" words, Ji Heyuan would immediately treat that person as a confidante.
Zheng Zhouzhou could be considered the whetstone Ji Xu'an left for Ji Heyuan.
Ji Xu'an was confident she could suppress Zheng Zhouzhou, so she allowed her to continue approaching Ji Heyuan.
Jiang Jiang could guess Ji Xu'an's thoughts. She knew Ji Xu'an might not act against Zheng Zhouzhou immediately, but likewise, Ji Xu'an would never allow matters to slip beyond her control.
In front of Ji Xu'an, Zheng Zhouzhou was destined to be transparent.
Ji Xu'an had probably always believed she understood Zheng Zhouzhou well enough. Yet now Jiang Jiang was telling her that Zheng Zhouzhou seemed to be hiding a small secret Ji Xu'an did not know about. Even if not for Jiang Jiang's sake, Ji Xu'an would certainly investigate Zheng Zhouzhou carefully.
So Jiang Jiang was not worried that Ji Xu'an's earlier words had merely been perfunctory.
"I'll listen to you, Sister. I won't pay attention to her anymore," Jiang Jiang said obediently.
She folded her hands together and pressed half her face against her forearm. The soft flesh of her cheek was squeezed slightly upward, the childish softness rushing forward so strongly that it made it difficult for Ji Xu'an to raise any guard against her.
"If you're sleepy, go to bed," Ji Xu'an said. "I'll clean up the dishes later."
Jiang Jiang had already said everything she wanted to say, and she was indeed so sleepy that she could barely keep her eyes open. Hearing that, she did not stand on ceremony with Ji Xu'an.
"Sister, then I'll go back to my room first. You should rest early too."
As she spoke, Jiang Jiang slowly stood up. She unconsciously rubbed her eyes, and when she lowered her arm, even the corners of her eyes had turned red from rubbing.
Her pitiful appearance made Ji Xu'an feel a little amused. Combined with Jiang Jiang's completely unreserved attitude, it made Ji Xu'an relax even more.
This was exactly the kind of intimacy she enjoyed—like family. If Jiang Jiang were polite and courteous in everything, Ji Xu'an would instead find it dull.
"Go to sleep. Good night."
Jiang Jiang made a soft sound. "Good night, Sister."
She lifted her foot and walked toward her room, leaving Ji Xu'an behind. When she closed the door with a backward motion of her hand, her eyes were already clear, not a trace of sleepiness remaining.
—
When Jiang Jiang woke up the next morning, Ji Xu'an had already left, but on the dining table she found the breakfast Ji Xu'an had left for her.
She reached out and touched it—it was still warm.
Because her class time in the morning overlapped with the time Grandma Ji usually woke up, Jiang Jiang did not go to the nursing home that morning but went directly to school.
The previous two days had been registration days. Today should count as the first day for new students. The classes and counselors had not yet been assigned, so for now temporary counselors were responsible for guiding them to understand the school and their major.
Although formal classes had not begun, Jiang Jiang still found everything novel.
In Great Zhao, women had no qualification to attend academies. But in wealthy families, female tutors were often invited to teach at home. Even so, at most it would be a few noble girls listening together to a teacher's lecture.
A situation like this—hundreds of students, regardless of gender, listening together—had never existed.
However, this was Jiang Jiang's misunderstanding. In reality, a single class did not have so many students. Because classes had not yet been divided, the teachers had gathered all photography majors together today to hold a small meeting.
For this meeting, they had even specially applied for the use of one of the school's small auditoriums.
The auditorium was above the cafeteria. All students first had to gather in the square outside the cafeteria. Since everyone was not yet familiar with one another, they basically formed small groups by dormitory.
But Jiang Jiang did not live on campus and had no familiar roommates. She did not know anyone else, so she could only stand alone to the side, carefully observing every person around her.
Fortunately, this was exactly what Jiang Jiang wanted, so she did not feel disappointed.
It was not that no one wanted to talk to her. Her appearance and temperament were striking within the crowd. But precisely because she was too dazzling, people felt intimidated, subconsciously assuming she was not easy to approach.
Everyone only dared to sneak glances at her out of the corners of their eyes. Not a single person dared step forward to speak to her.
It was at this moment that Ji Heyuan squeezed her way over.
In truth, she had noticed Jiang Jiang from the beginning. Ji Heyuan had originally not planned to appear too close to Jiang Jiang at school. She was afraid that people would tie the two of them together and make them a topic of gossip.
But she truly could not stand Jiang Jiang looking so pitiful—like she had been isolated by everyone else, as though all the liveliness and laughter belonged to others, and Jiang Jiang had nothing.
"Why are you standing here foolishly? I'm such a big person standing over there—didn't you see me?"
Because of Ji Heyuan's action, the surrounding gazes finally became more direct. No longer just furtive side glances, but open staring.
Jiang Jiang gripped her backpack straps. "Sorry, little Yuan. I'm a little nervous."
Ji Heyuan clicked her tongue and grabbed Jiang Jiang's wrist. "Come with me."
Today Jiang Jiang was carrying the rabbit backpack Ji Xu'an had bought for her. The snow-white rabbit head had two large ears that swayed behind her as she walked.
Ji Heyuan glanced back and saw this scene, and the corner of her mouth twitched. What kind of strange hobby did her sister have, always liking to dress Jiang Jiang up all cute?
Fortunately, Jiang Jiang's face was youthful. The outfit did not look out of place on her at all.
Ji Heyuan was socially bold and, unlike Jiang Jiang, ignorant of everything. As early as a week ago, she had joined S University's freshman group chat and had been thriving in it, making a bunch of friends even before school started.
Among these friends, seven or eight were photography majors. The three she was closest to had even formed a small group chat together.
Seeing Ji Heyuan bring back a new face, the other three looked at Jiang Jiang curiously. "Ji Heyuan, is this your friend too?"
"She's really beautiful! Her skin is so good!"
Young girls' compliments were always straightforward and enthusiastic, without concealing their envy. A blush drifted across Jiang Jiang's cheeks, and she cast a pleading glance at Ji Heyuan.
Ji Heyuan pushed her lightly on the back. "Why are you being shy? We're not going to eat you."
Though her words were sharp, Ji Heyuan still helped her out. "Her name is Xie Xiao. You can also call her Jiang Jiang. Um… she's the child of a relative from my family. So she counts as… my younger sister."
When she said the last sentence, Ji Heyuan's voice was especially soft. Even so, Jiang Jiang heard it clearly.
"Younger sister?" she said in surprise. "Little Yan, I'm clearly—"
"Alright, alright!" Ji Heyuan interrupted loudly, afraid that if she was any slower she would hear Jiang Jiang say the word "sister-in-law."
"You tell me—am I a few days older than you or not?"
Jiang Jiang nodded honestly. "You are."
Ji Heyuan let out a breath, both lacking justification and yet confident. "Then what's wrong with you calling me Sister?"
Jiang Jiang gave her a meaningful look but did not expose her.
With Ji Heyuan's help, Jiang Jiang quickly became familiar with the other three. The round-faced girl was Fu Xihe, and the other two were Xu Zhen and Yan Ke.
All three had very enthusiastic personalities. At first, seeing Jiang Jiang speak little, they thought she disliked socializing. Later they realized she was simply shy.
Because Jiang Jiang looked obedient and blushed easily, and because of Ji Heyuan's introduction of her as a younger sister, the three did not guard against her at all. Unintentionally, they were led by Jiang Jiang into revealing things.
Through the brief conversation, Jiang Jiang roughly understood their family backgrounds.
Xu Zhen and Yan Ke clearly came from simple family structures and were much doted upon at home. The dependence and intimacy toward their families were evident in their speech.
As for Fu Xihe, she seemed to have some unspoken difficulty. When family was mentioned, her expression had briefly turned unnatural and dim.
Jiang Jiang did not ask more and quickly moved past the topic.
—
After everyone had arrived, the teachers led them toward the small auditorium.
Jiang Jiang spotted a familiar figure in the crowd.
Wen Xueyun stood at the auditorium entrance, speaking softly with another teacher. When she saw Jiang Jiang and Ji Heyuan walking side by side, her gaze seemed somewhat complicated, but she quickly suppressed it.
"Little Yuan, Jiang Jiang." Wen Xueyun took the initiative to greet them. "First day of school—are you nervous?"
Ji Heyuan grinned. "I'm definitely not nervous. But certain people might be."
Jiang Jiang did not lower her head, but her long lashes drooped halfway, intentionally or unintentionally avoiding Wen Xueyun's gaze.
Wen Xueyun smiled. "Jiang Jiang is a bit introverted and slow to warm up. But don't be afraid. Everyone is friendly. If you have questions, find a teacher."
She paused, then said softly, "If you're willing, you can come find me too."
Only then did Jiang Jiang raise her eyes and smile at Wen Xueyun. "Thank you, Teacher Wen. I understand."
Ji Heyuan tugged at Jiang Jiang's sleeve. "Let's go."
She waved at Wen Xueyun. "Sister Xueyun, we'll go sit down first."
"Mm, go ahead." Wen Xueyun watched them leave with a smile.
A friendly teacher beside her asked, "Is that the younger sister of the person you have a crush on?"
Wen Xueyun tightened her fingers slowly into a fist. "Mm."
"Why are there two of them? Who's the other one?"
Wen Xueyun was silent for a long while before answering softly, "She's also her younger sister."
Only, the meanings of the two "younger sisters" were entirely different.
—
Every part of the meeting was fresh to Jiang Jiang. Beside her, Ji Heyuan occasionally got distracted and glanced at her phone, but Jiang Jiang sat straight from beginning to end, her eyes never leaving the stage.
Ji Heyuan mocked her for sitting like a primary school student. Jiang Jiang did not get angry and continued listening attentively. Even when Wen Xueyun went on stage, she did not shift her gaze.
Watching her like this, Ji Heyuan suddenly found it rather amusing. She secretly took a photo of Jiang Jiang's profile and sent it to Ji Xu'an.
[Ji Heyuan: Look! Primary school student Jiang Jiang.]
A moment later, Ji Xu'an replied.
[Ji Xu'an: Listen carefully to the teacher.]
Ji Heyuan curled her lips. In the past, she would have thought her sister was being boring again. But today, perhaps influenced by Jiang Jiang's attitude, she put away her little distractions and began listening seriously.
Even so, she could not help sighing inwardly—Jiang Jiang and her sister truly were a match made in heaven!
The atmosphere at the venue was not serious. After each teacher finished speaking, students were given the chance to ask questions.
When it was Wen Xueyun's turn, perhaps because she was too young and very beautiful, the students could not resist asking a classic question.
"Teacher Wen, do you have a partner?"
Wen Xueyun's expression stiffened slightly. Her gaze subconsciously searched for Jiang Jiang in the crowd. At the moment their eyes met, Wen Xueyun tugged at her lips. "Not yet."
The students' teasing grew louder. "Teacher Wen, then do you have someone you like?"
Wen Xueyun did not answer directly. "That's a personal matter. Let's not take up today's time with it. Please ask something related to the major."
Although she was unwilling to answer, and everyone wanted gossip, no one pressed further. But Jiang Jiang still heard Fu Xihe, sitting beside Ji Heyuan, whisper softly, "Teacher Wen probably doesn't lack suitors, right?"
"If she doesn't have a partner, it's probably just because she hasn't met someone she especially likes yet."
She seemed to sincerely believe that someone as outstanding as Wen Xueyun would not be rejected.
Jiang Jiang's mood was calm. She could sense the awkwardness and discomfort mixed in Wen Xueyun's earlier glance at her, but she had no particular thoughts about it.
As she was thinking, she suddenly felt a strong gaze on her. Turning her head, she saw Ji Heyuan looking at her with a strange expression.
"What's wrong?" Jiang Jiang asked.
Ji Heyuan hesitated, but seeing Jiang Jiang's clueless look, she leaned closer and whispered, "You really don't know that Sister Xueyun likes my sister?"
Jiang Jiang's gaze paused slightly. So Ji Heyuan was not that slow after all.
She feigned surprise. "Really?"
Ji Heyuan nearly poked her forehead. "Isn't it obvious? When she's with my sister, her eyes never leave her."
So when the topic of Wen Xueyun liking someone came up earlier, Ji Heyuan had even felt embarrassed on Jiang Jiang's behalf.
"Why are you so angry?" Jiang Jiang asked in return. "Didn't you say before that Teacher Wen and Sister were well matched?"
Ji Heyuan's eyes immediately became evasive. "You remembered wrong. When did I ever say that?"
At that time, she had only wanted to strike at Jiang Jiang. Casual words—how could they be taken seriously?
Jiang Jiang did not refute her, only asked softly, "Since you think they're well matched, why don't you help bring them together?"
Ji Heyuan answered without thinking, "My sister doesn't like her!"
Jiang Jiang let out a meaningful "Oh." So in Ji Heyuan's view, Ji Xu'an liked her instead?
Otherwise, how could Ji Heyuan accept her so quickly?
Jiang Jiang could not help thinking—she was good at acting, but Ji Xu'an's acting was not bad either. Even her own younger sister had been fooled by her.
When the meeting was almost over, the teacher in charge asked everyone to join the general group for the photography major.
Recently Jiang Jiang had only used WeChat and was unfamiliar with QQ. Her eyes kept drifting toward Ji Heyuan.
After several times, Ji Heyuan noticed. "What are you looking at?"
She guarded her phone vigilantly. "Don't try to spy on my secrets!"
Jiang Jiang's lips twitched. "I'm not very good at using this. I wanted to see how you're doing it."
Ji Heyuan widened her eyes. "You've never used QQ?"
Jiang Jiang shook her head honestly. "No."
Ji Heyuan did not believe her. "Then what did you use to chat before?"
Jiang Jiang thought for a moment. "WeChat?"
Ji Heyuan looked at her speechlessly for a long while. "You really are an antique. We young people all use QQ!"
Jiang Jiang did not object to being called an antique. In a certain sense, Ji Heyuan was stating a fact.
"Can you teach me?" she asked humbly.
Ji Heyuan took her phone and scanned the code to add her to the group, muttering softly, "I don't believe it. Before you had WeChat, did you just not chat at all?"
Jiang Jiang: "I didn't have a phone before."
Ji Heyuan suddenly seemed as if someone had grabbed her by the throat; even the movements of her hands came to an abrupt stop.
Jiang Jiang looked at her in confusion. "Little Yuan?"
Ji Heyuan wiped her face and said in a low voice, "Alright, I get it. Stop talking to me."
She really deserved to die!
Jiang Jiang felt that she was only telling the truth, but she thought that Ji Heyuan was probably pitying her again.
After joining the group, Ji Heyuan conveniently changed her group nickname as well before handing the phone back to Jiang Jiang.
Taking advantage of Jiang Jiang not paying attention, she secretly tapped on Jiang Jiang's profile picture and took a look. This QQ account really had been registered just a few days ago.
Probably… around the time when Xie Xiao had just come to her house.
Ji Heyuan felt like she wanted to say something, yet she didn't know who she could say it to. In the end, she could only go bother Ji Xu'an.
[Ji Heyuan: Sis! Xie Xiao has really had it too hard. Sigh, she didn't even have a phone before!]
[Ji Heyuan: I should treat her better from now on.]
[Ji Heyuan: Bah! No, wait! You should treat her better!]
This time, Ji Xu'an was probably busy. It took her more than twenty minutes to reply.
[Ji Xu'an: If you have nothing to do, read more books.]
Ji Heyuan: …
Damn! How can someone like this even have a wife?!
It's so unreasonable!
Ji Heyuan secretly glanced at Jiang Jiang's profile from the corner of her eye and thought that it was lucky the heavens had arranged this match. If it weren't for an arranged marriage, her sister might really have ended up single for life.
After the meet-and-greet ended, Jiang Jiang didn't leave the school, because there was still the club recruitment fair in the afternoon.
They ate lunch at the cafeteria. Jiang Jiang took her meal card and lined up for food. Ji Heyuan didn't want to eat that, so she went to another line, and Jiang Jiang stood together with Fu Xihe.
Fu Xihe looked at Jiang Jiang's fair, tender face and couldn't resist her curiosity. "Jiang Jiang, do you have a partner?"
Jiang Jiang blinked. Was this some kind of standard opening line everyone used?
In Jiang Jiang's previous understanding, this question was the same as asking "Are you betrothed?" It was usually something only elders would ask. If peers asked it, it often carried the meaning of a confession.
But clearly, for people in this world, this question was nothing unusual at all—just as ordinary as "Have you eaten?" It was simply a casual inquiry, without any deeper meaning.
When Fu Xihe asked this, she hadn't expected a positive answer. She felt that a well-behaved girl like Jiang Jiang would most likely focus entirely on her studies while in school.
She probably wouldn't be in an early relationship, right?
This thought had just flashed through Fu Xihe's mind when she saw Jiang Jiang nod. "I do."
Fu Xihe: "Huh?"
She stared at her blankly. "Y-you're in an early relationship?"
Jiang Jiang pondered the term in her heart. She was already eighteen; that shouldn't count as early, right?
"It was my grandmother who arranged my fiancée for me."
Fu Xihe's expression became even more confused. "A business marriage?"
She could tell that everything Jiang Jiang wore was far from cheap. Besides, Jiang Jiang's overall temperament matched that of someone raised in wealth.
Jiang Jiang shook her head. "No. Her family is very wealthy, but I can't offer her any help."
Fu Xihe instantly made many associations. "Is your fiancée older than you?"
What she had really wanted to say was much older, but she didn't say it out loud.
"Mm." Jiang Jiang nodded.
Ji Xu'an was indeed eight years older than her.
Looking at Jiang Jiang's calm expression, Fu Xihe somehow felt that in those clear black-and-white almond-shaped eyes, she could see forced composure and bitterness.
She wanted to ask, Are you willing?
But she felt that such a question would only be rubbing salt into Jiang Jiang's wounds. It had already been said that it was arranged by her grandmother. Even if Jiang Jiang were unwilling, what could she do?
Fu Xihe didn't continue asking, but the look she gave Jiang Jiang grew even more sympathetic.
Jiang Jiang realized she had misunderstood something, but she didn't explain. Instead, she allowed Fu Xihe to continue misunderstanding.
During lunch, the five of them sat together. Ji Heyuan noticed that Jiang Jiang truly wasn't picky with food. She herself found the cafeteria dishes plain and unremarkable, yet Jiang Jiang ate as if they were delicious.
Perhaps because she looked too thin, the cafeteria lady's hand didn't shake; she gave Jiang Jiang two large scoops. By the time she finished the meal, Jiang Jiang felt a bit uncomfortably full.
"Are you an idiot? If you can't finish it, then don't eat it."
Ji Heyuan truly didn't know what to say.
Jiang Jiang pressed her lips together. "Food shouldn't be wasted."
Ji Heyuan: …
Fine, fine. She just wouldn't open her mouth at all today, okay?
It was like playing Minesweeper—stepping on a mine with every step.
Ji Heyuan felt like bothering Ji Xu'an again.
After eating, they had to return their trays. Just as Jiang Jiang was about to reach the trash bin, her shoulder was suddenly bumped.
"Sorry, sorry! Are you okay?"
It was a very tall boy.
Jiang Jiang stepped back. "I'm fine."
There was obvious amazement in his gaze. Even though Jiang Jiang had said she was fine, he still refused to leave.
"I'm really sorry, classmate. I truly didn't mean to. Um…"
Jiang Jiang frowned slightly. She turned to look for Ji Heyuan and the others, but her eyes inadvertently met someone else's.
Jiang Jiang narrowed her eyes abruptly.
She quickly withdrew her gaze, avoided the tissue the boy handed over, and said coolly, "No need to apologize."
After speaking, she set down her tray and turned to leave.
There were too many people. Ji Heyuan was squeezed to the back. By the time she returned her tray, Jiang Jiang was already near the cafeteria entrance.
"Xie Xiao!" Ji Heyuan quickened her pace. "Why are you walking so fast?"
Jiang Jiang didn't answer. She cast a sideways glance back into the cafeteria. That single look made Ji Heyuan feel a chill run down her spine.
Why did she feel that Xie Xiao's gaze was so frightening—like she had seen an enemy?
Ji Heyuan was stunned for quite a while before snapping back to her senses.
Wait, then the times she'd felt chills down her back recently—could it have been Xie Xiao looking at her like that from behind?!
"Xie Xiao, what are you looking at?" Ji Heyuan rubbed her arms suspiciously.
"Nothing." Jiang Jiang's tone was flat.
She had just seen an "old classmate."
Inside the cafeteria, a boy wearing black-framed glasses, with an honest and simple appearance, was staring fixedly at Jiang Jiang's retreating figure.
Jiang Jiang?
Did she change her name?
He would never forget that face. Wasn't that Xie Xiao?
An orphan whose grandmother had died, a girl no one wanted—now she was wearing brand names, her temperament completely transformed. If that face hadn't stayed the same, he would have thought he had mistaken her for someone else.
Xie Xiao… so she had risen in the world.
"Liang Junsheng, what are you looking at?"
Someone walked over and patted his shoulder. Following his gaze, the person looked outside. People were coming and going; there was nothing special to see.
Liang Junsheng pushed up his glasses and smiled gently. "Nothing. I saw a cat."
"A cat? Where?"
Liang Junsheng sighed. "It's gone."
"You must be hallucinating. Where's the cat? Why didn't I see it?"
Besides, if there really had been a cat, how could no one else have reacted?
Liang Junsheng said firmly, "There was."
A stray cat that had been lucky enough to be adopted. But even if it put on beautiful new clothes, it couldn't change the fact that it had once wandered the streets.
Liang Junsheng didn't mind helping her remember.
—
Ji Heyuan could clearly feel that Jiang Jiang's mood had worsened.
When asked what was wrong, she wouldn't say. But the occasional chill in her gaze made even Ji Heyuan feel alarmed.
After hesitating again and again, Ji Heyuan finally sent her sister a message.
[Ji Heyuan: Xie Xiao seems a bit off. I feel like she's very unhappy.]
This time, Ji Xu'an didn't brush her off.
[Ji Xu'an: What happened?]
Ji Heyuan wanted to tell her too, but the key point was that she didn't know!
[Ji Heyuan: I don't know. We were just eating in the cafeteria. Xie Xiao seemed to see something and suddenly became unhappy. I asked her, but she wouldn't say.]
After a while, Ji Xu'an replied.
[Ji Xu'an: I understand.]
Alright then.
Ji Heyuan was already used to her sister's indifference.
When Ji Xu'an said she understood, it meant she would handle it.
With her sister's care and comfort, Xie Xiao should feel a bit happier, right?
Jiang Jiang didn't notice Ji Heyuan's small actions. Even if she had seen them, she wouldn't have reacted much.
She was still thinking about the person she had just seen.
This person was also an important character in the story. If Zheng Zhouzhou was the mastermind who drove "Xie Xiao" to death, then this person was the accomplice.
His name was Liang Junsheng, "Xie Xiao's" middle school classmate.
On the surface, Liang Junsheng looked decent and respectable. In reality, he was a psychological deviant. Because he had suffered domestic violence from his father since childhood, Liang Junsheng had grown up cold and devoid of sympathy.
As he matured, he transformed from a victim into an abuser.
Liang Junsheng liked to destroy things that were pure and beautiful; it gave him a sense of control over everything.
At first, he only abused small animals. Gradually, he turned his attention to people. He just hadn't found a suitable target—until he encountered "Xie Xiao" again at S University.
The "Xie Xiao" who had undergone a complete transformation after arriving at the Ji family stirred both jealousy and a desire for destruction in Liang Junsheng.
Why was it that they were both pitiful children, yet "Xie Xiao" could receive help from the wealthy and leap into a world he could only look up to?
And what about him? He still had to carefully conceal his past and work hard for a few small bills.
Liang Junsheng wanted to get money from "Xie Xiao," and at the same time trample her under his feet to satisfy his twisted desires.
There were many ways to destroy a person.
Liang Junsheng chose the fastest—and most disgusting—one. He tied "Xie Xiao" up in his rented apartment and took many nude photos of her.
In those deliberately angled photos, "Xie Xiao's" eyes looked dazed, without the slightest sign of being forced.
Taking nude photos wasn't enough. Afraid that "Xie Xiao" wouldn't obey, Liang Junsheng even injected her with drugs to threaten her.
"Xie Xiao" had already been living cautiously at the Ji family's home. Ji Xu'an's cold indifference and Ji Heyuan's apathy made "Xie Xiao" not dare to tell them about this.
Even to Old Madam Ji, who doted on her, "Xie Xiao" couldn't bring herself to speak.
She was afraid that Grandma Ji would truly believe Liang Junsheng's words. If that happened, she would lose the last person who cared about her.
No one knew about "Xie Xiao's" suffering. Yet that wasn't even the most terrifying part.
Just like Jiang Jiang now, "Xie Xiao" didn't have pocket money. Under Liang Junsheng's coercion, "Xie Xiao" braced herself and asked Ji Xu'an for money once. Ji Xu'an gave it, but her impatient attitude made "Xie Xiao" never dare to bother her again.
When she couldn't produce any more money, Liang Junsheng finally realized that although "Xie Xiao" lived in a wealthy household, she didn't actually have a single cent of her own.
What if he couldn't get money?
Liang Junsheng was decisive. He sold the photos and videos he had taken to Zheng Zhouzhou. Not only that, when Zheng Zhouzhou arranged for people to expose "Xie Xiao" for prostitution and drug use, Liang Junsheng even stepped forward as an old classmate to testify.
During the interview, Liang Junsheng wore a white shirt and black-framed glasses. His honest and gentle face was filled with shock.
"Xie Xiao? She lost her parents when she was young and lived with her grandmother. I wonder if her grandmother knows about this."
"I truly feel sorry for her. Even if she envies girls from wealthy families, she shouldn't do such things."
"Why do I feel sorry for her? Because we're both children from poor families. Getting into S University wasn't easy. I don't know why she chose this path. Wouldn't it be better to earn money cleanly with her own hands?"
Once this interview video was released, "Xie Xiao" was drowned in curses. Meanwhile, Liang Junsheng became mildly popular for a time, praised as honest and down-to-earth—a good man.
A good man?
Jiang Jiang sneered inwardly. She would let everyone see just how good Liang Junsheng truly was.
—
Because she had seen something disgusting, Jiang Jiang only strolled around briefly during the afternoon club recruitment.
S University had many types of clubs, but Jiang Jiang didn't understand most of them. She was also worried she wouldn't be able to blend into the atmosphere. If that happened, not only would she fail to learn anything new, she might even bring trouble upon herself.
So she just looked around casually. Seeing nothing she was particularly interested in, she returned directly to the apartment.
It was still early when she got home. Even though she was the only one there, after returning to her room, Jiang Jiang habitually locked the door.
She hadn't planned to contact Xie Xiao today. It was Xie Xiao who took the initiative to find her.
"Jiang Jiang!" Xie Xiao's face was full of excitement. "You're really amazing!"
Jiang Jiang revealed a faint smile, not showing a trace of displeasure in front of her. "Princess Huaining went to see you?"
"Princess Huaining probably thinks I'm easy to control. She didn't even wait five days."
They had only met yesterday, yet today Princess Huaining came to see her again.
But this also proved that Jiang Jiang had been right. Princess Huaining had indeed sent someone to monitor her.
Jiang Jiang felt secretly alarmed. It seemed Princess Huaining was even more formidable than she had imagined. In less than a day, she had already investigated everything clearly.
Suppressing her thoughts, Jiang Jiang asked, "What did Princess Huaining say to you?"
"Just as you predicted." Xie Xiao said, "She really tried to intimidate me. Honestly, facing that cold expression of hers, I was truly scared."
She had felt as though Princess Huaining might draw her sword and grant her a swift death at any moment.
"But in the end, she didn't use torture on me."
Xie Xiao felt that Jiang Jiang was astonishingly perceptive, accurately grasping Princess Huaining's reactions.
"That's good." Jiang Jiang let out a breath. "Next, you can be a bit bolder and visit her from time to time."
"Mm-hmm."
Xie Xie looked at Jiang Jiang with sparkling eyes. "Jiang Jiang, how are things progressing on your side?"
A gentle smile hung on Jiang Jiang's face. "Everything is going smoothly. Don't worry."
She didn't plan to tell Xie Xiao that she was preparing to do something significant.
Xie Xiao didn't suspect anything at all. "You should be careful too. Contact me anytime if something happens."
Warmth filled Jiang Jiang's heart. She said softly, "I know. Don't worry."
"That's good…"
Before Xie Xiao could finish speaking, there was suddenly a knock at the door outside the room. It was very light—just two knocks before stopping.
Immediately after, Ji Xu'an's cool voice came from outside the door.
"Are you in your room?"
"Jiang Jiang?"
Jiang Jiang's expression froze slightly. Since when had Ji Xu'an started calling her Jiang Jiang as well?
She glanced at the time on her phone—4:30 in the afternoon. It wasn't even time for Ji Xu'an to get off work yet.
Why had she come back at this hour?
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