Xie Xiao let out a small sound of surprise. "Did I just hear you say 'yes'?"
Although she and Jiang Jiang had never truly met in person and had only chatted a few times through the mirror, Xie Xiao could still vaguely sense that Jiang Jiang was not someone who liked to voice the frustrations in her heart.
She kept many things silently bottled up inside, always reporting good news and never bad.
Jiang Jiang pressed her lips together. She did not know what was wrong with her today. The words she spoke always went against her true intentions.
But the words had already left her mouth. She could not take them back. She could only nod. "Mm."
Xie Xiao blinked. "Is it convenient for me to know what happened?"
So Jiang Jiang briefly explained Zhou Zisuo's situation. At the end she said, "Although in the original novel Ji Xu'an did not end up with Zhou Zisuo, the current development is already different from the plot. I don't know…"
She did not make the latter part very clear.
Xie Xiao frowned and thought for a while. "Why are you so fixated on this matter?"
Jiang Jiang froze.
Xie Xiao looked at her with confusion written all over her face. "Jiang Jiang, I think you've fallen into a strange dilemma. You're making things difficult for yourself."
Jiang Jiang did not speak. She sat quietly on the small stool in the bathroom. In her almond-shaped eyes as she looked at Xie Xiao, there was obvious doubt.
Xie Xiao explained, "Do you remember what it is that you want?"
Without waiting for Jiang Jiang to answer, she continued, "What you want is to escape the ending that belonged to 'Xie Xiao' in the original novel."
"Isn't the current development exactly what you hoped for?"
"Zheng Zhouzhou was taken away by the state. Most likely, she will never escape their surveillance for the rest of her life. If that's the case, how would she still have a chance to deal with you?"
"Liang Junsheng is already dead. He was just an insignificant minor character to begin with. Probably not many people will even remember him."
"As long as no one harbors crooked intentions like Zheng Zhouzhou did, perhaps you will never hear Liang Junsheng's name again in this lifetime."
"And now you've signed an agreement with Ji Xu'an. She even gave you her mother's keepsake. It's obvious that she truly regards you as her future wife."
"So what exactly are you still worried about?"
Xie Xiao's words were like a heavy hammer smashing into Jiang Jiang's heart, striking her so hard that she could not recover for a long time.
Yes. So what exactly was she worried about?
Jiang Jiang was like a traveler trapped in a maze who had suddenly been shown the direction. In that instant, confusion and immense emptiness engulfed her. She sat there blankly, her brows tightly furrowed.
"What am I… worried about?"
This murmur did not escape Xie Xiao's ears. Xie Xiao moved her lips and looked at Jiang Jiang as if wanting to say something but stopping herself. In truth, she had already guessed why Jiang Jiang was acting abnormally. It was just that she could not say it outright.
From the very beginning, Jiang Jiang had behaved like an outsider. Xie Xiao could often sense that she had never truly accepted Ji Xu'an.
For Jiang Jiang, this had actually been a good thing.
After all, she was unfamiliar with that place and those people. Having more guard up was never wrong.
But now, Xie Xiao could no longer be so certain.
The fact that Jiang Jiang cared about Zhou Zisuo's existence already explained a lot. If she did not care, why would she hold onto it so stubbornly?
Xie Xiao felt she saw it clearly, but Jiang Jiang still seemed unable to understand why.
Seeing her deep in thought, Xie Xiao had no choice but to remind her tactfully, "I'm not speaking on anyone's behalf. But that said, although Ji Xu'an's attitude toward you was indeed cold at the beginning, her behavior afterward has been fairly decent… right?"
Her tone was somewhat uncertain. Only when Jiang Jiang did not refute her did she steady herself. "People's hearts are made of flesh, Jiang Jiang. If someone truly treats you well, how could you possibly not feel it?"
"You repaid the Empress Dowager's kindness by transferring that affection to Old Madam Ji. That shows you are someone who repays kindness."
Xie Xiao cleared her throat, her voice softer. "So what I'm trying to say is, is it possible that during the time you've been getting along with Ji Xu'an, you've actually lowered your guard toward her?"
Jiang Jiang had not interrupted her once. After hearing this, she did not immediately deny it either. Instead, her brows furrowed even more tightly. "Is that so?"
Xie Xiao touched the tip of her nose. "I'm only proposing a possibility. I'm not you. You definitely know best what you're thinking."
Xie Xiao did not know what Jiang Jiang was thinking. After saying that, she did not speak again, giving Jiang Jiang a quiet space to reflect.
After a long time, Xie Xiao saw Jiang Jiang slowly let out a breath. "You're right, Xiao."
"I was the one troubling myself. Many things don't need to be thought about so complicatedly."
Seeing that she finally seemed to understand, Xie Xiao also felt relieved. "It's good that you can figure it out. Many problems aren't such a big deal as long as you take them less seriously."
Jiang Jiang nodded earnestly. "Mm. I understand now."
Xie Xiao grinned. Although Jiang Jiang's expression was no longer as heavy as before, Xie Xiao still felt the atmosphere was somewhat dull, so she could not help joking, "And Zhou Zisuo isn't some major figure worth you being nervous about."
"She barely appeared a few times in the original novel."
Perhaps because she had lived in Dazhao for so long, some of Xie Xiao's ways of thinking had changed. For example, she now said almost instinctively, "Although you and Ji Xu'an haven't officially registered your marriage yet, you've already gained the approval of everyone in the Ji family. You are the prospective young madam of the Ji family."
"Even if Zhou Zisuo really has some ideas, she absolutely cannot surpass you as the legitimate wife. In terms of status, she will always be beneath you. What are you afraid of?"
Of course, Xie Xiao thought to herself, Ji Xu'an did not seem like the kind of person who kept the red flag standing at home while colorful flags fluttered outside.
Hearing this, Jiang Jiang fell into a brief daze. She remembered that she had once thought this way, had even considered taking a concubine for Ji Xu'an. Why, later on, had she instead begun to mind Zhou Zisuo's existence?
That was not right.
Jiang Jiang closed her eyes. Xie Xiao was right. The worst outcome would merely be taking a concubine for Ji Xu'an. Such a matter was nothing to her. As long as her status as the legitimate wife was not threatened, why should she fuss over such trivialities?
Jiang Jiang felt as though a sudden clarity had opened her mind. It was as if she had been trapped in a dead end before and had finally walked out.
Thinking of this, Jiang Jiang sincerely said "thank you" to Xie Xiao.
Xie Xiao felt a strange unease in her heart. She had the vague sense that she might have pointed Jiang Jiang toward an incorrect path. She only hoped it would not affect the development of Jiang Jiang and Ji Xu'an's relationship.
—
On Jiang Jiang's side, after Xie Xiao's consolation, her mood had already improved considerably. In another room, however, Ji Xu'an was still lost in wild thoughts.
Liking someone could make a person insecure about gains and losses. Even Ji Xu'an herself disliked this weak version of herself.
She clearly had better ways to handle this matter, yet she kept hesitating, unwilling to speak up, while expecting Jiang Jiang to take the initiative first.
Ji Xu'an stared blankly at her own palm. In truth, Jiang Jiang had already done very well. She had even told her something as important as transmigration. That at least proved that Jiang Jiang trusted her.
But it was still not enough.
As soon as Ji Xu'an thought about the possibility that Jiang Jiang might leave one day, the panic and fear in her heart were enough to drown her.
She desperately wanted a sense of security from Jiang Jiang, yet what Jiang Jiang gave her instead was even greater unease and tension.
If Jiang Jiang truly had no feelings for her at all, then would that mean that, if there really were a chance to go back again, Jiang Jiang would very likely choose to abandon her without the slightest hesitation?
Her head began to ache again. Ji Xu'an rubbed her temples, and a certain inexplicable voice in her heart was telling her that since she was truly so afraid, why not simply hold Jiang Jiang firmly within the palm of her hand?
But the moment that thought had just appeared in her mind, Ji Xu'an rejected it without the slightest hesitation. She had an intuition that if she did that, then she and Jiang Jiang would truly have no future ever again.
Jiang Jiang was absolutely not the kind of person who would be willing to let herself be manipulated.
Ji Xu'an could not help clenching her palm tightly. Every single thing that had happened recently left her at a complete loss, even more bewildered than when the company had encountered difficulties back then.
Just what should she do in order to keep Jiang Jiang by her side forever?
—
Jiang Jiang chatted with Xie Xiao for nearly an hour. Aside from the somewhat stifling atmosphere at the very beginning, the rest of it was fairly pleasant.
After finishing talking about her own matters, Jiang Jiang then took the opportunity to ask about the progress on Xie Xiao's side.
At the mention of this, Xie Xiao's face immediately flushed red. She avoided Jiang Jiang's gaze and said vaguely, "It's just… like that."
Jiang Jiang understood. "What did Princess Huaining do to you?"
Xie Xiao had not expected her to guess it all at once.
Jiang Jiang only appeared naive and clumsy when it came to her own affairs. Aside from that, her powers of observation were sharp to a degree that even made Xie Xiao feel frightened.
"It's actually nothing…" When Xie Xiao said this, she unconsciously licked her lips.
Jiang Jiang curved her lips slightly. "Alright, I understand."
Xie Xiao reached out and covered the lower half of her face, her voice muffled as she spoke, "Don't tease me…"
"Actually, I didn't want it to be like this either. It's all her fault!"
Xie Xiao explained the entire sequence of events from beginning to end.
Only after hearing everything did Jiang Jiang frown and say, "So you're saying that Princess Huaining was drugged, and at that time it just so happened that only the two of you were present, so in her helplessness she took advantage of you?"
Xie Xiao nodded forcefully and, in an attempt to cover up the truth, emphasized, "If it weren't for the fact that she was also very uncomfortable, I definitely would have slapped her twice!"
The truth was that she had only slapped her once before Princess Huaining grabbed her wrist.
But such an embarrassing matter—Xie Xiao would absolutely never let Jiang Jiang know!
Jiang Jiang reminded her, "Princess Huaining has experienced who knows how many schemes and calculations since childhood. How could she possibly be so easily drugged by someone?"
"You should be more cautious and not so readily believe what she says."
Xie Xiao nodded again. "I know. Don't worry. I won't suffer any losses!"
Jiang Jiang let out a very soft sigh. Xie Xiao looked at Jiang Jiang's face full of concern, and that thought in her heart surfaced once again.
Sure enough, people are confused when they are involved, but clear-sighted when they are bystanders.
Jiang Jiang could calmly and composedly consider Princess Huaining's intentions, yet she was unable to face Ji Xu'an with the same attitude.
Xie Xiao could not help thinking—what about herself?
Was she also being too kind to Princess Huaining?
That detestable bastard—sure enough, she should not have given her even the slightest bit of a pleasant expression!
—
After finishing her shower, it was already almost ten o'clock at night.
Jiang Jiang was sitting in front of the dressing table doing her skincare when the door to the room was suddenly knocked on from outside. She paused for a moment, then set down the face cream in her hand and got up to open the door for Ji Xu'an.
Ji Xu'an had likely also just finished showering not long ago. Her long hair was draped loose, a few strands hanging down over her chest. The thin silk nightgown could not conceal her neck and collarbones; that stretch of skin was so pale it dazzled the eyes.
Jiang Jiang's gaze swept once across the front of Ji Xu'an's body. She noticed that Ji Xu'an had left one button undone today.
In the past, Ji Xu'an would always fasten her buttons properly all the way up below her neck, but now, through the half-open collar, Jiang Jiang could see even more alluring spring scenery.
Was it accidental, or deliberate?
Jiang Jiang did not look any further. She shifted her body to the side to let Ji Xu'an enter. As the door lock clicked shut, a trace of tension also arose in Jiang Jiang's heart.
Ji Xu'an had clearly come prepared. Tonight, perhaps some things would happen that Jiang Jiang had never experienced before.
Waves surged within Jiang Jiang's heart, yet her expression remained perfectly ordinary, as though she had not noticed anything amiss about Ji Xu'an at all.
Ji Xu'an failed to see any of the reaction she had been hoping for on Jiang Jiang's face. She even had a feeling that in Jiang Jiang's eyes, she might be no different from Little Bread.
Someone she could be close to and trust—but beyond that, she could not make her feel any thoughts related to romantic love.
Ji Xu'an felt as though she were some kind of joke.
She walked silently behind Jiang Jiang, watching as the other woman sat back down at the dressing table, not even giving her an extra glance.
The silent atmosphere spread through the room.
Jiang Jiang was still guessing what Ji Xu'an would do in a moment. She did not quite dare to look at Ji Xu'an, afraid that she might reveal her timidity.
Ji Xu'an, however, misunderstood something again.
In fact, before coming here, she had searched online for related topics.
Ji Xu'an knew that she was very bad at handling matters like this, so she wanted to refer to other people's opinions.
Everyone said that the most important thing between lovers was communication; rather than indulging in wild thoughts on one's own, it was better to ask openly and directly.
Ji Xu'an had originally thought the same. Perhaps there were also some misunderstandings between her and Jiang Jiang.
She could not feel Jiang Jiang's concern for her, yet Ji Heyuan and Fu Xiaoyin had both said that Jiang Jiang liked her. Even Grandmother had given her similar hints.
Ji Xu'an thought that perhaps she was overthinking.
Jiang Jiang, after all, had grown up as a noble young lady in a feudal society—how could she casually hang words of love and passion on her lips?
Fu Xiaoyin was right. She felt that Jiang Jiang did not like her, yet she herself had never told Jiang Jiang that she liked her.
She should take the initiative a little more.
Before coming, Ji Xu'an had already made ample psychological preparations.
But when the moment truly arrived, she realized just how difficult it was.
Even a casual glance from Jiang Jiang could make her hesitate and grow uneasy.
After hesitating for half a minute, Ji Xu'an still decided to blow-dry Jiang Jiang's hair first.
Jiang Jiang did not refuse, only that her body was somewhat tense. The sound of the hair dryer was not loud, enough for her to clearly hear Ji Xu'an's voice.
She heard Ji Xu'an ask, "Jiang Jiang, did you come to the study to look for me just now?"
Jiang Jiang attempted to observe Ji Xu'an's expression through the mirror, but Ji Xu'an's eyes were half-lowered, and Jiang Jiang could not clearly see what emotions lay within them.
She gave up, and instead of answering, asked in return, "What do you mean by that, Sister?"
"Are you suspecting me?"
—
T/N: If you're enjoying this translation, feel free to check out my Patreon. If you're unable to support financially, you can still subscribe for free and receive chapters two hours earlier, along with updates and announcements. Paid tiers offer early access and daily chapters.
Thank you so much for reading!
patreon.com/Baenz