Deliberate Possession [Entertainment Industry] - Chapter 112.2

Chapter 112.2: Wanting a Wife

Jing Xiaoyan: “Comfortable.”

Jing Xiaoyan: “We are not overly affectionate, we just have a good relationship.”

Jing Xiaoyan: “This photo is well-taken. I’ll reluctantly save it and use it for my social media later.”

Chu Qianyuan turned her head and glared at Jing Xiaoyan, who made it sound like her relationship with Mumu wasn’t good.

Jing Xiaoyan looked back at her, raising an eye in provocation.

Jiang Yumian, holding the water bottle, was speechless. Jing Xiaoyan hadn’t even noticed the water she offered. She sighed, reached over directly, and pressed the bottle opening to Jing Xiaoyan’s mouth, feeding her.

This simple action, seen by Chu Qianyuan who was competing with Jing Xiaoyan, now felt even more like a provocation.

Chu Qianyuan rolled her eyes, turned around, and ignored them.

Seeing Chu Qianyuan getting the short end of the stick, Jing Xiaoyan laughed while drinking.

Jiang Yumian didn’t notice any of that. She just thought Jing Xiaoyan’s laugh was silly. Fearing she might spill water on herself, she quickly put the water bottle down and stopped feeding her.

“Put the cap on.”

Jing Xiaoyan took the cap and screwed it onto the water bottle with Jiang Yumian’s hand.

Jiang Yumian put the water bottle away and rested her head on Jing Xiaoyan’s shoulder. She was a bit hungry.

She hadn’t eaten lunch yet. She wondered why Lu Zhi was so cruel, not even letting everyone eat before rushing them to the next location.

When they arrived at their destination, everyone looked at the ancient city gate. Jiang Yumian was familiar with this place. She had filmed a movie here, and there was an ancient street inside.

The staff member waited for them to compose themselves before introducing the afternoon task. “Everyone must be hungry now. There is an inn at the north of the city. The proprietress’s surname is Lu, and her daughter has been missing for three days. There is also a wonton shop at the south of the city. The owner’s surname is Zhang, and he is currently troubled by something and is worried. If you want to eat, you’ll have to figure it out yourself. That’s all the information we have. The two teams can split up and proceed.”

Jiang Yumian leaned against Jing Xiaoyan, letting out a long sigh of despair. Why was getting a meal so complicated…

She quietly leaned toward Jing Xiaoyan’s ear. “Let’s go to the north of the city. I think I know where that inn is. Let Mumu and the others go find the wonton shop.”

She had filmed a scene at the inn when she was here before.

Su Mumu, who was nearby, glanced at her. “You can speak a little louder, actually.”

Jiang Yumian blinked. So everyone heard…

She straightened up from leaning on Jing Xiaoyan, awkwardly coughed, and pretended to be serious. “I’ll announce it first. Our team is going to the inn.”

Since no one was competing with her, Luo Cheng shook her head and sighed, then turned to look at her teammates. “Then we’ll go to the wonton shop.”

With that, the two teams split up, heading north and south.

Jiang Yumian led her team to find Proprietress Lu’s inn first. The inn had many customers, and the proprietress was sitting at the entrance sighing. As Jiang Yumian and the others were about to enter, the proprietress stopped them.

“Ay! Customers, have you seen my daughter? My daughter has a mole on her chin. She’s thin and small, and she has a red heart-shaped birthmark on her palm. She’s easy to recognize.”

The proprietress’s face was numb, and her eyes were dull. Usually, she would be asking customers what they wanted to eat. Given the current situation, she didn’t know how many customers she had asked this.

Jiang Yumian couldn’t help but marvel internally. The NPC actor Lu Zhi found had excellent acting skills.

Jing Xiaoyan scanned the customers peering out of the inn. After a few moments of thought, she spoke, “Proprietress, we are strangers who have come to stay with relatives. We haven’t seen your daughter.”

Hearing this, the proprietress’s eyes dimmed even more.

Jing Xiaoyan continued, “How many days has your daughter been missing? Haven’t you reported it to the authorities?”

The proprietress closed her eyes. “She went missing three days ago. I reported it. The officials are helping to look for her.”

She sighed again, her voice choking with suppressed tears. “If it weren’t for the two young children I still have to care for at home, and my father-in-law being bedridden, I would go look for Xiaoya myself.”

Seeing the proprietress wipe away tears, Jing Xiaoyan exchanged glances with the others. Jiang Yumian pursed her lips. “Proprietress, can you tell us in detail if anything important happened before your daughter went missing? Children went missing in our city before, and we specialize in helping people find children. We have some experience and might be able to help you.”

Lin Xi secretly gave Jiang Yumian a thumbs-up from behind. This girl is quick to make things up.

The proprietress quickly wiped away her tears. “That day, that day Xiaoya and I had an argument here. She’s of age, and it’s time for her to marry someone. We had already chosen the son of the Liu family. That young man passed the scholar’s examination last year and is a good match. We were close to settling the marriage, but there was a handyman in the shop who always liked my daughter. He ran into her room on the night we were settling the marriage. Luckily, my daughter was sleeping with me that night, but a strange man entered a maiden’s room, which will inevitably affect her reputation. The Liu family heard the rumors and was unhappy. I was planning to take my daughter to apologize, but she refused.”

Lin Xi, listening with her arms crossed, frowned and said, “That’s where you are wrong. Why should the victim go and apologize? Your daughter is the one who has been wronged the most.”

The proprietress’s expression froze. She remained silent for a long time.

A customer who had finished eating and watched the excitement came out, chiming in. “Aunt Lu, why did my wife tell me a different story? She said your Xiaoya was defiled by that crippled handyman. You see how the rumors spread. Xiaoya’s reputation is ruined.”

The proprietress immediately retorted loudly, “Nonsense! Xiaoya slept with me!”

A few guests inside heard the commotion and also came over.

“I was eating here that day. Aunt Lu and Xiaoya had an argument about the handyman or something. Everyone only heard bits and pieces, and the story gradually became distorted.”

“Yeah, I even heard that Xiaoya and the handyman were secretly in love and wanted to elope.”

“No, that’s not right. I heard that the handyman was often in the room with Xiaoya…”

“Aiyo, hearing it now, it seems these are all rumors. Aunt Lu, you’re too busy. You don’t even know that Xiaoya’s incident has spread all over the city. We are also long-time customers and were mindful of your feelings, so we didn’t dare to ask. Now, that girl Xiaoya’s reputation in the city is completely ruined.”

Jiang Yumian listened and realized. Why was this so similar to her own situation?

Could it be that Lu Zhi and the planner temporarily changed the script?

Jing Xiaoyan also figured it out. Lu Zhi was a good person. After this episode aired, combined with Jiang Yumian’s incident, the team could operate to make everyone associate the two incidents.

It was a good opportunity to warn everyone about the harm caused by rumors when facts were constantly distorted.

Jing Xiaoyan regained her focus, looking at the proprietress whose face was red with anger. Not giving her time to grieve or be angry, Jing Xiaoyan continued, “Proprietress, did the officials from the yamen find any clues about Xiaoya?”

The customer who hadn’t left quickly chimed in again, sarcastically whispering, “Aiyo, clues? They are just here to freeload on food and drinks!”

“Exactly! We don’t know if they’re looking for anyone, but they’ve been freeloading on meals for a few days now. Only Aunt Lu is too kind to care and keeps feeding them.”

Xie Yunhuan quickly seized the opportunity, scratching his head sheepishly. “Aiya, Aunt Lu, look here. We’ll go look for Xiaoya for you. If we find her, can we get a meal here? Actually, our travel money is almost gone from the journey.”

His voice got progressively softer and more embarrassed, but he quickly raised his tone, full of confidence. “But we can find Xiaoya for you first! Would you be willing to give us a meal?”

Lin Xi gave Xie Yunhuan another thumbs-up. He was catching on.

The proprietress naturally agreed right away and kept thanking them.

After everything was settled, Lin Xi couldn’t hold back before leaving. She said to the proprietress, “Aunt Lu, before I leave, I have to say one thing. Xiaoya is the biggest victim. The daughter you gave birth to and raised is your own daughter, not someone else’s future daughter-in-law. If the other party dislikes Xiaoya because of such unsubstantiated rumors, she won’t have a good life after marrying in.”

She actually wanted to say that it would be best to let Xiaoya decide whether to marry or not, but it was useless for her to say it. It was all acting, just a variety show. And even if it wasn’t acting, in ancient times, the parents’ words and the matchmaker’s words were law. No matter how much reason she had, it would be useless, not to mention that even now, many people are forced into blind dates.

Jing Xiaoyan saw that Lin Xi was genuinely emotional. She sighed, reached out, and pulled Lin Xi along. “That’s enough. Don’t think about it anymore. Let’s think about how to complete the mission and earn a meal.”

Pondering Lin Xi’s words, Jiang Yumian also sighed. “Actually, to put it harshly, many families now don’t seem to be raising their own daughters; it’s more like they are cultivating a good daughter-in-law for someone else’s family.”

“Many girls must have heard things like, ‘Who would marry you if you can’t cook?’ or ‘If you don’t get up at this hour, your mother-in-law will scold you to death,’ as if they were born to serve their in-laws.”

Lin Xi nodded fiercely. “This mindset is truly terrifying, and most of the time, it’s the mother who says it. What’s even more terrifying is that they were also indoctrinated with this mindset by their own mothers since childhood.”

Jiang Yumian shrugged and smiled. “I just realized this from filming too many urban family dramas. However, my Ms. Jiang has always spoiled me like a treasure.”

Jing Xiaoyan heard Jiang Yumian suddenly change the topic and couldn’t help but smile at her. She knew Jiang Yumian didn’t want to continue this unpleasant and somewhat powerless topic.

She looked up at the sky. It was gloomy. She gently squeezed Jiang Yumian’s palm. “It’s going to rain. We should hurry up and look for clues. We can talk about these principles later.”

Lin Xi quickly put the previous matter aside. She believed that every episode the director filmed for the variety show had a purpose.

She returned to her carefree state, smiling and looking around, very curious about the ancient street. The heavy atmosphere quickly dissipated.

They followed the direction the proprietress said Xiaoya ran off, asking and searching along the way, and finally found a very useful clue.

A woodcutter said he saw a young girl jump into the river, but she was rescued by a poison doctor and taken away to the largest medical hall in the city.

He didn’t know the young girl, but everyone in the city knew the famous poison doctor, who wore a half-mask on their face and was easy to recognize.

They indeed found Xiaoya at the largest medical hall in the city. However, the young girl was heavily traumatized and afraid to see people. Jiang Yumian asked Xie Yunhuan to find the proprietress, while they looked for other clues there.

Jing Xiaoyan found a handwritten note written by the poison doctor.

Jiang Yumian and Lin Xi leaned in to read it together.

Jiang Yumian couldn’t help but shiver. “She wants to refine the princess into an antidote-resistant human medicine ingredient!? A human medicine ingredient? Isn’t this a poison ingredient?”

She quietly grumbled, “She even needs to use venomous centipedes and snakes to administer the poison. Why doesn’t she just use her own malicious heart?”

Lin Xi: “Why are you so excited? Are you really the princess?”

Jing Xiaoyan also looked at Jiang Yumian.

Jiang Yumian shrugged nonchalantly. “No, I’m the princess’s lover. You can treat me as the princess if you want.”

It’s a game. Who can’t pretend?

However, her words might fool Lin Xi, but they couldn’t fool Jing Xiaoyan. Jing Xiaoyan knew that Jiang Yumian’s CP was with Chu Qianyuan’s female general.

After Lin Xi went to look for other clues, Jing Xiaoyan leaned next to Jiang Yumian. “Princess?”

Jiang Yumian cleared her throat and spoke nonsense. “No, I’m the greatest swordsman in the martial arts world.”

Jing Xiaoyan held back a laugh, letting out an “Mhm,” and played along with her nonsense. “Right, right, you’re the greatest in the martial arts world, then I’m the princess.”

Jiang Yumian turned to look at her.

Jing Xiaoyan blinked and smiled, leaning close to her ear and adding, “Then I’m the lover the princess keeps outside.”

Jiang Yumian slapped her arm, laughing exasperatedly. “You can’t say that!”

Jing Xiaoyan dodged and laughed. “The princess’s beloved isn’t me, so I can only be a mistress without a title.”

Not being the princess’s beloved, Jing Xiaoyan’s face showed regret, and her tone was extremely innocent, as if she was the one who was cheated on.

Jiang Yumian wanted to retort that she wasn’t even in her story, but then she thought of how Jing Xiaoyan would look at her with those wet puppy dog eyes, and the words that were on the tip of her tongue changed.

She mimicked Jing Xiaoyan’s tone. “Then you should step up your game.”

Jing Xiaoyan curved her lips, unable to contain her smile. She pulled Jiang Yumian close to her, turned off her mic, and pressed her lips against her ear, lowering her voice to ask, “Then would Princess Mianmian give me a title, please?”

Jiang Yumian’s ears turned red again, uncooperatively, and felt hot.

Seeing her speechless and remaining silent, Jing Xiaoyan’s bright eyes blinked. She simply asked another question. “Then I’ll give Princess Mianmian a title. Do you want it or not?”

Jiang Yumian felt breathless from being so close to her. She felt surrounded by Jing Xiaoyan’s scent. She slightly lifted her chin, subtly taking a breath.

She mumbled softly, “I’m not a princess.”

She said that, and her tone sounded normal, but her hand was tightly gripping the wooden corner of the table where the note was placed. She was extremely anxious. Why wasn’t Lin Xi back yet! Jing Xiaoyan was going to flirt her to death!

Jing Xiaoyan crossed her arms and looked around at the cameras in the room. Since the mic was off, it didn’t matter much. She continued to lean close to Jiang Yumian’s ear and said, “Okay, then you’re my girlfriend now. Can your girlfriend ask for a title?”

Jiang Yumian deliberately refused to answer her, playing dumb. “You’re already my girlfriend. Don’t you already have a title?”

Jing Xiaoyan unceremoniously kicked her.

Jiang Yumian lifted her foot in confusion, patted the spot where she was kicked, and said angrily, “What are you doing?”

Jing Xiaoyan let out a soft “humph.” She wouldn’t beat around the bush with Jiang Yumian. She said directly, “I want a wife.”

This! Jiang Yumian’s throat tightened. She was completely speechless because of this single sentence. She bit her lip. Was Jing Xiaoyan really not embarrassed at all!? Is that how you ask for a wife!?

Before Jiang Yumian could complain, she quickly heard Jing Xiaoyan accurately emphasize, “I don’t want the verbal kind, I want the kind with a certificate.”

Jiang Yumian’s face flushed. She turned to leave, but Jing Xiaoyan grabbed her cloak. She struggled twice but was pulled back. She couldn’t escape.

Jing Xiaoyan stared straight at her. She wouldn’t let her go until she gave an answer today.

Jiang Yumian’s hand clenched, then released, and quickly clenched again. Under Jing Xiaoyan’s gaze, she took a deep breath and punched her in the chest with her fist.

Stunned by the punch, Jing Xiaoyan tugged at her. “Hey?”

Jiang Yumian opened her mouth, gritting her teeth, her tone filled with shame and anger. “You bastard! Don’t you know how to propose!?”

How could she ask for a wife like that!?

Support