She’s Being Naughty - Chapter 10

Time seemed to have frozen inside the walk-in closet.

The air didn’t circulate, the light felt solidified, and even the sound of breathing was suppressed to a faint whisper.

Xu Zhaoyi’s back was pressed against the ice-cold cabinet door, her eyes fixed on Jiang Yao, who stood by the island counter.

Jiang Yao stood with her arms crossed, leaning diagonally against the marble surface. Her head was tilted slightly, her eyes narrowed as if she were scrutinizing Xu Zhaoyi or perhaps pondering something.

The light cast a soft shadow across her face from above. A single button was undone at the collar of her cream-white shirt, revealing her delicate collarbones, while her deep grey wide-leg trousers draped perfectly, making her legs look exceptionally straight and long.

She just stood there, unhurried, unperturbed.

Like a patient hunter waiting for her prey to walk into the trap of its own accord.

Xu Zhaoyi’s breathing grew increasingly ragged.

She could hear her own heartbeat thump, thump, thump…each beat louder than the last, as if it were trying to hammer its way out of her chest.

The closet was too quiet, so quiet that even a heartbeat sounded deafening.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something to break this suffocating silence.

But her throat was tight and her lips were parched, she couldn’t squeeze out a single word.

“Have you finished thinking?” Jiang Yao finally spoke, her voice still soft and gentle. “Zhaozhao.”

Xu Zhaoyi bit her lip. “I haven’t.”

“Then take your time.” Jiang Yao smiled and stood up straight, walking toward her.

She walked very slowly. Every step onto the soft carpet was virtually silent, yet to Xu Zhaoyi, it felt like every step was landing directly on her heart.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Jiang Yao stopped right in front of her.

The distance was so close that Xu Zhaoyi could see every individual eyelash, and she could see her own panicked yet stubborn face reflected in Jiang Yao’s eyes.

“Actually, I’m quite curious,” Jiang Yao tilted her head and suddenly asked, “Why is Zhaozhao so unwilling to call me ‘Mother’?”

Xu Zhaoyi pursed her lips tightly.

“Is it because of the age gap?” Jiang Yao reached out, her fingertip lightly tapping her own chin. “I’m only eight years older than you. At thirty, surely I’m not so old that you can’t bring yourself to say it?”

Her hand moved again, this time lightly touching Xu Zhaoyi’s cheek.

The fingertips were cool. When they touched the burning skin, a shiver ran through Xu Zhaoyi’s entire body.

“Or is it because…” Jiang Yao’s voice dropped lower, as if she were talking to herself, “…you think I’m not worthy?”

Xu Zhaoyi snapped her head up. “I never said that.”

“But it’s what you’re thinking.” Jiang Yao smiled, her eyes crinkling. “I understand everything.”

Her fingertip slid down the cheek and gently tilted Xu Zhaoyi’s chin up, forcing her to look her in the eye.

“Zhaozhao, I see right through those little schemes of yours.” Her voice was very light, like she was coaxing a child. “The day of the wedding when I accepted that funeral wreath, you thought I was just acting magnanimous. Actually, I just thought… it was quite interesting.”

She paused, leaning in a bit closer, her breath brushing against Xu Zhaoyi’s face. “Like a little kitten baring its claws, clearly powerless, yet trying so hard to act tough.”

Xu Zhaoyi’s face instantly flushed crimson.

She wanted to talk back, to say she wasn’t a kitten, to say she wasn’t acting.

But the words remained stuck in her throat, unable to escape.

“Later,” Jiang Yao’s finger gently stroked her chin, her movements as tender as if she were touching a precious treasure, “you intentionally burned the eggs, you hid my nightgown, you spilled red wine on me… I saw every single thing.”

Her finger moved upward, lightly tracing Xu Zhaoyi’s lips.

“I was wondering,” Jiang Yao’s voice grew even lower, carrying a hint of a smile, “did you… just want me to notice you?”

Xu Zhaoyi’s heart skipped a violent beat.

“I did not!” she practically yelled, the volume of her own voice startling her.

Jiang Yao’s smile only widened. “Is that so?”

She leaned in even closer, almost pressing against her ear, and whispered, “Then why do those things? Zhaozhao, if you really hated me, shouldn’t you be staying far away and ignoring me entirely?”

Xu Zhaoyi froze.

It was true.

If you truly hate someone, you avoid them, you act as if they don’t exist.

But what about her?

The wreath, the eggs, the nightgown, the wine, and that “I miss you so much” text message…

Every single one was a way to get close to Jiang Yao.

Every single one was a calculated attempt to catch her attention.

“I…” Xu Zhaoyi’s voice began to tremble. “I just…”

“Just what?” Jiang Yao pulled back slightly to look at her, an unreadable light shining in her eyes. “Just couldn’t control yourself?”

Xu Zhaoyi turned her face away, refusing to look at her.

It was terrifying. This woman was terrifying.

How did she see through everything? How did she know everything?

“Zhaozhao,” Jiang Yao spoke again, her voice returning to that previous gentleness. “Actually, you don’t need to be so nervous. I’m not angry with you, truly.”

As she spoke, she reached out and gently pinched Xu Zhaoyi’s earlobe.

The earlobe was scalding hot, so red it looked like it might bleed.

“Look at how nervous you are,” Jiang Yao chuckled, her finger tracing light circles on the burning earlobe. “Your ears are completely red.”

Xu Zhaoyi flinched, trying to dodge her hand.

But Jiang Yao stepped forward, pressing her hand against the cabinet door behind her, completely trapping her within the small space created by her arms.

“Don’t hide.” Jiang Yao’s voice held a note of command, yet remained soft and airy. “Zhaozhao, we’re discussing serious business.”

Xu Zhaoyi’s back was pressed tight against the cold door panel. In front of her was Jiang Yao’s warm body, and to her left and right were the arms bracing against the door.

She was completely trapped.

There was nowhere to run.

“You won’t call me ‘Mother,’ is that it?” Jiang Yao looked at her, a smile playing on the corner of her lips. “Fine then.”

She paused, enunciating every word. “If you won’t call me ‘Mother,’ we’ll just spend the whole night in here.”

Xu Zhaoyi’s eyes widened. “Are you crazy?”

“I’m not crazy.” Jiang Yao smiled, her other hand gently caressing Xu Zhaoyi’s face. “I am perfectly sober.”

Her fingertips were icy, yet her palm was warm. As she pressed it gently against Zhaoyi’s cheek, it felt like a branding iron, so searing that it made her entire body flush with heat.

“Anyway, the banquet won’t end until after midnight, and your father won’t be back that early,” Jiang Yao’s voice was calm. “We have plenty of time to wear each other down.”

She spoke with such casual certainty, as if this were the most natural thing in the world, nothing to be surprised about.

Xu Zhaoyi stared at her, mesmerized by the composure and conviction in those beautiful eyes.

Suddenly, it hit her: this woman was serious.

She really… would go through with it.

Silence fell over the walk-in closet once more.

There was only the sound of two people breathing, their breaths intertwining and swirling within the cramped space.

Xu Zhaoyi’s breathing was rapid and chaotic, while Jiang Yao’s remained steady and even.

The contrast was stark.

It was like a silent contest of wills.

Xu Zhaoyi searched Jiang Yao’s eyes, desperately trying to find a hint of a joke.

But there was none.

Those eyes held only a terrifying sincerity that made her heart flutter with unease.

“Why… why do you have to be like this?” Xu Zhaoyi finally spoke, her voice incredibly raspy. “Do you really want to hear me call you ‘Mother’ that badly?”

“I do,” Jiang Yao answered without a moment’s hesitation. “Of course I do.”

She leaned in a bit further, her nose nearly brushing against Xu Zhaoyi’s. “If Zhaozhao calls me ‘Mother’ once, I’ll be very happy.”

Her breath fanned across Zhaoyi’s face itchy, numbing.

Xu Zhaoyi’s breathing hitched even further.

“But…” She bit her lip. “I don’t want to.”

“You don’t want to?” Jiang Yao arched an eyebrow. “Then what should we do?”

She tilted her head as if considering a serious problem. “Zhaozhao has caused so much mischief and created so much trouble, surely there should be some sort of gesture?”

Her fingers slid down from Xu Zhaoyi’s face to gently cup her chin, forcing her to maintain eye contact.

“The funeral wreath, the burnt eggs, the nightgown, the red wine…” Jiang Yao listed them off in a soft, airy whisper. “Every single one was a test of my patience.”

Her fingers moved upward again, tracing Xu Zhaoyi’s earlobe before sliding down her neck to her collarbone.

The movements were as light as if she were touching something incredibly fragile.

“Even though I’m not angry,” Jiang Yao’s voice dropped lower, tinged with a hint of a smile, “Zhaozhao, you really ought to… compensate me a little, don’t you think?”

Xu Zhaoyi shuddered.

“Compensate you… with what?”

Jiang Yao laughed.

She laughed quite happily, her eyes curving into crescent moons and her lips upturning in a perfect arc, revealing a small row of white teeth.

Then she leaned in close, her lips practically pressed against Xu Zhaoyi’s ear.

That warm breath hit like an electric current, surging from her ear all the way down to the soles of her feet.

“Then how do you think you should compensate me?” Jiang Yao asked softly, her voice carrying an indecipherable undertone. “Zhaozhao?”

Xu Zhaoyi froze, her mind a total blank.

Compensation?

How?

She didn’t know.

She just reached out subconsciously, trying to push Jiang Yao away.

But as soon as her hand moved, Jiang Yao caught it gently.

Jiang Yao’s hand was cool, but her palm was soft, firmly enveloping Zhaoyi’s hand.

“Can’t think of anything?” Jiang Yao looked at her, that mysterious light dancing in her eyes. “Then let me give you a hint.”

She took Xu Zhaoyi’s hand and placed it gently against the side of her own waist.

Through the thin fabric of the shirt, the touch of that slender, soft waist was unmistakable.

As if she had been burned, Xu Zhaoyi tried to jerk her hand back.

But Jiang Yao held on tight, refusing to let her escape.

“Or,” Jiang Yao leaned in even closer, her voice barely a whisper, “you could also…”

Her lips brushed against the edge of Xu Zhaoyi’s ear.

“Give me a proper apology.”

The words were light as air, yet they hit like a stone dropped into a pond, sending waves rippling through Xu Zhaoyi’s heart.

Xu Zhaoyi’s eyes snapped wide as she stared at Jiang Yao, seeing the expectation in those beautiful eyes.

“You…” Her voice was trembling uncontrollably. “You want me to apologize?”

“What else?” Jiang Yao smiled, her fingers lightly stroking the back of Zhaoyi’s hand. “Shouldn’t a child who has done something wrong apologize properly?”

She said it so naturally, so effortlessly, as if it were the most reasonable request in the world.

Xu Zhaoyi’s face was still flushed, but this time it was more from embarrassment and awkwardness.

“I…” Her throat was parched. The words were right at the tip of her tongue, but she just couldn’t say them.

“Can Zhaozhao not even say a simple ‘I’m sorry’?” Jiang Yao tilted her head, a trace of disappointment in her gaze. “I thought you were at least someone who took responsibility for her actions.”

Xu Zhaoyi bit her lip hard.

The words “I’m sorry” were stuck in her throat like a thorn.

To say them was to admit defeat.

To admit she had been childish, and to admit that she actually… cared about her.

“I’ll give you ten seconds,” Jiang Yao’s voice rang in her ear again, laced with amusement. “Ten, nine, eight…”

The numbers were counted out one by one.

Slowly, deliberately, composed.

Like a countdown.

Xu Zhaoyi bit her lip even harder, her fingers clenching into fists at her sides.

Her nails dug deep into her palms, the pain clearing her head slightly.

But with clarity came even more panic.

What should she do?

What should she do?

“Seven, six, five…”

Time ticked away.

Every second felt like a year.

“Four, three, two…”

Just as she reached “two,” the sound of footsteps suddenly echoed from outside the walk-in closet.

Thump, thump, thump.

Someone was coming upstairs.