She’s Being Naughty - Chapter 13

After returning from the restroom, Xu Zhaoyi felt a bit dazed.

The banquet was still in full swing the music, the chatter, and the clinking of glasses all melded together. However, she felt as if she were watching it all through a pane of glass. It felt surreal.

Jiang Yao was waiting for her in the same spot. Seeing her return, she walked over with a smile. “What took you so long? Are you feeling unwell?”

Xu Zhaoyi shook her head. “No.”

“That’s good.” Jiang Yao handed her the juice she was holding. “Have something to drink, you barely ate anything earlier.”

Xu Zhaoyi took the glass and took small sips, her eyes involuntarily drifting toward the figures in the distance. The words from the restroom were still echoing in her ears.

“She came here with a mission.” “The Jiang family needs the Xu family’s platform as a transition.” “She didn’t marry him out of love.”

The marriage between Jiang Yao and her father was a business deal, a… nominal collaboration.

Therefore, all that gentleness, the care, and those seemingly sincere words might have been… fake. Or at least, not entirely true. This thought made Xu Zhaoyi’s chest feel tight. She suddenly remembered how she had wavered earlier when she thought Jiang Yao was truly being kind to her. Thinking back on it now, it felt almost laughable.

“What are you thinking about?” Jiang Yao asked softly.

Xu Zhaoyi snapped back to reality and shook her head. “Nothing.”

Jiang Yao looked at her but didn’t press further, only saying, “We’ll leave in half an hour. Your father still has some business to discuss, we can head back once he’s finished.”

Xu Zhaoyi gave a muffled “Mm.”

For the next half hour, she remained silent. Jiang Yao didn’t say much either, simply standing quietly by her side. Whenever someone came over to greet them, she would respond naturally. Watching her elegant and composed demeanor, the complex feelings in Xu Zhaoyi’s heart surged again.

If this was all an act, Jiang Yao’s acting was far too good. So good that it was impossible to tell truth from fiction.

Half an hour later, Xu Jiancheng finally came over. He looked a bit exhausted, but managed a smile when he saw them. “Let’s go, we can head back now.”

The three of them walked out together. On the ride home, Xu Jiancheng sat in the passenger seat while Jiang Yao and Xu Zhaoyi sat in the back. The car was silent. Xu Jiancheng closed his eyes to rest, Jiang Yao gazed out the window, and Xu Zhaoyi lowered her head to fiddle with her phone. No one spoke, the silence was thick with a hint of awkwardness.

Upon arriving home, Xu Jiancheng mentioned he had documents to review and went straight to the study. Jiang Yao called out to Xu Zhaoyi as she prepared to go upstairs. “Zhaozhao, do you want a glass of milk before bed? I’ll warm it for you.”

Xu Zhaoyi shook her head. “No thanks.”

“Then… get some rest early.” Jiang Yao looked at her with an unreadable emotion in her eyes. “It’s been a long day.”

Xu Zhaoyi gave another “Mm” and turned to head upstairs.

Seeking the Truth

Back in her room, she didn’t turn on the main light, opting instead for the small bedside lamp. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she pulled out the slip of paper hidden under her pillow. In the dim light, she read it once more. After staring at it for a long time, she carefully tucked it away in the deepest corner of her drawer.

Then, she took out her phone, hesitated for a moment, and began searching the browser for:

• “Jiang Group”
• “Jiang Yao”
• “Jiang family internal issues”

The results were sparse. Information on the Jiang Group was plentiful, it was indeed a large enterprise with a wide business scope spanning real estate, finance, and technology. However, there was very little about Jiang Yao. There was only one vague entry mentioning that the Jiang family had a third daughter who rarely appeared in public, with basic details unknown.

There was even less on the “internal issues” mostly just groundless rumors without any substance.

Xu Zhaoyi put her phone down and lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to piece it all together. The Jiang family likely did have problems. Perhaps Jiang Yao married into the family to help resolve something. But as for the specifics, she couldn’t find a thing.

Her father’s marriage was likely part of the deal using the name of marriage to tighten the cooperation between the two families and make it look like a genuine alliance to the outside world. This would allow the Jiang family to leverage the Xu family’s resources and platform.

It sounded… logical.

Xu Zhaoyi closed her eyes and took a deep breath. If this were true, then none of Jiang Yao’s kindness toward her was sincere. At least, it wasn’t purely sincere. It might have been to maintain a facade of harmony, or to fulfill a task, or… something else. In short, it wasn’t because of Xu Zhaoyi the person, but because of her status: the eldest daughter of the Xu family, the daughter of Xu Jiancheng.

This realization left a sour taste in her mouth. She rolled over and buried her face in her pillow.

The next morning, Xu Zhaoyi woke up earlier than usual. She wanted to check the study, hoping to find more clues. But when she went downstairs, she found Jiang Yao already in the kitchen.

Just like any other day, she was preparing breakfast. Seeing her come down, she smiled warmly. “Morning, Zhaozhao.”

Everything seemed the same as usual. But Xu Zhaoyi knew things had changed.

“Morning.” She walked over and sat down, taking the milk Jiang Yao handed her. “Are you… going to the company today?”

Jiang Yao nodded. “Yes, there are some matters at your father’s company that need handling.”

“Do you go to the company often?” Xu Zhaoyi asked.

“Occasionally.” Jiang Yao sat down across from her. “Mainly for things that require my presence.”

Xu Zhaoyi looked at her. “Before… when you were with the Jiang family, did you do this kind of work too?”

“Yes.” Jiang Yao took a sip of her coffee. “In the Jiang family, all children are expected to handle company affairs, regardless of gender.”

“Then why… did you come to our family?” Xu Zhaoyi asked directly. “Isn’t the Jiang family doing quite well?”

Jiang Yao’s movements paused momentarily. She set her coffee cup down and looked at Xu Zhaoyi. “Zhaozhao, why are you so interested in the Jiang family today?”

Xu Zhaoyi looked away. “Just asking.”

“Is that so?” Jiang Yao’s voice was very soft. “I thought… perhaps you had heard something.”

Xu Zhaoyi’s heart skipped a beat. “Heard… what?”

Jiang Yao remained silent for a while. Then she smiled and shook her head. “Nothing.” She stood up. “Hurry up and eat. I have to head out.”

With that, she picked up her bag, changed her shoes, and actually left.

Xu Zhaoyi sat alone at the dining table, staring at the bread and milk in front of her, but she had no appetite. Jiang Yao’s last sentence left her feeling uneasy.

“I thought… perhaps you had heard something.”

Did Jiang Yao already realize that she knew something? It seemed impossible, she had been so careful. Unless…

Xu Zhaoyi suddenly recalled the words she had overheard at the banquet the night before. Those two people probably didn’t recognize her, but what if someone else had, and then told Jiang Yao? It wasn’t out of the question.

Thinking of this, Xu Zhaoyi couldn’t sit still. She quickly finished her breakfast and went upstairs to change, planning to investigate the study.

But when she reached the study door, she hesitated. She knew her father’s temper, he hated people rummaging through his things. If she were caught, she would definitely be scolded. However… she thought of that slip of paper. If she didn’t figure this out, it would remain like a thorn in her side.

After hesitating for a long time, she finally pushed the study door open gently.

The study was very tidy, with documents neatly categorized. She walked to the desk and looked at the files, unsure where to start. Just then, the sound of the front door opening drifted in from outside.

It was Jiang Yao. She was back.

Startled, Xu Zhaoyi hurried out of the study and closed the door softly. In the hallway, Jiang Yao was walking toward her, holding a folder. Seeing Xu Zhaoyi standing at the study door, Jiang Yao froze for a moment. “Zhaozhao? What are you doing here?”

Xu Zhaoyi’s heart was racing, but she tried her best to remain calm. “I… I wanted to find a book to read.”

“What kind of book?” Jiang Yao walked up to her. “I’ll help you find it.”

“No need,” Xu Zhaoyi shook her head. “I suddenly don’t feel like reading anymore.”

She turned to leave, but Jiang Yao called out to her. “Zhaozhao.”

Xu Zhaoyi stopped and looked back. Jiang Yao stood there with the folder in hand, her gaze serious. “Recently… have you been hiding something from me?”

Xu Zhaoyi’s chest tightened. “No.”

“Really nothing?” Jiang Yao took a step forward. “I feel like you’ve been a bit off these past two days. You keep asking me questions… questions you wouldn’t have asked before.”

Xu Zhaoyi looked away again. “It was just a casual question.”

“Was it?” Jiang Yao’s voice was faint. “I thought…” She paused. “Never mind, it’s nothing.”

She opened the study door and walked in, then turned back to look at Xu Zhaoyi. “Do you want to come in? I have to organize some files, it might take all morning.”

Xu Zhaoyi hesitated but ultimately shook her head. “No, I’m going back to my room.”

“Alright then.” Jiang Yao nodded and closed the door.

A Meaningless Battle

The moment the door clicked shut, Xu Zhaoyi breathed a sigh of relief, but she also felt a sense of loss. She went back to her room, closed the door, and leaned her back against it.

The way Jiang Yao had just looked at her, she seemed so earnest and sincere. If she didn’t know about that slip of paper, she might truly believe that Jiang Yao cared for her. But now…

Xu Zhaoyi walked to the window and pulled back the curtains. The sun was shining brightly outside, and the flowers in the garden were in full bloom, looking beautiful. But she wasn’t in the mood to look. Her phone vibrated, it was a message from Zhou Xiaoxiao:

“How was the banquet yesterday? Did you meet any cute guys?”

Xu Zhaoyi replied with a brief “It was okay” and put the phone down. She didn’t know if she should tell Xiaoxiao about this. On second thought, she decided against it. The fewer people who knew about this kind of thing, the better. Besides, she wasn’t sure if Xiaoxiao could keep a secret.

Keeping it all bottled up felt miserable. She sat on the bed, hugging her knees, and fell into a daze.

She thought back to how she had made things difficult for Jiang Yao before:

• The funeral wreaths
• The burnt eggs
• The nightgown incident
• The spilled red wine…

At the time, she thought Jiang Yao was just pretending to be magnanimous that she was just acting. Now, she realized that perhaps Jiang Yao wasn’t pretending at all.

She genuinely didn’t care.

Because this marriage was a sham from the start, she didn’t care how her stepdaughter treated her. She only needed to maintain a surface level harmony to complete the mission.

This realization left Xu Zhaoyi with an indescribable feeling. It felt like she had been played, or worse, like she had been overthinking her own importance. She thought there was a war between her and Jiang Yao; she thought she was provoking her and fighting a battle.

In the end, Jiang Yao probably never even saw her as an opponent. She was simply completing a task.

That feeling was worse than being seen as an enemy. It invalidated all her actions, making everything she had done seem utterly meaningless.

While she was lost in thought, she heard the door open again outside. Then came Jiang Yao’s voice. “Zhaozhao?”

Xu Zhaoyi didn’t respond.

“Zhaozhao, are you in there?”

Still, Xu Zhaoyi remained silent. After a moment, the footsteps faded away. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief. But soon, her phone vibrated again. It was a message from Jiang Yao:

“What do you want for lunch? I’ll have the auntie prepare it.”

Xu Zhaoyi stared at the message for a long time. Her finger hovered over the screen, unsure of what to type. Finally, she replied with a single word: “Whatever,” and turned off her phone.

She didn’t want to think about it anymore. At least, not right now.