She’s Being Naughty - Chapter 16

Xu Zhaoyi stared at the empty garage entrance for a long time.

The night wind blew past, carrying a chill that made her wrap her coat tighter around her.

Should she go back to sleep?

Or…

She looked down at the car keys in her hand, the ones to her small sports car.

Her heart pounded, and two voices fought inside her head.

One said: Don’t go. It’s none of your business. Jiang Yao is an adult, she has her own affairs to handle.

The other said: Go. Go see exactly what she’s hiding from you, what she’s really up to.

After a few minutes of hesitation, she finally climbed into her car.

The vehicle rolled slowly out of the garage and onto the street. The city at night was quiet, with only a few cars on the road. As she drove, Xu Zhaoyi recalled the direction Jiang Yao had taken.

She should be heading toward the city center.

She sped up, her eyes fixed intently on the road ahead. After two intersections, she finally spotted Jiang Yao’s car at a red light. The silver-grey sedan sat idle, under the glow of the streetlights, Jiang Yao’s profile appeared somewhat blurred through the glass.

Xu Zhaoyi pulled over several cars back, observing quietly. When the light turned green, Jiang Yao’s car continued forward, and Xu Zhaoyi followed. She knew this kind of stalking was wrong, but she couldn’t control herself. She wanted to know Jiang Yao’s secrets, the things Jiang Yao refused to tell her.

The car arrived at a high-end office building in the city center. Jiang Yao drove into the underground parking lot. Lacking a parking pass, Xu Zhaoyi had to park on the curb, then hopped out and hurried toward the building.

The lobby was brightly lit but silent, with only a single security guard sitting behind the front desk.

As she entered, the guard looked up. “Miss, who are you looking for?”

“I…” Xu Zhaoyi’s mind raced. “I’m looking for Ms. Jiang. Jiang Yao, she just came in. She should be waiting for me upstairs.”

The guard checked the visitor logs. “Ms. Jiang did just go up. And you are…?”

“I’m her sister,” Xu Zhaoyi blurted out.

The guard scanned her, likely deciding she didn’t look like trouble, and nodded. “Alright, go ahead. Ms. Jiang is on the thirty-eighth floor.”

Xu Zhaoyi thanked him and hurried to the elevator. It ascended rapidly, her heart rate rising with it.

Thirty-eighth floor.

With a ding, the doors opened.

Stepping out, she found a long corridor lined with office doors. At the very end, one office remained lit. Xu Zhaoyi softened her footsteps, creeping closer. The door was cracked open just a sliver, and voices drifted out.

It was Jiang Yao’s voice, and another man’s. He sounded like… the lawyer from earlier today?

“…So that’s the current situation,” the male voice said. “The Jiang family is putting on a lot of pressure. They require you to make a decision by the end of the month.”

“I understand.” Jiang Yao’s voice was icy and calm. “I’ll handle it.”

“But Ms. Jiang, the risk is too great. If Mr. Xu’s side…”

“I’ll explain things to Jiancheng,” Jiang Yao interrupted. “The key is the Jiang family. They are determined to push me out this time. I can’t let them succeed.”

“But if you go against them like this, it might…”

“Might what?” Jiang Yao let out a light, mocking laugh. “Lawyer Zhou, you know something of my relationship with the Jiangs. From the first day I entered that house, I knew this day would come. I just didn’t expect it to happen so soon.”

Outside, Xu Zhaoyi leaned against the wall, her breathing ragged.

The Jiang family. Again.

What were they forcing Jiang Yao to do? What “decision”?

She wanted to hear more, but the room suddenly went silent. A few seconds later, Jiang Yao spoke. “Alright, that’s enough for today. Thank you for coming so late.”

“It’s my duty. I’ll take my leave then. You should get some rest too, Ms. Jiang.”

The sound of footsteps approached the door.

Xu Zhaoyi spun around and ducked behind a storage room further down the hall. The door opened; Lawyer Zhou walked out clutching his briefcase and headed straight for the elevator.

Jiang Yao didn’t come out.

Xu Zhaoyi waited until she was certain the coast was clear before peeking her head out. The office door remained open, the light spilling into the hallway. She crept forward and peered through the crack.

Jiang Yao was sitting at the desk, head leaned back against the chair, eyes closed. She looked utterly exhausted. A thick stack of documents lay before her alongside a laptop, its screen filled with dense text and charts.

Xu Zhaoyi hesitated, then gently pushed the door open. It creaked.

Jiang Yao’s eyes snapped open. Seeing it was her, she froze.

“Zhaozhao?” She stood up, her face etched with shock. “How did you…” Before she could finish, the realization hit her, and her expression grew complex. “You… followed me?”

Xu Zhaoyi stood in the doorway, unsure whether to enter or retreat. “I… I’m sorry,” she whispered.

Jiang Yao stared at her for a long time. Finally, she sighed and sat back down.

“Come in,” she said. “Close the door.”

Xu Zhaoyi entered and shut the door behind her. The office was spacious and modern, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city’s nightscape.

“Sit.” Jiang Yao pointed to the chair opposite her.

Xu Zhaoyi sat, her nerves on edge.

“How much did you hear?” Jiang Yao asked.

“I heard… about you and the Jiang family,” Xu Zhaoyi said honestly. “They’re forcing you to make a decision, right?”

Jiang Yao neither denied nor confirmed it. She just looked at her. “Zhaozhao, I told you, knowing too much isn’t good for you.”

“But I want to know,” Xu Zhaoyi insisted. “I already know this much. Even if you won’t tell me, I’ll find a way to figure it out myself.”

Jiang Yao smiled, a helpless expression. “You’re still so stubborn.” She paused, rubbing her temples. “Fine. Since you heard it anyway, I’ll tell you part of it. But only a part. For the rest, the time isn’t right.”

Xu Zhaoyi nodded.

“The Jiang family, my family is a massive corporate group,” Jiang Yao began slowly. “But internally… it’s complicated. There are many factions, many conflicting interests.” She looked at Xu Zhaoyi. “Do you know how I became a ‘Jiang’?”

Xu Zhaoyi shook her head.

“I’m an illegitimate daughter,” Jiang Yao said calmly. “My mother wasn’t the legal wife, so growing up, my status in the family was awkward. On the surface, everyone called me the Third Miss, but in reality…” She trailed off, but Xu Zhaoyi understood.

“Later, my mother passed away, and life in the Jiang house became even harder,” Jiang Yao continued. “So I started fighting for myself early on, teaching myself business, wanting to carve out my own path.” She paused. “But the Jiangs won’t let me go easily. They need me, they need the ‘Third Miss’ identity to do things they can’t do themselves.”

“Like… marrying my dad?” Xu Zhaoyi asked.

Jiang Yao nodded. “Yes and no. The cooperation between the Jiang and Xu families did require a marriage to solidify the bond. And I was the most suitable candidate.”

“Because I… am not important?” Xu Zhaoyi’s heart felt heavy.

“Because your father needed someone from the Jiang family to help him solve the company’s problems,” Jiang Yao explained. “And I just happened to have the ability and the need for that platform.”

“So you’re… using each other?”

“You could say that,” Jiang Yao admitted candidly. “Your father needed my business mind and the Jiang connections. I needed a powerful platform to prove myself and escape their control.” She looked at Xu Zhaoyi. “The contents of that note are true. It is a marriage in name only, with a three year term. After three years, if I’ve achieved what I want and your father’s company is stable, we’ll dissolve the marriage. At that point, I will leave.”

Xu Zhaoyi was silent for a long time. Although she had guessed this was the answer, hearing Jiang Yao say it herself felt different.

“And now…” She looked up. “What is the Jiang family forcing you to do?”

Jiang Yao’s brow furrowed. “That… I can’t tell you for now.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s dangerous,” Jiang Yao said. “The less you know, the safer you are.”

“Dangerous?” Xu Zhaoyi’s heart tightened. “What kind of danger?”

Jiang Yao shook her head and stopped speaking. She stood up. “Alright, that’s enough for today. Let’s go, I’ll take you home. It’s very late.”

Xu Zhaoyi wanted to ask more, but Jiang Yao had already grabbed her bag and keys, heading for the door.

They left the office and entered the elevator. It was quiet. Xu Zhaoyi stole a glance at Jiang Yao’s profile. Under the lights, there were faint shadows under her eyes, she looked truly exhausted.

“Why… why do you have to go against the Jiang family?” Xu Zhaoyi couldn’t help asking.

Jiang Yao remained silent for a moment. “Because they want to control me,” she said softly. “They’ve controlled my life since I was a child. Now, I don’t want to be controlled anymore.”

The elevator reached the first floor. They stepped outside. The night wind was strong, tossing Xu Zhaoyi’s hair into a mess. Jiang Yao reached out and smoothed it for her, her movements surprisingly gentle.

“Zhaozhao,” she said suddenly. “Promise me one thing.”

“What?”

“No matter what happens in the future,” Jiang Yao looked her in the eye, “don’t get involved. Just protect yourself. That’s enough.”

Her gaze was serious, even solemn. A bad premonition bubbled up in Xu Zhaoyi’s chest.

“Is… is something going to happen?” she asked.

Jiang Yao smiled but didn’t answer. “Let’s go, time to go home.”

They sat in Jiang Yao’s car, and neither spoke for the entire drive. Xu Zhaoyi watched the city scenery rush past the window, her brain still processing everything.

Illegitimate daughter. A marriage of convenience. Pressure from the Jiangs. Danger.

The car stopped at the villa gates. Jiang Yao didn’t get out immediately; she sat in the driver’s seat, staring ahead.

“Zhaozhao,” she said suddenly, “if one day… I have to do things that are very hard for you and your father to accept, would you…” She paused. “Would you hate me?”

Xu Zhaoyi turned to look at her. The light in the car was dim, and Jiang Yao’s face was cast in shadow, her expression unreadable. But she could feel that Jiang Yao was asking this with total sincerity.

“What kind of things?” Xu Zhaoyi asked.

“I can’t say yet.” Jiang Yao shook her head. “I just… hope that when the time comes, you can understand a little.”

Xu Zhaoyi was silent for a long time. Then she said, “I don’t know. But if those things… hurt my father, or hurt our family, I probably… would hate you.”

Jiang Yao closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then she opened them and offered a small smile. “Okay, I understand.”

She opened the car door. “Go on, get inside.”

Her voice was calm, but Xu Zhaoyi felt that beneath that calm, something else was hidden.