She’s Being Naughty - Chapter 17

The next morning, when Xu Zhaoyi woke up, the sun was already high in the sky.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, casting a bright streak across the headboard. She lay in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Her mind was still filled with images from the previous night. Jiang Yao sitting in the car, asking in the dim light: “Will you hate me?”

After an unknown amount of time, there was a knock at the door.

Knock, knock, knock.

It was light and polite.

“Zhaozhao?” It was Jiang Yao’s voice. “Are you awake?”

Xu Zhaoyi sat up. “I’m awake.”

“Come down for breakfast,” Jiang Yao said. “The auntie made the shrimp dumplings you like today.”

Xu Zhaoyi gave a response and got up to wash. Staring at herself in the mirror while brushing her teeth, she noticed the faint dark circles under her eyes, she hadn’t slept well.

When she went downstairs, Jiang Yao and Xu Jiancheng were already in the dining room. Xu Jiancheng looked to be in good spirits today, reading the newspaper and occasionally taking a sip of coffee.

Jiang Yao stood between the kitchen and the dining room, holding a steamer of freshly made shrimp dumplings. Seeing her come down, her eyes crinkled into a smile. “Come, eat while it’s hot.”

She placed the dumplings in front of Xu Zhaoyi and poured her a glass of soy milk. “It’s freshly ground, try some.”

Xu Zhaoyi sat down, picked up her chopsticks, and took small bites of a dumpling. Jiang Yao sat opposite her and picked up her own soy milk. Sunlight streamed through the large dining room window, falling across her. She was wearing a light beige cashmere sweater today, with her hair loosely tied back and a few stray strands grazing her cheeks.

She looked very gentle, a world apart from the exhausted, cold, and calm woman in the office the night before.

Xu Zhaoyi stared at her for a few seconds before lowering her head to continue eating.

“Zhaozhao,” Xu Jiancheng suddenly spoke, “There’s a charity auction this weekend. You’re coming with me.”

Xu Zhaoyi looked up. “Again?”

“What do you mean ‘again’?” Xu Jiancheng put down the newspaper. “It’s good for you to attend these types of occasions. The company has a few projects that require networking, it’s time you started learning to handle these things.”

Jiang Yao smiled softly from the side. “Jiancheng is trying to groom you as his successor.”

Xu Jiancheng smiled too. “Yes, my daughter is grown, it’s time to learn the ropes.”

Xu Zhaoyi remained silent, silently eating her dumplings. She knew resistance was futile; her father’s decisions were always non-negotiable.

After breakfast, Xu Jiancheng left for the office.

Jiang Yao stayed in the dining room, sipping her soy milk and staring out the window. The sunlight hit her profile, revealing the fine peach fuzz on her face; her skin looked almost transparently white in the light.

She’s so beautiful.

As soon as the thought entered Xu Zhaoyi’s mind, she quickly shook her head. What was she thinking?

“Are you… busy this afternoon?” Jiang Yao suddenly turned and asked.

Xu Zhaoyi blinked. “Nothing special.”

“Then accompany me somewhere.” Jiang Yao stood up. “Change your clothes, let’s head out.”

“Where to?”

“A good place.” Jiang Yao smiled, not speaking plainly.

Half an hour later, the two drove out. Jiang Yao drove while Xu Zhaoyi sat in the passenger seat. The car cut through the city and headed toward the suburbs. As they drove, the scenery became more remote; the skyscrapers gradually vanished, replaced by vast stretches of farmland and woods.

“Where are we going?” Xu Zhaoyi asked again.

“Almost there,” Jiang Yao replied.

After another ten minutes, a mountain appeared. The car wound up the mountain road and finally stopped at a platform halfway up. Stepping out, Xu Zhaoyi realized the scenery was stunning. Standing at the edge, she could see the entire outline of the city, tiny like a model.

The wind was strong, blowing her hair into a mess. Jiang Yao took a picnic basket and a rug from the trunk.

“Here, help me spread this out.”

Together they spread the rug on the grass and sat down.

“How did you know about this place?” Xu Zhaoyi asked.

“I used to drive here alone when I was in a bad mood.” Jiang Yao took a thermos and two cups from the basket, pouring two cups of hot tea. “It’s quiet, no one disturbs you. It’s a good place to be alone with your thoughts.”

She handed a cup to Xu Zhaoyi. “Taste it. I brewed it myself.”

Xu Zhaoyi took the cup and took a sip; it had a faint scent of osmanthus. “It’s good.”

Jiang Yao smiled. “I’m glad.”

She also picked up her cup, taking small sips. They sat like that for a long time, looking at the city below without speaking. The sun was warm on their bodies, and the wind was cool. It was comfortable.

“Zhaozhao,” Jiang Yao suddenly spoke, “Yesterday you asked me why I wanted to go against the Jiang family.”

Xu Zhaoyi turned to look at her. Jiang Yao’s profile was framed against the distant mountains, her eyelashes casting shallow shadows in the sunlight.

“My mother… wasn’t a member of the Jiang family,” she said slowly. “She was just an ordinary college student. She was only sixteen when she met my father. My father was fifteen years older than her and already had a family and children.”

Her voice was calm, as if she were telling someone else’s story.

“My mom gave birth to me at eighteen and raised me alone. It wasn’t until I was eight, when my father’s first wife passed away, that he brought my mother and me back to the Jiang family.”

“But my mother was very unhappy in the Jiang house. The Jiangs looked down on her, called her a mistress, and called me a bastard. She was already in poor health, and after living there for six months, she fell ill.”

“She passed away when I was ten.”

Jiang Yao paused, took a sip of tea, and continued. “After my mother died, life in the Jiang family became even harder. My father was okay to me, but he was busy and couldn’t control everything. The others… heh.”

She gave a small, ironic smile.

“So I learned very early that you can’t rely on anyone but yourself. I studied hard, worked hard, trying to make myself strong and valuable. That way, at least the Jiangs wouldn’t dare bully me easily.”

“But I was still too naive.” Jiang Yao turned to look at Xu Zhaoyi. “No matter how strong I become, in the eyes of the Jiang family, I will always be that illegitimate daughter, a pawn to be used at will.”

“This time, the Jiangs having me marry your father… on the surface it’s an alliance, but in reality… they want to use this opportunity for me to deal with your father’s company.”

Xu Zhaoyi’s eyes widened. “What?”

“The Jiang family has wanted to swallow your father’s company for a long time,” Jiang Yao said. “But they never found the chance. Now that your father’s company is facing difficulties, they think the timing is right.”

“So… you were sent as an insider?” Xu Zhaoyi’s voice trembled slightly.

Jiang Yao shook her head. “If I were an insider, I wouldn’t be telling you this.”

She looked at Xu Zhaoyi with a serious gaze. “I came here indeed to help the Jiang family and your father’s company reach a cooperation. But the way we cooperate… I have a choice.”

“What do you mean?”

“It means,” Jiang Yao paused, “I can choose to let the Jiangs swallow your father’s company, or I can choose… to let your father’s company use the Jiang family’s resources to grow stronger and, in turn, restrain the Jiangs.”

Xu Zhaoyi’s mind raced. “So now… the Jiang family is forcing you to choose the former?”

“Yes.” Jiang Yao nodded. “They gave me an ultimatum. I must make a decision by the end of the month. Either I help them take down your father’s company, or… they cut off all my resources and kick me out of the family.”

She smiled. “They might even… make me disappear forever.”

Xu Zhaoyi felt a chill in her heart.

Seeing her nervous expression, Jiang Yao reached out and patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry, I can handle it.”

“But…” Xu Zhaoyi bit her lip, “If the Jiang family really wants to harm you…”

“I will protect myself,” Jiang Yao said. “And I will protect you and your father. That is my promise to myself.”

Xu Zhaoyi stared at her for a long time. In the sunlight, Jiang Yao’s eyes were bright, like they were filled with stars. She spoke calmly, but her gaze was firm. It made one instinctively… want to believe her.

“Why… are you telling me all this?” Xu Zhaoyi asked.

“Because I feel you have the right to know,” Jiang Yao said. “And… I want you to understand that the kindness I showed you before wasn’t fake. It wasn’t because of your status or because I wanted to curry favor with you.”

She paused, her voice softening. “I just… think you’re a lot like I was as a child. Stubborn, sensitive, clearly needing care but desperately pretending you don’t.”

Xu Zhaoyi’s face felt hot. “I’m not stubborn,” she whispered in protest.

Jiang Yao laughed. “Is that so? Then who was it that sent me a funeral wreath, made burnt fried eggs, and splashed red wine on me?”

Xu Zhaoyi turned her face away. “That was… that was because I hated you.”

“And now?” Jiang Yao asked. “Do you still hate me now?”

Xu Zhaoyi didn’t speak. She didn’t know how to answer. Did she still hate Jiang Yao? It seemed… not so much anymore. But to say she liked her…

She remembered Zhou Xiaoxiao’s question: “Do you actually kind of like your stepmother?”

No, impossible. She just… didn’t hate her anymore.

“I don’t know,” she finally said.

Jiang Yao smiled and didn’t press further.

After sitting for a bit longer, Xu Zhaoyi suddenly remembered something. “By the way, that ‘very dangerous’ thing you and Lawyer Zhou were talking about in the office… what was it?”

Jiang Yao’s smile faded slightly. “That… I can’t tell you for now.”

“Why?”

“Because it really is dangerous,” Jiang Yao said. “Knowing too much won’t do you any good.”

“But I want to know,” Xu Zhaoyi insisted. “I don’t want to be… kept in the dark.”

Jiang Yao looked at her for a long time. Then she sighed softly. “Alright, I’ll tell you part of it. But you must promise me that once you know, you won’t be impulsive or act rashly.”

Xu Zhaoyi nodded.

“Someone in the Jiang family… is doing something illegal in the shadows,” Jiang Yao lowered her voice. “I accidentally obtained evidence. They want me to hand it over now, or… drag me down with them.”

Xu Zhaoyi’s heart rate quickened. “What kind of illegal thing?”

“Financial crimes,” Jiang Yao said simply. “The details… I can’t say more. In short, it’s dangerous.”

She took Xu Zhaoyi’s hand. “So Zhaozhao, promise me, if anything happens to me in the future, don’t get involved. Protecting yourself is enough.”

Xu Zhaoyi’s hand was held in hers, she could feel the warmth of her palm and a slight tremor. Jiang Yao was afraid. The realization shocked Xu Zhaoyi. She had always thought Jiang Yao was powerful and calm, as if she could handle anything. But now she realized that Jiang Yao could be afraid too.

“Will something happen to you?” Xu Zhaoyi asked, her voice trembling.

Jiang Yao smiled. “Not necessarily. I’ll do my best to protect myself. But… some things are hard to say for sure.”

She paused, let go of Xu Zhaoyi’s hand, and stood up. “Let’s go, it’s time to head back. I have some things to handle this afternoon.”

Xu Zhaoyi stood up too and helped her pack. They walked down the platform together and returned to the car. On the way back, neither spoke. Xu Zhaoyi watched the scenery fly by, her mind still digesting the words she had just heard.

Financial crimes. Illegal acts. Very dangerous.

The flat, boring life she had known might soon be shattered.

As the car approached the villa, Jiang Yao’s phone rang. She glanced at the screen, and her expression turned solemn. After a moment’s hesitation, she answered.

“Hello.”

The car was quiet, and Xu Zhaoyi could faintly hear the voice on the other end. It was a man’s voice, sounding very serious.

“Miss Jiang, the situation isn’t good. It seems the other side has noticed something.”

Jiang Yao’s grip tightened on the steering wheel. “When did this happen?”

“Just this morning. Our people say someone is secretly tracking your movements.”

“Understood,” Jiang Yao said. “Keep watching them. Notify me immediately if anything changes.”

“But Miss Jiang, this is too dangerous. Maybe you should first.”

“No need,” Jiang Yao interrupted. “I know what I’m doing.”

After hanging up, the car fell into silence. It pulled up at the villa entrance, but Jiang Yao didn’t get out immediately. She sat in the driver’s seat, hands gripping the wheel so hard her knuckles were white.

“Zhaozhao,” she spoke suddenly, her voice low, “If one day… there is real danger, will you be afraid?”

Xu Zhaoyi turned to look at her tense profile. Then she asked, “If there is real danger, will you be on our side?”

Jiang Yao also turned to look at her. Their eyes met in the dim light of the car. Jiang Yao’s eyes were bright and firm.

Then she said, “I will be on your side.”