She’s Being Naughty - Chapter 26

Her breath hitched, and the blood in her entire body seemed to congeal in that single instant.

I can’t.

I can’t let them hurt Jiang Yao.

This thought blazed through her mind like wildfire, incinerating all fear and hesitation.

Without a second thought, Xu Zhaoyi’s body reacted.

She lunged out from the shadows of the flower house.

She didn’t rush toward Jiang Yao instead, she sprinted toward a pile of discarded timber nearby. Her footsteps were light, but in the silence of the early morning, they still made a sound.

The men turned around instantly.

“Who’s there?”

Jiang Yao turned her head as well.

The moment she saw Xu Zhaoyi, her eyes widened. In those eyes, usually so gentle and composed, there was, for the first time, a look of raw, unadulterated shock.

“Zhaozhao?!”

Jiang Yao’s voice lost all its calm, carrying a faint, undetectable tremor.

But Xu Zhaoyi didn’t look at her.

She stared at the man holding the knife, her hand tightly gripping a broken piece of wood she had snatched from the timber pile. The wood was rough and stung as it pressed into her palm, but it provided her with a strange sort of courage.

“Let her go,” Xu Zhaoyi said, her voice steadier than she had imagined.

The men looked at each other and burst into laughter.

“Where did this little girl come from?” the man with the knife asked, scanning her up and down. “What, trying to play the hero?”

Ignoring his mockery, Xu Zhaoyi repeated, “Let her go.”

She raised the broken timber. It wasn’t a real weapon, but at this distance, it was enough to be a threat.

Jiang Yao’s face grew even paler.

“Zhaozhao, go back!” she commanded, her tone sharper than ever. “This isn’t something you should be involved in!”

“No,” Xu Zhaoyi said stubbornly, her eyes fixed on the man with the knife. “If you dare touch her, I’ll…”

“You’ll what?” The man sneered, taking half a step forward. “Kid, go home and play with your dolls. This isn’t a playground.”

The knife in his hand glinted coldly under the moonlight.

Xu Zhaoyi’s palms were slick with sweat, but she didn’t retreat. She remembered a similar scene from her childhood. She was eight, being bullied and shoved by a group of older kids at school. Her mother had appeared then. A woman who was usually so gentle and soft-spoken had stood in front of her and told those kids, “Do not bully my daughter.”

Back then, hiding behind her mother’s thin but firm silhouette, Xu Zhaoyi felt like she had nothing to fear, even if the sky fell.

Now, it was her turn to stand in front of Jiang Yao.

Even if she wasn’t as strong as her mother, she had to do this.

“I called the police,” Xu Zhaoyi suddenly announced, raising her voice. “They’ll be here any minute.”

The expressions on the men’s faces shifted instantly.

The man with the knife looked at his accomplices, then turned back to Jiang Yao. “Miss Jiang, this isn’t fair play. We agreed to settle this privately, why did you involve outsiders?”

Jiang Yao stared at Xu Zhaoyi, a complex light flickering in her eyes. Then, she smiled. It was a strange smile, tinged with helplessness, a bit of indulgence, and something else… something Xu Zhaoyi couldn’t quite decipher.

“I didn’t call her,” Jiang Yao said. “She came here on her own.”

She paused. “But I suggest you listen to her. When this girl gets stubborn, there’s no telling what she’ll do. If she really has called the police, it’ll be a lot of trouble for you.”

A delicate stalemate ensued.

Xu Zhaoyi gripped the wood tighter, her heart pounding wildly against her ribs. She could feel the men’s gazes scanning her, as if assessing her threat level. She knew she looked weak, thin, lacking strength, holding nothing but a piece of scrap wood.

But she stood her ground in front of Jiang Yao, refusing to budge.

Just then, the sound of a siren drifted from the distance. It grew clearer and louder by the second.

The men’s expressions changed completely.

“Damn it,” the man with the knife cursed, glaring at Jiang Yao. “Jiang Yao, you win this time.”

He retracted the knife and turned to leave. The others followed suit.

Soon, only Jiang Yao and Xu Zhaoyi were left in the clearing.

The sirens were still wailing, but Xu Zhaoyi knew they weren’t for the police she had “called.” It was the backup plan she had arranged with Lin Chen, if her GPS stayed in one place for too long, he was to call the authorities. She hadn’t expected it to actually be necessary.

Jiang Yao stood there, watching the direction where the men had disappeared for a long time. Then, she slowly turned toward Xu Zhaoyi.

The moonlight caught her face, tracing her exquisite features. She was still pale, so pale she looked translucent, like a piece of fragile porcelain.

“How did you find this place?” she asked softly.

“I followed you,” Xu Zhaoyi admitted. “I saw you get into the car outside the club and followed.”

Jiang Yao was silent for a moment. “You shouldn’t have come. It was too dangerous.”

“I know,” Xu Zhaoyi looked at her. “But I couldn’t let you be alone.”

Jiang Yao’s expression softened for a fleeting moment, as if a hard shell had finally cracked. Then she smiled, a weary but tender smile.

“Silly girl.”

She walked over and stood before Xu Zhaoyi. They were so close that Xu Zhaoyi could smell her faint perfume mixed with the metallic scent of blood.

“Are you hurt?” Xu Zhaoyi’s heart leaped into her throat.

“It’s nothing,” Jiang Yao shook her head. “Just a scratch.”

She reached out as if to pat Xu Zhaoyi’s head, but her hand paused in mid-air before resting gently on Xu Zhaoyi’s hand, which was still clutching the timber.

“Let go, your hand is all red,” she whispered.

Xu Zhaoyi realized she was still gripping the wood so hard her knuckles were white. She let go, and the wood hit the ground with a dull thud. She looked down and saw that her palm was covered in bloody scratches from the rough bark.

“Does it hurt?” Jiang Yao asked.

Xu Zhaoyi shook her head. “No.”

Jiang Yao watched her for a long time, then suddenly reached out and pulled her into a gentle embrace.

It was a light, tender hug. But Xu Zhaoyi could feel Jiang Yao’s body trembling slightly, like a string that had been pulled taut for too long and finally snapped back.

“Thank you,” Jiang Yao whispered in her ear. “Thank you, Zhaozhao.”

Her voice was husky, carrying an emotion Xu Zhaoyi had never heard before. It sounded like gratitude, like lingering fear, and like… she was finally putting down a heavy burden.

Xu Zhaoyi didn’t know where to put her hands. She stood there stiffly, letting Jiang Yao hold her. Jiang Yao’s embrace was warm, smelling of that familiar scent. But Xu Zhaoyi could sense that this hug was different from the gentle ones before.

Usually, Jiang Yao was gentle but maintained a certain distance like looking through a pane of glass. You could see and touch, but it didn’t feel real. Now, Jiang Yao was real. She was vulnerable, she trembled, she was afraid.

This realization made Xu Zhaoyi’s heart melt.

“Let’s… let’s go home,” she whispered. “The police will be here soon.”

Jiang Yao pulled away and nodded. “Okay, let’s go home.”

She turned to walk but stumbled slightly.

Xu Zhaoyi caught her immediately. “Your… your injury…”

“I’m fine,” Jiang Yao forced a smile. “Just a bit tired.”

Xu Zhaoyi noticed a tear in the sleeve of her right arm, with bloodstains visible beneath.

“You’re bleeding,” Xu Zhaoyi’s heart constricted.

“It’s minor,” Jiang Yao insisted, though her face was growing paler. “Let’s leave first.”

The sirens were very close now, car lights were visible. Xu Zhaoyi supported Jiang Yao as they hurried toward the flower house where her car was parked.

Getting in, starting the engine, and driving away happened in a blur. Once they reached the main road, Xu Zhaoyi glanced in the rearview mirror. Police cars had stopped at the spot they had just left.

“The police…” she asked hesitantly.

“I arranged them,” Jiang Yao leaned back in the passenger seat, eyes closed. “They were meant to be leverage against those men. I didn’t expect you to trigger them first.”

Her voice was growing weaker. Xu Zhaoyi turned to look at her and noticed cold sweat on her forehead.

“Are you sure you’re okay? Should we go to the hospital?”

“No hospital,” Jiang Yao shook her head. “Just home. There’s a first-aid kit. I can handle it.”

Her tone was firm. Xu Zhaoyi knew she likely had reasons for avoiding the hospital, so she didn’t argue and simply drove faster.

By the time they reached the villa, dawn was breaking. The housekeeper was still asleep, and the house was silent. Xu Zhaoyi helped Jiang Yao upstairs to her room.

Jiang Yao sat on the edge of the bed and slowly unbuttoned her coat. On her right arm was a gash about seven or eight centimeters long. It wasn’t deep, but it wouldn’t stop bleeding.

“Was it the knife?” Xu Zhaoyi’s heart felt like it was being wrung out.

“Mm,” Jiang Yao nodded weakly. “I moved fast, or it would have been worse.”

Xu Zhaoyi fetched the medical kit. She wasn’t an expert at treating wounds, but she knew the basics of disinfection and bandaging. As she carefully wiped around the wound with an alcohol swab, Jiang Yao hissed slightly but didn’t make a sound.

“Tell me if it hurts,” Xu Zhaoyi whispered. “Don’t hold it in.”

Jiang Yao smiled. “It actually hurts quite a bit.”

Her honesty made Xu Zhaoyi feel even worse. Once the wound was cleaned and bandaged, Xu Zhaoyi noticed Jiang Yao’s hair was damp with sweat. She used a warm towel to wipe her face and brought her a glass of warm water.

Jiang Yao took the glass and sipped slowly, her eyes fixed on Xu Zhaoyi. In the dim light of the bedside lamp, those beautiful eyes seemed exceptionally bright and deep.

“Zhaozhao,” she said suddenly. “Why… why did you risk yourself today?”

Xu Zhaoyi’s hands paused as she tidied the medical kit.

Why?

Because she couldn’t stand by and watch Jiang Yao get hurt. Because she had promised to protect each other. Because she…

“Because…” Xu Zhaoyi bit her lip. “Because I didn’t want to see you get hurt.”

It was a simple answer, but it was the closest she could get to the truth aloud.

Jiang Yao watched her for a long time. Then, she reached out and gripped Xu Zhaoyi’s hand tightly. Her hand was cold, but her grip was firm.

“Did you know,” she said softly, “A long time ago, my mother did the same to protect me…”

She didn’t finish, but Xu Zhaoyi understood. That was why Jiang Yao had been so shocked and moved. In that moment, Jiang Yao had seen a scene from years ago repeat itself, only this time, she was the one being protected.

“My mother protected me like that too,” Xu Zhaoyi said. “When I was bullied as a kid, she stood in front of me.” She paused. “Back then, I thought my mom was the bravest person in the world.”

Jiang Yao’s eyes lit up.

“You were brave too,” she said. “Today… you were especially brave.”

Xu Zhaoyi’s face felt hot. She looked away. “I just… didn’t want you to be hurt.”

Jiang Yao smiled beautifully. Then, she suddenly leaned in and pressed a light kiss to Xu Zhaoyi’s forehead.

It was a soft, fleeting kiss. Like the brush of a feather.

Xu Zhaoyi froze completely. Her eyes widened as she stared at Jiang Yao’s face so close to hers, her heart feeling as if it might leap out of her chest.

“That’s your reward,” Jiang Yao’s eyes crinkled into crescents. “Brave children deserve a reward.”

With that, she let go of her hand and lay back on the bed.

“I’m a bit tired. I want to sleep for a while,” she said, closing her eyes. “You should rest too. It’s almost morning.”

Xu Zhaoyi stood there in a daze, watching the profile of Jiang Yao’s sleeping face while her mind buzzed. The sensation on her forehead remained, burning like fire. She raised a hand to touch her forehead, then turned and tiptoed out of the room.

Closing the door and standing in the hallway, she finally let out a long breath. She raised her hand again to touch her forehead.

The kiss was light and brief. The contact was gone as quickly as it had arrived. But the feeling lingered on her skin, warm and unshakeable.