The Cannon Fodder Crazy Beauty Has Awakened [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 42.1

“Jiang Mengyu, you’re using me as a substitute?!”

Hearing this, Chi Jingyan felt most of her worries dissipate. She gazed at the person before her, who was looking at her with such earnestness, her heart aching yet sweet, filled with joy and a trace of relief, though somewhere deep inside, she still felt a hint of confusion.

Would Jiang Mengyu agree to be with her?

The way Jiang Mengyu was looking at her now was so gentle and serene, like the surface of a windless sea. Though her expression was subtle, it radiated a sense of peace and tenderness.

Unable to resist, Chi Jingyan reached out and hugged Jiang Mengyu tightly again, her voice still slightly hoarse. “Stay and sleep with me for a while, okay?”

Jiang Mengyu had never slept in Chi Jingyan’s bedroom before. The last time, she had only sneaked in late at night and stayed for a little over an hour before slipping back downstairs under the cover of darkness.

Chi Jingyan probably didn’t live in the old family house often, as her bedroom wasn’t cluttered, arranged simply and neatly likely cleaned regularly by someone.

Taking off her coat, Jiang Mengyu climbed into bed with Chi Jingyan, immediately enveloped by a soft, warm body curling into her arms.

Chi Jingyan buried her face in Jiang Mengyu’s neck and took a deep breath, exhaling in relief only after catching the familiar scent of jasmine.

“The rule about coming home every Friday for family dinner was set by Grandpa,” she murmured, her voice so quiet it was almost a whisper, her warm breath tickling Jiang Mengyu’s ear.

“My dad really dislikes Third Uncle and resents Grandpa too.”

Chi Jingyan had never shared these things with Jiang Mengyu before. Even though they were common knowledge, they were still private family matters.

The fact that she was willing to talk about them now meant she truly saw Jiang Mengyu as someone close to her.

“Even though Grandpa let his mistress take the main wife’s place, he’s been wary of her all these years.”

Chi Jingyan’s father disliked his stepmother, and by extension, Chi Jingyan disliked her step-grandmother.

Her tone when speaking about the third branch was cold and mocking.

“Third Uncle won’t last much longer. My dad loathes him and has been itching to settle the score with him for ages.”

Jiang Mengyu listened quietly, offering no comment. Chi Jingyan didn’t need her to, she just wanted to talk.

“After all, Chi Jia is still young and hasn’t done anything truly terrible. And since my dad is the elder, he probably won’t go too hard on her.”

Chi Jingyan’s father planned to send Chi Jia abroad.

Before, Chi Jingyan had merely disliked Chi Jia, it wasn’t a life-or-death grudge. But remembering how Chi Jia had repeatedly tried to target Jiang Mengyu, Chi Jingyan’s mood soured.

Thankfully, Jiang Mengyu hadn’t fallen for Chi Jia’s schemes.

At this thought, Chi Jingyan tilted her head slightly and planted a kiss on Jiang Mengyu’s cheek.

She loved these little intimate gestures. If she could, Chi Jingyan would mark every inch of Jiang Mengyu’s body, making it clear to everyone that Jiang Mengyu belonged to her.

“And what about you?” Jiang Mengyu asked.

She knew Chi Jingyan disliked Chi Jia intensely. Even if Chi Jingyan’s father was willing to let Chi Jia off, Chi Jingyan might not be so forgiving.

Chi Jingyan snorted. “That depends on what she chooses to do.”

She didn’t want to continue discussing this topic with Jiang Mengyu, nor did she want to hear Chi Jia’s name from Jiang Mengyu’s lips. Chi Jingyan pressed a finger to Jiang Mengyu’s mouth and whispered softly in her ear, “Let’s not talk about her anymore.”

Wasn’t she the one who brought it up in the first place?

Jiang Mengyu simply closed her eyes.

Seeing this, Chi Jingyan couldn’t tell if she was upset again. She gently rubbed the corner of Jiang Mengyu’s lips and changed the subject, asking, “Last time, you mentioned someone gave you a nickname. Who was that person?”

When she had asked Jiang Mengyu before, Jiang Mengyu hadn’t answered. Later, Chi Jingyan had even asked Secretary Zhao to investigate, but he couldn’t find any information about it.

Chi Jingyan couldn’t let it go. She even wondered if Jiang Mengyu had deliberately made it up to tease her.

Given Jiang Mengyu’s personality, it wasn’t impossible for her to do something like that.

After asking, Chi Jingyan carefully observed Jiang Mengyu’s reaction, hoping to detect any clues from her expression.

Jiang Mengyu’s reaction was no reaction at all.

She opened her eyes, her gaze lingering on Chi Jingyan’s cold yet beautiful face, and spoke in a light, unhurried tone, “My sister.”

Sister?

Chi Jingyan frowned. How had Secretary Zhao missed that Jiang Mengyu had a sister?

“When did you meet her?” Chi Jingyan probed.

Jiang Mengyu was an orphan who didn’t even know who her parents were, so it was impossible for her to have a biological sister. This “sister” must have been someone she met later.

Chi Jingyan had reviewed the files of everyone in the orphanage. Their relationships with Jiang Mengyu were distant, and after leaving, they hardly kept in touch. The sister Jiang Mengyu mentioned probably wasn’t from the orphanage, right?

“A long time ago,” Jiang Mengyu replied, seemingly unwilling to elaborate. Her voice was airy, carrying a hint of indifference.

Chi Jingyan’s jealousy flared up again. There was someone she didn’t know about, someone who had shared a past with Jiang Mengyu that she couldn’t be part of, someone who had affectionately given Jiang Mengyu a nickname. Did this so-called sister hold a special place in Jiang Mengyu’s heart?

Chi Jingyan pressed her lips together. “Where is your sister now?”

Jiang Mengyu didn’t respond for a long moment.

Noticing this, Chi Jingyan softly added, “I don’t mean anything by it. I just thought, since your sister is also my sister, I’d like to thank her for taking care of you in the past.”

Her words carried a subtle test both acknowledging her relationship with Jiang Mengyu and deliberately emphasizing that Jiang Mengyu and that sister were a thing of the past. The one by Jiang Mengyu’s side now was her.

Jiang Mengyu lowered her eyes. “No need.”

“She’s dead.”

Chi Jingyan froze. No wonder Secretary Zhao hadn’t found any trace of this person. She tightened her grip on Jiang Mengyu’s fingers, her voice softening. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

Her expression was one of regret, but beneath her half-lowered lashes flickered a trace of relief.

At least this person was no longer around.

Chi Jingyan leaned down and kissed Jiang Mengyu’s fingertips, her heart already much lighter. Still, she continued along the same line of questioning. “So, what was that nickname?”

Jiang Mengyu lay on her side, the cloud-and-moon pendant around her neck naturally drooping due to gravity. Chi Jingyan’s gaze was drawn to it, her heart brimming with joy and contentment as the corners of her lips curled slightly. But then, she suddenly heard Jiang Mengyu whisper softly, “Jiaojiao.”

Chi Jingyan’s smile froze. “Which ‘jiao’?”

“‘Bright is the moon amid the clouds, radiant the flower among the leaves.'”

Jiang Mengyu’s voice was so light, yet it struck Chi Jingyan’s ears like thunder.

In that instant, Chi Jingyan understood.

No wonder Jiang Mengyu had worn such an inscrutable expression when she called her the moon.

Chi Jingyan abruptly sat up, her eyes fixed intently on Jiang Mengyu. “You!”

The memory of Jiang Mengyu covering her eyes flashed repeatedly in Chi Jingyan’s mind, making her head throb as if it would split open. Her heart pounded violently, as if trying to leap out of her chest, and her entire body felt heavy and numb.

“Jiang Mengyu, what do you mean by this?”

Was she being treated as a substitute?!

Jiang Mengyu didn’t sit up with her. She remained in her previous position, her disheveled long hair partially revealing deep red love bites.

“What’s wrong with me?”

Jiang Mengyu’s expression was so calm, as if everything was just Chi Jingyan overthinking. But her earlier unusual behavior left Chi Jingyan feeling choked up.

“What exactly is your relationship with her?”

Chi Jingyan’s chest heaved violently, her breathing erratic. Her gaze at Jiang Mengyu was cold and heavy, yet beneath it lay a trace of barely detectable grievance and hope.

Chi Jingyan absolutely could not tolerate being someone else’s substitute.

Only then did Jiang Mengyu leisurely sit up. The pendant around her neck swayed slightly with her movement, the cloud and moon nestled so close together, intimate and inseparable. Yet now, the atmosphere between her and Chi Jingyan had turned stiff and oppressive.

Chi Jingyan didn’t want to fight with Jiang Mengyu either. After all, the relationship between them had only just begun to thaw slightly. But if she didn’t get clarity on this matter, she simply couldn’t calm down.

She could have easily ordered another thorough investigation, but Chi Jingyan stubbornly insisted on hearing the answer from Jiang Mengyu herself. She wanted Jiang Mengyu to tell her directly.

The young lady’s body trembled, her eyes rimmed red. Though her demeanor was sharp and thorny, her expression was pitifully vulnerable.

Jiang Mengyu suspected that if she were to say “yes,” Chi Jingyan might burst into tears on the spot.

Her silence stretched on, and Chi Jingyan’s heart grew heavier, as if countless needles were piercing it simultaneously. The pain made even breathing difficult.

Suddenly, Chi Jingyan recalled Jiang Mengyu’s mention of a “savior.” In truth, her people had never found any evidence of such a person existing. Before this, Chi Jingyan had never doubted Jiang Mengyu’s words but now, suspicion flared.

Jiang Mengyu had deceived her before. Initially, she claimed the person had stepped out of their car to help her, but later, she changed the story to say she had collided with their car.

Chi Jingyan didn’t know the details of the incident; everything had come from Jiang Mengyu’s account.

Perhaps Jiang Mengyu had been lying from the start. Maybe there was no savior, that person was the “older sister” she spoke of!

A woman whose figure resembled hers, whose voice was nearly identical!

Had Jiang Mengyu been treating her as a substitute from the very beginning?!

Chi Jingyan couldn’t accept this outcome.

The scent of pear and lychee wine began to spill uncontrollably, yet Chi Jingyan remained oblivious, her crimson eyes fixed solely on Jiang Mengyu. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”

Jiang Mengyu was simply pondering how to respond.

Her relationship with Jiang Wanjing?

Though Jiang Wanjing was only six years older, she had cared for Jiang Mengyu with meticulous attention in every way, both as an elder sister and a quasi-mother figure. Jiang Mengyu’s feelings toward her were a mix of affection and reverence; she was the woman Jiang Mengyu admired most.

In Jiang Mengyu’s eyes, the only blemish on Jiang Wanjing’s character was her romantic involvement with Tang An. Back then, Jiang Mengyu had been young, just starting middle school, and knew little about matters of the heart. Everything she knew came from Jiang Wanjing’s own words.

Jiang Wanjing had mentioned someone pursuing her, Tang An.

Now, as she recalled this, the memories veiled in a delicate haze suddenly sharpened. Jiang Mengyu remembered Jiang Wanjing’s expression at the time and abruptly realized that perhaps she hadn’t loved Tang An as deeply as Jiang Mengyu had always assumed.

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