The Cannon Fodder Crazy Beauty Has Awakened [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 43.1

“Please don’t leave me, okay?”

By the time she woke up, two hours had already passed.

Chi Jingyan wanted Jiang Mengyu to pay respects to the late Elder Chi by offering incense.

It wasn’t that Chi Jingyan held any particular reverence for the old man rather, she wanted to use this gesture to show everyone that her feelings for Jiang Mengyu were serious.

When she made the suggestion, Chi Jingyan was worried Jiang Mengyu might refuse.

After all, Jiang Mengyu hadn’t yet agreed to her pursuit. From Jiang Mengyu’s perspective, Elder Chi might just be an unrelated stranger, one who had even insulted her.

Jiang Mengyu, however, had no such reservations. She had never actually met Elder Chi. During her last visit to the Chi family’s ancestral home, she hadn’t even shown herself in front of the elders.

Back then, her identity had merely been Chi Jingyan’s bodyguard.

“Alright,” she said, smoothing her sleeves. “Let’s go.”

Chi Jingyan exhaled in relief and led Jiang Mengyu downstairs.

The mourning hall was solemn and dignified. From a distance, Jiang Mengyu could hear the mournful strains of funeral music. Chi Jingyan had changed back into her mourning attire, her posture ramrod straight, her expression betraying no trace of unease.

“Don’t be nervous. Just follow me.”

The hall wasn’t crowded aside from Chi family relatives, there were only a handful of guests who had come to pay their respects.

Elder Chi’s portrait hung at the center, while he himself lay peacefully in the coffin, oblivious to everything happening around him.

They say death extinguishes a life like a snuffed-out candle yet a candle can always be relit, while a person can never return.

Jiang Mengyu lowered her gaze slightly, thinking to herself that Chi Jingyan’s mental fortitude was truly impressive.

Elder Chi’s death was undeniably linked to her, yet she could still put on a convincing display of grief in front of others even daring to bring her accomplice to the mourning hall to offer incense.

If Elder Chi had any awareness in the afterlife, he’d probably be furious enough to resurrect himself.

Madam Chi was the first to notice Jiang Mengyu. Her brows furrowed tightly as she shot Chi Jingyan a disapproving look.

But Chi Jingyan held Jiang Mengyu’s hand firmly as she walked forward, only letting go when they were nearly in front of Madam Chi. Softly, she called out, “Mom.”

Jiang Mengyu also greeted her. “Auntie.”

Madam Chi struggled to suppress her anger, but a trace of displeasure still seeped into her voice. “Why did you bring her here?”

Allowing Chi Jingyan to associate with Jiang Mengyu in private was already the greatest concession she could make. Yet now Chi Jingyan had the audacity to bring her openly into the mourning hall, what was she trying to prove?

Chi Jingyan subtly shielded Jiang Mengyu, her protective stance unmistakable. “Mom, Jiang, no, Jiaojiao is someone I care about. Why shouldn’t she be here?”

At these words, Jiang Mengyu’s eyes flickered slightly. Earlier, when Chi Jingyan had learned about her childhood nickname “Jiaojiao,” she had been so upset her eyes turned red. How could she bring herself to say it now?

Chi Jingyan also felt a pang of regret.

Calling Jiang Mengyu by her full name in front of her mother felt too distant, but she hadn’t known what else to say. For some reason, the nickname “Jiaojiao” had flashed through her mind, and she’d blurted it out without thinking.

Now that she’d said it, though, she felt strangely uncomfortable.

This was a nickname given to Jiang Mengyu by another woman, what did it mean for her to use it now?

Stealing a glance at Jiang Mengyu’s expression and seeing no trace of nostalgia on her face, Chi Jingyan subtly let out a sigh of relief.

Truth be told, setting aside her own biases, this nickname really did suit Jiang Mengyu, it was intimate enough.

Chi Jingyan comforted herself, thinking that if she called her by it a few more times, perhaps the name would lose its special significance in Jiang Mengyu’s heart.

Otherwise, it would remain a memory shared only between Jiang Mengyu and another woman, with no connection to Chi Jingyan whatsoever.

The more she thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed, and the sense of aversion in her heart gradually faded.

“Jiaojiao?”

Hearing Chi Jingyan call Jiang Mengyu by that name, Madam Chi’s expression immediately darkened. “Jingyan, you!”

But with Jiang Mengyu present, Madam Chi couldn’t bring herself to say anything too harsh.

“Mom,” Chi Jingyan cut her off, “we can talk about this later.”

Seeing that her daughter was determined to stand by Jiang Mengyu, Madam Chi turned away and fell silent.

Chi Jingyan’s father had stepped out to see off the guests and wasn’t present. With the only person who could rein her in tacitly allowing it, Chi Jingyan blinked at Jiang Mengyu. “Go ahead.”

Madam Chi believed Jiang Mengyu wasn’t worthy, but in Chi Jingyan’s eyes, it was she who had practically begged Jiang Mengyu to come. She was even worried that seeing Madam Chi might dredge up unpleasant memories for Jiang Mengyu.

Jiang Mengyu took an incense stick from Chi Jingyan. Gazing at the kindly face of the late Elder Chi in the photograph, she thought dispassionately that if she hadn’t left her pheromones in the jasmine bushes of the Chi family’s garden, the old man might not have fallen so gravely ill so quickly and thus wouldn’t have been outmaneuvered by Chi Jingyan.

His existence had indeed been an inconvenience.

Jiang Mengyu gave a slight bow and was about to place the incense in the burner when, suddenly, a woman strode over from the side and reached out to grab her hand.

“Wait!”

Jiang Mengyu sidestepped the grasp, retreating a step. Before she could get a clear look at the woman’s face, Chi Jingyan blocked her view.

Her expression icy, Chi Jingyan said, “Aunt San, do you really intend to cause a scene in front of Grandfather’s memorial?”

So, this was Chi Jia’s mother.

Aunt San glared coldly at Chi Jingyan before shifting her gaze past her to Jiang Mengyu.

“Who’s causing a scene remains to be seen.”

“Jingyan, who is this young lady behind you? Why don’t you introduce her to us?”

No sooner had she spoken than Chi Jia stepped forward, her face haggard but her eyes dark and piercing.

There was no way Aunt San didn’t know Jiang Mengyu’s identity, this was clearly a deliberate provocation. Chi Jingyan shielded Jiang Mengyu firmly, not letting Aunt San so much as touch the hem of her clothes.

“You’ve always been so meddlesome,” Chi Jingyan said mockingly. “Focus on your own family first. Others’ affairs are none of your concern.”

With that, she turned back to Jiang Mengyu, her expression softening instantly. “Go ahead.”

The ash from the burning incense drifted through the air, filling the memorial hall with the scent of sandalwood, which nearly masked Chi Jingyan’s own pheromones. But Chi Jia, standing closest to her, still caught a faint trace of a scent that didn’t belong to her.

Chi Jingyan really had been marked by Jiang Mengyu and not just temporarily, but for life.

As an SS-rank Alpha, she had been permanently marked by another Alpha.

Hah.

Chi Jia’s gaze toward Chi Jingyan was so dark it seemed to solidify into something tangible.

Third Uncle Chi had been detained. Despite her and Third Aunt’s repeated efforts, it was all in vain, they couldn’t even see him.

And this was just the beginning, right after Grandpa’s death. Chi Jia could already imagine the living hell their branch of the family would endure in the Chi household from now on.

So why was Chi Jingyan getting everything she wanted?

Jiang Mengyu had been furious before, how could she forgive Chi Jingyan so easily?

As Jiang Mengyu finished paying her respects and stood up, she happened to catch Chi Jia’s sharp glance. She pressed her fingers lightly against her brow, masking the contemplation in her eyes.

Old Master Chi’s burial was scheduled for three days later. Chi Jingyan had specifically requested leave for both of them, asking Jiang Mengyu to stay at the ancestral home for a few more days.

She wasn’t comfortable letting Jiang Mengyu leave alone.

Night fell.

Chi Jingyan went to keep vigil for Old Master Chi, leaving Jiang Mengyu alone in the bedroom. Restless, she stared at the scattered lights outside the window, mentally calculating the time before pushing the door open and stepping out.

The bodyguard outside turned to look at her. Jiang Mengyu kept it brief. “Can’t sleep. Going for a walk.”

The bodyguard hesitated but said nothing, silently following at a discreet distance.

The young mistress had only instructed him to protect Jiang Mengyu, not to restrict her freedom.

System 031, silent for a long time, suddenly piped up. [Host, what are you doing wandering around at night instead of sleeping?]

The female lead A had no choice, she had to keep vigil. But the host wasn’t bound by those rules. What was she up to?

031 grew wary.

“What could I possibly do?”

As she spoke, Jiang Mengyu had already left the main building, walking along the corridor toward another wing. Her steps were unhurried, but as she turned a corner, she abruptly collided with someone.

Chi Jia emerged from the shadows, her expression unsurprised, as if she had been waiting. “Long time no see.”

No one stood behind Chi Jia, but Jiang Mengyu’s peripheral vision caught a faint movement in the darkness not far behind her.

Chi Jia stared straight at Jiang Mengyu. “So you’re really with Chi Jingyan now?”

Jiang Mengyu remained silent, simply watching her. Chi Jia had once found this indifference intriguing now, she hated it.

“Jiang Mengyu, do you actually believe Chi Jingyan loves you?”

Chi Jia took a step closer, her voice dropping lower. “What if I told you Chi Jingyan is just using you as a replacement? Would you find that hard to believe?”

“A replacement?” Jiang Mengyu frowned, avoiding Chi Jia’s outstretched hand.

The bodyguard behind her moved to intervene, but Jiang Mengyu waved him off, signaling for him to step back before asking quietly, “What do you mean?”

Chi Jia sneered. “You probably don’t know this, but Chi Jingyan once knew a Chinese-American girl in the U.S. Her Chinese name was something like Jia Yue?”

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