The Guide to Faking Innocence to Win His Wife - Chapter 17

The early morning was slightly cool, with the sound of birds and flowing water filling the air. The small town was submerged in a hazy white mist that seemed to dissolve as the sunlight filtered through it.

Jiang Zhongmu sat at her workbench, her right hand gripping the handpiece while her left held a piece of yellow dragon jade. Water dripped from a overhead tube, and the piston burr spun rapidly, sending stone dust flying.

Her eyes were intensely focused. With a slight tremor of her right hand, the rough silhouette of a woman began to emerge on the surface of the stone.

Someone outside the room had intended to head straight upstairs but was drawn by the sound and stopped at the doorway. Xie Zhiyi didn’t speak to interrupt. The wind ruffled the hem of her floral dress, revealing her slender, fair ankles. Her delicate features carried a soft, alluring grace, and her moist red lips were curled into a slight smile.

Jiang Zhongmu noticed nothing, her entire soul poured into her work.

Time was ticking away. Her godfather, Jiang Gaoxuan, was due back soon, and having spent the last few days hovering around Xie Zhiyi, she had nearly forgotten her “homework.” Now, she was rushing to finish.

The high-speed rotation made the handpiece scorching hot. The crook of her thumb was pressed into deep, frightening ridges; even the flow of cool water couldn’t provide much relief. Jiang Zhongmu paused, finally choosing to turn off the machine for a temporary rest.

She leaned back against the wooden chair and let out a long breath, casually brushing the stone dust from her hair.

People often imagined jade carving to be an elegant affair, a white-haired master sitting solemnly at a bench, carving a masterpiece with a chisel. In reality, it was messy work: dust flying, water splashing, and sharp shards occasionally hitting you. A single splinter in the eye could lead to blindness—a tragedy that happened in Jiang Town every few years. It was far more dangerous than people thought.

Whenever fatigue set in or the machine overheated, Jiang Zhongmu and her peers would stop to study the stone, pondering their next move. She rubbed her thumb over the carving; the blurry silhouette was already taking shape in the eyes of a true carver.

“Taking a break?” A soft voice suddenly broke her train of thought.

Jiang Zhongmu snapped her head around, her tense expression softening as she saw the newcomer. “Just for a moment,” she said in a low voice. “Did you finish your breakfast?”

She had woken up early to buy douhua. Seeing that Xie Zhiyi wasn’t awake, she hadn’t disturbed her, simply leaving a note on the bedroom door telling her there was food waiting downstairs.

“I finished,” Xie Zhiyi said, walking into the room and looking toward the workbench. Jiang Zhongmu shifted to the side to give her a better view.

She had noticed before that Xie Zhiyi seemed interested in the craft perhaps even a bit knowledgeable.

“Is this a sea maiden?” Xie Zhiyi stood behind her, her hand resting idly on the back of the chair.

Jiang Zhongmu was surprised. “You can tell?”

It was only a rough shape; even a mediocre carver would have trouble identifying it, yet Xie Zhiyi had recognized it at a glance.

Instead of explaining, Xie Zhiyi asked, “Are you going to grind away those white parts at the bottom?”

The stone Jiang Zhongmu held was primarily orange-yellow, but the lower section was scattered with messy white spots.

“No, I’m keeping them to serve as sea foam,” she replied.

“That’s a good idea,” Xie Zhiyi nodded in approval. To get a closer look, she leaned in toward Jiang Zhongmu. A faint, lingering fragrance drifted over, wrapping around the other girl’s senses.

“Did you study this…?” Jiang Zhongmu asked. Her back was pressed tight against the chair, the wooden frame digging painfully into her spine, but she was too distracted to care.

A flash of sorrow crossed Xie Zhiyi’s face before she spoke with a sense of release. “This was my major in university. Later, I became a teacher for the subject.”

It clicked for Jiang Zhongmu. “So, the reason you came to Jiang Town back then was for the jade carving?”

“It was,” Xie Zhiyi admitted, no longer hiding it.

“No wonder you stayed for a whole month.”

The town was small and repetitive; most people got bored after three days. But Xie Zhiyi had stayed for a month, wandering the streets every day. Jiang Zhongmu finally understood why.

Clearly wanting to drop the subject, Xie Zhiyi quickly pivoted: “This one is much better than the dragon plaque from last time.”

The guilty “Master Jiang” immediately forgot the previous topic. “I’m better at carving these.”

“Sea maidens?”

“Women,” Jiang Zhongmu said without hesitation or hidden meaning. Just like in drawing, some are better at portraits while others excel at landscapes. It was the same in jade carving.

“That’s impressive. You have real talent,” Xie Zhiyi nodded. Portraits are the most difficult yet popular subjects—Maitreya Buddhas, Guan Yins, and the like—so masters who specialize in human figures usually command higher fees.

They were standing close. Jiang Zhongmu’s ear was level with the older woman’s jaw. Warm breath brushed against her ear, sending a wave of tingles through her body. Xie Zhiyi hadn’t noticed; her “teacher instincts” had kicked in, and she began pointing out specific areas of the stone to offer advice.

Outside, the mist dissipated, leaving the dew on the green leaves to glisten in the sun. Their body temperatures were vastly different—one like a furnace, the other like cool jade. Though they weren’t fully touching, the sensation was clearer than if they were.

Jiang Zhongmu pursed her lips, nodding mechanically while her hand secretly gripped the edge of the stool.

“…Are you planning to leave this area blank?”

“No, I’m going to let her hair flow over here. Leaving it blank would look too empty,” Jiang Zhongmu answered accurately, despite her distracted mind.

“True, but that’s harder to control. You’ll have to be careful,” Xie Zhiyi noted. In figure carving, the eyes and the hair are the hardest parts; they are the essence of the character. One slip and the figure becomes stiff and lifeless.

Xie Zhiyi’s breath ruffled the stray hairs by Jiang Zhongmu’s ear, making it turn a blood-red hue.

Jiang Zhongmu felt a sudden sense of helplessness. She was constantly falling victim to these unintentional provocations. The other woman was completely fine, while she was left tossing and turning all night. If this were a competition, Jiang Zhongmu would have lost long ago. Xie Zhiyi saw her as just a landlord’s granddaughter, an old acquaintance, or a precocious kid.

And then?

“Sister…” Jiang Zhongmu suddenly leaned back. Her light amber eyes reflected Xie Zhiyi’s silhouette, and her jawline looked sharper than ever.

“Hm?” Xie Zhiyi looked down, her stray curls brushing against the girl’s cheek.

Look at her, Jiang Zhongmu thought. Always so good at provoking people without even trying. If you called her wicked, she had no ill intent. If you called her innocent, she always ran away after stirring up trouble just like years ago. She remained unmoved, leaving Jiang Zhongmu standing in place, unable to move forward.

“Sister, why don’t you ask me why I’m best at carving women?” The sunlight hit her amber eyes, making her look like a leopard on the hunt stalking its prey, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Xie Zhiyi froze, following her lead instinctively. “Why?”

“Because I like women,” Jiang Zhongmu said with a laugh. Her stoic shell shattered, replaced by an air of reckless, rowdy honesty.

Outside, a strong wind rose, shaking the branches. For the first time, Jiang Zhongmu felt the sudden, frantic skip of the other woman’s heart.

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