The Guide to Faking Innocence to Win His Wife - Chapter 25

“Zhongmu jie, I truly like her. I saw her once a long time ago. She stayed at your place back then, didn’t she? I have remembered her all these years. Just help a brother out this once.”

“I am serious. It was love at first sight, you know? If I do not try to pursue her now, I will regret it for the rest of my life.”

 

The afternoon sun was scorching and the weather was suffocatingly humid. There was not a breath of wind. The thick air felt stagnant, and even the surrounding clamor of the crowd seemed to fall into a sudden hush.

 

The girl’s shoulder-length hair was tied back in a small ponytail. Her hands were shoved into the pockets of her light blue distressed jeans as she stood there with a cold face, saying nothing.

 

Opposite her was a dark-skinned youth about 1.8 meters tall. While not conventionally handsome, his features were straight and he had an appealing smile that showed off a row of white teeth. He was currently pleading in a low voice.

 

“Zhongmu jie, this is your buddy’s lifelong happiness we are talking about. You have to help.”

 

Zhongmu’s voice was cold and decisive. “Impossible. Do not even think about it.”

 

Jiang Nanyang did not get angry. There was an unwritten rule in Jiang Town that under no circumstances should anyone harass a tenant staying in someone else’s home. This was meant to protect the guests and maintain neighborly harmony, preventing the town from becoming a den of trouble. Jiang Nanyang’s behavior was a direct violation of this rule, giving Zhongmu every right to refuse him.

 

“Zhongmu jie, my dear sister, please. Just help your little brother this once. I truly like her. If I win her over, I will treat her well for the rest of my life,” Jiang Nanyang promised solemnly.

 

He was genuinely infatuated. As a youth who had rarely left the small town, he had been struck star-struck by a single glance, setting aside his pride and the rules just to beg for a chance.

 

“You and she are not from the same world. It is impossible,” Zhongmu said, her resolve unshakable. As the words left her mouth, she paused and the emotions in her eyes darkened. Suddenly, it was not clear if she was talking about him or herself.

 

“If I do not try, I will not be able to accept it.”

 

“Then learn to accept it. She will be leaving Jiang Town soon. You do not have a chance,” Zhongmu let the words drop one by one.

 

The obedient child who stood before Xie Zhiyi was nowhere to be found. In front of others, she practically wore her bad temper on her forehead. Her face was full of irritation and her hands were clenched at her sides.

 

“Then I still have to put in the effort,” Jiang Nanyang remained determined.

 

“Effort for what? Get the hell out of here,” Zhongmu’s voice rose and a flash of ferocity crossed her eyes, like a little leopard whose territory had been invaded.

 

Seeing her like this, Jiang Nanyang softened his tone and tried a gentler approach. “Zhongmu jie, I was always good to you back in the day.”

 

Zhongmu cut him off, suddenly grabbing his collar with one hand and hissing, “Good? Have you forgotten what you used to call me? A bastard with no parents? You think I forgot that?”

 

Jiang Nanyang instantly felt guilty. “That was just me being young and ignorant.”

 

“Ignorant?” Zhongmu sneered. “If I had not beaten sense into you a few times, when exactly were you going to become wise?”

 

“The only reason I am even speaking to you right now is out of respect for your parents. Do not push your luck,” she said, her eyes chillingly sharp.

 

Jiang Nanyang was stunned into silence. Recalling the days of getting thrashed as a child, he could not help but swallow hard.

 

A child whose parents died early naturally had a harder life than most. Boys of that half-grown age were the most annoying. They would take bits of gossip heard from their parents and add their own embellishments, making Zhongmu out to be a pitiful stray whom anyone could bully.

 

In the beginning, Zhongmu had been too lazy to care, simply retreating to her room so she would not have to hear it. But once she returned to school, it became a problem. In a small town, everyone knew everyone’s business. Soon, the rumors were everywhere and even younger kids felt bold enough to mock her.

 

Zhongmu was young, but once her patience snapped, she retaliated with painful precision. Her desperate, “do not care if it hurts” style of fighting had terrified many, especially when backed by the formidable trio of Jiang Nanxun and his friends. Those who needed to shut up did so quickly, leaving only those who now eagerly called her “Sister” to try and stay on her good side.

 

Having said her piece, Zhongmu released his collar and turned to walk away without looking back.

 

“Zhongmu!”

 

Before she could reach the group, Jiang Nanxun strode over, his voice laced with anger. “What is wrong? What did that guy say to you?”

 

Friendships have degrees of closeness. He was closest to Zhongmu and naturally sided with her. Moreover, Zhongmu was not typically ill-tempered. Although she looked cold, she rarely got genuinely angry, certainly not with the fuming rage she showed now.

 

“Nothing,” Zhongmu replied instinctively, then paused. Remembering something, she asked, “Are you guys short a person?”

 

“Yeah. There are only a few of us left in town fit for it. I have to go up for two rounds,” Jiang Nanxun answered honestly.

 

There were many young men in town, but some were away for work and others had been assigned elsewhere. Furthermore, many parents did not like their children performing on the Heavenly Wheel because one slip-up could result in a broken leg or arm. Thus, their group was at its smallest.

 

“I will take a round for you,” Zhongmu said flatly. She did not ask, she decided.

 

“Huh?” Jiang Nanxun looked astonished.

 

“Watch her for me for two minutes. I am going to change.” With that, she strode away.

 

To ride the Heavenly Wheel, one could not dress normally. The traditional women’s skirts were long and adorned with heavy accessories that jingled from the neck and arms, which was highly impractical for clinging to a ten-meter pole while spinning. She had to ask Jiang Nanlei for a fresh set of men’s clothes.

 

The men’s attire was much simpler, with a deep blue short tunic and knee-length trousers. The cuffs and hems were embroidered with colorful patterns, mostly orchids or camellias, which was simple yet detailed.

 

Perhaps because people were used to seeing Zhongmu in casual clothes, she looked strikingly different in this outfit. Xie Zhiyi, sitting in the shade, kept her gaze on her for a long time before finally looking away.

 

The girl walking toward her was long-limbed and stood tall and lean. Her hair was still half-tied back, revealing sharp and elegant features. Her narrow phoenix eyes were upturned at the corners and her gaze was heavy yet carried a hint of nonchalance, like an incensed little leopard ready to pounce back at its enemy.

 

“Sister, you missed the Flower Mountain Festival before, didn’t you? It is lucky you caught it this time, otherwise, what a shame it would have been.”

 

Jiang Nanyang, having failed to get help from Zhongmu, had proactively approached Xie Zhiyi, sitting on a small stool nearby to try and strike up a conversation.

 

Jiang Nanxun, who had been tasked with watching her, was already out on the field. Because he had to go twice, he was scheduled for the beginning and the end. Even if he wanted to help Zhongmu look after her, he was busy kicking a wooden pole into the sky while the onlookers let out occasional cries of amazement.

 

Zhongmu grabbed the stool next to Xie Zhiyi and sat down brusquely, her long legs bent at an angle.

 

“Zhongmu jie,” Jiang Nanyang muttered from the other side, his voice lacking confidence.

 

Zhongmu turned her head and gave him a chilling look, her tightened jawline exceptionally sharp.

 

Xie Zhiyi, caught in the middle, remained silent. She would respond when a topic was raised, but she never proactively started a conversation, maintaining her usual gentle yet distant demeanor. Jiang Nanyang awkwardly forced a few more topics, all of which ended abruptly.

 

After all, Zhongmu’s presence was far too powerful, like a block of ice stationed right next to him. She rested her forearms on her knees and did not speak. She only looked over gloomily whenever Xie Zhiyi gave an answer.

 

Jiang Nanyang was so intimidated he actually forgot what he was going to say. You could not blame him because Zhongmu had been truly vicious when she fought back then. No one knew where a teenage girl got such hostility. Perhaps she just felt she had nothing to lose without her parents, and the Grandmother was too old to stop her. Regardless, she had beaten every person who spoke ill of her until they cried.

 

And you could not even complain to your parents about it. If a boy went home and said a girl had chased him down and made him cry, his father would not go after Zhongmu. He would take out his belt and teach his son a lesson personally.

 

Some had tried to tell their parents, but hearing that the child is young and has no parents, the adults usually backed down, leaving the kids to deal with the bruises themselves. Meanwhile, those like Jiang Nanxun who helped her never got scolded for coming home with injuries. Instead, they were praised.

 

Thus, this group had grown bolder with every fight. If Zhongmu had not limited her target to those spreading rumors and insults, she likely would have become the boss of Jiang Town long ago.

 

Jiang Nanyang suddenly rubbed his inner thigh, remembering a long-lost pain. Just then, Zhongmu looked at him again.

 

He shrank back, feeling that Zhongmu was like a greedy landlord who possessed a priceless treasure box she could not open, yet refused to let anyone else touch or open it, preferring to sleep while clutching the crate tight.

He hesitated and blurted out another word: “Sister.”

Zhongmu’s light amber eyes shifted, and her gaze narrowed as she stared at the bold fellow.

 

Xie Zhiyi remained composed as if she had not seen the undercurrents swirling between them, but she also did not respond to Jiang Nanyang’s call.

 

This was enough to make the little leopard feel happy. Her expression softened slightly, and she intentionally shifted her legs as she sat, pressing closer to the person beside her.

 

Even with a few centimeters between them, the coolness of Xie Zhiyi’s body temperature was an incredibly comfortable sensation in the sweltering heat of the afternoon.

 

Zhongmu straightened her back, preparing to say something, but they began calling names on the other side. Riding the Heavenly Wheel looked simple, but it was actually exhausting. People had to be rotated out frequently.

 

Zhongmu answered the call. She watched Jiang Nanyang stand up and take the first step toward the field, then she stood up unhurriedly, glanced at Xie Zhiyi, and strode away.

 

“How are you feeling? Do not push yourself. If you cannot do it, come down,” Jiang Nanxun whispered as she approached.

 

When the wheel outside of town had not yet been dismantled during their childhood, these rascals had snuck onto it many times. Zhongmu had been quite good at it back then, which was why Jiang Nanxun had asked her to join in the first place. But now that she was actually on the field, he started to fret. After all, Zhongmu had not touched this thing in years.

 

“It is fine,” Zhongmu shook her head.

 

“Alright. If you cannot handle it, just shout and we will stop,” Jiang Nanxun said, still worried. The usually carefree man was surprisingly reliable when he turned serious.

 

The crowd around the field grew larger, forming high and low walls of people. Children were lifted onto their fathers’ shoulders, peering curiously toward the center.

 

As time passed, the red sun sank in the west. A breeze swept over the river, finally bringing some coolness.

 

On the other side, Jiang Nanyang, perhaps nursing a grudge, threw himself onto the other end of the wooden beam.

 

Although the Heavenly Wheel was similar to a giant seesaw, the way it was played was different. There were no seats on either end, and it did not simply move up and down in a fixed rhythm.

 

Instead, players locked their arms over the beam, ran around the central pillar to build momentum, and then kicked off the ground with force to take flight. It was somewhat like a spinning swing at an amusement park, except one had to generate the power to fly.

 

“What is that guy doing?” Jiang Nanxun frowned, his expression dissatisfied as he watched Jiang Nanyang start running on his own.

 

There was a technique to boarding the wheel. The person in front had it easier; they just gripped the beam and kicked off. The person behind had to chase the rotating wood and time their jump onto it as it descended.

 

Just as Jiang Nanxun was about to shout for the guy to come down and restart, Zhongmu suddenly chased after it.

 

A cheer erupted from the crowd.

 

Whether intentionally or not, Jiang Nanyang was swinging much faster than the previous performers. The wooden beam sliced through the air with a whistling sound.

 

Zhongmu, as agile as a little leopard, charged straight in.

 

In an instant, the beam appeared before her. She immediately stepped back half a pace with her right leg, then her calf muscles tightened as she leaped upward. Dust rose from the blue bricks as her hands gripped the wood like a macaque. With a powerful pull, her entire body seemed to fly up before landing firmly, her weight pinning the beam down.

 

Jiang Nanyang on the other end plummeted. His footsteps faltered, but he quickly steadied himself and kicked backward to keep the wheel spinning.

 

Applause and cheers rang out together.

 

As the saying goes, the laypeople watch for the excitement without knowing the danger. If Zhongmu had made even a minor error, the rapidly approaching beam would have struck the back of her head. The audience only knew that what they had just seen was thrilling, and they cheered instantly.

 

“Damn it, what is Jiang Nanyang doing?!” Jiang Nanxun was furious, cursing with clenched fists.

 

Further back, Xie Zhiyi frowned slightly, her eyes fixed on the two in the circle.

 

Both were indeed acting out of a desire for revenge. Jiang Nanyang did not slow down, and Zhongmu showed no mercy. They were like rivals in a race, pressing down with full weight upon landing and pushing forward with all their might as soon as their feet touched the ground.

 

Jiang Nanyang, sent into the air once more, was jolted so hard he briefly let go of the beam before clutching it again in terror.

 

Zhongmu, however, looked quite at ease. It was likely because even back then, she could outperform Jiang Nanxun and his two friends combined.

 

Although Jiang Nanyang tried his best to press down, he was not as clever as Zhongmu. Every time she was lifted to the peak, she would kick off into the air, momentarily loosening her grip to absorb the vibration of the beam. It was naturally much more comfortable for her than it was for him.

 

The beam rose and fell. Her slight figure was lifted ten meters into the air once again, a height that could inspire an instinctive fear.

 

She looked down. Everyone appeared the same size, and the rooftops of every house were laid out before her. As the wind whistled past her ears, the ponytail at the back of her head loosened.

 

This had been her favorite thing as a child. Although dangerous, it allowed her to leap to the highest point and see all of Jiang Town with the help of a spring breeze.

 

However, after Grandmother had sternly warned her several times, she had never played it again. She could not let the old woman be sad for her a second time.

 

Zhongmu was lost in thought and did not notice the situation on the other side. She only felt the force from the other end becoming lighter, so she cooperated by speeding up.

 

Until…

 

“Zhongmu!”

 

“Jiang Zhongmu!”

 

The shouting interrupted her thoughts. Zhongmu instinctively looked toward the sound.

 

Jiang Nankai cupped his hands around his mouth like a megaphone and yelled, “Yang Zi cannot take it anymore! Stop the wheel!”

 

“Yang Zi is going to fall!”

 

Zhongmu was startled. She turned her head and saw the person who had been so arrogant just a moment ago was now pale, clutching the beam for dear life with a look of pure terror.

 

Playing with this thing depended entirely on courage. Since it involved swinging up and down at a height of ten meters, the faint-hearted would not even dare to board. Someone who climbed up on a burst of bravado would lose their mind entirely if they got scared. A distance that was not frightening before became terrifying in an instant.

 

Clearly, Jiang Nanyang was the second type. He was now trembling while hugging the beam.

 

Zhongmu was annoyed, but she had no intention of causing a fatal accident. She hurriedly pressed down on her end, and instead of stepping on the ground, she used her momentum to rise slowly.

 

Jiang Nanyang on the other end descended gradually. As soon as he touched the ground, his legs went soft. Fortunately, others rushed to catch him and hold the beam steady so Zhongmu could dismount safely.

 

The audience, only there for the spectacle, let out a loud groan of disappointment. These two had been the most extreme and exciting performers, yet they had spent the shortest time on the field. The crowd was naturally dissatisfied.

 

But the performers could not care about that. Even the previously furious Jiang Nanxun rushed to help Jiang Nanyang toward the shade.

 

The 1.8-meter-tall young man had been tossed around at ten meters in the air until his legs were like jelly; he could not even walk without help.

 

Knowing this was the final act, the spectators began to disperse. A few bold tourists tried to imitate them by climbing the wheel, but they were unceremoniously driven away by the townspeople. Other things were open to guests, but even Jiang Nanyang, who had played since childhood, had become dizzy and shaken. They did not dare let tourists try it.

 

Compared to the half-dead Jiang Nanyang, Zhongmu appeared much more relaxed. She followed unhurriedly, her gaze drifting toward Xie Zhiyi.

 

Xie Zhiyi noticed her immediately but turned her gaze away very quickly.

 

Zhongmu pursed her lips. The slight sense of joy she had just felt vanished completely.

 

In the shade, a group of people surrounded Jiang Nanyang.

 

“Are you alright, Yang Zi?” someone asked with a mix of concern and amusement.

 

“He got what he deserved! Can you walk? Do you need to rest a bit more?” Jiang Nanxun laughed and cursed from the side.

 

Everyone laughed. They had all seen that it was Jiang Nanyang who started the trouble, only to be outmatched by Zhongmu and frightened into this state.

 

“Go away,” Jiang Nanyang said, both angry and shaken. He waved a hand and admitted, “Let me sit for a bit longer.”

 

“Serves you right,” Jiang Nanlei added.

 

Jiang Nanyang looked up, wanting to say something, but stopped when he saw Zhongmu approaching.

 

“You stay with Yang Zi. I am taking her and leaving first,” Zhongmu stood before him but did not look at him. Instead, she spoke to Jiang Nanxun.

 

“Sure. We have kept her here too long anyway. Go ahead and take her for a walk,” Jiang Nanxun agreed quickly. He then added, “My mother is at home. Go grab a bottle of bayberry wine for your guest later.”

 

This was an apology to settle the matter.

 

“Fine,” Zhongmu agreed readily since she had already given the guy a good scare.

 

Just as she was about to turn and leave, she heard Jiang Nanyang suddenly shout, “Sister, why don’t you give me your contact information?”

 

The moment those words were spoken, the pleasant atmosphere that had just been established vanished instantly.

 

Zhongmu’s face went cold. A fierce aura gathered between her brows, and her eyes fixed on Jiang Nanyang with a dark, somber light.

 

The pale-faced man turned his head and stared straight at Xie Zhiyi.

 

The people nearby realized what was happening and hurriedly tried to laugh it off and smooth things over.

 

“Yang Zi, what nonsense are you talking about? Has the spinning made you lose your head?”

 

“Zhongmu jie, you should leave with her first. We will handle things here.”

 

But Jiang Nanyang refused to listen. He stared toward Xie Zhiyi as if he would not give up until he got a result.

 

Zhongmu clenched her fists and was about to move forward when she heard a soft, mellow voice.

 

“Okay.”

 

Zhongmu’s eyes widened instantly as she looked over in disbelief.