The Guide to Faking Innocence to Win His Wife - Chapter 26

“No!”

“Jiang Zhongmu, are you intentionally looking for trouble? She already agreed, and you just have to block it, is that it?”

“I said no, and I mean no!”

The red sun was sinking in the west as dusk approached. Ripples disturbed the clear surface of the river. The once bustling street had suddenly quieted down. Tourists staying nearby knew the excitement had ended and drove away, while those staying overnight found casual restaurants to rest.

Jiang Zhongmu and Xie Zhiyi walked side by side, though not with the same intimacy as when they arrived. There was a ten-centimeter gap between them, through which the wind rushed, carrying a damp chill. Neither of them spoke, allowing the silence to spread.

One was stifling her anger. Her features were already sharp, and now her jawline was set tight like a blade. Her eyes were clouded with a suppressed gloom that made passersby instinctively avoid her. She simply could not understand why Xie Zhiyi would do this.

Even if the elder had never admitted it out loud, Jiang Zhongmu could feel that Xie Zhiyi liked the same sex. Yet now, she was willing to give Jiang Nanyang her contact information.

And yet, Jiang Zhongmu still did not have it. Jiang Nanyang, someone she barely knew, could obtain it so easily. Jiang Zhongmu’s eyes dimmed instantly, making her look like a stray puppy that no one wanted.

The person beside her looked normal, though her gaze occasionally swept over the girl, moving so fast it was almost undetectable.

Jiang Zhongmu looked away and rubbed her hand hard against the side of her pants. Unwilling to let things continue this way, she took a deep breath. “Do you want to eat fried potatoes?”

She pointed toward a popular stall where tourists were crowded together with small paper bowls.

“Uncle Zhan has good potatoes. He says they are brought over from Huize. They taste better than the local ones.”

Jiang Zhongmu finally turned to look at her, asking tentatively, “Do you want to try some?”

Xie Zhiyi merely shook her head. “I do not want any, thank you.”

This time, Jiang Zhongmu did not persist. She lowered her head again, appearing utterly dejected.

The elder noticed, of course, but remained silent. It was intentional. Earlier, while Jiang Zhongmu was away, Jiang Nanyang had approached her twice to ask for her contact info, and she had refused. But when Jiang Zhongmu was there, she had agreed.

She looked at the flowing river. A child’s thoughts were the easiest to guess. Previously, she had been too tangled in her own frustrations to think clearly, but now she was simply unwilling. Regardless of what the future held, the two of them were simply not a good fit for now.

The tenant and the landlady’s granddaughter together? It sounded like a ridiculous story from a novel. Furthermore, Jiang Zhongmu was six years younger than her. Once the girl left Jiang Town and saw the big cities, she would realize this so-called love was just the attraction of the outside world to a small-town child.

What she liked was likely just this dangerous and slightly charming atmosphere, a sister’s young and vivid body, or perhaps a filter from her childhood memories. If the child was acting foolish, how could she, the elder, join in the madness? She was no longer a teenager; she had lost that former courage and recklessness.

Thinking of this, Xie Zhiyi snapped out of her daze. “Let us go. It is late and we should head back.”

She had promised her the afternoon, and she would not stay a single minute longer.

Jiang Zhongmu paused. Before she could speak, she saw Xie Zhiyi walking back on her own. Jiang Zhongmu’s clenched fingers left crescent-shaped marks in her palms.

The excitement was left behind as they entered a narrow, small alley, where a cool shade swept over them. Xie Zhiyi walked in front. She was wearing a pinstriped white loose shirt today with long sleeves rolled up to her forearms and wide-leg trousers. She looked simple and professional. Since she realized Jiang Zhongmu’s feelings, she had not worn a skirt again, opting always for long sleeves and long pants. Grandmother had even asked about it curiously, but Xie Zhiyi only said the sun was strong and she wanted to prevent a sunburn. Yet, she rarely went out, spending most of her time alone in her room.

Jiang Zhongmu stared at the shadow on the ground, thin and pale, as if it would soon be melted by the sun.

“Do you like him?” she finally could not help but ask.

Xie Zhiyi hesitated for a moment before telling the truth. “No.”

“Then why did you give it to him?” The girl’s voice was muffled, full of lack of understanding.

“I gave it because I wanted to,” Xie Zhiyi answered casually.

“Then why do you not give it to me?”

“You never asked,” Xie Zhiyi replied.

Jiang Zhongmu looked at her back, her lips pressed together. “Then if I ask for it now, will you give it to me?”

Xie Zhiyi answered very quickly and firmly. “No.”

Jiang Zhongmu’s eyelashes trembled, and the corners of her eyes turned red. She knew the answer in her heart, but she could not help asking, and getting the real answer made her incredibly sad. “Why?”

“I do not want to,” the elder said in the most gentle yet forceful tone, using the coldest words.

Jiang Zhongmu argued, “Others have it.”

“Others are others. You are…”

Before Xie Zhiyi could finish her sentence, someone grabbed her wrist from behind. The hand with thick calluses was like a shackle that was hard to escape. With a slight pull, Xie Zhiyi was hauled toward the blue brick wall. The bricks, which had not seen the sun for years, were damp, cold, and hard against her bones. Before Xie Zhiyi could resist, the girl pressed close.

Jiang Zhongmu seemed to love doing this, intentionally pulling the distance between them. Taking advantage of her height, she looked down at Xie Zhiyi. It was as if this could bridge the gap between them and stop her from feeling so humble.

“What are you doing?” Xie Zhiyi hid her panic, her elegant features maintaining the calm of an adult.

“What am I?” Jiang Zhongmu leaned down, her shadow enveloping the other. Her hand still tightly gripped the wrist, as if afraid she would run away.

Xie Zhiyi pretended not to understand. She looked up at her with a hint of mockery at the corner of her mouth, speaking unhurriedly. “Do you not know what you are?”

Jiang Zhongmu’s gaze shattered for a moment. The redness at the corners of her eyes spread, even staining her light amber eyes. She rarely showed vivid emotions, except for the occasional mischievousness when she was being naughty. Usually, she was like a steady, silent rock. Even when she was tossed high by the wooden beam earlier, she had only frowned slightly. Ordinarily, a slight curl of the lips was her only smile.

She opened her mouth, then gritted her teeth, letting the words out one by one. Finally, she could only squeeze out three words. “Xie Zhiyi.”

“Xie, Zhi, Yi,” she said like a child learning to speak for the first time, her voice trembling.

“Xie Zhiyi,” it sounded like a sigh and a struggle. The grip on the wrist tightened, then she could not bear to use too much force, and her hand hung there loosely, making it easy to break free.

“How can you be so heartless?” She did not continue, just looked at Xie Zhiyi with red eyes. The proud little leopard lowered her head and protested with red eyes, not understanding how this elder could be so rational and heartless.

Xie Zhiyi did not speak. She reflexively grabbed the wall behind her, then hid her action and let go. The noise of the excitement outside the alley kept coming. Someone laughed loudly, sounding like Jiang Nanyang’s triumphant laughter after getting the contact information. At that time, Jiang Zhongmu had stood behind Xie Zhiyi, silently watching the two of them, saying nothing.

“What about me?”

“What do I count as?”

“Do you really not have even a little bit of a good impression of me?”

Xie Zhiyi still did not speak. She did not know what to say and did not want to say it. Even now, she felt she was doing the right thing, but seeing those moist eyes, she lowered her own gaze and dared not look.

“Is it that everyone else is fine, but I am not?”

“How am I inferior to him?”

The mold in the corner of the wall was dark, emitting an unpleasant smell. The branches above the wall poked their heads out, their green leaves falling. Jiang Zhongmu looked down at her. Her features, which were deep and gorgeous without any need for carving, should have been the most soul-stirring eyes filled with smiles, but now they were calm and did not hold anyone’s reflection.

Jiang Zhongmu felt a surge of panic and wanted to try her old trick again. She bent her back and leaned her head toward the other’s lips. Her hot, damp breath and trembling, dry lips slowly pressed against the cool corner of Xie Zhiyi’s mouth, like a plea or a prayer. The touch was slightly rough, but much gentler than a few days ago, moving inward bit by bit like a kitten licking.

“Xie Zhiyi,” she murmured, raising her hand to cradle the other’s face with extreme care.

Xie Zhiyi turned her head directly toward the ground. She did not speak, but her resistance was clear, and the distance between them widened. The girl’s eyelashes trembled, and the moisture in her eyes overflowed, condensing into dewdrops at the corners of her red eyes. The hand on the wrist tightened, then let go helplessly.

“Xie Zhiyi, you really are quite heartless,” Jiang Zhongmu said, her voice hoarse.

Xie Zhiyi remained silent, effectively admitting it. Elders seemed to be like this; they made up their minds and then handled the problem without a word. Jiang Zhongmu was that problem, so Xie Zhiyi intentionally distanced herself.

Jiang Zhongmu, hovering over her, stopped making a sound. The elder did not push her away either, but simply kept looking at the ground, staring at the cracked stone tiles. The damp corner of her lips felt itchy and numb, as if an ant were crawling there, but she had always had good self-control and refused to wipe it. Just like now, although the thin body before her was shaking, she did not offer any comfort.

Dusk gradually spread, and the orange-red light dyed everything. The shadows of their figures on the ground stretched out before being swallowed by the darkness.

“Let us go. It is time to go back,” Xie Zhiyi pushed her, her voice urging.

Jiang Zhongmu did not move.

“Hurry.”

Jiang Zhongmu finally moved. She stuffed the two hundred yuan from her pocket into Xie Zhiyi’s hand, her voice muffled. “Grandmother will flip through my bag. You keep it.”

Xie Zhiyi took it instinctively.

“Go back by yourself. Tell Grandmother I will not be back for dinner,” Jiang Zhongmu stood up. She blinked, and a stray teardrop fell to the ground. Then, she became as dull and silent as usual. “If you do not want to cook, just buy something to eat. There are stalls at the entrance anyway.”

You see, this person, who was supposed to have a cold temperament like her appearance, was still considering others even while she was sad.

With those words, Jiang Zhongmu turned and left. A cold wind blew, and Xie Zhiyi shivered inexplicably. Perhaps the change from hot to cold was too fast, making her feel uncomfortable. She looked in the other direction. Jiang Zhongmu walked fast, taking large strides with her long legs. Within a few steps, she had reached the distance. Her thin back disappeared at the end of the alley, completely out of sight.

The money in her hand was crumpled. The woman leaning against the wall sighed softly, retracted her gaze, and stopped staying. She walked straight toward the way they came. The red sun on the horizon was pulled down, and the last glow completely disappeared into the ridge. Night rushed in, enveloping everything, and the crescent moon appeared.

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