The Guide to Faking Innocence to Win His Wife - Chapter 29

A rainy night, a slight buzz, and a woman intoxicated by wine.

This is likely the quintessential atmosphere for any story involving an ambiguous romance.

Outside, the drizzle was continuous, and the river flowed without rest. The wet glass windows were a blur, and the mist carried the scent of Burmese laurel blossoms into the room.

The tan-skinned girl knelt on the bed, her lean forearms braced against the soft quilt. Her subtle veins bulged, and sweat pooled together, dripping down the lines of her muscles. In the quiet atmosphere, her heavy breathing became exceptionally distinct. It fell against the woman’s ear again and again, stirring stray strands of hair. Rounded earlobes were stained a deep shade, like the pink of spring peach blossoms, as a tingling sensation flooded through her, spreading to every part of her body.

“Sister…”

Her hoarse voice was thick with desire. Her inconspicuous Adam’s apple bobbed, and her white camisole hung askew, revealing straight collarbones. The rustling of fabric created a sea of wrinkles on the sheets.

The woman in the forest-green silk nightgown tilted her head back. Her jawline was smooth, and her skin was as delicate as jade, glowing with a mutton-fat whiteness in the dim light. Her dark hair fanned out like seaweed. A thin strap had fallen to one side, leaving her rounded shoulder and neck completely exposed.

How could one describe this moment? Jiang Zhongmu, a STEM student at heart, could find no adjectives in her mind. She only knew how to lean down, draw close, and cover those soft, moist lips.

Xie Zhiyi tilted her chin slightly, her hazy eyes covered in a layer of mist, filled with the indulgence of an elder.

“Sister…”

Jiang Zhongmu seemed only capable of saying these two words, repeating them like a mantra. It wasn’t particularly melodic; her voice wasn’t as soft or sweet as most girls’. Usually, she was as stoic as a hard rock, and even now, softened by the moment, she hadn’t changed much—she was simply a concentrated force of clingy persistence.

“Sister…”

Xie Zhiyi was beginning to feel overwhelmed by the sweetness. She tried to turn her head away, but the little leopard firmly cupped her face and pressed in again, quite bossy in her movements. She didn’t know where the girl got her energy; she had been at this for nearly two hours and showed no sign of stopping, appearing to have plenty of stamina left.

Xie Zhiyi frowned slightly, feeling a swollen ache. No one should be able to hold out this long, especially since they hadn’t stopped for days.

Jiang Zhongmu, of course, didn’t limit herself to just one spot. She moved down bit by bit—from the lips to the chin, then nipping at the slight curve of the woman’s neck without letting go. She truly had become a little leopard on the savanna, treating this as a hunt; once she caught her prey, she couldn’t let go.

Yet she was clumsy. This was her first hunt, after all, and without any guidance, she was awkward, fumbling through a raw exploration of the senses. She didn’t dare use too much force, nor did she know how to leave a mark that truly belonged to her. You couldn’t blame her; she spent all her time studying math, physics, and chemistry. When Jiang Nanxun and the others brought up such topics, she wouldn’t even listen, focusing entirely on her books. Now, her academic knowledge was useless, and her drunken mind was a complete blank, relying entirely on instinct.

Thus, Jiang Zhongmu could only call out “Sister” over and over, unable to let go and not knowing how to proceed, simply possessing her. Sharp canines grazed delicate skin. Delayed by the alcohol, the reaction was slow, and it took a moment before a slight sting was felt. Xie Zhiyi frowned and reached up to push the girl’s fuzzy head away.

Unfortunately, not only did the girl not budge an inch, but the “Little Leopard” felt a sense of crisis and gripped tighter.

“Move…”

Xie Zhiyi finally spoke in reprimand, attempting to use her authority as an elder, but the end of her sentence trailed off with a soft, drunken lilt. Perhaps because of the medicinal patch, her usually cold hands and feet were radiating heat, her fingertips turning red. Her thin silk gown was barely hanging on, and she felt stifled by the warmth.

Jiang Zhongmu was always obedient; when Xie Zhiyi told her to move, she actually shifted downward, only to bite down on a collarbone, leaving a faint mark.

“Sister, I don’t know how,” Jiang Zhongmu finally admitted. She looked up slightly, pleading into the woman’s ear, looking quite pitiful. Her eyes were like a puppy’s, filled with a sense of grievance.

“I don’t know how,” Jiang Zhongmu pleaded again when the other didn’t answer. “Sister, teach me. I don’t know how.”

Asking the first question was the hard part; once it was out, the rest followed easily. After all, her education taught her to ask if she didn’t know the answer. Since she couldn’t figure it out herself, the star student Jiang Zhongmu asked without shame.

But Xie Zhiyi wasn’t her teacher. She only half-opened her eyes, her gaze shimmering with a mix of annoyance and amusement as she looked at her. She felt the girl was pushing her luck; she had already yielded this far, yet the girl still wouldn’t show restraint.

“Sister…” Jiang Zhongmu pursed her lips and leaned in coaxingly. A protruding bone pressed into Xie Zhiyi, making her hiss in pain.

She commented, “You little nuisance.”

Jiang Zhongmu wasn’t angry. She just grinned foolishly and repeated, “I don’t know how. Sister, teach me.”

Xie Zhiyi let out another sound—half-bashful, half-sighing: “You nuisance.”

Jiang Zhongmu just smiled back at her.

Finally, the elder relented. She slowly raised her hand and grasped the wrist braced beside her. The grip was light, loosely guiding it downward. Jiang Zhongmu’s gaze followed the movement—from the neck to the collarbone to the soft curves below. These were places the girl would never have looked at closely before; she was young and shy, barely daring to look at her own body, let alone someone else’s.

But here with Xie Zhiyi, she stared directly, unwilling to miss a thing, like a puppy that had never tasted meat. Her rough fingertips grazed that area. It wasn’t large, but it was perfectly cupped by her palm. As she slightly tightened her fingers, a little bit overflowed.

Jiang Zhongmu grinned and murmured again, “Sister.”

“Hmm?” Xie Zhiyi responded in a low voice, her other hand clutching the corner of the pillow, her voice trembling slightly.

“So soft,” Jiang Zhongmu said.

The next second, she collapsed, pressing firmly against the elder, her breath long and steady. Xie Zhiyi paused, then suddenly began to laugh. A trace of lingering tenderness appeared in the corners of her eyes as she stroked the fuzzy head she had just been annoyed with. Finally, she let out a long sigh.

“Nuisance.” “Silly girl.”

The morning sun was bright. Rainwater from the night before had puddled on the ground, and the scent of Burmese laurel mixed with the smell of damp earth drifted through the space. Sounds came from the small courtyard; the tone wasn’t peaceful, sounding like someone whose anger hadn’t quite subsided.

Jiang Zhongmu was wearing a thin short-sleeved shirt and distressed jeans. Her hair was draped casually over her shoulders; she didn’t know where her hair tie had gone yesterday and hadn’t dared to look for it, so she just left it. She gripped a long bamboo broom, sweeping the ground with forceful strokes that made a shush-shush sound.

The Grandmother had been awake for a while, standing nearby and talking incessantly. She hadn’t scolded her enough last night before getting sleepy, so she was making up for it this morning.

“…I said, you’re a grown adult now, and you’re heading off to university in another city tomorrow. How can you be so clueless? Zhiyi is a guest, she’s your Sister. You abandoned her to go out and play by yourself? Do I usually keep you tied up or stop you from going out? You just had to run off at a time like this and leave her at the door?”

“Xun and the others too—they couldn’t pick a better time to invite you? And you actually agreed. A bunch of thoughtless kids!”

Jiang Zhongmu kept her head down and didn’t dare speak. Partly because of her naturally quiet personality, and partly because the alcohol hadn’t fully cleared her system, so she couldn’t think of anything to say.

Grandmother stood with her hands on her hips, fuming. Elders always thought more deeply than children. Jiang Zhongmu was about to leave town for school; Grandmother was an old woman who had never even left the county, so she couldn’t help much. While Jiang Zhongmu’s godfather went out occasionally, he mostly stayed in Jiang Town. Grandmother wanted Jiang Zhongmu to be close to Xie Zhiyi not just for old times’ sake, but also so she could learn the ways of the outside world from her, so she wouldn’t stumble as soon as she left home. Besides, if anything happened, Xie Zhiyi could help.

But this girl! She told her to take Xie Zhiyi out to play, and before they’d even been out long, the girl just dumped her at the door and ran. Naturally, she was furious. If she knew Jiang Zhongmu had left Xie Zhiyi halfway instead of at the door as Xie Zhiyi had lied, she would likely be even angrier.

But now…

Jiang Zhongmu looked up briefly and then went back to sweeping even more diligently.

Grandmother’s tone suddenly shifted as she asked, “Why did you come out of Zhiyi’s room?”

Mentioning this, Jiang Zhongmu froze. She blinked before straightening her back and blurting out, “I was too tired last night. I accidentally fell asleep at her place.”

She didn’t try to hide it on purpose; memories of the morning flashed through her mind. Alcohol is a terrible thing. Jiang Zhongmu, who never woke up late, had slept until broad daylight. When she opened her eyes, she saw the woman curled in her arms, her messy hair half-veiling her face, with red patches scattered across her neck and shoulders.

The scenes from last night came rushing back, and the inexperienced girl was stunned on the spot. But more importantly, the sound of heavy footsteps outside pulled at her nerves. Grandmother was kind and usually didn’t pressure her to wake up, but since her godfather was returning today, she was supposed to go to Jiang Nanxun’s house early. Grandmother had waited downstairs for a long time, and finally, fearing she would be late, came upstairs to call her.

Jiang Zhongmu waited in silence for a moment, and hearing the door open on the second floor, she knew there was no way to fix it, so she quietly got out of bed and went downstairs.

“Honestly, you…” Grandmother just nodded, not saying much else. After all, in the real world, it’s perfectly normal for two girls to sleep in the same bed; it wasn’t worth overthinking. “Sleep in your own room from now on. Don’t disturb Zhiyi,” she instructed.

Jiang Zhongmu gave a muffled reply, inexplicably rubbing the tip of her nose. It was unclear if her agreement was genuine.

“Are those plaques you were carving finished?” Grandmother asked. Her lingering anger had diminished after the night passed, and seeing that the relationship between Xie Zhiyi and Jiang Zhongmu hadn’t worsened—and actually seemed closer—it had vanished completely, leaving only her usual care.

“They’re done,” Jiang Zhongmu nodded, always the honest, well-behaved child who didn’t cause the elders any worry.

Seeing her so compliant, Grandmother’s tone finally softened. She concluded, “Make two extra dishes tonight and give Zhiyi a proper apology. Don’t be so impolite next time.”

“Okay.”

The fallen leaves were swept to the side. Jiang Zhongmu looked up toward the third floor; the window was still tightly shut. Xie Zhiyi usually stayed up late, and with the alcohol on top of that, she wasn’t sure if she’d be up by noon.

She lowered her eyes. Despite being startled and scolded first thing in the morning, she wasn’t angry; instead, she radiated a sense of suppressed excitement.

“Grandmother, what do you want to eat tonight?” “Nothing in particular. Whatever Zhiyi likes is fine.” “Then should I go catch another fish?” “Sure.”

She set the bamboo broom aside, grabbed a freshly steamed bun from the kitchen, and turned to head out. Before leaving, she inexplicably glanced back at the third-floor window one last time, then strode out without further delay.

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