The Guide to Faking Innocence to Win His Wife - Chapter 39

The rocking chair on the rooftop terrace lay overturned on its side. The fruits inside the iron tray had vanished, leaving behind only the residue of their juices. The candles had long since burned out, leaving nothing but the silent night.

The window on the third floor was half-open, and the sheer curtain drifted outside.

 

The thin quilt had collapsed onto the floor, only to be violently dragged back up, leaving it covered in a chaotic mess of creases.

 

An excessively fair-skinned wrist hung weakly over the edge of the bed. The neatly trimmed, rounded fingertips blushed with a rosy tint. The fingers were long and well-proportioned, while a faint patch of greenish-purple bruise showed on the wrist.

 

The bedframe suddenly shuddered, emitting a sharp, creaking groan. The outstretched hand abruptly tightened, gripping the edge of the mattress, and the flexed knuckles revealed the prominent bone.

 

The thin bedsheet was crumpled into a mess. From time to time, a rhythmic sound of splashing water echoed in the room.

 

Loose, long curly hair spread across the pillow, rising and falling, soft and delicate like seaweed drifting in water.

 

The forearm propping up beside her was lean and fit, its flexed muscles distinct as beads of sweat slid down the contours of the lines.

 

Intermittent sounds squeezed out of a hoarse throat, like a fish dumped onto a chopping board gasping for water.

 

The shirt was still draped over her body, except it had been completely unbuttoned. The fabric where the front two buttons used to be now held nothing but loose threads. It was impossible to tell just how much strength Jiang Zhongmu had used earlier to recklessly rip them off.

 

The clothing underneath was in no better shape, stained with various fruit juices. If they were not washed soon, they would likely be completely ruined.

 

However, neither of them had the time, preoccupied as they were with other matters.

 

The thin shirt was soaked through, turning almost transparent.

 

The young girl’s medium-length hair was messily tied up. Due to the haste, a strand of hair hung loose over her forehead. The vest she wore earlier had been discarded and thrown to an unknown location, clearly revealing the scenery beneath her straight collarbones.

 

Her wheat-colored skin, tanned from year-round sun exposure, looked exceptionally robust and powerful. There were youthful curves with peaks tipping slightly upward, leading down to increasingly defined abdominal muscles, while her knee-length shorts sat askew, exposing a sliver of their waistband.

 

The moonlight from outside cascaded over her, draping the young girl like a leopard hunting at night, opening its eyes in a hidden place. Her pale amber eyes were dazzling and dangerous.

 

Xie Zhiyi did not dare to look closely. She could only tighten her grip on the edge of the bed once more, leaving deep finger indentations on the heavy bedsheet.

 

Memories had already blurred, and she could no longer tell what time it was.

 

One person attempted to use this method to grasp onto every shred and thread of trace, even though she clearly knew it was impossible.

 

The other person harbored a heart full of guilt, her ears ringing with a buzzing hum. Despite being warned countless times that they had reached the critical threshold and could not continue, she still bit her lower lip, refusing to make a sound.

 

Thus, time after time, they refused to stop.

 

The phone discarded by the bedside suddenly rang, illuminating the pitch-black room.

 

Perhaps because the previous call had been hung up too abruptly, that person had been tossing and turning, unable to sleep, and had called back again.

 

Both of them paused at the same time. Jiang Zhongmu lowered her gaze to look at the phone.

 

Xie Zhiyi turned her head away, not wanting to deal with it, intending to just let it ring out.

 

“Answer it.”

 

Jiang Zhongmu suddenly spoke in a muffled, low voice.

 

The person on the bed paused, opening eyes veiled in a thick mist of moisture, her gaze entirely filled with incomprehensible astonishment.

 

“Answer it,” Jiang Zhongmu emphasized again, her eyes dark and obscure.

 

Xie Zhiyi did not want to pay her any mind, closing her eyes to pretend she had not heard.

 

The corners of Jiang Zhongmu’s mouth twitched. She did not understand what this person was still resisting for. Xie Zhiyi was completely oblivious to her own predicament, acting like a prey bitten at its fatal spot yet still thinking she held the high ground.

 

Calloused fingertips pressed against a slightly rough area.

 

That was the leverage the little leopard held over her.

 

Xie Zhiyi shuddered, unable to stop herself from gripping the mattress once more, the veins on the back of her hand bulging.

 

Yet that person deliberately played wicked, pressing firmly against that spot without moving, as if suspending someone over the edge of a cliff, neither pushing her down nor allowing her to get away.

 

Xie Zhiyi lifted her eyes, wanting to glare at her, only to receive an even more deliberate bout of mischief.

 

An excessively slender waist arched up, like a fragile wooden bridge that had snapped, unable to withstand the blowing wind.

 

Jiang Zhongmu did not speak further. Instead, she reached out directly and brought the phone over.

 

With a swipe of her finger, the call connected, and in the next second, she placed it right beside Xie Zhiyi’s ear.

 

“Hello, Zhiyi?”

 

Xie Zhiyi bit her lower lip hard.

 

“Why did you take so long to answer my call? Were you sleeping?”

 

“Wait, that is not right. Did you not say earlier that you could not sleep?”

 

The phone, now on speaker, transmitted the other person’s words with complete clarity.

 

Xie Zhiyi did not want to speak. She wanted to remain silent like this and wait for the other side to hang up.

 

But how could Jiang Zhongmu let her off so easily? The knuckles wrapped in damp moisture served as a silent warning.

 

One stroke after another.

 

Jiang Zhongmu was in no hurry. With lowered brows, she watched her in silence.

 

She looked exactly like an autocratic tyrant, permitting no one to defy her commands.

 

“Zhiyi?” the person called out again, their voice filled with confusion.

 

Jiang Zhongmu increased her intensity. Knowing her opponent’s weakness perfectly, she bit down on the prey’s neck at the critical moment.

 

“Mmh,” a breathy sound, desperately suppressed, leaked from between her teeth, ringing out uncontrollably.

 

“Zhiyi? Xie Zhiyi?”

 

Since a sound had been made, she could no longer pretend she was not there. Xie Zhiyi forced herself to project a normal voice, yet she still could not conceal the hoarseness within it.

 

“Zhiyi?” The person on the other end grew more and more bewildered.

 

“I just fell asleep,” Xie Zhiyi explained it away, inadvertently looking upward.

 

The mischievous fellow arched an eyebrow, her features entirely filled with malice.

 

The older woman was helpless. Knowing that this girl had a fire pent up in her heart with nowhere to vent, she could only yield step by step.

 

“You went to sleep that early?”

 

“I have been a bit tired lately.” Before she could finish her sentence, Xie Zhiyi let out a muffled groan, her hoarse tone making it impossible to distinguish truth from fiction.

 

“Tired?” The person on the other side naturally misinterpreted it, letting out a teasing chuckle. “Is it that kid?”

 

“True, kids have boundless energy. It is only natural that you are a bit tired.”

 

“By the way, how is that little fellow’s technique? Cough, cough, cough, she is a kid after all, you need to guide her more.”

 

Xie Zhiyi knew this close friend of hers was somewhat improper, but she had not expected them to suddenly become so improper at this exact moment. An unspeakable sense of shame crawled up her ankles, making her want to curl up into a ball and escape.

 

After all, this was a highly bizarre experience. The very acts being discussed in the conversation were actively happening, yet the bystander was already laughing and chatting about them.

 

“She,” Xie Zhiyi could not bring herself to say it.

 

For adults, this conversation was not exactly something taboo to speak of, but if the person in question was right beside her, it was completely different.

 

The corners of Jiang Zhongmu’s mouth curled into a smile, her expression explicitly clear, looking precisely like a dog waiting for its older sister’s praise.

 

Her hand slowed down, as if patiently waiting for an answer.

 

A peculiar atmosphere diffused into the air. The surroundings were profoundly quiet, to the point where one could almost hear the static current humming from the phone.

 

It was equally quiet outside. Most households had turned off their lights and gone to sleep, leaving only the increasingly dim starlight. The river cutting through the high and low houses resembled a winding, crawling silver snake, gleaming with rippling waves as it quietly flowed toward the distance.

 

“Hmm?” the person on the other end prompted.

 

Jiang Zhongmu was also posing a silent question.

 

“She is alright.” The words were spoken incredibly fast, popping out in an instant before she snapped her mouth shut. From her cheeks down to her neck, Xie Zhiyi was completely flushed red.

 

“Oh, so you are quite satisfied,” as expected of Xie Zhiyi’s close friend, they deciphered the meaning instantly.

 

Jiang Zhongmu laughed, like a puppy that had just eaten a piece of candy. She leaned down close to Xie Zhiyi’s other ear and lowered her voice: “Just alright?”

 

“Is it only ‘alright’, Sister?” The last word was emphasized, laced with a hint of dissatisfaction.

 

Xie Zhiyi’s eyelashes trembled, and she did not dare to answer.

 

Of course it was not just “alright.” A young girl of this age possessed stamina and a capacity to learn that an older person could hardly match. From her initial greenness to now accurately seizing the fatal spot, she never rushed to a frantic finish. Instead, she coaxed and teased with immense patience step by step, until the prey completely abandoned all resistance, and even took the initiative.

 

The friend was still talking on the line, in no hurry to end the call, still teasing her about how someone had pretended to be so proper and devoid of worldly desires for so many years, only to be taken down by a kid.

 

“Watch your waist, Teacher Xie.”

 

By her other ear was the little leopard’s breathing, which was heavy and urgent, matching the movements of her hands, which did not pause for a single fraction of a second.

 

It was maddening.

 

In all twenty-six years of her life, this was the very first time Xie Zhiyi felt so utterly humiliated, yet she could not call for a stop.

 

“Shut up,” she could only chide her friend, but her voice was soft and weak, bearing no resemblance to a warning at all.

 

Sure enough, the friend laughed hysterically: “Is Teacher Xie shy? Oh my, what is there to be shy about? It is just human nature.”

 

“At your age, it is completely normal to have these kinds of needs.”

 

The malicious fellow beside her accurately caught the keyword, repeating it back: “These kinds of needs?”

 

Xie Zhiyi only wanted to dodge, but right then, that person suddenly accelerated her pace, as if entering the final sprint of a race, dashing forward with all her might.

 

Her flexed calves instantly tensed, her rounded toes gripping the bedsheet, and her taut waist lifted even higher.

 

Just at that moment, the wind picked up, making the window curtains rattle loudly. Ripples were whipped up across the river surface, rushing down the stream as water splashed in all directions.

 

“Zhiyi?”

 

“Xie Zhiyi?”

 

“No way, you are not so shy that you have stopped talking, right?”

 

That person was still going on endlessly.

 

Xie Zhiyi did not want to answer, feeling a surge of regret for softening her heart time and time again.

 

Thinking this, the older woman reached out and covered the microphone of the phone.

 

The night wind blew relentlessly, making the white orchid tree in the small courtyard rustle loudly, scattering a floor full of petals. It was so noisy it felt aggravating. She found herself wishing for a heavy downpour to just start already, sparing her from this ceaseless, rhythmic disturbance.

 

Xie Zhiyi shivered from the wind, hating the wind for the very first time.

 

“Sister, speak,” that person finally paused. Like a wild leopard that had eaten its fill, she lazed down over her, heavy and unyielding.

 

Yet Xie Zhiyi could not spare the focus to feel it, blaming this sudden night wind for being so incredibly cold.

 

“Sister, the phone,” the person repeated once more, reaching up to brush away the stray hairs stuck to Xie Zhiyi’s forehead, her calloused fingertips turning pale from the pressure.

 

Left with no alternative, Xie Zhiyi could only brace herself and say, “No, I fell asleep again.”

 

The person responded quickly, thoroughly shocked: “You are that tired?”

 

The excessively low, hoarse voice was entirely misinterpreted as lingering drowsiness. The rustling sound of fabric was viewed as a confused turn of the body. All of this was hidden away in the dark, unable to see the light of day and unable to be told to anyone, just like this relationship, burning hot and humid, yet entirely forbidden from the light.

 

Xie Zhiyi suppressed all those tumbling emotions, merely saying, “I am just really too sleepy.”

 

“Alright then, you should rest first. I will come look for you tomorrow,” the person said, their tone reluctant.

 

“What is it? Just tell me,” Xie Zhiyi, conversely, was no longer in a hurry, even taking the initiative to keep the conversation going.

 

Delicate, red-tinted fingertips stroked across the young girl’s back, acting as a soothing gesture yet seemingly sparking a fire at the same time.

 

Jiang Zhongmu lay quietly in her embrace, as obedient and well-behaved as an innocent child.

 

“What if you fall asleep again in a moment?”

 

“I am very awake right now,” Xie Zhiyi spoke.

 

The person over there fell silent for a moment, choosing to believe her after all, and asked once more: “Do you really plan to do that?”

 

“Is it not a bit too cruel to her?”

 

The person buried in her neck shifted, the fluttering of her eyelashes casting a tingling sensation.

 

“She is a kid after all. If you really do what you said, she will probably cry for a very long time,” the person’s tone was hesitant, showing they had been weighing it over for an unknown length of time.

 

“You cannot use someone else’s mistake to punish her, right?”

 

Xie Zhiyi finally spoke, her voice unchanged but having regained its usual clarity: “Then what do you think should be done?”

 

“I,” the person on the other end, however, could not find the words.

 

“I just think you should give it some proper thought.”

 

“Think how? Do you have any better ideas?” Xie Zhiyi replied.

 

On the surface, she was questioning Qin Sang, but in reality, she was interrogating Jiang Zhongmu.

 

The person over there fell silent for a moment, but then asked, “Do you like her?”

 

Jiang Zhongmu did not listen, leaning her body downward.

 

There was still some fruit juice lingering on her skin, so sweet it was almost cloying.

 

Xie Zhiyi asked back, “Would you believe it if a child told you they liked you?”

 

“Qin Sang, if it were you, would you believe the sweet talk and promises muttered by the other party?”

 

“I would not,” the person spoke after a long hesitation.

 

“A child’s affection is the least worthwhile thing to remember, because it only truly exists in that exact moment.”

 

Jiang Zhongmu did not know what to say. The previous bitterness surged back, tears dropping down one by one.

 

You see, this person was just that heartless. She was gentle and considerate on the surface, but cruel and ruthless in reality. She clearly knew exactly what Jiang Zhongmu desired, yet she snuffed it out time and time again, refusing to offer even a shred of deception.

 

“Xie Zhiyi,” the person sighed with emotion, expressing sympathy for that kid they had never even met.

 

“Then when are you coming back?” Seeing that Xie Zhiyi did not answer, the person could only change the subject.

 

“Next week,” Xie Zhiyi gave the same answer.

 

The final time she had secretly resolved upon still had not succeeded. Jiang Zhongmu had already glided down to another place.

 

It was a very bizarre feeling, difficult to describe. When those scalding, damp thin lips brushed over, the cupid’s bow rolling, what arrived alongside that burning breath were falling tears.

 

In the past, Xie Zhiyi rarely thought about words like forever or a lifetime, feeling they were too unrealistic and distant. But now, she suddenly felt that the sensation of this single night would probably be remembered for a very, very long time.

 

“Zhiyi?”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Shall we have a meal together when you get back? I found a really nice place a couple of days ago. The taste is decent, but the dishes are very interesting. You should like it,” her friend’s tone was cheerful, speaking of the days after her return.

 

Jiang Zhongmu remained silent, weakly proving her own existence.

 

“Sure,” Xie Zhiyi replied.

 

Jiang Zhongmu still did not speak. In this relationship, she never spoke of being together or anything of the sort, because she clearly understood how deeply this person distrusted her. Every promise was pale and powerless in front of her.

 

At this age, there were always many things one was powerless to change.

 

For Jiang Zhongmu, those things were solely regarding Xie Zhiyi.

 

“Then I will wait until you get back?”

 

“Okay.”

 

The phone was hung up, leaving behind nothing but the repetitive beeping sound.

 

With her ankles restricted and forced upward, she was maneuvered into an excessive position.

 

The sweat on the little leopard’s forehead mixed together with other fluids, appearing a bit disheveled.

 

The quilt had been completely kicked down to the floor, and the heavy gale whipped up waves outside. At this moment, all was quiet in the world, leaving only the pattering sound of splashing water.

 

Let it be.

 

Xie Zhiyi thought with a hazy consciousness. Out of the corner of her eye, she looked out the window. That branch of the white orchid tree was already able to reach into the room, its tip bearing blooming flowers.

 

Realizing her distraction, Jiang Zhongmu suddenly nipped down on a certain spot.

 

Thus, Xie Zhiyi was forced to retract all her wandering thoughts, immersing herself fully in the present, allowing the other party to have her way, time after time.