The Guide to Faking Innocence to Win His Wife - Chapter 41

An orange glow washed over the quaint, ancient town, tinting the roofs of the tall and low houses. The copper bells hanging from the eaves swayed, producing a crisp, clear chime. A breeze swept by, brushing the hair against the woman’s temples.

Xie Zhiyi leaned against the window frame. Having likely just taken a midday nap, her eyes were slightly squinted, bearing a drowsy, sleepy haze at their corners. The lingering marks tracing down her neck had not faded even after several days; instead, they had darkened with time, scattering across her skin like withered roses at a casual glance.

Unhurriedly, she lit a cigarette. With a sharp click, the slender cigarette holder was ignited between her well-proportioned, fair fingers. Wisps of white smoke curled upward, drawing the twilight into its embrace.

A thin strap hung loosely over her fair, smooth shoulder, which possessed the delicate texture of mutton-fat jade. The lazier her posture became, the more she exuded the effortless, sensual charm exclusive to a mature woman.

How could anyone not succumb to intoxication because of this? How could anyone refuse to stop their footsteps for a white magnolia in full bloom?

The rustling leaves flapped noisily, creating a clamorous yet hypnotic sound. The woman lazily lifted her gaze, peering through the gaps of dense green foliage. The river surface flowed as peacefully as usual, showing no sign of the person from earlier.

She was not worried. After all, no one knew Jiang Zhongmu’s swimming skills better than she did; holding her breath for the better part of a day was nothing to the girl.

Yet, once her thoughts settled on a certain someone, it became difficult to pull them back to full clarity.

Ultimately, this was not a matter that concerned Jiang Zhongmu alone. If Xie Zhiyi possessed a cold detachment by nature, she could simply treat these occurrences as a passing summer fling on a journey, something to be forgotten upon returning to her original city.

But she was not that type of person. Otherwise, she would not have been so vexed and troubled by the prior events.

When it came to matters of the heart, the older individual always saw things more clearly and considered things more deeply. She was not blind; she could see the fervent, sincere love hidden in the depths of the young girl’s eyes. But she could also see the distant, unattainable future that awaited them after they parted ways.

A child could love simply because they loved, and pursue someone based on a passing whim of affection, acting with a recklessness that could only be described as audacious.

But what about the older adult? Was she supposed to mess around with her irresponsibly?

Xie Zhiyi even felt that everything she had done over the past few days could be described as absurd and mindless, utterly lacking the responsibility expected of an adult.

She let out a soft, faint sigh.

She was not nearly as decisive and heartless as she had previously appeared to be.

Looking back into the distance, bubbles began to rise from the river surface. Every now and then, drifting fabric floated up, and the young girl’s hair swayed in the water.

Suddenly, a loud splash broke the silence.

The water’s surface opened up abruptly. Crystal droplets cascaded down alongside the spray, pattering against the river and creating ripple after ripple.

The young girl finally broke free from the water.

As the water dripped, Xie Zhiyi instinctively looked over, and her gaze immediately darkened.

The soaking wet clothes outlined the young girl’s youthful curves. A corner of her shirt’s hem was flipped up, and her overly defined abs were sharpened by the twilight, making her sharp, striking facial features appear even more dazzling.

Her lean forearms tensed slightly as her wheat-toned hand firmly gripped the tail of a fish that was struggling violently.

Perhaps Jiang Zhongmu had lost her grip slightly this time and failed to pinch the fish’s vital spot. As a result, the fish thrashed its tail, fighting with all its might, its dark gray scales flashing with iridescent colors under the sunlight.

However, Jiang Zhongmu possessed immense strength. Even under these circumstances, she did not allow the fish any chance to escape. The fish’s tail thrashed against her abdomen, flipping the fabric even further upward, leaving behind countless water droplets and red marks.

Probably to leverage her strength, Jiang Zhongmu was not standing entirely upright. Her spine was slightly arched, as was her waist and abdomen, making those deep-set lines even more prominent. The water slid down along those contours, flowing into deeper places.

Xie Zhiyi’s gaze drifted downward, shifting inch by inch, taking advantage of the cover provided by the leaves.

No one understood Jiang Zhongmu better than she did. Those places, whether visible to the eye or hidden from sight, had been experienced bit by bit in the thick darkness of the night.

Lean and powerful, like a leopard poised to strike, she did not possess massive blocks of muscle, yet she had astonishing explosive power and endurance, rendering her far more dangerous than any animal.

The cigarette at her fingertips had burned halfway down, its ember glowing like a star amidst the branches and leaves.

Taking advantage of a gap in the fish’s struggles, Jiang Zhongmu casually brushed her hair back. Droplets of water fell with the trembling of her eyelashes. With a faint flush at the corners of her eyes, she lifted her gaze toward the window.

Her light amber eyes were almost transparent in the sunlight, resembling the clearest amber gemstones, stamping the deepest imprint across time and space.

The wind stirred the stray hairs by the woman’s ear, bringing a wave of tingling numbness. The light rippled within her beautiful eyes, churning the watery sheen inside. The sunlight was broken into fragments, printing scattered spots of light upon her skin, making her look like a deity fallen into the mortal realm.

Their gazes clashed across the forest leaves, and neither spoke a word.

The fish trapped in the girl’s palm was still struggling desperately to break free, yet it failed to escape by even a fraction.

How could a young leopard ever let prey slip out from under its claws?

Jiang Zhongmu smiled, the dimples on her cheeks appearing just as they always did, yet it made her seem inexplicably dangerous.

The person on the third floor did not respond. She merely lifted her hand to press the cigarette filter to her lips, concealing all her emotions as she lowered her eyes.

The cigarette between her fingers reached its end.

Another person emerged from the water, dragging a palm-sized small fish with one hand. With a depressed expression, he grumbled profanities, “What’s going on?! I originally wanted to grab that big one, but I didn’t expect that guy to slip away so fast. It vanished in a flash, so I could only catch a small one.”

He complained, “It’s so small it won’t even fill the gaps between my teeth.”

Seeing that Jiang Zhongmu was not responding to him, he turned his head to the side in annoyance, “Zhongmu?”

The window of the attic room had been shut, and that person’s figure had completely vanished.

Jiang Zhongmu finally snapped out of it. She turned to look at Jiang Nanxun. Showing no anger from being interrupted, she simply curled her lips and tossed out a phrase: “Pathetic.”

Having been scolded for no apparent reason, Jiang Nanxun scratched his head in bewilderment, “What?”

Jiang Zhongmu ignored him. She merely cast a glance at the oblivious guy, tossed the fish in her hand upward, and dove back into the water without another word.

“What is going on…” Only one person was left behind, completely bewildered and at a loss.

The night grew heavy, and the rain that had been brewing all evening finally began to fall. Long, slanted strands of rain splattered against the glass window. The full moon had vanished entirely, leaving behind only clusters of gray shadows and the spreading scent of earth.

The tightly shut bedroom door was finally knocked upon after several days, a slow and unhurried sound cutting through the silence.

The woman half-reclining on the bed froze for a moment, her fingers tightening around the bedsheet beneath her.

Clearly, the knocking was not fast, yet it felt like a pressing urge, striking one beat after another.

“Knock, knock-knock…”

The quilt was finally tossed aside, and the inner bedroom door was opened. Soft and slow footsteps echoed as the woman walked out of the brightly lit room, crossing the dark hallway.

The person outside the door seemed to hear her. The knocking ceased, and they stood straight outside the door, gripping the iron kettle in their hand tightly.

“What is it?” The woman, wearing only a nightgown, stopped in front of the door. Her cool hand rested on the iron doorknob as she asked in a low voice.

The person outside no longer possessed her previous privileges. Not only was the door shut in her face, but she even needed a reason just to enter. One would not know whether to call the older woman heartless, or to pity the young leopard.

But of course, the young leopard had already thought of an excuse. Holding the kettle in her left hand, her intentionally lowered voice sounded deep and husky, “Grandma asked me to bring up a kettle of hot water for you.”

Xie Zhiyi’s eyes dazed for a split second, unable to distinguish between the past and the present. After going around in circles, they seemed to have returned to the starting point, a familiar plot.

With a slight downward pressure of her hand, she opened the door, leaving a narrow crack.

Xie Zhiyi extended her hand toward her, her tone flat and devoid of any fluctuation as she said, “Give it to me.”

A thin, weak slant of light leaked from the gap, falling upon the other person’s brows and eyes. The emotions within those narrow eyes were obscure and difficult to decipher, turning as dark as thick ink.

Perhaps because it was late at night and she was about to sleep, she wore only a sleeveless tank top, revealing her somewhat youthful contours.

“It’s a bit heavy, I’ll help you carry it in,” Jiang Zhongmu spoke up in refusal. She lifted the kettle pretentiously, as if it weighed a tremendous amount.

But no matter how heavy it was, it was just a kettle filled with water. No matter how weak Xie Zhiyi was, it was impossible for her to be unable to lift it.

The older woman, having seen through the other’s little scheme, pursed her lips. Her gaze lingered on the girl’s tensed forearms; just as she had seen that afternoon, the lines were distinct and sharp.

Jiang Zhongmu did not just sit around waiting for Xie Zhiyi to give her an answer. Instead, she proactively pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The wooden door creaked, and in the next second, it was forcefully shut. The water kettle fell to the floor. In almost the blink of an eye, Xie Zhiyi’s vision went white as she was pinned against the wall.

In the darkness, where only a sliver of light extended from the room, every detail was magnified. Heavy breathing echoed by her ear, and the young girl’s lean body enveloped her, pressing tightly against her without leaving a single gap.

Xie Zhiyi turned her head away, finding her a bit too bony. She did not know where all the food the girl usually ate went; it seemed that aside from that bit of muscle, there was only a skeletal frame left.

“Sister…” the young leopard called out in a hoarse voice.

Wrapping both arms around her, she held her tightly and refused to let go. Anyone who did not know better would think they had not seen each other for ten days or half a month, when in reality, it had only been a few days. Furthermore, that night…

Xie Zhiyi forcefully suppressed her thoughts, not daring to dwell on them.

But the person pressing against her was incredibly annoying. As long as Xie Zhiyi ignored her, she would start throwing a tantrum. Her heavily calloused hands shackled Xie Zhiyi’s wrists, effortlessly pulling her to explore further inside.

Unlike the older woman’s cool body temperature, no matter the season or the time, the young girl’s body always felt as scalding hot as a furnace.

Xie Zhiyi felt burned and instinctively curled her fingers, only to be pulled back even more forcefully.

Their heavy breathing intertwined. On the floor, the thin light was stretched out. Rain drifted in through the half-open window, and a cool breeze poured inside, blowing away the summer heat.

Cool fingertips traced inch by inch over every scene witnessed during the twilight hours.

“Do you like it, Sister?” someone lowered her head and whispered softly.

Xie Zhiyi did not dare to answer, merely pressing her lips into a straight line.

“Sister?” The person relentlessly continued to question, behaving thoroughly like a rogue.

Segments of ribs were like checkpoints that were not difficult to cross, scaled with ease.

“Stop it,” Xie Zhiyi finally spoke, her tone so soft it was nearly inaudible.

“Jiang Zhongmu, stop it,” she repeated once more, yet it carried absolutely no deterrent effect. Instead, it caused Jiang Zhongmu to press down even harder against her.

“You don’t like it?” Jiang Zhongmu chuckled softly, like a young leopard that had successfully captured its prey.

“If you don’t like it, why do you always peek at me?”

“Sister,” these two words were pronounced with heavy emphasis, dragging those secrets hidden in the dark right out into the open, leaving the older woman absolutely no leeway.

Vicious and domineering, perhaps this was this person’s true nature.

Xie Zhiyi pressed against the cool and hard wall. With the bony frame in front of her and no way to retreat behind, she could only struggle, saying, “Let go of me.”

Unfortunately, even she herself knew this was impossible. The person in front of her was an insatiable leopard. Once she caught an opportunity, she would refuse to let go under any circumstances, determined to dismantle her entire skeletal frame, licking it completely clean before she was done.

“Jiang Zhongmu!”

The person answered with a smile, not feeling threatened in the slightest. Instead, she leaned her body even further down against her, saying with utter shamelessness, “Sister, I’m here.”

Xie Zhiyi did not want to speak, nor did she have any way to speak. Her lips and teeth were pried open, blocking all her sounds.

The night was still very long, and the rain outside grew heavier and heavier. The streams of water blended into the crevices of the soil. A snail carrying its shell struggled out from the green grass, extending its body to look up at the sky.

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