The Guide to Faking Innocence to Win His Wife - Chapter 43

When the blooming season of the white orchid tree drew to its close and the familiar grinding sounds of machines echoed once again, this bright and scorching summer finally met its end. Travelers returned to their homelands, leaving the small town as peaceful as it had always been.

Inside the cool living room, a young girl with delicate features stood beside a wooden chair, her lowered eyes filled with absolute earnestness.

Jiang Gaoxuan sat nearby, holding a jade plaque in one hand. After inspecting it thoroughly, he nodded and said, “It is finally beginning to look like the real thing.”

Jiang Zhongmu merely lowered her head and remained silent. The small braid tied behind her head had grown much longer over the past few months. At the very least, it no longer looked so mismatched, like a flared-out feather duster.

Seeing that she did not reply, Jiang Gaoxuan raised his head to glance at her, not intending to let her off so easily.

He raised his voice a notch and added, “It is much better than a while ago.”

Jiang Zhongmu’s expression stiffened, and a trace of awkwardness appeared on her face as she caught her godfather’s underlying meaning.

Jiang Gaoxuan casually handed the jade plaque back to her and said, “Take it and compare it. Put it together with the things you carved after I came back, and take a good look at it yourself.”

Although his tone could not be described as harsh, it was far more daunting than sheer severity.

With her hands hanging at her sides clenched into fists, Jiang Zhongmu opened her mouth, but in the end, she lowered her head dejectedly and muttered gloomily, “I was wrong, Godfather.”

How could she not understand? Ever since Xie Zhiyi arrived in Jiang Town, this jade carver had gradually lost her focus. She had changed from a Jiang Zhongmu who could sit in front of the workbench for hours without stopping unless someone urged her, into a Jiang Zhongmu who became distracted after a few strokes, wondering what dish she should cook for dinner.

Beginning from those two weeks when Jiang Gaoxuan was away, as the two of them drew closer, it became increasingly difficult for Jiang Zhongmu to concentrate fully on her carving, and the time she spent at the workbench grew shorter and shorter.

Even after Jiang Gaoxuan returned, she was not much better. From time to time, she would stall for time in the afternoon and arrive late. If Jiang Gaoxuan chose to dismiss them early, Jiang Zhongmu was bound to be the happiest one.

Even if Jiang Gaoxuan had not noticed it before, he was bound to notice it later on. Because of her aching arms, her hands would occasionally shake or fail to grip the handle tightly, causing flaws to appear in her carvings.

He was also bound to notice how, after Xie Zhiyi left, Jiang Zhongmu frequently became distracted and dazed, resulting in her failing to carve a single thing for most of the day.

He let out a helpless sigh, not offering much blame, but merely instructed, “The heart must be still.”

“The hand must be steady, the heart must be still, and jade carving requires patience.”

These were the words Jiang Gaoxuan frequently used to admonish Jiang Nanxun and the others, but this was the first time they were directed at Jiang Zhongmu.

She gave a gloomy murmur of assent, her expression listless, with faint dark circles beneath her slender eyes.

Jiang Gaoxuan said no more. Waving his hand, he began to usher her away. Once the young girl’s slender silhouette vanished beyond the doorway, he could not help but let out a heavy sigh.

The newly carved jade plaque was left on the table. As the water marks dried, its unpolished, rough surface was revealed.

Meanwhile, the departing Jiang Zhongmu walked through the bright sunlight with a dazed look in her eyes. Her original wheat-colored skin showed signs of deepening further after experiencing this summer.

However, she was in no mood to care. A long-accumulated, unyielding melancholy weighed heavily on her heart. As soon as she exhaled one breath of stagnant air, the next rushed up, making her chest feel suffocatingly tight.

She was, after all, a youth of tender years.

How could she possibly let go of her grip so easily? When she escorted the other woman to the station, she merely stiffened her spine, pursed her lips, and watched Xie Zhiyi leave without saying a word.

She did not try to make her stay, she did not dawdle, and she did not engage in any boundary-crossing behavior. She merely watched with a deep, heavy gaze.

That woman was heartless, pushing her suitcase forward without turning back even once along the way.

Jiang Zhongmu learned from her heartlessness, staring straight ahead without turning her scooter. Consequently, she suffered a nasty fall over a messy patch of gravel, scraping the skin on her knees. When she returned home, she was nagged by Grandma for a good while.

Thinking of this, Jiang Zhongmu began to feel the pain again. Even though the wound had already scabbed over and healed, she still walked with a slight limp.

Halfway home, she passed by a small supermarket. A chubby little boy whom she had not seen for a long time came running toward her, his plump legs wobbling. Before he even reached her, cries of “Sister Zhongmu” could be heard.

Jiang Zhongmu paused her steps, barely managing to conceal her dejected look. Looking at the little fellow, she called out, “Xiao Yuan.”

Glancing at the bag he held in his hand, she continued, “To whose house are you delivering things?”

Xiao Yuan scratched the back of his head and grinned broadly. “To your house.”

Jiang Zhongmu tilted her head slightly, a puzzled look in her eyes.

The little fellow did not dawdle either and immediately explained in a babyish voice, “It is for that tenant sister at your house.”

“Did she not leave some money deposit at my family’s shop? Every time she took things, it would be deducted from it. When she was about to leave, there were still one or two hundred yuan left. My dad said to refund it to her, but she found it too troublesome. She told my dad to change the money into candy and bring it all to your house.”

Xiao Yuan added with a face full of pride, “That sister said you like to eat peppermints. I even searched for them specifically for you to guarantee they are all peppermint-flavored.”

The corner of Jiang Zhongmu’s mouth twitched. Looking down at this chubby little boy who held his head high and chest out while waiting for praise, the words on the tip of her tongue twisted a few times before emerging as an extremely stiff sentence, “Then, do I thank you?”

Children were easy to please. With a wave of his plump little hand, he said generously, “You are welcome.”

The sight left Jiang Zhongmu unsure whether to laugh or cry. In the end, she reached out to accept that large bag of candies, the emotions in her eyes dark and inscrutable.

She did not know whether to describe that woman as cruel or considerate. The nightly entreaties of affection had failed to win even a shred of softness from her heart. To the very end, her lips remained tightly sealed, refusing to disclose even a single piece of contact information, firmly intent on drawing a clear line between herself and Jiang Zhongmu.

Yet, could one truly call her heartless?

After she left, there were the new clothes sent from the shop in the county seat, and now, this large bag of peppermints.

“Sister Zhongmu, I will head back first?”

Jiang Zhongmu suddenly snapped out of her reverie, gave a word of assent, and added, “Walk slowly, do not trip.”

“I know, I know!” The child replied impatiently, and in the blink of an eye, he ran away until only his back remained.

Standing where she was, Jiang Zhongmu unhurriedly took out a peppermint from the bag. Tearing it with both hands, she ripped open the transparent packaging.

The translucent round sphere rolled around, spreading a minty coolness across the tip of her tongue, which instantly cleared her heavy mind.

Jiang Zhongmu blinked her eyes and continued walking toward home.

Pushing open the door, the white orchids in the small courtyard had finished blooming, leaving behind nothing but dense, green shade. This at least spared Jiang Zhongmu the trouble of sweeping the ground every day.

The young girl wearing a white short-sleeved shirt looked up. Through the gaps in the leaves, she could faintly see the closed windows of the third floor.

She did not know what she was thinking, but she remained in place for quite a long time.

There was no one at home, and no one was there to manage her. Grandma had gone out at noon today, saying she was going to sit and chat at an old friend’s house in the town, and she would likely return quite late.

Thus, it was only when a sore numbness spread through her calves that she reacted sluggishly. The hand carrying the bag had long since been pressed bright red by the thin straps.

The courtyard gate was closed, the fallen leaves were crushed underfoot, and next came the sound of climbing the stairs, slow and heavy, until it stopped at the third floor.

There were very few travelers at this time. Ever since Xie Zhiyi left, the room had not been rented out again. In the deep dimness, Jiang Zhongmu walked straight toward the room, stopping right behind the closed door.

She did not open the door to go inside. She merely leaned against it diagonally, pressing her forehead against a patch of coolness while breathing slowly and deeply. The small space without windows was stifling and oppressive, and the air was filled with a damp, musty odor. The plastic bag in her hand crackled occasionally, sounding incredibly piercing to the ears.

Outside the house, the red sun sank, the dusk rushed in, and another day turned its page.

Xunyang City,

The glow of the sinking red sun enveloped the steel city. From the distant overpass came the sound of surging traffic, and scattered lights began to flicker on. People had already started flooding into the shops on both sides of the street.

Inside a warmly decorated, white-toned room, the woman with long curly hair lay buried within the soft bedding. The phone beside her pillow vibrated continuously, causing her eyelashes to tremble and disrupting her long, slow breathing.

The phone stopped for a moment, then continued to ring.

It was not until the final rings of the ringtone that the woman unhurriedly extended her hand to answer it.

Before she could even speak, a female voice with a rising cadence rang out, “Xie Zhiyi! Are you still not awake?! We agreed that you would accompany me to dinner today.”

The woman on the mattress frowned, a thin layer of sweat breaking out across her forehead.

“Xie Zhiyi?!”

“Where are you!”

“If you dare to stand me up today, you are a dead woman!”

The successive shouts finally roused the groggy Xie Zhiyi. Closing her eyes to rest for a moment, she unhurriedly picked up the phone, her voice slurred, “Xu Qinsang.”

“Sister, you are finally awake!” The person on the other end let out a sigh of relief and said hastily.

Hearing that familiar title, Xie Zhiyi was visibly startled. Then, she opened her eyes, the depths of her gaze turning entirely clear.

“What did you call me?” She spoke once more, her voice stripped of its previous dreaminess.

“Ah?” Xu Qinsang did not react in time. The words just now had been spoken rapidly without passing through her mind, and she forgot them in the next second.

Xie Zhiyi exhaled a breath of stagnant air, her tone returning to its usual manner, “It is nothing. Are you off work?”

Seeing her mention this, Xu Qinsang suddenly fell silent, giving a few sheepish laughs, “Am I not just afraid that you would fail to wake up and stand me up?”

Xie Zhiyi understood immediately. Lifting her phone to take a look, she said, “Five-thirty? If I remember correctly, you still have half an hour before you get off work, right?”

The other person continued to laugh.

Xie Zhiyi felt helpless. Raising her hand to cover her eyes, her sleepiness was completely gone. She merely said, “I am awake. I will take a shower and then head out. What do you want to eat? I will go over and order first.”

“Alright! I will send you a message in a bit!”

The call was disconnected, and the dim room plunged back into silence.

Xie Zhiyi lay quietly for a moment, her eyes covered by her forearm tightly shut, concealing all emotions. Only after a long while did she lower her hand.

The half-draped quilt revealed much of her form. Her thin silk nightgown was disheveled, and its loose collar slumped downward, exposing her soft curves and the scattered red marks upon them, all of which were the handiwork of a certain person.

That little leopard had bitten and sucked with great force, wishing for nothing more than to turn into a branding iron to stamp her completely. Consequently, the marks remained on Xie Zhiyi’s body, failing to dissipate entirely even after a week.

Rising from the bed proved somewhat difficult for her. After lifting the thin quilt, she first supported her waist with her hands before getting up unhurriedly. Her soft, beautiful brow puckered slightly, bearing a few hints of fragility, as though getting out of bed were an immense hardship.

Her fair skin was exposed to the open, and the cold air blown by the air conditioner turned her beads of sweat into a sticky sensation.

The simple actions of rising and getting out of bed took Xie Zhiyi a good while to accomplish.

When her legs, which were aching in every spot, touched the floor, Xie Zhiyi could not help but let out a sigh of relief, inexplicably lamenting her own age. Her body could no longer withstand such exertion.

Resting by herself for a moment, she finally stepped into the bathroom with an awkward posture.

The sound of rushing water echoed, and steam squeezed out through the crevices.

By the time the dusk had completely faded away, the agreed-upon restaurant finally welcomed a hurried guest.

A woman wearing dark green work clothes and high heels walked hastily through the entrance. The moment she reached the table, she began to clamor, “That godforsaken boss of mine started causing trouble right when it was time to leave, dragging out my time.”

Sitting in the corner, Xie Zhiyi twitched the corners of her mouth, her expression resembling a half-smile.

Xu Qinsang could not help but feel guilty. Her gaze wavered, but she forced herself to keep up her speech, “It really was the boss’s fault. You have no idea how annoying she is, dawdling and refusing to leave, and even coming over to cross-examine me about whom I was having dinner with.”

Her appearance leaned toward heroic, and her hairstyle was a capable, short-to-medium cut. When she spoke, her tone always carried a rising inflection, making her seem somewhat blunt and straightforward.

Seeing that Xie Zhiyi did not take up her words, she gave a sheepish laugh and sat opposite her. After being friends for so many years, she still possessed this much thick-skinned resilience.

“Have you finished ordering? What did you add?” Xu Qinsang began to change the subject.

“I added two dishes, salt and pepper pork ribs and stir-fried shrimp,” Xie Zhiyi did not continue to dwell on the matter.

“Are they also signature dishes?”

Xie Zhiyi nodded her head.

Xu Qinsang was a person who possessed a talkative nature. Typically, when she was with Xie Zhiyi, she was the one to initiate the topics.

Raising her eyebrows, she continued, “Let me tell you, the fish soup at this restaurant is an absolute masterpiece. The last time my boss brought me here to eat, I drank two bowls of soup in a row.”

“Your boss?” Xie Zhiyi caught the key detail. At the same time, she leaned back slightly. Her long-sleeved shirt had two buttons undone, and her long curly hair was deliberately brushed forward to conceal those hidden marks.

Her actions were a matter of necessity. After all, Xunyang City was different from Jiang Town. It remained exceedingly stifling and hot even toward the end of summer, testing the boundaries of forty degrees every two or three days. Even inside an air-conditioned room, it was hard to endure. If she had not promised the other woman long ago, Xie Zhiyi might not have gone out at all during this period.

“Ah,” Xu Qinsang suddenly lost her words and began to detour elsewhere, “When did you order the dishes? I only ate a piece of bread at noon.”

“By the time I was on the bus, my eyes were turning green from hunger, and my mind was entirely filled with food.”

“Fifteen minutes ago,” Xie Zhiyi smiled, letting her diverge from the topic without dwelling on it.

“Then it should be quick. Her restaurant serves dishes quite fast,” Xu Qinsang quietly let out a sigh of relief.

Just as her voice fell, a staff member wearing work clothes arrived carrying the dishes, causing the topic to break off completely. Neither of them spoke any further, merely waiting for all the dishes to be served.

Taking advantage of the interval, Xu Qinsang raised her eyes to look at Xie Zhiyi. Her gaze fell upon the collar, and she inexplicably raised her eyebrows.

They waited a moment longer.

The crisp clinking of bowls and chopsticks echoed. The two of them were friends who had played together since childhood, so there was no hypocritical socializing between them. Without speaking, they directly extended their chopsticks and began to eat.

Outside the glass window, traffic flowed like a river, and the heavy night could not block out the feasting and revelry within the city lights. Clamorous sounds carried over from the distance. Unlike the tranquility of the small town, the night was the most bustling time for the city.

The food on the porcelain white plates gradually diminished, and Xu Qinsang finally filled her stomach, which had collapsed from hunger. With a sigh, she leaned back against the chair. Raising her eyelids, she looked at her friend, who ate with refined manners, and lazily began to direct her, “Hurry up and drink a bowl of fish soup.”

“I have already drunk a bowl, and it is not greasy at all. You will definitely like it.”

“Furthermore, this fish soup is very nourishing.”

Seeing that Xie Zhiyi still made no move, she suddenly stood up, reached out her hand, and scooped up the small bowl beside Xie Zhiyi, intending to ladle it for her personally.

By the time the soup bowl was filled and placed to the side, even someone as gentle as Xie Zhiyi could not help but sigh. She had originally ignored it intentionally.

However, Xu Qinsang was still clamoring, “Hurry up and drink it, hurry up and drink it. This is truly delicious.”

“I specially remembered to order it for you, and those wolfberries are the same; I ladled them all into your bowl. Aren’t I a thoughtful sister?” She raised her eyebrows and smiled teasingly.

“You are tired from traveling, and wolfberries nourish deficiency and benefit the kidneys,” Xu Qinsang deliberately emphasized these words, the smile on her face growing wider.

Xie Zhiyi felt helpless and could only lay down her wooden chopsticks to lift the soup bowl.

This person was acting recklessly, determined to tease Xie Zhiyi, and had actually ladled all the wolfberries from the large bowl over. Now, the palm-sized small bowl was covered with wolfberries and red dates, concealing the milky white fish soup entirely.

Xie Zhiyi had no choice but to blow these medicinal ingredients aside and lower her head to take a shallow sip. However, because there were too many wolfberries, she could not avoid swallowing a few.

She frowned slightly, drinking only a few mouthfuls before setting it down.

“How is it?” The long-awaiting Xu Qinsang asked impatiently. She was not entirely teasing her friend; she truly wanted the other woman to taste the treasure dish she had discovered.

“It is alright,” but Xie Zhiyi was someone who lacked romantic sentiment, merely letting out two flat words.

“Ah? What do you mean by alright! This is one of the signature dishes in her shop!” Xu Qinsang was clearly extremely dissatisfied with this reply.

Xie Zhiyi, however, was not the type of person willing to give a perfunctory response. She merely shook her head and said, “The fish is not fresh.”

“You can actually taste that? No, after going out for a trip, your tongue has become that sensitive?!” Xu Qinsang’s eyes widened, and then her voice suddenly paused.

A familiar smile piled onto her face once more, and she continued, “Oh? You have grown accustomed to eating fish that people went to the river to catch fresh, so you cannot get used to the fish in restaurants anymore, right?”

Xie Zhiyi had long since anticipated this turn of events. She merely supported her forehead, her expression helpless as she called out, “Qinsang.”

“Ah?”

“Do not mention her anymore. Those matters have already passed,” Xie Zhiyi spoke such words with an unknown state of mind, the end of her tone so light that it seemed as though it would disperse as soon as the wind blew.

“Just treat it as though it never happened.”

The woman with long curly hair turned her head to look out the window. Her bitter worries dissipated, but a new sorrow gathered upon her brow and eyes. Her soft features were blurred by the lights outside the window, plunging her entire being into a state of obscurity.

If Jiang Zhongmu were present, she would surely curse this woman for being heartless once again. The marks on her body were still present, yet she had already gritted her teeth and decided to turn the page, never to mention it again.

Opposite her, Xu Qinsang’s smile vanished. She ground her lips together, and in the end, she let out a melancholy sigh, “Zhiyi, sometimes a person can be a little selfish.”

Xie Zhiyi did not speak, truly unwilling to mention a single word or sentence further.

The bowl of fish soup on the dining table was allowed to cool completely, and until the very end, not another mouthful was taken.

The evening breeze blew through the tall and low houses, and another night passed.

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