The Guide to Faking Innocence to Win His Wife - Chapter 49

Although a certain someone claimed she was fine, after leaning against the wall and resting for a short while, she found herself completely unable to stand up. The shin that had slammed against the railing was severely bruised, and even the slightest exertion brought a bone-cracking pain.

At this point, no matter how much Jiang Zhongmu tried to brave it out, it was to no avail. Xie Zhiyi hurriedly summoned the medical room staff, and Jiang Zhongmu was carried to the car on a stretcher before being rushed to the hospital for an X-ray.

The result was exactly as expected, a minor fracture in her left shin.

The doctor even clicked his tongue a few times, commenting that Jiang Zhongmu was quite tough. Falling from such a height and only ending up with a minor fracture was a stroke of luck. Once the cast was applied and her other wounds were treated, she was permitted to be discharged from the hospital.

Presently, Jiang Zhongmu had already returned to the dormitory. Outside the window, the sky had turned dark. Her three roommates had not returned yet, likely having gone straight to evening training after dinner.

Xie Zhiyi stood outside the door with the counselor who had rushed over, discussing today’s incident in low voices.

“I did not do it on purpose either. That instructor spoke so vaguely, mentioning some girl with a lot of personality. I thought he was talking about her, but I never expected he was referring to her roommate!”

Standing nearby, Xie Zhiyi had a helpless expression, but she could not bring herself to utter any words of blame.

She had a good relationship with Zhao Yueke, as they had been classmates in the same major during their university days. Although they were not in the same dormitory, they frequently bumped into each other, and they became even closer after choosing to stay on at the university.

This person possessed capability, but she did things too hastily and rashly. A task that should take ten days, she would rush through in a burning hurry to finish in three, ultimately leading to a careless, anticlimactic finish. Otherwise, she would not have borrowed Xie Zhiyi’s lesson plans multiple times to save the situation.

The same was true now. If she had not failed to clarify the situation and hurriedly made that phone call, things would not have turned into the present state.

“It is all the fault of that instructor! It has been several days and he still cannot remember a name.”

“And look at you, why were you in such a rush to leave? Forcing this child to chase after you in such a hurry.” Zhao Yueke tried to shift some of the responsibility, but the more she spoke, the more guilty she felt.

Xie Zhiyi could only sigh, offering comfort, “This matter is not to blame on you either. You were simply acting out of anxious concern.”

Under the dim lighting of the corridor, the older woman appeared somewhat fatigued. She leaned diagonally against the tiled wall, her hair falling loosely over her shoulders. The suit jacket she wore had fallen open during the scuffle of supporting Jiang Zhongmu earlier, completely stripped of its daytime refinement and meticulousness.

Having been given an out, Zhao Yueke instantly let out a sigh of relief and said, “Yes, exactly, I was simply acting out of anxious concern.”

“The most troublesome part now is what should she do during this period? Military training is definitely out of the question.”

Zhao Yueke immediately replied, “I have already spoken to their instructor. Did you get the hospital report sheet? I will take it to the head of the grade level later to register it. She can just rest properly in the dormitory for these next two days.”

“Then I shall trouble you,” Xie Zhiyi let out a sigh of relief.

“It is no trouble at all,” Zhao Yueke waved her hand, changing the topic, “Though, what about her getting up and down from the bed? Her roommates are all in military training these next couple of days, so they probably will not be able to take care of her.”

Xunyang University featured four-person dormitories with a setup of a bed above a desk.

Xie Zhiyi had already considered this and stated directly, “Let her stay at my place for a couple of days and return to the school once she is a bit better.”

“That works out well. Shall we have her pack her things now?”

“Okay, I will go in and tell her,” Xie Zhiyi finished speaking and walked inside.

Jiang Zhongmu sat inside the dormitory. Her camouflage jacket had been cast aside, and she wore a black tank top to keep cool. Gauze was applied to her arms, and the camouflage trousers had been cut off right at the mid-calf.

Her hair tie had been lost heaven knows where, leaving her medium-length black hair loose and disheveled. If not for her good looks, anyone would believe she was a vagrant from the streets.

Seeing Xie Zhiyi return, she raised her eyes to look over and said in a low voice, “Is the leave approved?”

“It is approved,” Xie Zhiyi replied quickly, adding immediately, “I just spoke with your counselor. It is inconvenient for you to climb the stairs these next two days, so you will temporarily stay at my place for a few days until”

“No need.”

Before she could finish her sentence, she was interrupted. The older woman clearly had not expected this response; her voice halted abruptly, a startled look in her eyes.

Without even giving it a thought, Jiang Zhongmu maintained a resolute attitude, adding, “No need to trouble you. I can get up there myself.”

Xie Zhiyi was provoked to laughter. Resting her hands on her waist, she countered, “Look at that leg of yours. Can you climb? How are you going to climb?”

“I can,” for some reason, this fellow had suddenly developed a stubborn temper again, straining her neck as she held her ground against Xie Zhiyi.

Once she finished speaking, she made a move to support herself against the desktop to stand up, looking intent on proving herself to Xie Zhiyi.

“Jiang Zhongmu!”

How could Xie Zhiyi dare to let her try? She immediately chided in a stern voice, “Sit down for me!”

She had, after all, been a teacher for a few years. Although she typically presented herself with a gentle and intellectual demeanor, when standing on the podium, she still had to adopt a stern face to discipline people. No matter how much Jiang Zhongmu had misbehaved before, she had never brought herself to use the school methods on her, but in this moment of urgency, she forgot herself.

Jiang Zhongmu was startled. Her hands left the desktop and fell downward, and her shaggy head drooped.

The little leopard, who was clearly a full head taller, possessed long arms and legs, and had abdominal muscles, was actually frightened back into submission by a single shout.

Yet, the other person did not feel much joy either. Pursing her thin lips a few times, she felt somewhat regretful about the uncontrolled tone of her voice just now.

She raised her eyes to look at Jiang Zhongmu, noting the piece of gauze applied to her brow bone.

The nurse who had treated her felt alarmed at the sight, mentioning that it was a stroke of luck the cut had not reached her eye, otherwise she would have needed stitches.

Even the head she had tried so hard to protect was in such a state, let alone other places. Both her left and right arms had several scrapes, a long gash was scratched along her waist, her left leg suffered a bone fracture, a large cut opened on her right knee, and the remaining bruises of various sizes were too numerous to count.

Who could have imagined that the former little tyrant of Jiang Town, who was coddled by Grandma, doted on by her godfather, and always followed by a pack of underlings like Jiang Nanxun, would end up bruised, battered, and pitiful on the sixth day of school?

Xie Zhiyi looked on with a heavy gaze. Suppressing her anger for a long while, she finally said, “You do not want to stay at my place?”

“I do not want to cause you trouble,” Jiang Zhongmu answered quickly.

“It is no trouble.”

“I can just stay in the dormitory.”

As her voice fell, the narrow dormitory lapsed into silence. One stood while the other sat, separated by a vast distance, looking at each other.

The older woman’s eyes were deep and dark, resembling an unfathomable pool deep within a forest; even if birds and beasts lingered by, they could not stir any ripples.

The other person’s gaze was clear and youthful, those light amber eyes reflecting only the silhouette of the woman opposite her, filled with a stubborn temper that refused to compromise.

The light elongated the shadows of the plane trees, squeezing into the dormitory along the balcony and twisting around the thick white cast, casting intricate and chaotic patterns.

“You truly do not want to go?” In the end, it was the older woman who compromised. Letting out a sigh, she spoke, “Remaining in the dormitory will be very inconvenient for you.”

“It is none of your business,” Jiang Zhongmu was stubborn enough to make one want to strike her.

Xie Zhiyi, however, possessed a good temper, or rather, she found it impossible to lose her temper at a person covered in gauze. She merely cast a fixed glance at Jiang Zhongmu before compromising, “Fine, I will inform your counselor.”

Having spoken, she turned to leave, but she halted due to a muffled word of thanks. She fell silent, her fluttering eyelashes concealing all emotions.

Could it be that after suffering a fall, the water in her brain had been shaken out?

Xie Zhiyi could not help but think this way. Clearly, the present situation was exactly what she had wanted, yet her heart felt suffocatingly tight.

Suffer the consequences of one’s own actions.

She suddenly thought of these words, pulling at the corners of her mouth to put on her customary gentle mask. The door was opened and quickly closed again, vanishing into the corridor along with the outside noises.

Left alone in the dormitory, Jiang Zhongmu sat on the wooden chair with her head lowered, the wind lifting her hair and concealing the gauze.

The lightbulb in the dormitory had likely been used for several years. It was dim and yellow, blurring the originally sharp contours of her features, stripping away a few hints of aloofness and solemnity, and adding a few hints of solitary brokenness.

Jiang Zhongmu recalled how, two days ago, Tang Li and the other two had complained about the lighting in the dormitory. She had mentioned that once military training was over, she would go buy a new lightbulb to replace it.

As expected, when one thinks of a task, it must be performed immediately without delay. Now look at how things turned out; it had to be postponed for another two weeks.

She exhaled a heavy breath of stagnant air. The phone cast aside vibrated twice with a buzz, but Jiang Zhongmu was in no mood to pay it any heed, turning her head toward the window to lose herself in thought.

Even she herself did not know what she was thinking. Perhaps the water in her brain truly had been shaken out. The other woman had stopped running away and had even actively invited Jiang Zhongmu to stay at her place. For the former Jiang Zhongmu, this was something she would hardly dare to imagine, yet now that it appeared, she rejected it with a cold face.

The same was true this afternoon. Previously, she had wished for nothing more than to cling to the other woman by any possible means, yet now she exerted every effort to widen the distance. If she could stand up by holding onto the wall, she resolutely refused Xie Zhiyi’s support.

On the way to the hospital, Xie Zhiyi drove, and neither of them uttered a word. Aside from the necessary dialogue, the only thing said was when Jiang Zhongmu spoke up on the return journey, “How much did it cost just now? I will repay you.”

Xie Zhiyi focused on driving, merely saying, “The cause of this matter lies with me. I should be responsible.”

Jiang Zhongmu then fell silent, staring out the car window at the scenery the entire time, completely devoid of words.

The chaotic and oppressive emotions weighed heavily on her whole being, causing even the pain that flared up from time to time on her body to be ignored.

The nineteen-year-old Jiang Zhongmu just sat there, her shadow on the floor elongated and thin.

Outside, bursts of training sounds continued to carry over. It was unclear which company had performed terribly, as they were being scolded roundly by their instructor in a loud voice.

The tall plane trees were blown into a sway, and chaotic footsteps echoed on the concrete ceiling above. Old-style buildings were just like this, possessing terrible soundproofing.

Roughly an hour passed before she moved stiffly, experimentally twisting her left leg. The price of her thrill-seeking behavior was an uncontrollable hiss of pain, combined with the itchy numbness of prolonged sitting, as though thousands of ants were crawling through her muscles.

Jiang Zhongmu shifted forward with difficulty, reaching out toward the adjacent drawer, which was filled to the brim with coarsely packaged peppermints.

She extracted one, expertly tore open the packaging bag, and popped it into her mouth.

The cheap peppermint flavor spread across the tip of her tongue, and the icy breath instantly rushed into her limbs and bones, freezing the mind that was filled with wild thoughts.

She brought very little luggage, and all her belongings could not even fill a single suitcase, yet she had specifically used a backpack to pack peppermints.

Grandma had even teased her, noting that she did not like to eat candy when she was a child, so why had she developed a sweet tooth upon entering university?

The translucent green small sphere was pushed against her back molars, followed by a forceful bite that shattered it. The sweet-turned-bitter taste carried the fragments along, filling her entire mouth.

Jiang Zhongmu finally made a decision, refusing to sit here idly any longer, preparing to rise to wash up before lying down on the bed.

However, heavy footsteps carried over from outside the door once again.

The dormitory door was pushed open. This time, it was not only Xie Zhiyi, but also two dormitory managers following behind her, carrying a camp bed between them.

Jiang Zhongmu was startled.

Xie Zhiyi still held quite a number of things in her hands, too busy to look at Jiang Zhongmu. She first instructed the dormitory managers to lay down and spread out the camp bed before adding, “Thank you, Aunts. If not for the two of you, I truly could not have carried it up.”

The two women were somewhat older, both possessing kind countenances, and said with smiles, “It is merely the third floor, what is there to thank us for?”

“Yes, exactly. When you were a student here, you caused us no small amount of trouble. Back then, you would call us Aunts with a cheerful face, and now you are acting polite with us?”

“Let us place the items by the bed; we cannot obstruct anyone else.”

The two of them worked efficiently, unfolding and positioning the collapsible iron-wire bed in just a few movements.

Xie Zhiyi was clearly very familiar with them, chatting with smiles and offering her thanks once more before escorting them down. She then turned around to look at Jiang Zhongmu, asking, “Where are your bedsheets and quilt covers kept?”

Jiang Zhongmu still held candy fragments in her mouth, her mind an absolute blank. Being young, she had never witnessed such a display and could not react for a moment.

Seeing that she did not speak, Xie Zhiyi assumed she was still angry, so she did not continue to press, placing the items she carried onto the table and beginning to unpack them.

A large bag of fruit, the dinner brought back, along with sunscreen, lotion, and the like.

To put it nicely, Jiang Zhongmu lived a simple life; to put it bluntly, she lived crudely.

When others stayed in a dormitory, they would fill their wardrobes, storage lockers, and desktops to the brim. She, however, left more than half of hers empty, barely using books to fill the desktop so it would not look so desolate.

Others wished for nothing more than to buy a Simmons mattress to place on the bed, but her soft pad had been strongly recommended by that senior student. Finding it troublesome and being too lazy to refuse, she had bought it.

As for sunscreen, lotion, and the like, she would rather turn red and peel from the sun than bother to apply a single smear.

Firstly, she was accustomed to being frugal alongside Grandma, feeling that these were unnecessary items. Secondly, she was deeply influenced by Jiang Nanxun and the other crude fellows.

Xie Zhiyi had noticed it the moment she entered earlier. After all, the other person had been this way in Jiang Town as well, so she had bought them together when she went out later.

She first unpacked the lunchboxes and arranged them on the table, three dishes, one soup, plus a bowl of rice. The soup was pork bone soup, and she had specially requested the owner to add a large bone.

Running up and down the hospital for the entire afternoon, the sky had already turned dark by the time they could return. Where would they have found the time to eat? Both of them had endured hunger until reaching the dormitory.

Jiang Zhongmu was accustomed to serving people. Watching Xie Zhiyi busying herself back and forth, she instinctively wanted to raise her hand to help, but confined by the chair and her inconvenient legs, she could not execute it.

The moment she raised her hand, a pair of chopsticks was shoved into it by Xie Zhiyi, while her other hand caught the lunchbox, and the soup was placed before her.

“You”

“Eat,” Xie Zhiyi interrupted her words, adding, “Finish the soup later.”

Jiang Zhongmu did not know what to say. A breath felt stifled in her chest, unable to disperse or subside. She could only say, “Have you eaten? Sit down and eat together.”

Seeing that Xie Zhiyi ignored her, she spoke again, “I have no use for those things. You do not need to pack them. Take them away together later.”

The older woman over there paused for a moment. Unknown what she was thinking, she actually came to a halt.

“There is a stool over there,” Jiang Zhongmu did not care, tilting her head to indicate her opposite roommate’s chair.

Regardless of how Xie Zhiyi reacted, she reached out once she finished speaking to take the lunchbox on the table, dividing the rice into two portions by herself and placing the portion packed in the plastic box to the side. It was only when Xie Zhiyi brought the stool over that she lowered her head to take a bite of rice.

She truly had turned into a silent little clock, refusing to utter a single word.

Xie Zhiyi did not speak either, sitting sideways beside the other person. The two of them were separated by a palm-sized distance, their lowered features written with endless fatigue.

She had not rested for the entire day. Rising early for work in the morning, she had busied herself with a mountain of affairs. She had originally thought she could rest for a while in the afternoon, only to receive a false report that Jiang Zhongmu had fainted, forcing her to drive over in a panicked hurry.

The subsequent events were even more grueling, to the point that even Xie Zhiyi, who rarely thought of spirits and gods, began to suspect whether she had offended the Grand Duke Jupiter today.

The two were temporarily devoid of words, completely stripped of their intimacy from the small town. Even when picking up food, they drew a clear line of demarcation; you stay on the left and I stay on the right, never extending a pair of chopsticks toward the other’s side.

However, Xie Zhiyi’s appetite could not compare to Jiang Zhongmu’s. Furthermore, because of the training over these past couple of days, the latter’s food intake had increased, leaving more than half remaining on Xie Zhiyi’s side while Jiang Zhongmu’s side was completely empty, looking exceptionally awkward.

Nevertheless, neither of them spoke of it. Before Xie Zhiyi could make a move, Jiang Zhongmu instinctively began to clean up.

A habit at play; no matter how much she maintained a stern face to feign anger, the movements of her hands were honest. Following the rustling sound of plastic, all the items were cleared away cleanly.

Jiang Zhongmu turned around, just preparing to speak.

Xie Zhiyi handed over a piece of tissue. Jiang Zhongmu accepted it instinctively, casually wiping the corner of her mouth, and prepared to speak once more.

Xie Zhiyi’s fingertips dipped into the aloe vera gel as she leaned close.

Her heart skipped a beat, and her light amber eyes widened. Her sun-reddened wheat skin made it impossible to distinguish whether it was bashfulness or panic.

The cool aloe vera gel spread across her burning skin, bringing a slight stinging sensation, but it quickly turned into a comfortable freshness.

Jiang Zhongmu propped one hand behind her on the chair, her knuckles flexed to grip the board tightly, the muscles of her forearm tensed. Likely due to losing strength from the injury, she trembled slightly.

She wanted to retreat, but she could not evade the hand Xie Zhiyi extended toward her.

From her forehead to the bridge of her straight nose, her trembling eyelashes cast a faint shadow, concealing the dark circles beneath her eyes.

Xie Zhiyi approached very close, her refined features bearing a trace of fatigue. Her expression was focused and earnest, as rigorous as though she were performing some monumental task. Her long curly hair hung down and swayed, unintentionally brushing against the young girl’s face.

Jiang Zhongmu caught a faint scent of rose. Unlike the perfumes on the market, this rose fragrance was very unique, resembling rose petals that had fallen into the dirt to decay, carrying an elusive scent of cosmetic powder. Maturity concealed a hint of decline, like a blooming flower praying for death.

Her subtle Adam’s apple rolled up and down. Such a close proximity made it impossible to restrain from recalling those absurd nights. The Jiang Zhongmu who had tasted intimacy was, after all, different from before.

The cool fingertips swept across her cheek, then reached her long neck and arms.

This feeling was exceptionally agonizing. You clearly knew this person was exerting every effort to widen the distance between you; everything she performed now was purely out of guilt, unadorned by a single shred of affection. Therefore, she did it solemnly and earnestly, deeply afraid of omitting any single spot.

A provocation devoid of any desire was the most heart-stirring.

Jiang Zhongmu turned her head away. No matter how she controlled it, she could not manage her breathing, merely allowing it to be excelled and inhaled urgently.

“Xie Zhiyi,” Jiang Zhongmu finally called out the other person’s name, turning her head to say in a low voice, “That is enough.”

The sulking little leopard did not even call her Sister, speaking her full name with cold detachment.

The older woman, however, did not chide her, straightening her body to widen the distance. The person opposite her let out an inexplicable sigh of relief, her breath dipping low, sounding very much like a sigh.

“Apply the rest yourself,” Xie Zhiyi did not notice her subtle movements, merely packing the items away. The white suit she wore had developed several creases, appearing disheveled.

“There is no need,” Jiang Zhongmu was still persisting, incredibly obstinate.

“Sunburn until you peel? Grinning and bearing the pain when you take a shower?” Xie Zhiyi raised her eyebrows and countered.

“I will get used to it,” the youth pursed her lips.

Amusingly enough, the most extensive dialogue between these two today was discussing whether or not to use aloe vera gel.

“Avoid it if it can be avoided, otherwise in the future” the older woman paused, her tone tactful, “If you wish to be as dark as an African, it is not impossible either.”

She had no such intention.

Jiang Zhongmu was completely stripped of words. A trace of defiance remained between her brow and eyes, yet she said, “How much did it cost? I will transfer it to you.”

“No need,” Xie Zhiyi ignored her. Whenever this topic was mentioned, she began to divert attention, turning her head to reach for the adjacent bag.

“This one is facial cleanser. Before washing your face, squeeze a bit into your palm, then rub in circles to create foam before applying it to your face.”

“This one is toner and lotion,” Xie Zhiyi extracted them one by one, explaining in detail, wishing for nothing more than to write an instruction manual to paste on them.

Meanwhile, the brow of the person opposite her furrowed deeper and deeper, feeling that this was more troublesome than chemistry or physics problems. Washing a face actually required so many steps. Although Xie Zhiyi had tried her best to simplify it, it still struck Jiang Zhongmu as a nuisance.

“Did you remember it?” Xie Zhiyi finally finished speaking. Various bottles and jars were arranged in sequence on the table, as though mocking Jiang Zhongmu’s agony.

The youth pursed her lips, her brow furrowing into a straight line indentation, but in the end, she agreed, “I remembered.”

“Remember to use them every day, do not be lazy. Xunyang is different from Jiang Town; the ultraviolet rays are strong, and the weather is dry,” Xie Zhiyi could not help but utter a few more words.

“Mmh,” the only response to her was a muffled sound.

However, she did not care either, merely extracting her phone by herself to open the QR code, extending it as she said, “Add me. If there are any problems, send a message to tell me.”

“On ordinary days, still avoid moving around recklessly. In a while, I will take you to remove the cast and take another X-ray for a reexamination.”

The light of the phone screen was intense, reflecting in the young girl’s dark, light amber eyes. She did not know what to say. An item she could not obtain by any means previously was now easily delivered before her, bringing an incredibly surreal feeling.

She even felt a bit like laughing, but pulling at the corners of her mouth irritated the wound, flaring up with a burning pain. If she had known previously that it could be obtained so easily, she likely would have broken her leg long ago.

“Hmm?” Seeing her dazed, the person opposite her urged in a low voice.

Jiang Zhongmu was a beat slow in extracting her phone, then awkwardly opened that software. Looking down, there were quite a few messages in the list, all bearing unread red dots.

Following a beep sound, the avatar that had been viewed hundreds of times appeared before her eyes once more. This time, Jiang Zhongmu did not hesitate, directly tapping to add her.

The clamor outside the house continued. They had not been so cruel as to train continuously; instead, they sat in a circle with crossed legs on the playground, singing songs in loud voices. Likely someone had actively stepped forward to perform, stirring up another wave of commotion.

However, none of this had anything to do with Jiang Zhongmu. She merely lowered her head to look at the interface indicating the approved application, her mind filled with complex emotions.

The yellow-lit dormitory was quiet and soundless. Two light gray shadows were elongated toward different angles. Clearly, Jiang Zhongmu and Xie Zhiyi were separated by only a palm-sized distance, yet their shadows pulled out a stance of one heading south and the other heading north.

“Remember to look for me if anything happens,” Xie Zhiyi instructed once more.

“I know,” Jiang Zhongmu replied, her phone still gripped in her palm, her flexed knuckles turning white.

For the older woman, this appeared to be an insignificant trifle, completely incapable of stirring a single ripple. After reclaiming her phone, she began to lift the lunchboxes, preparing to wash them clean.

Jiang Zhongmu did not stop her, knowing this person could not be easily stopped. Furthermore, she had no means to stop her presently, so she could only feign obedience as she sat on the chair, resembling a cloth doll left at another’s disposal.

She remained silent and let out a sigh, even she herself not knowing what she was thinking anymore.

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