The Guide to Faking Innocence to Win His Wife - Chapter 51

With the closing of the door, the night grew deeper. The campus remained lively, as students always possessed an endless supply of energy.

Jiang Zhongmu sat alone on her chair, and the dormitory, which had felt cramped just a moment ago, suddenly became empty and spacious.

 

She looked down at the desktop. The half-eaten apple had oxidized, turning yellow and black at an exceptionally fast speed, appearing quite grotesque, particularly along the jagged edge where it had been bitten.

 

Her lowered, pale amber eyes were dark and gloomy, resembling the ancient Egyptian Nile flowing within a rift of time. It appeared deep and tranquil on the surface, but in reality, undercurrents raged furiously. With a slight lapse of caution, one would be dragged into the dark current, unable to escape no matter how hard one struggled.

 

However, the prey had been let go by her own hands, leaving behind nothing but a useless desert.

 

Even a child would feel sad after being pushed away continuously.

 

She let out a heavy sigh, yet she still could not bear to discard the fruit the other party had peeled for her. Resigning herself to her fate, she picked it up and took a firm bite right along the edge.

 

In any case, she was originally a frugal person who could not bear to see a perfectly good apple go to waste. Jiang Zhongmu consoled herself in this manner, then clenched her teeth with a bit more force, crushing the apple piece.

 

The flesh of an oxidized apple was always somewhat soft, and the sweet, cloying juice carried a faint taste of fermentation. It was said that this was the rudimentary form of fruit wine.

 

However, Jiang Zhongmu possessed no interest in liquor. She merely chewed mechanically, allowing the sweet, cloying juice to spread across her palate.

 

Beneath the dim, yellow light, her thin shadow was stretched long. However, this loneliness was not maintained for long, as it was soon interrupted by the sound of laughter, playful bickering, and the hurried footsteps of three people.

 

Before the door had even opened, consecutive shouts could be heard.

 

“Jiang Zhongmu.”

 

“Silent Bell.”

 

The light from the corridor instantly flooded inside as three camouflage-clad individuals, sunburned black and red, rushed into the room, their voices sounding even more exaggerated.

 

“Oh my goodness. How did you get hurt so severely? Did you fall down from the stairs? Were you so worried about me that you ran off to jump from the building?” Tang Li spoke in shock as she supported herself against the doorframe.

 

Even though she had tried her best to hide her pink hair inside her hat, a few strands still peeked out askew. The hair color that she had previously felt highlighted her fair complexion now only made her look exceptionally dark.

 

Previously, when the other two roommates saw this color, they had clamored with envy about getting their hair dyed as well, but now they had completely abandoned that notion.

 

“This plaster cast, I saw someone drawing on one last time. Silent Bell, wait a moment. I will draw something beautiful for you so that you will have some prestige when you go out.” This speaker had already walked up to Jiang Zhongmu, clicking her tongue several times as she genuinely began to ponder the design.

 

This person was named Xia Xiangxia, who had studied art since childhood. Her thinking was extremely prone to leaping from one thought to another, and her speech always lacked boundaries. On the very first day, she had given Jiang Zhongmu this nickname.

 

Fortunately, Jiang Zhongmu had grown up now and her temper had improved significantly, no longer being as rigid and argumentative as she was in her childhood. Otherwise, the iron fists that Jiang Nanyang and the others had suffered would likely have fallen upon Xia Xiangxia.

 

“This is so severe. What did the doctor say?” The final girl possessed a fair, clean, and well-behaved appearance, and her voice was soft and sweet. She was the most reliable individual among the three of them.

 

“It is nothing. It is merely a hairline fracture.”

 

Jiang Zhongmu waved her hand, declining Xia Xiangxia’s request to draw on the cast, and then spoke to Tang Li, who was using shock to mask her anxiety: “It has nothing to do with you. It was because I ran too fast.”

 

“Why did you run so fast?” Tang Li caught the key point.

 

This matter was difficult to explain. Jiang Zhongmu pressed her lips together, shifting her gaze toward the plastic bag on the desktop.

 

The most well-behaved roommate perceived that she did not wish to speak, turning her head to look at the desktop in an attempt to shift the topic: “You bought so many things during your trip out? Last time I asked you to use my toner and lotion, you wore a face full of resistance, so why did you buy them today?”

 

The attempt to shift the topic failed, as these items were still related to a certain someone.

 

Jiang Zhongmu grew increasingly silent, lifting her hand to touch the tip of her nose, not knowing how to respond.

 

This matter was troublesome to explain, and furthermore, it was not something easy to speak about, as not everyone could accept it after all.

 

The atmosphere suddenly fell quiet, and all three people in the dormitory perceived her awkwardness.

 

Xia Xiangxia slapped her own forehead, simply dragging the topic back: “Let us discuss what to draw on the plaster cast instead.

 

“How about we combine the names of our dormitory members and draw them on together?” She spoke with great enthusiasm, feeling as though her inspiration was bursting forth.

 

The three of them remained silent.

 

Jiang Zhongmu was helpless. Although she was called a child by Xie Zhiyi every single day, in reality, she was the most mature and steady individual here. In the end, she let out a sigh and spoke honestly: “The person I like came over, and I was in a hurry to pursue her, resulting in rolling down from the stairs by accident.

 

“These items were also purchased for me by her.”

 

The eyes of the three roommates instantly shone with light, and even the most well-behaved Li Yisi wore a face full of gossip, their fatigue from the military training vanishing without a trace.

 

Three loud scraping sounds were heard as their stools were dragged together right in front of Jiang Zhongmu. The three of them sat surrounding her in a defensive formation, presenting an appearance akin to a formal interrogation.

 

Jiang Zhongmu could not help but lean back slightly, her expression turning a bit more serious as well.

 

“Elaborate in detail,” Tang Li sat directly opposite Jiang Zhongmu, her gaze burning brightly.

 

“She, she is a girl,” Jiang Zhongmu supported her forehead with her hand.

 

“Narrate it in full detail. You are not permitted to omit a single shred or fiber of the story,” Tang Li slapped her thigh, becoming increasingly excited.

 

Jiang Zhongmu remained silent.

 

Looking at the other two beside her, they did not display the slightest hint of anomaly, instead wearing expressions that suggested they found the matter even more interesting.

 

Jiang Zhongmu sighed once more, feeling as though she had sighed more during this single night than she had in her entire past life.

 

“She is seven years older than I am. Previously, she was a student at this school, and afterward, she remained at the university to teach classes.”

 

Jiang Zhongmu had never imagined that she would be surrounded by people, requiring her to narrate this secret crush that could only be hidden away in corners and within the dark attic, forbidden from seeing the light of day. Consequently, she spoke haltingly, mentioning whatever came to her mind.

 

For instance, their encounter during her childhood, when Xie Zhiyi appeared in her world like a beam of light.

 

For instance, her nervousness when they met again, when she had put on her brightest school uniform yet acted like a mute who did not know how to speak.

 

For instance, her trying every possible method to approach the attic, using various means to attract the older woman’s gaze.

 

The considerate care, the reckless fooling around by the riverbank, and the touches beneath the dining table. Only now, upon recollecting these moments, did she feel that that summer was indeed beautiful, turning hotter and more scorching than any summer of the past dozen years, clearly stamped deep within her memory.

 

The three roommates grew increasingly silent as they listened, and their previous smiles faded away along with the narrative.

 

The corners of Jiang Zhongmu’s mouth twitched into a smile: “She is a person who always possesses too many misgivings, self-righteously believing that because she is a bit older, she can predict every single matter and make decisions entirely on her own.”

 

The smile did not reach her eyes, and the accumulated misery stained her brow. The young girl, wearing a plaster cast and wrapped in gauze, resembled a defeated puppy, her head lowered and ears drooping, looking incredibly pitiful.

 

“You see, she is truly particularly detestable. How can there be such an autocratic individual?” She covered her forehead with her hand.

 

A sound traveled from the dormitory building, and subsequently, all the lights were extinguished. The four of them sat surrounding each other in the darkness, and for a good while, no one spoke.

 

Until Tang Li turned on her phone’s flashlight, shining it directly onto her own black and red face, speaking gloomily: “Everyone, I also possess a story to elaborate on in detail.

 

“Today is the fifth day since I broke up with my ex-girlfriend.”

 

Jiang Zhongmu and the other two were shocked, lifting their heads abruptly to look at her.

 

“Elaborate in detail.”

 

“Speak in full detail.”

 

This time, the shouts came from Xia Xiangxia.

 

Jiang Zhongmu finally stopped leaning against the back of her chair, even shifting forward a bit, her expression earnest.

 

As the saying went, when consoling a sorrowful person, all chicken soup and comforting words were useless. The best and most effective consolation was merely to produce a past event that was even more wretched than theirs.

 

For instance, the senior student whom Tang Li had bitterly pursued for two years and finally began a relationship with during their third year of high school had dumped her on the day before her enrollment. The reason was that the university Tang Li had entered was too excellent, causing her to feel an immense amount of pressure, and furthermore, the two of them would be in a long-distance relationship.

 

“If she did not like long-distance relationships, she should have said so earlier. At that time, I wanted to apply to the university she was attending, but she insisted that with my score, I could select a better one, refusing to let me apply.

 

“Furthermore, is it my fault that I tested so well?

 

“How could I know that I could score so well? I was clearly busy with being in a relationship for the entire third year of high school, so who had the mind to study?”

 

/

 

Tang Li covered her face with both hands, appearing pained and distorted: “Can this be blamed on me?”

 

Sitting opposite her, Jiang Zhongmu instantly felt a great deal better. Hesitating for a moment, she reached into the plastic bag, pulled out an apple, and extended it over.

 

Tang Li was currently hungry. She had hurried back anxiously after the military training just now, without purchasing any midnight snacks whatsoever. It happened that an apple was delivered to her hand, and she took a firm bite while holding it.

 

While being thoroughly driven by despair, she consumed half of it, and only then did she react after the fact: “Has this apple not been washed?”

 

Jiang Zhongmu nodded, speaking honestly: “It has not been washed.”

 

“Why did you not give me the washed one sitting beside it?” Tang Li felt wronged.

 

Jiang Zhongmu answered gloomily: “That one was washed clean by her.”

 

The three roommates fell silent.

 

“Jiang Zhongmu, do you truly have to be so love-brained?” Tang Li’s face turned distorted, yet she took another bite of the apple. Since she had already eaten it, it would be a waste not to finish it.

 

She chewed the apple, speaking fiercely: “Did you fail to hear anything from my story?”

 

Jiang Zhongmu blinked her eyes, and the gauze on her brow bone trembled along with the movement.

 

Xia Xiangxia and Li Yisi exchanged a glance, displaying the exact same bewilderment.

 

“What am I supposed to hear?”

 

Tang Li lamented, throwing her hands up: “You are truly a student who cannot be taught.

 

“Against these older women, we cannot maintain a fierce and continuous pursuit all the time. We must play hard-to-get. We cannot let them obtain us easily.”

 

Jiang Zhongmu nodded her head as if she half-understood.

 

“Little Jiang, for the grace of today’s apple, I, Tang Li, shall certainly repay you with the insights of my entire life. You just wait and see.”

 

Jiang Zhongmu retracted her body silently, her voice halting in a rare manner: “There is no necessity for it to be like this.”

 

The phone that had not been charged for an entire day suddenly powered off, and the light of the flashlight was extinguished. The dormitory plunged completely into darkness, leaving behind nothing but the firm, rhythmic sounds of an apple being crunched.

 

In the blink of an eye, a week passed. A heavy rain fell last night, dispersing a small measure of the muggy, scorching heat of Xunyang. The treetops that had been drooping all day lifted slightly, appearing green, thick, and dense.

 

Inside the bright and spacious office, a fine-liner pen rolled off the pristine desktop, falling into the soft carpet. However, it was quickly picked up by someone bending down.

 

Her long curly hair scattered down with the movement, swaying like alluring vines. The outstretched hand was well-proportioned and fair, making the jadeite bracelet on her wrist appear increasingly translucent and moist. With a slight hook of her red-tinted fingertips, she held the thin pen in her hand.

 

As she stood up, the executive chair let out a creaking sound, and subsequently, Xie viewer appeared before the eyes.

 

She appeared somewhat fatigued. A pair of rimless glasses rested on her shapely nose, and a matching fine gold chain hung from the frame, adding a few measures of intellectual aura to her gentle features, while also concealing the greenish-purple shadows beneath her eyelids.

 

Compared to her usual exquisite appearance, she dressed very simply today, wearing a medium-length camel-colored knit cardigan layered over a white shirt, paired with loose, dark blue jeans. Combined with her slender figure, thin waist, and long legs, she bore quite a few measures of early autumn sluggishness.

 

The fine-liner pen that had been picked up was placed to one side. The paper sheets resting in front of her were pushed away after she sketched a few chaotic strokes, and her phone was discarded far away.

 

She was not clear on what she was pondering over. She casually lifted her hand to brush back her messy hair, and subsequently, her gaze turned vacant for a split second, failing to focus again.

 

Until someone walked hurriedly along the corridor, opening the door and shouting: “Xie Zhiyi, have you left work yet? It was agreed that you would accompany me to eat Japanese cuisine today, yet you did not respond to messages or answer phone calls.”

 

The office door was thrown open, and a woman wearing high heels walked inside angrily, lowering her head to look at the desktop.

 

She instantly spoke in astonishment: “You have not finished drawing yet? How many days has it been?”

 

“Is the client this time particularly exacting? Is the gemstone difficult to design? Do you possess no ideas?” Xu Qinsang blurted out several questions in succession.

 

Looking at Xie Zhiyi, she seemed only now to return to her senses, lifting her hand to rub the space between her eyebrows, her voice weary: “I have not finished drawing yet.”

 

“How about I accompany you to eat first, and then return later to work overtime?” Xie Zhiyi leaned back against the back of her chair. During the movement, the short-sleeved shirt underneath shifted downward at the collar, revealing a section of her slender collarbones.

 

The client this time was pressing urgently, so Xie Zhiyi had to accelerate her pace as much as possible.

 

However, as a close friend of many years, Xu Qinsang discerned that the other party was not right with a single glance. Dragging a chair over to sit down, she said: “What is the matter with you?”

 

No longer in a hurry to eat Japanese cuisine, her expression carried a few more measures of worry.

 

“It is nothing,” Xie Zhiyi subconsciously wished to conceal it, yet under her close friend’s strict gaze, her voice gradually grew weak and low.

 

“Xie Zhiyi,” she raised her voice to shout.

 

Xie Zhiyi instantly deflated. Unconsciously picking up the fine-liner pen beside her and holding it between her fingers, she said: “Do you still remember that child?”

 

Xu Qinsang knit her brows, and then her expression suddenly turned solemn, asking tentatively: “The one from the small town?”

 

“Yes, she tested into Xunyang University,” after saying these words, Xie Zhiyi seemed suddenly to let out a sigh of relief, the annoyance of the past few days finally finding a place to escape.

 

“This young friend is quite remarkable. Then how did you find out? Did she tell you?”

 

“I ran into her when I went to resign.”

 

“And then the young friend came to find you to renew your past romance, leaving you hesitant, sorrowful, and unable to draw your drafts?” Xu Qinsang followed up quickly.

 

“It is not like that.”

 

The pen spun a circle between her fingers. The words reached the tip of Xie Zhiyi’s tongue before taking a turn, yet in the end, she still chose to candidly narrate the previous encounter.

 

The more Xu Qinsang listened, the more her brows knit, and she could not help but comment: “How can you be such a scumbag?”

 

The corners of Xie Zhiyi’s mouth twitched, yet she did not offer a rebuttal.

 

“That is to say, after that night, your young friend suddenly became clear-headed, refusing to pay attention to you and actively beginning to pull away from you,” Xu Qinsang looked at her close friend’s sorrowful face and truly could not bear to criticize further. She could only shift her tone to help analyze the situation.

 

“Yes,” Xie Zhiyi nodded her head, then supplemented: “If I ask her questions, she will still respond to me.”

 

“For instance?” Xu Qinsang raised her eyebrows.

 

“I ask her if she has eaten her meal, and she says she has eaten.”

 

Xu Qinsang wanted to curse yet restrained herself: “And then?”

 

“I ask her how her injury is, and she says it is quite good,” Xie Zhiyi spoke to the point where even she felt lacking in confidence.

 

“Did you also tell her to contact you if she needs anything, to which she responded with a simple ‘all right,’ and then never took the initiative to contact you again?” Xu Qinsang could not help but complain.

 

As a result, Xie Zhiyi actually nodded her head in agreement.

 

She instantly held her head with both hands, her voice filled with despair: “Xie Zhiyi, how can you be such a scumbag?

 

“I, Xu Qinsang, have known you for so many years, yet I surprisingly failed to perceive that you are a scumbag.”

 

“I do not know what is best to do,” the always intelligent and mature older woman fell into a predicament for the very first time, finding it difficult to make a choice.

 

Xu Qinsang exposed her eyes, asking tentatively: “Then how about giving it a try?”

 

“How should I try?” Xie Zhiyi lifted her eyes to look at her.

 

“The two of you meet face-to-face?”

 

“How should we meet?”

 

Xu Qinsang was thoroughly speechless, adding: “The other person broke her leg just to pursue you. Are you not going to deliver a bowl of bone soup to nourish her?”

 

Without waiting for Xie Zhiyi to agree, Xu Qinsang stood up abruptly, deciding on her own accord: “Let us go. We shall eat Japanese cuisine, and then purchase bone soup for your young friend.”