The Heroine Pays Me to Fall in Love (Quick Transmigration) - Chapter 14

Yang Zimo lost.

He had only played three rounds with A’ning, but he was defeated in every single one, and the losses were humiliatingly thorough.

A’ning’s style was completely different from Jiang Zhinan’s. From the very first move, she began setting traps and laying obstacles, silently luring her opponent into them.

At first, Yang Zimo had managed to respond carefully, but as the game progressed, the traps on the board multiplied and became increasingly intricate, leaving almost no escape. No matter where he placed his pieces, it was a dead end.

After the third round, Yang Zimo admitted defeat without hesitation.

A’ning smiled, as if she had anticipated this outcome all along. Her eyes betrayed no emotion as she said, “It is A’ning who has overstepped. Please, do not take offense.”

“It’s nothing.” Yang Zimo cleared his throat and lifted his teacup to take a sip, hoping to mask his embarrassment. “Miss A’ning’s skill surpasses mine. I admit defeat wholeheartedly.”

“But I wonder, what exactly was the question you wanted to ask me?” he added, recalling their earlier wager.

“It is,” A’ning began, her gaze casually flicking over to Jiang Zhinan’s face.

She’s telling me to step aside.

Jiang Zhinan immediately understood A’ning’s meaning.

She sighed. Though she didn’t want to leave, she knew forcing herself to stay would be improper. So, under their watchful eyes, she rose and moved away, her heart heavy with conflicting emotions. Even her retreating figure looked pitiful.

“Why must this be something you hide from your lady?” Yang Zimo asked, pausing, his eyes tinged with both curiosity and caution.

“Because,” A’ning smiled, then leaned closer and whispered a few words into Yang Zimo’s ear.

Yang Zimo left in the early evening and did not stay for dinner at the residence.

Jiang Zhinan, along with several maids, saw him off, reminding him to visit often whenever he had the chance.

“I will,” Yang Zimo replied, his eyes bright with a hint of amusement.

“Mm.” Jiang Zhinan nodded, then took a few packages of pastries from the maids and handed them to him. “Take these with you for the road, so you won’t be bored or lonely.”

“Thank you, Yu’an.” Seeing the carefully prepared pastries, Yang Zimo felt genuinely touched. He hurriedly accepted them, holding the packages to his chest with delight. “Once I’m settled, I’ll send you a letter.”

“I’ll be waiting.” Jiang Zhinan smiled, then reminded him to head home before it got too dark.

“Understood.” Yang Zimo agreed, and as he turned to leave, he paused mid-step, then returned to stand in front of her again, hesitating, as if he had something to say.

“Did you forget something?” Jiang Zhinan asked.

“No.” Yang Zimo shook his head, his voice hesitant. “I just wanted to give you a friendly warning. Whether you take it or not is up to you.”

“Go ahead,” Jiang Zhinan said, her nervousness rising at his serious tone.

“It’s about A’ning.” Yang Zimo frowned. “Although Miss A’ning is beautiful, intelligent, and capable of handling all matters meticulously, I think you should be cautious around her.”

“A maid being too clever or too accomplished can be a problem,” he continued. “Besides, I have the feeling she might have developed feelings for you that are inappropriate.”

Jiang Zhinan thought: Well, as luck would have it, I just learned about that last night.

She sighed, realizing some things weren’t meant to be shared with outsiders. So, she simply said she would be careful.

Still, curiosity got the better of her, and she asked what exactly A’ning had whispered to him.

“I can’t tell you that,” Yang Zimo said, a hint of difficulty on his face. “She made me promise not to reveal it. If I did, I’d be breaking that trust—it wouldn’t be right.”

“But I can tell you that her questions were trivial, nothing worth worrying about,” he quickly added, before Jiang Zhinan could protest, fearing she might be upset.

“I understand.” Jiang Zhinan nodded. Accepting that she wouldn’t get any more information, she simply warned him to be careful on his way.

Yang Zimo acknowledged her repeatedly and waved goodbye as he left.

Jiang Zhinan stood at the doorway, watching his retreating figure for a long while before finally turning and slowly walking back to her own room.

When she opened the door, she found A’ning seated at the desk, head bent in concentration as she practiced her calligraphy.

“Miss,” A’ning greeted, pausing mid-stroke. “You’re back.”

“Mm.” Jiang Zhinan replied and walked directly to the bed, feeling almost too embarrassed to meet A’ning’s gaze.

Though they often spent evenings together like this, in the past she had only thought of A’ning as a daughter she had raised—nothing more.

Now, fully aware of A’ning’s feelings, being alone together felt awkward and charged.

A’ning sat diligently at the desk, and Jiang Zhinan, too embarrassed to ask her to leave, picked up a book and pretended to read, trying to occupy herself.

Whether she actually absorbed any of it, of course, was known only to herself.

Time passed slowly. Outside, the wind picked up, and the mist grew heavier.

After finishing her writing practice for the day, A’ning looked up and saw her lady holding a book, her face practically buried in its pages.

She seemed like she was hiding from something.

A’ning stood, ignoring the scattered items on the table, and walked over to Jiang Zhinan. She stopped in front of her and bent slightly to gently take her hands.

Jiang Zhinan flinched, instinctively stepping back.

“Miss, don’t hold the book so close when you read,” A’ning said suddenly, before she could even react. “It’s bad for your eyes.”

“I know,” Jiang Zhinan murmured softly, freezing like a tiny, newly hatched chick, afraid to make a single move.

A’ning smiled, seemingly unaware of her tension, and even adjusted her posture for her.

Then, to Jiang Zhinan’s surprise, she actually sat down on the edge of the bed, unnervingly close, as if she wanted to read together.

Normally, Jiang Zhinan would have been delighted, interpreting A’ning’s closeness as affection.

But this time, instead of feeling happy, she was genuinely scared—afraid that A’ning would suddenly press her head against hers. Her back even felt goosebumps.

The atmosphere became awkward. Neither spoke; they just sat like that.

“Miss,” A’ning finally spoke after some time. “I’ve read this page three times already, but you haven’t finished. Would you like me to read it to you?”

“No, no, it’s fine,” Jiang Zhinan hurriedly shook her head and fumbled to turn the page.

But she didn’t manage it—the book slipped from her hands and fell with a thud.

Jiang Zhinan: “…”

A’ning: “…”

The scene was painfully awkward. Jiang Zhinan even heard A’ning sigh softly.

After a moment of tense silence, A’ning bent down to pick up the book.

“Miss, are you not in a good mood today?” she asked gently. “Did I do something to upset you?”

“No,” Jiang Zhinan quickly shook her head. “I’m just tired.”

“Then you should rest early.” Seeing her say that, A’ning stood up obediently and turned to leave.

From behind, Jiang Zhinan called after her, mentioning that she’s been having frequent headaches and should sleep earlier. She added that if A’ning didn’t have anything important, she shouldn’t come at night.

The words were unusual, and A’ning immediately caught the hidden meaning.

She didn’t argue, only paused briefly before softly replying, “Okay.”

“Mm,” Jiang Zhinan nodded, secretly letting out a sigh of relief.

A’ning truly was a child who kept her promises.

If she said she wouldn’t come, she didn’t. Since that day, she never disturbed Jiang Zhinan at night again.

Even during the day, she mostly kept her distance. Perhaps hurt by Jiang Zhinan’s words, she rarely met her outside of class time.

Over time, Jiang Zhinan realized that A’ning seemed to be avoiding her, but there was nothing she could do. She could only let it be.

Leaves turned yellow, withered, and finally fell, slowly decaying into the soil.

Winter arrived quickly. As every household prepared food and supplies for the cold season, they were also preparing for an important day: the Lunar New Year.

Unlike ordinary families, the Jiang household, being a prominent family, naturally started preparations even earlier.

But this year was different. In the past, Governor Jiang would always stay home to oversee the preparations, but this time he hadn’t returned for a long while, seemingly caught up in endless affairs.

When he got busy, naturally the eldest, Jiang Yujin, was also occupied. So, in the end, the responsibility for the New Year preparations fell to the second son, Jiang Chengxuan.

Yet what surprised Jiang Zhinan even more was that she noticed A’ning helping Jiang Chengxuan with the preparations.

“When did they become so close?” Jiang Zhinan muttered in frustration, feeling like she knew nothing.

The system tried to comfort her, saying it was normal as children grew up and developed their own thoughts.

Still, Jiang Zhinan didn’t feel any better. She turned away, refusing to look or care—wanting peace and quiet.

Little did she know, A’ning noticed everything.

In the past, whenever she saw Jiang Zhinan angry, she would feel pain herself, completely empathizing.

But this time was different—she felt unexpectedly happy.

Probably, this was the outcome she wanted.

A’ning thought so, a small smile tugging at her lips.

Someone called to her, asking if she wanted to go shopping for New Year’s supplies.

“I’ll go,” A’ning replied softly, withdrawing her gaze.

It was just the right time—there was something she needed to retrieve anyway.