The Heroine Pays Me to Fall in Love (Quick Transmigration) - Chapter 4

Jiang Zhinan followed Yang Zimo out onto the street.

The city was bustling these days. According to Yang Zimo, it was because the Lantern Festival was only a couple of days away, and everyone was busy with preparations.

“Mm,” Jiang Zhinan responded half-heartedly, her thoughts elsewhere—she was already planning to bring A’Ning out that night to see the lanterns together.

They chatted idly as they walked until they reached the jewelry shop Yang Zimo had mentioned.

At first, Jiang Zhinan was a little puzzled. It was just a jewelry shop—did it really warrant Yang Zimo personally escorting her there?

But when she saw the place, she immediately understood why.

The shop was enormous, its decor dazzling with gold and jade. Inside, a dazzling array of ornaments filled the shelves—varied in material and design, enough to make anyone’s eyes spin.

She even noticed there was a second floor, which sold silk and brocade in styles she’d never seen before.

Seeing all this, Jiang Zhinan couldn’t help sighing to her system in admiration. “Opening a store like this must cost a fortune.”

“It does,” the system replied lightly. After a pause, it added, “But once you complete your mission and go back, your bonus could open a dozen of these.”

“Really?” Jiang Zhinan’s eyes lit up, delight flickering in them. “Then I’ll have to work even harder to finish this mission.”

“Don’t overdo it,” the system chuckled. “Work too hard, and you might end up bedridden for days. That wouldn’t be pleasant.”

Jiang Zhinan: “?”

For some reason, she felt like her system’s words carried a strange undertone.

Before she could ask further, Yang Zimo’s voice came from inside the shop, urging her to hurry up.

A grown man, yet somehow more eager than she was to browse jewelry.

Jiang Zhinan shook her head in amusement and followed him in.

Once inside, Yang Zimo seemed to turn into an overexcited donkey—darting from one display to another, eyes glimmering.

Unable to keep up with his restless energy, Jiang Zhinan simply let him be, strolling slowly through the aisles as she looked around.

Her thoughts, inevitably, drifted to A’Ning.

Although A’Ning had been living in the residence for two days now and lacked for nothing in food or clothing, she was still missing finer things—like jewelry.

Jiang Zhinan had noticed yesterday that the girl still wore the same plain wooden hairpin.

It made Jiang Zhinan’s heart twist. She felt a strange guilt, as if she was living in luxury while her own daughter was still eating coarse grains.

So, she decided to take this chance to pick out a few nice things for her.

As she wandered, something suddenly caught her eye—a light jade-green hairpin.

The design was unique, adorned with two tiny peach blossoms. It wasn’t overly ornate nor too simple—elegant, balanced, and instantly captivating.

She picked it up and examined it closely. It truly seemed perfect for A’Ning. She was about to ask the shopkeeper to wrap it up when—

Out of nowhere, a young woman appeared and snatched the hairpin right out of her hand.

“Hey!” Jiang Zhinan blinked in disbelief. She hadn’t expected someone to be that shameless. For a second, she was thrown back to her past life memories—battling aunties over discounted eggs at the supermarket.

“This hairpin caught my eye first!” the woman declared, shaking it triumphantly. “You’d best pick something else.”

“I’ve never seen someone so brazen,” the system muttered.

“Exactly,” Jiang Zhinan nodded, calmly studying the woman.

Her gaze was cool and appraising—like someone observing a brightly colored, but not particularly intelligent, creature.

Under that steady stare, the woman’s face flushed with irritation.

“Are you mute?” she snapped. “Can’t even say a word?”

“You’ve already said everything worth saying,” Jiang Zhinan replied mildly. “What’s left for me to add?”

“Hmph! I knew you wouldn’t dare argue with me.” The woman took Jiang Zhinan’s composure as fear and grew even more arrogant.

“Oh?” Jiang Zhinan raised a brow. She hadn’t planned to stoop to this woman’s level—but now, she found herself curious. “Then may I ask, who exactly are you?”

“From the Zhao family,” the girl said proudly, chin lifted. “Zhao Tingting.”

“I see.” Jiang Zhinan responded evenly, then silently asked her system about the Zhao family.

“Nothing impressive,” the system answered. “Less wealth than your family, smaller estate, and her father holds a lower rank than yours.”

“Then there’s nothing to be afraid of,” Jiang Zhinan said, nodding to herself.

She stepped forward, her tone cool but polite. “And do you know who I am?”

“Who?” Zhao Tingting crossed her arms, defiant.

The two of them looked like bickering kindergarteners.

Jiang Zhinan gave a short, amused hum and was just about to introduce herself when Yang Zimo suddenly hurried over, a look of surprise flashing across his face.

“Tingting!” he exclaimed. “What are you doing here? I was just about to buy something to bring you as a gift.”

So, this was Yang Zimo’s new sweetheart.

Figures.

Tingting’s arrogance melted away instantly. She fluttered toward him like a delicate bird seeking shelter.

“I missed you,” she said sweetly, clinging to his arm. “And just as I got here—before I could even find you—this woman started bullying me.”

“You mean” Yang Zimo froze mid-sentence. His eyes landed on Jiang Zhinan’s face, and his expression stiffened.

“Yu—Yu’an?”

“Brother, do you know her?” Zhao Tingting’s expression darkened the moment she heard Yang Zimo call the woman so familiarly. “Who is she? Tell me right now—I’ll have my father teach her a lesson!”

Yang Zimo almost broke into a cold sweat. Good heavens, he thought, the Jiang family isn’t someone your Zhao clan can afford to provoke.

“She’s Jiang Yu’an.” Yang Zimo hesitated for a moment, then leaned in to whisper something in Zhao Tingting’s ear.

“Jiang Yu’an?” Zhao Tingting froze the instant she heard the name.

“That’s right.” Yang Zimo sighed and turned his head, murmuring a few more things that made Zhao Tingting’s face change instantly.

“214,” Jiang Zhinan called to her system silently, “what are they talking about?”

“They’re saying you’re a she-devil,” the system replied, unable to hold back a laugh. “A cold-blooded murderer who doesn’t blink when she kills, who eats people and spits out no bones—every cruel thing you can imagine. In short, absolutely terrifying.”

Jiang Zhinan: “…” It was the first time she’d learned that Yang Zimo saw her in that kind of light.

Yang Zimo went on for quite a while, painting such a horrifying picture that Zhao Tingting’s legs turned to jelly. Trembling, she handed the hairpin back with both hands.

“She didn’t mean any harm,” Yang Zimo said hurriedly, trying to smooth things over. “Yu’an, please don’t hold it against her.”

“Mm.” Jiang Zhinan gave a noncommittal response. Without another glance at either of them, she asked the shopkeeper to wrap up the hairpin, took it, and walked out.

From behind, Yang Zimo called after her softly, saying he would visit her another day to apologize.

Better if you never come, Jiang Zhinan thought.

After leaving the shop, Jiang Zhinan bought a steamed bun from a street vendor.

She’d skipped breakfast earlier to avoid eating the meal A’Ning had prepared, so by now she was famished.

Walking along the street, she ate the bun bite by bite, finishing it just as she reached the gates of the Jiang residence.

The moment she looked up, she saw A’Ning squatting by the door, waiting for her.

And judging from the faintly wounded look in her eyes, she’d clearly witnessed Jiang Zhinan secretly eating that bun.

Startled, Jiang Zhinan choked, the half-swallowed bite of bun catching in her throat.

“Cough, cough!” She clutched the wall for support, coughing for a long time before she could breathe again. When she lifted her head, A’Ning was already standing right before her.

“Miss,” A’Ning said evenly, her tone calm as ever—it was impossible to tell whether she’d noticed the secret snacking. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” Jiang Zhinan shook her head, though an awkward guilt rose in her chest, the kind that came from being caught doing something one shouldn’t.

To dispel the awkwardness, she cleared her throat lightly, took out the wrapped hairpin, and handed it to A’Ning.

“This is for you,” she said. “Go on, open it.”

It was the first gift A’Ning had ever received from anyone.

At the sight of the small box, her whole body tensed.

“Th-thank you, Miss,” she said softly, reaching out with trembling hands to untie the ribbon, eyes shimmering with emotion.

Inside lay a delicate jade hairpin in a soft shade of pale blue.

“You’ve worn that wooden one for quite a long time, haven’t you?” Jiang Zhinan said. “It’s about time for a new one. I just don’t know if you’ll like it.”

Before she had even finished speaking, A’Ning nodded quickly. “I do. I like it very much.”

“I’m glad.” Jiang Zhinan smiled, then gestured for her to come closer. “Come, let me put it on for you.”

A’Ning’s heart gave a nervous flutter.

Her lady’s smile was radiant—so gentle and beautiful that she seemed to outshine everything else in the world.

This was the person who had given her shelter, taught her dignity, and now even noticed the old, worn hairpin she’d been wearing—then thoughtfully replaced it with a new one.

How could she not love someone like that?

With that thought warming her chest, A’Ning stepped forward obediently and knelt halfway before Jiang Zhinan.

Jiang Zhinan reached out, slowly pulling the old wooden hairpin from her hair. The dark, glossy strands cascaded down like a waterfall, glimmering faintly like a river of stars.

Holding the new pin in her left hand, Jiang Zhinan used her right to gently gather the silken locks, her fingers brushing through them as she deftly arranged the strands.

A’Ning’s cheeks flushed. Facing away, she asked softly, “Miss, does A’Ning look pretty?”

“Of course you do,” Jiang Zhinan said with a faint laugh, her voice tinged with warmth.