Transmigrating Behind the Mirror to Become Her Guardian Lady - Chapter 11

The viewing of the first snow didn’t last long. Before long, the old butler, having finished moving the flowers, knocked on the door to call Jiang Weilu downstairs for breakfast.

When she returned to her room afterward, the heavy snowflakes were still dancing through the air, settling softly on the ground. Inside, however, the room was filled with a cozy warmth, making it feel like an entirely different world from the freezing outdoors.

Though Jiang Weilu had been sent to Pear Town under the guise of “reflection,” it was merely an excuse to cold-shoulder her. Once here, no one bothered her, leaving her with plenty of idle time.

Looking at the child’s profile through the water curtain, Shu Mengli couldn’t help but think that at this age, Lulu should be in school. Instead, she had been driven away by her own father.

Education was not something to be neglected. Shu Mengli decided her plan to teach Lulu had to be put on the fast track who knew when she might vanish again? She wanted to teach her calligraphy, painting, etiquette, academic subjects, and even small tricks for fighting back…

Of course, those were the basic courses. Shu Mengli felt that the most important thing right now was to teach Jiang Weilu how to smile.

Since their first meeting, she had noticed that because of her family, the child had become gloomy and no longer liked the world. She wasn’t happy; she didn’t even know how to smile anymore. But it shouldn’t be that way, should it?

Shu Mengli wanted to tell her: The world is actually quite good. Don’t be so hopeless. You can smile. She truly hoped that Jiang Weilu would be happy.

Perhaps Shu Mengli’s intentions were noble, and her teachings correct, but she forgot one factor: human nature. Correct teachings applied to the “wrong” subject can still lead to the wrong answer because some hearts are born dark and cannot be bent back.

The Art of the Counterattack

Shu Mengli considered her words carefully, looking for an entry point. She decided to start by teaching the child some self-defense and counterattack strategies.

“Lulu, what are your… thoughts on your father and your stepmother?”

Compared to Shu Mengli’s hesitation, Jiang Weilu’s answer was instantaneous, as if the question required no thought at all. “Them? Perhaps even strangers are friendlier than they are.”

With those words, Shu Mengli was certain the child had no love left for her family. Recalling Jiang Ming’s treatment of her, Shu Mengli realized that being indecisive now would just be foolish.

“If that’s the case, Lulu, you don’t need to hold back anymore. Don’t be afraid to fight back against them. Of course… it’s best if I’m there.” Otherwise, if she suffered another loss like last time, what then?

Jiang Weilu stroked the small mirror and whispered, “Mhm! With Sister here, I’m not afraid.”

Shu Mengli smiled at her obedient demeanor. “Don’t be afraid. If you can’t beat them out in the open, do as I said last time: hide your cards. Hit them from the shadows until they cry.”

Shu Mengli wasn’t sure if she was teaching the child correctly, but if she didn’t, how would Jiang Weilu protect herself once Shu Mengli was gone?

Jiang Weilu seemed to understand these words somewhat. Suddenly, the idea of fighting back didn’t seem so difficult. Shu Mengli looked at her “half-understanding” expression and couldn’t help but laugh.

“But before that, perhaps Lulu could try being a bit friendlier?”

She didn’t mean toward the Jiang family, but toward others. There was no need to treat the whole world with despairing thorns just because of a few scumbags in the Jiang house. The world wasn’t that terrible.

Shu Mengli’s gaze was soft as she looked through the water curtain. “For example, Lulu, you look so beautiful when you smile. Why don’t you smile more?”

Jiang Weilu froze. It took a long moment for her to recover. She lowered her head and replied in a muffled voice, “I don’t want to.”

“But when you’re with me, don’t you smile very happily?”

“But!” Jiang Weilu grew anxious. “But you’re Sister! That’s different.”

“I’m no different from anyone else, Lulu,” Shu Mengli said gently.

Jiang Weilu hung her head, immediately denying that thought in her heart. No, it’s different. Sister is Sister. My unique, one-and-only Sister.

A Lesson in Smiling

Shu Mengli didn’t know what the child was thinking. She simply didn’t want the girl to lose the ability to smile so young. A sudden idea struck her.

“Lulu, look at me.”

Jiang Weilu obediently looked up at the small mirror. She froze for a split second, and then her face transformed like spring rain. She burst into a fit of giggles, eventually falling over onto the bed, laughing so hard she couldn’t straighten her back.

The scene in the mirror was revealed. The beautiful young lady inside had her index finger pressed against the tip of her nose, pushing it upward to create a “pig nose.” It was a complete subversion of her refined image silly and adorable.

Shu Mengli watched the child laugh until she was breathless, then lowered her hand and laughed along with her. “See? Smiling isn’t that hard, is it? You’re so young; you should be happy.”

Jiang Weilu slowly recovered. She lay there, sinking into the softness of her bed, watching the young lady in the mirror. Her eyes still held a shimmer of moisture from her laughter, making them look like deep pools beneath a peach forest.

She had never laughed like this. This was the first time she had laughed out loud with such joy. If I hadn’t met Sister, what would have become of me? she wondered. If I hadn’t met her, I wouldn’t even know I had the ability to laugh like this.

Thinking this, Jiang Weilu couldn’t help but nuzzle closer to the small mirror, her forehead lightly brushing the edge of the frame as if she were acting spoiled. She truly wanted to live like this with her Sister forever.

To make the most of their time together, Jiang Weilu filled her schedule to the brim. She spent every day with Shu Mengli, studying her lessons. She woke up for morning runs to strengthen her body, then studied basic knowledge. In the afternoons she painted, and in the evenings she practiced calligraphy and etiquette.

She was so busy that Shu Mengli began to worry the pressure was too much. But the child refused the suggestion to rest. Part of it was wanting to stay with her Sister, but the other part was her desire to become stronger. She didn’t want to be so weak that she could only cry after being hit so pathetic that she couldn’t even protect the mirror she cherished most.

Echoes of Conflict

When Jiang Weilu went downstairs for dinner, she ran into the old butler. Remembering her Sister’s words, she pulled her lips into an unfamiliar smile, trying to be friendly. Though it was a bit stiff, the “doll-like” girl looked stunning when she smiled, instantly making the old living room seem brighter.

The old butler froze. The Eldest Miss had been here for two days, and this was the first time he had seen her smile. He had assumed she simply looked down on an old man like him; now, it seemed that wasn’t the case. Almost instinctively, he returned the smile, expressing his own goodwill.

Shu Mengli, watching through the gap in Jiang Weilu’s pocket button, saw the butler’s smile and guessed the child was practicing what she had taught. She tapped on the water curtain her way of praising the girl for a job well done.

A second later, the scene in the water curtain began to bounce up and down as if it were dancing. Shu Mengli laughed. She really is a child. Is she that happy just to be praised? She’s literally skipping as she walks.

While the atmosphere at the Pear Town villa was warm and tranquil, the Jiang residence thousands of miles away was quite the opposite.

Imperial Capital. The Jiang Residence.

Outside, the snow fell; inside, a woman’s screams were raspy. “Madam, it wasn’t me! I swear it wasn’t me!”

Liu Yi sat calmly in her chair, looking down at the woman kneeling on the floor. Her face wore a gentle smile, but her words were biting. “Not you? Then was it me? Or perhaps that little brat locked in the utility room who can’t even get out?”

She had been married to Jiang Ming for years. Taking advantage of the fact that he was rarely home, she lived a life of extreme luxury. Being used to smooth sailing had made her careless; she had tucked a necklace into her pocket and been too lazy to take it out, never expecting it would become such a massive piece of evidence against her.

What angered her most was that someone in this house dared to betray her! Jiang Ming had ordered her to find the whistleblower immediately. After searching, she found it was someone close to her—the maid who had taken her bribes!

The maid wailed, crawling to grab Liu Yi’s leg. “Madam, it really wasn’t me! Why would I—”

Liu Yi kicked her away. “Otherwise, were those phone calls made by a ghost?” Regardless of the truth, the evidence was there. Jiang Ming needed a result, and Liu Yi desperately needed to provide one. Who it actually was didn’t matter; what mattered was that someone took the blame. It wouldn’t be her, so it could be anyone else.

“Security, throw this person out!” Liu Yi stood up, her face cold and terrifying. As for who the real whistleblower was… she had better not find them.

The Mystery in the Greenhouse

Neither Shu Mengli nor Jiang Weilu knew of the drama at the main house. Even if they had, they would have simply thought: The wicked are tormented by their own kind.

Jiang Weilu was enjoying her life, making progress under Shu Mengli’s guidance. Since she was quite thin, Shu Mengli had insisted on physical exercise alongside better meals. At first, Jiang Weilu struggled, becoming breathless after a few steps. Shu Mengli would cheer her on from the mirror like a one-woman cheer squad. With her Sister’s encouragement, the girl persisted.

Half a month later, the exercise was paying off. Simply running circles around the villa wasn’t enough. Shu Mengli suggested she ask the old butler—who knew the area best—for a better running route.

The water curtain swayed as Jiang Weilu headed toward the greenhouse where the butler usually spent his time. Seeing the world through the button-hole in her pocket, Shu Mengli felt a bit dizzy as the scenery stretched and blurred with each step.

A hidden doubt crept into her mind. I’ve been in the mirror space for half a month this time. It’s completely different from the half-day last time. Why? What determines the length of time I stay here?

Creak.

The sound of the greenhouse door opening broke her thoughts. The water curtain was filled with refreshing greenery warm and healing. Jiang Weilu’s footsteps stopped. The greenhouse was silent. The view panned around as she looked for the butler.

However, in that instant.

CRASH!

A sharp, explosive sound of shattering glass rang out, like a thunderclap in the silent greenhouse. Both the girl and the “guardian” inside the mirror jumped, caught completely off guard.