Transmigrating Behind the Mirror to Become Her Guardian Lady - Chapter 17

“Bang!”

A transparent, hammered glass fell from a palm, shattering into pieces along with the fresh water it held.

An inexplicable surge of panic made it impossible to sit still. Shu Mengli gazed down at the mess on the floor, her breathing quickening. She couldn’t help but lift her fingers to lightly press against her chest.

What was with this unpleasant premonition? Did something happen?

How could it be? Aside from work, my life is just more work. What could possibly…

Could it be Lulu?

Shu Mengli’s pupils contracted slightly. The thought that suddenly flooded her mind made her tense as she thought of the other person who was so closely linked to her life. The panic that had just begun to dissipate surged back, taking root in her chest.

She stared worriedly at the silent mirror standing beside her. She watched the quiet surface for a long while before finally being defeated by its stillness. She could only let out a helpless sigh.

She didn’t know how Lulu was doing over there. She wouldn’t be bullied, would she?

Fortunately, it was already 8:00 PM. In four hours, she would travel across. For now, Shu Mengli shook her head; she could only wait.

Shu Mengli’s panic was not unfounded. At this very moment, Jiang Weilu was indeed facing a major crisis.

The frail girl lay prostrate in the middle of the living room, a dull sting radiating from her palm. She raised her hand slightly and looked down. Transparent glass shards had pierced her palm, and blood mixed with a brown liquid flowed slowly, staining a patch of her sleeve at the wrist.

Jiang Yuxi was usually quite foolish, but she seemed to have a natural talent for this sort of thing; her movements had been clean, leaving no trace behind. If Jiang Weilu were to stand up and testify against her now, she would only be accused of framing her.

Jiang Weilu’s eyelids drooped slightly as she calculated her next move.

Standing beside Elder Jiang, Jiang Ming felt his heart go cold. He took a deep breath, stepped forward, and reached Jiang Weilu in a few strides. He grabbed her collar and roughly hauled her to her feet. Pressing his large hand against the back of Jiang Weilu’s neck, he forced her head down to bow in apology to Elder Jiang, who was sitting on the sofa.

“I’m sorry, Father. It’s my fault for not disciplining her properly. I’ve caused you trouble.”

It was a scene both farcical and strange. The child had fallen onto glass, yet the father was apologizing to the wine. No one cared about the injured child, and no one noticed the blood on the floor. Only the butler, standing empty-handed amidst the wreckage, felt a sense of trepidation.

Jiang Weilu was held down by such brute force that she couldn’t lift her head. She simply let it hang, her calm “peach blossom” eyes hidden behind her hair as she watched the blood and water drip from her hand.

Sitting on the sofa, Elder Jiang’s brow was furrowed, his expression displeased. Something priceless had been destroyed, and a gift intended for an old friend had vanished; no one would be happy in this situation. However, since the troublemaker was his own granddaughter after all, Elder Jiang ultimately said nothing. He simply waved his hand with a sour face.

“Forget it.”

Jiang Ming breathed a sigh of relief. The hand pressing on the back of Jiang Weilu’s neck slowly withdrew, leaving a bright red palm print on the child’s snow-white skin.

“Then I’ll take her down to clean up first.”

With that, he impatiently grabbed Jiang Weilu’s arm and dragged her into a side room, his grip so tight it felt as though he might crush his daughter’s bones. Behind them, in the main hall of the ancestral house, the various members of the Jiang family wore different expressions, but without exception, they were all enjoying the show.

Click.

The door to the room was slammed shut and promptly deadbolted. Jiang Weilu had just been dragged inside and hadn’t even found her footing when—

“Slap!”

A slap was delivered without mercy, its force so great it sent the child stumbling.

Jiang Ming’s usually refined and handsome face was now twisted with rage. He roared in a suppressed voice, “I should never have brought you back! You useless thing, you’re better at ruining things than doing them!”

“Stay in here and reflect on what you’ve done!”

Without another glance at Jiang Weilu, he turned and left in a fury, his mind entirely focused on how to suck up to his father. From beginning to end, he never asked if her hand hurt, or how she could have possibly fallen on flat ground and happened to crash right into the Elder’s wine.

So, this is why you’ve never been able to earn Grandpa’s respect, Father.

Jiang Weilu pressed her thumb against her lip to wipe away a trace of blood. She watched Jiang Ming’s departing back with a cold gaze and let out a soft “tsk.”

If this is how you want to play, then no one is going to have a good time.

Half an hour later, with the help of a maid, Jiang Weilu changed her clothes and treated her wounds before stepping out once more. By then, the atmosphere in the living room had begun to warm up under Jiang Ming’s diligent efforts to smooth things over.

Jiang Weilu remained silent. After coming out, she stood at the very edge of the room, watching the group’s performance with cold eyes.

But things did not go as she expected. Jiang Ming’s second brother’s family had always been at odds with him; how could they pass up such a perfect opportunity to kick him while he was down?

The Second Aunt caught sight of Jiang Weilu standing to the side out of the corner of her eye and immediately spoke up with a smile. “Lulu, why are you standing over there? Come closer, and be careful not to hurt yourself.”

While her words sounded like concern, she deliberately brought up the incident of Elder Jiang’s overturned wine again. The improved atmosphere in the living room froze instantly. Jiang Ming’s face turned black in a heartbeat, and even Elder Jiang frowned slightly.

Just as the tension reached a breaking point, a boisterous shout suddenly echoed from outside the door.

“Old Man Jiang! I’ve come to drink your wine!”

This voice immediately dissipated the cold atmosphere. A look of joy instantly crossed Elder Jiang’s face; he even stood up and shouted a playful curse toward the door.

“Drink my foot, you old geezer! You just crawled out of the hospital and you still want to drink?”

As he spoke, a group of people entered. At their head was an old man in a wheelchair, wrapped in several bandages and looking quite injured. Yet, even so, he could not hide his heroic aura. As he approached, a black mole in the center of his brow was clearly visible.

Hearing Elder Jiang’s words, he immediately laughed back. “I’m doing great! Are you just hiding your wine because you don’t want me to have any?”

The unexpected guests relieved the awkwardness in the hall. The Jiang family members all smiled and stepped forward to greet the visitors. Only Jiang Weilu stood in the corner, her expression one of shock as she stared at the old man in the wheelchair.

However, the calculating “foxes” of the Jiang family were not about to give up a chance to strike at their rival. The Second Aunt’s eyes darted around, and she seized the moment to cause trouble for Jiang Ming. She spoke with a gentle smile:

“Uncle Li, you’ve wronged Father. Hearing that you were coming, Dad kept that wine as a precious treasure. It’s a pity that today…” At this point, the Second Aunt paused slightly and glanced at Jiang Weilu. “It’s all because the children at home are too lively. Oh, never mind, it’s best not to mention it.”

She said it was best not to mention it, yet she easily dragged Jiang Weilu back into the spotlight.

Sure enough, the famously boisterous and wine-loving Elder Li immediately wore a look of regret. “Is that so? That really is a great shame.”

With just a few words, Jiang Weilu was once again pushed into the eye of the storm. Everyone instinctively turned around to look at the “culprit” standing in the back. People tend to follow the crowd; for a moment, even the group from the Li family who had just entered instinctively looked over.

Elder Jiang was actually quite protective and didn’t want his granddaughter to be embarrassed. He shot a quick glance at the Second Aunt and started to say, “Forget it, you just got out of bed, what wine are you—”

He stopped mid-sentence, stunned. He realized that his old friend’s attention was not on him at all. Instead, Elder Li was staring straight at the spot everyone was looking at, his expression full of excitement.

Elder Jiang was puzzled and was about to ask what was wrong. But suddenly, Elder Li began to excitedly smack the armrests of his wheelchair and with a sudden burst of energy stood right up.

The juniors of the Li family behind him were terrified.

“Holy crap, Dad!” You couldn’t even get out of bed the day before yesterday! What kind of damn medical miracle is this?!

However, Elder Li completely ignored their shocked gazes. After standing up, he forced himself forward, staggering step by step toward Jiang Weilu. He grabbed the girl’s hand firmly.

“It’s you!”