Transmigrating Behind the Mirror to Become Her Guardian Lady - Chapter 18

The members of the Jiang family were cold by nature, and Jiang Weilu was no exception. Faced with such enthusiasm for the first time, she simply didn’t know how to respond. She wanted to pull her hand back, yet feared accidentally hurting someone who was already injured.

In her moment of panic, her gaze met the old man’s eyes. Seeing the shock, deep emotion, and overflowing joy within them, she gradually calmed down. It was a look different from the one she had seen on the snowy highway, yet fundamentally the same.

Jiang Weilu shook her head and smiled inwardly. So, the person she and her “Sister” had saved that day was actually a prominent figure Elder Li, her grandfather’s closest friend.

Elder Li was ecstatic at the sudden sight of Jiang Weilu. “It really is my little savior!”

The Second Aunt’s face froze instantly. Liu Yi, who hadn’t dared to utter a word since arriving at the Jiang residence, couldn’t bring herself to smile either. Jiang Ming looked on at this absurd scene in utter bewilderment. Even the usually composed Elder Jiang was stunned, taking a moment to find his voice.

“Old Li, what is going on?”

“Hah!”

Elder Li plopped back into the wheelchair his son had quickly pushed over, but he still refused to let go of Jiang Weilu’s hand. He spoke with great excitement. “Didn’t I just wake up from that car accident in Lizhen? You probably know how tragic the scene was the driver died on the spot, and the car was completely crushed.”

“The only reason I’m standing here alive today is because this little girl saw the accident and came looking for me. She dragged this old man out, performed emergency first aid, called the ambulance, and even warmed my hands in the freezing snow. She stayed with me for a long time.”

“The doctor said if she had been one step slower, or if the first aid had been delayed even slightly, my old life would have been forfeit.”

Thinking back to that moment, Elder Li’s face still showed a hint of lingering fear. Jiang Weilu’s loyal companionship by his side was truly precious. Consequently, ever since he regained consciousness about half a month ago, Elder Li had been sending people to find the girl. However, because Jiang Weilu rarely appeared in public, they couldn’t find her until today, when he came to his old friend’s house for New Year’s and stumbled upon her.

If the Jiang family was a house full of foxes, then the Li family was a group of straightforward, righteous men who never forgot a debt of gratitude.

Elder Li looked at his longtime friend with excitement. “It really is fate, Old Jiang! It turns out the person who saved my life was actually your granddaughter. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be seeing me today.” He turned back to Jiang Weilu. “This truly is my little savior.”

The shocking truth stunned everyone in the room. Elder Jiang was also quite surprised. He stepped forward, looking at the girl held by Old Li; his eyes shimmered with emotion, and he was speechless for a long time. Finally, he reached out and gently patted Jiang Weilu’s head.

“Good child.”

He had heard descriptions of the danger at the time. If his granddaughter hadn’t happened to be there, he might have truly lost his old friend. Moreover, from a pragmatic standpoint, given the Li family’s character, they would never forget this kindness. This meant that even after he passed away, he wouldn’t have to worry about maintaining the relationship between the two families. At this moment, a broken bottle of wine meant nothing.

An even more excited Elder Li patted Jiang Weilu’s hand and announced loudly, “I don’t care! From now on, you are my own granddaughter. Here, take this!”

Without hesitation, the old man untied a jade pendant from his waist and stuffed it into Jiang Weilu’s hand. Those who knew what it was were shocked, for the item was incredibly valuable. It was a jade pendant Elder Li had worn for many years; beyond its material worth, its symbolic meaning was paramount. Giving it to Jiang Weilu was a sign that she would forever be a friend of the Li family. In the Jiang family, only Elder Jiang had ever received such a significant gift from the Li family until now.

Jiang Ming, standing in the crowd, could hardly contain his joy. Beside him, Liu Yi hung her head, gritting her teeth with hatred. Jiang Yuxi was even more restless, terrified that Jiang Weilu would expose what she had done earlier.

The Jiang family was captivated by this series of dramatic reversals. Who would have thought the “ugly duckling” who had just caused trouble would suddenly become Elder Li’s savior?

In truth, Jiang Weilu herself was stunned. Elder Jiang, noticing the girl’s hesitation, smiled and patted her head. “It’s your Grandpa Li’s wish, so just accept it.”

Since the head of the house had spoken, Jiang Weilu no longer demurred. She gracefully accepted the pendant and thanked Grandpa Li. Throughout the entire ordeal, she remained poised and handled the social situation perfectly. Elder Jiang nodded inwardly with satisfaction, then shot a glance at the Second Aunt and let out a light huff. The Second Aunt turned pale and tried to shrink away, wishing she could travel back in time and slap herself twice for opening her mouth.

This unexpected reversal was a brilliant victory. Jiang Weilu had firmly established her presence before both families. At the very least, from now on, anyone wanting to move against her would have to consider Elder Li’s reaction first.

However, Jiang Weilu felt no real emotional stir over this sudden opportunity. She knew this wasn’t her achievement alone; it was entirely the credit of her “Sister.” Without her Sister, she wouldn’t have known about the accident, let alone saved anyone.

In the afternoon, after being forced to eat lunch with Elder Li, Jiang Weilu finally escaped to the small garden to catch her breath. Looking at the pure white snow, she couldn’t help but touch the small mirror at her chest. Her longing for her Sister swelled uncontrollably.

Step, step.

The sound of blatant, arrogant footsteps from behind interrupted her thoughts. Her delicate eyebrows arched slightly, and a faint smile touched her lips.

Ding. The fish has taken the bait.

Jiang Weilu didn’t turn around. The person behind her clearly lacked patience. Seeing that she seemed unaware of their presence, the person marched up and blocked her path.

A pink princess dress came into view. Jiang Weilu looked up, not at all surprised to see a face twisted with jealousy. It was Jiang Yuxi.

Jiang Weilu smiled gently. “What’s wrong?”

Seeing the smile, the other girl’s expression grew even more distorted. “Don’t get cocky!” Don’t think you can ride over my head just because you stood out today.

Then, Jiang Yuxi’s gaze dropped to the jade pendant hanging openly around Jiang Weilu’s neck. In that instant, the fires of jealousy burned so hot they threatened to consume her reason. She had hated this sister since childhood because her mother told her that Jiang Weilu’s existence meant her own things were being stolen. Therefore, everything that belonged to Jiang Weilu should be hers.

Whether it was the attention she received today or this jade pendant, it should all be hers.

With this thought, Jiang Yuxi didn’t even stop to think. Acting on pure instinct, she reached out to snatch the pendant from Jiang Weilu’s neck. Jiang Weilu, having learned from the old butler for so long, was easily strong enough to stop her. However, she didn’t resist much. She merely made a show of struggling twice before letting Jiang Yuxi take it.

Having succeeded, Jiang Yuxi couldn’t help but grin triumphantly. “Humph, now it’s mine. Let’s see how smug you can be now.” Fearing Jiang Weilu might try to take it back, she turned and ran.

Jiang Weilu remained still, watching her retreating back with a gentle, virtuous smile. Yet, just as Jiang Yuxi ran off.

“Holy crap!”

A voice suddenly came from behind, breaking the calculated silence. Jiang Weilu’s spine stiffened slightly as she turned around. A girl emerged from behind the ornamental rockery. She looked to be the same age as Jiang Weilu, with a tomboyish short haircut and heroic features.

Jiang Weilu paused before realizing she had seen this person in the hall earlier. It was Elder Li’s granddaughter, Li Yunmu. Li Yunmu looked furious. She vaulted over the pavilion railing, rolled up her sleeves, and marched past Jiang Weilu.

“Dammit, I can’t believe there are people like that! I’ll go get it back for you!”

The hot-blooded Li Yunmu hadn’t expected to witness such bullying while out for a post-meal stroll. Shocked once again by the Li family’s passion, Jiang Weilu reached out and grabbed Li Yunmu’s wrist, laughing awkwardly. “It’s okay, it doesn’t matter.”

Li Yunmu waved her off, answering bluntly, “Sister, why are you such a pushover? What are you afraid of! I’ll get justice for you!”

However, she didn’t expect that a casual wave of her hand wouldn’t break the frail girl’s grip. Instead, the grip tightened until her wrist actually hurt. Li Yunmu turned back in shock. She saw the exquisite, beautiful girl tilting her head and smiling at her, but those large “peach blossom” eyes were filled with ice, devoid of any real mirth.

“I said, it’s okay. Do you understand?”

“You saved my life, so you’re my Old Li’s brother! Come, today we shall become sworn siblings!”

Wine bottles were scattered across the table. A red-faced Elder Li clung to Jiang Weilu’s shoulder, refusing to let go, holding a bottle high in excitement. Jiang Weilu, trapped in the old man’s embrace, was speechless. Was everyone in the Li family like this? It was so hard to get used to; she’d rather face off against Jiang Yuxi!

Originally, Elder Li wasn’t supposed to drink due to his health, but he loved it too much. He had snuck into a corner to drink alone, and by the time he was caught, the alcohol had already gone to his head. Now, at the table, he insisted on becoming sworn siblings with Jiang Weilu. Even Elder Jiang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Then, the drunken man patted Elder Jiang’s shoulder and introduced him to Jiang Weilu. “Meet my brother, Old Jiang. From now on, he’s your brother too!”

The corner of Jiang Weilu’s mouth twitched. Her practiced smile finally crumbled. Elder Li’s son, however, was a man who had seen it all. Facing this scene, he didn’t even blink, calmly adjusting the glasses on the bridge of his nose.

“Dad, that’s not logical.”

“Oh, right.” Elder Li paused, realizing his mistake. He looked at his son for two seconds. “I forgot about you.” Then he turned to Jiang Weilu with a bright smile and slapped his son’s shoulder hard. “This is your big nephew!”

Watching Elder Li’s boisterous movements, the girl’s eyelids jumped. She wanted to escape but couldn’t.

“You old geezer,” Elder Jiang joked. “Let’s see how you face people tomorrow when you’re sober!” He then looked warmly at Jiang Weilu, deciding it wasn’t right to let a junior witness his old friend’s drunken antics. “Lulu, if you’re finished eating, go find the other children to play with.”

This was exactly what she wanted. Jiang Weilu breathed a sigh of relief and stood up to take her leave politely. “Then Grandpa, Grandpa Li, I’ll head out first.”

Click.

She closed the door behind her, shutting out the rowdy atmosphere. Taking a breath to leave, she turned and saw a young maid approaching with something in her hand. Jiang Weilu politely stepped aside, but as they passed, she remembered something and turned back, looking at the small, exquisite red bottle in the maid’s hand.

“What is that?”

The maid turned back in surprise and answered respectfully, “It’s a special wine prepared for the Master, Miss.”

Jiang Weilu arched an eyebrow and nodded.

By the time she left the elders’ table and reached the main hall downstairs, it was already 9:00 PM. It was the final few hours of the year the festive New Year’s Eve. Aside from the two elders and the head of the Li family who was looking after them, everyone else was free to move about the hall after dinner. With two large families crowded together along with the maids, the usually quiet Jiang ancestral house was now bustling and crowded. Thus, Jiang Weilu’s descent from upstairs didn’t attract much notice.

But she knew someone would come. Sure enough, after walking half a lap around the hall with things in her hands, she was blocked by someone in a deserted corner.

Jiang Yuxi stood with her hands on her hips, blocking the path with an arrogant expression as she looked at what Jiang Weilu was holding. “Hey, what’s that?”

Jiang Weilu followed her gaze, looked down at the two items in her hands, and smiled. She helplessly lifted the red bottle in her left hand. “This is a drink Grandpa gave me.”

Jiang Yuxi’s eyes widened. Grandpa gave it? It was bad enough that Jiang Weilu had the honor of eating with the elders, but she had even managed to get something good! She stared at the red bottle; it was exquisite and indeed something she hadn’t seen on the dining table. The fires of jealousy flared up again, and she didn’t doubt Jiang Weilu’s words for a second.

Then, the other girl raised her right hand. “And these are cigarettes for Father. I noticed he ran out and thought he might be uncomfortable, so I was going to secretly refill his case.”

This was a small habit of Jiang Ming’s. The pressure of living in the Jiang family was so great that he had a heavy smoking habit; he always had cigarettes on him and was picky enough to only smoke one brand.

Jiang Weilu’s simple sentence put Jiang Yuxi on high alert. This person just stood out in front of Grandpa, and now she’s trying to suck up to Father! She’s so calculating; I can’t let her succeed!

With this thought, and having already successfully snatched the pendant, Jiang Yuxi became even bolder. She glanced at the two items, surged forward, and snatched them both from Jiang Weilu’s hands. Jiang Weilu seemed unprepared and let them be taken, instinctively reaching out to get them back. Jiang Yuxi grew nervous; she was determined that Jiang Weilu wouldn’t get all the benefits!

She steeled herself, lifted the drink, and began to chug. The taste was slightly spicy and pungent—strange and biting. It made her cough several times. How could the drink Grandpa gave be so foul? But then she thought: at least she had taken Jiang Weilu’s things, and that was worth being happy about.

Jiang Yuxi then triumphantly waved the cigarettes she had taken and smiled smugly. “Don’t even think about sucking up to Father. Hic.” She turned and left.

Standing in the corner of the hall, Jiang Weilu watched her retreating back, rubbed some red debris off her fingers, and curled her lips into a faint smile.

The small dispute between the two children in the bustling hall went unnoticed. It was almost 9:30 PM, the scheduled time for fireworks. Even the two elders came downstairs, and the two families gathered in the hall to head outside together. It was briefly crowded.

Jiang Yuxi managed to squeeze to the front. Her mind was foggy, and her feet felt like they were floating as she walked. However, she clearly remembered what she needed to do. She didn’t want to be like that fool Jiang Weilu who did things anonymously; she wanted her father to know how thoughtful she was.

In her daze, she found Jiang Ming just as he was about to head out and grabbed his sleeve. “Papa, here are cigarettes for you. I saw…”

But her attempt to take credit was cut short. Jiang Ming was in a hurry to find Elder Jiang and had no patience for her words. He took the items from his daughter, shoved them in his pocket, and continued outside. “Go find your mother.”

The winter night was chilly, and the dark sky outside was decorated with warm, cozy lights. The fireworks hadn’t been lit yet, and the two families stood in the courtyard of the Jiang residence, chatting in small groups.

Jiang Ming, delayed by Jiang Yuxi, arrived late. By the time he got outside, the spots next to the two elders had already been taken by sycophants, leaving no room for him. The harmonious scene over there was so grating that it made him feel stifled. Moreover, he had a habit: when under pressure, he liked to smoke.

So, he didn’t bother trying to squeeze in. Instead, he stood in a corner and pulled out a cigarette to light. A crimson glow ignited the tobacco, shining faintly in the night. Jiang Ming exhaled, feeling his inner peace return.

He didn’t notice that a fuse, hidden inside the tobacco where no one could see, had been quietly lit, producing a wisp of grey smoke. The smoke came and went quickly.

Two seconds later.

“BANG!”

Jiang Ming’s brain stopped for a moment. He only felt that the sound was deafening, as if it were right in front of his eyes and his ears at the same time. What finally brought him back to reality was the sharp pain that suddenly struck his lips. He instinctively reached up to touch them, and his fingertips came away crimson.

He looked at the remains of the cigarette in his mouth. It was the brand he usually smoked, but it didn’t look familiar. Within the half-broken tobacco, shredded red paper—the kind everyone had seen during New Year’s—floated out. It was a simple, unadorned “Overlord” brand firecracker.

Jiang Ming suddenly remembered the cigarettes Jiang Yuxi had given him. He pulled them out in a rage to check. Every single one had a red firecracker hidden inside.

He was so angry he felt like he was having a heart attack. She was literally trying to blow him up!

Then, a sudden thought hit him, and he looked around. The fireworks hadn’t started yet, and the surroundings were silent. Everyone in the courtyard had turned to look at him as if he were a clown.

But the real kicker came in the next second.