Transmigrating Behind the Mirror to Become Her Guardian Lady - Chapter 8

Pear Town, located on the outskirts of the Imperial Capital, was a serene and beautiful water-bound town, far removed from the city’s hustle and bustle. Because Old Master Jiang occasionally stayed there during the summer, the Jiang family owned several villas in the area.

The only drawback was the distance from the city center; it took no less than a three-hour drive to reach. This was exactly why Liu Yi had been so delighted when Jiang Ming ordered Jiang Weilu to stay in Pear Town and not return before the New Year.

It was essentially a sentence of exile. It served as a clear indication that Jiang Ming had become utterly disappointed in this daughter.

After nursing her injuries at home for about a week, Jiang Weilu was able to walk again. Her stepmother immediately instigated her prompt removal to the Pear Town villa.

The three-hour journey was neither long nor short. They traveled from high noon until the sun began to dip into the west, moving from smooth highways to bumpy backroads. The jolting of the car caused a slight, stinging pain in Jiang Weilu’s injured back, but she merely shifted her position to adjust, saying nothing. She watched the scenery blur past the window with a distant, quiet gaze.

Finally, the swaying of the car slowed, and the vehicle came to a stop. As Jiang Weilu stepped out, her leather shoes crunched slightly on the gravel path. She looked up at the villa before her.

The Pear Town villa was certainly not as grand as the main Jiang residence, but it possessed a fresh, elegant charm. Layers of ivy climbed the old walls, coating the house in a peaceful shade of green. A solitary, silent tree stood in the courtyard, quietly watching as its fallen leaves carpeted the ground in a soft, pale-yellow blanket.

An ordinary person might struggle their entire life and still never own a house like this. To Jiang Weilu, however, it was simply a quiet place where the noise was muffled.

As she took in the scenery, her heart gradually settled. Although she still worried about her Sister, being away from that suffocating home improved her mood significantly.

At that moment, the sound of the car seemed to alert those inside. Creak. The villa’s ivy-covered gate opened, and an old butler stepped out. He was dressed in casual black clothes, his back slightly hunched. The wrinkles on his face were as deep as the rings of an ancient tree, and he walked with a slow, deliberate pace.

His presence made the quiet villa feel even more deserted and desolate. The driver in the car smirked, thinking to himself: With a butler this old, who is supposed to be taking care of whom?

Nonetheless, the old butler was perfectly polite. He moved slowly to Jiang Weilu’s side, reaching out to take her luggage. Jiang Weilu side-stepped to avoid him, her expression neutral.

“I’ll do it myself,” she said softly.

The New Room

Since Jiang Weilu had never been to the Pear Town villa, she had to wait for the butler to lead her to her quarters. The room shared the same charm as the old villa—the decor was classically elegant with warm, yellow tones. The old butler had kept it impeccably clean.

After showing her in, the butler politely retreated. Suddenly, the room was silent enough for Jiang Weilu to hear the steady rhythm of her own breathing.

This isn’t bad, she thought. At least for a short while, she wouldn’t have to face her hated stepmother or her disgusting father.

But… her only concern was the young lady in the mirror.

Jiang Weilu pulled the well-protected small mirror from her pocket. Seeing her own reflection, her long lashes lowered, masking the loneliness in her eyes. Even though it was only logical that the mirror remained silent, she couldn’t help but hope. She hoped that, perhaps at any moment, Sister would return.

She sighed, feeling a flicker of annoyance at her own helplessness. To distract herself from the gloom in her heart, she decided to get to work. She picked up her suitcase to unpack, but halfway across the room, she remembered her back hadn’t fully healed.

She turned back to the bed and carefully placed the small mirror on the mattress, terrified of dropping it. She adjusted its position several times before she was satisfied; the mirror stood upright against the pillow, nestled into the soft duvet, looking quiet and gentle.

Jiang Weilu pursed her lips and turned toward the large wardrobe. It was a tall, sturdy wooden piece that stood with an air of permanence. The butler had thoughtfully placed fragrant sachets inside; as soon as she opened the doors, a mysterious, distant scent wafted out, pulling her thoughts far away.

Consequently, when that beautiful female voice rang out behind her, Jiang Weilu initially thought it was a hallucination. It wasn’t until the second question reached her ears clear and close that she realized it was real.

“Lulu, this isn’t your room, is it?”

The clothes in her hand hit the floor with a soft thud. Jiang Weilu spun around violently.

She was grateful for where she stood, yet frustrated by it as well. She was grateful because she could see the blurred figure in the mirror, but frustrated because the distance prevented her from seeing the person’s face clearly.

Then, the realization finally hit her. It was as if fireworks had exploded in her brain, leaving her mind completely blank. Without thinking, she charged toward the bed.

Because she was in such a rush, she tripped over her own feet halfway there. Her knees hit the floor with a startling bang, causing the person in the mirror to cry out in alarm.

“Lulu, slow down!”

Jiang Weilu scrambled back up, haphazardly brushing her knees without any regard for the pain. In a few strides, she was at the mirror. As she picked it up, the joy radiating from her eyes seemed ready to overflow from the water curtain. It reminded Shu Mengli of a large Golden Retriever cute, clingy, and wagging its tail frantically the moment it saw her.

Shu Mengli hadn’t expected the child to miss her this much. The fact that the girl had come flying at the mere sound of her voice filled her with a mix of amusement and deep moved. She was about to speak when, in the next second, she saw the “clingy puppy” in the water curtain turn her mouth downward. Those large eyes grew misty; she was clearly about to cry.

Shu Mengli was the type of person who excelled at meetings and strategic planning, but she was utterly useless when it came to comforting children. She panicked instantly. Looking at the tearful eyes in the water curtain, she tried her best to coax her.

“What’s wrong, Lulu? Did that fall hurt? Or did someone bully you? Tell Sister, I’ll help you settle the score.”

Jiang Weilu had almost managed to stop her tears, but the moment she heard those words, they began to flow even more fiercely.

In truth, Jiang Weilu wasn’t actually that sad about Jiang Yuxi bullying her, her stepmother plotting against her, or her father hating her. She just felt aggrieved. She had experienced these things so many times that they were practically routine.

But why? She had been fine a moment ago, so why did she want to cry so much more now that Sister was caring for her?

Perhaps it was because she finally had someone close to her someone in whose presence she could be weak and act spoiled. She finally had someone who felt sorry for her.

Jiang Weilu sniffled, looking at the beautiful young lady in the mirror whose face was full of worry. Her voice was a heartbreaking, trembling whimper.

“It doesn’t hurt. I just thought… I thought Sister didn’t want me anymore. A whole week has passed. I thought Sister found me annoying and would never appear again.”

The Disparity of Time

Hearing that trembling, aggrieved voice, Shu Mengli was shocked. She had only been back in her world for less than a day, yet a week had passed for Lulu. It seemed the flow of time between the two worlds was extremely unequal.

Perhaps if she came back tomorrow night, a month—or even a year—might have passed here. She hadn’t been able to keep her promise, leaving the child to wait for her for a very long time.

Shu Mengli bit her lip, feeling a sour, swelling ache in her chest. When she spoke, her voice was much softer than usual, loaded with heartache.

“That’s not true. How could I ever find Lulu annoying?”

“I’m so sorry I couldn’t keep our promise. I couldn’t see you the next day because…” Shu Mengli shook her head. “Because I couldn’t control the situation at the time. I suddenly lost consciousness.”

Shu Mengli looked at the child in the water curtain and apologized sincerely. “I’m sorry, Lulu.”

The little girl shook her head quickly. “It’s okay, Sister.” Then, she couldn’t help but ask cautiously, “Will Sister suddenly disappear like that again in the future?”

“Most likely, yes,” Shu Mengli sighed. After all, she had no control over this eerie mirror.

The child outside the mirror looked incredibly dejected, but she didn’t want Sister to be unhappy because of her. After a second of gloom, she pulled herself together. She looked at Shu Mengli and said seriously:

“Then it doesn’t matter. No matter how long it takes, I will wait for Sister.”

The soft voice carried an incredibly solemn promise. The child was young; perhaps she didn’t yet know how painful and difficult it was to wait through endless time for someone who might never return. Even someone as strong as Shu Mengli might have given up.

But she was moved by the child’s genuine vow. Looking into those obedient, serious peach-blossom eyes that still held unshed tears, she gave a light smile. What did I ever do to deserve such trust from this child?

At this moment, Shu Mengli could not have guessed that in the years to come, Jiang Weilu’s life would truly become exactly as she said a series of lonely, stubborn waits.

However, for now, the child hadn’t yet grown into that thick-skinned version of herself. Seeing her Sister staring at her, she felt embarrassed and reached up to wipe her tears. How old am I? I shouldn’t be crying in front of Sister.

But the movement of her arm was a bit too large, accidentally pulling at the injuries on her back. The pain made Jiang Weilu let out a sharp hiss.

Shu Mengli, always observant, immediately noticed the discomfort. “What’s wrong, Lulu?” she asked with concern.

Jiang Weilu pursed her lips and remained silent. Only after the pain subsided did she shake her head to indicate she was fine. Shu Mengli sensed something was wrong from her expression and pressed further.

“What is it exactly? Does your back hurt?” She immediately thought of that terrible family. “Did your stepmother bully you again?”

Actually, Jiang Weilu felt she was mostly fine. A week had passed; while the injuries occasionally hurt when she moved, the Jiang family used top-tier medicine, and she was recovering well. Besides, she was used to being treated this way.

But today was different.

Jiang Weilu looked at the beautiful sister in the mirror, whose eyes were full of worry mixed with a flicker of anger. Being the object of such intense concern felt wonderful. She realized that when she cried, her Sister truly felt sorry for her. This feeling of being watched with such undivided attention was intoxicating.

Suddenly, Jiang Weilu decided that crying wasn’t such an embarrassing thing after all.

She looked at her worried Sister, touched her back which actually didn’t hurt at all at that moment and turned the corners of her mouth down in a piteous pout. Her voice was soft and sweet.

“Sister, it hurts.”

Feeling like that wasn’t quite enough, she added another layer of spoiled sweetness.

“Sister, it hurts so much.”