Transmigrating Behind the Mirror to Become Her Guardian Lady - Chapter 9

It was true that Shu Mengli possessed a sharp sense of observation. However, she held no guard against this girl who lived in constant turmoil despite their short acquaintance, so she didn’t overthink things initially. Seeing the piteous, aggrieved expression on the child’s face through the water curtain, she responded immediately.

“What’s wrong, Lulu?”

Jiang Weilu didn’t answer right away. Her pearly teeth lightly bit her lip while her lashes cast a fragile shadow over her face, leaving her peach-blossom eyes hazy. Shu Mengli grew anxious but didn’t dare use a harsh tone, instead coaxing her gently.

“It’s okay. Whatever happened, you can tell Sister, all right? I’ll help you.”

Although she enjoyed her Sister’s concern, Jiang Weilu couldn’t bear to keep her Guardian Miss in suspense for too long. She pursed her lips, suppressing the smile that wanted to curve upward because of her Sister’s care. When she looked up again, her large eyes were full of grievance.

“Sister, my back hurts.”

“Your back?” Shu Mengli subconsciously repeated. Then, she cleverly deduced the truth, her beautiful eyes widening in disbelief. “Did your family… hit you?”

The next second, the answer came as Jiang Weilu nodded obediently.

Shu Mengli was momentarily speechless, finding the situation so absurd it was beyond words. It took a long moment before she found her voice. “Lulu, is it very painful? When did this happen? How do you feel now? Lulu, would you… do you mind letting Sister see it?”

The rapid-fire questions displayed her urgency and concern. However, the final request made Jiang Weilu, who had been basking in happiness, feel a bit bashful. For a moment, she couldn’t maintain her act. Her small hands gripped her collar, twisting the fabric into wrinkles as she whispered with a hint of embarrassment.

“It’s… it’s very ugly.”

She felt the wounds were too unsightly and was embarrassed to show them to her Sister, who was as beautiful as a fairy. The child’s look of shame was vividly displayed through the water curtain vulnerable and fragile.

Looking at her, Shu Mengli suddenly wanted to reach out and stroke her head or give her a hug. At the very least, she wanted to provide some warmth and tell her that none of it mattered. Unfortunately, the two people on opposite sides of the mirror could not touch.

Therefore, Shu Mengli could only sit before the water curtain and try her best to warm the girl with words, her gaze tender and watery. “It won’t be. Lulu is so beautiful; you could never be ugly.”

Jiang Weilu’s small ears twitched and turned a light shade of red. She was surrounded by wolves and tigers; her stepmother was a hypocritical mask, her father only saw her as useless, and the servants, fearing the stepmother’s power, were cold bystanders who didn’t dare intervene.

Only Sister would praise her beauty, encourage her, and like her. This was the first time in Jiang Weilu’s life that she had been complimented.

Jiang Weilu rubbed her slightly stinging eyes. This time, she didn’t hesitate. She nodded and obediently turned around, slowly pulling her clothes down while facing away from the mirror.

The winter weather in the Imperial Capital was freezing, but the old butler had kept the heating high for fear of her catching a cold, so Jiang Weilu didn’t feel chilled even in just a small shirt. As she removed the vintage floral collar shirt, her fair back was exposed to the air.

The Scars of the Past

Shu Mengli had been right; the child was indeed very beautiful. Not just her face, but even her back was perfectly formed. At first glance, it was snowy white and slender, like cold jade hidden in an iceberg pure and radiant. Her neck was long like a graceful swan’s, her shoulder blades traced elegant lines, and her waist was soft yet possessed the resilience of a young girl.

The child was growing into a stunning beauty, though she was somewhat too thin.

But at this moment, Shu Mengli forgot to notice any of that. At her first glimpse of Jiang Weilu’s back, she covered her mouth in shock. She could barely stop the tears from welling up.

Across that perfect, suet-white jade back lay three horizontal rod wounds. The color had already deepened to a dark purple-black, and they were embedded into the skin like deep ravines. It was clear the person who struck her had not held back at all.

Shu Mengli’s voice trembled. “Heavens… was it especially painful, Lulu?”

Jiang Weilu shook her head, her fingertips lightly hooking her clothes as she pulled them back up over her waist and dressed properly. She turned back to the Sister in the mirror, obedient and submissive. “It doesn’t hurt much anymore, Sister.”

She spoke with a calmness that made it seem as though it hadn’t happened to her. In contrast, Shu Mengli, the outsider, was far more emotional—overcome with both heartache and rage, her eyes turning red.

“Who hit you? Your father?”

Based on Liu Yi’s style, she wouldn’t do something like this herself, nor would she dare. Thus, there was only one person who would have done it: Lulu’s biological father.

Jiang Weilu wasn’t surprised that her Sister guessed it and simply nodded. For a moment, Shu Mengli didn’t know what to say. Does Jiang Ming even have a heart? This is his own daughter—how could he bring himself to do this!

But she was also confused. “Lulu, what exactly happened?” What could lead Jiang Ming to use such a heavy hand?

There was nothing to hide. If Sister asked, Jiang Weilu would tell. Without any emotional fluctuations, she calmly recounted the events of the past week to Shu Mengli.

Hearing that the child had pushed Jiang Yuxi down to protect the mirror, Shu Mengli felt a complex mix of being moved and devastated. She was moved that the child had fought so hard to protect her without considering the consequences. She was devastated by her own powerless broken promise; she had vanished without a word, leaving the girl to wait in misery.

In a sense, this entire ordeal was connected to her. For a moment, these two emotions rose in her heart, turning into a bitter sting that remained lodged in her chest.

However, once she heard about Jiang Ming hitting Lulu, all other emotions were replaced by an uncontrollable fury. She clenched her fists tightly. Looking at Jiang Weilu with eyes full of heartache, the normally resilient Shu Mengli couldn’t stop her eyes from welling up again.

A Promise for the Future

Seeing her Sister on the verge of tears in the mirror, Jiang Weilu grew frantic. She had only wanted to act a bit spoiled so her Sister would care for her more; she never intended to make her cry. Yet, thinking that her Sister was crying because she felt sorry for her made her feel incredibly warm.

Flustered, she tried to comfort Shu Mengli clumsily. “Sister, I’m fine now. Please don’t be sad.”

She subconsciously reached out her hand, wanting to wipe the tears from the person in the mirror. Her fingertips inevitably touched the glass, and a sensation of coldness instantly surged through them.

Coming to her senses, Jiang Weilu withdrew her hand and looked down at her fingertips in a daze. At this moment, she realized with profound clarity that she could not touch the person in the mirror. They belonged to two different worlds. No matter how hard she tried, she could no more embrace the person in the mirror than she could touch the sun that gave her warmth.

Shu Mengli looked at the magnified fingertips in the water curtain and realized the child was trying to wipe away her tears. Wiping the tears that had already fallen to her cheek, Shu Mengli gave a self-deprecating scoff. How embarrassing, crying in front of a child.

Then, she squeezed her fists and said solemnly to the Jiang Weilu in the water curtain: “Don’t be afraid, Lulu. Sister will help you!”

Lulu was still young, but she was highly adaptable this was the best time for learning. In the days to come, she would teach Lulu all of her own experiences and skills, letting her grow and become excellent until she was the most radiant person of all. No one would ever be allowed to bully her again.

Knock, knock, knock.

A series of knocks rang out dull and abrupt, interrupting the conversation in the room. Jiang Weilu reacted instantly. Almost the moment she heard the sound, she tucked the small mirror away, her gaze turning sharp and guarded as she looked toward the door.