When a "Sea King" is Bound to a System [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 4

“Sister, come back with me.”

Jiang Yan is persistent. She grabs Jiang Zhen’s hand again, clenching it tightly. There’s no way you can break free this time.

Jiang Zhen takes a step back and effortlessly pulls her hand out. Her eyes are filled with a look of exasperation.

Jiang Yan stares at her own small, chubby hands in disbelief. How can this be? Does being ten and a half years old mean I have no rights? Is my strength so negligible?

Dong Xue is perceptive. Seeing her mistress’s repeated strange behavior lately, she guesses she wants to mend their relationship with the eldest miss. She decides to be a mediator.

“Eldest Miss, my mistress just woke up. When she heard you were at the laundry room, she rushed to see you without even putting on her shoes. For the sake of her sincerity, please come back with us.”

Jiang Zhen’s eyes remain cold, completely unmoved. The sudden change in Jiang Yan’s attitude was already suspicious, and now even her maid is speaking up for her. It’s interesting how they’re colluding to deceive her. Although she doesn’t know their purpose, she doesn’t even want to pretend. Since she’s no different from a servant in this residence, what does it matter where she works as one?

At least here, she only has to deal with Chun Niang. If she goes back, she has no idea what schemes the mother and daughter will come up with. Until she can protect herself, her only option is to endure. Endure all the unfair treatment and wait for the right time to leave. This has been her one and only wish for the past six months.

Jiang Zhen slowly crouches down and resumes washing the clothes, acting as if the people in front of her don’t exist.

Jiang Yan is met with a cold shoulder and feels a little embarrassed. If she hadn’t inherited the original body’s memories, she would have thought Jiang Zhen was being ungrateful, but now she can only say, serves you right.

You were the one who always framed her. This is the karma you deserve.

When Jiang Zhen first arrived at the General’s Residence, she was sincere and trusting toward Jiang Yan, but she was hurt by her scheming several times. After three or four such incidents, she became quiet and withdrawn, avoiding Jiang Yan whenever she could. But living under the same roof, you can’t just avoid someone. If you don’t go looking for trouble, trouble will find you.

Although Jiang Yan’s methods were clumsy, she had Yuan Feng’s backing. The mother-daughter duo working together meant Jiang Zhen had no choice but to endure. The punishments she received were just the tip of the iceberg and barely worth mentioning.

Jiang Yan looks down at Jiang Zhen’s hands, red from the cold, and feels a strange pang in her heart. This girl is only twelve years old. She should be innocent and carefree, but she’s had to suppress her emotions at such a young age and live by reading others’ expressions in the General’s Residence.

Jiang Yan rolls up her sleeves, kneels on the other side of Jiang Zhen, and starts scrubbing a pile of clothes. The water is truly cold, and the wind is truly biting, but Jiang Yan forges ahead, washing even more diligently than Jiang Zhen.

Dong Xue and Qiu Yue are dumbfounded. They exchange glances, their eyes filled with confusion. Maids of their rank don’t have to do such menial work, but now that their mistress is doing it, what are they supposed to do?

Qiu Yue is quicker on her feet. She walks up to Xia He and says, “Sister Xia He, go get a thick coat for your mistress to put on. We’ll take care of things here.” She pulls Xia He aside, who is still in a daze. She grabs a handful of soap flakes, puts them in the basin, and starts scrubbing the clothes like a pro.

“Eldest Miss, you don’t know this, but when I first came to the residence, I was also a servant in the laundry room. My mistress saw my plight and moved me to her room. She’s not a bad person at heart; she’s just a little headstrong. Please don’t hold a grudge against her. She’s still a child, and you both are. I hope you can get along from now on. The three of us will take good care of you. Right, Sister Xia He?”

Xia He nods, still in a daze. “Yeah, that’s right!”

With her basin taken over, Jiang Zhen has nothing to do but watch Jiang Yan and her maids work. She scoffs coldly and says to Xia He, “Since someone likes to wash clothes in the cold wind, let them. Don’t get in their way. Let’s go!” She turns and heads to the clothes room, leaving a heartless back for Jiang Yan to see.

Xia He gets along with Jiang Yan’s two maids, but she can’t ignore her mistress’s orders. She nods to the maids and hurries after Jiang Zhen.

Jiang Zhen enters the room, turns, and gives Jiang Yan a cold look before forcefully closing the door. The sound, though not deafening, is enough to express her inner turmoil.

Jiang Yan sighs, feeling a touch of melancholy. “If only I had transmigrated earlier, this wouldn’t be so hard. What a pain!”

Dong Xue stops washing. “Miss, what did you say?”

Jiang Yan waves her hand. “Nothing. Let’s keep working. Let’s try to finish these clothes before midnight.”

“But the Eldest Miss has already left. Should we really continue?”

Jiang Yan looks at Qiu Yue and hands her a larger piece of clothing. “Of course, we should. Do you think your mistress is just putting on a show?”

Actually, I am putting on a show, boohoo.

I thought this would show Jiang Zhen my sincerity, but it turns out my sister’s heart is made of iron!

I’m in too deep now. What can I do but wash?

Qiu Yue’s face falls. She thought her mistress was just pretending, but she’s so sincere. As a maid, how can she not support her? She snatches the half-washed clothes from Jiang Yan’s hands, her face serious. “Miss, you’re still recovering and shouldn’t be touching cold water. Dong Xue and I will wash these for you. Please go inside and get out of the wind.” She purposely raises her voice on the last sentence.

Jiang Yan is truly touched. This maid, while not as steady as Dong Xue, is quick on the uptake and knows exactly what she wants.

“Cough, cough, cough… Now that you mention it, I do feel a little unwell. Maybe I should go inside and rest? My sister would never turn me away. She’s so beautiful and kind-hearted; she wouldn’t just watch me suffer in the wind, right?”

Qiu Yue: “She wouldn’t, she wouldn’t. Everyone in the residence knows the Eldest Miss is the kindest person. She definitely wouldn’t have the heart to leave a sick person outside.”

The two of them work in perfect harmony. Dong Xue, hearing this, can only sigh helplessly and continue washing her clothes. There’s not much she can do here. It’s up to Qiu Yue.

When they are done preparing, Jiang Yan pulls her cloak tighter and stands up. After standing for so long, her vision goes black for a moment, and she has to wait for it to clear. She walks to Jiang Zhen’s small room, stops at the door, and says pitifully, “Sister, please open the door. Let me in to get out of the wind. My dizziness is acting up again, and I feel so unwell.”

Just as she finishes, a wave of dizziness hits her.

Jiang Yan: !!!

Karma is coming for me this fast?!

Is this mouth of mine blessed or something? Everything I say comes true!

The room is silent. There’s no movement. Jiang Yan feels more and more dizzy. She leans against the doorframe, not giving up. “Sister, I really feel terrible. Just let me in. I promise I won’t bother you. I won’t say a word.”

Her vision blurs, and she finds it hard to breathe.

Am I going to die? I haven’t even started the mission!

Halfway through the journey, the entrepreneur collapses. How tragic.

【Host, you’re overthinking it. The turtles in the Quick Transmigration Bureau aren’t as long-lived as you. What can a minor cold do to you?】 Oscar, addicted to its snarky comments, starts up again.

This time, Jiang Yan doesn’t even have the strength to say “shut up.”

Before she falls, she thinks that if she faints here, her mother will blame Jiang Zhen again. Without her there, Jiang Zhen won’t be able to escape the punishment. She uses all her strength to call out to Dong Xue before collapsing. Just before her face hits the ground, a pair of hands catches her.

Her face sinks into a soft embrace, and a girl’s fragrance fills her nose. Jiang Yan’s breathing instantly becomes smoother.

Jiang Zhen’s expression is complicated, filled with disgust and helplessness, and a hint of disbelief.

Jiang Yan lifts her head and gives a weak smile. “Sister, I caught you.” Then her head lolls to the side, and she passes out.

Dong Xue and Qiu Yue are terrified and rush over to check on her. Dong Xue knows a little about medicine. After checking Jiang Yan’s eyes, she says to Jiang Zhen, “Miss’s old illness has flared up. We need to get a doctor immediately.”

Jiang Zhen pushes Jiang Yan forward, her meaning clear: You deal with this yourself. Don’t get me involved.

Dong Xue knows the seriousness of the situation. She tries to take her mistress from Jiang Zhen’s arms, but Jiang Yan’s hands are gripping Jiang Zhen’s clothes so tightly she won’t let go.

Dong Xue looks at Jiang Zhen. “…”

Jiang Zhen: “…”

In the end, Jiang Zhen personally carries Jiang Yan back to her room and stays by her side until the doctor arrives. Although her expression is still unreadable, she is a little more patient.

Dong Xue handles everything perfectly, not alerting anyone. The doctor enters through the side door. After taking her pulse and prescribing medicine, he gives Dong Xue some instructions and gets ready to leave.

Jiang Zhen stops him, pointing at her sleeve, which is still being held tightly. “Can you make her let go?”

The doctor, unaware of the situation, assumes the two young mistresses are like normal siblings. “Since the Second Miss is so reliant on the Eldest Miss, you should stay with her. The Second Miss’s bed is big. It’s fine if you rest there as well. Her illness isn’t serious, just be careful not to crush her.”

Jiang Zhen’s face changes. She glances at the sleeping Jiang Yan and finally suppresses her anger. Fine. I’ll just treat her like a kitten or a puppy clinging to me. I’ll leave before she wakes up.

Dong Xue escorts the doctor out, while Qiu Yue pulls Xia He to get some rest.

“Sister Xia He, it’s so late. Let’s not stay up. Come sleep in my room.”

Xia He is worried about her mistress and stammers, “But… but I still have to take care of my mistress.”

“She’s a big girl now. What’s there to take care of? Can’t she take off her own clothes? Let’s go, let’s go. I’m so sleepy.”

Xia He is dragged away. The door closes, leaving only Jiang Zhen and Jiang Yan in the room.

The room is silent except for the flickering candlelight. Jiang Zhen looks at the girl sleeping peacefully on the bed, her expression gloomy.

“What do you want, exactly?”

Jiang Yan can’t answer. She’s in the middle of a beautiful dream. In her dream, she and Jiang Zhen have a great relationship. They’re inseparable and hold hands everywhere they go. Her mission is completed successfully. The girl in front of her no longer has a cold expression. She throws herself into Jiang Zhen’s arms and happily calls out, “Sister.”

Jiang Zhen is startled awake by the word “sister.” She looks at Jiang Yan, who is still asleep and mumbling in her sleep. What is she dreaming about? Why is she smiling so… Jiang Zhen feels uncomfortable, and her sleepiness is gone.

The next morning, Jiang Zhen is woken up by a tickling sensation on her nose. She opens her eyes and sees a familiar face right in front of hers.