When a "Sea King" is Bound to a System [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 45.2

Old Man Xiao smiled kindly, then turned to walk towards the crowd. Jiang Yan let out a sigh of relief, then turned to see Xiao Jin staring at her.

“What is it? Did you suddenly realize I’m peerlessly beautiful and fall in love with me?”

She made a joke, hoping to lighten the mood. Xiao Jin didn’t take her bait and countered, “Do you hate marrying me that much?”

Jiang Yan: “…You don’t want to marry me either.”

“I don’t mind marrying you,” Xiao Jin replied calmly.

Jiang Yan found her hard to figure out. She looked emotionless but said something like that. Was she trying to fulfill her grandfather’s wish?

Thinking this way, Jiang Yan found the reason acceptable.

“I understand how you feel, but marriage shouldn’t be a game. Although your parents and mine think we’re a good match, I don’t like this kind of arranged marriage. If you want to ease your grandfather’s mind, you should find a girl you genuinely like. That is the greatest filial piety to him.”

Xiao Jin looked at her earnestly and repeated, “I don’t mind marrying you.”

Jiang Yan started to panic. What does she mean? Could she really be so dull that she doesn’t resist her parents’ arrangements at all?

“Let’s talk about this later. I’m hungry. I’m going to look for food.”

Jiang Yan quickly walked towards the food area, using the food to hide her panic.

Xiao Jin seemed to be very stubborn. If she was set on marrying her, that idea wouldn’t be easy to change.

She had planned to resist their parents together, but this person was a traitor.

What should she do now?

Jiang Yan stuffed a piece of pastry into her mouth and nearly choked. Thankfully, a glass of water was handed to her. She quickly said thank you and took a large sip.

“Yan Yan.”

A familiar voice came, and Jiang Yan’s chewing stopped. She placed the water glass down heavily.

“Miss Qin, why haven’t you left yet?”

As far as she knew, the Nan family had no real connection with the Xiao family. It was unlikely Old Man Xiao would have asked them to stay as well.

Qin Yishu’s eyes changed when she heard this. She grabbed Jiang Yan’s hand and said, “I’m sorry. I said those things only to make Nan Yin believe me. I didn’t truly see you as an unimportant person.”

Jiang Yan found it ridiculous. If she wanted to use her to curry favor with Nan Yin, why was she acting so remorseful in front of her now?

Or did she think one small lover wasn’t enough, and she needed to find another easy one to control, expecting her to go back to how she was before—waiting like a fool in a large house for her to return?

“Miss Qin, I don’t understand you now. Cheating was your own choice, so why are you begging for my forgiveness now? Do you think you haven’t given me a gift yet, so you’re specifically giving me the gift of being cheated on?”

“It’s not like that, Yan Yan, it’s really not! I have my reasons. Please believe me!”

Qin Yishu was slightly agitated. The hand gripping Jiang Yan’s arm tightened. Jiang Yan winced in pain and frowned. “Let go. Don’t be so physical here.”

Qin Yishu realized her lapse in composure and quickly let go. She looked at the red marks on Jiang Yan’s arm and asked with concern, “I didn’t mean to. Does it hurt?”

Jiang Yan didn’t care about the marks; she just wanted to hear what her so-called difficulties were.

“You said you have your reasons?”

Qin Yishu nodded.

“If you have your reasons, then tell me. Perhaps I won’t dislike you so much.”

“Okay, I’ll tell you. Don’t hate me.”

Just as Qin Yishu was about to explain, a voice came from behind Jiang Yan. “Yan Yan, how’s the food? Does the food here suit your taste?”

Xiao Jin approached and naturally put her arm around Jiang Yan’s waist.

Qin Yishu’s words died in her throat. She looked coldly at Xiao Jin. Xiao Jin was oblivious to her glare, her expression like a stagnant pool.

Jiang Yan was unaccustomed to such intimate contact and slightly shifted her body, but Xiao Jin’s hand followed, still tightly circling her slender waist.

“If you’ve eaten enough, go rest. Your parents have already left. You can sleep with me tonight.”

Jiang Yan: “!!!”

When did they leave? Why did they abandon her?

Qin Yishu’s face grew even colder upon hearing Xiao Jin’s words. She said to her, “I can send Yan Yan back. You don’t need to trouble yourself, Miss Xiao.”

Xiao Jin lifted her eyelids and looked at her, her voice devoid of warmth. “You? What’s your relationship with Yan Yan? Why should she go with you? Aren’t you afraid your little girlfriend will be jealous?”

Qin Yishu was speechless, and the hope in Jiang Yan’s heart instantly vanished.

No matter what the reasons were, they shouldn’t be an excuse for her unclear relationship with Nan Yin. If she had her reasons, why didn’t she tell her earlier, but waited until now to explain?

Only Qin Yishu knew whether they were genuine difficulties or just an excuse to keep her stable.

“Xiao Jin, let’s go upstairs and rest. I’m tired.”

Jiang Yan turned away, not giving Qin Yishu a single glance.

Xiao Jin followed her. As she turned, she gave Qin Yishu a deep look.

It seemed their relationship wasn’t as deep as she had imagined.

After they walked a few steps, Nan Yin, who had finally finished socializing with her father, ran over and threw herself into Qin Yishu’s arms, flirting, “Shu Shu, have you been waiting long? Did you miss me?”

Jiang Yan’s face changed. She quickened her pace and walked upstairs.

Xiao Jin glanced back from the corner. With only that much effort, she’s not even worthy of being my rival.

She can’t even handle two little girls, yet she wants to compete with me for Yan Yan.

Heh.

Jiang Yan stood on the second floor, facing many guest rooms, and asked Xiao Jin, “Can I choose a room for myself?”

Xiao Jin shook her head and pulled her into her own room.

“If you sleep in your own room, both you and I will be nagged to death tomorrow. Just make do for the sake of peace and quiet.”

Smelling the faint scent of cedar on Xiao Jin, Jiang Yan turned her head awkwardly. “I got it. Let go of me first.”

Xiao Jin released her and pointed to the large bed in the middle. “Two-meter-wide bed. Enough for two people to sleep.”

“What?!” Jiang Yan was shocked. “You’re going to sleep with me?!”

Xiao Jin nodded calmly and began taking off her jacket. “Do you want to sleep on the floor?”

“No. In this situation, shouldn’t you be the one sleeping on the floor to show your sincerity?”

This was the trope in TV shows and novels. Why was Xiao Jin different?

She must just be slow to react. A reminder should be enough.

“Why should I show sincerity? You are in my room, not the other way around. Strictly speaking, you’re freeloading on my bed. It’s already generous of me to share half with you.”

Looking at her speaking so matter-of-factly, Jiang Yan inexplicably felt her fists clench.

She suddenly felt that something was wrong. Since she was in front of Qin Yishu, Xiao Jin had been a bit proactive, and after they got to the room, she had said so much. This was clearly inconsistent with her previous reticent image.

“Why do I feel like you’re suddenly talking more?”

She moved closer to Xiao Jin, staring at her unblinking, trying to see her panic.

Xiao Jin was unperturbed. She suddenly leaned down, which scared Jiang Yan into recoiling her neck sharply.

“It’s not that I’m talking more; it’s just that I’m getting familiar with you.”

She finished speaking and threw her jacket aside, leaving only the small camisole she was wearing, which clearly showed her collarbones.

Jiang Yan turned her head, climbed onto the bed, and wrapped herself up in the blanket.

Xiao Jin changed into her pajamas in front of Jiang Yan without a care, then lifted the blanket and lay down on the bed.

Jiang Yan poked her head out from the blanket, taking a few breaths of fresh air. “Aren’t you going to shower?”

Xiao Jin: “Didn’t you also not shower? Anyway, if I shower, I’ll be contaminated by you, so let’s just both stay dirty.”

Jiang Yan felt that her thought process was truly different from normal people. What was the probability of two people touching each other in a bed this size?

But she couldn’t stand not showering either. After a stalemate, she was the first to give in.

“Do you have clean pajamas? I’m going to take a shower.”

“Finally willing to shower?” Xiao Jin said blandly.

Jiang Yan didn’t want to argue about the issue and mumbled a “Yes.”

“I have pajamas in the closet. They might be a little big for you, but make do with them.”

Jiang Yan finally picked out one she liked after rummaging, took the pajamas, and entered the bathroom. Xiao Jin saw her clothes had been completely messed up. After hesitating for a few seconds, she eventually got up and rummaged through them herself.

When Jiang Yan came out, Xiao Jin was sitting on the edge of the bed looking at her phone. She passed by casually and saw the title at the top of the screen.

It was a very famous GL novel, known as the “Flirting Bible,” rumored that even a complete heterosexual would gain insight after reading it.

So, the reason Xiao Jin was talking so much today was because she read this?

Jiang Yan felt a little disillusioned because, in her mind, Xiao Jin wasn’t the type to read novels; reading research papers and financial magazines was more like her.

Xiao Jin put away her phone and went to shower, leaving the phone on the bedside, the screen unlocked.

Jiang Yan thought Xiao Jin was testing her, so she was principled enough not to look at her phone. Only when Xiao Jin came out did she ask, “Were you doing that on purpose?”

Xiao Jin was puzzled. “What was on purpose?”

“You left your phone here. Weren’t you trying to get me to peek? I won’t fall for your trick!”

Xiao Jin lay back down, her eyes calm and unwavering. “You’re overthinking it. I had no such intention. The reason I left my phone there is because I trust you. Look if you want to. I have nothing to hide from you.”

Jiang Yan moved over to the side, occupying a small space.

As expected of the Flirting Bible, it was terrifying. Even someone as taciturn as Xiao Jin had become articulate.

It was too frightening.

She hugged the blanket, forcing herself to sleep, but after a long time, she had no sleepiness. She opened Weibo, and Qin Yishu and Nan Yin’s topic was conspicuously on the hot search.

She really wouldn’t let her have a moment of peace.

She clicked in, and what greeted her were photos of the two holding hands in formal wear. Although it was only a back view, it was enough to prove how good their relationship was. After all, the location didn’t look like a place where media would be present. To be like this in private, they truly were an enviable couple.

Jiang Yan scrolled through the comments below, a stream of well wishes, as if water armies were controlling the narrative, but she recognized several usernames—people who frequently appeared in Qin Yishu’s comment section.

The pain in her heart made it hard to breathe. She silently poked her head out and deeply inhaled a breath of fresh air.

Her lungs were full of air, but her heart ached unbearably. She clenched her phone, trying hard to forget what she had just seen, but the image in her mind was impossible to shake off.

“No more looking at your phone. Go to sleep.”

Xiao Jin reached out her long arm, took the phone from her hand, placed it on the cabinet next to her, and then naturally put her arm around Jiang Yan’s waist.

Jiang Yan was a little flustered. This posture was too intimate. She was a little uncomfortable.

No, she should say very uncomfortable.

“Xiao Jin, can you let go of me? I can’t sleep like this.”

“Close your eyes. Don’t think about anything. You’ll fall asleep quickly. Don’t waste your energy on someone who isn’t worth it. It has no meaning.”

Xiao Jin finished speaking. Not only did she not let go, but she hugged her even tighter. Jiang Yan restlessly squirmed a couple of times, but Xiao Jin warned her.

“If you don’t want to sleep well, then let’s do something meaningful together.”

Jiang Yan’s heart skipped a beat. She actually harbors such intentions toward me? Lewd!

Xiao Jin smiled with satisfaction, then turned off the bedside lamp and closed her eyes.

What meaningful thing? Of course, it was analyzing stocks together and looking at the company’s financial statements. She didn’t know what Jiang Yan was thinking about, making her suddenly so well-behaved.

When Qin Yishu saw the photo of herself and Nan Yin, her face was darker than the night outside.

How could there be a reporter sneaking a picture at a hotel with such good privacy? And it just happened to capture the moment Nan Yin forcefully grabbed her hand? The whole process only took a few seconds. Was the reporter’s hand that fast?

She knew Nan Yin was manipulating everything behind the scenes, but she couldn’t touch her yet.

Having to pretend with her every day was the most painful part, but she had endured it for so many days. She couldn’t fail now.

Just a little longer. When she completely takes down Dahe, Nan Yin will no longer have any value.

She checked again. The hot search had already risen several spots. Qin Yishu suddenly remembered something and quickly called Jiang Yan.

Although she knew Jiang Yan wouldn’t answer her call, she still held onto a one percent hope.

This time, however, the call connected.

“Yan Yan, the photo on the hot search is fake. I didn’t hold hands with Nan Yin.”

“That’s your business. Yan Yan doesn’t want to know. She’s asleep. Don’t disturb her.”

Xiao Jin’s sleepy voice came through. The blood in Qin Yishu’s body instantly froze.

“Why is Yan Yan’s phone in your hand?!”

She clenched her fist, her eyes flashing with barely perceptible madness.

“What else could be the reason? Naturally, I’m on the same bed as her.” After Xiao Jin finished speaking, she seemed to sigh that her arm was numb, and then said, “Do you want to hear her breathing? It’s quite cute.”

Qin Yishu hung up the phone, her eyes red as if they were about to drip blood.

No one knew better than her how adorable Jiang Yan was when she was asleep, but now someone else was seeing the treasure she wanted to keep private.

She fiercely smashed her phone onto the floor. It shattered into pieces. Qin Yishu looked at the fragments on the ground, her eyes blazing with fury.

Xiao Jin hung up the phone, deleted the call record, and then happily continued to sleep.

Jiang Yan had drunk a little wine during the day and was physically and mentally exhausted. She slept soundly the whole time and had no idea Qin Yishu had called.

The next morning, she woke up in Xiao Jin’s arms. When she saw the other woman’s deep, fair collarbone, she silently burrowed into the blanket and wiggled toward the foot of the bed.

Last night, she had planned to escape Xiao Jin’s clutches after she fell asleep, but she accidentally fell asleep herself and woke up in her arms. She felt mortified.

Xiao Jin rubbed her arm and said to Jiang Yan, “I hugged you all night. My arm is a little under-supplied with blood.”

Jiang Yan quickly scurried into the bathroom to wash up, ignoring her words.

Mr. and Mrs. Xiao treated Jiang Yan better than they treated their own daughter. They didn’t eat breakfast and waited specifically for the two of them to wake up to eat together.

Jiang Yan was wearing Xiao Jin’s clothes, which were slightly too big. Mrs. Xiao couldn’t stop smiling when she saw her.

“Oh, Yan Yan’s clothes are a little ill-fitting, but they still look quite nice.”

Mr. Xiao agreed with his wife. “It gives the outfit a different style.”

Jiang Yan felt a bit overwhelmed by the compliments, putting on an awkward but polite smile.

Auntie and Uncle, please stop complimenting me. This ability to lie through your teeth truly makes me feel ashamed.

Xiao Jin looked at Jiang Yan and said indifferently, “Since everyone thinks it looks good, I’ll give you this set of clothes.”

Jiang Yan had completely figured out her personality. She knew Xiao Jin wasn’t sincerely giving her the clothes; she just didn’t want anything that someone else had touched.

This fastidious woman.

After breakfast, Jiang Yan wanted to go home immediately, but Mrs. Xiao held her and talked about various things. Then, Mr. Xiao asked her if she liked the Xiao family house. If she didn’t, he would buy a separate villa for her and Xiao Jin as a marital home.

Jiang Yan was almost scared to death by the words “marital home.” What was all this about? Why were the parents already considering their marriage when she knew nothing about it?

“Auntie and Uncle, Xiao Jin and I haven’t reached that stage yet. It’s too early for marriage. Xiao Jin doesn’t like me either, right?”

She turned to Xiao Jin, giving her frantic eye signals, hoping she would speak the truth.

“I like you.” Xiao Jin reverted to her silent, minimalist self in front of her parents.