Inside the room, Ji Heyuan, who was immersed in her game and unable to extricate herself, suddenly shivered. That chilling sensation down her back returned once again.
She stared blankly at the grayed-out screen of her phone, her heart jolting, feeling as if the sky were about to collapse.
Could it be that something was really wrong with her body?
No, tomorrow she would go to the hospital for a full examination!
Ji Heyuan had absolutely no idea that in her mind, the foolish and dull Jiang Jiang had already, without a sound, administered her a dose of eye drops in front of Ji Xu'an.
At this moment, Jiang Jiang had already followed Ji Xu'an to the back garden.
The area here was not particularly large, but it was kept very tidy. A pebble path ran across the lawn, connecting clusters of flowerbeds and a fish pond, carrying a rather refined charm.
But Jiang Jiang had seen many places more exquisite than this, so after only two brief glances, she withdrew her gaze.
Ji Xu'an walked ahead of Jiang Jiang, yet from the corner of her eye she took in this reaction completely.
To be fair, Jiang Jiang's performance over these past few days had been far better than Ji Xu'an had initially imagined.
On her, Ji Xu'an could hardly see the amazement and helplessness that an ordinary person would display upon suddenly entering a wealthy household, nor the greed and attachment she had expected.
Xie Xiao only revealed nervous unease when facing her; at other times, she behaved quite calmly.
The materials from the investigation showed that Xie Xiao was a lively girl by nature, but according to Ji Xu'an's observations, although the Xie Xiao she had come into contact with was not exactly dull, she was far from lively.
Was it because the grandmother she had depended on for survival had passed away, thus dealing her a certain blow?
Ji Xu'an took the lead in sitting down on a rattan chair in the resting area. Knowing they were going to discuss matters here, the housekeeper had specially instructed someone to bring over a pot of flower tea and two small plates of pastries.
Jiang Jiang caught the scent of chocolate chip cookies. These were also the little snacks she had eaten most often these past few days at the Ji family's old residence. But before, she had always hidden in her room to eat them secretly. Now, in front of Ji Xu'an, although Jiang Jiang was a little tempted, she restrained herself.
She had once thought that having meat at every meal in the Duke's manor was already the best kind of life. Even though she had to endure the strict rules of the manor and restrain her nature, turning herself into another person entirely, compared to the days before she was ten—cultivating in the mountains in quiet austerity—Jiang Jiang had already felt very satisfied.
Only after coming to this world did Jiang Jiang truly experience what a life of wealth and leisure was like.
There were all kinds of delicious and novel foods, and various tools that broadened her horizons; every single thing filled Jiang Jiang with astonishment.
She had already done her best to restrain her shock and curiosity. Her recent performance shouldn't have revealed any flaws, right?
At that thought, Jiang Jiang subconsciously looked toward Ji Xu'an, a trace of hesitation in her apricot eyes.
Compared to Jiang Jiang's straight-backed, rule-abiding posture, Ji Xu'an was much more casual.
She leaned back against the chair, legs crossed, forearm resting on the armrest, looking at Jiang Jiang with calm composure. "What did you want to say to me?"
Jiang Jiang had long prepared her draft in her heart; she had even thought through what kind of expression she should reveal.
She fiddled with the hem of her skirt, her voice light and soft. "In five days, I have to start school. After that… will I need to live on campus?"
This was something Xie Xiao had told Jiang Jiang that day.
According to Jiang Jiang's plan, she actually did not want to be too far from Ji Xu'an; it would be best if the two of them could live together all along.
But it seemed Ji Xu'an did not think so.
After asking, Jiang Jiang lowered her eyelashes, her gaze shifting downward until it paused at Ji Xu'an's fingertips suspended in the air.
That hand had slender bones and long, well-proportioned knuckles, like jade carved into shape, cool white with a faint blush, the nails trimmed neatly.
Jiang Jiang's gaze stilled, not moving away for a long time.
Ji Xu'an followed her line of sight to her own hand. Though somewhat puzzled, she did not ask further. She gave a noncommittal hum and asked, "What do you think?"
As she spoke, Ji Xu'an inadvertently lifted her fingertips slightly, yet she did not expect that Jiang Jiang's gaze would sway along with that subtle movement. This small action immediately drew Ji Xu'an's attention.
Jiang Jiang came back to herself, as if feeling guilty like a thief. Her long lashes fluttered rapidly twice, and along with the faint blush slowly climbing her cheeks, her voice sounded as though it had absorbed water—damp and heated.
"I'll listen to you."
Ji Xu'an suddenly felt as if a trace of warmth climbed from her fingertips to her heart. The air seemed to fill with an indescribable atmosphere, making her mood somewhat subtle; she froze for several full seconds before regaining her senses.
Looking at Jiang Jiang's half-lowered lashes, she felt that in that lowering and lifting of her gaze just now, there seemed to be a hint of shy sentiment. Was it an illusion?
Or was there, in Xie Xiao's attitude toward her, something besides fear?
Ji Xu'an's brows knitted slightly.
She shifted her body, moving a little closer to Jiang Jiang so that she could better observe the changes in her expression. "You don't have your own thoughts?"
Jiang Jiang replied honestly, "You said I should listen to you."
Ji Xu'an said nothing. She stared silently at Jiang Jiang for several seconds, then reached out to lift the teapot and personally poured Jiang Jiang a cup of jasmine tea.
Ji Xu'an pressed her fingertip against the rim of the cup and pushed it toward Jiang Jiang. Throughout the process, her eyes remained fixed on Jiang Jiang's face, yet all she received in return was a gaze filled with confusion.
Jiang Jiang seemed somewhat flattered. Only after Ji Xu'an withdrew her hand did she hold the teacup with both hands and softly say thank you.
Everything was perfectly normal.
Ji Xu'an let out a quiet breath of relief, suspecting that she might be overthinking things. Xie Xiao was merely a girl who had just turned eighteen; perhaps she had not even come into her own yet. How could she think that the other woman had deliberately been flirting with her just now?
Moreover, given her attitude toward Xie Xiao the previous few times, it was already good enough if Xie Xiao did not resent her.
Ji Xu'an raised a hand to rub her temple, feeling that she might simply have been too tired lately.
Jiang Jiang seemed not to notice Ji Xu'an's probing. With a natural expression, she held the teacup and took a sip. The fragrance of jasmine spread between her lips and teeth. Jiang Jiang's eyes brightened slightly, and she lightly licked her lips.
Delicious!
After a cup of hot tea settled in her stomach, Ji Xu'an regained her usual composure. "I'll have Secretary Zhao handle the off-campus housing procedures at S University."
She paused. "What major did you choose?"
Jiang Jiang squeezed the teacup in her hands in distress. "Photography."
These past two days she had crammed information about the photography major, yet she was still muddled.
Right now, Jiang Jiang was like someone who had seized a body and been reborn—possessing a body full of cultivation yet unable to use it.
She had indeed learned many modern terms, but she did not quite understand what they truly meant.
Fortunately, these past few days she had only traveled between the old residence and the sanatorium, facing only a few people, without much contact with others, so she had not yet revealed any flaws.
But Xie Xiao had said that there were many people at university; perhaps a single class would have dozens or even hundreds of students. Jiang Jiang was truly afraid that she would not be able to follow conversations, that she would stand out as incompatible with everyone else.
That was also why she did not want to live on campus—the possibility of exposure was too great.
Yet she could not simply refuse to attend school.
Ji Xu'an did not know Jiang Jiang's entanglement and worries. Hearing this, she was slightly surprised. "Little Yuan is also a photography major."
Xie Xiao likely did not have the ability to inquire in advance about Ji Heyuan's chosen major, so this was merely a coincidence.
Because the story in the dream had focused on Ji Heyuan and Zheng Zhouzhou's romantic entanglement, with little mention of Ji Heyuan's studies, Jiang Jiang only now learned that Ji Heyuan and she were actually in the same major.
In a flash of inspiration, Jiang Jiang suddenly thought of a good idea.
A good method that would allow her to reasonably avoid other people without making herself seem strange.
That was—
—
Author's Note:
Ji Heyuan: (sneezing wildly) It's over, I'm really sick!
Later on, President Ji will keep falling into self-doubt, thinking her heart is too dirty, always imagining all sorts of inappropriate things.
Jiang Bao: That's right, that's right—what does any of that have to do with innocent Jiang Jiang?
—
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