Wicked Girl - Naïve (4)
You wouldn't...like me, would you?
——
"Miss, it's time to go. Everyone else has arrived."
I glanced at my watch and saw that time was almost up, so I stepped forward, bent down, and whispered a reminder in her ear.
"Okay, let's go." Jiang Wanrou rubbed her temples wearily.
I followed behind her as usual, keeping a step behind, as we crossed a long corridor.
As we neared the end, I took two steps forward and opened the door for her—
It's this conference room again.
Over the years, I've accompanied Jiang Wanrou here countless times, and I'm so familiar with this place that I could find my way with my eyes closed.
Next, she closes the door, takes two steps inside, and pulls out the chair at the very back on the left so she can sit down. Finally, she steps aside, becomes a background figure, and listens to hours of boring arguing.
This has been the case for so many years.
However, this time is a little different.
Reaching her usual spot, Jiang Wanrou didn't stop but continued walking forward. I followed behind her, silently counting, "One, two, three... six, seven." Then, as before, I pulled out a chair for her and stepped aside.
No more than seven steps,
It felt like we had been walking for a very long time.
The people below erupted into another uproar, arguing fiercely over the few taels of gold.
However, this time the decision-maker was Jiang Wanrou, and things were no longer as tight as before.
I couldn't help but feel a little emotional; this position was truly different, and Jiang Wanrou had finally gotten what she wanted.
Their monotonous arguments were so boring that my thoughts drifted further and further away.
"Wanrou." I was brought back to my senses when I suddenly heard someone call Jiang Wanrou's name.
What just happened?
It seems that Jiang Wanrou rejected some proposal?
The moment that voice rang out, the previously noisy conference room fell silent. Everyone had their own thoughts, but they were all waiting for what was to come. "You're not getting any younger, it's time to find a suitable husband," the speaker said with a kind smile, though the malice in his tone was impossible to hide.
"There are too many things to do lately, so let's not spend time on this..." Jiang Wanrou raised her hand, her first instinct to refuse.
"There's no need to rush, but it never hurts to look around first." Fourth Master interrupted her directly, then glanced indifferently at the person beside him.
The person he glanced at immediately chimed in, "Yes, these days, arranged marriages and parental consent are no longer the norm. Wanrou, it wouldn't be bad for you to get to know people first. If you like someone, just say so. Even though your father is gone, all the uncles and elders still care about you. They're not feudal people, so just be bold and say it."
"No need, I..." Jiang Wanrou's tone already revealed an uncontrollable irritation.
"Wanrou, I know you're devoted to the family, but you can't neglect yourself, can you?" Fourth Master said earnestly, as if he was thinking of her in everything. "Besides... seeing you get married is also something your mother wanted."
"Yes, the people we sent to visit her a few days ago said that Madam has been unable to eat or drink and has been crying every day. This is wrong of you, Wanrou. Even if it's just for your mother's sake, you should at least fulfill one of her wishes, shouldn't you?" The people around her chimed in.
Not long ago, the group seemed to be arguing fiercely, but now they have all united, each saying something that is clearly for Jiang Wanrou's sake.
She was surrounded by wolves, their eyes filled with calculation, and Jiang Wanrou was undoubtedly the tempting piece of meat.
I gazed at Jiang Wanrou's silent back.
Suddenly I realized,
It turns out that things are still the same as before.
——
"Mother." Jiang Wanrou hurriedly pushed open the door, her unusual panic evident as she ran in.
"Rou'er, you're here?" Her mother, who was sitting by the window, turned around when she heard her voice. Seeing her hurried appearance, she couldn't help but smile.
She put down the embroidered handkerchief in her hand and beckoned to Jiang Wanrou, "Come here quickly, let your mother take a look."
Jiang Wanrou, still breathless, slowly walked over and sat down in front of her. She cupped Jiang Wanrou's face in her hands, looking her over from left to right, and finally couldn't help but say with heartache, "Have you been particularly busy lately? You've lost so much weight. You need to take care of yourself and get some rest. Your father..." She choked up as she spoke, and after a long while, she was able to continue, "Now all I have left is you. I don't ask for anything else. I just want to see you happy."
She raised her hand to wipe away her tears, and her wide sleeves slid down, revealing her bare wrist bones.
Jiang Wanrou watched her movements, speechless. She was clearly the one who had lost the most weight—she had suffered greatly during her pregnancy with her younger brother, and her health was already poor. These past few days had taken a toll on her even more, and she was visibly thinning down until she was practically skin and bones.
“Mother…” Jiang Wanrou’s throat tightened, each word feeling like a thin knife slicing across her fragile vocal cords, making her voice hoarse. “Please… take care.” She managed to squeeze out these last few words before lowering her head, unable to look at her mother’s expression.
"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore." The mother didn't want to bring it up again and changed the subject. "I heard from your uncle that he wants to find you a good companion. Is that true?"
"They really came to see you? When?" Jiang Wanrou suddenly grabbed her wrist, her eyes sharpening. "Didn't I tell them not to come see you?"
"How can your subordinates do their jobs? They can't even meet such a simple request." It was rare for her to lose her temper like this.
“I let them in, don’t blame them. We’re all family, why be so distant?” Her mother stroked her face, turned her around, her face full of doubt.
Her mother's incomprehension was starkly displayed before Jiang Wanrou, leaving her speechless. It was always like this... always like this, with her laughable naiveté, forever oblivious to the passage of time and the unpredictability of human nature.
Jiang Wanrou suddenly felt very tired. She held her mother's cold hand and spoke again in the chill, "Mother, please listen to me this once, okay? Don't see them, alright?"
Her mother didn't reply, but instead asked, "Does Wanrou have a boy she likes? I'll find someone to act as a matchmaker for you."
"Mother, do you want me to get married?" She didn't answer directly, but asked in return.
There seemed to be sadness and pleading in her eyes, but the person in front of her couldn't understand it. He just smiled, patted her hair, and said—
"Of course Mother wants to."
“I hope someone can share the burden with us, Wanrou. It breaks my heart to see you, a girl, living such a tiring life.”
Perhaps a long time passed, or perhaps only a few seconds, before Jiang Wanrou smiled and said, "I understand." She said a few more words, then said goodbye to her mother and got up to leave.
The midday sun was blazing, so bright it was almost blinding. Jiang Wanrou stood at the courtyard gate, looked up for a while, and then called over a servant to give her a few instructions.
As they were talking, they saw the maid who usually followed their mother hurrying over with a food box.
"What is this?" Jiang Wanrou called out to her curiously.
“These are mooncakes made by Madam herself. I was afraid that she would be saddened if she saw them recently. It would be a pity if they went bad. Madam herself would definitely feel it was a waste. It would be better to send them to the temple where Madam used to distribute porridge, as a way to pray for blessings.”
Jiang Wanrou remained silent for a long time before finally waving her hand and saying, "Go ahead." With no desire to linger any longer, she turned and walked towards her own courtyard.
Halfway there, she suddenly heard someone behind her ask her—
Do you regret it?
"Regret what?"
"I regret harming your father and younger brother."
We were almost in the courtyard when Jiang Wanrou looked at me strangely for a while, then suddenly laughed and gave me a meaningful look. "Regret? It's just a little regrettable that your mother worked so hard to make mooncakes for so long..." She seemed to want to say something more, but since we had already reached the study, she only asked me to grind the ink and didn't mention it again.
I really don't understand her.
However, this wasn't the only thing about her that I didn't understand.
Two or three months later, the Jiang family held a small banquet, inviting many eligible young men. Although no one said it aloud, everyone knew that the banquet was to choose a husband for Jiang Wanrou, and they all put in their best efforts.
When Jiang Wanrou arrived late, several people were already waiting for her. Seeing how attentive they were, I silently lit a candle for them in my heart.
To be honest, I was also very curious. Marriage seemed like a done deal, so who would Jiang Wanrou ultimately choose from this group of people? I tried to glean something from Jiang Wanrou's attitude, but she always acted ambiguous with everyone—she drank one person's toast, accepted another's flowers, and then accepted another's invitation to go to the opera in a couple of days… After drinking someone's toast for the fourteenth time, accepting flowers for the fifth time, accepting a date invitation for the third time, and for who knows how many times she was about to smile at this group of peacocks… I couldn't take it anymore. A strange impulse surged into my mind, and I stepped forward and interrupted the two people chatting happily.
For reasons I myself couldn't quite understand, I deliberately leaned close to Jiang Wanrou's ear and lowered my voice slightly, "Miss, it's urgent."
She looked at me with a puzzled expression, but didn't ask any questions. She just smiled and apologized to the person in front of her, shook hands lightly, and then lifted her skirt to signal me to leave with her.
To be honest, I regretted saying those words as soon as I finished speaking. I don't know why I did it. But seeing her holding hands with someone else, that impulse came back to me, controlling my actions without any explanation. So I didn't deny what I had said earlier, but just took a half step forward, getting closer to her, and gently put my hand around her shoulder from behind to block the endless stares from our surroundings.
It wasn't until we reached a secluded corner that I suddenly realized what I had done.
"What exactly happened?"
It was a made-up excuse anyway, and my mind was already a complete mess, so I couldn't come up with anything.
Faced with her increasingly mocking gaze, I pursed my lips, trying to find something to cover up my abrupt actions tonight.
Not very successful.
Finally, I stood before her, utterly despondent, and lowered my head in shame and anger.
Jiang Wanrou looked at the person in front of her and found it amusing. However, seeing his bright red ears, she couldn't help but feel a little teasing. "Ruzhuo."
She beckoned to the man to lower himself further, then stepped forward, leaned close to his bright red earlobe, and couldn't help but chuckle, whispering, "You wouldn't...like me, would you?"
These words struck me like a thunderbolt, leaving me stunned and unable to recover for a long time.
I have no recollection of how I followed her through the entire banquet, how many words she spoke to others, or how many times she shook hands with them.
I only clearly remember—Jiang Wanrou's lips slowly approaching, their red tinged with wine, the lingering panic in my heart as her words exploded, the shivers that followed Jiang Wanrou's teasing laughter, the damp warmth that brushed past my ear and the aroma of wine that lingered in my nose... Those vibrant colors arrived quietly, and together with the strong aroma of wine, they formed a deep imprint, etched into my barren memory by her provocative words.
After the banquet, I tossed and turned all night, constantly pondering the meaning of her words and what inexplicable things I had been doing. My heart was pounding, and I couldn't figure it out even after thinking about it all night.
The next day, with huge dark circles under my eyes, I stood awkwardly at the door waiting for Jiang Wanrou to finish washing up. When I saw her come out, I couldn't help but turn my face away, hoping she wouldn't notice my embarrassing state.
Fortunately, although she noticed my embarrassment, she kindly didn't say anything more.
I showed her today's schedule and reminded her to go to the shop later.
"I've already sent someone to tell the shopkeeper that I'll go again tomorrow."
"What?" I was surprised by her decision, since today's check-up was Jiang Wanrou's routine once every three months and had never been postponed for any reason; I was also surprised that she didn't ask me to do anything. In the past, she would always tell me to find someone to do it first.
Before the shock had subsided, she heard her say, "You promised the second young master of the Liang family at yesterday's banquet that you would accompany him to the opera, have you forgotten?"
A surge of anger welled up inside me, but I didn't show it on my face. I tried my best to suppress it and replied, "No," only to see Jiang Wanrou's malicious smile again.
My alarm bells went off immediately, and sure enough, I heard her say, "Then you'll come with me." In the end, I could only remain silent for a long time before gritting my teeth and replying, "Okay."
Unexpectedly, as I followed behind her, watching her meet with others for several days, and finally seeing it come to an end, I relaxed for a moment and actually forgot about her character, naively thinking that she would let me off the hook.
Not two days later, her uncles asked her again if she had anyone in mind after spending so many days together. Jiang Wanrou thought about it casually for a while, then pointed to me, who was standing quietly to the side.
"I think Ruzhuo is very good."
"Better than all of them."
I looked up abruptly as she spoke with deep affection, meeting her teasing gaze.
"Tsk, I was careless."
At that moment, only one thought remained in my mind.
To be honest, I really don't understand her.
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