Chapter 33 You Help Me Dress
On the day of the Crown Prince's wedding, the bride disappeared, and many rumors circulated among the people.
Some say Jiang Zhishui suddenly fell ill on the way to her wedding and was taken to a clinic; others say she changed her mind at the last minute and didn't even get on the bridal sedan chair; still others say she was possessed by a ghost and ran away after getting on the sedan chair.
Opinions varied, but the final conclusion was that Jiang Zhishui was both sick and insane, and was not qualified to be the Crown Princess.
Therefore, the annulment of the engagement went smoothly.
After returning to the Chengyi Marquis's residence, there was still no movement from Jing Qianheng's side, so Jiang Zhishui had no choice but to go to his door in person.
Perhaps the system sensed her procrastination and evasion, and in order to speed up the process, it created an alternative character with a similar configuration to her.
If you do not act according to the plot set by the system, you may be erased from existence by the system and disappear from this world completely.
Then another Jiang Zhishui will come online and take over everything from her; no one will remember her anymore.
Jiang Zhishui always felt a chill run down her spine whenever she thought about this.
She had to pull herself together and be more positive.
Jiang Zhishui's face was a little itchy, and he gently stroked the burning area, which felt cool and comfortable.
"It hurts, it hurts so much!" Jiang Zhishui said softly and coquettishly when she saw his rare gentleness. "Your Highness, I'm so scared."
Jing Qianheng stared at the bloodstains on her face, his gaze slowly moving upwards to look into her eyes. "With me here, those demons and monsters won't be able to get close to you."
"Your Highness is so amazing." Jiang Zhishui smiled sweetly. "Having Your Highness by my side makes me feel so at ease."
Jing Qianheng's fingers brushed against her face and the strands of hair near her ears, his eyes showing no emotion, completely unmoved by Jiang Zhishui's sweet words.
Not long after Jiang Zhishui returned, news came that the engagement had been dissolved.
Jing Qianheng knew that Zhou Linyuan wanted to control him, and that Jiang Zhishui was a pawn that Zhou Linyuan had deliberately placed next to him.
This person is glib and cunning; who knows how many schemes they're hiding?
Jing Qianheng asked softly, "Am I very important to you?"
Jiang Zhishui nodded: "It's very important."
Jing Qianheng looked down at her. "If you know I'm important, then why do you keep trying to lead me to dangerous places?"
Jiang Zhishui was leading him into a trap. The Imperial Advisor's men were already waiting in the Ancient Porcelain Cave. She only needed to lead him there to find a chance to escape.
She was right when she said the Imperial Advisor was there, and even if Jing Qianheng was arrested, there was no evidence to prove that she and the Crown Prince conspired to frame him.
Even if he has any doubts, she can just use her words to explain and fool him.
In the original story, Jing Qianheng is the male protagonist. In the early stages, he falls in love with Jiang Zhishui for the first time, believing that she is sincere towards him. However, he is repeatedly deceived, framed, and suffers endless hardships because of her. Later, he gets his revenge for all the suffering he endured because of her.
His love was as deep as his hatred. He was a cold and ruthless man, who found a little warmth in her, only to have that warmth completely extinguished by her, driving him to madness.
These pretentious and self-destructive behaviors in the early stages are unavoidable. Even if she doesn't follow the system's plot, the system will find a way to make her offline and let another Jiang Zhishui come online to take her place and continue the mission.
It's better if she does it; Jing Qianheng is bound to go through this ordeal anyway.
Jiang Zhishui's mindset probably changed after her rebirth, and she doesn't know why she can't truly immerse herself in the role that this world has assigned to her.
She also couldn't quite grasp the appropriate measure for a wicked woman, and her actions were somewhat clumsy and lacked finesse.
Jiang Zhishui, who was reluctant to let go, slowly released her hand. She stood up straight, glanced at the dark doors and windows beside her, and quickly reached out to take Jing Qianheng's hand, saying softly, "I also want to help Your Highness. The Crown Prince is cunning and colludes with the Imperial Advisor. What are they plotting behind the scenes? Doesn't Your Highness want to find out?"
Jing Qianheng looked down at his hand and tried to pull it back, but Jiang Zhishui held on tightly and said ingratiatingly, "Your Highness, I don't mind if you don't hug me, but just let me hold your hand. I won't touch anything else, okay?"
Jing Qianheng looked at her quietly for a while, said nothing, turned around and walked away, bending down to pick up his coat from the ground. "Put this on."
Jiang Zhishui looked at him warily and shook her head: "No need, I'm not cold."
She sneezed right after she finished speaking.
Jing Qianheng looked at her, and she looked up at Jing Qianheng and smiled, "It's okay, I'm really not cold."
Jiang Zhishui saw that his hand, which was still raised as he handed her the clothes, thought for a moment, and then raised her hand to Jing Qianheng as well, saying shamelessly, "How about Your Highness helps me put them on?"
Jing Qianheng: "........."
"Put this hand through first," Jiang Zhishui arranged perfectly, "then I'll let go of this hand, and Your Highness can help me put through the other hand."
Jing Qianheng said, "Ridiculous! Wear it or don't, it's up to you."
"Hey, Your Highness, don't walk so fast!" Jiang Zhishui grabbed his hands with both of hers and followed closely behind him. "Look, you just want to let go of me and leave me behind, Achoo! Your Highness!"
Jing Qianheng suddenly stopped and turned to look at her.
“...Your Highness.” Jiang Zhishui looked at him pitifully, shrinking back.
Jing Qianheng complied, helping her get dressed. He let go with one hand while holding her with the other, and after a difficult time getting her dressed, he heard her mutter, "Your Highness, this isn't tied properly..."
Her sash hung down quite a bit, loose and slouching. Jing Qianheng looked up at her, and Jiang Zhishui realized at this moment that she had gone too far, so she gave an awkward smile.
Jing Qianheng lowered his head, his fingers trembling slightly, and retied the sash.
Jiang Zhishui gently stroked his fingers and said softly, "Thank you, Your Highness."
After Jing Qianheng finished doing all this, sweat beaded on his forehead. He felt that something was very right about him, a feeling he couldn't quite put his finger on.
Hearing her thank him, he glanced at her and felt inexplicably weary.
Jing Qianheng knew she had ill intentions. If he asked her a few more questions, she would make jokes and evade the question.
Jiang Zhishui casually tidied her messy hair, accidentally tearing off her hairpin. Pairs of small eyes darted around in the alley. After a few puppets and others had walked away, they rushed forward, carrying the white jade hairpin into the darkness.
The hairpin passed through the dark alley, climbed layer upon layer of mountain steps, and arrived at a dilapidated temple on the mountain. Weeds grew in front of the temple, and one of the walls had collapsed. Someone had started a fire in the temple. The little puppets ran over quickly. A woman dressed in a scarlet linen dress was holding a dry branch and was about to add it to the fire.
She glanced down, set the branch aside, squatted down, and looked indifferently at the small puppets. She reached out and took the hairpin, whispering, "This hairpin is so pretty, Jin'er will definitely like it."
Once on the covered bridge, Jiang Zhishui tightly grasped Jing Qianheng's hand.
Jing Qianheng watched the figure flash by and said softly, "On the day of the Puppet God Festival, an extraordinary person appeared. The puppets she made were exquisite. They could jump, run, and even laugh, just like living people. If they could be mass-produced and improved into excellent soldiers, they would be unkillable and have no sense of pain. That would be an invincible puppet army."
Jiang Zhishui stared at the shadowy figure stirring in the darkness and said, "You came here to find that extraordinary person who makes puppets?"
Jing Qianheng pulled her forward and said with a smile, "I was just curious to come and see. You want to take me to the Imperial Preceptor? We don't know what awaits us there yet. Since we're out here, let's wander around. The place you mentioned won't grow legs and run away. We can go there later, right?"
Jiang Zhishui pursed her lips and said nothing. She silently followed, and the two entered a house after crossing the bridge.
There were many piles of wood of various sizes in the corner of the room, and in the center there was a large table with some small wooden animal carvings on it.
Jing Qianheng lit a candle and glanced at the curtain to his right, where there were more cubicles.
Jiang Zhishui looked at the various cute little objects on the table. She picked up a kitten and examined it. Just as she was playing with it, her hand slipped, and she hurriedly reached for it, letting go of Jing Qianheng's hand.
Jing Qianheng's hand was suddenly empty, and he turned around to look at her in astonishment.
She held up a wooden kitten figurine and smiled at him.
Jiang Zhishui put the kitten back in its original place and walked to the other side of the table.
Jing Qianheng glanced at her back, then looked down at his own hands, his fingers slightly curled and clenched.
Jiang Zhishui tapped her fingers lightly on the table as she walked near the curtain. Suddenly, an axe came flying at her, narrowly missing her face.
The man used too much force, chopping the axe into the cabinet next to him. The wood got stuck, and she couldn't pull it out.
At the critical moment, Jing Qianheng pulled Jiang Zhishui back. She looked at the girl struggling with an axe in front of her with lingering fear.
After the girl finally managed to pull the axe out, Jiang Zhishui held her sword firmly against the girl's throat and asked, "Miss, if I hadn't dodged that axe blow, my head would have been rolling on the ground. You look so pretty, how can you be so vicious?"
The girl held the axe, her eyes filled with terror. She let her hand fall limply, and the axe crashed to the ground.
Jiang Zhishui noticed her pale face and sunken eyes, as if she hadn't slept well in a long time. She sheathed her sword, pointed at Jing Qianheng beside her, and said, "This is His Highness the Seventh Prince. Are you from Mu Zi Garden? Why did you attack us?"
The girl glanced at Jing Qianheng, then stared at Jiang Zhishui for a long time.
Just when Jiang Zhishui thought she wouldn't answer, she suddenly spoke up, "Are you living people?"
Jiang Zhishui found her question strange, "Can't you tell?"
The girl stepped forward, took a dagger, and cut her arm. There were several shallow wounds on her arm. "There are some mannequins hidden here, some things made of wood. They are well disguised, have their own will, and can kill or harm people. They are very dangerous."
Her arm was bleeding. She handed the dagger to Jiang Zhishui and said, "Prove it to me."
Jiang Zhishui stared at her blankly, then smiled bitterly and said, "Isn't there any other way to prove it?"
The girl stared at her stubbornly, so Jiang Zhishui had no choice but to take the dagger and gently prick her finger with the tip, drawing out a bead of blood.
The girl stared at her hands, her face showing a sense of relief. She whispered, "My name is Jin'er, and I am the apprentice of Jiang Li, the puppeteer from Mu Ziyuan."
The girl named Jin'er wanted them to help stop her master, Jiang Li, who was highly skilled but was envied and framed by her peers. Many of her puppets were deliberately destroyed. In order to take revenge, she cooperated with evil spirits and put them into the puppets she made.
The murders that occurred in Kyoto were likely her doing as well.
The three of them went into the mountains together. Jiang Zhishui looked at Jin'er, who was walking in front, and was not sure if she was trustworthy or if she was leading them into a trap.
She quickened her pace and walked to Jing Qianheng's side. Her hand naturally reached out to touch him, but as soon as it touched his fingertips, he pulled away. Jiang Zhishui looked up at him, her expression surprised.
Jing Qianheng looked at her and said coldly, "Come closer when you need me, and let go when you don't. Do you think I'm someone you can just summon and dismiss at will?"
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