Chapter 8 Guardian
After taking the dirty clothes out of his schoolbag, folding them neatly and handing them to the woman, Jiang Le blushed and said in a whisper, "Thank you..."
She was not used to interacting with people in this way.
The woman was amused by her seriousness. She gently took the clothes and held them in her arms, waving her hands: "What's there to thank me for? It's all my job."
She paused, remembering the important matter, "Oh, by the way, Miss, Boss Jiang told you to come downstairs for breakfast if you wake up. She had an emergency at the company this morning, so she can't eat with you."
Jiang Le nodded, retaining the muscle memory that there would be no food after mealtime. She quickly washed up and didn't even take the elevator. She ran down the spiral staircase.
"Hey, miss, why are you in such a hurry?" A beautiful woman laughed. "We have to wait a while. Have some cookies first."
The next second, Jiang Le had a bag of exquisitely packaged cookies stuffed into his hands. He stared blankly at the busy figure of the woman in the kitchen.
She obviously didn't get up too late, so why should she wait? This thought slipped out of her mouth uncontrollably: "Do you want to...heat it again?"
The woman turned around and said with a gentle smile, "Boss Jiang, she eats simply and casually, but she specifically told me that you're growing up, so I have to make you something nutritious."
Jiang Le's heart skipped a beat, and an unfamiliar warmth mixed with a feeling of being flattered surged up.
Breakfast at the welfare home is nothing more than a cold and hard steamed bun, a bland boiled egg, or a wilted fried dough stick, and a bowl of soy milk that seems to have been diluted with water.
She sat down obediently at the huge dining table, her little hands unconsciously pinching the bag of cookies. She felt like there was a little rabbit in her heart, full of anticipation, but trying hard to keep a straight face and not show it.
Before long, the woman brought out several plates like magic and placed them in a circle in front of Jiang Le.
"..." Jiang Le's mouth twitched slightly as she looked at the thing in front of her. She hesitantly stretched out her little finger and pointed at the pile of green grass. She swallowed hard and said in a voice full of disbelief and temptation: "Eat, eat this?"
There were vegetable salads, fancy-cut but tasteless-looking fruits, and a few overly exquisite side dishes. The only thing that made her feel a little appetizing was the piece of toast with a runny egg on it.
The woman's smile froze for a moment, and her fingers holding the tray tightened secretly. Her carefully prepared nutritious breakfast was actually questioned by this little girl. This was a huge humiliation to her professional ability!
Jiang Le clearly heard the woman's teeth grinding in her heart, and seeing the increasingly kind smile on her face, his desire to survive instantly exploded.
She immediately picked up a large forkful of salad and stuffed it into her mouth. She chewed it quickly with her cheeks puffed up, trying her best to smile brightly and mumbled praise: "It's...it's delicious! Hehe, it's delicious!"
"I'm glad you like it." Aunt He nodded with satisfaction and regained the composure of a professional nutritionist. "My last name is He, you can just call me Aunt He. If you want to eat something in the future, just tell me in advance." After that, she turned around and left the restaurant gracefully.
Watching Aunt He walk away, the smile on Jiang Le's face instantly collapsed, turning into an expression of deep bitterness and hatred. He continued to move his cheeks with a sad face and mechanically chewed the pile of healthy grass.
She actually missed the steamed buns and fried dough sticks in the welfare home, which were hearty and filling, rough but had a distinct taste.
For some reason, she thought of the thin woman again.
She herself found it strange.
Normally, after experiencing harsh food treatment, most people would crave more delicious food. But Jiang Le seemed to have the opposite effect: her desire for food was waning, and she ate less and less.
However, because he was very hungry, Jiang Le ate everything on the table in no time, drank the last sip of milk, and hastily finished his first breakfast here.
She was full, but she didn't know what to do. Like a kitten in unfamiliar territory, she wandered around the house, spacious enough for a horse to run around, and was finally drawn in by the rich fragrance of flowers wafting from the backyard. Pushing open the glass door, a meticulously tended garden came into view.
Jiang Le squatted beside the flowers bored, unconsciously touching the blooming flowers. While he was in a daze, he heard a very pleasant humming sound behind him.
Turning my head, I saw a woman in a dark blue velvet dress, gracefully watering flowers with a brass watering can. Her hair was meticulously tied in a bun, her skirt was perfectly ironed, and her every move exuded a calm and elegant demeanor.
If it weren't for the loose skin and faintly visible wrinkles on the back of her hands revealing her age, it would be hard to imagine her real age just by looking at her back.
As if noticing something, the woman stopped watering the flowers. Her eyes fell on Jiang Le, a perfectly placed smile appeared on her face, and she walked over calmly. "You must be the girl that Boss Jiang brought back yesterday, right? My name is Lin Qingyu, and I'm the housekeeper here."
Jiang Le stood up and gave a slightly awkward smile: "Hello, my name is Jiang Le."
The two of them greeted each other, but the air fell into a subtle silence.
Jiang Le squatted down again, and soon her feet began to go numb. The awkward silence made her feel a little at a loss. She casually pointed at the small white flower she had touched and asked casually, "What kind of flower is this?"
Lin Qingyu slowly put down the watering can, glanced sideways, and her smile deepened, with a subtle hint of meaning: "It's the hibiscus. All the other flowers in this garden are planted by me, but this hibiscus was planted by Boss Jiang himself."
The pale white petals soaked with dew lay gently between Jiang Le's fingers like a piece of silk gauze, and the tender yellow stamens contrasted with Jiang Le's amber pupils under the sunlight.
Lin Qingyu looked into her clear eyes, which seemed to be able to see into people's hearts, and she was distracted for a moment.
Jiang Le didn't know anything about flowers. Being looked at by Lin Qingyu like that, he managed a dry laugh, "Haha... they're really beautiful."
Noticing her embarrassment, Lin Qingyu quickly retracted her gaze, regaining her housekeeper's decorum, and pointed considerately to an exquisite white pavilion behind the flowers: "There are chairs over there, Miss, would you like to sit over there?"
Jiang Le, as if she had been pardoned, slipped into the pavilion almost as if escaping. After sitting down, she twisted her fingers nervously.
When Lin Qingyu was distracted just now, she clearly heard the two words in the other person's heart.
【It’s true.】
Like what, like whom?
This question was like a small thorn, piercing her heart. She was lost in thought when a cup of steaming tea was gently placed on the stone table in front of her. The elegant tea fragrance instantly pulled her thoughts back.
Jiang Le raised her head and looked at Lin Qingyu, who had been maintaining a decent smile, and asked a question that had been bothering her for a while, "Butler Lin, am I Boss Jiang's illegitimate daughter?" Her voice was not loud, with the straightforwardness of a child.
"..." Lin Qingyu stumbled and almost knocked over the delicate teacup in her hand, but she still answered with a smile, "Why do you ask that? Not to mention that Boss Jiang has never had a public partner, even at her age, she's more than old enough to be your grandmother."
Jiang Le wondered, "Since she had no partner, that's why they said she was an illegitimate daughter, or even an illegitimate granddaughter." And then, it made sense to dump her at the door of the orphanage. That was how it was played out on TV in the movies she'd watched from other people's windows.
After listening to Lin Qingyu's inner thoughts and what she just said, she was 80% certain.
What's the point of talking about fate or not? She thinks it's blood relationship. Just because she's young, she's being coaxed. Jiang Le secretly complained, and the drama of a wealthy family recognizing their relatives had already begun to play out in his little head.
Not bad, Jiang Le thought happily.
Lin Qingyu watched Jiang Le's face change unpredictably, finally settling on an expression of inexplicable joy, completely baffled. Was it really that funny that Boss Jiang could be her grandmother?
However, children's thoughts are always wild and unpredictable.
But she wouldn't allow anyone to be so comfortable and happy while she was working. Lin Qingyu gracefully put down her teacup and looked at Jiang Le intently. "Ms. Jiang Le, tomorrow is Monday and you have to register at your new school. You can't just sleep in like you did today. Tomorrow, I'll come and wake you up myself."
Jiang Le was stunned. She looked up at the sky in confusion. If she remembered correctly, it was only around seven o'clock after dinner. "Excuse me, what time does class start in the morning at this new school?"
Lin Qingyu raised her eyebrows slightly, whispering like a devil, "Boss Jiang said, 'Miss, you have excellent grades, so I specially transferred you to the best primary school in the city. They have a rigorous academic style and morning reading starts at 7:00 a.m. sharp.'"
She looked at Jiang Le's eyes, which widened instantly, and continued to add with satisfaction: "Also, the No. 1 primary school in the city is quite far from the manor. So, Miss, you must tomorrow morning -" She paused deliberately, "get up on time at six o'clock. I hope you can cooperate and don't lie in bed, otherwise..."
Looking at Jiang Le's dazed expression as if struck by a bolt from the blue, she finally stood up contentedly, hummed the cheerful song again, and left the pavilion gracefully.
【It’s still good to have a child at home to entertain you. 】
Jiang Le banged her head on the cold stone table with a thud, her face ashen. Her previous special school had strict rules, like a military barracks, but at least classes started at 8:30 a.m.!
Six o'clock! It's not even daylight yet!
On the other hand, after finishing the company's affairs, Jiang Congyue was worried about the "little troubles" at home, so she asked the driver to drive home immediately.
As soon as I entered the door, I saw Jiang Le lying listlessly on the sofa in the living room, like a little eggplant wilted by frost.
Jiang Congyue frowned slightly and glanced at Lin Qingyu with a questioning look, with silent reproach in his eyes.
She suppressed her emotions, walked over quickly, sat next to Jiang Le, took her hand, and asked softly, "What's wrong? My Lele, who made you unhappy? You look so depressed."
Jiang Le shook his head and said, "It's okay." Although he said it was okay, his face showed that he was very worried, as if the sky was about to fall.
Seeing her like this, Jiang Congyue's mouth curved up. This was a child asking for attention. She took off her hat and handed it to Lin Qingyue. She pulled Jiang Le up with both hands and said in a tone that was a bit mysterious and coaxing, "Come, let me show you what I brought back."
The two of them came to the front hall hand in hand. One of them came in carrying two boxes of medium size. Jiang Congyue gestured for her to open them.
Jiang Le climbed onto the stool, filled with doubt, and carefully unpacked the first box. He considered all the possibilities: new clothes, toys, books... these were all tricks often used by adoptive parents in the past.
But she never expected that inside the cardboard box was a brand new, gleaming sausage griller. She suddenly turned to look at Jiang Congyue.
When I opened the second box, I found all kinds of sausages, meatballs and fish balls neatly arranged inside.
How would she know?
Jiang Le stared at Jiang Congyue's smiling eyes with scrutiny. Was it another coincidence? How could there be so many perfect coincidences in this world?
"Do you like it? This is a toy I bought for you." Jiang Congyue seemed not to notice the doubt in her eyes, and started to operate the machine by himself. He put a few sausages on it with skillful movements, and the sizzling sound of oil and the tempting burnt aroma instantly spread.
The aroma immediately awakened her memory, the aroma of grilled sausage that she had been dreaming about but had never tasted. Jiang Le suddenly felt a huge hole in her heart and a tingling sensation.
"I heard Aunt He report this morning that you don't like vegetable salad. I figured, kids are probably all craving it." She put the grilled sausage on a plate and handed it to Jiang Le, adding, "But it's quite spicy, so just try it. Don't eat too much."
Jiang Le's inner alarm bells were ringing like crazy. This woman was too terrifying. She knew how to precisely poke her weak spots better than those players with systems and clear goals.
She seemed to be able to see into his deepest desires and unspoken regrets. In front of her, he was like an exhibit under the spotlight, with no secrets at all.
The familiar aroma filled her nostrils. She took a small bite and found it was indeed many times more delicious than she had imagined.
Jiang Congyue raised his hand and stroked her face. "Why are you crying while eating? Is it really that delicious?"
"It's hot!" Jiang Le jerked his head away from her hand like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, whispering back, a bit embarrassed and annoyed at being exposed. After a moment, he added even more quietly, "It's delicious, thank you."
Jiang Le bit her intestines and was horrified to find that Jiang Congyue understood her even better than those so-called conquerors. He could see through all her emotions and inner desires. She was displayed in front of Jiang Congyue like an exhibit, with nowhere to hide.
But she was horrified to discover that deep down in her heart, she had developed an inappropriate sense of dependence on this mysterious and dangerous woman.
Jiang Congyue ignored Jiang Le's occasional glances and picked up a few meatballs and put them into Jiang Le's bowl.
"Don't you want to eat?" Jiang Le pushed the bowl.
Jiang Congyue laughed softly, and the fine lines at the corners of his eyes smoothed out, as if he had become a little younger. "Aren't I just waiting for you to ask me?"
"Wait for me to ask you?" Jiang Le repeated in confusion, completely not understanding the logic.
Jiang Congyue lowered his head and looked at her. "This is a gift from me to you. It belongs to you. Since it belongs to you, of course you have to invite me."
belong.
These two words were like a bolt of lightning, splitting Jiang Le's chaotic thoughts. In her short life, "belonging" was an extremely luxurious and illusory concept.
Even in the orphanage, the worn-out items with her name on them could be snatched away or thrown away at any time. The things that truly belonged to her were pitifully few.
Jiang Le's mind was in a mess, and an almost paranoid impulse made her pull Jiang Congyue's hand down hard, jump off the stool, and pull her to the second floor.
Jiang Le rushed all the way back to her territory on the second floor and stopped at the bedroom door, panting.
She pointed at the huge and soft bed, her eyes shining brightly, and her voice was filled with an almost stubborn confirmation: "This! Is it mine?"
Jiang Congyue looked at her and nodded clearly without hesitation: "Yes, of course it belongs to you."
Jiang Le pulled her and pointed to the bathroom, "Does this belong to me?"
Jiang Congyue still nodded and replied, "Yes."
She pointed at the huge wardrobe: "Does this belong to me?"
"belong."
Pointing to the sun-drenched balcony, he asked, "Does this belong to me?"
"belong."
He even pointed to an inconspicuous decorative vase at the end of the corridor and said, "This one! Does it belong to me too?"
"Yes, it belongs to you."
Jiang Congyue answered each question with an unhesitating affirmative. Jiang Le seemed to be performing a sacred confirmation ritual. With each confirmation, the light in her eyes grew brighter, and the excitement in her heart grew stronger.
After pointing out every part of the second floor, Jiang Le stopped breathlessly, his amber eyes trembling with excitement fixed on Jiang Congyue's kind and tolerant face, and he held her hand tightly.
She raised her head and, with all her strength, asked the most important question that had been lingering in the deepest part of her heart: "What about you?"
Finally waited for this question.
Jiang Congyue's other pale but warm hand gently covered her soft hair, and the smile in his eyes spread like spring water, gentle and deep.
She leaned forward slightly, looking into Jiang Le's eyes. Her voice was as gentle as a feather brushing against the tip of Jiang Le's heart, yet with a firmness as solid as a rock, she spoke clearly into Jiang Le's ears: "I belong to you, guardian."
This declaration was like a stone thrown into the lake of his heart, causing a huge echo in Jiang Le's chest.
However, the warmth brought by this declaration had not yet completely enveloped her, and Jiang Congyue's next action was like a basin of ice water, pouring down on her unexpectedly.
Jiang Congyue casually picked up an ordinary white porcelain cup on the table. On the outside of the cup, two extremely clear words were written stroke by stroke with a black marker: Lele.
The handwriting is childish, yet reveals an unquestionable sense of possession.
Jiang Congyue's thumb lightly brushed over the two names with the same unquestionable gesture.
"Jiang Le," her voice was still gentle, but like a fine needle, it pierced Jiang Le's heart accurately, "You are doing the wrong thing."
She paused, and every word she said struck Jiang Le's suddenly tense heartstrings clearly: "No one would write their own name on a teacup in their own home."
The air seemed to freeze.
The color drained from Jiang Le's face instantly. She stared blankly at the cup, now as clean as new after the name was erased, and then suddenly looked up at Jiang Congyue.
The bright light that had just ignited in those amber eyes suddenly dimmed like a candle blown out by a strong wind.
She lowered her head in a hurry, leaving only helpless confusion and a sharp shame as if her disguise had been stripped off in public.
Why did she say she was wrong? It was obvious that no one else would care about this matter. Did Jiang Congyue dislike her...
——
Jiang Congyue:24
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