Switch Mode

JJYWWT Chapter 4.2

Jiao Jiao, You Wouldn’t Want to be Forced into an Engagement Either, Right?

Chapter Four: Jiao Jiao, You Wouldn’t Want to be Forced into an Engagement Either, Right? (2/2)

 

“Next month?”

Wen Zhijiao could only repeat his words.

“Yes, but there’s nothing for you to worry about. I talked to your family earlier, and they think it’s fine. They didn’t raise any objections about the change of schedule.”

Jiang Yuancheng said these words calmly.

…Of course. What kind of family are you from? How can they possibly object to anything you say? They have no room to oppose you!

Wen Zhijiao thought numbly, her eyes seeming to sear from the heat. For a moment, she was at a loss for words. She could only slowly raise her hand and grasp his wrist. Jiang Yuancheng retracted his thumb, but he didn’t try to shake her hand off him, allowing her to hold on. Looking at her, he could see that her expression had turned indifferent, but her eyes were also slightly moist. 

After a brief silence, Jiang Yuancheng pulled her into his embrace. His voice was soft and gentle. “I’ve seen your engagement dress, and it’s very beautiful. I made sure to customize it in the style you like. Anyway, it will be ready soon. Will you wear it for me when it’s done? So many things went wrong last time. So many misunderstandings. We were just too young, so we didn’t know things any better. But now it’s different. Now I—”

He fell silent for a moment before deciding to switch back to the previous topic. “Anyway, just wait until the engagement party is settled. After that, you can go out again.”

“No…don’t talk anymore.”

Wen Zhijiao’s voice was a little intermittent, almost faltering at every breath, and it was also so faint that she could barely hear herself. In fact, the little thread of reason in her mind was on the verge of snapping apart, and she could almost recall the scene of blood soaking her body. Her nerves tensed, and a sourness rose in her throat. At this point on, her face had already grown pale, and she was feeling suffocated in her chest.

She couldn’t even go out. Despite residing in City A for a very long time, she was only able to leave the house a handful of times. Before she could still deceive herself into thinking that everything is fine, but what if they really got engaged? She knew that his plan was to get married abroad after their engagement banquet was announced to the world, and then follow it up with a grand wedding reception. Once they were married, it meant being tied together for decades—unless, of course, he suddenly cheated!

No, no, it can’t be!

She had to find a way. If she couldn’t escape this time, she would really be tied up by this madman forever! 

Wen Zhijiao’s breathing started to become more strained. As it increasingly became more difficult to breathe, she felt a spark of resistance slowly ignited and expanded within her chest. 

Jiang Yuancheng only held her tighter, his face pressed against her neck as he gently kissed her cheek.

Wen Zhijiao made no move.

It felt as though her soul was going to be sucked out of her body, but in the end, it didn’t. Instead, it continued to linger. A few minutes later, Jiang Yuancheng let go of her. He was saying something, but she couldn’t process any of it, none of his words being able to register in her mind.

After all, her mind was barely in the present and had started drifting to the stories she had read and watched—novels, dramas, movies—anything! It didn’t matter what. As long as it kept her from thinking about the present.

When the lecturer arrived, he noticed Jiang Yuancheng working nearby while Wen Zhijiao sat with her head lowered, staring at a textbook. Holding a cup of milk tea in his hand, the lecturer sent an awkward nod toward Jiang Yuancheng’s direction.  “Sorry, Mr. Jiang. There was a traffic jam along the way.”

“It’s fine.” 

Even though Jiang Yuancheng showed little expression on his face, the curiosity couldn’t be repressed, and he had fixed its gaze on the drink in the lecturer’s hand. “What’s that?”

The lecturer couldn’t help but feel even more embarrassed when caught on the spot. Placing the milk tea on the table, he let the beads of water slowly trickle down the cup. “Last time during class, Miss Wen happened to mention that she was craving some milk tea and asked if I could bring her one next time. If this isn’t allowed, I deeply apologize. Next time, I will make sure that this won’t happen again.”

He glanced at Wen Zhijiao. She was gripping a pen in her hand, her gaze downcast. She didn’t even dare speak or acknowledge him. Her lips were pressed into a tight line, making her delicate, almost fragile in appearance.

Jiang Yuancheng smiled lightly. While he was of mixed-race blood with deep facial features, his low-set eyebrows inevitably cast a shadow over his eyes, naturally giving him a gloomy and cold appearance. However, because he had that smile on his face, it made him look less intimidating than he usually was. “It’s okay. It’s just that she has a cold right now. Lately, she hasn’t been in good health, so I think it’s better for her to avoid cold drinks in the meantime.”

The lecturer immediately understood his concerns and heeded. “Alright. I will be taking this back later.”

He then began the lecture. Perhaps it was because of Jiang Yuancheng’s presence, but Wen Zhijiao was not as active as she usually was in class. If this were in the past, she would be constantly interrupting him during class, throwing him random questions. But instead of her usual antics, she was as still as a log, though it didn’t seem like she was also paying attention to his lessons. Once class was over, he gathered his materials and left. But even though he was already preparing himself to leave, for some reason, he still found himself wishing Jiang Yuancheng hadn’t been there. Somehow, he preferred hearing Wen Zhijiao’s endless questions and seeing her little movements compared to facing this unnerving silence.

The heavy door finally closed.

Jiang Yuancheng asked, “How many lessons was he able to teach you?”

It had already been hours, but Wen Zhijiao still remained silent. Jiang Yuancheng reached out and gently stroked her hair. “I’ll ask the school to send a different lecturer next time. He doesn’t seem very focused when teaching you.”

Seeing her silence, Jiang Yuancheng felt a bitter taste in his mouth, a burning sensation seeming to ignite in his chest. After a few seconds, he spoke again, “I had the servants clean your raincoat and boots yesterday.”

Wen Zhijiao stared at the fluffy white pom-pom dangling from the top of her ballpoint pen. It was as if she were trying to count exactly how many strands of fur there were.

But Jiang Yuancheng was running out of patience, and he had finally decided to grab her by the shoulders, almost forcing her to turn her face toward him. The next moment, he grasped her jaw tightly, his breathing slowly becoming unsteady. “You… Talk to me.”

Wen Zhijiao lowered her eyelashes. Somehow, she could almost hear the rhythm of her own heartbeat in her ears at this very moment while her forehead started to feel hot.

She opened her mouth to speak. “Yuancheng, have you… ever tried to consult someone in choosing an auspicious date?”

Jiang Yuancheng frowned. “What?”

“You were only able to return to China after high school.” Wen Zhijiao looked at him with gentle eyes before reaching out for his wrist again and holding it. “Although you might have lived here for many years, there are still some things that you weren’t able to grasp. In China, whether it is engagement or marriage, you still have to find a master to pick an auspicious date for you.”

She tilted her face up, allowing Jiang Yuancheng to completely look down at her. Her voice grew softer. “Last time, we didn’t consult a master and just picked a random date. Don’t you think that it’s too much of a coincidence that something bad actually happened?”

Jiang Yuancheng looked at her for a few seconds, the grip on her chin slowly loosening.

Wen Zhijiao easily pulled his hand away from her chin but didn’t completely let go. Instead, she lowered her head and lightly kissed his fingers. In the next moment, she could almost hear Jiang Yuancheng’s breath quicken. She looked up at him again, with sadness in her eyes.

“This time, I just want everything to go well. That’s why I’m worried we might end up choosing another bad day again.”

She stood up and pressed her forehead against Jiang Yuancheng’s. “I know you still care about those things, but they are no longer important. What matters is our future. Anyway, the reason why I suddenly wanted to go out today was because after seeing you last night, I felt like I owed you an apology.”

Jiang Yuancheng’s eyelashes trembled as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

Wen Zhijiao continued, “When I went to the party yesterday, I saw how much my old classmates have changed. It made me realize just how the past is truly behind all of us. As for today, I thought it would be a good day to reflect and seek blessings, so I considered going to Tingfei Temple to pray for good luck for our future. Besides, despite living in City A for years, I’ve never been there. I want to use this opportunity to explore new places.

Before Jiang Yuancheng could even respond, Wen Zhijiao kissed him on the cheek, making him forget whatever he was about to say

“It didn’t really matter to me when you booked the engagement banquet ahead of time, changed my lecturer, or insisted I stay indoors until our engagement. Honestly, I wouldn’t even mind if you decided to throw my raincoat and boots away… I’m not upset, and I never will be. I know you’re just overly concerned about my well-being.

Her tone was a mix of helplessness and something that almost resembled affection. Jiang Yuancheng instantly pulled her closer, his eyes filled with anticipation as he gazed at her. She continued to smile, though a hint of melancholy lingered in her eyes. Her fingers gently played with his hair, just like how she would always use to do it… so many years ago. Even though he was immersed in the moment, he was still mindful of her comfort, subtly lifting his head so that she wouldn’t strain herself by bending her neck for too long.

Wen Zhijiao’s voice was soft and soothing. “Yuancheng, if you’re still worried, why don’t you come with me?”

Jiang Yuancheng hesitated. “…Does it have to be today?”

“Today is a good day for making offerings,” she said, her tone filled with confusion. “Are you free this afternoon?”

“I have a meeting, a very important one.” Jiang Yuanchen paused, thinking deeply, before continuing to speak again. “If you really want to, I can make some time in a few days to accompany you there.”

Wen Zhijiao cradled his head in her arms, her lips softly brushing the corner of his eyes. Her voice was incredibly soft that it could even barely be considered a whisper. “Then I’ll go today, and when you’re finally free, we can pick another good day to go together. Alright?”

Jiang Yuancheng lowered his eyes, but he didn’t say anything.

After a long time, he finally broke the silence. “Have the bodyguard accompany you. Just don’t forget to take your medicine before going out, and dress warmly.”

Wen Zhijiao let out a sigh of relief, feeling the tension in her body gradually ease. She lowered her head and pressed another gentle kiss to Jiang Yuancheng’s brow.

So tired, so tired. It’s really tiring to deal with someone that’s a psychopath. But it doesn’t matter, as long as she can escape from here, she’ll find a way to bribe those so-called masters or have someone pretend to be one. The engagement must be postponed no matter what! 

Otherwise, she only had three weeks before the next month finally set in!

She had to find a way!

She was now getting frustrated. When would this awful day finally be over?!

 


If you like our translation for this novel and want us to release more chapters frequently, feel free to support us on either our ko-fi and paypal ❤️

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

PAYPAL

 


 

Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Ads Blocker Image Powered by Code Help Pro

Ads Blocker Detected!!!

We have detected that you are using extensions to block ads. Please support us by disabling these ads blocker.

Powered By
100% Free SEO Tools - Tool Kits PRO

Options

not work with dark mode
Reset