After Teasing the Villain and Running Away - Chapter 10

The Jiang family had climbed their way into the city’s elite circle from humble beginnings. Unlike many old-money aristocratic families rooted in the city for generations, they had painstakingly built their current prominence step by step. In recent years, their development had far surpassed their past achievements, making them the undisputed center of attention.

But their rapid rise, coupled with their “nouveau riche” label, naturally drew considerable attention—or rather, envy. While no one dared to openly oppose them (after all, many still relied on the Jiangs for business collaborations), behind their backs, people often sneered at the family as “upstarts.”

Jiang Ruosheng couldn’t care less about such remarks. Who wouldn’t want to be such an “upstart”? If she had suddenly struck it rich overnight, she’d happily plaster the term on her forehead if she could.

At least she wouldn’t have to risk her life slogging through the gauntlet of college entrance exams—instead, she could embrace a “happy education” philosophy and just enjoy life.

But as the car approached the Jiang estate, the sight of that gaudy, gold-glittering mansion in the distance made Jiang Ruosheng deeply understand what “nouveau riche taste” truly meant.

By the time she returned home in the afternoon, her eyes—and soul—had already endured a thorough baptism.

And now, she could only sigh at her own naivety. A pristine, palatial white villa was nothing compared to the real spectacle: a structure that bathed the night sky in golden light, turning darkness into daylight.

The black Cayenne slowly passed through the gates, revealing the small white palace before them. The villa was encircled by dazzling spotlights, shining upward onto sturdy stone pillars.

The protruding brick walls were also studded with lights—smaller than the ground-level ones but impressive in their reach.

Every beam of light remained fixed on the villa, and thanks to the masterful lighting angles, the entire structure was draped in a solemn, majestic, and almost divine glow.

To an uninformed passerby, it was the kind of sight that would make them want to stop and worship.

Shocking! A white temple suddenly appears in the city’s upscale residential area, ablaze with light, radiating brilliance—initial suspicions point to divine intervention…

That was the level of absurdity they were dealing with.

“Uncle Chen, these lights outside the villa… they’re not going to stay on all night, are they?” Jiang Ruosheng asked awkwardly from the back seat.

Uncle Chen: “Of course not. They’ll be turned off at midnight.”

His tone almost sounded regretful??

Jiang Ruosheng: “Tomorrow, could you talk to Aunt Jiang about removing all these lights?”

Uncle Chen was puzzled. “When the master installed these, didn’t you approve? You said it looked grand and all.”

Jiang Ruosheng: “Well… tastes change. Back then, I thought it was impressive. Now, it’s just blinding. Let’s just take them all down. Besides, energy conservation is everyone’s responsibility.”

Uncle Chen: “Understood, miss. I’ll inform the housekeeper.”

The car continued forward. In front of the villa was a sprawling green lawn, bisected by a red carpet.

The neatly trimmed grass was adorned with an array of carved stone statues—figures from ancient and modern times, East and West, animals from land, sea, and air, all exquisitely crafted.

It was just their placement that was… unusual. According to Jiang’s mother, they were arranged according to some kind of mystical formation.

Jiang Ruosheng could only stare blankly, utterly unable to process this.

Finally arriving at the entrance, stepping onto the red carpet gave her the surreal sensation of walking a celebrity red carpet.

Sweating with secondhand embarrassment, Jiang Ruosheng couldn’t help but glance at Ruan Xin, who had just stepped out of the car on the other side. Under the glow of the lights, her delicate, beautiful features seemed to shimmer, her smooth black hair caressed by the night breeze, adding a touch of alluring charm to her demeanor.

She stared blankly into the other’s sparkling eyes—a brilliance she had never seen in those eyes before.

Then, Jiang Ruosheng watched as Ruan Xin immediately raised her hand, placing her palm horizontally above her eyebrows to shield her eyes from the light.

Clearly, this was a scene she was all too familiar with.

The two bedrooms they occupied at the Jiang residence were directly across from each other on the third floor. Walking back to their rooms with practiced ease, Ruan Xin didn’t even bother to thank Jiang Ruosheng before shutting the door behind her.

Jiang Ruosheng stepped forward, knocked twice, muttered a “good night,” and retreated into her own room.

After a chaotic day, Jiang Ruosheng pressed her fingers to her temples, her mind suddenly drained of energy like a power outage. After a quick shower, she burrowed under the covers.

Fragmented thoughts collided and drifted in her mind. She had no idea how much time had passed when she was abruptly startled awake by violent knocking.

Bolting upright, she swung open the door with a frosty expression.

Standing outside was Ruan Xin, clad in a strawberry-print nightgown.

Reason told her she shouldn’t be scowling like some demon, but Jiang Ruosheng, still groggy from sleep, couldn’t muster the energy to fake a smile—her face remained as stiff as a coffin lid.

“What do you want?”

Ruan Xin frowned at Jiang Ruosheng, whose expression was so cold it could freeze icicles. Anger surged in her chest.

That infuriating look—anyone would think I owe you something.

“Keep pretending, go ahead,” Ruan Xin said, her voice darkening. Even her usual facade of indifference had slipped, replaced by a stormy expression. “Didn’t you pour water all over my bed?!”

At this, Jiang Ruosheng blinked, confusion flickering in her eyes.

Pour water on Ruan Xin’s bed? She had no memory of that.

The slightly bewildered look on Jiang Ruosheng’s typically aloof face was oddly endearing.

“I really didn’t. Why would I pour water on your bed?” The original Jiang Ruosheng had two principles when bullying Ruan Xin: first, never do it at the Jiang residence, and second, limit it to once a day.

The first was to avoid scolding from her parents, the second to prevent Ruan Xin from being pushed to the point of reporting her.

But even if she didn’t bully Ruan Xin, plenty of others in the Jiang household still had it out for her.

Born into poverty, Ruan Xin had somehow become the Jiang family’s adopted daughter—an unbelievable stroke of luck in others’ eyes. Yet she wasn’t a true Jiang heiress, merely living under their roof, making her an easy target.

Ruan Xin couldn’t run to Madam Jiang for every little grievance, so she endured in silence.

And if “Jiang Ruosheng” ever caught wind of it, she’d happily add insult to injury.

…A textbook example of a villainess.

Jiang Ruosheng pushed past her and strode toward the opposite room, only to be blocked by Ruan Xin before she could step inside. “You’re not allowed in my room.”

Jiang Ruosheng shot her a sidelong glance. “If you’re saying I already poured water on your bed, that means I’ve been in your room before. What’s the difference if I go in again?”

With that, she barged in like a troublemaker.

Ruan Xin’s bedroom layout was similar to Jiang Ruosheng’s, just slightly smaller. Ruan Xin disliked others entering her space and always kept it meticulously tidy—spotless and orderly.

But now, the room was in complete disarray. Books had been flung from the shelves, pens, cups, and tissues scattered everywhere.

The walk-in closet entrance was piled high with clothes—all gifts from Madam Jiang that Ruan Xin had neatly folded away, never worn.

Jiang Ruosheng walked to the large bed in the center of the bedroom. The covers had been thrown back, revealing a large damp patch on the sheets beneath.

Pressing down, the soft mattress still squeezed out droplets of water from the pressure—completely unfit for sleeping.

“Tonight, you’ll sleep with me.”

Ruan Xin, who had been crouched on the floor tidying up, abruptly raised her head at these words. “What did you say?”

She wondered if she had suddenly hallucinated.

Jiang Ruosheng repeated herself, then added, “Aren’t we both female… alphas anyway? It’s so late, everyone else is already asleep. You can stay in my room tonight, and tomorrow I’ll have Aunt Jiang look into this properly.”

As Jiang Ruosheng stepped forward, her foot suddenly brushed against something. She glanced down and picked up a toppled vase. There was no water inside, just a few withered dried flowers—grayish-brown and pale pink, clearly having been there for a long time.

She gathered every single fallen dried flower and placed them back into the vase before returning it to the bedside table.

When Jiang Ruosheng turned back, she was met with Ruan Xin’s shifting, complicated gaze.

Ruan Xin: “No need. I’ll sleep on the floor.”

Jiang Ruosheng sighed. “Why insist on the floor when there’s a bed? You know your own body—the nights are cold. You’ll catch a chill.”

Ruan Xin stood up, visibly tense. “I’m not afraid of the cold. I’m afraid of heat.”

Jiang Ruosheng: “…Your blanket is soaked. How are you going to cover yourself?”

Ruan Xin remained stubborn. “Only one side is wet. I can flip it over.”

The air hung still for a moment.

Jiang Ruosheng studied Ruan Xin’s unease, wondering if this might be Ruan Xin’s first time sharing a bed with someone.

Not used to it… so she feels insecure?

Jiang Ruosheng stepped forward reassuringly. “It’s fine, I don’t move much in my sleep. You don’t have to—”

Unexpectedly, Ruan Xin instinctively took several steps back and snapped coldly, “Take one more step, and I’ll… I’ll hit you!”

Jiang Ruosheng: …Huh???