After Transmigrating, I Became The Heroine’s First Love! - Chapter 20

After finishing their meal, Qiao Yanxin paid the bill with the money Pei Xiangwan had given her. Pei Xiangwan supported the unsteady Jiang Shiyuan and said goodbye to Chen Zui and his mother.

“Goodbye, Auntie! Goodbye, Chen Zui! Let’s come again next time.”

“Goodbye!”

Qiao Yanxin caught up with Pei Xiangwan and asked, “Why did you give me the money to pay? I thought you were treating us.”

Pei Xiangwan tightened her hold on Jiang Shiyuan, who was nuzzling against her chest. “Because if Chen Zui charged you, he’d definitely overcharge you.”

Qiao Yanxin bared her teeth and shouted, “That sneaky Chen Zui!”

“No, I’m just joking,” Pei Xiangwan said. “It would have been awkward for me to pay. I just slipped the money next to Chen Zui’s mother.” The Little Fox chuckled in her arms, earning a light tap on the head from Pei Xiangwan.

“Ouch!”

Qiao Yanxin finally understood. “So you knew her mother wouldn’t recognize me, and you deliberately kept Chen Zui busy. You were also subtly asking Chen Zui how much everything cost, but he never gave you a straight answer. Weren’t you worried about paying too little or too much?”

Pei Xiangwan gazed up at the twinkling stars, her bangs fluttering in the breeze. “I knew I wouldn’t pay too little.”

“How?”

Pei Xiangwan didn’t answer, only saying, “It’s a secret.”

The Little Fox in her arms tilted her head, gazing up. Under the dim yellow streetlights, the person holding her seemed shrouded in a hazy glow, adding to her mystique. Noticing the Little Fox’s gaze, Pei Xiangwan said indulgently, “What are you looking at?”

Jiang Shiyuan smiled, her eyes like crescent moons suspended in the night sky, or perhaps like curved blades that ensnared souls. Such beautiful eyes, so wondrous and magical.

Lost in her gaze, Jiang Shiyuan reached out and pinched Pei Xiangwan’s cheeks, kneading and tugging them gently like playing with slime.

Pei Xiangwan let her play, saying, “Why are you pinching me? We should get in the car first and mess around later. It’s freezing out here; you’ll catch a cold if we stand here any longer, you tipsy Little Fox.”

Jiang Shiyuan obediently released her grip, pressing her slightly flushed cheek against Pei Xiangwan’s neck and giggling softly, “Am I really drunk?” But she wasn’t drunk; the drinks she’d had earlier were as light as water. So why was she pretending?

Because…

“Tsk, you’re definitely drunk,” Pei Xiangwan said, settling her into the car and fastening her seatbelt. Before she could turn away, Jiang Shiyuan’s icy hand gripped hers, her voice trembling with a hint of tears.

“Don’t leave, Wanwan.”

“I’m not leaving. I need to get in the car. Or does Jiang Jiang want me to stand outside all night?” Pei Xiangwan curled her fingers and gently flicked Jiang Shiyuan’s nose.

The tipsy Little Fox immediately released her hand, her eyes wide with concern. “Then Wanwan, hurry and get in! Or do you need a hug too? I can do that.”

“What do you mean, ‘you can do that’?” Pei Xiangwan pressed down on the hand reaching for the seatbelt. “Just stay put.” She closed the door.

Jiang Shiyuan was overjoyed when Pei Xiangwan got in the car. Pei Xiangwan couldn’t figure out what the Little Fox was giggling about. Outside, the streetlights trailed them like fireflies, impossible to shake off. Suddenly, Jiang Shiyuan poked Pei Xiangwan’s cheek.

“Hmm? What is it, Jiang Jiang?” Jiang Shiyuan cupped Pei Xiangwan’s face, their faces drawing closer. Pei Xiangwan could clearly see the fine down on Jiang Shiyuan’s cheeks, inwardly marveling at her beauty.

Jiang Shiyuan placed her index fingers on the corners of Pei Xiangwan’s lips, pulling them into a smile. “You have to smile. Smile at me, not just at others.” Her little mouth pouted again.

“I wouldn’t make the unreasonable demand that you only smile at me, but Wanwan, you should at least treat me the same as everyone else. I don’t need special treatment.”

Pei Xiangwan smiled. “Alright, I’ll smile for you, Jiang Jiang. You’re special.”

The car pulled up to the entrance. Yu Wei had wanted Pei Xiangwan to go home and rest early, but Jiang Shiyuan stubbornly refused to let go.

“Shi Bao, my Shi Bao, let Xiang Wan go home and rest. Let Mommy take you to your room, okay?” Yu Wei gently patted Jiang Shiyuan’s arm.

Jiang Shiyuan clung tightly to Pei Xiangwan, burying her face in the crook of her neck. Pei Xiangwan could feel the dampness against her skin.

“I don’t want to… I don’t want to,” Jiang Shiyuan mumbled, her voice muffled.

“It’s alright, Auntie. I’ll carry Jiang Jiang to her room,” Pei Xiangwan said with a smile. She scooped up the Little Fox, who was acting up after drinking, wondering if she’d regret this tomorrow.

Yu Wei watched their retreating figures until they disappeared from sight, then sighed softly. “What a cunning little thing. No wonder she’s my daughter. Her alcohol tolerance could down ten oxen, and she’s pretending to be drunk? Ha ha ha! Only Xiang Wan would fall for that. She’s still so easily fooled. What will she do in the future?”

“You need to change your clothes yourself, Jiang Jiang,” Pei Xiangwan said, looking down at the Little Fox who was sprawled on the bed, throwing a tantrum. The fox’s fur had turned red.

“But… I haven’t showered yet…”

“You don’t have to shower tonight. You can do it in the morning.”

Jiang Shiyuan spoke in such a soft voice that Pei Xiangwan had to lean in close to hear what the Little Fox was saying.

“But I haven’t washed my face or feet, and I haven’t put anything on my face either.”

Pei Xiangwan sighed helplessly. She felt like a zookeeper, scooping Jiang Shiyuan out of bed and carrying her to the bathroom. There, she washed her face, brushed her teeth, applied skincare lotion, and even helped wash her feet.

The Little Fox retracted her paw slightly, giggling, “It tickles a bit.”

Pei Xiangwan glanced up at Jiang Shiyuan before lowering her head again. “Almost done.”

A few strands of hair that had been tucked behind Jiang Shiyuan’s ear now escaped, stubbornly clinging to Pei Xiangwan’s cheek. Jiang Shiyuan lowered her gaze to the person before her, her eyes filled with such complex emotions that no one could possibly decipher her thoughts. She simply reached up and tucked the stray strands back behind her ear.

“Hair.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Pei Xiangwan carefully and meticulously wiped Jiang Shiyuan’s delicate, pale paw, treating her as if she were tending to a cherished pet fox, afraid of hurting her.

“Alright, now you really should sleep.”

Pei Xiangwan tucked the blanket around the Little Fox and turned to leave.

But…

“I need to read every night to fall asleep. Otherwise, I’ll have insomnia and nightmares. I don’t think I’ll have good dreams tonight.”

How could that be? Pei Xiangwan thought. Jiang Shiyuan never read before bed. Insomnia and nightmares were her daily routine, a cycle that had persisted for a year.

Jiang Shiyuan herself didn’t understand what she was trying to achieve. She didn’t understand herself either—or perhaps she was a madwoman with two personalities.

Initially, she had only wanted to test Pei Xiangwan’s limits of tolerance. But she never imagined she would end up getting caught in her own trap. Jiang Shiyuan wished she could stay drunk forever… How wonderful that would be.

Jiang Shiyuan’s nose remained red and pitiful. Her forced smile stirred a mix of emotions in Pei Xiangwan. Poor little fox, waaaah! I’m going to spoil her to death!

“Alright, I’ll read to you. What do you want to hear?” Pei Xiangwan turned to the bookshelf, its contents arranged neatly by author—one shelf per author, with some requiring two shelves. Miscellaneous books were scattered individually, nearly filling the entire shelf.

The notebook entry confirmed that Little Fox still loved reading. When finding her a wife, she must also love books, so they’d at least share a common interest.

Jiang Shiyuan perked up and pointed to the scattered books. “I want to hear Pinocchio.”

Pei Xiangwan paused, then nodded and walked to the bookshelf. She took down the book, which was worn but well-preserved, clearly having been read countless times.

These must be her favorite books, Pei Xiangwan thought.

Jiang Shiyuan patted the spot beside her, gesturing for Pei Xiangwan to sit there. As Pei Xiangwan settled into the designated spot and opened the book, Jiang Shiyuan suddenly tapped her nose and said, “Pinocchio’s nose grows when he lies.”

Pei Xiangwan’s confusion turned into a soft chuckle as she rubbed the fluffy head resting on her shoulder. “I know.”

“Do you think my nose would grow too?” Pei Xiangwan asked.

Jiang Shiyuan murmured into Pei Xiangwan’s ear, “I wish it were true, but it’s impossible. This isn’t a fairy tale world.”

The world they lived in was too dark. Human jealousy and malice were too terrifying to allow for fairy-tale endings.

Jiang Shiyuan’s breath tickled Pei Xiangwan’s ear, making her scratch it involuntarily. “If I keep this up, I’ll really become a weirdo,” she muttered. “I’m already a weirdo as it is.”

Jiang Shiyuan gazed at Pei Xiangwan’s profile, sculpted like an ice statue. Bathed in light, her skin glowed with a translucent whiteness, her features sharp and defined. She stared intently at the book, her eyelashes fluttering like tiny fans rhythmically fanning the air.

“You are quite strange,” Jiang Shiyuan remarked.

Pei Xiangwan chuckled. “Really? What do you find strange about me?”

Instead of answering directly, Jiang Shiyuan replied with a seemingly unrelated statement: “One should use their mind to judge the truth of things, not rely solely on their ears. Don’t you agree?”

Drunk people often spout nonsensical things, Pei Xiangwan thought. She had always believed that what one hears isn’t necessarily the truth.

“I agree,” Pei Xiangwan said. “We need to see with our own eyes, to understand. Hearing alone isn’t enough.”

Jiang Shiyuan shared this sentiment. But what if someone couldn’t hear or see?

Pei Xiangwan gently pinched Jiang Shiyuan’s cheek and began reading aloud from the book. Her voice, like a finely tuned instrument, played out the melody of the words. It was as soft as a breeze brushing against the skin, as soothing as a pure white feather sweeping across the body, effortlessly drawing one into a realm of gentle warmth.

Gradually, she heard Jiang Shiyuan’s even breathing. Asleep, she seemed even more docile. Pei Xiangwan gently brushed Jiang Shiyuan’s eyelashes with her finger.

“So good,” she murmured.

“Good night, Jiang Jiang.”

After an unknown amount of time had passed—the sounds of the door closing and footsteps fading away—Jiang Shiyuan, who had been sound asleep, opened her eyes. She sat up straight, turning her head to gaze at the pure white curtains pressed against the window, as if trying to see through them and glimpse everything about the person on the other side.

“Good?”

Pei Xiangwan was exhausted. After finally coaxing the Little Fox to sleep, she collapsed onto her own bed.

“Taking care of a drunk person is so tiring,” she groaned, lying face down for a while before finally getting up.

Dragging her weary body to the bathroom, Pei Xiangwan caught a glimpse of something on her neck in the mirror’s reflection. She backed up to examine it more closely and discovered several lipstick marks.

If the Little Fox acts like this when she’s drunk, it’s incredibly dangerous! There are so many bad people out there. I need to give her a serious lesson about protecting her precious fox fur!