After Transmigrating, I Became The Heroine’s First Love! - Chapter 29

Jiang Shiyuan gripped her chopsticks tightly, as if they were a lifeline. More than ballet, she longed to help her family, whose livelihood depended on their restaurant.

As a child, she had watched her grandmother create all sorts of intricate noodle dishes. The woman could shape dough into tiny rabbits and carve carrots into flowers and animals—a magical sight that captivated young Shiyuan. She often tried to learn from her grandmother.

But when she turned five, Yu Wei enrolled her in ballet classes. Shiyuan hated the leg stretches and flexibility exercises.

She hated the tears and sweat, which never moved Yu Wei. Her mother only wanted her to win the awards she herself had never achieved.

Eventually, her grandmother fell ill… and no one cared about Shiyuan’s feelings or thoughts anymore.

Pei Xiangwan’s bowl was piled high with food, threatening to spill over. She whispered to her adoptive parents, “That’s enough, that’s enough! It’s going to overflow!”

Her adoptive father, Pei Jichuan, continued to heap food onto her plate with a stern expression, which she found rather amusing.

While their side of the table was filled with warmth and laughter, the atmosphere was quite different on the other side.

“Oh, Jiang Jiang is still so young—a year younger than our Tiantian. It’s perfectly normal. She’ll mature in time, Wei,” Ji Tiantian’s mother, Wang Wenli, remarked, her tone carrying an undercurrent of condescension.

Yu Wei’s face was etched with worry. “Jiang Jiang is so talented. Maybe that’s why she always thinks she can make her own decisions.”

Ji Tiantian chimed in with her high-pitched voice, “Aunt Yu, Jiang Jiang is so smart! You don’t need to worry at all. Besides, so many rich and powerful people are after her. I even heard the Ning family’s only daughter is pursuing her, right, Jiang Jiang?”

She turned to Jiang Shiyuan. “Isn’t that right, Jiang Jiang?”

Jiang Shiyuan’s lips parted slightly, but before she could speak, Pei Xiangwan interjected.

“Auntie, Auntie, Jiang Jiang is really amazing! So many people look up to her. I think you should trust her judgment. Like Ji Tiantian said, let her make her own decisions. You can only learn from trying, right?”

Jiang Shiyuan’s eyes shone like the full moon hanging high in the night sky as she gazed at Pei Xiangwan’s profile. Her smile was so warm and comforting, as if Pei Xiangwan were praising her for something extraordinary.

Her heart fluttered.

This made Ji Tiantian deeply uncomfortable. Her smile faltered, and Lin Muyao, who had been silent for a while, spoke softly.

“A Wei, the children are grown now. We need to let them try things for themselves so they can learn and grow. You worry too much. Let’s eat, let’s eat. Shi Bao, have some of this.” With that, she used serving chopsticks to place food on Jiang Shiyuan’s plate.

“Thank you, Aunt Yu.”

The unpleasant moment passed.

Jiang Shiyuan wandered alone into the garden. Pale orange cosmos brushed against her fingers, their blossoms swaying beneath the slightly yellowish moonlight.

Quietly, as if all sorrow and sadness had slipped away, the wind carried the scent of flowers, gently caressing Jiang Shiyuan’s face.

“Jiang Jiang, so you’re here.”

Pei Xiangwan had gone home to retrieve her camera. After capturing the supermoon, she switched to her Polaroid camera, wanting to take a photo of Jiang Shiyuan.

The thought had arisen strangely, even she couldn’t explain why she felt compelled to do so.

“Mm-hmm.”

Jiang Shiyuan’s heart began to race uncontrollably again. Perhaps it was the moon, so round and large tonight, or perhaps it was Pei Xiangwan’s dazzling white shirt, always so bright and radiant.

Surrounded by flowers, Jiang Shiyuan looked breathtakingly beautiful. Under the moonlight, she seemed less like a goddess and more like a flower spirit who dared to appear only in the quiet depths of night. She would dance with the blossoms, sing with the melodious insects, and celebrate autumn in harmony.

Pei Xiangwan couldn’t resist pressing the shutter. The white Polaroid camera slowly ejected the film. She shook the print, and as expected, it truly captured a flower spirit. A smile tugged at the corners of Pei Xiangwan’s lips.

“Can I see?”

The voice startled Pei Xiangwan out of her reverie. “Of course.”

She walked over and sat on the long wooden bench, their shoulders now touching.

Jiang Shiyuan took the photo from her hand, studying it intently. She had never considered herself particularly beautiful, but this image revealed a different side of herself.

“They say a photographer captures what they desire, what they envision. So, is this how you see me, Pei Xiangwan?”

The cosmos flowers, usually swaying wildly, stilled as if listening for her answer.

Pei Xiangwan replied without hesitation, “Yes.”

They were already at zero distance, but now it felt like negative zero as Pei Xiangwan leaned closer, her forehead gently brushing against Jiang Shiyuan’s temple.

Jiang Shiyuan froze, barely daring to breathe, afraid even the slightest sound might break the spell and cause Pei Xiangwan to pull away.

“Look, Jiang Jiang,” Pei Xiangwan said, taking Jiang Shiyuan’s hand that held the photo. “Doesn’t she look like an elf? A flower elf! You’re truly beautiful.” She was the most stunning subject Pei Xiangwan had ever photographed.

In her previous world, she had photographed countless people, each more glamorous than the last.

But someone like Jiang Shiyuan was rare. Her features and figure were flawless, making her truly exceptional.

Jiang Shiyuan’s cheeks burned, not from Pei Xiangwan’s praise, but from the warm breath that occasionally brushed her face. Though it was only warm, it still flushed her cheeks crimson.

“Let me take a few more photos,” Pei Xiangwan suggested, stepping back. “Just one profile shot isn’t enough.”

The sudden distance left Jiang Shiyuan feeling empty and slightly disappointed. She wanted to hold onto the moment, even for just another second.

Perhaps it was the full moon, but Jiang Shiyuan’s complexion appeared exceptionally pale, as white as a Dehua porcelain figurine. Her beautiful, dewy eyes gave her a delicate, vulnerable air, stirring protective instincts in anyone who saw her.

Pei Xiangwan was no exception. The original story made no mention of Ji Tiantian, and she wouldn’t let someone who merely resembled her best friend cloud her judgment. She wasn’t a fool; she could clearly sense Ji Tiantian’s hostility toward Jiang Shiyuan and her talent for putting on a false face.

I wonder what history she shares with that hot-tempered maniac, Pei Xiangwan mused.

“You haven’t taken my picture in so long,” Jiang Shiyuan said, tilting her head to look at Pei Xiangwan. Her smile was faint, but her eyes held an unreadable sorrow.

Pei Xiangwan gently pinched Jiang Shiyuan’s cheek. “I’ll take some now. I have sixteen sheets of film left—let’s use them all on you, okay?” Her deep, intoxicating voice, like strong liquor, carried a soft, coaxing tone.

The smog was instantly swept away. Jiang Shiyuan nodded in agreement. “Okay, Wanwan. How do you want to take the photos?”

“First, stand like this, right here. Yes, exactly like that.”

The garden was no longer silent, now filled with the chirping of crickets and the sound of laughter.