After Transmigrating, I Became The Heroine’s First Love! - Chapter 39

The silence here was bone-chilling. Pei Xiangwan was furious with Jiang Shiyuan’s attitude and behavior. No matter what she said, Jiang Shiyuan refused to listen and had even gone to that cockroach Lin Su’s house.

Pei Xiangwan released her grip and strode ahead, clearly enraged.

Jiang Shiyuan paused briefly, a faint smile curving her lips. Silly dog, she’s angry now.

She hurried to catch up with Pei Xiangwan. “Wanwan, why didn’t you wait for me?”

A withered leaf tumbled across the ground and came to rest beside Pei Xiangwan’s shoe, prompting her to stop.

“Haven’t I told you countless times to stay away from Lin Su? Why won’t you listen? And now you’ve even gone to her house! Do you realize how dangerous that was, Jiang Shiyuan?”

Pei Xiangwan gripped Jiang Shiyuan’s shoulders, lowering her head slightly to meet her gaze. Those eyes seemed to have lost their usual magic, no longer able to draw Pei Xiangwan into their bottomless vortex.

“What if I hadn’t arrived in time? Or what if I hadn’t seen your message? What would have happened then? Tell me.”

Jiang Shiyuan’s eyes were like those of a little rabbit hopping through the forest—lively, innocent, and oblivious to the darkness in human hearts.

“I knew Wanwan would come,” Jiang Shiyuan said, grasping the hands that were still tightly gripping her shoulders.

“I trust Wanwan, but please don’t abandon me again this time.” Her beautiful eyes glistened like rain-soaked petals, and her nose turned bright red.

The tear that slid down her cheek extinguished all of Pei Xiangwan’s anger, replacing it with guilt.

Little Fox is so innocent and naive. I shouldn’t have spoken to her like that, especially since I was gripping her so tightly.

Pei Xiangwan gradually loosened her grip, her voice softening. “I understand. Let’s go home.”

Jiang Shiyuan’s reddened nose resembled a vibrant Cartier rose, its pointed petals stubbornly clinging to a lingering dewdrop.

Pei Xiangwan felt a pang of tenderness and gently brushed away the tear with a curved finger.

“Come on, Jiang Jiang. Let’s go.”

Jiang Shiyuan grabbed Pei Xiangwan’s hand, her voice trembling with emotion. “You… you haven’t answered me yet.”

The candy now tasted unbearably bitter, so bitter that Pei Xiangwan couldn’t even open her mouth.

A promise, once given, must be kept. She wasn’t Jiang Shiyuan’s destined partner, and she herself didn’t know how long she could stay here.

But the thought of Jiang Shiyuan being with someone else, doing all those things, filled her with an indescribable ache.

This feeling was so strange. Or perhaps, from the moment she arrived here, everything had been strange. The moment she met Jiang Shiyuan, her heart had begun to act strangely, inexplicably racing for a paper-thin character she had never met in real life.

Jiang Shiyuan stared intently at the person before her, amber eyes surrounded by crimson threads. Madness gnawed at her sanity, bit by bit. Her hands felt detached, unable to grip tightly, slowly… slowly…

“This isn’t a difficult question, yet you keep avoiding it,” she sighed, her breath misting in the cold air.

“Never mind.”

Jiang Shiyuan felt a bone-deep chill, as if she were trapped in a world of ice and snow, her heart frozen solid.

Autumn was quietly packing its bags, taking away the golden hues of the land, while winter hurried on its way.

She hated winter, not just because of the bitter cold, but because she feared its arrival would mean losing the warmth of her hearth.

Pei Xiangwan stood rooted to the spot, Jiang Shiyuan’s retreating figure resembling a wounded white fox, walking alone and helpless.

The crunching of fallen leaves underfoot echoed like the faint paw prints of a white fox in the snow, each step shattering the brittle leaves into fragments that scattered across the ground.

Pei Xiangwan followed the white fox’s paw prints, her pace quickening. She suddenly wrapped her arms around Jiang Shiyuan from behind.

“I didn’t mean anything by it,” Pei Xiangwan murmured, pressing her cheek against Jiang Shiyuan’s. The woman in her arms trembled, punctuated by soft sniffles.

Jiang Shiyuan’s cheek was damp with tears, eroding the walls around Pei Xiangwan’s hardened heart. This softened her resolve, making her heart ache.

“I’ll stay with you. I won’t abandon you again, Jiang Jiang.”

After a moment, Jiang Shiyuan gently pried Pei Xiangwan’s hands from her waist. She turned to face the woman, her gaze drawn to Pei Xiangwan’s face, now so close. Her hand moved involuntarily, stroking Pei Xiangwan’s cheek.

“Promise you won’t run away again, okay? I’ll overthink everything, and when I ask you, you won’t tell me why. It hurts, really.”

Am I too fragile? Jiang Shiyuan wondered. Whenever Pei Xiangwan was involved, her vulnerable side surfaced.

Sniffling, Jiang Shiyuan continued, “I know everyone has secrets. I understand that. But can you please not keep everything to yourself, Wanwan? Sometimes I feel like you’re a person made of secrets, every part of you shrouded in mystery.”

Pei Xiangwan smiled, wiping away the tears from the face of this easily appeased little white fox. Now, not only was the tip of the fox’s nose red, but her eyes and cheeks were flushed as well, as if she had applied blush.

“Alright, I promise you everything.”

Jiang Shiyuan extended her pinky finger toward Pei Xiangwan, her round dimples resembling tiny whirlpools that endlessly drew Pei Xiangwan in.

“Pinky promise?”

“Okay.”

Pei Xiangwan chuckled indulgently. “Can we go now?”

Jiang Shiyuan shook her head. “No, Wanwan, bend down.” She waved her hand frantically, urging Pei Xiangwan to hurry.

Though reluctant, Pei Xiangwan complied. She lowered herself until she was eye-level with Jiang Shiyuan’s sparkling eyes. “Is this good?”

The sudden closeness startled Jiang Shiyuan. One moment she was delighted, the next she was displeased. She adored Pei Xiangwan’s eyes, finding them strikingly similar to her favorite black gemstone—both dark, lustrous, and dazzlingly bright.

Yet these round, expressive eyes were too indiscriminate. Unlike the black gemstone, which belonged solely to her and recognized only her as its master, these eyes seemed to belong to everyone.

“Hey? Jiang Jiang, what are you spacing out for? I can’t hold this pose much longer. It’s getting tiring.”

Jiang Shiyuan snapped out of her reverie and wrapped her arms around Pei Xiangwan’s neck, leaving Pei Xiangwan utterly bewildered but nonetheless allowing it to happen.

The tickling sensation on her neck made Pei Xiangwan deeply uncomfortable.

Yet she couldn’t bring herself to push away the little white fox nuzzling her neck. If she did, it might start whimpering. She thought tilting her head back slightly would create a bit of distance.

She was wrong. The Little Fox only rubbed against her more enthusiastically, suddenly adding an icy chill to the tickling.

“Jiang Jiang! You were wiping your tears on me all along!” This fox was too mischievous. This time, Pei Xiangwan pushed the Little Fox away.

Jiang Shiyuan pouted unhappily, still trying to cling to Pei Xiangwan, who firmly stopped her.

“No! We’re going home now.”

“Hmph.”