Online Romance with an Iceberg Professor Backfired - Chapter 31.1

Chapter 31.1: Exploration

Seeing the guilty expression on Ji Pei’s face, the tight string in Jiang Xianhan’s mind suddenly snapped.

“Did she invite you, or did…”

Ji Pei took a deep breath, biting the joint of her finger, and slowly nodded.

“She said she couldn’t reach her back and asked me to help her scrub it…”

Xie Zhen had been very kind to her, attentive to every detail, helping her get food, saving seats, fetching hot water, and even skipping class to take care of her in the dorm for a whole day when she was sick. She simply couldn’t refuse Xie Zhen’s request, so she agreed. However, every time, Xie Zhen would somehow wet her clothes and then invite her to shower together. Ji Pei, with her soft heart, agreed, but her body was sensitive, and the slightest touch from others made her feel ticklish, so she never dared to let Xie Zhen touch her.

Jiang Xianhan opened her mouth, touching Ji Pei’s nose bridge with her fingertips, her throat constricted, unable to breathe. She knew she shouldn’t be so angry, and she understood that Ji Pei was the true victim, but the question that tumbled out was, “Did she ever touch you?”

Ji Pei quickly shook her head. “No! I wasn’t that stupid…” She observed Jiang Xianhan’s heaving chest and knew the other woman was definitely angry. She leaned in to kiss the corner of Jiang Xianhan’s mouth, gently licking it with her tongue.

“Jiang Xianhan, nothing ever happened between us.” Ji Pei kissed her again and again, hugging Jiang Xianhan and rubbing her head against her, affectionately rubbing her high nose bridge. “I started to gradually distance myself from her when I realized something wasn’t quite right.”

Jiang Xianhan’s hand was still trembling slightly. She took a deep breath, trying hard to calm herself down, but Ji Pei’s rubbing sent her mind into chaos. Ji Pei was only seventeen or eighteen years old when she was in college. She was so young and not psychologically mature. What could she possibly understand about these things?

Xie Zhen had been calculating since she was a child. Jiang Xianhan wasn’t blind to it. She was articulate and handled things with ease. However, Jiang Xianhan couldn’t bring herself to like her. She was intelligent, but her intelligence was used in the wrong way. Being too clever would be counterproductive.

Jiang Xianhan felt a surge of fear, followed by a wave of relief. If Xie Zhen hadn’t been so eager and exposed herself, allowing Ji Pei to catch her in the act, perhaps it would have been her so-called obedient and well-behaved niece who was with Ji Pei now.

Ji Pei was soft-hearted, had never experienced much hardship since childhood, and was kind-hearted and overly sensitive. This was a good thing. However, this kind of personality, once exploited by someone with an agenda, would lead to precise manipulation and a crisis of self-doubt.

Human nature is nothing more than two types: good and evil. Jiang Xianhan didn’t believe in the theory of innate human goodness.

Ji Pei was still rubbing her softly. “Jiang Xianhan, I’ll listen to you from now on. Please don’t be angry, okay?”

“I… I’m sorry.”

Jiang Xianhan stroked Ji Pei’s cheek. She wasn’t sure what exactly she was angry about. When she had a weakness, the things she needed to consider increased.

“Why are you apologizing to me?”

Ji Pei licked her lips. “Let’s not talk about anything related to Xie Zhen anymore. It’s too much of a buzzkill.”

Jiang Xianhan embraced Ji Pei entirely. “Mhm, okay. We won’t bring it up again, and we won’t see her again.”

Early the next morning, when Ji Pei woke up, she subconsciously reached to touch the space beside her.

Where is she?

Where is Jiang Xianhan?

Her consciousness instantly returned. Ji Pei opened her eyes and realized that the spot beside her was empty and cold to the touch. When did Jiang Xianhan leave? She left so quietly that Ji Pei didn’t even notice.

Ji Pei propped herself up and was about to check the time on her phone when she felt a note under the pillow. She brought it close to her eyes. It was Jiang Xianhan’s elegant handwriting, with a single sentence written on it.

“Group emergency requires return to S City. Will return at six o’clock tonight. Han.”

Ji Pei stared at the note for a long time. She picked up her phone, intending to text Jiang Xianhan, but put it down again. Jiang Xianhan left a note saying there was an urgent group situation to deal with, and she left without a sound, indicating the matter was quite serious. It was better not to disturb her for now.

With Jiang Xianhan gone, the villa instantly felt empty. Ji Pei lay in bed for a little longer, scrolling idly on her phone. She opened Jiang Xianhan’s Moments and scrolled from top to bottom, liking all her posts. Jiang Xianhan didn’t post much on Moments, only two or three posts a year, including some scenery photos and selfies.

Ji Pei finally found her chance. She saved all of Jiang Xianhan’s selfies and set a photo of her wearing glasses, dressed in black and white work attire, speaking at a podium, as her wallpaper. Staring at Jiang Xianhan in the photo, she couldn’t resist kissing her phone screen twice. After the kisses, she felt like a pervert.

Oh well, pervert or not, Jiang Xianhan loves me. Those who are favored can be reckless.

At lunchtime, Ji Pei called Ye Wenzhu, asked her out, and found a regular hot pot restaurant. They ordered a table full of food and sat facing each other, drinking. The red oil in the pot was bubbling. Ye Wenzhu dipped a slice of tripe, covered it in sauce, and was about to eat it when she saw Ji Pei looking down at her phone again.

“Stop playing with your phone when we’re out eating.”

Ji Pei sent the photos she had just taken to Jiang Xianhan. “I’m sending them to Jiang Xianhan to let her see what I’m eating for lunch.”

Ye Wenzhu took a big bite of tripe, muttering, “I really don’t understand. Do you people who are blinded by love have to text and send photos to each other even when you’re eating?”

Ji Pei turned off her phone, shook her head, and said, “You’ve never dated. You wouldn’t understand.”

Ye Wenzhu: “…” Damn it, she hit a sore spot again.

“By the way, what did Xie Zhen say to you yesterday? The moment I walked over, she was rolling her eyes at me. If you hadn’t been with me, I’d probably be at a crime scene right now.”

“What do you mean?”

“She hates me so much, she probably dismembered me ten thousand times in her head.” Ji Pei ate a piece of cooked fatty beef, resting her chin on her hand, feeling a little nostalgic. “What do you think would have happened if we hadn’t found out about her peeping at me?”

Ye Wenzhu put down her chopsticks and pondered for a moment. “With your personality, she probably would have tricked you into being completely confused, and you wouldn’t even know how you lost your virginity in the end.”

Crude but true. Ji Pei rubbed the goosebumps on her arms and shook her head. “Forget it, let’s not talk about it. I get goosebumps all over just thinking about her.”

Ye Wenzhu couldn’t help but ask, “But I’m really curious about one thing: why did I feel like Xie Zhen was so afraid of Jiang Xianhan? I secretly observed her yesterday and she seemed frightened the moment she saw Jiang Xianhan.”

“Jiang Xianhan is her aunt.”

Ye Wenzhu’s eyes widened significantly. “What? They’re relatives?”

But on second thought, Xie Zhen was quite generous when she first started university. She also said she was from S City, and her family background was clearly wealthy and influential. But Ye Wenzhu truly hadn’t expected her to be Jiang Xianhan’s niece. The relationship was way too complicated. A niece and her aunt both falling for the same person.

Ye Wenzhu was too absorbed in thinking about the two of them to even bother eating the hot pot. She and Ji Pei had both witnessed just how abnormal Xie Zhen was. A person who would steal Ji Pei’s washed underwear and hide it under her pillow couldn’t be a good person. A chill ran through Ye Wenzhu’s heart. If Ji Pei hadn’t been diligent about washing her clothes, this psycho Xie Zhen might have stolen her worn ones.

A dramatic, melodramatic saga of the rich and powerful played out in Ye Wenzhu’s mind. She was now thankful that Ji Pei was with Jiang Xianhan because Jiang Xianhan could suppress Xie Zhen. However, what unsettled her was whether Xie Zhen would truly give up just because the person was Jiang Xianhan.

“Even though you’re with Jiang Xianhan, you still can’t let your guard down.” Ye Wenzhu pointed to her temple and said earnestly, “There’s something wrong with Xie Zhen here. She’s a crazy psycho. You should avoid walking alone at night or going out alone. Got it?”

Ji Pei nodded, taking Ye Wenzhu’s words to heart. “Mhm, you need to be careful too.”

Ye Wenzhu had stumbled upon the truth about Xie Zhen back then. The day the truth was exposed, Ji Pei confronted Xie Zhen with the personal clothing she found under her bed, but she noticed Xie Zhen was constantly staring at Ye Wenzhu. That gaze was chilling.

With Jiang Xianhan gone, Ji Pei returned to her solitary life. Ye Wenzhu went back to the flower shop after lunch. Ji Pei took a car and followed her back. Having nothing else to do, she decided to help out at her shop.

“You said it yourself. You’re working for me for half a day. I’ll cover your dinner, but there’s no pay.” Ji Pei put on the new work uniform Ye Wenzhu prepared for her, wore thick protective gloves, and held a sharp pair of scissors.

Ye Wenzhu, finally being Ji Pei’s boss for once, pointed fiercely at a large bouquet of roses. “Your task for today is to trim all the leaves off these roses. Any problems?”

Ji Pei saluted her. “No problem, Boss.”

Actually, Ye Wenzhu had initially intended for Ji Pei to be the cashier because her image was simply too perfect and beautiful. Dressed in a uniform, she looked reserved yet sexy, wearing the work clothes as if they were high-fashion gowns. However, if Jiang Xianhan found out that she made Ji Pei go out and show off, would she be shot with a glare? Thinking of this, Ye Wenzhu decided to give Ji Pei an easy and simple task.

Ji Pei quite enjoyed pruning flowers. She was a true perfectionist. She had to trim the leaves and petals neatly, ensuring there wasn’t a single yellow leaf. She pruned leaves from two in the afternoon until past four, when Ye Wenzhu called her to the back for a small strawberry cream cake. Before eating the cake, Ji Pei took a few photos of herself holding the cake in front of the mirror, edited them, and sent them to Jiang Xianhan. Ye Wenzhu, gnawing on her cake, wished she could shoot Ji Pei. Are these two conjoined twins who can’t be separated? They have to be so nauseating even when eating cake.

Jiang Xianhan, who had finished dealing with work documents, raised her wine glass at the banquet table. Her phone in her pocket vibrated several times. She finished her drink, apologized to the other elders, and turned to walk onto the balcony.

Xie Zhen, sitting in a corner, saw Jiang Xianhan open the door and step out with her phone, so she also stood up. Jiang Xianhan took a breath of fresh air, took out her phone, and saw the message was indeed from Ji Pei.

Pei: “Look at my work uniform.”

Pei: “[Photo] [Photo]”

Pei: “Didn’t expect it, but I look good even in a uniform.”

In the photos, Ji Pei was wearing a red and blue striped shirt with a forest green bow tied at the collar. The shirt’s hem was tucked into her pants, and her legs were straight and long. She was like a natural clothes hanger, perfectly matching any outfit.

Jiang Xianhan’s breathing hitched. She saved both photos to her phone and also favorited them. She had returned to S City at seven in the morning, dealing with group shares until past two in the afternoon, without a moment’s rest during that time. In the afternoon, she was dragged to a family banquet. It seemed she wouldn’t be able to return by six in the evening.

Jiang Xianhan stood on the balcony, feeling the breeze, a smile curving on her lips as she typed a reply on her phone. After sending a message, Jiang Xianhan turned around and found Xie Zhen standing behind her. She didn’t know how long she had been standing there. The moment Jiang Xianhan turned to look at her, Xie Zhen curved her lips into a seemingly innocent smile.

“Auntie, Uncle and the others said you’ve been out here for a long time. They asked me to call you back for a chat.”

Jiang Xianhan wasn’t fooled. She spoke frankly. “Did they ask me, or do you want to talk to me alone?”

Xie Zhen calmly met Jiang Xianhan’s eyes. No matter how composed she appeared, her slightly curled fingers hanging by her sides betrayed her. Jiang Xianhan’s lips curved slightly. Seeing her phone screen light up again, she continued to reply and type.

Xie Zhen summoned her courage. “Auntie, you can’t be with Ji Pei.”

Jiang Xianhan lifted her eyelids to look at her, laughed twice, and didn’t speak.

“The whole Jiang family rests on your shoulders. Have you forgotten what Grandpa and Grandma said before they passed? They hoped to see you marry, have children, and have your own heir. I heard you promise them.”

“Auntie, if the elders in the family find out you’ve fallen in love with a woman, do you think they’ll hand the Jiang family over to you?”

“I hold eighty percent of the Jiang group’s shares. Even if these old folks fight tooth and nail, they won’t get a piece of the pie.” Jiang Xianhan’s steady voice carried through the night wind into Xie Zhen’s ears. When she heard that figure, her pupils flickered.

Jiang Xianhan played with the red bean bracelet on her right hand, raised an eyebrow, and said, “If I say I want both Ji Pei and the shares, does anyone dare to say no?”

Xie Zhen stiffened her neck, watching Jiang Xianhan slowly walk towards her. Her muscles spasmed uncontrollably.

“Little Zhen, you are very smart.” Jiang Xianhan’s lips curved upward. She gently patted Xie Zhen’s shoulder with her right hand. “But you’re still young. Sometimes, being too smart isn’t necessarily a good thing.”

Xie Zhen bit her lip, turning her back to Jiang Xianhan, her eyes red with resentment. “Auntie, please don’t regret this.”

Jiang Xianhan sighed, smiling. “You’re as smart as your mother, but have you seen her fate? Amputated limbs, a vegetative state. The whole Jiang family had no choice but… to fall into my hands.”

“Even if she wakes up, she won’t have a chance to rise again.”

Around six in the evening, Ji Pei sat at the entrance of the flower shop, waiting for Jiang Xianhan to pick her up. She checked her watch every two minutes, her expression shifting from happiness to disappointment. Jiang Xianhan said she would come at six. Did she forget the time?

Ye Wenzhu held a grilled sausage and stood behind Ji Pei, holding it to her mouth. “Checking your watch every two minutes, aren’t you afraid of getting a stiff neck?”

Ji Pei took the grilled sausage from Ye Wenzhu. Just as she was about to eat it, she saw a black Rolls-Royce slowly approaching. It was Jiang Xianhan’s car. It was the same one that took her home yesterday. She remembered the license plate clearly.

The rear door opened. As soon as Jiang Xianhan stepped out, Ji Pei rushed toward her. Ye Wenzhu stood at the shop entrance, watching Ji Pei feed the prettiest grilled sausage she had chosen to Jiang Xianhan. Her expression instantly crumbled. The car door was tightly shut, leaving Ye Wenzhu facing the rear bumper.

Ye Wenzhu: “…” Damn it. Not even saying goodbye. I’m truly losing favor.

Jiang Xianhan’s driver was already familiar with the route to Maple Garden Villa. In the ten or so minutes in the car, Ji Pei desperately wanted to nibble on every part of Jiang Xianhan.

“You look so tempting in that uniform.” Jiang Xianhan’s hand was on Ji Pei’s waistband, about to unbuckle her belt, when the car stopped. They were home. She hadn’t stayed for dinner at the family banquet, telling everyone she had business to handle in B City. She immediately took a flight and, upon landing, eagerly rushed to Ye Wenzhu’s flower shop. Ji Pei was curled up, small and cozy, waiting for her at the entrance.

It was the exact same setting, the exact same sofa. Ji Pei knelt between Jiang Xianhan’s legs. She swallowed, her hands trembling slightly. “Jiang Xianhan, can I really do it this time?”

“What if I get too excited and hurt you with my teeth again?”

“Or maybe, I should just use my hand…”

Ji Pei glanced at her fingers, realizing her nails were a bit long. If she didn’t clip them, she might scratch Jiang Xianhan. Jiang Xianhan could no longer wait. Seeing Ji Pei’s hesitation, she smiled and urged, “Clip them tomorrow. Today, I’ll teach you how to use your mouth.”

Ji Pei’s eyes widened in shock upon hearing this. “Jiang Xianhan, you know how? Have you been well-practiced for a long time?”

Jiang Xianhan chuckled. “If I were well-practiced, would I have ended up like that on our first night because of you?” She still shuddered at the memory of that night. However, this kind of thing was a gradual process of mutual exploration. Rushing it was absolutely not an option.

Jiang Xianhan’s arm was long. With a slight reach, she pressed the back of Ji Pei’s head, looking down at her, encouraging her. Her eyes were full of anticipation. “I’ll say stop when it’s time to stop, but… it’s up to you if you want to continue.”

Ji Pei mumbled, “I can’t help myself… How can one stop when they’re in the moment?”

Jiang Xianhan rubbed Ji Pei’s waist with her ankle, hooking her lower back and pulling her closer. “Do whatever you like.”

Ji Pei happily and eagerly leaned in, hearing Jiang Xianhan’s constant encouragement in her ear.

“Last time was actually quite good. Don’t be nervous.”

“Just don’t use your teeth this time. Got that?”