When Jiang Jiang heard this, she did not panic. She only let out an "Ah," as if she had not yet reacted.
Under Ji Xu'an's unblinking gaze, Jiang Jiang's expression turned blank and dazed. Her moist apricot eyes widened unconsciously, as though she could not recover her senses for a long while.
Ji Xu'an patiently waited for Jiang Jiang's explanation. There was no particular emotion in her eyes. Even if she had been slightly angry just now, nothing remained of it now. Ji Xu'an only felt confused.
Jiang Jiang's behavior during this period indeed did not look like she had feelings for her. Ji Xu'an was not narcissistic enough to think that everyone would fall for her. Besides, she had a certain confidence in her judgment of people. Ji Xu'an believed in her previous assessment.
Jiang Jiang was not lying to her.
So when Ji Xu'an asked that question, impulse outweighed reason.
Originally, she had only wanted to remind Jiang Jiang. She had not intended to ask it so bluntly.
Ji Xu'an believed that her tone had not been harsh, but she forgot that when she did not smile, her face appeared especially indifferent and cold. Even a normal question could sound like an angry interrogation.
Jiang Jiang was probably frightened silly by Ji Xu'an. It took her several full seconds to react. Her eye sockets quickly turned red, and her cheeks flushed crimson from anger and humiliation.
Jiang Jiang looked at Ji Xu'an in panic and confusion and flatly denied it. "I didn't!"
"How could I possibly say something like that in front of little Yuan!"
Before Ji Xu'an could say anything more, Jiang Jiang ignored the pain still lingering in her foot and limped toward the kitchen doorway. She called out toward the outside, "little Yuan, come here for a moment!"
Ji Xu'an had no time to stop her. Her first reaction was to quickly reach out and support Jiang Jiang's arm. "Be careful!"
But Jiang Jiang avoided her hand. She did not look at Ji Xu'an, only tensed her body and leaned against the doorframe, her head lowered as she silently shed tears.
This should be the second time Jiang Jiang had been so resolute in front of Ji Xu'an. For a moment, Ji Xu'an was somewhat stunned.
She took a deep breath. Looking at the tears on Jiang Jiang's face, a wave of regret suddenly surged in her heart.
Ji Xu'an realized she had been too irrational.
There were still guests at home. Jiang Jiang was injured. Today was supposed to be a happy day. No matter how many doubts she had, she should have waited to ask Jiang Jiang in private, instead of blurting it out regardless of everything.
Ji Xu'an rubbed her temple and, for the first time in a long while, experienced the feeling of being at a loss. She wondered why she had suddenly seemed possessed, so desperate to obtain an answer.
She did not even know what kind of answer she actually wanted.
Ji Xu'an could not figure it out. She could only choose to apologize first. "I'm sorry, Jiang Jiang. I spoke too harshly. I shouldn't have asked you like that."
"I said the wrong thing. You can scold me or hit me if you want." Ji Xu'an softened her voice and coaxed her gently. "If you're unhappy, let it out. Don't keep it bottled up."
Ji Xu'an was not foolish. From the fact that Jiang Jiang had openly called Ji Heyuan over to confront the matter, she should have realized that Ji Heyuan must have misunderstood something.
And she herself had come to question Jiang Jiang without even clarifying the truth.
Ji Xu'an cursed herself inwardly for truly having lost her head.
Jiang Jiang was not like those people she had encountered before who tried to get close to her with ulterior motives. She was the younger sister Ji Xu'an had personally acknowledged. No matter what, she should not have treated Jiang Jiang with such coldness.
Ji Xu'an did not seem to realize that her thoughts had already changed. Right now, she only wanted Jiang Jiang to stop crying.
When Ji Heyuan arrived, she saw her sister awkwardly coaxing Jiang Jiang, while Jiang Jiang silently wiped her tears. Hearing the footsteps, the two of them looked at her at the same time.
Ji Heyuan could not help swallowing. In fact, she had already regretted it right after she said those words. Not to mention that she had coaxed and tempted Jiang Jiang into saying them in the first place, when Ji Heyuan thought back on it later, she realized that Jiang Jiang had never actually confirmed her guess that day.
Could it be that this was all just her misunderstanding?
It was all because after receiving a negative answer from Ji Xu'an earlier, she had been too shocked. Her mind had been filled only with the question of why Jiang Jiang would lie. It was only after Jiang Jiang and Ji Xu'an went into the kitchen that Ji Heyuan fully recalled all the details from that time.
Jiang Jiang and Ji Xu'an had spoken in low voices. Sitting on the sofa in the living room, Ji Heyuan could not hear what was happening in the kitchen. She was restless, and Yan Ke even asked her what was wrong.
It frightened Ji Heyuan so much that she almost bit her tongue.
She remembered the absent-minded look on her sister's face just now and felt as though she had vaguely glimpsed some kind of truth.
Now, seeing Ji Xu'an coaxing Jiang Jiang, Ji Heyuan actually felt not the slightest surprise.
Before the two of them could speak, Ji Heyuan clasped her hands together and said sincerely, "I'm sorry. A thousand mistakes, ten thousand mistakes, they're all my fault. You can scold me!"
Ji Xu'an felt her brow twitch fiercely. Suppressing her temper, she said, "Explain yourself clearly."
Ji Heyuan shrank her neck a little, somewhat afraid. But thinking that today's trouble had indeed been caused by her, that everyone had originally been happy and she just had to run her mouth, not only upsetting her sister but also making Xie Jiang Jiang cry.
Ji Heyuan honestly explained, "Actually, that day in the dormitory, I kept asking. Xie Jiang Jiang didn't nod. She just told me to stop talking."
At the time, Ji Heyuan had thought Jiang Jiang was being shy. If she did not explain, wasn't that tacit agreement?
Now it seemed Jiang Jiang had indeed been shy, but she had not been tacitly agreeing. She simply did not want to discuss such a private topic in front of others.
Ji Xu'an fell silent.
So it had only been Ji Heyuan overthinking. Then why had she subconsciously assumed just now that Jiang Jiang had really done something?
From beginning to end, Jiang Jiang had not spoken. Only after Ji Heyuan finished explaining did she sniff softly and ask in a small voice, "Little Yuan said it herself. Sister, can you believe me now?"
Her tone was very calm, yet Ji Xu'an felt as though she had been slapped hard across the face.
She had faced accusations a hundred times sharper than this, but she had never felt so embarrassed and uneasy.
Ji Xu'an suddenly realized that Jiang Jiang had truly been hurt by her attitude.
It was not as though she had never said colder things before. At that time, Jiang Jiang had calmly accepted them. Now, however, she had cried until her eyes were swollen just because of one questioning sentence from her.
Ji Xu'an knew why. Because in Jiang Jiang's heart, she was no longer the unfamiliar President Ji who could be ignored. She was the sister to whom Jiang Jiang had entrusted her true feelings.
Yet she had let down Jiang Jiang's trust.
Ji Xu'an thought again of when Jiang Jiang had just woken up. She had trusted no one. Only by Ji Xu'an's side could Jiang Jiang sleep peacefully.
A wave of panic suddenly surged in Ji Xu'an's chest. In a daze, she sensed that something she had not yet managed to grasp firmly was already slipping away.
From the very beginning of this relationship, Ji Xu'an had occupied the superior position. She possessed the right to end it at any time, while Jiang Jiang had no choice.
Ji Xu'an was attached to the warmth Jiang Jiang gave her, but she had forgotten that sincerity must be exchanged with sincerity. Jiang Jiang was not a pet she raised, who could be satisfied with a casual bit of tenderness.
If this kind of "interrogation" happened a few more times, perhaps Jiang Jiang would never trust her again. She would not call her sister anymore, would not look at her with those bright eyes, would not care about her or treat her as family she could rely on.
Ji Xu'an did not want to see such an ending.
Seeing that Jiang Jiang seemed utterly disappointed and was about to turn and leave, Ji Xu'an subconsciously wrapped her hand around Jiang Jiang's wrist. "Jiang Jiang."
As soon as she spoke, she realized that her voice had become somewhat hoarse.
Jiang Jiang avoided her gaze, looking as though she refused to communicate, yet she did not shake off Ji Xu'an's hand.
From her attitude, Ji Xu'an glimpsed the softening in her heart. For the first time, she felt grateful that Jiang Jiang was a gentle and kind girl. Even after being misunderstood like this, Jiang Jiang was still willing to give her a chance to make amends.
There were still guests waiting outside. The three of them could not remain in the kitchen for too long. Ji Xu'an sent Ji Heyuan out to entertain the guests and supported Jiang Jiang back to the bedroom herself.
Ji Heyuan apologized repeatedly, but neither of them responded to her. Ji Heyuan could only suppress the guilt and unease in her heart for now and go out to placate Fu Xihe and the others.
Originally, the two of them were in the middle of a quarrel. Jiang Jiang should not have let Ji Xu'an support her.
However, she was not certain how deep Ji Xu'an's guilt toward her ran. Throwing a tantrum should be done in moderation. Besides, Jiang Jiang did not truly feel wronged.
She tilted her head half-genuinely and half-pretending, deliberately not looking at Ji Xu'an, yet half of her body leaned steadily against Ji Xu'an, almost entirely held in the other woman's arms.
Ji Xu'an wrapped an arm around Jiang Jiang's shoulders. The two of them were very close. She could even feel the warm breath Jiang Jiang exhaled against the side of her neck. Holding her in her arms, Ji Xu'an profoundly realized that Jiang Jiang was truly very thin.
And this embrace was different from the last one. This time, Jiang Jiang relaxed part of her strength, so their bodies pressed even closer together. Ji Xu'an only felt softness in her arms. Although Jiang Jiang was thin, her body was very soft.
She only needed to lower her gaze slightly to see Jiang Jiang's jade-white profile. A layer of flushed red still covered the other woman's face, traces left by tears.
Ji Xu'an pressed her lips together and withdrew her gaze without a trace.
Throughout the entire time, she behaved properly. Aside from staring at Jiang Jiang's face for a few seconds at the beginning, her gaze afterward remained fixed on their feet. Her hand stayed in an appropriate position and did not touch anywhere it should not.
The two of them walked quietly toward Jiang Jiang's room. Neither of them spoke first. The sound of conversation from the living room drifted over faintly. Jiang Jiang even heard Xu Zhen ask, "What are Jiang Jiang and President Ji going to do?"
Ji Heyuan laughed and smoothed it over. "It seems my sister's clothes got wet. Xie Jiang Jiang is accompanying her back to the room to change."
She pushed all the responsibility onto Ji Xu'an and did not mention a single word about Jiang Jiang crying.
Hearing that it was Ji Xu'an who had something to do, the other three immediately fell silent like quails. After a few seconds of silence, they quickly changed to another topic.
Jiang Jiang could not help sneaking a glance at Ji Xu'an, wanting to see what reaction she would have after realizing she had been made to take the blame.
Ji Xu'an's reaction was no reaction at all. After noticing Jiang Jiang's gaze, she even asked with concern, "What's wrong? Is your ankle hurting again?"
Jiang Jiang silently shook her head.
She was still angry. She would not let her trick her into talking.
The two entered the room together. Ji Xu'an closed the door behind them and then had Jiang Jiang sit down on the sofa in the bedroom.
Jiang Jiang pressed her legs together. She fiddled with her fingers, her eyelashes lowered, trying to avoid making eye contact with Ji Xu'an. But Ji Xu'an did not sit beside her. Instead, she crouched down directly in front of Jiang Jiang.
There was no way to avoid it now. Jiang Jiang was forced to meet Ji Xu'an's gaze.
Ji Xu'an gently pinched Jiang Jiang's fingertip. Jiang Jiang did not resist. Ji Xu'an smoothly rescued the finger that Jiang Jiang had pinched red.
"Jiang Jiang." Ji Xu'an looked up at her. In her dark eyes, Jiang Jiang's figure was clearly reflected.
"It was Sister's fault. Forgive Sister, okay?"
Jiang Jiang did not speak.
Ji Xu'an slowly tightened her fingers, completely wrapping Jiang Jiang's hand in her palm. She analyzed her own mistake word by word.
"It was me who failed to distinguish right from wrong. Without knowing anything, I rashly lost my temper at you. I am not a qualified sister. I let down your trust."
As Ji Xu'an spoke, her expression grew even more serious. "I promise you, this kind of thing will not happen again."
Listening to her apology, the tears Jiang Jiang had finally stopped began to fall again. She did not wipe them away, letting them drip onto her clothes. One drop even fell onto the back of Ji Xu'an's hand.
That tiny trace of water seemed to carry a heat capable of melting everything. From the back of her hand, it spread all the way to her heart, making Ji Xu'an feel as though her heart had been soaked in sour water.
Her throat was tightly blocked by the rising bitterness. Ji Xu'an could not speak. When the harm had already been done, no amount of apology could undo it. She could only make up for it through her actions.
Jiang Jiang did not know how long she cried. Ji Xu'an stayed with her the entire time. Only after Jiang Jiang had completely vented the grievance in her heart did she tilt her face up and let Ji Xu'an wipe her tears.
Her entire face was red. Even her eyebrows and the tip of her nose were not spared. It made Ji Xu'an's heart soften even more.
Her movements in wiping the tears were extremely gentle, as if she were handling fragile foam. The heartache in her eyes was plain to see.
Jiang Jiang finally let out a sigh of relief in her heart.
Her lips moved. At last, she was willing to speak to Ji Xu'an. Although her voice still carried a thick nasal tone from crying, it was far better than her previous silence.
Ji Xu'an let out a barely noticeable breath.
Jiang Jiang looked at her. "Sister, I'm not angry at you."
"I'm just very sad. Although I know that in your heart, I can never compare to little Yuan, you did not even hesitate for a second. You believed little Yuan's words without any doubt…"
Ji Xu'an wanted to explain something, but Jiang Jiang raised a finger and pressed it lightly against Ji Xu'an's lips. That finger was slender and fragile enough to be moved away easily, yet Ji Xu'an seemed sealed in place, silently looking at Jiang Jiang.
Jiang Jiang bit her own lip, using the pain to force back the tears rising again in her eyes. "I don't blame you. After all, little Yuan is your biological younger sister."
"I just hope that if something like this happens again in the future, before you doubt me, you can first ask whether it's true."
"I'm human too. I feel wronged. I feel sad. And…" Jiang Jiang paused. A trace of heartbreak appeared in her tear-filled eyes. "If it were someone else, it wouldn't matter. I wouldn't care at all. But if the person who doubts me is Sister, the knife stabbing into my heart will be sharper than at any other time."
Ji Xu'an's voice was hoarse and strained. "Okay."
"If something like this happens again in the future, before I doubt you, I will first try to believe you."
Ji Xu'an did not dare to promise absolutely. She knew her personality had always been cautious and suspicious. But she firmly believed she would always remember what happened today. In the future, when encountering problems, she would verify first. She would not blindly listen to only one person again.
Jiang Jiang nodded. "I'm not asking Sister to trust me unconditionally. As long as Sister doesn't directly doubt me, that's enough."
She thought for a moment and added, "Of course, if I really do something wrong, Sister can scold me directly. I won't refuse to listen."
Ji Xu'an thought, did Jiang Jiang know how obedient she looked when she stood there with red eyes asking to be scolded?
"Okay." Ji Xu'an tightened her hold on Jiang Jiang's fingertips, then paused slightly. "I know you don't believe it, but I will try to treat you and little Yuan equally."
Instead of showing a surprised smile at these words, Jiang Jiang shook her head. She looked at Ji Xu'an seriously. "I don't need Sister Xu'an to treat us equally. Little Yuan is your biological younger sister. She naturally should have privileges with you. If in your heart I were the same as her, little Yuan would definitely be sad."
Ji Xu'an remained silent for a long time. It was probably the first time someone had told her not to treat them too well.
Jiang Jiang always managed to surprise her.
Jiang Jiang pretended not to see the fleeting astonishment on Ji Xu'an's face. She continued in a pleading tone, "As long as there can be just a tiny place in Sister's heart that belongs to me, that's enough."
Faced with such humility to the extreme, probably no one could refuse. Moreover, Ji Xu'an already felt guilty toward Jiang Jiang.
She nodded solemnly. "Okay."
Only then did Jiang Jiang break into a smile through her tears. "Then Sister must remember what you said today."
She pressed her lips together. Two small dimples appeared at her cheeks. "I also promise Sister that in the future, I will obediently listen to Sister. For important matters, I will discuss them with Sister first."
As she spoke, Jiang Jiang extended her little finger toward Ji Xu'an. "Let's hook fingers as proof."
If it had been before, Ji Xu'an would certainly have laughed at her childishness. But now she said nothing. Instead, she cooperatively hooked her little finger with Jiang Jiang's.
Jiang Jiang's eyes curved. "We've hooked fingers. Whoever breaks the promise is a puppy."
Her voice still carried a thick nasal tone. The redness at the corners of her eyes had not faded at all. It was obvious she had just stopped crying. Yet Jiang Jiang seemed to have forgotten how heartbroken she had been earlier. At least in this moment, her smile was pure.
Ji Xu'an also smiled. "Mm. I'll listen to you."
To match the excuse Ji Heyuan had made earlier, Ji Xu'an deliberately went back to her own room and changed into another set of clothes.
The two stayed in the bedroom for more than twenty minutes before going out. Ji Heyuan had nearly run out of excuses to appease the other three, who were curiously eager for gossip.
The tear stains on Jiang Jiang's face were not easy to hide in such a short time. On top of that, she came out supported by Ji Xu'an. Looking as though she had just been thoroughly ravaged, it was impossible for the other three not to overthink.
Come to think of it, Jiang Jiang's eye sockets seemed a bit red. Even her lips carried an unusually bright redness, as if they had been bitten by something.
The trio of gossip lovers looked at one another and exchanged subtle smiles of mutual understanding.
What kind of clothes took more than twenty minutes to change?
Could it be that the young couple had done something behind their backs?
Everyone understood.
They just had not expected that President Ji, who looked so cold, would be so passionate when in love. They were all still here, and President Ji already could not restrain herself.
Hehe.
This kind of contrast was really delightful.
Among everyone in the room, probably only Ji Heyuan was truly nervous. Especially since when they came out just now, her sister had given her a meaningful look.
Ji Heyuan sighed inwardly. Was her allowance going to disappear for several months again?
Aside from this small episode, nothing else went wrong afterward.
Secretary Zhao brought two cooks from the old residence. After finishing the meal, they tidied everything neatly before leaving the apartment.
In the afternoon, Jiang Jiang planned to visit Grandma at the sanatorium. She had not gone for several days. Previously, when the old lady called, Ji Xu'an had handled it.
Today, Ji Xu'an drove personally. Before setting off, she hesitated for a moment, then reminded Jiang Jiang, "After Grandma finds out about this matter, she might not be happy. If she says something you don't like to hear, just pretend you didn't hear it. I hope you won't hold it against her."
After all, the old lady was in her seventies. Sometimes she inevitably nagged. Even Ji Heyuan, her biological granddaughter, did not like to listen. Ji Xu'an was worried Jiang Jiang would also find her annoying.
"Sister, don't worry." Jiang Jiang lowered her head to fasten her seatbelt. "I treat Grandma Ji as my own grandmother. No matter how angry Grandma Ji gets, it's only because she's worried about me. I would only feel touched. How could I find her annoying?"
The look in Jiang Jiang's eyes told Ji Xu'an that she was not saying pleasant words just to appease her. She truly thought so.
Ji Xu'an's lips curved slightly. "It's good that you understand Grandma's intentions. She also treats you as her own granddaughter."
As she spoke, she turned to glance at Jiang Jiang, just in time to see a loose strand of hair drifting beside Jiang Jiang's cheek as she lowered her head.
Ji Xu'an could not help but steady the steering wheel with one hand while extending her other free hand to brush away the loose strand of hair from Jiang Jiang's cheek.
This action made both of them freeze. Jiang Jiang's eyes widened instantly. She unconsciously murmured, "Sister?"
Ji Xu'an was also stunned. She had not thought much about it. In that moment, even she herself had not reacted. By the time she came back to her senses, her fingertips had already brushed across Jiang Jiang's cheek.
So soft.
Like cotton candy.
Ji Xu'an appeared calm as she withdrew her hand. Her expression was composed and steady, as if this small action had not stirred even the slightest ripple in her heart.
She even responded, "Mm."
But Jiang Jiang found it hard to calm down for a long time. Although they had had even more intimate contact before, those times had been out of necessity. Just now, however, Ji Xu'an had taken the initiative.
Was she doing that to comfort her, to make her stop feeling sad?
After all, with Ji Xu'an's personality that paid such attention to avoiding suspicion, she practically had the words "We're not close" and "I have no feelings" written on her face. She never did meaningless things. How could it truly have been unintentional?
At least Jiang Jiang did not believe she had done it casually.
—
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