Chapter 030: Are You Falling for Me?

Wen Ni caught a glimpse of Zhou Jingyi's figure out of the corner of her eye.

She spoke indifferently, "I have nothing to say. If you want to accuse me, you’ll always find a reason."

Zhou Chengli rebuked her, "There are witnesses—how could you be wronged? Wen Ni, for your grandmother and mother’s sake, I’ve tolerated you again and again, but you refuse to make me proud. Someone come!"

He instructed the servants, "Take Madam to kneel in the ancestral hall. Tonight, no one is allowed to bring her food."

Wen Ni stood up and walked out.

Zhou Chengli watched her retreating figure, so reminiscent of Wen Manzhi, and sighed inwardly.

The good traits were not inherited.

But that stubbornness—she’d inherited it to the letter.

As night deepened and silence settled, Wen Ni sat alone on a straw mat, facing the tablets of Zhou family's ancestors and, in the farthest corner, the memorial tablet of "Zhou Mingfan."

She lit an incense stick for "Zhou Mingfan."

Muttering, she said, "Poor you, Zhou Linchuan. You died, and you didn’t even get a tablet of your own. Truly pitiful."

After burning the incense, Wen Ni grabbed some offerings and ate.

Fruit barely staved off hunger.

Soon enough, her stomach was pressed flat against her back, and she sat listlessly on the mat.

She pulled out her phone and messaged Zhou Jingyi.

"Wen Ni: Uncle, are you still awake?"

"Wen Ni: Uncle, I'm a little hungry."

"Wen Ni: Uncle, do you think I deserve a small piece of bread?"

No reply came after a while.

Wen Ni pouted, cursing him in her heart, though the words she typed were obedient.

"Wen Ni: Uncle, are you asleep or just don’t care if I live or die?"

"Wen Ni: Is it every man for himself?"

Still, nothing. As if her messages sank into the sea.

Wen Ni cursed the damned Zhou Jingyi and kept swiping quickly.

She found a selfie wearing a camisole and sent it.

Two minutes later, she feigned surprise, "Oops, sorry, sent to the wrong person, can't recall it. Uncle, delete it yourself, don't let anyone see."

Still, the other side remained silent.

"Wen Ni: Well then! Whether you’re ignoring me on purpose or not, good night."

"Wen Ni: Good night, Uncle."

"Wen Ni: And, sweet dreams."

She put down her phone.

Looking at "Zhou Mingfan's" tablet, she said, "You used to wrong me too. Why don’t you turn into a vengeful ghost tonight and scare Zhou Jingyi?"

With that said—

Wen Ni patted her own face. Wait, that’s not right. If Zhou Linchuan really could turn into a ghost, the ones he ought to scare most would be Zhou Mingfan and Shen Xuening.

Drowsiness overcame her.

Suddenly, footsteps sounded behind her, carried along with a gust of wind through the hall.

Wen Ni shuddered violently, instantly alert.

She spun around quickly.

There, standing outside the ancestral hall in loungewear, dignified yet slightly disheveled, was Zhou Jingyi.

Wen Ni grinned.

Zhou Jingyi's expression was cool and detached, as if untouched by the concerns of the mortal world.

Seeing him like this, Wen Ni felt irritated, wishing to drag such a man down to earth and let him suffer the full spectrum of human emotions.

Zhou Jingyi walked in.

He casually tossed something to Wen Ni.

She caught it instinctively and looked down.

It was a fennel-scented pork knuckle.

Alarm bells rang in Wen Ni’s mind. "You went to my room? Went through my things?"

Zhou Jingyi ignored her, heading straight in to light incense for the ancestors.

His demeanor was upright, serene, and pure.

Wen Ni sat on the floor, gnawing at the pork knuckle.

When Zhou Jingyi finished, he sat on the ancient wooden chair to the side, watching Wen Ni with indifferent eyes.

Wen Ni raised her gaze, "Does Uncle have a warning for me?"

Zhou Jingyi sneered, "At least you’re self-aware."

Wen Ni said, "I’m all ears."

Zhou Jingyi’s dark eyes lowered. "Jiang Shaobai told me Jiang Shaozhang’s intentions toward you are vengeful."

Wen Ni responded without hesitation, "I know."

Zhou Jingyi frowned, "You know?"

Wen Ni replied, "Of course. Jiang Shaozhang cares more about his pride than his life. I made him lose face twice. If he could still genuinely fall for me, he’d be crazy."

Zhou Jingyi lit a cigarette.

Through the pale blue smoke, he looked down at Wen Ni. "You know, yet you still want to play with Jiang Shaozhang?"

Wen Ni smiled slyly. "How do you know I’m not using Jiang Shaozhang?"

Zhou Jingyi pressed, "What are you using him for?"

Wen Ni scooted closer, sitting by Zhou Jingyi’s feet. She looked up at him, smiling, "Take a guess, Uncle."

Zhou Jingyi looked away. "Speak plainly, Wen Ni."

Her fingers gently tugged at the hem of his pants. "Suppose I say I’m using Jiang Shaozhang to provoke you, Uncle—how confident do you think I am?"

At her words, silence filled the ancestral hall.

Through the haze of smoke, their eyes met.

Something flowed slowly between them. After a long time, Wen Ni smiled, "Did I scare you?"

Sitting cross-legged, Wen Ni ate and talked, "Shen Xuening bought Li Dafu’s silk at a markup, but Jiang Shaozhang bought the rest at the original price. That means Jiang Shaozhang and Li Dafu are on good terms."

With that, Wen Ni boasted, "Beauty is wonderful, but I know my limits. I’m not some lovesick fool, Zhou Jingyi, don’t underestimate me."

She finished eating, wiped her mouth with a tissue.

Her finger tapped lightly on the pinkie holding Zhou Jingyi’s cigarette.

He withdrew his hand. "What are you doing?"

Wen Ni asked, "Zhou Jingyi, let me ask you something."

Zhou Jingyi: "Call me Uncle."

Wen Ni pouted, "Fine, Uncle~"

Using a deliberately affected tone, she said, "Uncle, when I mentioned using Jiang Shaozhang to provoke you, did your heart feel like it was gripped by something?"

Zhou Jingyi laughed dismissively.

Wen Ni tilted her head, "Didn’t it?"

Zhou Jingyi stared quietly at her, silently mocking her overconfidence.

Wen Ni tried to stand, but after sitting cross-legged and gnawing on a pork knuckle, her legs had gone numb without her noticing.

As she rose, she tumbled straight onto Zhou Jingyi.

She swore—this time, it really wasn’t intentional.

She landed right on his lap, in front of all the Zhou ancestors.

Just then, the incense Zhou Jingyi had just lit for the ancestors extinguished.

It was eerie.

Wen Ni scrambled to get up, flailing awkwardly.

In her panic, her wrist hit something hard.

She turned hastily.

She didn’t speak, but her mischievous look made it clear what she was about to say.

Zhou Jingyi pulled his hand from beneath her thigh, straightened his sleeve, revealing a string of beads.

Wen Ni recognized them instantly. Her gaze sharpened, glaring fiercely at Zhou Jingyi.

She reached out to grab his bracelet.

He raised his arm.

Holding Wen Ni down with one hand, he said, "What are you doing?"

Wen Ni stared intently at the beads on his bracelet—they were identical to the ones Ji Yingqi had clasped in her grandmother’s hand after her fall.

Wen Ni bit Zhou Jingyi’s wrist hard.

He winced, "Wen Ni?"

Wen Ni’s eyes were rimmed red. "Zhou Jingyi, give me the bracelet!"