The moment her ankle was seized, a surge of warmth rushed through her skin, spreading to every corner of her body like a live current lightly tapping against her heart.
Before her eyes was a scene of soft, silk pajamas, dark hair gathered neatly behind a slender back, and a face focused entirely on the task at hand.
The faint, intoxicating fragrance of magnolia brushed against her nose. Gu Lingyi froze completely.
The light from the foyer’s ceiling mirrored in her slightly dilated pupils, while the full-length mirror directly ahead captured the entire room.
Jiang Yanqing was kneeling on both knees, her posture straight, elegant, and perfectly composed as she put a pair of cool indoor slippers onto Gu Lingyi’s feet. She lifted her head slightly, her long, swan-like neck arched as she looked up at the stunning, captivating woman sitting before her.
To anyone looking on, this scene resembled a gentle, refined, and dutiful wife attentively tending to a tired spouse returning home after a long day.
It was warm, quiet, and filled with the comforting aroma of cooking from the kitchen. A devoted wife, taking care of every little detail.
This was likely the precise vision of domestic bliss that every loyal traditionalist had ever dreamed of.
Yet here, in this cramped foyer, inside the space Jiang Yanqing called home, under the soft and inviting light…this “picture of happiness” sent a bone-chilling cold straight through Gu Lingyi.
It felt as though a bucket of crushed ice had been dumped over her head, freezing her to the core.
“What are you doing?!”
Gu Lingyi stood up abruptly, reaching down to pull Jiang Yanqing up with one hand.
Who gave her permission to kneel?!
Where on earth did she pick up this habit of kneeling at the slightest drop of a hat?!
Her eyes, usually radiant and captivating, were now burning with fury.
Yet the woman before her remained as distant as ever. She simply stood up obediently, gazing back with a calm, flat expression that was so devoid of emotion Gu Lingyi almost doubted whether the moment had even happened.
“Changing your shoes,” Jiang Yanqing answered truthfully, her voice completely level. It was as though dropping to her knees to change Gu Lingyi’s shoes was the most natural, unremarkable thing in the world.
Gu Lingyi’s chest heaved heavily as a wave of heat stung her eyes and nose.
Not wanting the other woman to see her composure shatter, she turned her head away, her mind a complete, chaotic mess.
Is this how the Jiang family raised her? Piling every last piece of outdated trash onto her shoulders?
Who else has been to Jiang Yanqing’s home?
Who else has she knelt for? Who else has she taken care of with this level of intimacy…changing their shoes, making their bed?
“Your phone is ringing,” Jiang Yanqing said, her voice matching her appearance…cool, distant, and indifferent.
Drowned in a whirlpool of anger and bitter frustration, Gu Lingyi reacted slowly. She nodded without really hearing what was said and habitually ordered, “Please get it out for me.”
By the time she realized what she had just said, it was too late.
Inside the large tote bag were over a dozen small boxes. Ten of them were the exact ones Jiang Yanqing had seen that morning back at the academy.
Jiang Yanqing’s beautiful eyes contracted sharply. Her fingertips froze mid-air, clutching the edge of the tote bag so tightly her knuckles turned white.
Her heart hammered against her ribs.
Gu Lingyi hurriedly pulled out her phone, snapped the tote bag shut, and stammered, “They aren’t greeting gifts!” before rushing off to the balcony to take the call.
Her cheeks were burning hot.
Leaning her forehead against the wall after hanging up, she let out a slow, heavy breath.
Showing up at someone’s doorstep carrying over a dozen boxes of adult products was infinitely more absurd than Jiang Yanqing kneeling to change her shoes.
Especially considering the relationship they shared eight years ago…
Gu Lingyi didn’t mention it, and Jiang Yanqing didn’t ask. tacitly, both accepted that Gu Lingyi would stay for dinner.
Jiang Yanqing unfastened her apron while Gu Lingyi helped carry the dishes to the dining table, asking casually, “Is your housekeeper socially anxious?”
They seemed to go out of their way to avoid meeting anyone.
Her velvet quilt had been personally taken down to the laundry room by Jiang Yanqing the night before.
And when Gu Lingyi stepped out after her phone call, she only found Jiang Yanqing and the prepped ingredients in the kitchen…no sign of any household staff.
Still, whoever they were, they were thorough. The quilt had been handled meticulously, without a single wrinkle, and the ingredients were washed, chopped, and neatly organized for cooking.
As long as they’re attentive and take good care of Jiang Yanqing, that’s all that matters, Gu Lingyi thought, letting out a small sigh of relief.
What she failed to notice was that as soon as the question left her mouth, Jiang Yanqing’s movements briefly stalled.
The elegant woman gave a faint response, but her flustered fingers accidentally pulled the apron string into a tight knot.
“Let me help.”
Gu Lingyi stepped forward, leaning down to carefully undo the knot.
The subtle scents of peach plum wine and forbidden magnolia intertwined softly in the air. Gu Lingyi was tall; standing behind Jiang Yanqing, her presence practically pressed the smaller woman right into the corner against the wall.
Jiang Yanqing glanced to the side, catching Gu Lingyi’s focused, tender expression in the full-length mirror, along with the long, agile fingers deftly working through the knot.
After dinner, Gu Lingyi had some urgent work to address and borrowed Jiang Yanqing’s study.
However, Board Member Jiang had work to finish as well.
The massive desk was split in two. Both used light-screens set to privacy mode, sitting opposite each other. Each could see her own display clearly, while the other side appeared as nothing more than a warm, frosted blur.
Outside the window, traffic flowed endlessly. Inside, the study was warm, quiet, and peaceful.
Time slipped by silently.
By the time Gu Lingyi finished, it was late into the night. She squeezed a few drops of eye medication into her eyes, closed them briefly to rest, and opened them to find the screen opposite her already dark. Jiang Yanqing was sitting in her soft armchair, eyes lightly closed, fast asleep.
Within arm’s reach sat a glass of milk that hadn’t been there before, resting on a warming coaster.
She touched it…the temperature was just right.
Gu Lingyi paused. She tiptoed over to Jiang Yanqing’s side, slipping her arm beneath her knees, intending to carry her back to her bedroom.
Yet, she slowly pulled her hand back. In the end, she simply adjusted the armchair into a flat position so Jiang Yanqing was lying down comfortably.
She pulled a light blanket over her, turned off the light, picked up her glass of milk, and quietly slipped out, closing the door behind her.
Sleeping on Jiang Yanqing’s couch felt entirely natural.
When she woke up, the sun was already high in the sky. It was Saturday…no work today.
Jiang Yanqing had already stepped out, while Gu Lingyi had a spa appointment booked.
After washing up, she ate the delicious, warm breakfast left on the table. Then she walked over to the laundry room door and slipped a note underneath.
The note simply asked the shy housekeeper to clear the table.
Having dealt with socially anxious staff in the Gu household before, Gu Lingyi knew exactly how to communicate without making them uncomfortable.
Humming a light tune, she headed downstairs.
The Jiang Family Ancestral Hall
The stale, musty stench of incense hung heavy in the air, scratching at the throat. White-haired Elder Jiang, clearly uncomfortable, scowled as his eyes bore into the granddaughter kneeling before him.
“Repeated mistakes, breaking clan rules, disrespecting your elders, failing every single task entrusted to you… I am deeply disappointed in you.”
He struck his walking stick heavily against the floorboards, the dull thud echoing throughout the dim, shadowy hall.
Jiang Yanqing, the eldest granddaughter of the Jiang family, knelt quietly before the rows of ancestral tablets.
Her spine was held perfectly straight, her long lashes cast low, her knees pressed firmly against the ice-cold, unyielding stone floor.
“I know my mistakes, Grandfather. Please assign my punishment.”
“You haven’t understood a single thing about where you went wrong!”
Elder Jiang felt his temper flare up just looking at his granddaughter’s perpetually expressionless face.
“As the eldest sister, you failed to secure Guansheng’s release from Gu Lingyi! Now he remains detained at the precinct, facing a ruined future! Do you realize you’ve effectively destroyed your younger brother?!”
As he shouted, Elder Jiang gasped for breath. Beside him, his favorite grandson gently patted his back.
“Grandfather, please don’t hurt your health over this. Sister made a mistake, so punishing her is enough. It’s not worth ruining your body over.”
Elder Jiang took a deep breath. “Yes… at least my beloved grandson is sensible. The Jiang family will be handed over to you in the future, and I should begin transferring power to you step by step…starting with enforcement of our clan rules.”
The administrator of the Jiang clan rules held the authority to punish anyone who violated them.
Elder Jiang looked approvingly at his most promising grandson, who already carried the air of a true clan leader at such a young age.
The young man stepped forward, looking down at Jiang Yanqing.
“Sister returned home late the night before last, leaving Grandfather, Grandmother, Father, Mother, Uncles, and Aunts waiting for you. That is a failure of filial piety…punished by five hours of kneeling in the ancestral hall.
Yesterday after work, you refused to return to the main estate without cause…punished by three hours of kneeling.
Failing to rescue Brother Guansheng and leaving a fellow clan member in distress…punished by ten hours of kneeling.
That makes a total of eighteen hours. Sister knows the rules: during this time, all communication devices will be confiscated. No food or water is permitted. The main doors will remain locked. You are to remain silent and under no circumstances may you close your eyes.
You must sincerely reflect and repent before our ancestors. Do you understand?”
The kneeling woman gave a faint nod. Elder Jiang let out a cold snort, turning to leave the ancestral hall accompanied by his favored grandson.
The heavy wooden doors swung shut, locking the slender, rigid silhouette away from the rest of the world.