This…
Jiang He opened her mouth, unsure how to respond.
Xie Zhao took a deep breath. Then, as if the tension had suddenly left him, his expression softened considerably.
He stepped forward twice and raised his hand, intending to pat the top of Jiang He’s head.
But halfway there, he curled his fingers into a loose fist and lowered his arm again.
“I’m surprised you chose to tell me the truth, and I’m glad you did. Jiang He, you’re still young. It’s natural to be afraid of making mistakes. As your brother, I won’t blame you.”
Jiang He was stunned.
How… had he suddenly turned into such a caring older brother?
Then it hit her.
Father Jiang’s dying wish had been for Xie Zhao to become Jiang He’s sworn elder brother. No wonder he called Father Jiang “Father” so naturally. Perhaps, without her knowing, he had already sworn himself as Father Jiang’s adopted son.
Jiang He suddenly felt a weight lift from her chest.
Maybe this arrangement wasn’t so bad after all.
“But…” Xie Zhao suddenly changed his tone, his voice turning stern again. “Remember this. If you keep making the same mistakes, I won’t forgive you forever. Lying to me is your first offense. I hope there won’t be a second.”
When he was serious, he was genuinely intimidating.
“All right.”
Jiang He nodded solemnly.
Only then did Xie Zhao smile. He reached out and ruffled her hair twice.
Just as Jiang He was about to push his hand away, she saw him pluck a half-burned scrap of paper from her hair.
The wind must have blown it there earlier.
Now that everything had been laid out between them, the heavy burden weighing on Jiang He’s heart finally disappeared.
Xie Zhao no longer wore that cold expression. The knot in his heart seemed to have come undone, and he looked just as he had in the original owner’s memories.
On their way down the mountain, he no longer dragged her along indifferently. Instead, he crouched in front of her and motioned for her to climb onto his back so he could carry her.
Jiang He wasn’t close to Xie Zhao, nor could she adapt to his sudden change in attitude.
So she decisively shook her head.
“No need. Men and women should keep their distance.”
Xie Zhao snorted.
“Oh? And what were you saying yesterday morning? Now you suddenly remember there’s a difference between men and women?”
Jiang He was speechless.
Really… you just had to bring that up.
“If you feel awkward, just call me Brother.”
The corners of Jiang He’s mouth twitched.
Seriously?
Wouldn’t that make things even more awkward?
Do you have some strange hobby or something?
“Hurry up. It’s getting late. The city gates will close soon,” Jiang He urged.
Xie Zhao looked at her helplessly. Then, with one swift movement, he wrapped an arm around her, hoisted her onto his back, and spun around in one smooth motion.
The sudden one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn left Jiang He dizzy. Instinctively, she wrapped both arms tightly around his neck, nearly strangling him.
Xie Zhao’s face quickly turned red.
“Relax. I won’t let you fall.”
Only then did Jiang He realize she was close to choking him to death, and she hurriedly loosened her grip.
The sun hung high overhead—it was noon.
The coolness brought by last night’s rain had long since vanished. Today’s blazing sun seemed bent on revenge, drying the mountain path that had still been damp that morning while scorching anyone beneath it.
His broad back radiated heat.
Before long, Jiang He could feel sweat soaking through his thin coarse-cloth shirt.
Another little while, and it would probably soak into her clothes too, leaving her covered in sweaty odor.
Jiang He grimaced in disgust.
“Stop. I want to get down.”
“Stop making trouble.”
“I can walk.”
“You can walk my ass.”
Jiang He fell silent.
Well… he had grown up among a bunch of rough men. He had never exactly been refined.
“No. Put me down.”
She kept pushing at his shoulders, trying to break free from his grip.
Frowning, Xie Zhao scolded quietly,
“Stay still. You’re getting heavier.”
Anyone who had carried someone before knew that if the person on your back kept squirming, they felt much heavier.
Speechless, Jiang He finally blurted out,
“I need to pee.”
Xie Zhao: “…”
He had no choice but to carry her to a nearby grove.
“I’ll wait under that tree ahead. Call me when you’re done.”
“Okay.”
It would be good for him to rest for a while anyway.
She deliberately dawdled, only limping out of the grove after quite some time.
Hearing the movement, Xie Zhao turned around and quickly walked over.
“Didn’t I tell you to call me when you were finished?”
Jiang He smiled.
“It’s fine. I managed to come out on my own.”
Having no way to deal with her, Xie Zhao simply crouched down again.
“Get on.”
“No need. See? I can walk by myself.”
She could walk.
Very slowly.
One limping step at a time.
Xie Zhao didn’t bother arguing. Just as before, he directly scooped her up and tossed her onto his back.
Jiang He: “…”
“By the time you finish hopping back, the city gates will already be closed.”
His pace was much faster now.
Probably because she had wasted time earlier, and he wanted to make up for it.
The sun gradually drifted westward, yet she somehow felt even hotter than at noon.
Xie Zhao’s clothes were once again soaked with sweat.
Worried they really might miss the city gates closing, Jiang He didn’t ask to get down this time.
In the end, she was still covered in his sweat.
The journey remained quiet.
Jiang He let her thoughts wander.
Her arrival had improved their relationship and changed the course of the story. As for what would happen in the future, no one knew.
She searched through the original owner’s memories, wondering whether the Jiang family still had any resources left.
To restart the Jiang family’s old business, eloquence alone wouldn’t be enough. They needed considerable capital.
She vaguely remembered that Father Jiang still had many unpaid debts owed to him, and more than one person owed him money.
She just didn’t know how much.
When she got back, she’d have to search Father Jiang’s room and see where he’d hidden his account books and debt notes.
The sun was nearly setting.
The sunlight turned orange-red, and at last the heat became bearable.
Guessing they were almost at the city gates, Jiang He grew bored and asked curiously,
“You knew Father’s dying wish was something I made up. So why did you agree?”
Xie Zhao stiffened slightly, his pace slowing.
“That day, I brought a doctor back with me, only to find Father had already passed away. You were crying inside the house, your eyes swollen like walnuts. It took me a long time to calm you down. Once you finally stopped crying, you told me about Father’s dying wish. How could I refuse? I was afraid that if I didn’t go along with you, something would happen to you. And if anything had happened to you, I wouldn’t have had the face to meet Father, even after I died.”
…
Why was that unbearable sense of guilt showing up again?
Just as she thought.
Xie Zhao really was a good person.
No wonder, in the original story, no matter how many outrageous things the original Jiang He did, Xie Zhao always cleaned up after her.
“So you’re saying… you only agreed because you wanted to comfort me for the time being?”
“Mm.”
Xie Zhao answered softly.
“Then why did you come back last night?”
“I wasn’t planning to. But after I left, I noticed the wind picking up, and it looked like it was going to rain. I was worried there would be thunder. You’ve always been afraid of thunder. Whenever it stormed before, Father was there, and you’d run to his room. But Father was gone now. I didn’t know what you’d do, so I came back.”
This…
Jiang He’s heart tightened.
Why did she feel even guiltier now?
The whole “repaying a life-saving favor by marrying him” thing wasn’t something she had done.
So why was she feeling guilty at all?
Taking a deep breath, Jiang He asked,
“If I hadn’t confessed today… what would you have done?”
Xie Zhao said nothing.
But she could clearly feel his back stiffen beneath her.