“Commander Jiang.” Just then, two light knocks suddenly came from outside the door.
“What is it?” Jiang Yao took a deep breath and asked in a low voice.
“Something urgent has come up at the barracks. Could you please go take a look?” The adjutant outside sounded anxious.
“Go ahead first. I’ll be right there.” Jiang Yao remained silent for a few seconds before replying.
Xu Changxia remembered that in her previous life, their first night together, Jiang Yao had also left in the middle of the night. At that time, they had already shared a room, and she had been so exhausted that she fell into a deep sleep.
She pursed her lips tightly, watching Jiang Yao without saying a word.
“Think this matter over carefully. When you’ve made up your mind, call me at the barracks.” Jiang Yao stood up, walked over to the table, picked up his military cap, and put it on. He then spoke to her in a low voice.
Xu Changxia knew she had missed her opportunity tonight, but it was too late to remedy the situation now. She couldn’t delay his official duties at the barracks.
She remained silent, watching him finish dressing in front of the mirror.
“Will you come back tomorrow?” she asked softly, just as he was about to step out the door.
“It depends,” Jiang Yao replied indifferently.
Xu Changxia thought for a moment and asked again, “If I have an urgent matter, can I come directly to your dormitory to find you?”
Jiang Yao glanced back at her. “Unless it’s a special circumstance, it’s better not to.”
With that, he closed the door without looking back.
Xu Changxia watched him leave. After a long while, she gritted her teeth and cursed herself silently, “Why were you so foolish in your previous life!”
If she hadn’t behaved so poorly at the engagement banquet, Jiang Yao wouldn’t have misunderstood her so deeply.
In her previous life, just over ten days later, Jiang Yao would be sent to an island for special training, and they would never see each other again after that.
Their next meeting would be two days later, but they only saw each other briefly for less than an hour before he returned to the barracks. The time after that would be their second night together, ten days later.
She and Jiang Yao only had ten days left.
…
Early the next morning, Xu Changxia watched as the sky outside brightened and sat up abruptly in bed.
She had thought all night long, unable to sleep a wink.
What to do next was now crystal clear in her mind.
First, she needed to return to the Xu family to retrieve something, then go to the barracks to find Jiang Yao.
Just as she finished washing up and changing clothes, a series of urgent knocks suddenly came from outside the door.
“Who is it?” Xu Changxia looked alertly toward the window beside the door.
“Miss Xu, it’s me. The Madam asked me to bring you two pots of hot water,” the person outside replied politely.
Xu Changxia recognized the voice—it was Chuan Ma, the Jiang family’s female butler.
In her previous life, Xu Changxia had woken up on her own and gone downstairs for breakfast.
The Jiang family had three or four servants, yet Chuan Ma had personally come to deliver hot water early in the morning. This was likely not just about delivering water.
“Coming,” Xu Changxia replied after a moment’s consideration.
“Let me change my clothes first.”
Two minutes later, she walked to the door and unlocked it.
As soon as she opened the door, she saw two people standing outside—Chuan Ma and Jiang Chi’s mother, Jiang Yihe.
Jiang Yihe was Jiang Yao’s stepmother. She had married into the Jiang family when Jiang Yao was five years old and later gave birth to Jiang Chi.
Jiang Yihe’s expression at this moment could only be described as extremely unpleasant.
The remaining servants of the Jiang family were also standing in the hallway.
Xu Changxia glanced at them, and alarm bells immediately rang in her mind.
Just then, Jiang Yihe took two quick steps toward her and swung a slap directly at her face.
Xu Changxia was mentally prepared and immediately raised her arm to block.
Jiang Yihe’s nails scraped fiercely across the back of her hand, and the area immediately burned with a searing pain.
“You little bitch! How dare you block with your hand!” Seeing Xu Changxia dodge, Jiang Yihe grew even more furious and swung another slap at her.
This time, Xu Changxia didn’t let her touch her, dodging again. Frowning tightly, she asked, “Auntie, what are you doing?”
“How dare you ask me!” Jiang Yihe pointed at her, furious and flustered. “Last night, Jiang Yao didn’t want you, and you actually dared to go seduce our Jiang Chi, even threatening him with a weapon! He’s lying in the hospital now. If anything happens to him, you just wait!”
“Did Jiang Chi tell you that?” Xu Changxia frowned and asked in return.
But Jiang Yihe ignored what she said, sneering disdainfully, “I’ll be honest with you. Jiang Yao doesn’t want you, and my son would never want a cheap, worn-out shoe like you either! Someone like you, in the old days, would have been thrown into a pig cage and drowned in a pond!”
Xu Changxia simply watched Jiang Yihe calmly.
In her past life, Jiang Yihe had never liked her and always made things difficult for her.
“Are you done?” She waited a moment before calmly asking in return.
“Do I look stupid to you?”
“What do you mean?” Jiang Yihe glanced her up and down.
“Would I give up a promising battalion commander fiancé for a good-for-nothing slacker from the compound who can’t even graduate? Do you think that’s possible?” Xu Changxia smiled slightly at her.
“You…” Jiang Yihe instantly flushed with anger and shame. “I don’t want to hear any more of your nonsense! All of you, go in and throw all her things out!”
“I’ll tell your Uncle Jiang about last night’s incident. From now on, don’t even think about this marriage with your Xu family!”
Xu Changxia watched as several people barged in aggressively. She didn’t stop them, stepping back two paces to give them space.
After all, no matter how she explained last night’s events, no one would believe she was innocent, so she might as well stay silent.
Besides, Jiang Yihe had come prepared, and there was no need for her to suffer here.
She watched as they rummaged through her room, pulling out the dowry she had brought and the betrothal gifts the Jiang family had previously given her.
Among them were a few antique items left to Jiang Yao by his biological mother before her death, which were quite valuable.
“Be careful, don’t break anything! These things need to be returned to the eldest young master!” Auntie Chuan warned the servants who were searching.
As she spoke, she spotted the sandalwood box containing the half-pound golden toad. Auntie Chuan and Jiang Yihe immediately exchanged a furtive glance before stepping forward to pick it up.
This was the most valuable item among the betrothal gifts. In her past life, Jiang Yihe had also taken this golden toad with its jade bead necklace from Xu Changxia’s hands early on.
Auntie Chuan carried the sandalwood box back to Jiang Yihe and handed it to her.
Just as Jiang Yihe was about to open it to inspect, Xu Changxia, watching their shameless expressions, couldn’t help but sneer, “Return it to Brother Yao?”
“It looks to me more like throwing meat buns to a dog.”
Exposed, Jiang Yihe shot her a fierce glare. “Who are you calling a dog?! Do you have no manners or upbringing? Someone like your mother could only raise a disgrace like you!”
Xu Changxia glanced expressionlessly at Jiang Yihe. “Insult me if you want, but don’t bring my mom into this.”
That glance inexplicably sent a shiver down Jiang Yihe’s spine.
How had Xu Changxia changed so much overnight? In previous meetings, she was clearly just as spineless as her mother, not even daring to speak in front of elders!
Xu Changxia turned and slowly took two steps toward Jiang Yihe.
Jiang Yihe was forced to instinctively retreat a step: “What are you doing!”
In her past life, Xu Changxia and her mother had been constantly bullied and trampled upon by Jiang Yihe. Even after her mother passed away, Jiang Yihe still loved to bring her up from time to time just to mock her.
But that was the past life. In this life, no one would ever be allowed to bully the two of them again!
Xu Changxia smiled faintly at Jiang Yihe and reached out her hand: “Give me back what’s mine. This is the betrothal gift Brother Yao gave to my family.”
“And Auntie, there’s no need for you to rush to identify yourself. Whoever has the heart to privately take these things, I’ll call them a dog. Could it be that you really want to take Brother Yao’s biological mother’s keepsakes for yourself?”
Jiang Yihe immediately shrieked: “What nonsense are you spouting! I’m keeping them safe for Jiang Yao! So you don’t just take them away without a word. After the engagement is broken off, the betrothal gifts must all be returned to our Jiang family!”
“Does Brother Yao himself know about breaking off the engagement?” Xu Changxia smiled again and retorted.
“After what you’ve done, if Jiang Yao finds out, do you think he’d still want you?” Jiang Yihe straightened her back again, sneering coldly: “If you have any shame at all, leave on your own. Don’t force me to make this known to everyone!”
After saying this, she turned to Chuan Ma and the other servants: “What are you still standing around for? Throw her and her worthless junk outside! Let all the neighbors see this shameless little tramp!!”
Chuan Ma and another tall, burly servant immediately stepped forward, each grabbing one of Xu Changxia’s arms.
Downstairs, hearing that something was wrong upstairs, the adjutant by Jiang Yao’s side rushed up in a single stride.
“Wait.” Jiang Yao reached out and stopped the adjutant, speaking in a low voice.
“But Mrs. Jiang brought so many people with her. Aren’t you afraid Miss Xu will be at a disadvantage?” Seeing Jiang Yao’s calm expression, the adjutant anxiously retorted.
“We’re this close, what is there to fear?” Jiang Yao replied indifferently.
Besides, Xu Changxia was his rightful fiancée. Jiang Yihe wouldn’t dare go too far.
Let her just try to lay a finger on Xu Changxia.
Xu Changxia didn’t seem like the type to just surrender without a fight.
And she wasn’t stupid. She probably wouldn’t deliberately provoke Jiang Yihe without any preparation either. He wanted to wait a little longer, to see how she would resolve this matter.