Ji Qiuyang’s words were resolute. The initial flicker of suspicion, solidified by Jiang Jingyi’s reaction, became a certainty. If the person before him were the former Jiang Jingyi, hearing these words wouldn’t have elicited such calm composure. She would have likely panicked and started a scene long ago. He pursed his lips and looked at Jiang Jingyi, asking again, “Who… are you, really?”
“I am Jiang Jingyi.” A playful smile still lingered on Jiang Jingyi’s lips, but inside, her emotions were churning like ocean waves. “I have been Jiang Jingyi all along.”
A man this intelligent was undeniably attractive. Jiang Jingyi suddenly felt an impulse to confess everything to Ji Qiuyang.
When she had first transmigrated, she wasn’t without fear or panic. Faced with trepidation, Jiang Jingyi had forced herself to confront it calmly, using her teasing of Ji Qiuyang to bolster her own confidence.
But deep down, she was still afraid. In this ancient era where men dominated and women’s status was low, how difficult would it be for her to simply survive?
Visibly, Jiang Jingyi’s shoulders sagged slightly. She was almost afraid to look at Ji Qiuyang, her voice, when it came, was a low, heavy sound from deep within her chest. “What if I’m not Jiang Jingyi? What would you do then?”
What would he do?
Ji Qiuyang was taken aback. He hadn’t considered that question himself.
Earlier, it had all been speculation. Now, with confirmation, he felt somewhat at a loss.
He couldn’t quite articulate the feeling in his heart. Amidst the shock, there was even a faint trace of relief. He was relieved that the Jiang Jingyi before him was no longer that original woman.
For an instant, a powerful desire even surged within him: since the person was no longer the original, why not just let this mistake continue? A man would eventually take a wife. If one day she truly fulfilled her promise and left the Ji family, where would she go?
She definitely wouldn’t return to the Jiang family. If she could no longer stay with the Ji family either…
Ji Qiuyang’s heart softened. When his gaze fell upon Jiang Jingyi, it was somewhat dazed. It seemed that since their wedding day, this was the first time he had seen her so helpless. He even somewhat regretted asking the question.
Judging by her appearance, she probably hadn’t wanted to come into this body either. Even a wandering spirit would have more freedom if it could choose for itself.
“Let’s go. Let’s look elsewhere.” As he spoke, Ji Qiuyang placed the last bit of fungus into the basket and walked on ahead.
Jiang Jingyi’s whole body trembled. She looked at Ji Qiuyang in disbelief, but only saw his straight back.
Slowly, a smile formed on her lips. This man truly was a gentleman. This somewhat stuffy ancient person had such a high level of acceptance, which made her seem somewhat petty in comparison.
Even more remarkably, Ji Qiuyang didn’t press her about where she came from or what kind of person she used to be. Unconsciously, a slight warmth bloomed in her heart. Perhaps transmigrating wasn’t such an unbearable thing after all.
But regardless, a weight had been lifted from her heart, and her steps became much lighter. Seeing Ji Qiuyang walking away, she quickly lifted her skirt and chased after him. “Hey, at least wait for me! What if a wild boar or something comes charging out?”
Ji Qiuyang didn’t turn his head. “That would be the wild boar’s bad luck.”
Despite his words, he did stop and wait for her.
Jiang Jingyi caught up, glanced at him, and then asked, “Aren’t you even going to ask where I came from? What if I’m a fox spirit or a wandering spirit possessing someone? Aren’t you scared? What if I turn malicious, suck out your essence while you sleep, or harm your family? Aren’t you worried?”
Perhaps knowing that Ji Qiuyang wouldn’t do anything to her, Jiang Jingyi’s teasing nature resurfaced.
Ji Qiuyang’s head throbbed, and he frowned. “Can you just be quiet for once?”
Jiang Jingyi blinked, her expression somewhat innocent.
Ji Qiuyang sighed. “If you really wanted to suck my essence, would you have waited until today to ask? If you wanted to harm my family, would you have taught them how to make tofu skin and sprout beans? Do you really think I’m stupid?”
“No.” Jiang Jingyi couldn’t help but smile. “You’re a gentleman. But…”
She grinned. “But teasing you is so much fun. What if I can’t help it?”
The veins on Ji Qiuyang’s forehead pulsed. After a long moment, he pressed his hand to his forehead. What had he been thinking just now? He’d actually considered just living peacefully with her from now on… But now?
“Alright, alright, I’ll stop.” Jiang Jingyi reached out and gently shook his arm, a smile playing on her lips, her tone coquettish. “Okay, don’t be angry now~”
The girl’s bright smile carried a mix of teasing and charm. Ji Qiuyang’s vision blurred for a moment as he momentarily lost focus. “Let’s go.”
Jiang Jingyi glanced at the arm she was still holding and couldn’t help but smile. This man wasn’t so hard to handle after all.
In reality, Ji Qiuyang’s entire body was tense. He wasn’t unaware that Jiang Jingyi was still holding his arm, yet he hadn’t pulled away. Even he found it surprising.
The further they went, the denser the trees became, and the cooler it got. Jiang Jingyi asked suspiciously, “Are the vines deep in the mountains?”
Ji Qiuyang didn’t answer, instead looking ahead and saying, “We’re almost there.”
Jiang Jingyi looked up and saw a patch of wild strawberries not far away, already ripe and a beautiful, vibrant red.
She couldn’t help but turn to look at Ji Qiuyang, but his expression remained indifferent, as if lost in thought.
Jiang Jingyi let go of him and went ahead. She tore off a few large leaves from a nearby tree and placed the wild strawberries she picked onto them.
There were many strawberries in this patch, and Jiang Jingyi had picked quite a few in a short time. Ji Qiuyang came over to help, and Jiang Jingyi smiled at him. “You’re actually pretty nice, you know. Why do you have to act so aloof all the time?”
Ji Qiuyang glanced at her without a word, and Jiang Jingyi understood. He was probably so annoyed with her that he didn’t want to engage.
Fine, she’d stop talking. In her previous life, Jiang Jingyi was used to being alone, a single woman. Suddenly having a man she called ‘husband’ in this life felt novel and amusing, so she had chattered on quite a bit.
After picking some strawberries, the basket was nearly full. The two began to head back. Jiang Jingyi asked, “Aren’t we cutting vines?”
Ji Qiuyang replied, “There are vines at the foot of the mountain.”
Jiang Jingyi paused, then felt a warmth in her heart. So, Ji Qiuyang had brought her into the mountains just to pick mushrooms and strawberries?
Her expression turned complex, and she suddenly felt a bit guilty. Maybe she shouldn’t have teased him so much.
“What’s wrong?” Ji Qiuyang’s expression was calm, but Jiang Jingyi noticed the tips of his ears were slightly red.
Jiang Jingyi shook her head, then suddenly said, “You’re a good person.”
Ji Qiuyang was taken aback, but Jiang Jingyi didn’t elaborate.
The walk back was unusually quiet, and Ji Qiuyang found it a bit unsettling. He glanced at Jiang Jingyi and noticed her brow was slightly furrowed, her lips pressed together, as if she was deep in thought.
“You…” Before Ji Qiuyang could finish, he suddenly saw the leaves beside them rustle. He quickly gripped his sickle and pulled Jiang Jingyi behind him. “Careful!”
Startled, Jiang Jingyi saw a wild boar, weighing over a hundred jin, burst out from the undergrowth, this made her froze. She had joked earlier about encountering a wild boar, and now they actually had!
The universe was playing a joke on her!
“I’ll hold off the boar. You run.” Ji Qiuyang put his basket on the ground, tightened his grip on the sickle, and stared intently at the medium-sized wild boar.
Jiang Jingyi was astonished. He was planning to face the boar alone and let her escape?
Despite her fear of death, she couldn’t bear to let a scholar like him fight a wild boar by himself. She scanned the area and spotted a fallen tree just a few steps away. An idea struck her. “You stall for time. I’ll go break off a stick.”
“What are you planning to do?” Ji Qiuyang didn’t turn around, but he scolded her. “This is no time for heroics…”
“I’m strong.” Jiang Jingyi interrupted him as she slowly backed away. “I can help you take it down. Wild boars are much stronger than domestic pigs. You have no chance against it on your own.”
Pursing her lips, she squatted down and used all her strength to snap a branch as thick as her arm. In the next instant, the wild boar screeched and charged at Ji Qiuyang.
Jiang Jingyi’s heart leaped into her throat. She broke the branch in half, leaving a stick just over a meter long, and charged toward the boar.
Time to throw down!
Although Ji Qiuyang was relatively strong and held a sickle, he was no match for the wild boar. As he dodged, his sickle didn’t even graze the animal’s fur. Frustrated by being blocked, the boar bared its teeth, snarled, and charged again.
Just as Ji Qiuyang was sure they were done for, Jiang Jingyi suddenly appeared, raising her stick and bringing it down hard on the boar’s head.
How could such a flimsy stick possibly…
Before he could finish the thought, he saw the boar that had been charging at him crumple mid-air and fall to the ground with a thud. The animal seemed dazed from the blow. It tried to get up, only to collapse again.
“What are you standing there for? Use your sickle!” Jiang Jingyi, facing a wild boar for the first time, was both excited and terrified. She hadn’t expected that first strike to actually work.
After shouting, she raised her stick and brought it down on the boar’s head again. This time, the boar couldn’t get up at all.
Ji Qiuyang snapped back to reality, grabbed his sickle, and slit the boar’s throat. Blood gushed out.
As he breathed a sigh of relief, he heard Jiang Jingyi mutter, “What a waste. Pig’s blood is delicious too.”
Ji Qiuyang: “…”
Even at a life-or-death moment, she was thinking about food!
**