Chapter 72: Come and Snatch the Bride (15)
That night, under Jiang Zhiyan’s insistent requests, Xie Liaoyi stayed. She wisely locked the door, but forgot the window. Of course, she also never expected Jiang Zhiyan to climb through the window.
“Are you a dog?” Xie Liaoyi looked at Jiang Zhiyan, who had jumped in through the window. “Do you have any idea what floor we’re on? What if you fell? What if someone saw you?”
“Dogs are afraid of heights,” Jiang Zhiyan said seriously. “I’m more like a cute little kitten.”
“I have work tomorrow,” Xie Liaoyi said in a low voice.
“I’m not doing anything, just sleeping.” Jiang Zhiyan lay down beside Xie Liaoyi. “Every meeting is one less meeting we’ll have. I don’t know when I’ll see such a lucid Xie Liaoyi again.”
“Sweet talk.” Xie Liaoyi looked at Jiang Zhiyan and sternly warned, “No touching.”
“Mm, I’ll just hug you, I won’t do anything,” Jiang Zhiyan said solemnly.
Xie Liaoyi stared at Jiang Zhiyan for a while, then glanced at the time: “You better mean it.”
“Mm.”
Xie Liaoyi snuggled into Jiang Zhiyan’s arms and yawned. Jiang Zhiyan hugged her and nuzzled her hair.
She indeed didn’t do anything.
But Jiang Ciqiu, in the other room, still felt it. She stared at the ceiling.
Hadn’t she told Xie Liaoyi to lock the door! Why did she still let Jiang Zhiyan in! How could she be so weak-willed!
Jiang Ciqiu sighed, Old Xie’s self-control was even worse than hers. How old was she, and she still couldn’t resist such temptation.
Summer vacation arrived. Jiang Zhiyan had fewer exams than Jiang Ciqiu, so her vacation started earlier. Under Jiang Zhiyan’s strong persuasion, Xie Liaoyi moved in. It just so happened that her lease was expiring, saving her a lot of money, and a bigger apartment was more comfortable than a small one.
“I hope you two can behave yourselves,” Jiang Ciqiu said, her gaze shifting between them, her tone meaningful.
Logically, she shouldn’t be the only one who could feel the empathy. She strongly suspected that these two already knew about it, but because they were thick-skinned, they pretended they didn’t, and she suspected they might even secretly discuss her embarrassment.
As expected, thin-skinned people were at a disadvantage.
“Your look is getting creepier and creepier,” Jiang Zhiyan said.
Jiang Ciqiu shook her head and looked at Xie Liaoyi with a pained expression.
One takes on the qualities of one’s company. What had she, such a pure and thin-skinned person, gone through to become like this?
Xie Liaoyi: ?
Xie Liaoyi sensed Jiang Ciqiu’s emotions, feeling somewhat numb, not knowing what to say, and too lazy to explain.
Ever since the vacation started, Jiang Zhiyan had taken on the role of chauffeur, mainly driving Xie Liaoyi around, occasionally giving Jiang Ciqiu a ride. Jiang Ciqiu wanted to move closer to the company; this apartment was close to the school, but too far from the company.
“Now I truly believe you two are truly in love,” Jiang Ciqiu said. “Being able to wake up early during summer vacation to be a chauffeur and stick with it, your relationship must be extraordinary.”
“Your eyesight is bad, only realizing it’s true love now.” Jiang Zhiyan waved her hand.
“It would be even better if you could also drive me,” Jiang Ciqiu continued, looking at Jiang Zhiyan expectantly.
“It’s too far, someone’s picking you up, why should I drive you?”
“Love has disappeared!” Jiang Ciqiu said dramatically. “If you drove me, I would only have to act when I arrive at the company. If the chauffeur picks me up, I have to start acting as soon as I get in the car.”
“And they won’t even let me drive myself.” Jiang Ciqiu had tried to negotiate, but Father Rong said that having someone else drive allowed her to sleep on the way. Although that was true, she was afraid she would actually fall asleep, leading to uncontrollable situations.
Jiang Ciqiu was in despair. She had originally expected to experience the pain of working life in a few years, but she was already experiencing it now.
She had initially thought that this summer vacation would just be about “familiarizing” herself with the company, never expecting… they seemed eager for her to take over as soon as she graduated. Although she quickly learned how to handle many things, it was too tiring. Perhaps because she was too capable, she had more and more work recently. She was really curious about Father Rong’s health, but Jiang Zhiyan had said he would live to be ninety.
“When are we leaving?” Jiang Ciqiu asked. She wasn’t averse to working, but seeing her friends all going on trips, while she worked hard until eleven every night, was truly painful. If there was no comparison, she wouldn’t feel so bad, but those people, not only did they go on trips, they also had to drag her into their group chat to see their pictures.
“No more attachment?” Jiang Zhiyan raised an eyebrow and asked.
“I suspect you’re taking revenge on me,” Jiang Ciqiu narrowed her eyes.
What attachment? All she did every day was work, she didn’t even have time to think about anything else. She would occasionally be woken up in the middle of the night by the noises coming from Xie Liaoyi’s room, and she had to wash the bedsheets every few days, she was worried the housekeeper would think she had a problem.
Jiang Zhiyan didn’t drive Xie Liaoyi the next day. Jiang Ciqiu worked overtime until late at night and developed a fever. When she woke up at noon, she was a different person.
Jiang Zhiyan, holding a bowl of porridge, looked at the person in front of her, whose appearance hadn’t changed, but whose aura was unfamiliar. This was the first time she had encountered such a situation.
Literally worked herself into separation.
But… Xie Liaoyi wasn’t having an easy time either. Working at a Grade-A Tertiary Hospital, there were few opportunities to slack off, and she might even be woken up by phone calls in the middle of the night.
Jiang Zhiyan and Rong Ciqiu looked at each other in silence.
Fortunately, the other party had inherited part of Jiang Ciqiu’s memories, so she didn’t have to explain most things again. But after removing the memories related to “she and Xie Liaoyi are the same person,” from Rong Ciqiu’s perspective, things were truly bizarre.
Her younger sister, whom she wasn’t particularly close to, had found a girlfriend who looked exactly like her, their relationship had improved, and although her memories were lost, Rong Ciqiu still retained those feelings of jealousy and frustration.
The atmosphere was strange for a moment.
Jiang Zhiyan put down the bowl and walked out: “Since the soul fragment has separated from her, will her appearance change?”
“Mm, it will change gradually, she’ll still look a lot like Xie Liaoyi, but not exactly the same,” the System said.
“Then when are we leaving?”
“After completing your mission as a vicious female supporting character! Have you forgotten what you’re here for?” The System said loudly. “Or we can wait until the female lead takes over the company, we can leave once her career storyline is complete.”
Jiang Zhiyan touched her chin and opened the door again. Rong Ciqiu was still sitting on the bed, the confusion in her eyes still lingering: “Get some rest, you still have to go to work tomorrow after your fever subsides.”
Rong Ciqiu: …
“I’ve put your work documents on the table, you can look through them if you’re bored, just to pass the time.”
Rong Ciqiu’s eyes widened slightly, and she coughed softly. She really wanted to ask if the other party was being serious, but her manners prevented her from doing so.
Jiang Zhiyan closed the door again, waiting for Xie Liaoyi to call her during her lunch break.
“You called me, why aren’t you saying anything?” Jiang Zhiyan asked.
Xie Liaoyi, on the other end, covered her forehead, facing the window. If she hadn’t been at work when the Jiang Ciqiu fragment returned, she might have buried herself under the blankets to recover: “I’m a little embarrassed.”
The empathy had appeared much earlier than she expected, during the “muscle identification” session, and because the scene was too shocking, Jiang Ciqiu, who had lived for more than twenty years, had never experienced anything like that, so she remembered everything very clearly, including the details. Thinking about secretly washing the bedsheets made her feel her face burning up.
Jiang Zhiyan: ?
“Ahem, it’s fine, is everything okay on your end?” Xie Liaoyi asked, feigning composure.
“Besides being a bit confused, I’m fine, I never expected her to separate because of something like that.” Jiang Zhiyan chuckled. “Who would have thought a workaholic would be scared away by work? I thought she would separate because of us, not because of work.”
“Who wants to be a workaholic when they’re young, no… no one wants to be a workaholic.” Xie Liaoyi took a sip of water. “When are we leaving?”
Jiang Zhiyan said softly: “The System suggested I watch the female lead’s career storyline, I was planning to supervise her work, do you really want to leave? We can stay in this world a little longer, I can also…”
“Then let’s rest for a while longer, it’s fine.” Xie Liaoyi lowered her head. “I also want to spend more time with you, I really miss you.”
The corners of Jiang Zhiyan’s mouth turned up slightly: “Mm, then there’s no rush, I won’t supervise her anymore.”
Dinner seemed no different from usual, but the atmosphere was clearly different.
Fortunately, the female lead’s persona was stable. She ate while looking at her computer, handling work. She had been a little puzzled by the strange feelings of jealousy and frustration in her heart, but after being ruthlessly ordered to work by Jiang Zhiyan, Rong Ciqiu, who had no experience in love and had never liked anyone, realized she was probably jealous of Jiang Zhiyan’s leisure.
“Jiang Zhiyan,” Rong Ciqiu looked up.
“Hm?” Jiang Zhiyan looked up.
“Aren’t you bored during summer vacation? Come intern at the company, I’ll have someone arrange a position for you.”
“No,” Jiang Zhiyan refused decisively.
“Don’t you want to have a more fulfilling and rewarding summer vacation?”
“No.” Jiang Zhiyan continued to shake her head. As a veteran, she wouldn’t be fooled by such superficial remarks.
Rong Ciqiu looked back at the screen, slightly disappointed, but still not giving up: “Start working now, and you’ll be twenty years ahead of your classmates.”
“The female lead seems to be going crazy,” the System commented, then continued, “Well, although she has the memories, she’s never experienced it before, so for her, it’s no different from starting work right after birth, tragic, so tragic.”
Rong Ciqiu was a true workaholic. She quickly went from “passively working” to “actively working,” and to save time commuting and devote more energy to work, she temporarily moved out.
“Sister, take a break, don’t work so hard,” Jiang Zhiyan said with concern.
“I love work,” Rong Ciqiu patted Jiang Zhiyan’s shoulder. “Take care.”
Jiang Zhiyan watched Rong Ciqiu leave: “Her career progression is too fast, like flying, why is she in such a hurry… How many hours of sleep does she get a day?”
“Five and a half hours,” the System said. “Precisely five and a half hours.”
Jiang Zhiyan was speechless. Her intimacy with Xie Liaoyi had already accumulated to over 20,000. To be able to hold the wedding, Jiang Zhiyan had the System control Xie Liaoyi’s account while she was at work, completing all the intimacy-gaining quests. When Xie Liaoyi logged in, they just had to hold hands and go on dates, she knew Xie Liaoyi didn’t like doing quests.
“Why not have a real wedding?” Xie Liaoyi sat cross-legged on the bed, looking at the pictures on the tablet, all wedding design drafts drawn by Jiang Zhiyan.
“Adults make choices, both of us have to agree,” Jiang Zhiyan leaned closer to Xie Liaoyi, wanting to kiss her lips, but the other party deftly dodged.
“What’s wrong?” Jiang Zhiyan was a little confused.
“She said you should abstain for three months,” Xie Liaoyi said, a little embarrassed. “I think I should try to fulfill my childhood wish, sorry, there are still eighty-odd days left, please bear with it.”
Jiang Zhiyan: ???
“Wife, are you serious?” Jiang Zhiyan asked softly. “Not even a kiss? That’s too strict, we’re so close, can’t you make an exception?”
Jiang Zhiyan unbuttoned two buttons of her shirt, leaned against Xie Liaoyi, rested her head on her chest, and didn’t speak, just looked at her with watery eyes, gently scratching her palm.
Seeing Xie Liaoyi didn’t react, Jiang Zhiyan bit her lip, tears about to fall from her eyes.
Xie Liaoyi lowered her head and bit her lip, as if venting something, her movements lacking finesse, seemingly wanting to use force, but hesitant.
“You said I had no self-control, clearly you don’t either.”
“I didn’t kiss her, I bit her, are we having a split personality now?”
“No, it’s just that we haven’t fully merged yet, why does it only appear at times like this? I don’t see you during the day when I’m at work.”
“Don’t you know? It’s an obsession, it’s all your fault, you’re so bad.”
Jiang Zhiyan felt that Xie Liaoyi was slightly different today, for example, there was occasionally a flicker of novelty in her eyes, she was more easily embarrassed than usual, and she covered her face more frequently, reminding her of their first time.
Jiang Zhiyan was born without a sense of shame, but Xie Liaoyi was very shy. She had to turn off the lights, draw the curtains, making sure not a single ray of moonlight entered. If possible, she would rather hide under the blankets.
Later, they did try it under the blankets, and she wanted to escape, but because her limbs were weak and her mind was in a daze, she was trapped in the small space.
Jiang Zhiyan held Xie Liaoyi’s wrists, pinning them behind her back.
“Sister, I’ve been teaching myself to paint these past few days, do you want to see?”
Jiang Zhiyan took a clean brush from the table and dipped it in fresh dew. This brush was a prop she had exchanged from the System when she was rich, very suitable for “painting.” As long as she used a special liquid, it would show color. She didn’t know who designed it, but she liked it at first glance, and she knew Xie Liaoyi would definitely like it too.
The flower trembled, its stem also quivering.
With each stroke, it seemed like she could hear the mewing of a kitten. Jiang Zhiyan looked at her expression and covered Xie Liaoyi’s eyes.
“Guessing game, sister, what flower am I painting now?”
“Peony…” Xie Liaoyi randomly guessed, her mind too muddled to think clearly, being able to recall one flower was already impressive.
“Which kind?” Jiang Zhiyan continued to ask. “There are many varieties of peonies, you have to be more specific.”
“I don’t know.”
“What’s the punishment? Is it to make sister guess five more times?” Jiang Zhiyan said somewhat helplessly, her voice laced with a mischievous smile.
“Didn’t you say you were going to show me? How can I know if you don’t let me see?” Xie Liaoyi’s voice was weak.
A minute later, the two were sitting in front of the mirror in the dressing room.
Jiang Zhiyan had directly painted a peony, her skill masterful.
“It’s a good thing she moved out,” Jiang Zhiyan whispered, kissing Xie Liaoyi’s earlobe. “It’s so hard to please sister, I’ll have to think of more tricks next time.”
Xie Liaoyi, already exhausted, had closed her eyes. Hearing Jiang Zhiyan’s words, she forced her eyes open and looked at her in shock.
“The good sister at home, or the good sister outside?” Jiang Zhiyan asked, arranging the hair by Xie Liaoyi’s temples.
“How many good sisters do you have?” Xie Liaoyi closed her eyes again. “I want to take a shower.”
“Mm.” Jiang Zhiyan carried Xie Liaoyi, smiling inwardly, and didn’t ask any more questions.
Xie Liaoyi glanced at the mess in the dressing room, then looked away: “Tidy up before you go to bed tonight.”
“It’s almost morning already.”
Xie Liaoyi looked at the clock on the wall and punched Jiang Zhiyan’s arm twice, but because she had no strength, it felt more like a caress.
Jiang Zhiyan helped Xie Liaoyi clean up, tidied the bed, and then cleaned the walk-in closet. By the time she finished and came back, the sun had already risen. She returned to Xie Liaoyi’s side, lay down, and pulled her into her arms. Her movements weren’t gentle, but Xie Liaoyi showed no signs of waking up.
Because of Xie Liaoyi’s words, Jiang Zhiyan became even busier.
She informed the Rong family about the wedding and chose the Rong family’s private island as the venue. She didn’t need many guests; she only wanted to enjoy the ceremony with Xie Liaoyi. After all, she didn’t know if the guests would truly bless them.
Rong Ciqiu didn’t understand why Jiang Zhiyan and Xie Liaoyi had already set a wedding date within just one summer vacation, and she hadn’t heard anything about it.
“Focus on your career before starting a family. Since you’re getting married, come to the company, it’s time for your senior internship anyway,” Rong Ciqiu said. “Come and help me.”
“No.” Jiang Zhiyan didn’t understand what this person’s obsession was.
Rong Ciqiu looked at Jiang Zhiyan sincerely: “There’s a subsidiary that perfectly matches your major.”
“Don’t even think about it, handle your own affairs,” Jiang Zhiyan waved her hand dismissively.
Rong Ciqiu left disappointed again. Jiang Zhiyan couldn’t guarantee what the original owner would do after they left, so it was best not to join the company. She was considering disappearing with Xie Liaoyi. The body Xie Liaoyi was currently using was part of a soul fragment, so it would disappear when they left.
Liang Yan had come looking for her a few times, but his attitude was completely different from the one in the novel. He apologized and offered gifts, his expression showing no unwillingness.
He had also looked for Rong Ciqiu, waiting at her door several times, and even went to the complex where she was currently living. However, Rong Ciqiu hadn’t noticed him at all. If others hadn’t told her, she might never have known about it. Of course, after knowing, she didn’t react at all.
Jiang Zhiyan had initially thought that after Jiang Ciqiu left, the male and female leads’ relationship would restart, but it didn’t. The two met, learned each other’s game identities, and then became rivals. It was a healthy competition, but it seemed to have nothing to do with romance.
Several months passed. When Rong Ciqiu and Xie Liaoyi stood together, there were already noticeable differences in their faces, but because of the world’s self-correcting mechanism, none of the NPCs noticed these changes.
“I’ll write a commendation letter to the world consciousness later,” Jiang Zhiyan said. “Good world consciousnesses should be encouraged and set as examples.”
System: …
The in-game wedding came earlier than the real-life wedding. Jiang Zhiyan and Xie Liaoyi didn’t have any friends in the game, but Rong Ciqiu had many, and they all came. There were no special requirements to attend their wedding; anyone could enter as long as they offered their blessings. And this wedding had a server-wide announcement, which meant they had spent a lot of money on it, so many people came.
“Why are you so down?” Jiang Zhiyan looked at Xie Liaoyi. “Are you going to cry?”
Xie Liaoyi sniffed: “They didn’t notice the difference in Rong Ciqiu, I feel bad.”
“Then take a moment to compose yourself.” Jiang Zhiyan pulled Xie Liaoyi into her arms. “I can tell the difference between you two.”
“I’m okay.” Xie Liaoyi wiped away her tears and looked at Jiang Zhiyan with some exasperation.
“Haven’t you merged yet?” Jiang Zhiyan chuckled.
“She always appears at special moments, she said she wanted to participate in this wedding, but she’s already participating like this…” Xie Liaoyi looked at Jiang Zhiyan. “It’s all because you keep provoking her.”
“Is this really not a split personality?” Jiang Zhiyan frowned.
“It’s not, I’m sure of it.” Xie Liaoyi turned her head and looked at the mirror. “She just wants to annoy you.”
“Why?” Jiang Zhiyan didn’t think she was that evil.
“Because you’re playing favorites, this wedding should be mine, you’ve already been married so many times, make it up to my young heart, you know I can feel it… you keep doing it, and you don’t include me, it’s too much.”
“Include you? You wanted to join in? I thought you were embarrassed.” Jiang Zhiyan looked like she suddenly understood.
Xie Liaoyi’s expression changed drastically, she covered her mouth, and after a while, put her hand down: “Her independent consciousness is indeed a bit too strong…”
“I was too conservative.” Jiang Zhiyan sighed.
Xie Liaoyi glanced at the time and punched Jiang Zhiyan twice, wanting to push her out. Jiang Zhiyan lowered her head and kissed Xie Liaoyi’s lips before leaving.
Weddings in Cultivation Online involved the couple walking up ninety-nine steps together, then signing a Dao Companion contract under the witness of the “Heavenly Dao.” The wedding venue varied depending on how much money was spent. Jiang Zhiyan chose the most expensive venue, the closest place to the sky in the entire game, and also Xie Liaoyi’s favorite place. Everything here was designed and decorated by Jiang Zhiyan herself.
Jiang Zhiyan held Xie Liaoyi’s hand and stepped onto the first step. It was night, but the sky was as bright as day because of the constantly exploding fireworks.
“How many times is this?” Jiang Zhiyan whispered.
“Eight hundred and twenty-seven.”
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