Chapter 68: I'll Help You Put It On Again

Source: http://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5896087
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.

The black night was like a net woven with stars and moonlight. It carried its own silence and was inlaid on the bay window of the huge room.

Wei Qingyu, whose secret was exposed by a scheming maid, stood helpless at the door. The girl she had always trusted had now become her judge. No one could defend her.  

The light in Ji Xiao’s sight somehow became glaring.  

She looked at Wei Qingyu’s hand resting on the door frame. That snow-white skin, warm like jade, had a faint red hue. Several scarlet scratches were exposed naked in the air, like torn silk brocade, making people feel distressed just looking at it.  

"Come here." Ji Xiao said as she waved at Wei Qingyu.  

Her voice sounded a little low as if she was holding back anger.

Wei Qingyu didn't know if Ji Xiao was angry because she found out she had been lying to her about studying these past days or because she had disloyal thoughts toward her father in this house. Her voice and steps were a little uneasy.  

But she didn't expect that the moment she stood in front of Ji Xiao, Ji Xiao would take her hand.  

The Alpha's low voice softened a little. Ji Xiao asked, "Which hand did she use to hurt you?"  

Wei Qingyu looked at the marks on the back of her hand, left from fighting with the maid over the phone. She was dazed for a moment.  

She realized Ji Xiao's anger didn't seem to be because she had secretly studied business knowledge but because of the scratches on the back of her hand.

But everything happened so suddenly. That maid rushed in like she was ready and snatched her phone. Wei Qingyu couldn't remember which hand it was, so she just shook her head lightly and said, "I forgot."  

Hearing this, Ji Xiao let go of Wei Qingyu's hand and said, "Alright, sit down first."  

Wei Qingyu nodded in confusion and walked to the nearest bench at the foot of the bed to sit down.  

But before she could sit firmly, a crisp and piercing sound rang in her ears.  

"Slap!"  

The light cast Ji Xiao's shadow onto the soft carpet at Wei Qingyu's feet. It was tall and straight.

Only that slender arm was in her sight, raised high before it suddenly swung down, stirring up a swift breeze.  

The maid, who had been so aggressive just moments ago, instantly fell to the ground.  

A glaring red palm print stood out on her once-clean face.  

Alphas were generally stronger than Omegas and Betas, especially since this maid was an Omega. With just a bit of force from Ji Xiao, she couldn't take it and collapsed.  

Her narrow skirt wrapped around her slender legs, and her reddened knees, paired with her lowered face, made her look completely helpless—like she was waiting for someone to pity her.

If Wei Qingyu hadn't just seen how she snatched her phone, even she would have believed it.  

"Miss..." The maid looked at Ji Xiao in disbelief, her eyes brimming with tears, her voice trembling.  

She was the maid Ji Qingyun stuffed in after Ji Xiao killed the chicken to warn the monkey*, meant to spy and deliver messages.  

*to punish someone as a warning to others

But for more than half a year, Ji Xiao and Wei Qingyu had been quiet, with nothing worth passing on. She, who was once held at the tip of Ji Qingyun’s heart, was now almost forgotten.  

She had finally waited for such a big flaw from Wei Qingyu. She thought this time she could earn merit on both sides, but she didn't expect to take such a slap from Ji Xiao as soon as she stepped forward.  

The maid couldn't understand. Ji Xiao, who used to believe whatever the Sir said, why would she now slap her for Wei Qingyu?

No matter how much Ji Xiao had spoiled Wei Qingyu over the past half year, for something that crossed the line like this, shouldn't she have dragged Wei Qingyu to the basement's dark room like before?  

"She is the young miss of this house. Do you think you can touch her whenever you want?"  

Before the maid could figure it out, Ji Xiao’s ice-cold voice came from right in front of her.  

The maid suddenly lifted her face, only to see a pair of golden-orange eyes frighteningly close.  

In an instant, she felt like a mouse thrown into a cave, waiting to be tortured and killed by a giant dragon. Her fragile heart pounded violently in her chest, so hard that it felt like the bones in her chest were about to shatter.

Right now, let alone saying a full sentence, the maid could not even manage a single word or movement.  

Ji Xiao crouched in front of the maid with a heavy expression. Her scarred arm rested on her knee, making her look a bit like the twisted original owner from before.  

Seeing that the maid still was not responding, she reached out her left hand and pinched the maid’s face with interest, then asked, “This is my house. If you want to listen to my dad, you can go to the Ji family’s old residence. What’re you trying to do, coming here and using my dad to pressure me?”  

"I actually don’t know now, does what I say in my own place no longer count?"

Saying that, Ji Xiao let go of the maid’s chin in disgust.

She actually knew very well that she shouldn’t be this angry.  

But when she saw the scratches on Wei Qingyu’s hand, the fire inside her flared up instantly.  

Alphas were always like this—the more it involved someone they cherished, the more they lost their reason.  

The maid looked at Ji Xiao’s back. Struggling, she finally managed to stammer out a sentence from her throat, “M-m-miss… Miss.”  

“M-m-m-miss?” Ji Xiao sneered, fiddling with her phone as she asked, “How many ‘M’s are there?”

“O-One…” the maid continued to stammer in response.  

“Oh, so you can count?” Ji Xiao looked at her and tossed her phone over.  

The heavy rectangular object landed with a “thud,” grazing the maid’s nose before dropping right in front of her.  

The dangerous aura of an Alpha surrounded her at all times. Just then, a woman’s voice played from the phone in her hand.  

“Alright, let’s take a look at a few of the current liquor-related funds…”  

Ji Xiao pulled out her chair and sat down. “Open your eyes and take a good look. Is this person the same ‘Teacher Feng’ from Wei Qingyu’s phone?”

"I’m telling you, I was the one who told Wei Qingyu to study. So what? I’ve been losing money on funds for days. If she doesn’t learn, are you going to learn and teach me?"  

By the time Ji Xiao finished speaking, her voice had lost much of its anger.  

But when the maid saw her face being lifted by a palm—with those downturned eyes, and the corners of her lips curling into a faint smile—she felt a chill run through her heart.  

The terrifying pheromones this Alpha was releasing made the maid feel like her insides were about to be crushed.  

Yet, as Wei Qingyu sat on the bench at the foot of the bed, she felt an unprecedented sense of security.  

The girl who should have been judging her had stepped down from the judge’s seat and was now standing before this lowly person, openly protecting the convicted criminal who had been caught red-handed.  

Blatantly biased, blatantly fabricating evidence.

The scent of peach brandy, carrying its owner's fury, swept sharply through Wei Qingyu's throat, making her feel an exhilarating rush.  

At that moment, a series of hurried, chaotic footsteps echoed from the hallway outside. Aunt Wu stopped at the doorway, stunned by the scene before her, and quickly asked, "Miss, what happened?"  

Ji Xiao closed her eyes briefly, then pointed at the maid by the door. "Fire her. Ban her from the industry."  

The maid instantly panicked. Being blacklisted meant she would never be able to work in this field again.  

But this is her livelihood!  

The maid pleaded anxiously, "Miss! Please don’t do this! Miss..."

Seeing that Ji Xiao was ignoring her, the maid desperately turned to Wei Qingyu, who was sitting not far away and pleaded, "I'm sorry, Miss Wei, I was wrong. I'm sorry, I won't do it again… Please have mercy on me. I'm just like you. My parents left me at a young age too…"  

Her tearful, pitiful appearance was a stark contrast to the arrogant way she had barged into the room earlier.  

Hearing the maid compare herself to her, Wei Qingyu's fingers tightened on her lap, clutching the pure white cotton fabric until it creased.  

Seeing this, Ji Xiao turned to Aunt Wu at the door and ordered, "What are you standing there for? Have you forgotten how to do your job?"  

"Tell the others—if anyone dares to look down on Wei Qingyu again, their fate will be exactly the same as hers."  

Ji Xiao's voice was eerily calm, yet Aunt Wu felt a chilling darkness she couldn't quite describe.

She had never seen her Young Miss this angry before. Hearing Ji Xiao’s words, Aunt Wu nodded quickly and said, “Yes, Miss.”  

She then grabbed the maid and dragged her out of the room. The door closed with a soft "click," and the room, which had been so noisy just moments ago, became quiet again.  

Ji Xiao let out a slow breath, picked up Wei Qingyu’s phone from the table, and handed it back to her. “See if it’s broken.”  

Wei Qingyu took the phone, looked at it briefly, then shook her head. “No, it’s fine. Thank you.”  

Seeing Wei Qingyu slowly calm down, Ji Xiao leaned against the table and asked directly, “You’ve been so tired these days—have you been learning this?”  

Wei Qingyu’s fingers tightened slightly around the phone before she said as if admitting it, “It just feels unfamiliar now. I’ll get used to it in a few days.”

Then, she asked, “Ji Xiao, why are you helping me? Won’t Uncle blame you when he finds out?”  

Ji Xiao waved her hand, pretending not to care. “You know what my dad’s like. He won’t.”  

And even if he does, so what?  

This place is far from his reach, and with her protecting Wei Qingyu, what could that daughter-slave do?  

Besides, even if he didn’t want Wei Qingyu to learn these things, could he take out what was already in her head and take it back?

"From now on, just study at home openly. Don’t sneak around at night. Staying up late is bad for your health," Ji Xiao said.  

Source: http://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5896087
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.

"Mm." Wei Qingyu nodded. The uneasiness she felt just now was suddenly replaced with a sense of security.  

The scent of peach brandy settled deep in her heart, making her trust the person in front of her even more.  

Wei Qingyu: "Thank you, Ji Xiao." 

"What are you thanking me for?" Ji Xiao said. "You’ll be an adult early next year, and my dad will have to return the company inheritance he’s been keeping for you. You’ll have to learn this stuff sooner or later, so you might as well start early. Who knows what weird ideas my dad will get? Just ignore him."

When Wei Qingyu heard Ji Xiao's words, she suddenly felt like Ji Xiao understood everything yet pretended not to.  

She looked at the girl in front of her and realized that the closer she got to her, the harder it was to understand what she was thinking. The experiences she had from being around her in the past were completely useless now.  

After hesitating for a moment, Wei Qingyu asked, "Ji Xiao, do you really not plan to take over your family's company and be a teacher instead?"

Ji Xiao nodded and laid it out for Wei Qingyu, "Mm. Look, I've been watching a lot of this Teacher Feng's stuff on economics and finance lately. Even though I can predict how these funds will perform pretty accurately, I really just have no interest in this industry."  

"Maybe people like me, who are sensitive to numbers, are just meant to be ordinary math teachers."  

She had only ended up in this world by accident. She never thought she would one day stand this high or have so much wealth in her hands. 

Living a simple and ordinary life had always been her biggest goal. It was only because of Wei Qingyu that she kept wanting to break free from fate again and again.

As for inheriting Ji Qingyun’s company, it was not a necessary link in her and Wei Qingyu’s fate.  

Instead, it was something that should be abandoned.  

"Besides, don’t you think I looked just like a teacher scolding a student just now?" Ji Xiao asked with a smug smile.  

Wei Qingyu couldn't help but smile as well. Feeling more at ease, she teased, "Then you were a little too fierce just now. You would scare the students."  

Ji Xiao pretended to think for a moment, then nodded heavily. "Mm… I lost control."  

As she spoke, she looked at Wei Qingyu.  

In that brief exchange of gazes, Wei Qingyu clearly saw the message hidden in the girl's eyes.

—Because the one who got hurt was you, so I lost control.

The light cast Ji Xiao’s shadow onto Wei Qingyu’s shoulder, and her hand happened to fall right into her palm.  

Wei Qingyu looked at the smile on Ji Xiao’s face. The heroic brows carried a different impression from what she remembered.  

It was gentle, interesting, and reassuring.  

The interplay of light and shadow traced a golden glow around Ji Xiao’s silhouette.  

Wei Qingyu felt as if she was seeing a Ji Xiao from another world—different from the past, yet even more captivating.

….

On a weekend morning, a sudden small rain came, pattering down. The roses at the door bent under the water droplets, and the air was full of fresh rain and flower scent.  

Ji Xiao lay on her bed, ignoring the alarm clock and swimming in her dream, but she was woken up by knocking on the door.  

Aunt Wu: "Miss, Sir is already waiting downstairs."  

When Ji Xiao heard the word "sir," she immediately opened her eyes from her comfortable bed.  

She did not remember Aunt Wu or Ji Qingyun saying that he would come today.  

Why so sudden?  

Ji Xiao, full of doubts, changed into a set of clothes and opened the door. Just as she was about to ask, she saw Aunt Wu standing at the door, holding a black qipao.  

"Miss, this is today's clothes."

Ji Xiao looked at the dress that didn’t match her style and said, "I think what I’m wearing is just fine."  

"Miss, it's better not to be willful today." Aunt Wu persuaded, for some reason, her voice was more serious than usual.  

Ji Xiao was really confused but still followed Aunt Wu’s advice and went back to her room to change.  

It was a short-sleeved qipao, pure black, with even the buttons at the collar wrapped in black fabric.  

Light reflected off the smooth satin, and the dark patterns on the fabric looked like ink spilled on paper, twisting and turning like a long river trying to drown people.  

This qipao was made with great care. The delicate fabric clung to Ji Xiao’s body like skin.  

Cool and soft, extremely light—even someone like her, who didn’t like wearing this kind of clothing, really liked it.

She didn’t know why, but the qipao collar, which fit snugly around her neck, pressed against her skin uncomfortably.  

Even when Ji Xiao pushed open the door and stepped out of her room, her inexperience kept her from adjusting the discomfort.  

The low-heeled leather shoes tapped against the hardwood floor, and at that moment, the door to Wei Qingyu’s room opened from the inside.  

Wei Qingyu, who usually hid away whenever Ji Qingyun visited the house, stepped out on her own this time. She looked at Ji Xiao’s departing figure and softly called, "Ji Xiao."  

"Mm?" Ji Xiao stopped immediately at the sound.  

The warm corridor light fell on her, making the dark patterns on the black fabric shift subtly.

The smooth fabric showed no seams, making the girl’s narrow waist look even more delicate.  

Ji Xiao’s long hair, casually tucked behind her ear, blended seamlessly with the pure black fabric, untouched by any softness. It highlighted the Alpha’s tall and sharp presence perfectly.  

But her fingers were still caught at her collar, constantly adjusting it, making her look both casual and slightly out of place.  

Wei Qingyu glanced at the frog buttons on Ji Xiao’s collar and immediately understood. "Uncomfortable?"  

"Mm." Ji Xiao nodded, a little embarrassed. "…The collar’s itchy."  

It was her first time wearing something like this in front of Wei Qingyu.  

"I’ll help you put it on again," Wei Qingyu said, stepping a little closer.

The light scent of mint, mixed with the fresh smell of morning rain, fell onto Ji Xiao as her collar was unbuttoned.  

She tensed up slightly, secretly lowering her gaze. Her golden-orange eyes peeked at Wei Qingyu’s rare initiative.  

That silky black hair felt like a guiding line, gradually revealing the girl's shoulder, neck, and back.  

Cool fingers carefully undid the buttons, leaving a trail of heat on Ji Xiao’s throat.  

In just a moment, once Wei Qingyu fastened the buttons again, the discomfort vanished.  

She looked at the girl draped in black, a flicker of unreadable emotion passing through her eyes. "Alright, go and come back soon."  

Her voice was as calm as always, yet it seemed to carry a hidden trace of worry.  

Ji Xiao wasn’t sure if she understood or not, but after nodding at Wei Qingyu, she turned and went downstairs.

The rain outside had lightened, but the sky was still covered in dark clouds.  

Ji Xiao felt like today was some special occasion everyone in the house knew about—everyone except her, since she had none of the original owner’s memories.  

She stayed silent, trying not to give herself away. Under the bodyguards’ umbrellas, she walked to the black Rolls-Royce parked at the entrance.  

Unlike the others, Ji Qingyun still greeted her with a warm smile, as if today wasn’t anything out of the ordinary.  

Ji Xiao obediently greeted him back, lifting her qipao slightly as she got into the car.  

As the rain-swept scenery passed by outside the window, she noticed the towering buildings gradually fading from view. In their place, low-rise structures appeared, eventually giving way to an endless stretch of freshly washed green.

Ji Xiao felt like she had a hunch about something. She hesitantly asked, “Dad, where are we going?”  

Ji Qingyun still had a smile on his face. He gently patted Ji Xiao’s hand without a hint of blame and said, “Of course, we’re going to see your mom. Did you forget, Xiaoxiao?”