Chapter 28  

Xu Lianqiao had been waiting in the house for two days, eagerly hoping for someone to return. On the third day, someone finally came back early.

Over the past two days, every time she heard any noise outside the courtyard gate, Xu Lianqiao rushed to the door to see if it was him. However, when the person actually arrived, she could hardly believe it.

“Ah Qiao.”

When the person spoke, Xu Lianqiao realized what she was doing. She smiled, lifted her skirt, and ran towards the one she had been longing for.

“You… you’re back. Is everything okay? Did something happen?” she asked.

The sun was growing warmer, the wind rustled through the trees, and the leaves of the jujube tree next to them began to fall.

Xu Lianqiao looked at the person in front of her…

Fortunately, he was fully dressed, just having changed clothes.

After hearing so many questions from her, the visitor seemed taken aback for a moment. He stared at her for a long time before speaking again: “It’s fine…”

When he met her hopeful gaze, he added, “It’s fine, just a little tired…”

He didn’t seem eager to answer her questions.

“Oh…”

Xu Lianqiao was a little disappointed. She had been waiting for him to tell her more, but seeing his face, it was clear that he was truly exhausted. She shouldn’t be too impatient.

There was a quiet pause between them…

“Then you should rest quickly. Don’t worry about me. I’m fine.”

Unexpectedly, just after she spoke, Xu Lianqiao felt someone pull at her wrist. Before she could react, she heard the man say, “I’m so tired. Can I rest here for a while?”

Xu Lianqiao thought she had misheard, but when she looked into his eyes—tired and filled with loneliness—she couldn’t bring herself to refuse.

“Oh… okay.”

He followed her into the house. Before she could leave, he took off his shoes and coat and lay on her bed. The skin behind her ears turned a little red.

She could only pour herself a glass of water to calm herself.

He lay on the bed, turned to his side, and looked at her.

Her fair cheeks were slightly flushed, like peach blossoms in early spring.

He looked at her with longing, afraid that she would disappear the next moment.

“Do you like this yard?”

Xu Lianqiao, thinking he was still tired, was about to drink her water and leave, but was caught off guard by his question.

“I like it.”

She turned to look at him and nodded seriously.

Although she hadn’t enjoyed moving in, she felt really comfortable living here. She had never lived in such a nice place, even though she was grown up.

It would be wonderful if her future home could be just like this.

“As long as you like it,” he said.

After speaking, the man closed his eyes. Seeing this, Xu Lianqiao was about to leave, but she heard him speak again:

“I’m hungry. Can you bring me something to eat?”

This was not an unreasonable request, so Xu Lianqiao agreed without much thought.

“Then what do you want to eat? Do you want porridge?” she asked.

“Anything… you decide,” he replied.

His voice was hoarse and weak, and he looked really tired, as if it was too much effort to speak.

Xu Lianqiao didn’t ask more questions, nodded, and went to the small kitchen nearby to prepare food for him.

What should I do…

After the door was closed, she waited in her room, when suddenly, Jiang Huai stood up and looked at the bookshelf.

The gentleness in his eyes disappeared, replaced by a coldness.

_

When Xu Lianqiao returned with a bowl of hot porridge, Jiang Huai was already sitting on the bed.

She thought he might have fallen asleep and was a little worried before entering.

Handing the porridge to Jiang Huai, Xu Lianqiao said, “I was afraid you’d fall asleep while I cooked, so I didn’t use uncooked rice. I took leftover rice from last night and cooked it instead…”

She was worried he might mind, so she continued, “Don’t worry, I’ve checked, the rice isn’t spoiled. I added some minced pork and chopped green onions. It’s very fragrant and delicious…”

It really did smell wonderful. She had originally intended to keep it for her own breakfast.

She smiled sweetly…

But the brighter her smile, the more Jiang Huai’s heart hurt, as if pricked by a fine needle.

They could have stayed like this.

“What’s wrong? Why are you looking at me?” Xu Lianqiao asked as she was lost in her thoughts. She suddenly noticed that Jiang Huai wasn’t touching the porridge but was staring at her.

“Is there something on my face?” she asked.

She raised her hand to touch her nose, but there was nothing on it.

“Don’t move.”

Jiang Huai said this as he raised his finger and touched her cheek. His fingers were still hot from holding the porridge, causing her to shrink back.

“Look, you have some ash here,” he said.

Xu Lianqiao followed his finger and saw a circle of black charcoal on his thumb.

It must have come from her face.

She felt a little embarrassed and could only smile awkwardly, knowing he wouldn’t mind, as he had seen her embarrassed before.

“Eat quickly and tell me if it tastes good.”

This was his first time trying her cooking, and she didn’t know if he would like it.

She felt a little nervous.

“My hand hurts. Can you feed me?” he asked.

“Are you injured?” Xu Lianqiao asked with concern. His pitiful tone had made her feel sympathy, but the more nervous she became, the more her care seemed not to be for him.

Xu Lianqiao was now more worried. No wonder he seemed so tired—he was injured.

“Have you seen a physician? Is the injury serious?” she asked, but before she could finish, Jiang Huai took her hand and held it firmly in his.

Xu Lianqiao was momentarily confused. In her memory, he had never held her hand so firmly or so closely.

“Can you feed me first?” he begged.

“Ah… okay.”

She hesitated at first. After all, they had never been this intimate before. But seeing how tired and hurt he was, she decided to feed him just once.

She took the bowl from Jiang Huai’s hand, scooped up a spoonful of porridge, blew on it, and fed it to him.

Jiang Huai was very obedient and ate whatever she fed him.

_

After finishing a bowl of porridge, Jiang Huai didn’t close his eyes to sleep, but kept looking at Xu Lianqiao.

Xu Lianqiao couldn’t understand why he was staring at her.

She felt something was off, and seeing how uncomfortable he seemed, she was too embarrassed to ask.

“Then you have a good rest first,” she said.

After speaking, she picked up the bowl and was about to leave.

“Don’t go…” But suddenly, he realized he had gone too far, so he quickly released her hand.

“Pour me another glass of water, please?” he asked.

Xu Lianqiao couldn’t quite understand his request, but since he seemed thirsty, she felt she was overthinking things.

She handed him a glass of water before leaving.

After she closed the door behind her, Xu Lianqiao paused, realizing she had given up her room to someone else. Where was she supposed to go now?

It had been such a difficult day.

Staying in the Jiang Mansion was becoming troublesome. She might as well tell him directly and leave.

But she didn’t know whether he was the same person now or how long he would stay here.

It was so confusing, and she really wanted to know. She wanted to ask him.

_

Meanwhile, Jiang Huai was alone in the room, staring at the bright sunlight coming through the window, reflecting on everything that had happened to him during this period of time when he felt as though he had lost his soul.

He could accept that he had turned into a magpie, and he could also accept that a stranger had inhabited his body…

But what he couldn’t accept was that he had misunderstood Xu Lianqiao all this time.

Back then, his grandfather was critically ill. Though he hadn’t planned on marrying, he agreed to fulfill his grandfather’s wish.

Before that, he didn’t really know Xu Lianqiao. He had never even met her. He didn’t care who he married.

But on the day of their wedding, Lu Siqing wanted to die, so he went to see her. To his surprise, she told him that when he and his nanny fell into the water, she had gone to find help, and the person she found was Xu Lianqiao. However, Xu Lianqiao not only failed to help, but also pointed her in the wrong direction, which led to no one being able to save them, and the wet nurse had drowned.

That’s why he didn’t return to their room that night and left her alone on their wedding night.

Later, when they returned home, Xu Lianqiao’s cousin handed him a box. When he opened it, he found it was a witchcraft curse meant to harm his grandfather.

He still remembered what Xu Jiawei said to him that day. She claimed that Xu Lianqiao had cursed his grandfather to make him seriously ill, so she could marry him in his grandfather’s name according to their engagement contract.

Looking at the box and recalling Lu Siqing’s crying that night, he believed it.

From then on, he looked at Xu Lianqiao with disgust.

He hated her every movement, and even more so, he hated that he had been attracted to such a woman.

Yes, even though he knew she had evil intentions, he still found himself drawn to her and falling in love with her.

He liked the way she smiled just because of a bowl of delicious noodles, and he liked the way she turned off the lights for him in the middle of the night.

He had wanted to let it go… but later, when the Musk incident happened, he didn’t know why, but he felt a great rage, so he… believed them.

However, when he became a magpie, he perched on the eaves of Lu Siqing’s window and heard her confess to her nurse. She admitted that she had gotten the directions to save them wrong, and Xu Lianqiao had never pointed out the mistake to her. Lu had not been as malicious as she claimed.

All of this was just to make him hate Xu Lianqiao with lies.

Even the box of witchcraft evidence was framed by others through her second uncle.

He was so stupid, deceived and fooled by them.

Because of this, Ah Qiao had been hurt.

They could have been happy together. Originally, he should have been the one to smile at Ah Qiao.

If it hadn’t been for that man, nothing would have gone wrong.

Ah Qiao only liked him…

Fortunately, he was back…

Now, he and Ah Qiao still had a chance, and he could treat her well.

Ah Qiao… He had never thought to call her that. It turned out that being close to her could make him so happy.

However, he didn’t have much time. He had to be with Ah Qiao for real before that man returned…