Chapter 232: Volume 1, Chapter 232 – I See Your Brow Is Dark (20)

The woman in the painting walked up to her, took her hand, and softly said, "Xiao Hua, I want to see him one last time."

As she spoke, tears welled in the corners of her eyes, her pupils filled with sorrow, as if she were doing something that required a decisive decision.

Jiang Zhi seemed like a bystander, watching the body kneel and bow to the woman, saying, "Miss Mu Yan has the lifesaving grace toward me; I will surely fulfill your wish."

The woman in the painting, namely Mu Yan, helped her up, saying, "Thank you."

This body dressed Mu Yan as a maidservant and immediately left from a hidden spot in the rear courtyard.

All the way to a pond, Jiang Zhi saw a man who looked exactly like the bald man standing by the water, fishing.

"Senior Brother Yuan," Mu Yan tidied her long hair and walked away with graceful lotus steps.

The sturdy Wu Yuan, dressed in hunter's garb, had rolled up his sleeves for fishing, revealing his strong arms; hearing the voice, he turned his head and laughed heartily, "Xiao Yan, you've come here again for an outing?"

Mu Yan nodded, walked to the riverside, not minding the mud staining her skirt hem, handed him a handkerchief, and said, "Mm."

Wu Yuan, unlike the modern bald-headed man, had a full head of hair; he lowered his head, noticed the mud on her skirt hem, immediately squatted down, and carefully dabbed water to clean it for her.

The sturdy man's gaze toward the woman was like looking at a neighbor's little sister, with no trace of romantic feeling.

"Don't come over, go over there; I'll be fine soon," he said.

Mu Yan's lowered face was sorrowful, but when she lifted her eyes, her smile bloomed, "Okay."

She walked not far from the bank, her eyes fixed intently on the man fishing.

The day they met, she secretly slipped out of her lonely, gloomy residence to get some air, but encountered a heavy downpour and could only take shelter in a nearby pavilion.

The sturdy man appeared before her, carrying a blind old grandmother on his back and holding a heavy cargo basket in his other hand.

"Thank you, young man," the old lady said.

The sturdy man chuckled, "No problem, I also needed to get out of the rain."

Not long after, the old lady's relatives came to take her away, leaving the two of them alone in the pavilion.

The sturdy man feared she was afraid because of him, so he rose, preparing to leave in the rain.

"Don't go," Mu Yan stopped him.

She performed a salute for him.

The sturdy man knew she was soaked from the rain, so he took off his outer coat and handed it to her, keeping his head down without looking at her, "This coat is newly changed, not dirty."

Mu Yan had encountered all kinds of men, but had never seen anyone like him.

His gaze toward her held no contempt, no desire, only kindness.

What stood out in memory was that the tiger-skin coat had not a trace of unpleasant odor, but a faint fragrance of soapberry.

"Thank you."

Tomorrow she would leave the pavilion, fully aware that she and he could never be together, and knowing he felt no romantic affection for her.

But she couldn't help herself; she wanted to come see him one last time.

Even if it meant eternal ruin, she would willingly accept it.

"Senior Brother Yuan, I've come here to say goodbye."

The sturdy man threaded two fish with straw, wrapped them in lotus leaves, and handed them to her, "All right, take care of yourself."

Mu Yan took the tightly wrapped fish, lowered her head, tears dropping, her voice light, "Mm."

She had Jiang Zhi hand over the painting she brought, saying, "This is my gift to you, Senior Brother Yuan; open it when you get home."

The sturdy man held the painting and nodded, "Sure."

After parting, Mu Yan couldn't hold back silent sobs, clutching Jiang Zhi's hand and refusing to let go.

Jiang Zhi remained expressionless, allowing her to pull him along.

Who would have thought that this bald, sturdy man Wu Yuan had such a past life story; no wonder, in this life, despite being over forty and having had girlfriends, it's just his blockhead.

Brother, you're destined to be forever alone!!

Jiang Zhi accompanied her back to the residence.

After she returned home, she immediately went out again, retracing her steps to run to that pond, where she saw the sturdy man walking not far away.

She immediately ran over and shouted, "Wu Yuan!!"

Hearing the shout, the sturdy man was bewildered, "I'm not Wu Yuan; I'm Yuan Wu."

Jiang Zhi snatched the painting from his hand, annoyed: "I don't care what you call yourself; you damn well better look at this painting first."

The sturdy man was somewhat frightened by her, feeling that the girl before him was very familiar, though he couldn't recall where he'd seen her; most importantly, he was especially afraid of her in his heart.

But seeing her take the painting away, he didn't even care about fear, reaching out to try to snatch it back.

"This was given to me by Xiao Yan; you can't take it."

Jiang Zhi didn't wait for him to reach over, picked up the painting and unfolded it.

As she expected, it was indeed the ancient painting Wu Yuan had bought from a friend.

The woman in the painting is Mu Yan, so the brushwork is hers; in the corner she found Mu Yan's confession to Yuan Wu.

That confession, never spoken aloud from beginning to end, is hidden in the painting she gave to her beloved.

——Delicate dice hold red beans; deep lovesickness, who knows?

The sturdy man stared at the painting for a long time, murmuring, "Xiao Yan......"

Jiang Zhi was about to knock some sense into his blockhead, pointing at the words in the corner and saying, "Mu Yan likes you—not the brotherly kind, but romantic love."

Yuan Wu shook his head in disbelief: "No… possible…… How could Xiao Yan……"

Jiang Zhi said, "I only ask you one thing: do you like her?"

Yuan Wu's pupils contracted, he shook his head, then after a moment nodded.

Finally, blushing red-eared, he said, "I… I don't know either."

Jiang Zhi snorted, "If you could know the ending, it wouldn't be a BE."

Right now, Mu Yan is in danger; she might die tomorrow. If you don't like her, then just treat my coming today as having been for nothing.

Even if you let the strong man go rescue her, Mu Yan probably wouldn't leave with him.

If… the strong man were to confess his feelings to her, only then would Mu Yan agree to elope.

Only the illusion can be broken.

The strong man asked anxiously: "Xiao Yan… Xiao Yan, what danger has she encountered? I must go rescue her."

Jiang Zhi frowned and said: "You must first tell me whether you actually like Mu Yan or not."

The strong man recalled past moments, suddenly clutched his head, emotionally agitated: "I don't know… I don't know what liking is…"

That's why he ignores Mu Yan's feelings, merely treating her as a sister.

Jiang Zhi pressed her lips, faces appeared before her eyes, finally turning into Yun Jin's face.

The personalities of villains differ from world to world, each with their own experiences and thoughts, yet they share many similarities.

After a long while she said: "Liking is actually simple—wanting to care for and protect him, wanting to be with him for a lifetime."

The strong man's eyes turned bloodshot, he rushed to her front and earnestly said: "I like Xiao Yan."

Jiang Zhi: "Good."

That night.

Jiang Zhi arranged a perfect plan.

After briefly explaining the plan to Mu Yan, she immediately disguised her as an ordinary maid's face, changed her clothes so that even her own mother wouldn't recognize her.

After packing up, she took her away through the secret passage.

Meeting the strong man in the forest, Jiang Zhi said: "You just leave this place and never come back."

Mu Yan grasped her wrist: "But what about you? Xiao Hua, I can't abandon you."

Jiang Zhi needs to stay behind to impersonate her.

"I still have relatives here; rest assured, no one will know it was I who helped you escape."

Mu Yan, hearing her assurance, left tearfully and reluctantly.

Jiang Zhi returned to the manor, disguised herself as Mu Yan's appearance, and sat before the dressing table.