A Willing Mistake, My Lady – Chapter 115
by Little PandaModern AU Extra 9
Fermentation
The next day, to cultivate their relationship, Wu Daoyuan gave the driver who ferried Jiang Chenyu to and from school time off, wanting to personally pick her up and drop her off.
But Jiang Chenyu couldn’t stand the sight of him. She dragged Shen Hetang to squeeze onto a public bus instead. The morning rush hour crowd was no joke—after yielding seats to several elderly uncles and aunties, only two standing spots remained, just enough for two skinny girls to squeeze into.
Neither of them had much experience riding buses, so naturally they failed to secure advantageous positions. Sitting near the front made them easy targets for elderly passengers’ scrutiny—Shen Hetang, after all, was someone who navigated the entire city on her electric scooter.
She grabbed the overhead handrail, and Jiang Chenyu grabbed onto her. Swaying and rocking all the way, they eventually made it to school. Jiang Chenyu actually found it rather novel—only the air inside the bus was unpleasant. If the driver still wasn’t back tomorrow, she’d just take a taxi.
Once the two entered the classroom, no one paid them much attention—except for that puxin1 Class Grass, who kept wandering over to hover around Jiang Chenyu for no good reason.
He even leaned in close, pretending to look at what she was writing. Jiang Chenyu had no interest in engaging with him, tilting her head away with vacant eyes.
“Zuo Mingfei, go back.” Shen Hetang watched him buzzing around Jiang Chenyu like a fly, her sharp eyes fixing on him with a slight frown, looking rather impatient.
“I was just checking which problems she doesn’t understand, so I could help explain them.” Zuo Mingfei rubbed his nose, a little embarrassed.
“She doesn’t need your help explaining anything. You’re disturbing me.”
“Fine, fine, I’m going. I’ll say this—you’re a pretty enough girl, but with that perpetual scowl on your face, let’s see if anyone will want to marry you.” Being dismissed was humiliating, and he couldn’t help trying to salvage some face.
“You’re a vibrant high school senior, not some auntie collecting her pension at the street corner. Matchmaking corner2 duty doesn’t fall to you. Besides, even if I relied on my face alone, I wouldn’t end up leftover at home—so no need for you to worry on my behalf.” Honestly, he must live right by the sea3—the way he minded everyone else’s business.
For some reason, hearing this topic made Jiang Chenyu feel a flicker of resistance. If Shen Hetang got a boyfriend, would she still treat her as well as she did now?
So annoying. She looked up at Zuo Mingfei, her eyes now carrying a hint of resentment.
Well then. One glance told him he was truly unwelcome. He slunk back to his seat with his tail between his legs.
Jiang Chenyu had settled down to study for two months, and her scores had caught up considerably. After all, she simply hadn’t wanted to study—not that she couldn’t learn. Now that she had a goal, all that remained was to work hard and catch up.
The prerequisite was that her stepfather didn’t come bother her—only then could she achieve peace through absence.
Because of Jiang Chenyu’s insistence, Wu Daoyuan had failed to find a way to send Shen Hetang away. He’d even resorted to sowing discord, telling her that Shen Hetang was only close to her because her family was well-off—and if Jiang Chenyu insisted on staying close to her, he would cut off her living expenses.
But Wu Daoyuan had forgotten one thing—the finance employee was a company veteran. Jiang Chenyu’s dividend income would still be deposited into her account as scheduled. Unless the company went under immediately, a little living allowance was mere drizzle4.
Wu Daoyuan was so furious his neck practically twisted sideways. He immediately called the finance employee, threatening to fire him if he dared transfer money again.
After the finance employee secretly coordinated with Jiang Chenyu, he stopped transferring money to her. The economy was indeed tight right now, but whether those three melons and two dates5 came through or not wasn’t a big deal.
His time was limited. Having missed this good opportunity, he could only wait for the next one. Even if he were deranged enough to kidnap someone and lock them in a basement, he still wouldn’t have the chance—that dead girl was constantly glued to her classmate, leaving him no opening to act.
He thought it over. Now was not the best timing. The best opportunity would come after Jiang Chenyu’s Gaokao6. It didn’t matter if she didn’t attend the new university—teachers and classmates wouldn’t pay too much attention.
But if she disappeared now, in this not-so-large small city, with familiar classmates and teachers at school, it would likely cause some trouble.
He originally intended to extract what she held, sell the company if it couldn’t sustain itself, and take the money abroad for retirement. Of course, it would be ideal if Jiang Chenyu obediently went with him—after all, once outside where no one knew them, he could do as he pleased.
But after these two encounters, he realized this matter couldn’t be rushed. He needed a long-term plan. He had to find a way to make Jiang Chenyu willingly hand over what he wanted.
He tested her step by step—first cutting off her living expenses and company dividends, letting her taste some hardship for a few days.
Jiang Chenyu didn’t know about Wu Daoyuan’s little calculations7. If she had known he was using money to strangle her, she would have called him an absolute idiot in her heart.
She was an orphan girl who had long since made a crafty rabbit’s three burrows8 for herself. Did he really think she’d wait for Wu Daoyuan to provide for her?
Wu Daoyuan finally left on a plane. A delighted Jiang Chenyu immediately dragged Shen Hetang out shopping, treating her to a big meal and a movie, insisting on buying her clothes.
“I really don’t need it. Just buy something for yourself.” Dragged into the mall, Shen Hetang didn’t want her to spend too much. Clothes that were too expensive felt like a burden to wear.
“You’ve helped me so much. Time is money. Since you refuse cash, I naturally can’t show no appreciation at all. Come on, come on—this store is a niche brand. It’s not ridiculously expensive, just better quality.” Jiang Chenyu clung to her arm, twisting and rubbing against her, her hair brushing against Shen Hetang’s cheek.
“Stop, I’ll take it. Stop rubbing against me like a puppy—they’re all looking at you.” A suspicious flush crept across Shen Hetang’s jade-white face.
“Let them look. I don’t care.” She dragged Shen Hetang straight into the store.
Both of them had great figures. The sales associates couldn’t stop smiling—these two made everything look pleasing to the eye.
“Little sister, this is a newly arrived down jacket in our store. I think it suits you two. Youth really is wonderful.” The clerk looked at the radiant girls and couldn’t help but sigh.
Jiang Chenyu looked at the short down jacket with a fur collar in her hands. The design was striking, somewhat glamorous. She picked it up to try on.
“How does it look? Pretty?”
Shen Hetang watched the orange-pink down jacket on her, accentuating her already outstanding features, making her look both sweet and bold.
“Pretty.” She nodded seriously.
“Jiejie, wrap this one up for me too.” The style wasn’t quite suitable for a student—somewhat flashy—but since she’d said it looked good, she couldn’t pass it up.
“Try that one too.” She pointed to a long black down jacket on the mannequin. The design wasn’t overly ornate, but Ah Tang would definitely look better in it than the mannequin.
“Try this one.” Her beautiful peach-blossom eyes9 sparkled with anticipation.
“Alright, I’ll try it.” Since they were already inside, she didn’t want to spoil her fun over price.
She could always send her a proper gift once she started earning her own money.
She’d glanced at the prices earlier—this store ranged from around five hundred to three thousand yuan. Three thousand was indeed a bit steep for her, but a classic down jacket wouldn’t go out of style. Even after five or six years, it would still be practical.
It wasn’t that hard to accept. She figured that during winter break, she could work as a coach at her teacher’s martial arts gym. A couple more classes would earn her three or four thousand back. Her coaching rate was one hundred yuan per hour, two to three hours a day, for about twenty days.
Coach Cui had already inquired for her. She’d heard that in big cities, coaches like her could charge up to three hundred yuan per hour. If she taught after five o’clock, she could even work part-time every single day.
Her thoughts were drifting too far ahead. By the time she came back to the present, Jiang Chenyu had already paid and hung the shopping bags on her arm.
“Let’s go! We’ll put these things at your place first. I still have to play poor at home—I can’t let that lackey10 notice anything.” They still had a movie to catch, and carrying bags would be inconvenient.
Shen Hetang checked her phone. If they went back now, they’d have just enough time to grab a meal in between.
“Come on, get on.” She took the bags from her hand, and the two rode the electric scooter back to Shen Hetang’s place.
After shopping all morning, Jiang Chenyu was a bit tired. She shed her coat and shoes and flopped directly onto the sofa.
She pulled a blanket over herself, lying lazily to one side, watching the person tidying up, and said in a soft, sticky voice: “What if I don’t want to go back and live there?”
She turned her head and saw Jiang Chenyu’s puppy-like eyes, glistening with unspoken plea.
“Why? Because you hate that Nanny Wu?”
“More or less. She reports every move I make to my stepfather like it’s intelligence. It makes me very uncomfortable.” Jiang Chenyu looked listless, appearing somewhat pitiful.
“My place is a bit simple. If you don’t mind, of course it’s fine.” She reached out and stroked Jiang Chenyu’s hair—thick, long tresses that curled naturally, cascading from crown to waist, beautiful and captivating.
Her fingers traced from the top of her head downward, and just as they were about to touch that pale, tender cheek, they curved away, lifting a strand of hair instead.
But Jiang Chenyu caught her hand and pressed it against her own cheek, blinking with a hint of grievance: “I’m just saying. Staying here occasionally is fine, but living here long-term isn’t really feasible. How could I let her have free rein in my home just because I can’t stand her? In her dreams.”
“You’ll stay with me, won’t you? Even though my stepfather has left, I’m still alone. I can’t guarantee he won’t suddenly come back in the middle of the night.” Jiang Chenyu lifted her chin, waiting for her answer.
As if the moment Shen Hetang said no, she would burst into tears right then and there.
“Don’t worry, I’ll stay with you.” Her fingers pinched her smooth cheek—such nice texture, like a peeled egg.
“I’ve taken up your time. I should compensate you like anyone else would.” She knew this person would find odd jobs whenever she had free time.
“I rarely go out at night to do things. Don’t feel burdened. Treating me to a good meal occasionally counts as your thanks. Besides, didn’t you just gift me very expensive clothes!”
“But these past few months of your time—even if I hired a bodyguard, I couldn’t just catch a white wolf bare-handed11!” She wanted to make things easier for her, but didn’t know how to say it. Besides, this was a win-win—one gained companionship, the other gained money.
“You can catch one. Come, try—once you catch it, it’s yours.” Shen Hetang spoke as if joking, catching both her wrists and guiding her arms to wrap around her own waist.
Kneeling on the sofa, Jiang Chenyu lost her balance and tumbled right into her embrace, falling against her.
“You said it. Caught it, so you’re mine now.” Her arms tightened fiercely around her, as if she’d won the grand prize, the corners of her mouth curving upward.
Only her smile was buried against Shen Hetang’s waist, unseen by her.
Footnotes
- 普信 | pǔ xìn | Modern Chinese internet slang short for 'ordinary yet confident,' referring to an average man with unjustifiably excessive confidence, especially in pursuing women.
- 相亲角 | xiāng qīn jiǎo | A designated corner in Chinese parks where parents gather to trade their unmarried children's profiles for matchmaking purposes; a culturally specific matchmaking market.
- 住海边了管得宽 | zhù hǎi biān le guǎn de kuān | Colloquial Chinese expression for someone who meddles in everything; literally 'lives by the sea and manages wide,' playing on the idea that coastal residents have broad jurisdiction over the ocean.
- 毛毛雨 | máo máo yǔ | Literally 'fine drizzle'; colloquial idiom for a trifling amount or something effortless and insignificant.
- 三瓜两枣 | sān guā liǎng zǎo | A colloquial expression for a very small, insignificant amount of money or resources; a pittance.
- 高考 | gāokǎo | China's national college entrance examination, held annually in June; a high-stakes academic milestone determining university admission.
- 小九九 | xiǎo jiǔ jiǔ | Colloquial term for hidden calculations, schemes, or ulterior motives; literally referring to the multiplication table but used figuratively for personal schemes.
- 狡兔三窟 | jiǎo tù sān kū | A classic Chinese idiom meaning one should always have multiple safe havens or contingency plans; having hidden reserves.
- 桃花眼 | táo huā yǎn | A Chinese aesthetic ideal for eyes with slightly upturned outer corners and a dreamy, romantic quality, shaped like peach blossoms.
- 狗腿子 | gǒu tuǐ zi | Derogatory term for a slavish follower or henchman; a toady or sycophant.
- 空手套白狼 | kōng shǒu tào bái láng | Obtaining something without any investment or effort; exploiting a situation for personal gain without giving anything in return.
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