Chapter 16: Double Standards

Ji Pei drove home, opened the door, and collapsed onto the sofa.

Her stomach growled, but she was too lazy to cook. Soon, a grilled sausage was held to her mouth.

Ye Wenzhu handed her the skewer.

“This is what Fanfan and I bought outside.”

Ji Pei took the sausage. Ye Wenzhu, noticing her slightly hollow mood, couldn’t help asking,

“What’s wrong? Did Jiang Xihan scam you? Demand medical fees and emotional damages?”

“No way. I just… feel a bit guilty.”

Ye Wenzhu, with five years of friendship, knew Ji Pei’s character well.

Ji Pei had a strong sense of morality but wasn’t rigid—her mind was sharp and flexible.

“But what’s done is done. You can’t change it.”

Ye Wenzhu hugged Meiqiu, nuzzling it, then spat out cat fur.

“Pfft, I say you’ve done your duty. It wasn’t intentional, and Jiang Xihan didn’t complain. Stop beating yourself up.”

Ji Pei bit into the juicy sausage, nodding.

“You’re right. Jiang Xihan’s got a good temper. I badmouthed her before, but apologizing now shouldn’t be too late.”

“That time she called you out in class?”

Ye Wenzhu chuckled at the memory of that fiasco, where Ji Fan ended up the unlucky one.

Who’d have thought an elective would require a retake? But in Jiang Xihan’s class, it was no surprise.

“Yeah, I vented to my partner about her for a bit, but the substitute teaching was indeed my and Ji Fan’s fault.”

Seeing Ji Pei’s low mood, Ye Wenzhu changed the subject to gossip.

“Isn’t Jiang Xihan A University’s untouchable flower? Not long after we graduated, an architecture student had a crush on her, slipped something in her cup, and got arrested by the police.”

Ji Pei perked up, her listless mood vanishing, eyes wide with shock.

“When did this happen? How didn’t I know? Why didn’t you tell me? It didn’t work, right?”

“It didn’t work. I heard it from an architecture senior a few days ago. It caused a huge stir—everyone at school knew.”

Ji Pei was puzzled, but with Jiang Xihan, it wasn’t surprising, given her looks.

Her figure, education, and face—any one alone was unmatched. She was a goddess-level figure.

But that was too dangerous. Compared to what Xie Zhen did to her, it was far worse.

***

Jiang Xihan sat quietly on the sofa, her gaze fixed on the two lunchboxes Ji Pei brought.

Ji Pei had told her to eat while it was hot. Jiang Xihan propped herself on her left leg, letting it rest on the floor, keeping her right leg still as before.

Before leaving, Ji Pei had secured the ice pack on her ankle with a towel, warning her not to move around.

Now, washing her hair or bathing would be a challenge.

Jiang Xihan opened the small lunchbox, revealing a pale yellow steamed egg. The other held noodle soup, thoughtfully packed separately.

Once opened, a rich, savory aroma filled the air.

Ji Pei was considerate, adding no chili. She knew Ji Pei loved spicy food, yet she made such mild dishes.

Jiang Xihan took the chopsticks and spoon, tasting the golden steamed egg.

It melted in her mouth, filling it with a rich eggy flavor, slightly sweet.

Her gaze fell on her flickering phone screen. Opening it, she saw messages from Ji Pei to Dongri.

Jifeng: [Wife, I messed up.]

Jiang Xihan set down her chopsticks, sipped the golden chicken broth, rivaling top chefs’ work.

But this noodle soup was made for Jiang Xihan, not Dongri.

Jiang Xihan felt a twinge of unease, questioning her actions and dreading what might come.

She ate every bit of the steamed egg and noodle soup, not leaving a drop.

As she prepared to hobble to the kitchen to wash the dishes, the villa door opened. A plainly dressed nanny walked in, smiling at Jiang Xihan.

“Hello, you’re Professor Jiang, right? I’m the nanny Ms. Ji hired to care for you. Call me Aunt Wang.”

Jiang Xihan nodded. Aunt Wang quickly cleared the lunchboxes and began cleaning.

Though the villa hadn’t been lived in for months, it was cleaned weekly, so Jiang Xihan could stay comfortably.

But Ji Pei hadn’t mentioned which room to sleep in before leaving.

Aunt Wang stowed the wheelchair in a corner, noticing the melted ice pack on Jiang Xihan’s ankle, and reached to replace it.

As her hand neared Jiang Xihan’s foot, she quickly stopped her.

“Thank you, I’ll do it myself.”

She disliked physical contact with strangers and even resisted it with acquaintances.

Old friends called her prissy, saying she’d cling to someone she truly liked and never let go.

It seemed they were right. Her mind felt out of her body’s control, yearning to fly to that person.

In plain terms, she missed Ji Pei.

Jiang Xihan took a deep breath, removed the towel, and took the new ice pack from Aunt Wang, wrapping it as Ji Pei had.

When Ji Pei wrapped the towel, it was almost ceremonial, using a pink ribbon to tie it around her ankle, complete with a pretty bow.

Jiang Xihan hadn’t seen how Ji Pei tied the bow. She tried for a while, but it looked off, and her right leg went numb.

Aunt Wang, hired by Ji Pei to care for Jiang Xihan, heard she was an A University professor, someone remarkable, and treated her with extra respect.

“Professor Jiang, ready to wash up? I’ll help you over.”

“Not yet. You can rest first. I’ll call if I need you.”

Aunt Wang hesitated, eyeing Jiang Xihan’s foot.

“Professor Jiang, a sprained ankle isn’t trivial. One wrong move could cause lasting issues. What if I’m not here and you twist it again?”

Jiang Xihan: “…”

***

After washing up, Jiang Xihan, following Aunt Wang’s advice, slept in the cleaned first-floor master bedroom.

The master bedroom had a huge floor-to-ceiling window, facing a sea of fiery red maples, though it was too dark to see clearly.

Jiang Xihan leaned against the soft headboard, scanning the master bedroom.

It was likely Ji Pei’s room. At the bedside was a photo of a cute, youthful girl, faintly resembling Ji Pei.

She realized Ji Pei had grown up proportionally. The girl in the photo had rosy lips, white teeth, a high nose, big round eyes, and baby fat.

Minus the baby fat, she was nearly identical to the twenty-something Ji Pei—a beauty from childhood.

Jiang Xihan wiped dust off the photo with a handkerchief and snapped a picture with her phone.

While admiring young Ji Pei, lost in thought, she received a message from Jifeng.

Jifeng: [Darling wife, let me tell you a secret.]

Jiang Xihan set the photo on her lap and started typing.

Dongri: [Go ahead.]

Jifeng: [That female professor I mentioned, the impressive one—she’s so unlucky. Apparently, a student drugged her!]

Jiang Xihan: “…”

How did she not know about this?