"Of course Grandpa believes you."
Jiang Nianxi was stunned, her nose stinging so intensely she nearly broke into tears again. Despite the way she had behaved, her grandfather was still willing to believe her. How could she have had the heart to hurt such a wonderful grandfather in her previous life?
She sniffled and offered a sincere admission of fault: "Grandpa, I’m sorry. I did some terrible things before, but I won’t anymore. I’ll be well-behaved from now on. Will you forgive me?"
"..." Jiang Bai suspected he was hearing things. Regardless, hearing her say this was already a great comfort to him, even if she were only acting on a whim to fool him. He patted the back of Jiang Nianxi’s hand. "You are Grandpa’s only granddaughter; how could I ever blame you? It would be wonderful if you could really be sensible and obedient from now on."
Having said this, he sighed and added earnestly, "Also, Nianxi, you’ve seen it for yourself—your father now trusts that mother and daughter implicitly and favors them in every way. He runs both the Jiang Family and the company now. I’m getting old, and I don’t know how much longer I can protect you. You must stand tall and prove yourself, and behave well in front of your father. That way, if anything happens to me, you’ll still have a place to stand."
Jiang Nianxi choked back a sob and replied, "I will!"
Downstairs, the atmosphere was peculiar. Lin Shuran was still crying. "Dad, it wasn't like that, it really wasn't..."
Ye Mei, knowing the true story, rushed to chime in. "Honey, you know what kind of nature Shuran has. She has always been well-behaved and obedient; how could she ever frame someone else? We don't even know where that recording and surveillance footage came from. If you don't believe her, then Shuran and I will just leave. We won't stay here to be an eyesore for Nianxi."
Her words implied that it was Jiang Nianxi who had framed them, and she clutched her stomach, pretending to feel unwell. She was carrying the son Jiang Yuanshan longed for; nothing could go wrong. It would be a disaster if her poor emotional state affected the baby.
Jiang Yuanshan said hurriedly, "Alright, don't get worked up. I believe you, Shuran. That brat Nianxi is becoming more and more lawless! If she does this again, I’ll throw her out of this house!"
Lin Shuran looked moved. "Dad, thank you. You’re the best."
"Enough. In the future, keep your distance from Nianxi. Let her go wherever she wants, but don't get involved with her—don't let her lead you astray."
Lin Shuran nodded.
Before returning to their room, Ye Mei whispered to her, "That brat was acting very strange today. Could someone be guiding her from behind the scenes? Could it be that man from the Xie Family? But didn't they have a falling out a long time ago?"
"I'm not sure what's going on either. Let's just observe for now."
"Hmm, be careful next time. Don't leave any more evidence behind. The old man is very sharp and not easily fooled; it’s only Jiang Yuanshan who trusts you."
"I understand, Mom. I’ll be careful."
After seeing her grandfather back to his room, Jiang Nianxi returned to her own. It was a magnificent princess-style room, much of it decorated by her and her mother together. It was filled with so many warm memories—so familiar and intimate.
In her previous life, after she was thrown out of the Jiang Family home, this room had been taken over by Lin Shuran, who had smashed and burned all her belongings. When she had run back to the Jiang house to scream and curse, she was eventually thrown out by security guards called by Lin Shuran, just like a stray dog.
Jiang Nianxi walked to the vanity and looked at herself in the mirror. She was only twenty years old, in the flower of her youth, with not a shred of the ragged, miserable appearance she once had. She picked up a photo frame from the table—it was a picture of her and her mother at an amusement park on her eighth birthday. Under the giant Ferris wheel, her mother was pressed against her cheek, smiling gently and brilliantly at the lens.
Hot tears welled up in her eyes again, spilling down her chin onto the frame. Jiang Nianxi reached out and wiped them away carefully. "Mom, I’m sorry. In my last life, I didn't take good care of myself. You must have been so sad in heaven. But it doesn't matter; I won't be a fool anymore. I will live well and make those bitches pay the price. You’ll watch over me, won't you?"
...
At noon, the servants brought lunch to the table, and the family was already seated.
Lin Shuran was currying favor with Jiang Bai and Jiang Yuanshan, her attitude extremely respectful. "Grandpa, Dad, this is some green tea pastry I just learned to make. It has a light flavor and isn't too heaty. Would you like to try some?"
Jiang Yuanshan smiled. "Shuran is very thoughtful. If Nianxi were even half as sensible as you, my mind would be at ease. I get angry just looking at her ghastly state every day!"
Ye Mei, sitting beside him, soothed him gently, "Honey, don't get angry. Here, try the green tea pastry first. Shuran put a lot of effort into learning it."
Before she could finish her sentence, a clear, sweet voice tinged with a smile drifted over. "Green tea pastry? Hmm, that really suits my little sister."
Everyone looked toward the sound.
The girl descending the stairs slowly had a small, delicate face with a hint of baby fat, her fair skin glowing with a faint pink hue, like cherry blossoms blooming in spring. Even without makeup, she looked as if she were wearing exquisite cosmetics—she was devastatingly beautiful. She wore a white ruffled dress, her figure slender and elegant. If one were to ignore the blue-purple hair, she was like a beauty who had stepped out of a classic painting.
Jiang Nianxi intended to straighten her hair today and dye it back to its original color. From now on, she would show her true self to the world. She would never again listen to Lin Shuran’s nonsense—like the claim that Ji Yanxiu liked "unique" styles, such as smoky eye makeup or gothic looks—which had turned her into a hideous mess. She was the eldest daughter of the Jiang Family, not a joke for others to mock!
Jiang Bai stared at her, a knowing smile appearing after his surprise. It seemed Nianxi really intended to turn over a new leaf?
Jiang Yuanshan was stunned, not reacting for a moment. It took a few seconds for him to realize this was his daughter. Having seen her garish makeup so often, her current fresh and refined look felt unfamiliar, reminding him of his late wife. The mother and daughter looked so much alike; Nianxi had inherited her mother’s beauty completely.
Lin Shuran was also stunned for a few seconds, a flash of jealousy crossing her eyes. No matter how much she loathed Jiang Nianxi, she had to admit that Jiang Nianxi possessed a seductive, fox-like face; seeing her always made her feel threatened. Afraid that Ji Yanxiu might be captivated, she had tricked Jiang Nianxi into believing that he liked "unconventional" girls, encouraging her to dress in bizarre ways so that she could hold his attention. Stupid as Jiang Nianxi was, she had believed it immediately.
But why had she changed back to her original style today? What kind of game was she playing?
Lin Shuran gritted her teeth and gave a dry laugh. "Sister, I don't quite understand what you mean."
Jiang Nianxi walked over and sat down beside Jiang Bai, smiling enigmatically. "I meant exactly what I said. If you don't understand, forget it. If you really want to know, you can beg me."
Lin Shuran, "..."
Having been slapped by Jiang Nianxi last night, her face still ached. Seeing her pick up a piece of green tea pastry and eat it without ceremony, Lin Shuran felt even more stifled!
Fortunately, Jiang Yuanshan was on her side. He glared at Jiang Nianxi and said irritably, "Do you have to make things unpleasant for everyone the moment you return?"