Spoiled Eldest Miss x Two-faced Madman

CHAPTER 47: Her Target Had Always Been Pei Ji.

　　In the days that followed, An Jiu and Jin Yanwan grew noticeably closer. If Jin Yanwan wasn’t coming to find her to hang out, then An Jiu would be invited over to her courtyard. The two got along quite well.

　　Ming Yi would sometimes shamelessly tag along—after all, he was hanging out with two great beauties. Jin Yanwan was as elegant and pure as a pear blossom, while An Jiu was dazzlingly charming like a crabapple flower. With blessings like these, how could a man not enjoy them?

　　However, Jin Yanwan was extremely strict about the separation of men and women. She always seemed a little uncomfortable whenever Ming Yi was around. Over time, he also began to feel awkward about joining them.

　　Occasionally, when the two girls had too much fun, An Jiu would forget to return at night and just stay over in Jin Yanwan’s courtyard.

　　As this happened more frequently, others began to notice.

　　One day at the dining table, four people sat facing each other in a heavy, silent atmosphere.

　　Lin Qingyan glanced around. At the table were only her, He Ziqing, Pei Ji, and Ah Qi. The two girls who usually chattered non-stop were both absent.

　　She hadn’t really noticed before, but today the silence suddenly felt a little too cold.

　　No one took the initiative to speak. The table was dead quiet except for the occasional light clinking of bowls and plates.

　　Lin Qingyan had never thought much of it—she was raised to believe one shouldn’t speak while eating or sleeping—but after getting used to livelier meals, this oppressive calm felt uncomfortable.

　　Even someone as dense as He Ziqing couldn’t help but ask, “Where’s Miss An? Why didn’t she come to eat?”

　　A maid next to them replied, “Miss An was invited over by Miss Yanwan. She didn’t return last night.”

　　He Ziqing only let out an “Oh,” then said nothing more.

　　But Lin Qingyan instinctively looked at Pei Ji. The white-robed young master looked as calm as ever. When he noticed her gaze, he slowly lifted his eyes, still gentle and elegant as usual.

　　Lin Qingyan was far more perceptive than He Ziqing. She still remembered the falling-out between An Jiu and Pei Ji, and now she suspected that their relationship might’ve worsened in their absence.

　　Perhaps An Jiu avoided staying in the courtyard precisely to avoid Pei Ji.

　　But Pei Ji was her childhood friend. Lin Qingyan felt it would be inappropriate to question him too directly.

　　From what she knew of Pei Ji, he wasn’t the kind to bully a girl. An Jiu might be spoiled, but she wasn’t a bad person. Maybe… they simply didn’t get along?

　　With that thought, Lin Qingyan held back for a while before finally squeezing out a sentence: “Pei Ji, while we’re not around, please take care of An Jiu a little more.”

　　Upon hearing this, the white-robed young man paused slightly. He slowly put down his silver chopsticks and finally said, “I haven’t seen her in quite some time.”

　　Usually, it was others who took care of Pei Ji, since he had a disability.

　　But when it came to An Jiu, all the rules seemed to be flipped.

　　Even though he was lame, even though he practically treated her like a deity on an altar, somehow, whenever they clashed, everyone still sided with the spoiled young lady. (T/N: Sorry Pei Pei. 🤭)

　　Ah Qi, beside him, shook his head and blurted out, “My young master hasn’t treated An Jiu well? He’s basically worshipping her! My young master’s more than willing to take care of her, but she’s not willing to be taken care of!”

　　Pei Ji: “…”

　　“Watch your mouth,” he scolded lightly.

　　Ah Qi immediately covered his mouth, looking like he’d said too much.

　　Lin Qingyan observed all this, her expression thoughtful. Then a flicker of realization gradually emerged in her eyes.

　　She had already noticed Pei Ji treating An Jiu unusually before. Now, thinking it through, perhaps Pei Ji liked An Jiu, but she had no feelings for him and was purposely keeping her distance?

　　When viewed that way, everything made sense.

　　Thinking of this, Lin Qingyan coughed awkwardly and said, “I remember An Jiu used to come to you for acupuncture, right? Isn’t it about time for her next session?”

　　Regarding the acupuncture, An Jiu had only ever told others it was to regulate her health, and that she’d get a session every few days. Lin Qingyan never suspected anything.

　　Pei Ji didn’t explain either. He simply nodded and said, “Yes, it’s today.”

　　Lin Qingyan said, “Even if there’s some misunderstanding between you two, it can be resolved with a proper talk. You should try speaking to her calmly.”

　　Back in Pinglan City, Lin Qingyan had once felt conflicted for a few days because of how differently Pei Ji treated An Jiu.

　　But she had quickly sorted out her feelings—she liked Brother He.

　　So now, Lin Qingyan genuinely hoped Pei Ji could find happiness.

　　He had no parents and a disabled body—fate had been truly unkind to him. Now that he had someone he liked, all she wanted was for him to get what his heart desired.

　　—

　　An Jiu spent another day at Jin Yanwan’s place. As evening approached, Jin Yanwan once again invited her to stay the night.

　　An Jiu didn’t decline.

　　Her growing closeness with Jin Yanwan and her frequent sleepovers weren’t because she was trying to avoid someone.

　　She was waiting for the right moment.

　　In matters of love, nothing is more fatal than monotony. The more ups and downs there are, the deeper the impression.

　　An Jiu never actually intended to be with ‘Fei Yi.’ The one she truly wanted to win over had always been Pei Ji.

　　That graceful young man in white, gentle and refined like jade—a divine doctor.

　　He had always been her target. ‘Fei Yi’ was just a temporary tool to build favor in the early stages.

　　Once the favorability reached 30, An Jiu realized it had stalled again.

　　She had expected this. A favorability of 30 indicated mild affection. Anything beyond that meant he had started to genuinely care.

　　Pei Ji was someone with exceptionally high emotional walls and a very focused mindset.

　　To truly win him over, simply acting sweet and clingy wasn’t going to cut it. Just look at how much effort she had to put in recently to raise his favorability by a mere 5 points.

　　‘Fei Yi’ was an identity Pei Ji had created, tailored specifically to An Jiu’s preferences—a virtuous gentleman in every sense. As long as An Jiu kept showing interest in Fei Yi, Pei Ji would continue to doubt whether she actually liked ‘He Ziqing.’

　　So long as he remained in the role of Fei Yi, he could never fully invest emotionally in her.

　　What’s more, every day that Fei Yi existed was a reminder to Pei Ji that she was merely a cure for his poison.

　　Naturally, his affection wouldn’t rise any further.

　　This whole time, An Jiu had been acting just like the original ‘An Jiu’ in the novel—so Pei Ji would believe she was nothing more than a love-brained supporting character who only ever adored her savior.

　　Now, she needed to shatter that fixed image.

　　She had to find a way to eliminate ‘Fei Yi’ from the game.

　　From the very beginning, An Jiu had prepared this exact strategy.

　　What she was about to execute now was one of the most critical steps in her entire plan—if she made a single misstep, everything would be for nothing.

　　“How about we sleep together again tonight?”

　　Dusk had fallen, the bustle of the day had faded, and Jinshe Villa was now wrapped in slumber. Jin Yanwan warmly invited An Jiu to share her bed again.

　　Jin Yanwan likely had never had a friend before. Having suddenly gained one, her excitement was impossible to hide.

　　An Jiu had shared a bed with her the previous night. She hadn't expected that this seemingly frail and quiet girl would be such a restless sleeper—kicking her several times during the night.

　　An Jiu subtly pinched her palm. That familiar wave of doubled pain instantly surged through her like a tide, making her shiver. She quickly shook her head. “Better not. I’ll sleep in the guest room tonight.”

　　To not miss this opportunity, she had even skipped her acupuncture appointment with Pei Ji. The poison had started to flare up again around sunset.

　　Given her current physical condition, sharing a bed with Jin Yanwan was out of the question.

　　Jin Yanwan looked a little disappointed but didn’t press the issue and personally led An Jiu to the guest room.

　　Though it was called a guest room, it was actually just next to Jin Yanwan’s boudoir—usually a resting space she used during the day. There was even a door connecting the two rooms, so one could easily walk between them.

　　After lying down, An Jiu told the maid standing outside the door that she didn’t need anything and could be left alone.

　　The candles were extinguished. Darkness slowly swallowed the room, filling every corner of her vision.

　　In the pitch-black room, she lay there with eyes open, staring at the canopy overhead, listening intently to every sound outside.

　　Only faint chirping of insects met her ears, tirelessly singing their melancholy under the dark veil of night.

　　As the night deepened and everything was swallowed by darkness so thick one could barely see their fingers, An Jiu finally heard a strange noise.

　　Footsteps—very soft, but in the surrounding silence, and with her nerves wound tight, she detected them instantly.

　　She didn’t move. Instead, she deliberately slowed her breathing.

　　Back at the hidden Dark Village, Lin Qingyan had once been able to judge whether someone was awake just from the rhythm of their breathing. She couldn’t risk alarming the other party now.

　　She waited, and finally heard the steps stop in front of the door next to hers.

　　An Jiu quietly got out of bed. With no lights in the room, she couldn’t find her shoes, so she stepped barefoot onto the floor and walked toward the door.

　　It was late April, and though spring had arrived, the temperature at night was still chilly. The wooden floor was smooth and cold. Her heightened sensitivity made her shiver the moment her feet touched it, the chill climbing from her soles all the way up her spine.

　　She tightened her robe around her and, with the help of a faint glow from outside, felt her way to the door and gently opened it.

　　One had to say—even the heavens seemed to be helping her.

　　Just as An Jiu stepped out, the door to Jin Yanwan’s room also opened—and a shadowy figure stood silently in the doorway.

　　Upon seeing the figure, An Jiu rubbed her eyes and spoke, her voice drowsy and laced with sleepiness. “Yanwan?”

　　The shadow stiffened slightly, but before it could respond, there was a soft noise from inside Jin Yanwan’s room, like someone rising from bed.

　　Then came approaching footsteps.

　　A gentle female voice pierced the silence: “An Jiu? Were you calling me?”

　　Jin Yanwan had always had trouble sleeping and was prone to nightmares. Just moments earlier, she had been half-awake when she suddenly heard someone call her name, jolting her fully awake.

　　An Jiu’s eyes widened in alarm. Jin Yanwan was awake!

　　She opened her mouth to speak, but the dark figure misunderstood her movement as a sign she was about to cry out. In the next moment, the shadow lunged forward, covering her mouth with a large, dry hand. A familiar, cold fragrance rushed over her.

　　An Jiu let out a short, stifled sound, then was swiftly and silently dragged back into her room. The door shut softly behind them with a muffled thud.

　　Only then did the kidnapped girl fully realize what was happening. She began to struggle wildly.

　　But her resistance was nothing to the man in black—like a bug shaking a tree.

　　He pinned her easily against the door, locking down her limbs and covering her mouth and nose. They were so close their body heat began to blend.

　　The man’s hair brushed lightly across her forehead. An Jiu gasped softly.

　　But then, catching her breath, she raised a hand and gently patted his lower back.

　　The man’s body stiffened slightly. He leaned closer to her ear, his voice dropping low and husky: “Don’t make a sound. I am Fei Yi.”

　　The girl’s struggling weakened slightly, and only then did the man slowly release his hold on her lips.

　　“You… Fei Yi, why are you here?” An Jiu’s voice was soft, almost a whisper.

　　Just then, outside the door came Jin Yanwan’s gentle voice, “An Jiu, are you awake? Was that you calling me just now?”

　　The man lowered his head close to her ear, warm breath drifting in, and whispered low, “Answer her.”

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