Transmigrated as the Villain's Fiancée Who Seeks Death (GL) - Chapter 14

Jiang Xingzhi’s status in Xia Rushui’s mind was dropping again and again.

From the initial CEO Jiang, to the later Jiang Xingzhi, back to CEO Jiang, and then, just when Jiang Xingzhi had finally claimed a small place in Xia Rushui’s heart, her status took a roller-coaster plunge straight down to Jiang So-and-so.

Xia Rushui, looking constipated, directed a soul-searching question at Jiang So-and-so: “How did our homeroom teacher get your phone number?”

Jiang Xingzhi looked at her as if she were an idiot. “You’ve been at St. Lan for nearly three years. Do you really not know that the Jiang family is an investor in St. Lan? My Grandmother is the school director.”

“……” This, she genuinely did not know.

That answered one mystery. Xia Rushui asked again, “D-did the homeroom teacher know about our relationship?”

“Of course,” Jiang Xingzhi nodded.

Xia Rushui wanted to repeatedly bash her head against a wall!

Jiang Xingzhi smiled before continuing, “The day I brought you to the Jiang house, I contacted St. Lan, got your homeroom teacher’s number, and changed your guardian to me.”

Xia Rushui pointed at herself, her face a mask of disbelief. “You? My guardian???”

She was almost eighteen! What right did Jiang Xingzhi have to be her dad!

What! Right!

“Otherwise, should I have told your homeroom teacher that our relationship is one of fiancées??” Jiang So-and-so counter-questioned with great patience.

Uh……

Xu Fengjiao was older; she couldn’t handle that kind of shock. As a good student, she should respect the elderly and cherish the young. She shouldn’t discuss such anti-feudal matters with an older person. Forget it, forget it.

If Jiang So-and-so wanted to be her dad, then she could be her dad.

At this moment, Xu Fengjiao, who was middle-aged and sitting at home knitting a sweater for her future grandchild, sneezed.

Hold the phone… (Bridge-wait-bag)

Xia Rushui remembered a very serious problem.

“So… besides my grades, did the homeroom teacher say anything else to you?” she asked cautiously.

Ah! The original owner’s pursuit of Shen Yishu at school was an open secret that had caused a sensation across the campus! The original owner had even used the money Jiang Xingzhi gave her to buy a car for Shen Yishu!!!

If Jiang So-and-so found out about this…

She! Was! Doomed!

Xia Rushui started to panic.

Jiang Xingzhi didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she gave Xia Rushui a meaningful glance.

Panicking… Xia Rushui was panicking more and more; her butt couldn’t sit still.

“She talked about your performance at school. You…” Jiang So-and-so dragged out the word, observing Xia Rushui’s expression.

Xia Rushui sat up straight, her expression turning serious. Two large characters were clearly written in her moist eyes: GUILTY!

And not just a little guilty.

Ergouzi sensed Xia Rushui’s restlessness and silently jumped off her lap, tail held high, and walked away.

Confirming what she suspected, Jiang Xingzhi achieved her goal and finished her sentence with a smile, “Your performance is not bad. I’ll go have a talk with her personally when I have time.”

Oh… Xia Rushui understood… Xu Fengjiao must not have said anything. Jiang XX was playing a low-down, sneaky trick on her.

Hah. Xia Rushui had been burned by her former math teacher before. As the saying goes, once bitten, twice shy—Bah!—you live and you learn. Xia Rushui wouldn’t be fooled by such empty rhetoric again!

In Xia Rushui’s mind, Jiang So-and-so’s status plummeted one more time. Now, she was the person Xia Rushui was unwilling to name: Jiang XX.

This Jiang XX was extremely wicked and had a ton of tricks up her sleeve.

Xia Rushui silently made a mental note of this against the newly minted Jiang XX.

Xu Fengjiao obviously hadn’t told Jiang Xingzhi about the original owner’s past outrageous behavior at school. Jiang XX still didn’t know, so Xia Rushui was temporarily safe.

She decided to keep her mouth shut, turn over a new leaf, and reform herself in the “Jiang Penal Colony,” minimizing the impact of her past ridiculous deeds.

As long as she didn’t talk, Shen Anru and the others didn’t talk, and Xu Fengjiao didn’t talk, the matter would remain confidential from Jiang XX. Heaven, Earth, and everyone else would know, but only Jiang XX would be cluelessly beautiful.

It was absolutely impossible for Jiang XX to find out, Xia Rushui vowed silently.

The talk about meeting the homeroom teacher was definitely just to scare her. Jiang XX was so busy every day; what time did she have for her? She needed to remain composed, dignified, and calm. She couldn’t lose her nerve and had to stand her ground!

She absolutely couldn’t let anyone see the truth!

NO! ONE! could control her!

Xia Rushui lifted her face. She must have imagined something, because in Jiang Xingzhi’s eyes, the little person, who had been wilted like a dehydrated seedling for three minutes, suddenly brightened and instantly came back to life.

Sigh. Actually, her wilted look was pretty, obedient, and quite… cute.

Thinking this, Jiang Xingzhi maliciously decided she didn’t want Xia Rushui to be too happy. After all, this little thing was constantly restricting her diet. She couldn’t eat this or that, which was very frustrating.

When a person is frustrated for too long, they can easily become perverse.

Jiang Xingzhi’s fun now was watching Xia Rushui wilt and then teasing her. She said, “Now, quickly bring out your test paper. I need to sign it.” She urged.

Sure enough, as expected, the freshly grown seedling looked like it had been drenched by a downpour. Xia Rushui looked utterly miserable, as if she were drowning.

This is too difficult for her.

The mind games were too hard for her.

Xia Rushui attempted a final struggle, “Actually… I feel that I am like a tiny speck of dust, and you are as dazzling as a star in the sky. How could such a cheap thing as a parent signature be done by you? Your precious name should be used to sign contracts and documents, the kind worth millions per minute…”

Xia Rushui had summoned all her linguistic skills to deliver this speech. Jiang Xingzhi tilted her head slightly, her phoenix eyes catching the light of the hall lamps, sparking with a few glimmers of amusement. They were radiant and flowing with light.

Jiang XX didn’t speak, but her expression relaxed. She looked rather… beautiful.

Xia Rushui swallowed. Why isn’t this person saying anything?!

She had no choice but to rack her brain and continue her spiel, “…Your signature absolutely cannot appear on our cheap and crude test papers! Your signature should be worshipped like a god! What if some malicious person at our school tore your signature off my test paper and sold it for money? What then! To protect your signature and safeguard your personal reputation, I will never allow ill-intentioned people to defile your noble signature!”

She spoke with conviction and a look of loyalty, clutching her backpack like Dong Cunrui about to blow up a bunker.

Heh, mortals. She had appealed to emotion and reason. Jiang XX would definitely be moved by her!

Jiang Xingzhi sat calmly on the sofa, her back straight, her posture perpetually proper. She no longer concealed the smile that played on her lips. She held out her hand and said, “Alright. Bring it out.”

COMPLETELY! UN! MOVED!

Jiang XX’s expression clearly communicated one thing: You’re right in what you say, but I’m not listening to you.

“I am your guardian. If you don’t let me sign it, do you want me to call your mother and have her sign it?”

Ah! Evil person!

Xia Rushui understood. Jiang XX was being stubborn as a mule today. There was no escaping it.

Xia Rushui wrung her backpack until it was nearly pilling before reluctantly and with great difficulty pulling out the test paper. She handed it to Jiang XX with a trembling hand and closed eyes. “Here…”

Jiang Xingzhi glanced at it. Xia Rushui had produced a Math test paper, and she had scored a perfect mark.

This math test was quite challenging, with a few questions that were beyond the scope of their current curriculum.

Given their current learning progress and her own comprehension, she absolutely couldn’t have achieved a perfect score without a prior math foundation and self-study.

This was a city-wide joint mock exam, and it was said only three people in the entire city scored full marks on the math section.

She had no concern that Xia Rushui had cheated, as St. Lan only had one student with a perfect score, which must be Xia Rushui.

At this moment, looking at St. Lan’s only perfect Math score, Jiang Xingzhi suddenly felt a profound sense of pride, one that made her happier than signing a multi-million-dollar contract.

She didn’t know where this strange feeling came from, but she was exceptionally pleased.

She casually quizzed Xia Rushui on a few problems. Xia Rushui paused briefly for thought, then answered fluently and quickly.

Xia Rushui’s math skills were excellent. Jiang Xingzhi was more than satisfied.

Jiang Xingzhi took out the fountain pen she used for signing contracts, and with a flourish, her strong, elegant name was inscribed on the Math test paper.

It was bold and flowing, very beautiful.

“Let me see the other subjects.”

The English test was also very good. Xia Rushui lost less than ten points. Jiang Xingzhi routinely asked her a few questions and signed it again with satisfaction.

Next…

“Show me the Chinese test,” Jiang Xingzhi said, feeling a slight anticipation after seeing the Math and English scores.

Listening to Xia Rushui’s rambling earlier, she felt the Chinese score shouldn’t be too worrying.

Faced with Jiang XX’s expectant gaze, Xia Rushui wished she could die on the spot.

“I…” What should I say to salvage this!!!

“I shouldn’t have to worry about your Chinese or Liberal Arts scores either,” Jiang Xingzhi smiled.

Xia Rushui: “……I think you need some Quick-Acting Heart Relief Pills right now.”

???

Jiang Xingzhi was confused.

Forget it! If I’m going to die, I’ll die! The ugly daughter-in-law has to face her parents-in-law eventually!

Xia Rushui completely closed her eyes, ready for the worst. She slammed the Chinese test and the Liberal Arts test onto the table with a “thwack.”

Jiang Xingzhi glanced at the bright red 49 and thought she was seeing things.

She hurriedly grabbed the Chinese test to look closer.

Confirmed. It was a 49…

It’s fine, it’s fine. Maybe the teacher marked it wrong.

She pulled out her gold-rimmed glasses, put them on, and began to meticulously check Xia Rushui’s paper, more carefully than checking a contract.

“But if the Flying General of Dragon City is here, one person writing blindly makes me happy? Huh?” Jiang Xingzhi read out her classical poetry fill-in-the-blank answer.

Her tone was chilling. Xia Rushui was trembling, walking on thin ice.

This posture felt very much like she was about to be beaten.

“I ask the lord how much sorrow he has, you don’t even have a date? Huh?”

“……” It didn’t feel like anything when I wrote it, but it’s so embarrassing to hear it read out!!!

Jiang Xingzhi laughed from exasperation, repeating, “Good, very good, excellent, Xia Rushui.”

“No, no, not good, not good. Please don’t get angry over a humble person like me. It’s not worth it, not worth it,” Xia Rushui’s survival instinct was strong.

Ergouzi, returning from foraging, saw Xia Rushui standing on the side like a misbehaving elementary school student. It didn’t jump back onto the sofa. After a moment’s thought, it padded over to Xia Rushui’s feet, its tail curled up, its damp cat eyes observing every move of Jiang Xingzhi and Xia Rushui.

Generally, as long as an essay was written and wasn’t too poor, teachers would typically give it twenty to thirty points. But Xia Rushui’s essay… looked like it had no score at all.

How badly does one have to write to get zero points on an essay???

Jiang Xingzhi flipped the paper over to the essay side. She saw the dense writing. It hadn’t been left blank.

Okay, there’s hope. It’s not empty.

Jiang Xingzhi felt a slight easing of tension.

A pathetic five points lay lonely on the essay.

Jiang Xingzhi looked at the topic and nearly passed out.

The essay prompt was: The Person Sitting on the Roadside Applauding.

Xia Rushui’s title was: My Take on the 108 Ways to Eat Cafeteria Food.

Very creative. And she even linked it to the prompt at the end: Sitting on the roadside, applauding while eating cafeteria food.

Jiang Xingzhi finally understood what Xia Rushui meant by needing Quick-Acting Heart Relief Pills.

Don’t be angry, don’t be angry.

She took a deep breath to calm herself, then picked up the Liberal Arts test paper.

Even more marvelous. The Liberal Arts test showed even more creativity. Xia Rushui had penned a lengthy dissertation to express the central idea: “I don’t care what you think, I care what I think. Listen to me. Even if I’m wrong, I’m right in my own world.”

The test paper was completely filled out, and the handwriting was very beautiful. As long as you didn’t read the content, it was pleasing to the eye.

Jiang Xingzhi pressed down hard, the pen leaving a deep impression as she signed her name on the Chinese and Liberal Arts test papers.

“Xia Rushui,” Jiang Xingzhi said, firmly placing the fountain pen on the table.

The placement of the pen slightly disrupted the orderly arrangement of the table, so Jiang Xingzhi picked it up and put it away.

“Yes… what are your orders, Your Excellency?”

Jiang Xingzhi smiled through clenched teeth. “You are so talented, it’s a pity you’re not writing books.”

Huh?

Xia Rushui rubbed her hands, a little excited. “You think so too?”

She was the gold wrapped in manure, and Jiang XX… oh no… CEO Jiang, was the one who wiped away the manure and unearthed her gold.

Wait, that analogy is a little strange?

Never mind. In any case, her goodwill toward Jiang Xingzhi was overflowing. CEO Jiang had excellent foresight!

Jiang Xingzhi was expressionless. “I was not complimenting you.”

???

“Tomorrow is the day I give you your monthly allowance. I’ve decided to cut off your allowance starting today.”

“What!!!” A bolt from the blue!

Xia Rushui was distraught.

Ah! It’s only one day away! Just one day!

Why couldn’t the parent signature have been one day later!

“Also, I’m going to temporarily freeze your assets.”

“Why! Why! Why! I think I can still be saved!” Xia Rushui wailed miserably.

Jiang Xingzhi gave a cold smirk. The True Rich CEO Boss took over, and she said clearly and crisply, “No why. I don’t care what you think; I care what I think. You think it’s not okay, I think it is okay. I think freezing your assets and cutting off your allowance is very useful and makes me happy, so that’s what I’ve decided.”

These words were far more powerful than the Fake Rich Xia’s. Her tone was full of the overpowering presence of a conqueror, instantly showing the disparity between the two.

“You are a dictator! Autocrat! Tyrant!” Xia Rushui muttered resentfully.

Jiang Xingzhi heard her and responded, “So what?”

Xia Rushui started reasoning. “The great comrade Lenin once said, ‘Forgetting history means betrayal!’ Looking at our five thousand years of Chinese history, the rule of a tyrant will eventually be overthrown! They are your cautionary tale! We need to reflect and give the people more love and care!”

“No need. They ruled tens of thousands of people. I only need to rule you. I think this method is very suitable for you. Listen to me.”

Jiang Xingzhi held up the Chinese test paper and added, “You are not yet eighteen. I am the designated guardian in your mother’s will. I have the right to freeze all your assets.”

Xia Rushui looked at Jiang Xingzhi with a look of despair and misery, as if she had been stabbed through.

Ah! This part wasn’t in the book! Jiang XX is simply a force of evil! Everyone should fight her! She must overthrow this dark force eventually!

She, Xia Rushui, full name: Like Water Ice Crystal? Butterfly’s Love? Mourning Snow? Cherry Dream Purple? Rich Woman? Xia, heir to the throne of the If-You-Don’t-Seek-Death-You-Won’t-Die Kingdom, was thus temporarily stripped of her right to the throne by this cruel and heartless ruler.

I hate this!

The little person inside Xia Rushui waved a tiny handkerchief, crying hysterically.

What could be colder and more ruthless than a callous, heartless tyrant!

Seeing how pathetic she looked, Jiang Xingzhi felt a slight twinge of pity. She lightly tapped the table with her fingertip, a common gesture when she was thinking.

“If you want to restore your allowance,” Jiang Xingzhi continued, “while maintaining your Math and English grades, I will assign you one essay a day. Within a month, depending on your progress, I will transfer some pocket money from my personal account to you, enough for your living expenses. If you…” Jiang Xingzhi paused, letting Xia Rushui hang on the suspense before slowly speaking.

“If you don’t improve and continue to write nonsense,” she changed her tone, a slightly mischievous smile appearing on her face, “I’ll use the money I would have given you to buy cat food for Ergouzi.”

Even the name “Ergouzi” sounded different when spoken by Jiang Xingzhi than when anyone else said it. It was as if some elegant buff had been added, making it inexplicably pleasant to the ear.

Even Ergouzi seemed to transform, standing tall and proud, wearing a bowtie, elegantly chewing on expired ’82 cat food, like a noble prince looking down on his subjects and selecting his concubines from a throne.

This imagery… is suffocating.

Oh, wait, what am I imagining! Xia Rushui tried to shake the random thoughts from her head.

As she spoke, Ergouzi stood up at her feet, rubbed against her pants leg, and then gently nibbled it. Its large, lake-blue eyes blinked and looked at her with anticipation.

Holy smokes, has this cat become a spirit?! It must have!

Xia Rushui suspected it understood!

Writing essays! It would be quicker to just stab her with a sword!

However, the enemy was too powerful. The defeated Xia Rushui was in full retreat, only able to cede territory and sign the humiliating and disgraceful treaty.

Neither of them expected what would happen the next day.