A sharp pain shot through her ankle. Jiang Hanguang steadied herself by grabbing a nearby tree. In the distance, Li Wan’s excited shouts could be heard.
“I caught it! I caught it!”
A bitter smile touched the corners of Jiang Hanguang’s lips. She gently tapped her foot on the ground.
There was a dull ache. It was probably swollen, but not yet unbearable.
She didn’t want the cameras to capture this moment and cause complications, so she hid the pained expression on her face and tried to walk over as normally as possible.
But pain was pain, especially with a sprained ankle. It wasn’t something you could simply endure just by wanting to.
Jiang Hanguang took a step and stumbled. Just as she was about to raise a hand to grab the tree, a strong arm supported her.
Without looking up, Jiang Hanguang knew who had appeared so timely. The sudden, heavy scent of wood around her revealed its owner’s identity, as well as her less-than-pleasant mood.
Jiang Hanguang saw Cheng Ying’s grim face beside her. The other woman wasn’t looking at her, but staring coldly at the gesticulating Li Wan in the distance, her gaze like that of a ferocious beast about to pounce on its prey.
The Alpha’s arm was steady and strong. With her support, Jiang Hanguang could at least walk properly.
The reason Cheng Ying restrained herself from picking Jiang Hanguang up directly was that she planned to go and give Li Wan a harsh scolding.
But before she could take a step forward, the arm supporting Jiang Hanguang was gently yet irresistibly entwined.
The Omega’s delicate palm half-enveloped the Alpha’s hand, which was a size larger than hers.
Cheng Ying ground her teeth, her gaze turning hostile as she looked at the woman she was still supporting.
Their eyes met. A flicker of guilt crossed Jiang Hanguang’s eyes, and she avoided Cheng Ying’s gaze.
But the hand entwined with hers didn’t loosen. The woman said in a voice only the two of them could hear, “I’m fine, don’t go…”
Like hell you’re fine!
A fire ignited in Cheng Ying’s heart. She wished she could scold Jiang Hanguang first.
But after saying that, Jiang Hanguang looked up at her.
The woman’s rosy lips were pressed into a thin line. Her eyes held unease and bitterness, but even more so, determination and a plea.
With a single look, the fire in Cheng Ying’s heart transformed into a million fine needles, piercing her heart until it was riddled with holes.
She knew she was wrong, but she still had to do it.
She knew I was furious right now, yet she still had to face my anger and beg me not to lose my temper.
She knew I might lash out at her; she was clearly afraid too.
Yet she still looked at me so pitifully, begging me not to get angry with that idiot.
All to protect that bit of face Li Wan herself had already discarded.
Jiang Hanguang, oh Jiang Hanguang, what on earth do you want me to do?
Cheng Ying’s heart ached terribly and felt incredibly sour. She stopped trying to walk toward Li Wan and just stood there, making it easier for Jiang Hanguang to lean on her.
“Miss Jiang, are you alright?” Xie Chengcheng came over and asked in a low voice.
She had also seen Jiang Hanguang twist her ankle just now. If it had been Wanwan, she would have long since been crying, shouting, and cursing at her. But this Omega in front of her, who looked even more slender and delicate than Li Wan, had endured it without a single complaint.
She didn’t quite understand, and she felt a little guilty.
Before Jiang Hanguang could answer, Cheng Ying shot her a glare. Xie Chengcheng flinched. It was the first time she had seen Cheng Ying look so fierce, like her own mother’s hunting dog—incredibly intimidating.
The unjustly targeted Miss Xie waited, trembling, for Miss Jiang’s reply. “I’m fine. Let’s go.”
Compared to the gloomy walk there, the way back was much livelier.
Li Wan carried the rabbit by its ears as if she were holding a jewel of equal size. One moment she was praising the rabbit’s smooth fur, the next she was saying it was so plump and sturdy it could make three meals.
It was as if she had caught the rabbit all by herself, as if no other rabbit in the world was as precious as this one.
Xie Chengcheng followed beside her, chiming in with agreement. Cheng Ying and Jiang Hanguang trailed far behind.
Several times, Jiang Hanguang tried to walk a little faster, but Cheng Ying held her back. She glanced at Cheng Ying’s less-than-friendly expression and ultimately said nothing more.
Back at the main farmhouse, Li Wan, who had been listless and unwilling to enter the kitchen at noon, cheerfully announced that she would cook.
Jiang Hanguang’s foot was still hurting, and Cheng Ying had no intention of dealing with her. So, Xie and Li went to cook, while Cheng and Jiang remained in the dining room.
The two sat facing each other. Jiang Hanguang looked down at her hands, while Cheng Ying stared expressionlessly at the farmhouse ceiling, which the group had tidied up.
Why had she listened to Jiang Hanguang so obediently?
Because she didn’t want to disappoint the woman.
She knew that for someone like Jiang Hanguang, asking someone for a favor was an incredibly rare event.
She didn’t want to let her trust be in vain, nor did she want to scare her into putting that self-protective shell back on in front of her.
But she was still angry.
The hand resting on the table was touched lightly. Cheng Ying looked down and met Jiang Hanguang’s somewhat apprehensive gaze.
Cheng Ying huffed, pulled her hand back from the table, and went back to staring at her ceiling.
She won’t let me get openly angry, so am I not even allowed to sulk?
Miss Jiang sure is meddlesome. I’ll do the opposite of what you want.
Jiang Hanguang silently withdrew her hand and continued to stare at her own fingers.
Amidst the awkward silence, fragrant stir-fried rabbit and steamed sweet potatoes were served.
The expressions of the four were completely different from lunchtime.
Li Wan was beaming with joy, which in turn brightened Xie Chengcheng’s expression.
In contrast, Cheng and Jiang, who had been calm and composed at noon, were now a picture of gloom. One had a face so sour it looked like someone owed her eight million, while the other was preoccupied and silent with her head down.
This strange yet harmonious atmosphere finally ended when Zhang Zeyun once again pushed the display board over.
Miss Li Wan, who had thought she’d performed a great service and could finally escape her fate as the one dragging everyone down, was met with an online hate package meant just for her.
Comment 1: A ten-thousand-person petition written in blood for Li Wan to quit Little Little Farm.
Comment 2: I feel sick just looking at her now. She’s spazzing out all day long, changing her persona one after another. The only constants are her pettiness and her habit of shifting blame.
Comment 3: When there’s something in it for her, she runs faster than a dog.
Comment 4: Hanguang kindly helped her up, and she just shook her off to catch that rabbit! Ptooey!
Comment 5: Before the camera panned over, I think I saw Jiang Hanguang frown. Is she okay?
From a certain perspective, Li Wan had gotten her wish. For once, none of the top three comments were praising Jiang Hanguang; they were all cursing her.
Cheng Ying watched Li Wan’s back, which was trembling with anger, and the frustration pent up in her heart eased slightly.
“Wanwan…” Xie Chengcheng looked worriedly at Li Wan, whose face was now twisted to the extreme.
“Why… Why? WHY!” Li Wan’s voice grew from weak to strong, until she hysterically yanked the half-eaten plate of rabbit meat onto the floor.
The plate shattered, and the greasy juices from the rabbit meat splattered far and wide.
As soon as she started her tirade, Cheng Ying had helped Jiang Hanguang move away from the dining table.
Zhang Zeyun expressionlessly gestured to the camera, signaling to cut the live broadcast.
The only one who didn’t leave her side was Xie Chengcheng. “Wanwan, don’t be angry…”
It would have been better if she hadn’t spoken. The moment she did, Li Wan’s fury became uncontrollable. She looked at Xie Chengcheng with red-rimmed eyes. “Why can’t I be angry? It’s because I have a burden like you that I get laughed at by those people again and again!”
Xie Chengcheng stared in disbelief at the seemingly crazed woman before her, tears slowly welling up in her eyes.
“And you!” Li Wan was now like a mad dog, biting anyone she could. She pointed at Jiang Hanguang behind Cheng Ying. “Where do you get off thinking you’re so much nobler than me? Don’t we all just sell our faces and bodies for these losers to play with? They praise you a couple of times, and you think you’re some kind of fairy, huh? Ptooey!”
Cheng Ying was so furious she laughed instead. “You’re looking for…”
Before the word “death” could leave her lips, it was cut off by the sharp sound of a slap.
Li Wan stared blankly at the Alpha in front of her. This weak, incompetent person whom she could mold and flatten at will without any resistance now had a blazing fire of anger in her eyes.
“Shut up! How can you be so ungrateful?” Xie Chengcheng’s lips were trembling, whether from anger or fear, it was hard to tell. “I’m not capable enough, so I let you suffer. You can hit me or curse me, and I’ll take it. But Miss Jiang has done nothing to wrong you! She’s a good person! To spare you from some of the criticism, she sprained her ankle and still pretended to be fine! But you? Look at the heartless, vile things you’re saying! And you still have the nerve to ask how she’s better than you?”
After this long tirade, Xie Chengcheng gasped for breath twice and then gave a sudden, bitter smile. “I was blind to have actually thought you really liked me.”
With that, she didn’t spare Li Wan another glance and said to Zhang Zeyun, “Director Zhang, Miss Li doesn’t seem to want to film anymore. Let her go. I’ll pay the contract termination fee.”
For a live variety show, a guest quitting midway is a terrible thing. But Zhang Zeyun’s expression was normal, and she nodded as if she had long expected this day. “I think so too.”
While Li Wan, the slap mark still on her face, was put on a plane back to Yunjing City overnight, Jiang Hanguang was sitting on a small chair in the bedroom. Cheng Ying sat opposite her, holding a bottle of liniment for bruises and sprains, a friendly contribution from the director’s team.
The Alpha’s face was still just as sour. Although Li Wan had gotten what she deserved, the slap, after all, hadn’t come from her.
“Foot.” She patted her knee, not even looking at Jiang Hanguang, not caring whether the other woman was willing to let her apply the liniment, and uttered that single word.
Her anger hadn’t subsided yet. Why bother with politeness?
Jiang Hanguang didn’t speak. A moment later, a fair, delicate foot was gently placed on her knee.
Jiang Hanguang’s feet were also beautiful—slender and smooth. You could even see the faintly bluish veins beneath her snow-white skin.
But Cheng Ying couldn’t muster a single romantic thought at that moment, because she could clearly see the unsettling bruise on the woman’s exquisite, beautiful ankle.
She took a deep breath, poured a little of the medicinal wine onto her hand, and pressed it onto the ankle, not too lightly and not too heavily.
A dull pain shot through, and Jiang Hanguang instinctively flinched, only to be held firmly in place by the Alpha.
It was unclear if it was because of the medicinal wine, but Cheng Ying’s hand was frighteningly hot, and it made Jiang Hanguang’s heart flutter with panic.
She looked at the Alpha’s expressionless face, meticulously focused on her injury, and a sense of grievance welled up in her heart.
At this moment, she would rather the injury be ten times worse, as long as Cheng Ying was still willing to look at her with a smile.
But the Alpha just stared at that small patch of injury, fiddling with it, not even asking if it hurt, as if she no longer existed in her eyes.
Jiang Hanguang’s sense of grievance quietly accumulated in the silence. Finally, during another of Cheng Ying’s rather rough rubs, she let out a soft cry, “It hurts…”
Cheng Ying’s hand stopped abruptly. She looked up at Jiang Hanguang, who had lowered her head in a panic. Reaching out with the hand that didn’t have liniment on it, she cupped the woman’s chin, forcing her to look up.
Jiang Hanguang resisted for a moment but still lost to the Alpha’s strength.
And so, Cheng Ying saw her reddened eyes, and the grievance and unease within them.
Like a cat that had done something wrong and been ignored by its owner for a long time, on one hand afraid to approach for fear of making you angrier, but on the other hand, truly unable to bear being away from you.
Her anger subsided a little. She let go of her hand and said coldly, “So you know it hurts now? Weren’t you quite good at enduring it when you sprained it?”
Though her words were harsh, the force of her hands was no longer so business-like.
Feeling this much gentler touch, Jiang Hanguang finally mustered a bit of courage to apologize.
“I’m sorry, I was wrong.”
The Alpha opposite her didn’t look up. “Wrong about what?”
Jiang Hanguang thought for a moment. “I was too willful. The way Li Wan was, it was useless whether I helped her or not… I shouldn’t have forced you to go along with my wishes.”
Cheng Ying finally looked up at her again, but this time, her gaze was not so friendly.
The Alpha silently let go of her foot, moved her chair a little closer, looked directly into her eyes, and said in a calm tone, “Someone like Li Wan could die in front of me, and I wouldn’t spare her a second glance. I would never get angry because of her.” She looked at the Omega’s beautiful face, so close to her own, and her tone suddenly became a little sad.
“I’m angry at you, Jiang Hanguang. I believe I’ve told you that you are very precious to me, but time and again, you take my affection and throw it on the ground to be trampled! Like today, am I angry that you helped Li Wan cover up her misdeeds? I’m angry that you disregarded your own injury just to help her!”
The more Cheng Ying spoke, the angrier she became, and her head started to throb. She pressed a hand to her temple in frustration and said with a bitter smile, “I have no problem with you being soft-hearted towards them. I won’t demand that you do things my way. But shouldn’t you also feel a little sorry for me first? It kills me to see you acting like you don’t matter! In your heart, am I less important than Li Wan? Jiang Hanguang!”
After this incoherent rant, Cheng Ying felt a bit better. Then she suddenly felt that her ghastly appearance was a bit embarrassing, so she said stiffly, “I’m going to wash my hands,” and started to get up.
But halfway up, someone threw their arms around her waist.
Jiang Hanguang had stood up in a panic, and with her injured foot, she practically fell into her arms. Cheng Ying quickly hugged her back to steady her.
“What are you doing?!” It was impossible to tell if this question was asked in anger or happiness.
“I’m sorry,” the woman, her head buried in Cheng Ying’s chest, said with a faint sob in her voice. “Don’t be angry. I know I was wrong. I’ll definitely change in the future.”
In truth, the moment Jiang Hanguang had desperately thrown herself into her arms, all of Cheng Ying’s anger had vanished. Now, she had the leisure to tease, “Every time I get angry, you throw yourself into my arms. Is that the only trick you know?”
Hearing this, Jiang Hanguang, still in her arms, propped herself up and looked at her eagerly. “Then what can I do to make you not angry?”
The woman’s breath was as fragrant as an orchid, her tone sincere, so earnest that Cheng Ying’s eyes couldn’t help but fall on her parting red lips.
Forget it. Better not.
Cheng Ying swept the woman up by the waist, placed her back on the bed, and tucked her in. “Sleep.”
She turned to leave but was stopped by Jiang Hanguang tugging at the corner of her clothes.
The woman looked into her eyes like a stubborn child and asked for confirmation, “Are you still angry?”
Cheng Ying finally couldn’t hold back a smile. With the hand that wasn’t covered in liniment, she gently flicked her forehead. “If you go to sleep now, I won’t be angry anymore.”
“Okay, it’s a deal.” Jiang Hanguang nodded emphatically and immediately closed her eyes, as if afraid she would go back on her word.
She’s this adorable, isn’t it only natural for her to make a few mistakes?
Cheng Ying, with a smile she couldn’t suppress, went to wash her hands.
The next day, Jiang Hanguang was ordered by Cheng Ying to rest in bed. Cheng Ying went to the dining room alone and was surprised to see Xie Chengcheng eating at the table. She had assumed that this little good-for-nothing, who had shown a rare bit of backbone, had already quit the show along with her ex-girlfriend.
But she saw that Xie Chengcheng had dark circles under her eyes, which were completely bloodshot. She was so quiet it was unusually frightening.
Before Cheng Ying could ask her anything, Zhang Zeyun’s voice rang out from the speakers. “Because Miss Li Wan has temporarily withdrawn from filming, I’ve found a new helper for everyone. He is… the famous idol, Lang Wenxing!”
“Pfft!” Cheng Ying spat a mouthful of milk all over the floor.
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