Chapter 11: The Alternate Account

“I didn’t expect you to have cried as a child.”

After bidding farewell to Wei Yingming and Wu Xi along with their family, Jiang Ying teased Lu Zhixi about what she had just overheard.

Lu Zhixi held her hand as they walked into the villa where the last gathering had been held, passing through the rose garden in the front yard. “Yes. Whenever I cried and my mother was arranging flowers, she would use the flower stems as a whip.”

“You mean she must have removed the thorns beforehand, right?” Jiang Ying asked.

Lu Zhixi smiled but didn’t answer.

Wei Yingming and Wu Xi wanted to chat more with Lu Zhixi. They suggested that Jiang Ying and Lu Zhixi stay at their home that night, or even next door at Lu Zhixi’s own house.

That night, Jiang Ying stayed by Qingqing’s side playing. Wei Yingming and Wu Xi kept Lu Zhixi engaged in conversation, ranging from private schools in New York to Ivy League applications, from the domestic market to the North American market. It wasn’t until eleven o’clock that the conversation ended. When they left, Qingqing cried, asking Jiang Ying repeatedly to promise she would visit more often.

The butler, summoned at the last minute, brought two sets of clothes from the Chaoyang District apartment as per Lu Zhixi's request. While the room they were to stay in was being prepared, the two took advantage of the break to sit on the rattan chairs in the villa’s front yard, enjoying the breeze.

After the arrival of summer in Beijing, the city remained stifling at night, but the greenery and ecology of Qingshui Court were well maintained. Every house had a pool, and there was a man-made lake nearby, so the evening breeze carried a refreshing coolness.

The last time Jiang Ying had visited, the place was bustling and lively; this time the villa was empty and somewhat desolate. She held the Star Darlie rabbit Qingqing had given her close to her chest; the little girl had said she hoped this rabbit would make Jiang Ying think of her often.

“I think Sister Xi’s approach to Qingqing’s upbringing is a bit... radical,” Jiang Ying said, stroking the rabbit and unable to resist bringing up the topic. “Zhixi, was your childhood like that too?”

When she was six, she still sat behind the restaurant cash register at home watching cartoons, unable even to write all twenty-six letters of the English alphabet.

“No.”

He replied casually, “When I was her age, it wasn’t as easy as it is for her.”

“I thought children like you guys grew up like little princes and princesses.”

Lu Zhixi turned his head to look at her.

A breeze swept his bangs aside, revealing the delicate, somewhat youthful elegance of his brow and eyes.

“Historically, royal families have been the most fiercely competitive arenas in human society. If a young member’s growth did not meet expectations, they were either abandoned or killed. Those who thrived often had to learn to depend on others. Similar dynamics exist in wealthy families, where outstanding children represent honor and the ability to preserve wealth... So many pour all their efforts into raising their children, often having many offspring.

“Those who cannot meet their parents’ expectations are either abandoned or self-exiled, venting their pain through promiscuity and drugs. Some even drag others down with them into degradation. Happiness is a luxury everywhere.”

Jiang Ying hadn’t expected Lu Zhixi to answer so earnestly.

She was stunned for a moment, then after a brief silence said, “People actually need professional psychological guidance and care from early childhood.”

Lu Zhixi suddenly laughed out loud.

The laughter of youth was clear and light.

“Yingying, you’re really adorable.”

*

“If childhood is hard, then I hope he will have much freedom and happiness when he grows up.”

“I want to give him lots and lots of happiness.”

Jiang Ying put away her phone and looked toward Lu Zhixi, who was speaking quietly with the butler at the door.

From his words, she vaguely discerned the outline of his childhood. Busier than even Qingqing, it must have been a life heavily burdened, with little rest or leisure squeezed out. Such a lifestyle continuing until now might have been unbearable at first, but perhaps by now he had grown accustomed to it.

Can anyone truly become accustomed to such a life?

Although his current life operated like a fixed program, no one could truly function like a machine. Everyone grows tired, sad, and broken. When Lu Zhixi spoke of these things with a smile, she felt he was not genuinely happy.

The butler soon finished preparing the room, placing water, fruit, and desserts in the fridge, and providing towels, toothbrushes, and bathrobes.

“...They will arrive tomorrow night.”

“Understood. Have the car pick us up at noon tomorrow.”

After speaking with the butler, Lu Zhixi led Jiang Ying into the villa and upstairs.

There were several bedrooms on the second floor. At the end stood a pair of carved wooden doors—the master bedroom—with a very old-fashioned lock installed on the door. Jiang Ying noticed the lock immediately upon going upstairs.

She found it odd. “Why lock the master bedroom?”

“My mother locked it the last time she came. She doesn’t like other women sleeping in her room.”

Jiang Ying stood at the door, staring blankly as Lu Zhixi walked in. Her mind was still processing his earlier remark.

He turned back and saw her standing there looking surprised. “Why the shock? I thought Lily had already told you.”

Her expression shifted from stunned to astonished. “How did you know...?”

Lu Zhixi smiled and pinched her nose. “I said you’re cute.”

...He had just been teasing her. Jiang Ying felt a little defeated as the realization sank in.

“It’s not a secret abroad. My father is famous; his scandals are everywhere. He has many mistresses, but most don’t stay long. Some have borne his children. My father doesn’t do paternity tests; if he’s convinced the child is his, he pays support.”

His tone was casual and light. “People in the country don’t know much about him, so they don’t understand. I didn’t want you to know because it’s not exactly something I’m proud of.”

Jiang Ying wrapped her arms around his waist. “...I’m sorry, Zhixi. Lily mentioned it unintentionally. I knew you didn’t want to talk about it, so I said nothing.”

“So last night, you were being so forward because you felt sorry for me?”

Their eyes met, and after a few seconds, she softly said, “Mmm.”

“What exactly did Lily tell you?”

“She said... your father’s illegitimate child injured your shoulder, forcing you to withdraw from the tennis tournament.”

“And?”

“That’s all.”

“That’s all?” Lu Zhixi scrutinized her expression, as if checking if she was hiding something.

“That’s all.”

Jiang Ying shook her head like a child who had overheard a secret she shouldn’t have, looking cautious as she whispered, “Does living here make you uncomfortable?”

Lu Zhixi smiled. “It’s fine. This is my room. See? There are photos of our family there. My father wouldn’t bring other women into this room.”

Following his gaze, Jiang Ying saw a few photos on a cabinet in the corner.

The boy in the photos appeared about five or six years old, with light brown hair and clear, large eyes like beautiful amber. He was held in the arms of a beautiful woman with black hair and fair skin, and a snow-white dog stood at their feet. Behind them stood a young man with the handsome features characteristic of Eurasian heritage, looking like a charming gentleman.

Lu Zhixi wrapped his arms around her from behind, resting his chin atop her head as they looked at the photos together. “My hair was lighter when I was little, like my dad’s.”

“But you look very much like your mother. Both of you are beautiful,” Jiang Ying whispered in admiration.

Such a lovely child, such a beautiful wife. They looked like the perfect family.

She didn’t understand why Lu Zhixi’s father still kept mistresses.

Staring at the photos, Jiang Ying suddenly thought of her own mother.

It had been so long since she had thought of her.

Though not as beautiful as Lu Zhixi’s mother, her own mother was still pretty. When Jiang Ying was nine, her mother fell in love with a bar owner. Jiang Ying had met the man several times; he exuded a restless, rakish aura that completely enchanted her mother.

Some people find a sharp, exhilarating thrill in chaos and danger, using this pleasure to wreak havoc on the other side.

The faintly similar past gave her a strange, newfound sympathy that she shared with Lu Zhixi.

Perhaps it was the unfamiliar surroundings; Jiang Ying’s sleep was restless that night. Half-asleep in the middle of the night, she gradually woke to find herself curled in Lu Zhixi’s arms.

He was still awake, scrolling through his phone.

“Zhixi, you’re still not asleep?” she murmured, eyes heavy, unable to see what was on his screen.

He put down the phone and looked at her. “Why are you awake? Did I disturb you?”

She shook her head and buried her face in his chest, her voice muffled. “No, I just suddenly woke up.”

Lu Zhixi didn’t wear cologne, but Lingjing always put a special vetiver gel in the laundry. His clothes carried a faint scent. Vetiver is calming and soothing, blending with his body heat to quickly ease her tension.

She felt calm—yet sleep eluded her. She tried to fall back asleep but couldn’t.

Lu Zhixi had already slipped under the covers, eyes closed, perhaps asleep.

The room grew very quiet. After a while, she whispered, “Zhixi.”

“Hmm?” he replied.

“Can’t you sleep either?”

Her voice was so soft, like a child whispering during nap time.

“Do you want to...”

He opened his eyes and looked at her knowingly. “Want what?”

“That.”

So late, Jiang Ying felt a little shy but also restless.

Moonlight streamed through the window. Lu Zhixi lay beside her, his face bathed in the hazy night like a grainy, faded film still, only his clear eyes shining with a light that seemed to see through her thoughts.

“Be clear, Yingying. What do you want?”

His voice was gentle, encouraging.

Her breath caught, her heart pounding. After a moment, she whispered,

“I... want to sit on your face.”