Chapter 21: Then I can deal with you without any burdens

“…I don’t like this at all.”

In the shadows of the bushes not far away, Jiang Niaoniao slowly closed her eyes, which had grown dry from staring for so long.

She had been here for quite a while.

Following the final location pinged from Linlin’s phone, she had found this forest clearing earlier than expected.

Her original plan was to play the calm observer, waiting for Lin Zhizhi and Xiran to wear each other down—or at least for Xiran to expend a great deal of energy—before stepping in elegantly as the savior and taking Linlin away.

But reality had her hiding here, witnessing the entire scene.

Jiang Niaoniao slid slowly down the tree trunk she leaned against until she was sitting on the ground. Her hands unconsciously tightened on the hem of her skirt over her knees, knuckles turning white.

She could not win.

She had thought her “protection” and “guidance” toward Linlin were special.

She had thought the “cozy room” she had built just for herself and Linlin was Linlin’s only sanctuary.

There, Linlin would lean against her dependently and listen to her softest voice making promises.

“I will save Linlin. I’ll free you from Xiran’s control.”

“Kill Xiran.”

She had spoken with such certainty, as if she only needed to wait for the right moment and set a flawless trap.

But what had she witnessed?

Was she truly here to “save” Linlin?

Or… from the very beginning, had she been like a clumsy actor stumbling into a higher-level “game” she could not understand or influence?

A wave of defeat washed over her like icy water.

It was not merely frustration at her failed plan, but a deep doubt about the meaning of her own existence.

If she could not even protect Linlin, then her “likes,” her desire to get close, and her self-proclaimed role as “future wife”—weren’t they all just a one-sided joke?

She looked at Linlin in the distance—the person she wanted to save—leaning against another tree like a frightened rabbit. 

Her cheeks were swollen and flushed, her eyes still filled with lingering terror, yet she remained… firmly within Xiran’s control.

She had been the first to receive Linlin’s cry for help…

So why was the one standing there as the “savior” Xiran in the end?

Even if that “salvation” was twisted and horrifying, objectively speaking, Xiran had prevented Lin Zhizhi from inflicting further harm on Linlin.

A powerful wave of self-loathing and emptiness seized Jiang Niaoniao’s heart. Maybe… I should just give up?

A faint voice whispered inside her.

Since there was no chance of victory, since her presence might mean nothing to Linlin—or even be a burden—why not quietly disappear in a corner where no one would notice?

The thought had barely risen when a more stubborn image forced its way into her mind.

It was Linlin.

Not the battered Linlin before her now, but the one in her carefully arranged “safe room.” 

The one who would lower her guard, whose eyes would brighten slightly at the snacks she prepared, who would hesitate before asking for help, and who would lean on her dependently.

That Linlin was still waiting somewhere for a “hope.”

Even if that hope was her own flawed “gentle trap,” one she might not be able to fulfill.

Her Linlin…

Jiang Niaoniao murmured soundlessly, her fingers slowly loosening their grip on her skirt hem.

“Failure… is a very common thing.”

She told herself, her voice so low only she could hear it, as if reciting a creed she had to uphold.

“Failure is the mother of success.”

It was self-comfort, but also a belief she forced upon herself.

She could not break down here.

If even she gave up, then Linlin would truly have only Xiran’s one-way path toward complete control and distortion.

“Without experiencing failure, how can I become a good wife and protect Linlin?”

The self-appointed title of “wife,” heavy with obsession, became the final rope keeping her from sinking.

Yes, she would become a “wife” capable of protecting Linlin—not a coward who ran at the first setback.

“After this, I need to understand Linlin better.”

Her gaze refocused. The dark red glint deep in her eyes stabilized once more, shedding its earlier wavering and growing deeper, more stubborn.

“I need to become a… qualified wife.”

This thought brought her a strange calm, even a twisted surge of motivation.

The failure before her was no longer an endpoint, but a necessary trial on the path of “wife training.”

She began examining the current situation with an even more obsessive gaze.

Just then, faint voices from the distance interrupted her thoughts.

“Linlin-jie!”

“Linlin-jie! Where are you?”

It was the voices of Linlin’s usual followers, now anxiously searching for her.

They carried flashlights, beams swaying through the trees as they headed this way.

Jiang Niaoniao’s heart stirred.

If they came straight here, what would they see?

They would see Lin Zhizhi tied to a tree, looking utterly wretched.

They would see Linlin with swollen, injured cheeks and signs of having been bound.

And… Xiran, who likely had not yet had time to clean up the scene.

The true face of the “victim” Xiran might be exposed.

It would be a heavy blow to Xiran and create massive chaos.

The idea made her pulse quicken.

But the next second, another thought surfaced.

She glanced toward Xiran.

Xiran seemed to have heard the voices as well. 

She tilted her head slightly in that direction, her face expressionless, though her eyes were cold.

If not for Xiran… Linlin would probably be in dire straits right now.

Though reluctant to admit it, it was the truth.

That madwoman Lin Zhizhi showed no restraint. 

With those spiked brass knuckles, she could have easily killed Linlin or left her badly disfigured.

Xiran had prevented the worst outcome.

She had decided to be a proper “wife.”

How could a “wife” exploit someone else’s protection of Linlin—even a twisted one—for her own ends?

That would be too dishonorable. 

It went against the “qualified wife” standards she had set for herself.

Favors must be repaid.

Boundaries must be clearly drawn.

Only then could she, next time, deal with her without any burdens, with a clear conscience.

Jiang Niaoniao took a deep breath, rose from the shadows, and brushed the grass and dirt from her skirt.

Her face resumed its signature gentle, slightly worried expression.

She adjusted her breathing and stepped forward to meet the approaching flashlight beams.

“Are you… also looking for Linlin?”

Her voice was soft, carrying just the right note of concern.

The follower girls jumped at her sudden appearance but relaxed slightly once they recognized her as someone recently close to Linlin-jie.

“Jiang Niaoniao? Yes! We don’t know where Linlin-jie went, and her phone won’t connect!”

A short-haired girl said urgently.

“Have you seen her?”

Jiang Niaoniao put on a thoughtful look, then pointed in the opposite direction from where Xiran and Linlin were.

“I’ve already searched over there. I didn’t see Linlin.”

Her tone was sincere and reassuring.

“But don’t worry too much. Linlin might have just stepped away for a moment. Why don’t you check over there? Or head back and ask the others?”

Her manner was natural, her reasoning sound, her eyes clear.

The girls exchanged glances.

“Okay, we’ll look over there then! Thanks, Jiang Niaoniao!”

“No problem. Finding Linlin is what matters.” Jiang Niaoniao smiled gently.

She watched as the followers hurried off in the wrong direction, their flashlight beams fading into the depths of the forest. 

The gentle smile on her face gradually faded.

She turned back and looked once more toward where Xiran and Linlin were.

“So, Xiran…”

She murmured to herself, her voice carrying no emotion.

“This makes us even.”

Then, without hesitation, she turned and slipped away quietly in the direction opposite everyone else.

“Next time…”

The night wind carried her fading, nearly inaudible whisper.

“…I can deal with you without any burdens.”