Quick Transmigration with Female Lead Aura - Chapter 134
Chapter 134
Guo Xiuyu remained motionless for a long time, and the atmosphere became tense.
Jiang Nian did not rush her because what she wanted was not just for Guo Xiuyu to kneel and apologize.
Jiang Tao stepped in to mediate, smiling as he advised, “Nian Nian, look, your Aunt Guo already knows she was wrong and is sincerely apologizing to you. Isn’t it unnecessary to make her kneel?”
Jiang Nian replied, “I’m not forcing her. It’s just that a simple ‘sorry’ is too light, too easily said. I don’t see any sincerity, and I can’t believe that Ms. Guo is genuinely apologizing. She needs to show some effort to prove her sincerity, so we can all be happy, right?”
Jiang Nian’s tone was gentle, not aggressive, but it carried a business-like formality, as if she were negotiating at a table.
Jiang Tao pondered this and gave Guo Xiuyu a meaningful look.
He agreed with Jiang Nian and hoped Guo Xiuyu would follow through. Seeing this, Guo Xiuyu clenched her fists, her expression already extremely unpleasant. She forced a smile, looking both troubled and hurt, “Nian Nian, do you really hate me that much?”
Jiang Nian glanced at her and said, “Ms. Guo, you were the one who brought in some unknown fortune-teller to slander me, claiming I had bad luck, which caused my father and me to resent each other for years and damaged our father-daughter relationship. What era is this? I never thought someone would still believe in the nonsense of fortune-tellers. Besides, back then, you had me imprisoned, and no matter how much I begged, you never let me go. To this day, it’s still a nightmare for me. Today, I just want to see a sincere apology. If you can’t do that, then it means you don’t think you were wrong. If that’s the case, there’s no need to say more. You can leave.”
With that, she stood up.
Xiao Zheng also stood up, his gaze sweeping over Guo Xiuyu with clear hostility.
Jiang Tao, however, grew anxious. This was a rare opportunity that couldn’t be missed. What was so hard about kneeling? Besides, it was indeed Guo Xiuyu’s fault back then. If it weren’t for her, he wouldn’t have believed Jiang Nian was a jinx. But over the years, it had been proven that Jiang Nian was not a jinx—she was a lucky star, a great one! Who could deny that the Xiao family’s current success wasn’t partly due to Jiang Nian?
“Xiuyu, you were wrong back then. You need to apologize properly.” Although privately, he felt Jiang Nian was being a bit excessive, he could talk to her about it later. After all, Guo Xiuyu was his wife, her stepmother. Making her kneel like this was disregarding hierarchy and his own face.
Guo Xiuyu was truly humiliated. She glanced at Jiang Tao, who looked resolute, then at Jiang Nian, whose cold expression held a hint of disdain. Xiao Zheng, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying the show, and even the maids passing by were glancing over curiously. Since her rebirth, Guo Xiuyu had been used to being pampered and respected everywhere. Now, she had to kneel to Jiang Nian!
Jiang Tao urged again, “Xiuyu, hurry up and apologize!”
Jiang Nian smiled, “If Ms. Guo isn’t sincere, then forget it. You can leave.”
Jiang Tao frowned, “Xiuyu!”
Guo Xiuyu had always been understanding and magnanimous in front of Jiang Tao, often showing admiration and affection for him. She knew his personality well—how selfish and opportunistic he was. Now, he was siding with Jiang Nian because of her capabilities and the importance Xiao Zheng and the old madam placed on her. Moreover, Jiang Nian held shares in the Xiao family, which were significant…
If she didn’t kneel, Jiang Nian might use other means, and Jiang Tao, for the sake of his interests, might even consider divorcing her. After all, she was no longer young and couldn’t compete with younger women. What would all her efforts over the years amount to then? Everything in the Jiang family had to go to her son.
Kneeling was nothing compared to the humiliation she had endured while working for others.
She slid to her knees, suppressing her hatred for Jiang Nian, and said, “Jiang Nian, I was wrong about what happened before. I’m sorry. I hope you won’t let this affect your relationship with your father.”
Jiang Tao felt a pang of heartache but was also satisfied with her compliance. After all, there were no outsiders here, so it wasn’t too embarrassing.
“Nian Nian, aren’t you satisfied now?”
Jiang Nian looked at Guo Xiuyu kneeling on the ground and didn’t feel satisfied at all. Guo Xiuyu’s words were clever. If Jiang Nian accepted the apology, it would be fine. But if she didn’t, Jiang Tao might think Jiang Nian didn’t care about him, turning the situation against her.
But Jiang Nian wouldn’t let her have her way.
Moreover, remembering how the original host had been imprisoned in another place, humiliated by Yang Hai, while Guo Xiuyu laughed, this little bit of humiliation was far from satisfying.
“Kowtow.”
“…What did you say?”
“I said, kowtow!”
Guo Xiuyu, who had been enduring the humiliation, was stunned. She looked at Jiang Nian, both surprised and humiliated.
Jiang Tao frowned, feeling that Jiang Nian was going too far, “Your Aunt Guo has already apologized. Isn’t this enough?”
Jiang Nian shrugged indifferently, “Since she’s already kneeling, what’s the big deal about kowtowing a few times? It’s just a small addition, isn’t it?”
Guo Xiuyu clenched her fists so tightly that her palms were almost pierced, her whole body trembling. Kneeling was one thing—she could console Jiang Tao later and recover her losses. But kneeling and then kowtowing? That was an insult!
Jiang Nian was going too far! With so many people watching, didn’t she care about how others would view her?
Guo Xiuyu said, “Nian Nian, do you still not forgive me? I apologized when you asked, I knelt when you demanded. Now you want me to kowtow? If I kowtow, will you forgive me?”
Jiang Nian replied, “I said, kneeling is just to show your sincerity. Whether that sincerity is enough depends on what you do next. If you don’t want to, then forget it.” She waved her hand tiredly, “Let’s end it here for today. You can leave. I’ll pretend you never came.”
“…!” If not for considering too many factors, Guo Xiuyu really wanted to slap Jiang Nian. She had apologized, knelt, and now Jiang Nian was acting as if they hadn’t come at all? Wasn’t she losing out too much?
Clearly, Jiang Tao thought the same. He frowned at Jiang Nian, wondering if she was deliberately messing with them. But Jiang Nian’s expression was calm, showing no signs of satisfaction or joy from revenge. It seemed she genuinely felt that Guo Xiuyu’s kneeling alone wasn’t enough to show sincerity.
Jiang Tao, using his authority as a father, said, “Nian Nian, look, your Aunt Guo has already gone this far. Be magnanimous and let it go. Why bother with her? Let’s just forget about it.”
Jiang Nian said, “That’s what I mean too. As long as Ms. Guo shows enough sincerity to satisfy me, we can immediately make peace. Everything in the past will be wiped clean, and you will still be my most trusted father. I’ll naturally listen to you. But Ms. Guo doesn’t seem to think that way. If she truly cared about you and our father-daughter relationship, what’s the big deal about kowtowing? Besides, if it weren’t for her, would we have come to this point? It seems she’s not very sincere toward you either, since she can’t even do this small thing.”
Jiang Tao turned to look at Guo Xiuyu, who felt a tightness in her chest.
She knew Jiang Tao was being swayed, but the excuses she had used in the past—that it was for his good, for their family’s good—couldn’t be brought up now. She couldn’t say that marrying Jiang Nian to Yang Hai was for profit, because now, no matter how you looked at it, Jiang Nian had become the biggest winner. Her past excuses had turned into blades against her.
“After all, I am your stepmother, and you are my junior. For me to kneel and apologize to you… isn’t this inappropriate? What will outsiders say?”
Jiang Tao nodded, “Yes, it won’t sound good.”
Jiang Nian was surprised, “I remember that nine years ago, when I left home, I completely severed ties with the Jiang family. My father said I should never return, that I was no longer his daughter. This isn’t a secret. So, strictly speaking, I’m alone. Where does this stepmother come from?”
Guo Xiuyu: “…”
Jiang Tao: “…”
Jiang Tao said, “Our blood relationship can’t be severed.”
Jiang Nian turned away, disappointed, “Forget it, I’m tired. You can leave.”
She walked away without leaving any room for negotiation. Jiang Tao grew anxious, frantically signaling Guo Xiuyu with his eyes. Guo Xiuyu also didn’t want to waste all her efforts after apologizing and kneeling!
This was a gambler’s mentality. Having already invested so much, with victory in sight, she couldn’t easily give up.
Since she had already knelt, she couldn’t let it be in vain, right?
Thus, Guo Xiuyu finally pressed her forehead to the floor, “Jiang Nian, I’m sorry. It was all my fault. Please don’t hold a grudge against your father anymore.”
Jiang Tao breathed a sigh of relief, deciding to compensate Guo Xiuyu well when they got back.
But Jiang Nian didn’t even turn her head, “It’s too late. I don’t want to hear it anymore. Forced apologies are insincere, and I know that. But if you want to show sincerity, you can keep kneeling and wait for me to change my mind.”
“…!!!”
Guo Xiuyu suddenly looked up, watching Jiang Nian walk away gracefully. She was both shocked and furious, her face twisted in anger. But then she noticed Xiao Zheng looking at her, his deep eyes behind his glasses staring at her like a venomous snake, sending a chill down her spine. She quickly hid her displeasure, putting on a look of sorrow.
Jiang Tao was also stunned. He watched Jiang Nian walk away, wanting to chase after her, but Xiao Zheng stopped him.
Once Jiang Nian left, Xiao Zheng no longer hid his coldness and intimidating presence.
Even if Jiang Tao was dissatisfied, he couldn’t confront Xiao Zheng now and had to swallow this bitter pill.
Guo Xiuyu now understood clearly—Jiang Nian’s promise of reconciliation if she apologized was just a way to humiliate her!
The news of Jiang Tao bringing Guo Xiuyu to the Xiao family to apologize spread quickly. In their circle, there were no secrets. Most people knew that Guo Xiuyu was superstitious and had tried to marry Jiang Nian off to Yang Hai. Now, years later, Jiang Nian had proven to be a lucky star, not a jinx. Hearing that Guo Xiuyu had knelt to apologize but still couldn’t gain Jiang Nian’s forgiveness showed how deeply Jiang Nian remembered the past.
“Did Guo Xiuyu really kneel?”
“Yes.”
“Impressive! Your sister-in-law is really something! I’ve met Guo Xiuyu a few times. She’s clearly from a small family, lacking knowledge and culture, yet she loves to put on airs. Only someone like Jiang Tao would fall for her. But I never expected Jiang Tao to stand by and watch Guo Xiuyu kneel to apologize to Sister Jiang. Sister Jiang is truly remarkable. How did she manage it?”
Xiao Zheng was half-lying on the sofa, holding a glass of beer. He downed it in one gulp, ignoring the conversation around him.
Shen Quan said, “A Zheng? We’re talking to you. Why are you spacing out again?”
Xiao Zheng sat up, placing the empty glass on the coffee table with a clink. He poured another glass and drank it.
He was a bit drunk, his mind filled with images of Jiang Nian dealing with Jiang Tao and Guo Xiuyu so effortlessly, humiliating Guo Xiuyu with just a few words.
He didn’t think she was being cruel. Instead, he found her incredibly beautiful.
Her voice was pleasant, her smile was lovely, and even when she was being mischievous, she was stunningly beautiful, making it impossible for him to look away.
Shen Quan saw Xiao Zheng still spacing out and clicked his tongue, “I say, are you still thinking about how to deceive your grandmother? Honestly, you should just come clean with Sister Jiang. If she’s willing, you two can ask for your grandmother’s approval together. She wouldn’t kick both of you out of the Xiao family, right?”
Xiao Zheng finally reacted, frowning, “What nonsense are you spouting?”
“How is it nonsense?”
“I,” he paused, “I never thought there would be anything between us.”
“What?”
Xiao Zheng shook his head, no matter how much Shen Quan pressed, he refused to say more.
Shen Quan was his childhood friend, the only one who knew about his feelings. The reason was that once, when Xiao Zheng was drunk, he had called out Jiang Nian’s name, and Shen Quan had heard it. He couldn’t deny it.
He liked Jiang Nian, but he never thought about pursuing anything with her. He just wanted things to be like before—having breakfast together, going to work together, working together, and coming home together in the evening.
Even if she scolded him a few times, he would be happy.
That was enough.
But now, it wasn’t possible. With the old lady watching, he couldn’t even get close to her. But just seeing her in the morning and knowing she was home in the evening gave him peace.
He just wanted Jiang Nian within his sight. He needed to keep an eye on her.
As for anything else, he didn’t dare to think about it.
Shen Quan sighed, “You don’t want anything to happen, but Sister Jiang isn’t getting any younger. Before, the Xiao family had too many issues, and she didn’t have time to think about other things. Now that things have settled, what if she brings a boyfriend home one day? What will you do then?”
Xiao Zheng’s alcohol-addled brain froze for a moment: Who could be worthy of his sister-in-law? No one!
