HBWMA -Chapter 21 The Family Thief

When Jiang Huashan returned to Chrysanthemum Garden, Fang Mei had already finished tidying up the room.

Because of the matter of moving rooms, Jiang Wanyi had taken a grudge against her and never showed up from beginning to end. Even the luggage had been packed by the servants in the courtyard.

“……”

Only, wasn’t this packing a little too thorough?

Jiang Huashan looked at the nearly emptied bedroom and deliberately turned back out of the room, checking whether she had entered the wrong place.

Fang Mei, worried that Jiang Huashan might have said something at Qinxin Garden, rushed over as soon as she heard she was back to probe the situation. Seeing her wandering at the doorway, she asked in apparent confusion, “What are you looking for?”

Jiang Huashan pointed inside the room and asked knowingly, “Did a thief come into my room? Why is everything gone?”

Fang Mei choked slightly. “What nonsense are you talking about? This room is yours now. What’s wrong with taking a few things for your younger sister? Don’t tell me you really want to cut ties with Yiyi?”

Jiang Huashan pushed the door open. When Old Master Shen had designed this Flower-Mirror Pavilion, he had invested a great deal of thought into it. Every piece of furniture and decoration was expensive. Her dear “sister” was really bold—and greedy—to have moved everything out.

“These things are what your sister is used to using. As the older sister, you should be more considerate, right?”

Fang Mei observed Jiang Huashan’s expression without showing it. She had expected her to explode in anger, but she didn’t. Instead, Jiang Huashan looked calm, as if nothing had happened, and walked into the bathroom. Soon after, the sound of running water came from inside.

Too abnormal.

Fang Mei frowned slightly and, after a moment’s hesitation, followed her into the bathroom.

Jiang Huashan was half-leaning against the bathtub, idly playing with the water with her fingers. It was as if she had already expected Fang Mei to follow her in. She smiled carelessly. “Something wrong?”

Fang Mei studied her closely. This girl had been raised under her watch for three years—she knew her temperament very well. Compared to someone scheming or acting out, she was more inclined to believe Jiang Huashan was simply pretending to be strong.

After a brief thought, Fang Mei said gently, “Shanshan, Yiyi is just immature. Don’t take it to heart. They’re just small things—you won’t mind them, right?”

Jiang Huashan nodded. “Mm.”

Fang Mei looked relieved. “Good. Then take a bath and rest early. Tomorrow Mom will make you Huai City soup dumplings.”

Jiang Huashan lowered her head and turned the faucet without responding.

Fang Mei kept her smile, then turned and left the bathroom.

Click—

The moment the door closed, the expressions on both their faces sank at the same time.

—

The long day finally ended. The moment Jiang Huashan lay down in bed, she couldn’t help letting out a comfortable sigh.

Perhaps the hot bath had eased her fatigue—she wasn’t sleepy at all now. Her eyes were wide open as she stared blankly at the crystal chandelier on the ceiling.

The Shen Residence from eleven years ago.

Old acquaintances from eleven years ago.

And…

She slowly raised her hand. And her thirteen-year-old self.

At first, she had felt a bit regretful—why couldn’t she have returned to adulthood? That way, she wouldn’t be constrained by Fang Mei. But after meeting Shen Guiling, her thoughts completely changed.

From a timeline perspective, returning to age thirteen was actually advantageous. This was the age of innocence, when most people wouldn’t be guarded against a child. As long as she was patient enough and careful enough to hide herself, she would definitely be able to uncover that insider traitor.

People like Shen Guiling and Shen Lanxi… would grow up to be dangerously intelligent. One would already be difficult to deal with—let alone two.

But now it was different. She was Jiang Huashan, someone who had already lived through the adult world, while they were still just children. If she had to face them in the future, she would at least have a few more advantages.

As the thought deepened, sleepiness suddenly washed over her. She lazily yawned, turned over, and drifted off to sleep.