Married to the Grim Reaper Against My Will

This girl is under my protection.

Since the students had already experienced the scenery of the Yangtze River gorges, the school arranged for a tour bus to take them back to Jiang City, which was faster and saved time.

Upon arriving in Jiang City, they first gathered at the Second Middle School, and then quickly dispersed for the May Day holiday.

During the holiday, the bar business was good, so Zhang Keke had a lot of work. As soon as they dispersed, she had to go to the bar. Ji Mian ate dinner with her at a noodle shop outside the school, and then they parted ways.

According to the rules, Ji Mian was supposed to go to the Heavenly Palace tonight. But after a long day, she was really tired, and it was getting late. She still needed to go back to her apartment to get her textbooks and homework, and then take a bus to Xiushan, which would probably take until midnight.

Ji Mian sat on the bus and sent a message to Xiang Shu: [Xiang Shu, can you talk to the ancestors and ask for some leniency? Can I come back tomorrow morning?]

Xiang Shu: [Okay. Lord Xuanyang is at the Heavenly Palace right now, and he's causing trouble with the ancestors again. It's better for you to avoid him, so he doesn't take his anger out on you.]

Ji Mian remembered Lord Xuanyang's terrifying appearance again, and shivered inwardly, replying seriously: [Thank you.]

Xiang Shu: [Madam, serving you is my duty.]

Ji Mian: [...]

Xiang Shu: [I'm going to check on the Divine Lord now. He seems to have demolished the Shouyang Palace, and the ancestors are furious. You should come back tomorrow. I'll teach you teleportation then, so you can perhaps dodge him if the Divine Lord tries to vent his anger on you.] Ji Mian looked at the message Xiang Shu sent, and then thought about Lord Xuanyang's appearance and the demolished Shouyang Palace. The little bit of goodwill she had managed to accumulate towards Lord Xuanyang last time seemed to have vanished into thin air.

He was really fierce and terrifying!

*

The next day, Ji Mian confirmed with Xiang Shu that Lord Xuanyang was not in the Heavenly Palace before heading to the bus stop with her schoolbag.

But she didn't expect to run into Ji Xiuan as soon as she left the community gate. Ji Mian froze, instinctively gripping her schoolbag strap, intending to pretend she hadn't seen her and walk away.

"Mianmian," Ji Xiuan called out to her, her usually loud and assertive voice now tinged with heavy fatigue, "Auntie didn't know which unit you lived in, so I've been waiting here since six o'clock. Are you really going to pretend you don't see me?"

Ji Mian stopped, took a deep breath, and slowly looked at her, "Do you need something?"

She hadn't seen Ji Xiuan clearly from a distance earlier, but now that she could see her, Ji Mian was somewhat surprised. It had only been a little over a month since their last meeting, but Ji Xiuan seemed to have aged ten years.

She had always been meticulous about her appearance, always presenting herself as an elite woman. She wore professional, fitted suits, had exquisite and appropriate makeup, and exuded an air of superiority and assertiveness in her every movement.

Now, she was still wearing decent clothes and still had perfect makeup, but the fatigue in her eyes was undeniable, and the corners of her mouth drooped with a sense of dejection. Rather than a sophisticated city woman, she now resembled a woman worn down by life's hardships, a woman with an utterly exhausted soul, merely wearing the facade of a city woman.

Ji Xiuan smiled at her, a rare attempt at ingratiation. "Auntie will go buy some breakfast. Shall we find a quiet place in the neighborhood to talk?"

Ji Mian pursed her lips, then looked directly at her. "No, let's go to a breakfast shop."

In crowded places, whether the matter is aboveboard or not, people tend to be more restrained.

"There are too many people in the breakfast shop, it's not convenient to talk."

Ji Mian wasn't good at arguing, but she insisted. "Let's go to the breakfast shop, otherwise I'm leaving."

Ji Xiuan was stunned. Having worked in the corporate world for many years, she was incredibly shrewd and immediately understood Ji Mian's intention.

The ingratiating smile on her face disappeared. She looked at her with disbelief, a hint of accusation in her voice: "Mianmian, you don't trust Auntie?"

Ji Mian didn't flinch, looking at her seriously as she replied, "I used to."

Her voice was soft, not forceful, but that incredibly serious expression gave the impression that this matter was irreversible. She truly no longer trusted her.

Ji Xiuan opened her mouth, but couldn't speak for a long time. She stood there dejectedly for a while, finally saying weakly, "Let's find a breakfast shop then."

It was breakfast time, and although it was a holiday, not many people were up early, but the shop was still quite lively.

Ji Xiuan found a table in a corner, behind which were two lush pots of pothos, providing some privacy. Neither of them was in the mood for breakfast. After sitting down, Ji Xiuan went straight to the point and asked, "Mianmian, are you really not considering continuing to live with your aunt?"

Ji Mian frowned in confusion. She thought this matter had already been settled. Ji Xiuan didn't seem like the kind of person who would be so fickle, so why would she suddenly confront her so early in the morning just to talk about this again?

"Aunt, I'm doing very well now."

Ji Xiuan widened her eyes and looked at her, her eyes starting to redden. "Mianmian, do you really have no regard for our aunt-niece relationship anymore? You came to Jiang City with me when you were twelve years old. You were so small back then," she gestured with her hand to show the height, "You hugged my legs and cried so hard you couldn't speak. So many years have passed, and I still remember that scene..."

As Ji Xiuan spoke, she seemed to be overcome with emotion, her eyes becoming redder and redder. She reached for a tissue, turned her head, and covered her eyes.

Ji Mian watched her sobbing, but she bit her lip and remained silent. She was introverted and gentle, but she wasn't stupid. Something was definitely wrong. If something hadn't happened, her aunt would never cry and try to gain her sympathy like this.

No one is truly a fool; the premise of being foolish and easily persuaded is that one would feel soft-hearted towards the other person. But ever since that day in the mountains, when Ji Xiuan told her not to disrupt the family harmony, she no longer felt soft-hearted towards her. Ji Xiuan cried for a moment, but receiving no comfort or questions, she continued sobbing, "Mianmian, we've lived together for five years. Nominally, we're aunt and niece, but I've truly considered you my own daughter. Are you really so heartless? Have you forgotten that I made you breakfast every day and helped you with your homework every night..."

"The breakfast was leftovers from Shi Man, and you helped with homework because Shi Man couldn't do it herself, and you needed me to explain things to her," Ji Mian refuted slowly, word by word.

She wasn't good at arguing, nor would she twist the facts, but she would state what had happened.

Ji Xiuan screamed, "Mianmian, is my five years of genuine effort so worthless in your eyes?"

Her scream naturally attracted some onlookers, which made Ji Mian uncomfortable. She lowered her eyes, biting her lip, and froze there.

"No wonder in your eyes, my five years of effort can't compare to the privileged life your mother's side of the family provides. Ji Mian, how can you treat me like this? Do you have a conscience?"

Under the furtive glances from all directions, Ji Mian's face flushed, but she still managed to control her embarrassment, raising her eyes to look at her, "Aunt, if you want to ask about my choice, I've already told you, I choose my mother's side. If you want to emotionally blackmail me, then talk to my lawyer."

Ji Xiuan, who had been crying moments before, suddenly burst into laughter, seemingly completely out of control. She lowered her voice and yelled at Ji Mian, "You're really something now, aren't you? You even have a lawyer! So you don't care about your aunt's life anymore?" She pointed a finger at herself, trembling from the force of her anger, "Look at me, I'm your aunt, not a stranger!"

She stood up, seemingly afraid of being overheard, and leaned closer, supporting herself on the table, her voice even lower: "That crazy person, neither human nor ghost, he's your uncle! The one who was driven to a breakdown and ran away from home is your cousin! Of course, you don't have to care! We don't even count as family in your eyes! You just go on living your good life, as long as your conscience doesn't bother you when you have nightmares at night!

"Ji Mian, you lived a good life with us for five years, and now that something's happened, you're running away? That's how shallow human relationships are in this world, only able to share the good times but not the bad. I should have realized this a long time ago!"

Ji Xiuan struggled to suppress her madness, the veins on her forehead bulging from the effort, her eyes wide and bulging as if they were about to pop out of their sockets, her eyeballs completely bloodshot, her thin lips twitching into a strange arc, her expression twisted and ferocious. For a moment, Ji Mian thought she looked even scarier than Lord Xuanyang in his true form.

She was startled and instinctively recoiled, the chair scraping against the floor with a harsh sound.

The jarring sound pierced her eardrums, and Ji Mian snapped back to reality. She dared to marry the God of Death, what else was she afraid of?

She silently took a deep breath, looked at the almost out-of-control Ji Xiuan, and said calmly and firmly, "Aunt, no matter what you say, I only have one thing to say: I'm on my mother's side." She wasn't one to argue, but this unyielding attitude instantly pushed Ji Xiuan, who was already on the verge of a breakdown, over the edge. "Ji Mian, are you trying to drive me to my death?!"

She shrieked, and with a raised hand, she overturned the table in front of her. Chairs and benches clattered against each other, creating a chaotic mess on the floor.

The commotion finally attracted the attention of the owner, who rushed over angrily, shouting in a loud voice, "What are you doing? Are you causing trouble in my shop?"

The owner was a big, burly man, dark-skinned and strong, with an imposing presence and a booming voice. His shout drew the attention of all the curious onlookers.

Ji Mian felt a prickling sensation on her back, too embarrassed to speak. She wasn't weak, but she had very high standards for herself, and if she felt even slightly in the wrong, she wouldn't dare to argue.

The shop owner didn't know who had overturned the table, but both women were involved in the mess. The middle-aged woman was furious and clearly not someone to be trifled with, so he naturally chose to pick on the weaker one. He reached out to grab Ji Mian's arm, "What are you doing? Are you causing trouble...?"

"Talk if you want to talk, but don't get physical!"

Before his hand could even touch Ji Mian's clothes, his wrist was firmly grasped and twisted to the side.

Ji Mian heard the familiar voice behind her, and her heart, which had been pounding with embarrassment, gradually calmed down. "Jiang... Jiang Wang?" She turned around and saw the slender young man gripping the shop owner's wrist, his face displaying his usual devil-may-care attitude.

"Huh," he smirked, raised his hand, grabbed her collar, and pulled her towards him like a little chicken. "Come here."

He stood behind her, his tall figure leaning lazily against a pillar, almost completely shielding Ji Mian, a completely protective stance.

The shop owner shouted, "This girl smashed my shop! Not only won't she compensate me, but she's also going to hit me? I've called the police!"

Jiang Wang released his wrist and smiled, "You're just shouting without thinking. Was it our girl who smashed your shop?"

"There were only the two of them here, who else could it be? Everyone, judge for yourselves! Smashing a shop and hitting people in broad daylight, and they still think they're in the right?"

As the owner spoke, there were murmurs of agreement from the surrounding crowd. Feeling emboldened, he reached out to grab Ji Mian again.

"Slap—"

Jiang Wang moved quickly, slapping his fat hand, making him wince in pain.

"Still hitting people! Is there no law and order anymore!"

The shop owner started howling.

Jiang Wang grabbed his cheek, impatiently grinding his teeth, "If you can talk properly, then talk properly. If you insist on wailing like a banshee, I'll show you what it means to get tough." As he spoke, he stepped on a chair on the ground, and with a loud crash, the chair broke into several pieces.

The noisy breakfast shop instantly fell silent. Everyone secretly glanced at the thin young man with curiosity and fear, suspecting him of being a Taekwondo master.

The shop owner no longer dared to act aggressively. He rubbed his cheek, which was sore from being squeezed by Jiang Wang, and argued, "There are only the two of them here. If it wasn't them, who else could it be? They smashed my shop; it's perfectly reasonable for me to demand compensation."

"You know there are two people, so why are you only targeting our girl? What are you doing? Picking on the weak, bullying our little girl because she has no one to protect her?" As he spoke, he raised a hand and placed it directly on Ji Mian's head, looking protective. "See? I've got her covered. If we did it, we'll admit it and pay whatever the cost. But if we didn't do it, just try to make us suffer even the slightest injustice." His hand was large, completely covering the top of her head. The warmth of his palm gradually permeated her scalp, and the warm, slightly numb sensation spread throughout her body, like being enveloped in a hot spring.

She had always been cautious, always avoiding trouble, and even when she hadn't done anything wrong, she would sometimes choose to endure it to keep the peace. Because deep down, she always knew that no matter right or wrong, no one would stand up for her.

Ji Mian's emotions were complex, a mix of bitterness and overwhelming emotion. Besides the indescribable gratitude, there was also a strange sense of injustice; she realized she could also be protected.

She clenched her fists tightly, controlling the stinging sensation in her nose.

Facing Jiang Wang's questioning, the shop owner mumbled, "I don't know who did it either, but we can't just let it go."

"Isn't there surveillance?" Jiang Wang gestured towards the area near the ordering counter, where a screen displayed footage from various corners of the shop.

The owner stammered, "I was busy..."

"So we deserve to be wronged?"

Jiang Wang raised his voice, startling the owner, who then quickly went to check the surveillance footage.

Ji Xiu'an sat in a chair throughout, arms crossed, her eyelids half-closed, maintaining the elegant and aloof demeanor of a sophisticated city woman, seemingly completely uninvolved.

After the owner left, Jiang Wang lowered his eyes and glanced at Ji Xiu'an, then kicked a soy sauce bottle at his feet, hitting her directly on the calf.

Ji Xiu'an was furious, jumping up, "What do you think you're doing!" Jiang Wang stepped closer, lowering his voice with a half-smile, "You expect Ji Mian to clean up your mess? Let me tell you, this is the last time. If there's a next time..." He paused, his voice dropping even lower, his tone devoid of emotion, carrying a dry, cold edge, "You'll go keep that beast company."

The last sentence sent a shiver down Ji Xiuan's spine. She suddenly widened her eyes, looking at the young man in front of her in terror, "Who...who exactly are you?"

Jiang Wang had already reverted to his usual carefree demeanor, grinning mischievously, "Didn't I tell you? I'm your father."

The overwhelming shock made Ji Xiuan completely ignore Jiang Wang's disrespectful tone; she just stared at him intently.

The shop owner quickly returned after reviewing the security footage, confirming that Ji Xiuan had suddenly lost control and overturned the table, and that it had nothing to do with Ji Mian.

Jiang Wang pulled out two hundred yuan and slapped it on the table, "We'll take responsibility for what we did. I broke the chair, and our girl did cause you some trouble. This is to compensate you. For anything else, you can talk to her." Jiang Wang gestured with his chin towards Ji Xiuan, who was standing there stunned, then grabbed Ji Mian's wrist and led her out.

Ji Mian was still somewhat dazed. She had already died once, so what had just happened wasn't a big deal to her, but it left her with an indescribably complex mix of emotions.

From the moment she left the Shi family, she became a rootless person. Drifting in the vast sea of ​​people, with no one to accompany her, no one to rely on, and nowhere to go. Perhaps since her parents died twelve years ago, she had already been a rootless person. A roof over her head didn't necessarily mean it was home.

She understood what it meant to be dependent on others from a very young age, and she was extra careful...

She was extra careful to avoid making mistakes, not wanting anyone to find fault with her. Even the slightest error made her anxious and afraid to speak. It wasn't weakness, but the lack of security she had experienced for so many years had taught her to keep the peace.

Just now, Jiang Wang had repeatedly referred to her as "our girl." She understood that he was only doing it to establish a position for negotiation and didn't mean anything else, but it still gave her a strong, yet inappropriate, feeling of dependence.

This feeling made her think that she didn't have to live so cautiously, that even if she occasionally made a mistake, someone would be there to support her.

It had been so many years; she had forgotten what it felt like to be protected.

Ji Mian's temples ached, and she stopped walking.

Jiang Wang was still holding her wrist, and he turned to look at her, "What's wrong?"

Ji Mian looked at him with her eyes red like a rabbit's, a little choked up, "Jiang Wang, thank you."

The girl's wronged yet serious expression made even the usually shameless Jiang Wang a little embarrassed. He scratched the back of his head, chuckled, and didn't say anything.

"I want to squat down for a bit, is that okay?"

Her emotions were a jumbled mess, and she couldn't maintain her composure anymore.

Ji Mian walked into an empty alley and squatted down. She pulled her hoodie hood over her head, hugged her legs, and buried her face in her knees.

Darkness enveloped her, all her defenses dropped, and the aching in her temples spread to her nose and eyes. She couldn't help but cry. It didn't seem like anything worth crying over, yet she felt so wronged that she couldn't control herself. She desperately wanted to tell her parents how hard it was to live alone in this world.

Jiang Wang stood at the entrance of the alley, watching her small figure huddled in the deep, dark alley, beginning to tremble. At first, she was suppressing her emotions, only her shoulders trembling slightly, but later she couldn't control herself anymore, and her whole body was shaking, with faint sobs coming from the depths of the alley.

She was crouching in the dilapidated, deserted alley, suppressing her tears, her weak and helpless appearance making Jiang Wang's heart ache.

An inexplicable restlessness rose in his heart, and he instinctively pulled out a cigarette and put it in his mouth. Before he could light it, he remembered something, cursed angrily, took the cigarette out, and threw it into a nearby trash can.

He glanced into the alley and then walked away.

Ji Mian cried until her cheeks and limbs felt numb. A slightly firm touch gently pressed against a small area of ​​her forehead.

She was so emotionally overwhelmed by crying that her reaction was slow. After a long time, she finally raised her head in a daze.

She saw Jiang Wang crouching in front of her, his long fingers holding a lollipop, which he was using to poke her forehead. Ji Mian covered her forehead with her hand, still trembling and sobbing, her eyes red as she looked at him. "What do you want?"

"Why are you crying?"

Ji Mian stubbornly denied it, "I'm not."

Jiang Wang chuckled, "You're quite thick-skinned to lie to me like that. It would be better if you used that thick skin to confront others."

"You're the one with the thick skin."

Jiang Wang unwrapped a lollipop and handed it to her. "Tell me why you're crying. You didn't do anything wrong; they're the ones who should be crying."

Ji Mian took the lollipop, holding it in her hand without eating it. "It's not about that."

"Then what is it?"

Ji Mian didn't say anything, lowering her eyes and avoiding his gaze.

"Don't cry, crying is useless. Learn from me: next time someone wrongly accuses you, point your finger at them and loudly tell them, 'I didn't do it, stop trying to pin the blame on me!'"

Ji Mian was stunned, looking at him with teary eyes, her sadness completely gone. Jiang Wang saw Ji Mian looking at him, so he simply held up another peeled lollipop, pointed it at her delicate nose, and deliberately gave her a flirtatious glance, then mimicked a woman's voice in a high-pitched tone, "It wasn't me who did it, stop trying to pin the blame on me! If you keep talking nonsense, I'll tear your mouth off!"

Ji Mian: ...

She burst out laughing and pushed him, "Can you stop being so crazy?"

Jiang Wang was pushed backward and simply sat down on the ground, spreading his long legs on either side of her body, looking at her and smiling, "If I don't act crazy, can you laugh? Just tell me, is your brother Wang's life easy?"

Seeing him sitting on the ground and laughing so carelessly, Ji Mian felt like laughing and crying at the same time, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

"But seriously, you shouldn't argue with people anymore. With your small build, you wouldn't be able to withstand a punch from that boss just now."

"I know."

"So that's why you didn't say anything just now?"

Ji Mian didn't say anything, but nodded.

"Tsk, but we can't just let ourselves be wrongly accused."

Jiang Wang scratched his head, suddenly remembering that Ji Mian had no parents, and her aunt and uncle were exactly like that. This meant that even if she was wrongly accused, no one would care or feel sorry for her, and no one would stand up for her and seek justice.

Without any protection, how carefully did she have to live? Jiang Wang glanced at her. The little girl was squatting there, a small, huddled figure, with bright red eyes and tear stains still on her face. He had lived for nearly two hundred years, but this one glance made him experience for the first time what it meant to feel "heartache."

He lowered his eyes, his thick eyelashes concealing the emotions in his gaze.

"How about this," he looked up at her, resuming his slightly mischievous demeanor, "Set my number as a speed dial. From now on, if there's an argument, I'll handle it; if there's a fight, I'll take care of it."

Ji Mian was a little bewildered, her eyes wide, tears still clinging to her curled eyelashes.

Jiang Wang looked a little annoyed. "Didn't you hear me? What did I say in the store just now?" He paused, then raised his hand to cover her head. "I've got your back. Come on, let's have a toast."

He said this, raising the lollipop in his hand.

Probably realizing his own words sounded a bit childish, Jiang Wang lowered his head and chuckled, his shoulders shaking.

As he moved, his palm rubbed against Ji Mian's scalp, making her feel a little ticklish. She couldn't help but shrink her neck, but then her eyes met his.

Jiang Wang was tilting his head to look at her, his eyes crinkling at the corners, full of sparkling laughter.

Ji Mian was stunned., squeezed the lollipop stick tightly, and whispered, "Cheers."

Then she raised her own lollipop and clinked it against his.