The Nightmare Experience of a Useless Person

Dressed in women's clothing became his pass, and Jiang Zhiyang blushed, truly resembling a shy young girl at that moment.

A gentle morning breeze caressed Jiang Zhiyang, whose slender figure was outlined by his soft dress. Although he was nearly two heads taller than the maids beside him, he did not appear burly. He lowered his head and climbed the steps.

This floor must be the goddess's bedroom. After receiving their tasks from the head steward, the accompanying maids went about their work, while Jiang Zhiyang picked up a pot of flowers and pretended to investigate the various rooms.

The architecture here is incredibly intricate, with courtyards adjacent to each other, paths leading to ponds, winding corridors, and deep courtyards. Among them, plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, chrysanthemums, osmanthus, and crabapple trees are arranged with great care. The house in front of him has the largest entrance. Without hesitation, Jiang Zhiyang gently pushed the door open, and a woman appeared before him.

One glance, and my heart started racing.

She knelt before the bronze mirror, her long, thick black hair flowing from her temples to the ground, as smooth as a ribbon. She wore a light-colored undergarment that clung to her body, revealing glimpses of her fair skin.

She turned slightly to the side, the morning light illuminating her profile—round eyes, a high nose, and full lips. She was like a painting, blending seamlessly into the tranquil and elegant Chinese courtyard.

Gazing at that familiar face, joy surged like a flag, and Jiang Zhiyang cheered inwardly, but dared not utter a sound.

"Qin'er?"

Jiang Zhiyang dared not respond.

She finally turned her head, revealing a pair of clear eyes, quiet like a pool of water in the deep mountains. She was thinner than before, and had lost the liveliness and cuteness of her childhood, becoming more quiet and reserved.

Jiang Zhiyang gently lifted the flowerpot to indicate his purpose, and Yu Qingjun simply nodded without asking any further questions.

Soon, the owner of that name appeared. Qin'er practically rushed in, clutching her skirt to make it easier to step in.

"I'm sorry, miss, I'm late."

"It's alright, let's hurry."

Qin'er, a hairdresser, was still panting heavily, but her hands were already busy working in an orderly manner, and Yu Qingjun's black hair was being twisted into perfect buns under her hands.

Her eyes scanned the dressing case, and at Yu Qingjun's prompting, she took out only a jade hairpin shaped like a bamboo leaf.

"Miss, is this enough?"

"That's enough. We're going to listen to the Grand Tutor's lecture today, so keep it simple."

"What about the floral decorations?"

"No need."

Yu Qingjun looked up and met Jiang Zhiyang's gaze, and said softly, "What's your name? I've never seen you before."

It seems she didn't recognize Jiang Zhiyang, but now that he's dressed as a woman, it's indeed difficult to recognize him.

"Yang'er." Jiang Zhiyang pinched his throat and managed to squeeze out the words, but calling himself "Yang'er" was really funny, and he almost burst out laughing.

"Yang'er, take my book box and come with me to listen to the lesson."

In fact, Jiang Zhiyang was not needed. As soon as Yu Qingjun stepped out of the room, a group of pageboys and maids surrounded her. Jiang Zhiyang was submerged in the crowd and followed closely.

The goddess was truly impressive in appearance; her schedule was packed full for the day. Jiang Zhiyang felt so busy that he couldn't even keep his feet on the ground. He couldn't help but sigh that being a goddess was no ordinary thing.

After listening to the sutras at dawn, Yu Qingjun hastily ate a bowl of white porridge for breakfast. Afterwards, she knelt in the main hall to pray for blessings. She didn't have time to eat lunch. Upon hearing that there were several distinguished guests from afar, she went down to the main hall to bless them. After finishing this, it was already afternoon. Yu Qingjun changed into a lighter dress and went up the mountain with several maids.

There is a spring at the top of the mountain, which is quite ordinary, but it is surrounded by a long, colorful rope, which is covered with prayer ribbons and small golden bells, creating a mysterious atmosphere.

Yu Qingjun knelt down in front of the prayer mat, and everyone else followed suit. They were muttering something, which Jiang Zhiyang couldn't hear clearly, but he assumed they were making wishes. He mumbled something indistinctly.

"May our journey be smooth and may we return home safely."

After making his wish, Jiang Zhiyang also bowed, though he didn't know which deity he was bowing to.

The ceremony lasted for a long time before Yu Qingjun finally took out a porcelain bottle from her entourage's box, bowed, filled it with spring water, and carefully placed it away. The bottle looked familiar; it resembled the small bottle with willow branches inserted during the procession to distribute medicine…

It turns out that the so-called bestowed medicine was nothing more than sprinkling some spring water.

Those incredible rumors turned out to be nothing more than this simple and uninteresting truth. If the people in the town knew, I wonder if they would still kneel so devoutly.

Throughout the day, Yu Qingjun was surrounded by people, and Jiang Zhiyang had no chance to get close. Only during this short dinner time was there some peace and quiet.

This is a good opportunity.

Just as he was about to step forward, someone else entered the room, so Jiang Zhiyang had to withdraw his foot, straighten his posture slightly, and let out a long sigh.

"Manniang!" Like a pebble falling into a calm lake, splashing water and rippling outwards in countless waves, Yu Qingjun happily got up and even ran a few steps to greet "Manniang".

Jiang Zhiyang secretly glanced up. Wasn't that Man Niang the head steward he had met that morning? His heart started pounding wildly again, and his clenched fists betrayed his nervousness. He knew very well that the sharp-eyed woman in front of him was the one who was truly not to be trifled with.

"Who is this? I've never seen him before," Man Niang said.

Jiang Zhiyang's height is truly conspicuous among a group of women.

"Her name is Yang'er, Manniang. I feel a connection with her. May I have her as my personal maid?"

When Yu Qingjun acted coquettishly, Manniang smiled indulgently, but to Jiang Zhiyang, that smile seemed particularly sinister. This person was not so simple at all; perhaps she was the bad guy.

"My dear girl, you are a goddess, of course you can have whatever you want."

"Nannan? This old woman actually called Yu Qingjun 'Nannan'? Only Yu's father and mother had ever called her that before!"

Secretly, Jiang Zhiyang glared at the old woman and vowed to expose her true colors!

"What goddess!" Yu Qingjun leaned on Manniang's shoulder affectionately. "Everyone worships me as Guanyin, but I'm just a little girl. However, they recovered from their illnesses because of our prayers, and now they are living happier and happier lives. I'm really happy."

"My dear child, I heard you didn't eat lunch today."

"I was so busy I forgot, hehe."

"Don't do that next time. Eat properly and rest well. Your happiness is also very important."

"Yes, Manniang loves me the most." Seeing Yu Qingjun smiling so happily, Jiang Zhiyang couldn't help but feel a little jealous. She actually smiled so beautifully at a stranger. He had been looking for her for so long and missed her for so long, but she didn't even recognize his identity.

How awful! So awful!

They chatted for a long time like an ordinary mother and daughter, until Jiang Zhiyang's ankles ached from standing. Finally, when the candles were nearly half burned, Manniang got up and once again told Yu Qingjun to rest early tonight, as tomorrow was the day of the parade.

Only after Manniang left the house did Jiang Zhiyang dare to relax his strength slightly, and the muscles in his legs became hard and sore from the tension.

"Yang'er, go and have dinner after you've tidied up this. I've been chatting with Manniang for a while today, so I'm sorry to make you eat so late."

She reverted to her previous polite demeanor, and seeing her so courteous only made Jiang Zhiyang feel more irritated...