Everyone Thought The Fake Heiress Had Her Reasons Ch. 8
Three days later.
The banquet was scheduled for the evening, but considering Aunt might visit Ming Jiao in the morning, Tang Xiaoyu decided to leave after breakfast. Before departing, she handed Ming Jiao a palm-sized glass bottle.
Ming Jiao was taken aback. She accepted the bottle, studying the shimmering New Holland liquid sloshing inside the exquisite glass container. For a moment, she couldn’t fathom what it was, but it seemed unlikely that Tang Xiaoyu would give her a farewell gift. They would only be apart for half a day at most, and even if they were to part for longer, their relationship wasn’t at that level.
“What is this? Poison or truth serum? For me to use on the suspects?” Ming Jiao asked half-jokingly.
Tang Xiaoyu’s dark, piercing eyes fixed on her. “Neither. It’s just a precaution. If you’re in danger, smash it.”
They both understood what “danger” referred to.
A flicker of complexity stirred in Ming Jiao’s glistening eyes. She gazed at Tang Xiaoyu, unusually silent for once.
Under her prolonged stare, Tang Xiaoyu felt an uncharacteristic discomfort. She knew she was being overly cautious, but to her, it was simply a duty. If she was going to do something, she had to do it perfectly. If she half-heartedly carried out a task just because she disliked the person involved, it was better not to do it at all.
Yet, as Ming Jiao watched her, Tang Xiaoyu was abruptly reminded of their first meeting.
When she first learned about her origins, she hadn’t blamed anyone, not even Ming Jiao. Her adoptive parents had been wonderful people. Though they passed away early, the memories they left her were almost entirely warm, save for the sorrow of their departure. So, she had looked forward to meeting Ming Jiao, curious to see what her parents’ biological daughter was like.
When she finally met Ming Jiao, she was struck by her beauty—a perfect amalgamation of her adoptive parents’ finest features, perhaps even enhanced. When Ming Jiao smiled, Tang Xiaoyu could see traces of her adoptive mother: equally stunning and poised.
But the moment their eyes met, that familiar resemblance vanished, and all warmth dissipated. In those peach-blossom eyes that seemed capable of bestowing affection upon everyone, Tang Xiaoyu saw only boundless jealousy and resentment.
Reflecting on it now, only a year had passed since those feelings, yet that initial mindset felt foreign and distant—so distant that Tang Xiaoyu had nearly forgotten she once hoped they could get along.
Tang Xiaoyu quickly snapped back to reality, inwardly mocking herself. It was just that Ming Jiao’s appearance was deceiving. As long as she wasn’t putting on her deliberate airs of arrogance or petulance, few could find her irritating. And when her eyes held yours, they conveyed a sincerity that made you feel genuinely respected.
After just these few days together, her aversion to Ming Jiao seemed to have faded slightly.
A dangerous and foolish wavering.
Tang Xiaoyu adjusted her silver-rimmed glasses, suppressing the tumult of emotions, and turned to leave.
·
Ming Jiao watched as Tang Xiaoyu’s robes fluttered, disappearing beyond the layered shadows of flowers and leaves outside.
The breeze from the window carried the scent of blossoms, filling the room. For a moment, she felt as if she had returned to the night she first transmigrated—hazy and disoriented, being lifted into someone’s arms. The cold sleeve brushed against her cheek, while the warmth and fragrance of another person enveloped her like a reassuring harbor.
[Host, host, what’s wrong?] the System’s voice chimed in. [The protagonist has already left.]
Ming Jiao suddenly snapped back to reality, finding herself alone in the living room. Outside, tree shadows danced and the rustling of fallen leaves was incessant.
She lowered her thick, long lashes. 【It’s nothing.】
She had always admired Tang Xiaoyu—both as a reader appreciative of a story’s protagonist and as someone saved feeling gratitude toward their rescuer.
But now her feelings had deepened. If their positions were reversed, even if she wouldn’t let someone she disliked die, she couldn’t have been so meticulous in considering every detail.
【I just suddenly admire her greatly.】
It also seemed she wanted even less to be disliked by her, yet ironically, she was the very person Tang Xiaoyu detested most.
What should she do?
·
At ten in the morning, when a white Porsche parked in the driveway outside the courtyard, Ming Jiao knew her aunt had arrived.
The original host’s memories naturally contained her aunt’s appearance, but the System hadn’t seen her yet and was curious. 【They say all the members of the protagonist’s family are famously good-looking. Your aunt should be quite attractive too, right?】
Ming Jiao smiled slightly. 【You’ll see for yourself.】
A woman in a white dress walked through the courtyard filled with red roses. Under the sunlight, both her face and the diamond earrings she wore were dazzling.
The System couldn’t help but exclaim softly, 【She looks so righteous!】
The same white dress, worn by different people, gave off entirely different impressions.
Some people looked pure and adorable or pitifully delicate in white dresses, while others appeared sacred, noble, and unapproachable.
Her aunt was the latter.
The long white dress, accented with a pale golden belt, combined with her coldly elegant face, made her resemble a majestic, icy goddess statue.
Just as the System said, she seemed exceedingly righteous—though not easy to approach, she also gave the impression that no filth could ever touch her.
Ming Jiao’s gaze shifted. 【It’s not like my face has the word “villain” carved on it from birth.】
Appearances reflecting one’s inner self weren’t always accurate. Both she and the original host had been praised for their beautiful, soulful eyes, yet neither of them was particularly deep or sentimental.
The original host’s features didn’t resemble her aunt’s, but the arrogant demeanor was identical. No wonder her aunt favored this niece and was all the more eager to drag her down into the abyss together.
Thinking this, Ming Jiao stepped forward with a bright smile. “Aunt.”
As she drew closer, she noticed that although her aunt was wearing makeup, she looked unwell—tired, with a pallor that even light makeup couldn’t conceal. Ming Jiao felt a flicker of surprise.
“Aunt, you look exhausted. Did you just get back?”
Her aunt nodded. “I returned yesterday. Probably didn’t sleep well.” She shook the paper bag in her hand. “I brought you a gift.”
Judging by its weight, Ming Jiao guessed it was likely clothes or a bag.
As they spoke, they entered the house. Her aunt watched Ming Jiao skillfully pour water for her and, seeing the cold emptiness of the room, sighed with both emotion and pity. “I’ve only been away for a month, and you’ve suffered so much. Your sister really knows how to bully you—making you move out without even arranging for someone to take care of you.”
With those words, the image of the cold, elegant goddess instantly shattered, replaced by one that radiated troublemaking from every pore.
Ming Jiao’s thoughts churned as she watched her aunt unpack the gift, pulling out one beautiful dress after another, all while pondering quietly.
Ever since she knew she would be meeting her aunt, a plan had been forming in her mind.
In the original story, although this banquet brought some criticism to Tang Xiaoyu and the Ming family, ultimately it was just most people gossiping behind their backs—no one dared or was foolish enough to speak ill in front of the Ming family members.
On the contrary, Aunt and the original host suffered a complete defeat, especially the original host. Not only was she once again shut out by her sister, but she was also humiliated by several people she had previously offended. This incident dealt a heavy blow to the original host, leaving her so despondent that she didn’t cause any trouble for a long time.
Ming Jiao felt she could take this opportunity to appear disheartened in front of Aunt, then naturally suggest going to another city to relax. Later, she could suddenly claim to have had a change of heart, deciding not to return to avoid bothering others, which would seem perfectly reasonable.
Without her, Aunt would lose a handy tool for stirring up trouble and might even quiet down altogether.
After all, the reason Aunt was so restless was different from the original host’s. The original host felt aggrieved and believed her interests were harmed, while Aunt simply wanted to target her sister and make her unhappy.
Given this, now was the time to lay the groundwork.
Ming Jiao took the lilac-colored dress handed to her by Aunt and hesitantly said, “Aunt, I’ve been thinking these past few days… I’m not really a child of the Ming family. If I keep making trouble like this, Mom… Mother will end up hating me.”
Aunt paused what she was doing and quickly looked up at her.
Ming Jiao whispered with difficulty, “Maybe we should just let it be.”
“Let it be?” Aunt’s expression changed, her tone growing urgent. “Are you willing to give everything to Tang Xiaoyu? To watch everyone revolve around her? Don’t you feel wronged?”
Ming Jiao wanted to loudly say she didn’t feel wronged, but her plan didn’t allow for such mischief.
“But I’m not blood-related to any of you. Everyone sees me as an outsider.”
Aunt’s expression shifted again, becoming complex. Ming Jiao thought her expression in that moment was subtle—a mix of annoyance and pity—which stirred doubt and suspicion in her heart.
This reaction wasn’t quite right. Could there be more to it?
But Aunt’s expression soon softened. “Jiaojiao, are you still bothered by what I mentioned last time?”
What had been mentioned last time? Ming Jiao couldn’t immediately recall which occasion “last time” referred to. Ever since Tang Xiaoyu returned to the Ming family, their conversations had almost always revolved around scheming against her, rarely discussing anything else, let alone something that would bother the original host.
Now, whenever Ming Jiao tried to recall, her mind was filled with their various plans to deal with Tang Xiaoyu.
Seeing her confused reaction, Aunt assumed she hadn’t taken the matter seriously and breathed a sigh of relief. “I’ve thought about it, and you were right. Treating Tang Xiaoyu that way was indeed a bit too much—reputation is very important for a girl. I only mentioned it offhand back then because I was worried about your standing in the Ming family.”
As her words faded into the background, a memory surfaced in Ming Jiao’s mind: back at the Ming family home, Aunt had pulled the original host into a room and brought up Tang Xiaoyu’s former uncle-in-law, even giving the original host his contact information.
The original host had known about this, but she had no interest in such a minor figure and found it strange that Aunt would bring him up.
Then she heard Aunt say that before the former uncle-in-law and Aunt had divorced, they had raised Tang Xiaoyu together for several years. If he were to spread some unfavorable rumors about Tang Xiaoyu, they would be highly credible.
The original host was very tempted and wanted to meet her former uncle-in-law to inquire about Tang Xiaoyu’s past, hoping to find some leverage or fatal flaws.
Her aunt suggested spreading rumors that Tang Xiaoyu had been raped as a child.
In such matters, the victim is never at fault, yet they still face public scrutiny. Even though Tang Xiaoyu had never actually experienced such a thing, spreading such rumors would cause immense harm to any woman. Someone slightly more fragile might even be destroyed by it.
The original host detested Tang Xiaoyu, wishing she would disappear immediately and that she had never existed. But faced with such a proposal, she rejected it without hesitation. For the first time, she felt a chill of fear toward her aunt, finding her utterly unfamiliar.
Seeing her strong resistance to the suggestion, the aunt didn’t bring it up again.
“Hmm.” Ming Jiao recalled this, her eyes icy cold almost beyond control. She could only lower her head to hide her emotions. “I know you mean well for me.”
Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Ruu
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