Everyone Thought The Fake Heiress Had Her Reasons Ch. 13
Ming Jiao paused her movements, swiftly finished dressing, then turned around. “I knew you couldn’t be trusted—sneaking a peek while I change. I should’ve thrown you out earlier.”
She gathered her soaked clothes into a paper bag. “Haven’t you heard of ‘see no evil’? I’ll return these after washing them.”
With that, she made to leave the room.
Unsurprisingly, Shi Yan rose and blocked her path. “What really happened?”
She’d only glanced over unintentionally to check if Ming Jiao had changed, never expecting to witness such a scene. The bandaging technique clearly wasn’t for the back—that meant… Her gaze fell on Ming Jiao’s chest. “Explain yourself.”
Ming Jiao looked up at her. “An accident.”
Such a dismissive answer naturally dissatisfied Shi Yan. Given the Ming family’s complicated circumstances, it was hard not to draw connections, yet based on her understanding of them, she doubted they’d harm Ming Jiao this way.
She studied Ming Jiao’s face but found it difficult to discern any emotion. After a moment’s silence, she voiced the advice that had been circling in her mind. “I’ve heard about your situation. While the Ming family still holds some affection for you, withdraw now. Stop provoking their displeasure.”
Under normal circumstances, Ming Jiao would either storm off or erupt into an argument at such words, but today Shi Yan sensed she might actually listen. “If a family decides to retaliate against you, you won’t survive the consequences.”
Ming Jiao chuckled softly. “We’ve barely had civil conversations over the years. Why the sudden concern?”
Shi Yan averted her eyes. “I’m not concerned. Just offering a reminder.”
“What am I to do with you?” Ming Jiao circled her slowly. “You possess this inconvenient softness yet stubbornly deny it like a platypus.”
Shi Yan glared up at her.
Utterly unfazed, Ming Jiao turned away again. “Don’t worry, I’ll leave—just not yet. As for my injury, it has nothing to do with the Ming family. No need to dwell on it.”
The relief that had begun to smooth Shi Yan’s brow vanished. “You’re still determined to clash with Tang Xiaoyu?”
She nearly retorted that Ming Jiao stood no chance against Tang Xiaoyu emotionally or logically, but though blunt, she wasn’t tactless. Such words would only shatter their fragile truce, so she swallowed them back.
“Not exactly.” Ming Jiao smiled carelessly. “There are just some matters I need to clarify for myself.”
Shi Yan pressed immediately, “What matters? Related to your injury?”
She vaguely sensed a change in Ming Jiao—or perhaps she hadn’t truly understood her, having made assumptions about her all along.
Instead of answering directly, Ming Jiao turned to face her. “Some things remain unclear even to me. I can’t give you answers now. When I have leads, I’ll tell you. I hope you’ll help me then.”
Shi Yan studied her quietly for a moment. “As long as it doesn’t harm others or violate laws and morals, I’ll help you.”
Round and round they went—still fearing Ming Jiao would stubbornly target Tang Xiaoyu, enraging the Ming family beyond repair and burying herself deeper.
Yet Shi Yan’s concerns weren’t entirely unwarranted.
Ming Jiao waved her hand dismissively. “Don’t worry, I’m not fickle—I don’t say one thing and do another. When I say something, I mean it.”
You sound almost proud of yourself. Basically, you’re just unrepentant. Shi Yan’s expression remained neutral, but she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
That was just how Ming Jiao was. Once she set her mind against someone, she would never back down, no matter the punishment. She’d do it again without fail. There was no way she’d pretend to play nice, make promises, and then stab you in the back later.
She would openly declare all her dislikes—unreasonable but utterly unapologetic.
Since she had said this now, it meant she truly wouldn’t go after Tang Xiaoyu again. Though no one knew what had happened to change her stubborn mind, it was a good thing regardless.
Ming Jiao sauntered leisurely. “Can I go now?”
This time, Shi Yan didn’t stop her from leaving. “Suit yourself.”
But as Ming Jiao reached the doorway, she paused. “Thank you for still being willing to see me as a friend and pulling me back.”
She added, “In this treacherous situation, you’re one of the few people I can still trust.”
·
In the corridor.
The System sighed with feigned profundity. 【Master, your persuasion skills are off the charts.】
【You flatter me.】 Ming Jiao replied modestly.
【Master, you’re so shameless!】
【Takes one to know one. You’re not that soft, crying system who wept over being late on the first day anymore.】
The System’s tone turned solemn. 【Society is a great dye vat. We’ve both changed.】
【Yeah.】
After a few seconds of silence, both burst out laughing simultaneously.
After a few more jokes, they quickly returned to serious matters.
【Master, I thought you were going to come clean to Shi Yan and ask her to help investigate the hunter.】
It had assumed they were about to gain another ally, but the host seemed to have other plans.
【How could I? The situation is unclear. Bringing too many people into this might not be a good thing.】 Ming Jiao chuckled softly. 【Besides, she’s just an ordinary person. I can’t drag her into danger.】
【Then why did you…】
Although it was an accident that Shi Yan saw the bandages, given the host’s silver tongue, she could have easily concocted any excuse to brush it off. Clearly, she still had some agenda.
Ming Jiao said, 【I do think she’s trustworthy and can help us. Think about it—we can’t just openly ask Tang Xiaoyu to investigate Aunt’s matters, can we?】
The System said, 【No wonder. But why didn’t you just tell her about Aunt earlier instead of being cryptic?】
Ming Jiao explained, 【Because Aunt hasn’t actually done anything yet. She only verbally urged me to spread rumors damaging to Tang Xiaoyu. We have no evidence. How could we bring that up to Shi Yan?】
【It’s better to wait and see. If Aunt can pull back from the brink…】 She laughed at her own words, clearly aware that such a possibility was nearly impossible unless Aunt also had a soul transplant. 【Anyway, now that her handy tool—me—has slipped from her control, she’s bound to make a move. We can ask Shi Yan for help then.】
Asking Shi Yan to investigate or monitor Aunt out of the blue, given Ming Jiao’s current reputation with her, would only make Shi Yan suspect she was up to no good again.
【So that’s how it is.】 The System understood. 【It’s just that you previously said you only trust the protagonist, and now you’re sweet-talking Shi Yan. I have to say, Master, you’re a woman with more schemes than one can count.】
[What do you mean by having too many schemes? This is called wisdom.] Ming Jiao laughed, [Besides, Tang Xiaoyu is the person I trust the most. Shi Yan is one of the few people I can trust—is that contradictory? Not at all.]
System: This host is incredibly powerful, yet utterly shameless.
·
While Ming Jiao was bantering with the System, she quickly reached the staircase and happened to run into Tang Xiaoyu, who was just about to ascend the long stone steps.
As she moved, her snow-white gauze skirt fluttered like a white butterfly ready to take flight, elegant and graceful.
Ming Jiao paused mid-step. She was willing to admire Tang Xiaoyu from afar, but for close encounters, she preferred to be with Nightingale.
After all, if she greeted Tang Xiaoyu with a smiling face, it would seem highly suspicious, as if she were brewing some scheme again.
But if she acted sarcastic or hostile toward Tang Xiaoyu just to stay in character, that wasn’t what she wanted either. So the situation was quite awkward.
Fortunately, if she didn’t speak, Tang Xiaoyu wouldn’t address her either, nor would she offer any cold or mocking remarks. It was as if they were merely strangers passing by.
As the soft fabric of Tang Xiaoyu’s skirt brushed against the back of her hand and the faint scent of pear blossoms drifted away, Ming Jiao steadied herself and continued downstairs.
[Host, you just parted with one of the few people you can trust, and now you’ve run into the person you trust the most. How does it feel?] the System teased, [Do you feel even a tiny bit guilty, like you’re two-timing?]
Ming Jiao rolled her eyes prettily, [You make it sound like I’m some fickle scoundrel.]
[Then what are you thinking about now?] the System asked.
Ming Jiao replied with a light laugh, [I’m thinking, if I were Tang Xiaoyu and ran into someone I dislike on the stairs, such a perfect opportunity would be too good to pass up—I’d grab her hair and give her a beating.]
The System drawled, [Eww~ Host, you’re so brutal.]
·
Tang Xiaoyu walked upstairs and stood where Ming Jiao had just been, looking down to see her slowly merging into the crowd.
Under the warm lights and amid the intertwining shadows of people, she still stood out, dazzling and striking.
Tang Xiaoyu stood there for a moment until she heard her younger sister Ming Yue’s voice from one side, “Sis.”
She glanced over and saw that Ming Yue had come up from the other side of the staircase.
Ming Yue stood beside Tang Xiaoyu. By then, Ming Jiao had already moved out of their line of sight, so Ming Yue didn’t know what Tang Xiaoyu had been looking at. She just whispered, “About what happened earlier…”
Half an hour ago.
The demonic creature’s invasion had been too sudden, but they, as ability users, were already accustomed to dealing with such situations.
The Sky Ark would immediately set up a barrier the moment a spatial rift appeared, isolating the entire area from the location of the rift.
Ordinary people would briefly lose consciousness, as if experiencing a not-too-long dream.
While disguising herself, Tang Xiaoyu stopped Ming Yue, who wanted to join her in the fight, for the very reason Ming Jiao had guessed: in a small, crowded area with many acquaintances, Ming Yue’s height and age made it too easy for her to be noticed.
Even though their acquaintances weren’t fully conscious, it was better to be cautious, especially since the situation wasn’t so critical that she couldn’t handle it alone.
And as it turned out, Tang Xiaoyu’s concerns were not unfounded. This area, or rather this villa, indeed had more than just her and her sister as ability users.
That person seemed to have similar concerns, hiding nearby without taking action.
The battle ended quickly, lasting only twenty minutes from start to finish.
It was rather peculiar—though the monsters appeared fierce and massive, their deaths carried a unique artistic beauty.
Tang Xiaoyu watched as the monsters’ corpses dissolved into petals of deep purple or black, drifting away, and thought this to herself.
The person who had concealed themselves without taking action soon departed.
She and Ming Yue had not reunited immediately, only doing so now.
She knew what her younger sister wanted to say and spoke first, “I don’t know who that ability user besides us is either, but it probably isn’t someone we’ve collaborated with before.”
Otherwise, there would be no reason to avoid showing themselves. Having worked together before would foster more trust, eliminating the need for such caution about revealing each other’s identities.
Ming Yue nodded and then asked softly, “Are you still not planning to go home tonight?”
Tang Xiaoyu gave a faint nod.
Ming Yue said, “Do you need my help then? I don’t have any other tasks right now.”
Tang Xiaoyu’s deep, dark eyes lowered slightly as she gazed at her sister for a moment. “Not for now.”
Whether it was about the hunter or Ming Jiao’s matters, it was always better to tell her after they were resolved.
She thought.
Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Ruu
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