Everyone Thought The Fake Heiress Had Her Reasons Ch. 18
In the morning, after packing their belongings, Tang Xiaoyu drove Ming Jiao to their new residence in the afternoon.
The car was an understated black sedan, one Ming Jiao had never seen Tang Xiaoyu drive before. However, she figured Tang Xiaoyu wouldn’t place anything she had used before in front of her.
This was something Tang Xiaoyu handled with great caution.
The new place was situated a bit farther from the city center, with convenient transportation and a quiet environment.
It was a spacious bookstore painted in an off-white color, beautiful even from the outside and meticulously constructed.
Through the floor-to-ceiling windows that took up an entire wall, rows of snow-white bookshelves could be seen, filled with books.
The corners of the bookshelves were adorned with decorative artificial green vines, and several sofas for resting were furnished with soft pillows and plush toys.
Ming Jiao felt this didn’t quite resemble Tang Xiaoyu’s private residence. Recalling that Tang Xiaoyu had once mentioned having her own private team, she guessed this might be a base she shared with her teammates, or perhaps one of them.
Just as she was thinking this, she heard the System say, “There’s a protective energy surrounding this area. Without someone familiar to guide the way, even if ordinary people stood nearby, they probably wouldn’t be able to find it.”
Ming Jiao’s suspicions were further confirmed. “No wonder she said this place is safe.”
Tang Xiaoyu opened the glass door of the bookstore and led Ming Jiao inside.
Only then did Ming Jiao notice that several rooms in the middle of the bookstore were interconnected with the main hall, which in turn connected to a long corridor leading to the building in the backyard.
The corridor was tastefully lined with several small bookshelves, also filled with books.
“This is a very unique and beautiful place,” Ming Jiao praised. “But isn’t this a base you and your team frequently use? Is it really alright to bring me here?”
Tang Xiaoyu picked up a few snack bags left on the coffee table and placed them back into the snack basket. Her movements were familiar, suggesting she visited often.
Even such simple, casual actions carried an innate elegance when performed by her, as if it were a natural ability, not shaped by her environment.
Hearing the question, she slowly looked up. “It’s fine.”
After a pause, she added, “In the past, there were people in situations similar to yours. When it wasn’t convenient to take them elsewhere, we brought them here for protection.”
“What happened afterward?” Ming Jiao asked with keen interest.
Tang Xiaoyu was momentarily taken aback, a faint trace of confusion flickering in her clear eyes.
Ming Jiao tapped her fair cheek casually. “Was that person an ordinary person too? Did you have them sign a confidentiality agreement, or do you have some kind of ability to erase their memories?”
Tang Xiaoyu fell silent for a moment. “There are indeed relevant regulations. Depending on the specific circumstances, arrangements are made after the incident is resolved.”
That was the answer.
But Ming Jiao hadn’t expected such a response. She had only asked casually, almost jokingly.
A flicker of panic stirred within her, and she slowly straightened her posture. “So, after this is over, my memories will be erased too.”
Tang Xiaoyu lowered her gaze, her ice-jade-like face betraying no emotion.
Strangely enough, if this topic hadn’t come up so abruptly today, she wouldn’t have even remembered the option to erase Ming Jiao’s memories.
Perhaps it was because the end and their parting still felt distant, so there was no urgency to think about it.
She quietly waited for Ming Jiao’s reaction. If Ming Jiao were displeased, it would be entirely understandable.
Ming Jiao stood in place for a moment, lost in thought, then took a step forward. The hem of her skirt swayed gently like a half-opened flower, and she strolled over to Tang Xiaoyu.
“But I don’t really want to forget you. What should I do?”
Without memories of Nightingale, she wouldn’t target Tang Xiaoyu. In fact, she had already prepared to leave for a distant place once everything was over.
Whether she had these memories or not seemed to have no impact on her life.
Yet, at this moment, a sudden sense of unwillingness surged within her. Perhaps it was related to being shut out of a world that didn’t belong to her, but more than that, it seemed to be because of the person standing before her.
What was this? A fan mentality.
Because Tang Xiaoyu was the protagonist she admired, even if they couldn’t be friends, she still wanted to preserve the memories of their shared journey.
Ming Jiao herself couldn’t quite explain it.
Tang Xiaoyu had been waiting for her reaction but was met with the words, “I don’t really want to forget you.” Before she could even lift her gaze, she felt Ming Jiao step closer to her side.
They stood so close that Tang Xiaoyu could almost catch the faint scent of roses lingering on her, so close that even the slightest glance from the corner of her eye revealed the delicate curve of Ming Jiao’s shoulder.
A wave of restlessness suddenly washed over Tang Xiaoyu. She wasn’t sure if it was because of Ming Jiao’s words or because she was standing too close.
She furrowed her delicate brows slightly. “Why?”
This time, it was Ming Jiao’s turn to show a hint of confusion. “Hmm?”
“We’re just passing acquaintances. Why don’t you want to forget?” Tang Xiaoyu’s dark, intense eyes fixed on her.
“Because my heart holds a lingering attachment,” Ming Jiao said, a smile curling at the corners of her lips. Her beautiful face blossomed with laughter, yet it was hard to tell whether she was joking or being sincere.
Just as Tang Xiaoyu was about to scrutinize her expression more closely, Ming Jiao took a few steps away again, like that half-opened flower drifting elsewhere.
“Never mind. There’s still plenty of time. At most, we’ve only identified our investigation target for now. It’s hard to say how things will unfold from here.”
Ming Jiao turned and stood before a bookshelf, her back to Tang Xiaoyu as she admired the collection of books.
“If that day really comes, we can only say that partings and reunions are common in life. Let’s leave it to fate.”
Seeing how calmly Ming Jiao accepted it, Tang Xiaoyu felt an inexplicable sense of relief. She didn’t want to dwell on the topic any longer. “I’ll show you to your room.”
“Alright.”
Ming Jiao turned and watched Tang Xiaoyu’s slender, straight figure as she rounded the corner of the hallway but didn’t immediately follow.
[System, if that day really comes, you must remember to give me a cheat.]
Her beautiful peach-blossom eyes sparkled with restless excitement. [When the time comes, I’ll put on a disguise and play with her again.]
System, […]
Fine. Some people might respond lightly on the surface, but their minds are clearly teeming with mischievous ideas.
It felt that, given the current situation, the host would sooner or later toss her earnest plans to leave far, far away.
·
Ability users who operated as lone wolves were in the minority. Most either worked for the authorities or joined private teams and organizations.
Regardless of whether they worked for the authorities or private teams, they often took on missions related to the ability user world.
Tang Xiaoyu and her teammates had encountered many missions that required them to provide long-term, close protection for their targets. Thus, the question of where to stay was a frequent concern.
If they could stay at the target’s residence, things were simpler. If not, they couldn’t bring the person back to the homes they owned under their public identities.
As a result, many private teams maintained shared bases or safe houses.
The bookstore originated from this, so there were many guest rooms available for people to stay in.
Ming Jiao thus saw countless guest rooms with good lighting, simple yet clean furnishings.
Tang Xiaoyu paused her steps and stopped to wait for her, “Choose whichever room you like.”
While surveying the rooms, Ming Jiao asked, “Do you live here too? Or are you just going to drop me off here and leave?”
The way she described it made her sound like a decorative item.
A trace of helplessness flickered in Tang Xiaoyu’s eyes. She nodded, but seeing that Ming Jiao wasn’t looking at her, she had to speak up, “I’ll be staying with you.”
Ming Jiao quickly turned her head, “Then which room is yours?”
Just from her question, it was clear what she had in mind.
Tang Xiaoyu truly hadn’t expected her to be so clingy, “Are you a kindergarten kid who hasn’t graduated yet?”
As she spoke, she pointed to one of the rooms opposite the guest rooms.
Ming Jiao paid no mind to her teasing and chose the guest room directly across from hers before lazily responding, “Since this place is safe, you definitely won’t be by my side all the time. Who knows, we might not even see each other during the day in the future. It’s better to live close by so we can talk at night.”
Tang Xiaoyu looked at her enthusiastic expression and felt a subtle emotion stirring inside her. Back at the Ming family, she had been very unwilling to live with her—they weren’t even on the same floor. Aside from when Ming Jiao came looking for trouble, they rarely saw each other for days. Comparing the past with the present felt absurdly disjointed.
·
After settling Ming Jiao in the bookstore, Tang Xiaoyu soon left. Without needing to stay by her side constantly for protection, she could finally handle the backlog of tasks that had accumulated over the past few days.
Watching Tang Xiaoyu leave the bookstore after saying she wouldn’t be back for dinner that evening, Ming Jiao felt somewhat unaccustomed to it. After all, she had been with Tang Xiaoyu since the first night she transmigrated, and suddenly being apart made her feel a void around her.
Although during those days at the Rose Garden, Tang Xiaoyu hadn’t spoken much to her except when discussing serious matters, the feeling was different.
[System, do you think I have an imprinting bond with her?]
The System scratched its head in confusion, [Even if you do, is it really a big problem?]
[It’s not a big problem. I’m just bored and looking for a topic to chat with you about,] Ming Jiao said.
System: I can see that.
After a moment of thought, the System added, [This place should be the activity base for the protagonist’s team, or at least one of them. Who knows, we might run into some of her other teammates here in a couple of days.]
Ming Jiao thought of a possibility and suddenly felt a chill run down her spine, [What if—I mean, what if her teammates are from the Ming family, or if there are other Ming family members here? What do you think would happen?]
[Ah, this.] The System thought about its host’s current terrible reputation in everyone’s eyes and couldn’t help but feel that if such a scenario really happened, it would be quite a spectacle.
After a long silence, it tentatively suggested, [If they bully you, just grab their hair or slap them across the face.]
Ming Jiao felt dejected and rested her chin on the table, [I’m a person with principles. Beating up people who are as unscrupulous as me is one thing, but hitting good people would make me feel guilty.]
System: You really do have quite the principles.
Ming Jiao quickly perked up again, [Forget it. Based on the upbringing and behavior of everyone in the Ming family except for Aunt, they wouldn’t resort to physical violence. As for verbal confrontations, they always seemed to be the ones bullied by me in the past. No need to panic.]
Moreover, this was merely her speculation. She felt it was highly unlikely that everyone in the Ming family except her were ability users. After living together for over a decade, some clues would inevitably surface, yet she recalled nothing unusual from her memories.
Unless her memories had long been erased.
The System chuckled. 【Aunt thinks you’re very polite.】
Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Ruu
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