Chapter 23

After much deliberation, Ming Jiao decided she could reveal part of the truth. After all, her aunt’s schemes ran deeper than she had imagined. Besides using her, there might be other ways to target the Ming family. If Tang Xiaoyu and the others remained completely unsuspecting, it would be disastrous if something really happened.

Moreover, telling Tang Xiaoyu and informing Nightingale were two entirely different matters with distinct purposes.

Telling Tang Xiaoyu might seem like stirring trouble without proper standing.

Sharing it with Nightingale was a reasonable exchange of clues.

She stood up from the sofa, appearing restless and hesitant.

Tang Xiaoyu’s heart stirred slightly. “Can you not say it?”

Even when suspecting her childhood sweetheart and fiancé of targeting her, she had been calm and composed. What suspicion could make her hesitate now?

“There’s nothing I can’t say. It’s just that this matter has nothing to do with Xie Chu or the hunter. You don’t need to concern yourself with it.”

Ming Jiao quickly regained her usual composure, but as she stood by the window gazing at the night scenery, the heavy darkness reflected in her beautiful eyes, making her appear unusually serene, with a touch of loneliness quietly creeping in.

Tang Xiaoyu was suddenly reminded of that night when Ming Jiao sat up, pressing a hand to the large crimson stain on her chest, her face pale and calm yet tinged with an indescribable desolation.

What had she been thinking then?

“I can help you,” Tang Xiaoyu slowly voiced the words she had acted upon but left unspoken that night. “Even if it has nothing to do with the hunter.”

Ming Jiao turned her head in surprise, then smiled. A sudden light sparkled in her eyes like a sky full of stars.

“I always said you were a great person, but you never admitted it.”

But then she changed the subject. “Focus on dealing with the hunter. I’ll ask another friend to help with this matter.”

Tang Xiaoyu’s obsidian-like eyes widened slightly, clearly surprised that Ming Jiao had friends—or rather, reliable friends she could entrust with matters.

Ming Jiao pretended not to notice, though she had to admit her past self had been a failure in interpersonal relationships. This was still a blow to her self-esteem.

If not for her desire to expose her aunt’s true nature, she would have turned around and gone to sleep right then.

“But since we’ve brought it up today, there’s no harm in talking about it. It might ease your mind, and I’m also feeling… somewhat troubled.”

She paused. “If I’m not mistaken, those people were probably sent by my aunt.”

Tang Xiaoyu’s flawless, jade-like face showed rare shock. Though she had vaguely sensed that the relationship between Ming Jiao and her aunt might not be as close as everyone thought, and had felt something inexplicably off, she never expected to hear this answer from Ming Jiao.

Even hearing her own name or her sister’s would have made more sense than Ming Jiao suspecting her aunt.

It took her a few breaths to ask, “But didn’t you trust her?”

Ming Jiao knew she was referring to her request for her aunt to investigate Xie Chu. In Tang Xiaoyu’s eyes, that must have stemmed from trust, but to Ming Jiao, it was simply using magic to defeat magic—letting her aunt take the first wave of danger.

However, there was no need to explain such filial piety to Tang Xiaoyu, so she said, “I do trust her methods and capabilities.”

Complex emotions flickered in Tang Xiaoyu’s calm eyes. “Why would she do this to you?”

Ming Jiao tilted her head slightly again to gaze at the moonlight outside the window. “To be honest, I’m not entirely sure either. I just feel it might be related to my adoptive mother.”

Hearing this, Tang Xiaoyu’s heartstrings trembled once more.

Ming Jiao said, “Their sisterly relationship has always been strained. Since I can remember, I’ve rarely seen them sit down and talk properly. Maybe they were never close to begin with, or perhaps there were misunderstandings and conflicts. But when I asked Grandma and Uncle, they didn’t offer any explanation.”

“However, Aunt has always been good to us sisters, especially doting on me the most.” She shook her head gently. “But in recent years, I feel she’s changed. Some of the things she’s done make me think she’s deliberately stirring up conflicts and using me.”

Tang Xiaoyu frowned slightly. Having returned to the Ming family just a year ago, she was aware of the issues between her mother and aunt but didn’t understand the details. No one deliberately brought it up in front of her, so until today, she had assumed it was just ordinary sibling discord.

“You haven’t told your other relatives.”

Ming Jiao, “No.”

Tang Xiaoyu, “Why?”

Ming Jiao turned to look at her. “You might not know how bad my relationship with the family is. Even before the complete fallout, we couldn’t communicate properly anymore. Besides, apart from our conversations, I have no evidence to prove she’s done anything truly excessive.”

Tang Xiaoyu pondered for a moment, her eyes darkening. “She forced you to do things you didn’t want to do.”

“It can’t really be called forcing.” Ming Jiao smiled, a mix of sorrow and mockery. “There are many ways to use someone. Forcing them is the worst method; the most terrifying is subtle guidance without showing any traces.”

“Like what?” Tang Xiaoyu asked.

Ming Jiao’s gaze, which had slowly drifted elsewhere, returned to her, seeming both troubled and curious. “Why are you so interested in matters that don’t concern you? Is it mere curiosity, or are you actually concerned about me?”

The System was exasperated. [We’re discussing serious matters, Host. Hurry up and tell her about Aunt’s plan to spread rumors about her. Can’t you save the flirting for another time?]

[I can’t help myself.] Ming Jiao said.

Just like a cat can’t resist reaching for a ball of yarn.

[Besides, I’m just teasing a little.]

If the System had eyes, it would have rolled them to the back of its head. [It’s the same thing.]

[Alright, I’m just a bit conflicted. Would it seem too hasty to bring that up directly? Speaking too frankly when we’re not that close might make me seem suspicious.]

The System agreed. That made sense.

Before it could respond, Ming Jiao had already made up her mind. [Forget it. No matter how suspicious I seem, I need to make sure Tang Xiaoyu raises her guard against Aunt to the highest level.]

Only then would Tang Xiaoyu not let her guard down even slightly because of their blood relation. People always instinctively trust and relax around family connected by blood.

Besides, if she didn’t say it now, would it be any more reasonable to suddenly bring it up later?

Tang Xiaoyu hadn’t expected the conversation to take this turn. Seeing those captivating peach-blossom eyes fixed intently on her, her originally pure focus on the matter itself suddenly stirred with ripples of emotion.

Of course, she cared about Ming Jiao too, but in the past, that care wasn’t directed at her personally—it stemmed from consideration for the feelings of other family members and a sense of responsibility.

Now…

Her butterfly-wing-like eyelashes lowered slightly, her red lips pressed together, revealing no emotion.

Afraid she might have truly annoyed her, Ming Jiao didn’t wait for an answer. She twirled a strand of her long hair around her finger, played with it for a moment, and then said, “I’ll stop teasing you now.”

She lowered her hand, her expression shadowed. “It’s just that exposing the less pleasant side of someone close to you requires some adjustment for me.”

“She once asked me to spread rumors about a girl having been raped. Though that person and I were at odds, and I’m not exactly a paragon of virtue myself, such actions are simply too despicable.”

Ming Jiao’s voice softened as she finished, then she turned her gaze to Tang Xiaoyu.

Though Tang Xiaoyu might not immediately connect this to herself, and probably held little affection for their aunt, being harmed by someone connected by blood was never something to feel good about.

Tang Xiaoyu froze momentarily, the light in her eyes shifting from a faint tremor to profound darkness. The fingertips resting on the sofa armrest suddenly turned cold, the chill spreading from her fingers to her heart.

Though no names were mentioned and there was no concrete evidence, Tang Xiaoyu instantly knew Ming Jiao was talking about her—and she believed every word.

But perhaps after her adoptive parents’ passing, having witnessed too many relatives revealing their greedy nature—like hyenas scenting blood, tearing at each other to claim custody of her, all for the inheritance left behind—the initial surge of emotion quickly settled into a calm born of familiarity with human wickedness.

“Why?” she asked. “Doing this would only harm that girl and destroy you in the process.”

Seeing Tang Xiaoyu’s expression remain largely unchanged, Ming Jiao couldn’t tell if she hadn’t made the connection or was simply skilled at controlling her emotions.

But even if she hadn’t realized it immediately or was unwilling to acknowledge it, it didn’t matter—intelligent people don’t deceive themselves forever.

“At first, I didn’t think that deeply about it, nor did I believe she would harm me,” Ming Jiao said slowly. “But after this incident, I kept revisiting the events of these past years, turning them over and over in my mind. The more I thought, the more something felt off.”

Tang Xiaoyu watched her quietly, as if waiting for specific examples to further validate her suspicions.

Ming Jiao spread her hands and smiled faintly. “Talking too much about it would sound like complaining, and it’s all connected through small, accumulated incidents.”

This was still early in the storyline. In the original plot, their aunt didn’t take active measures until later stages. Though it appeared she was dragged down by her hopeless niece, it was unclear who was truly pulling the strings.

Ming Jiao was now quite willing to pass the title of “primary villainous female supporting character” to their aunt.

“Anyway, once I became wary of her, I stopped following her instructions so blindly. Having watched me grow up, she knows me well and has probably noticed the change.”

Ming Jiao continued, “But I understand her too. So when you told me earlier about someone surveilling Rose Garden and planting listening devices, my first suspicion fell on Xie Chu, followed immediately by her.”

“Xie Chu is involved in murder-for-hire schemes. The more people involved, the more likely mistakes will occur. But Aunt is different. I think she might simply want to understand why I’ve slipped from her control.”

She then revealed genuine confusion. “But no matter how much I think about it, I can’t believe all our past affection was fake, and I truly can’t fathom why she would treat me this way. In the end, I can only trace it back to my adoptive mother. Perhaps there’s some unresolved grudge between them that we younger generations know nothing about.”

“So Aunt seeks revenge, willing to harm and manipulate her daughters at any cost—that might be one of her methods.”

“And as for me… I suppose I’m simply not as important to Aunt as her hatred is.”

If that’s the case, Ming Jiao’s analysis does make sense.

She should also try to figure out whether there’s any hidden resentment between her mother and Aunt.

Tang Xiaoyu’s dark, deep-sea-like eyes rippled with several layers of emotion. Moreover, being able to connect all the events together, it seemed like the most crucial missing piece had finally fallen into place.

The sense of contradiction and disconnection brought by Ming Jiao’s stark contrast between foolishness and clarity had finally found an explanation.

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Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Ruu

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