Chapter 24: (Part 1)

Ming Jiao quietly observed Tang Xiaoyu for a moment, ultimately having to admit that this person’s thoughts and considerations were always imperceptible.

However, she felt Tang Xiaoyu’s mind must be somewhat unsettled.

Whether Tang Xiaoyu had immediately realized it or not, relating it to herself, discovering a listening device in her old bedroom had affected her. Otherwise, she would have executed this probing more perfectly.

“Rose Garden is empty now. Since I’m not there, the listening device is just a decoration. Similarly, no one would notice anything unusual.

But just to be safe, you should find an opportunity to put it back in its original place.”

She understood very well that since the listening device was found in her old bedroom, it had already lost its usefulness, at least temporarily abandoned.

After all, Aunt also knew she didn’t live there anymore.

This was also why Tang Xiaoyu felt assured enough to retrieve it to test her.

However, Tang Xiaoyu had made a small oversight.

While this listening device appearing in her old bedroom at the Ming residence was abandoned, if it appeared in her room at Rose Garden, it would still attract attention.

Although following this logic, the observers would soon discover she no longer lived at Rose Garden either.

But if they wanted to retrieve it or make other modifications, this would expose it.

Even though these were just impossible assumptions.

Tang Xiaoyu’s mind focused, realizing she had fallen into a presumptuous misconception in her thinking, and couldn’t help but feel alert. “It was my negligence.”

She tightened her grip on the silver button in her palm. “I will.”

·

While Ming Jiao and Tang Xiaoyu were engaged in their lengthy nighttime chat, someone else was similarly sleepless late at night.

Ming Yue lay on her soft bed for a while, then couldn’t resist turning over, boredly counting the cat patterns printed on the wallpaper.

After a while, she turned over again, staring at the several plush toys on the sofa. But no matter how much she tossed and turned, she couldn’t dispel the worry and gloom in her heart.

You’re really useless, she thought.

When Tang Xiaoyu told her Ming Jiao had been attacked by a hunter, she had felt worried and wanted to go see her, but…

She thought again, you’re really useless.

Ming Yue lay flat on her back staring at the ceiling, memories continuously driving away the thin veil of sleep, immersing her in recollection.

She was six or seven years old when her mother brought her back to the Ming family. Though young, she was old enough to remember things.

Having a family was her greatest dream and happiness as an orphan. She felt immensely grateful to her mother, and by extension held infinite goodwill and anticipation for the other family members she hadn’t yet met.

The other family members were indeed very good to her, but since her mother and sister were very busy, Ming Jiao spent the most time with her.

Inevitably, their relationship became the closest in the family.

Ming Jiao was also very generous to her, willing to buy her anything. Even if she couldn’t get the season’s most desired dresses or bags, she would save her allowance to spend on her. She loved this feeling of being cared for and remembered.

But Ming Jiao also had a terrible temper. Whenever they argued, she would bring up the fact that she was an adopted daughter.

Though it hurt her feelings, Ming Jiao would always regret it after losing her temper and come to coax her, and then she wouldn’t be angry anymore.

Because she felt some of what Ming Jiao said wasn’t wrong—she really was an adopted daughter, an unchangeable fact.

So how did she and Ming Jiao gradually grow more distant later on?

Ming Yue pulled the summer quilt on the bed over, hugging it with some grievance.

Part of the reason was that she didn’t like Aunt.

Aunt wasn’t actually unkind to her. Though not particularly close, she never subjected her to harsh words or physical punishment. Yet for some reason, Ming Yue just couldn’t bring herself to like Aunt.

It might have stemmed from something that happened when she was very young—Aunt had made some ambiguous remarks criticizing her mother in front of her. She could no longer recall the exact words, but she vividly remembered how much she detested that feeling.

Ming Jiao wasn’t very pleased with Ming Yue’s attitude toward Aunt.

Of course, this minor disagreement wasn’t enough to create a rift between them. Just as Ming Yue enjoyed skateboarding and rollerblading outdoors while Ming Jiao preferred staying indoors making clothes for dolls, they never let such differences cause conflict between them.

But later, when another small disagreement arose between them, Ming Jiao brought up the fact that Ming Yue was adopted.

Ming Yue had grown accustomed to this, but that particular day, their mother happened to overhear. Mother was very displeased and scolded Ming Jiao severely.

Aunt was also present that day. She said Mother was being too strict with Ming Jiao, and eventually the two adults got into an argument. Though they quickly moved to the study to avoid arguing in front of the children.

After that incident, Ming Yue felt as if something had come between her and Ming Jiao. Ming Jiao never argued with her again—because Ming Jiao barely spoke to her at all.

With their age difference of several years, once they stopped playing together, their social circles naturally drifted apart as they made different friends in their respective age groups. They gradually grew distant.

Looking back, Ming Yue sometimes felt a sense of loss, but she eventually grew accustomed to it. Though no longer close, in her heart she still regarded Ming Jiao as a sister she deeply liked and relied on.

Then fate played another cruel trick—it turned out that her other sister, Tang Xiaoyu, was the biological daughter of the Ming family. She and Ming Jiao had been switched at birth.

Ming Yue felt deeply conflicted. On one hand, she was happy for Tang Xiaoyu. Having known each other for years, she knew Tang Xiaoyu’s adoptive parents had passed away, leaving her without any reliable relatives. Returning to her biological parents was the best and happiest outcome for her.

On the other hand, she worried about Ming Jiao, fearing she might struggle with the gap.

Having come to the Ming family with a sensitive and cautious heart herself, Ming Yue understood all too well what it felt like to believe you were living under someone else’s roof and had to be careful about everything.

On the night the truth came out, after much internal struggle, Ming Yue mustered the courage to seek out Ming Jiao. To her surprise, Ming Jiao’s first words were: “Now I’m the adopted daughter too. You must be thrilled, aren’t you?”

Her heart instantly turned cold. She realized that years of estrangement had transformed this once-beloved sister into a complete stranger. Without saying another word, she silently walked away.

What made her completely lose hope in Ming Jiao happened after Tang Xiaoyu returned home—she discovered Ming Jiao was constantly targeting Tang Xiaoyu.

They were both her sisters, even though Ming Jiao might have long stopped considering her a sister. She couldn’t bear to see one constantly attacking the other.

She went to confront Ming Jiao, which naturally led to another fruitless argument.

In the end, Ming Jiao looked at her coldly and sneered, calling her an opportunist who would always side with whoever was the Ming family’s biological daughter.

At that moment, no one could know how heartbroken she felt. She decided then that she would no longer consider Ming Jiao her sister, would never speak to her again, and would never concern herself with her affairs.

She maintained this resolve until Ming Jiao moved out of the household, never again wasting her care and concern on her.

Snapping out of her reverie, Ming Yue let out a long sigh. Only then did she realize the summer quilt she had been clutching felt too warm against her skin, so she quickly released it.

Still unable to sleep.

After a moment’s thought, she simply sat up in bed.

Now that she knew from Tang Xiaoyu that Ming Jiao was in danger and possibly injured, she still wanted to check on her.

She wanted to see for herself, yet she didn’t actually want to face her.

Ming Yue propped her cheek on her hand, feeling frustrated. Even Sister Xiaoyu, who disliked Ming Jiao so much, could set aside her personal feelings to protect her.

Her mother and sister had always been so good to Ming Jiao. Though they were deeply disappointed in her now, if anything really happened to Ming Jiao, they would be heartbroken.

Besides…

The girl’s round, cat-like eyes narrowed sharply. What kind of scum was Xie Chu anyway?

Even if she currently despised Ming Jiao, she wouldn’t allow trash like him to bully her. What if he thought Ming Jiao was dead and decided to shift the engagement to Tang Xiaoyu or pursue her directly?

No, absolutely not.

She resolved to send Tang Xiaoyu a message first thing in the morning, offering to take over protecting Ming Jiao so Tang Xiaoyu could focus on the investigation.

·

A night without words—no, a night filled with unspoken turmoil—finally passed.

Ming Jiao sat alone in the study, flipping through the travelogue she had finally managed to open, waiting for the probing phone call her aunt might make.

Although she had told Tang Xiaoyu the previous night that she planned to visit her studio, she wasn’t in a hurry to go just yet. At the very least, she needed to call ahead so her staff would be mentally prepared for their boss’s impending visit.

Speaking of Tang Xiaoyu, she had left early in the morning. Ming Jiao wondered whether she had already sprung into action with the investigation or if someone had asked to meet her. While washing up, Ming Jiao had overheard her on a phone call.

The System, ever the worrier and gossip, mused, I wonder if the protagonist will look into your aunt’s affairs first. I’m really curious what grudge she holds against her own sister.

As the saying goes, speak of the devil and he shall appear. Before Ming Jiao could respond, her phone rang. Glancing at the screen, she saw it was indeed her aunt.

Ming Jiao blinked, unsure whether to feel relieved or not.

She didn’t want to feel relieved because her aunt was, after all, part of the Ming family. The more her aunt schemed, the greater the harm to the family.

Yet part of her hoped this call was a test. If her aunt was behind the surveillance and eavesdropping, it would confirm Ming Jiao’s suspicions and mean there wasn’t yet another enemy emerging.

Though she was widely disliked these days, having too many enemies was enough to make anyone’s hair fall out.

These thoughts flashed through her mind in an instant. Ming Jiao answered the call, “Hello, Aunt. Calling so early—is something the matter?”

She feigned eagerness, “Has my sister come back?”

No matter what, she had to keep up the act.

Her aunt’s voice was indulgent, tinged with helplessness, “Always so impatient. Can’t your aunt just ask you out for shopping or a meal? But, Jiao Jiao, why aren’t you at home?”

Ming Jiao deliberately paused, “Well… Aunt, are you outside my door right now?”

“Yes,” her aunt replied without hesitation, “If I weren’t outside, how would I know you’re not home?”

Ming Jiao immediately asked the System, System, is she really there?

The System understood her meaning, No. The watchers are still taking shifts staking out the place.

Just as I thought.

Aunt noticed the hesitation Ming Jiao deliberately displayed and her voice filled with concern, “Jiaojiao, what’s wrong? If something’s happened, tell me. I’ll help you solve it.”

Ming Jiao stammered, “Aunt, I… I suspect someone wants to kill me.”

This time, Aunt was genuinely shocked. Ming Jiao even heard her sharp intake of breath. “Jiaojiao, where are you now? I’ll come pick you up. Let’s talk in person.”

“Aunt, I’m safe right now. I… I’m not entirely sure, and I have no evidence, but I feel like someone wants to kill me.” Ming Jiao’s tone grew fearful and agitated. “Please help me.”

Aunt grew increasingly puzzled and pressed urgently, “What exactly happened?”

“I hadn’t thought much of it before, but at the banquet two days ago, Xie Chu approached me privately and said he wanted to break off our engagement. I like him… I didn’t want to agree.”

As she spoke, Ming Jiao’s red lips trembled slightly, as if enduring some pain.

The System marveled internally, Wow, host really knows how to spin a tale. All for survival, huh!

“But he actually threatened me, saying I’m too stubborn and will eventually reap what I sow. That night after you sent me back, I was sleeping when I heard someone trying to pick the lock in the middle of the night.” Ming Jiao’s voice shook, her performance so convincing it seemed real.

“Luckily, the nearby security patrol scared them off. Later, the more I thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed. Rose Garden’s security is famous—ordinary thieves can’t even get near the main gate. How did that person get in? And right after Xie Chu said those things to me, someone tries to break in? It’s too much of a coincidence.”

Ming Jiao spoke rapidly, clearly driven by anger and fear.

Aunt was full of doubts. “Jiaojiao, calm down first. If it’s just this one incident, you can’t assume…”

“It’s not just one thing!” Ming Jiao interrupted impatiently. “Aunt, actually, before you returned, some other things happened too, but I didn’t pay them much mind at the time.”

“What things?” Aunt’s alertness was piqued.

“Three times total. Once, there was a package left at the main gate, but I’d just been kicked out then and wasn’t in the mood to buy anything. It definitely wasn’t mine. I threw it away without even looking.”

“Another time, I went out for a walk in Rose Garden, and a car brushed past me and knocked me down. The last time, I ordered takeout and got an extra dish. But I had no appetite, so I only ate my favorite one and left the rest untouched.”

“The night before last, I kept thinking about these things over and over—wondering if the takeout was poisoned. Later, I looked up those dishes online and found out they were food incompatibility hazards.”

Ming Jiao’s voice grew softer as she spoke, the fear in it deepening.

Aunt, affected by her emotions, felt a chill run down her spine and began suspecting Xie Chu too.

Then Ming Jiao added, “Aunt, I think it’s him, but I can’t be completely sure. Maybe it’s all coincidences, or maybe someone else did it. But I’m so scared.”

Her words were contradictory, her tone filled with fear and pain. “Aunt, please investigate for me. Maybe it was Xu Tingting—I hit her at the banquet that day. She might be getting back at me.”

Aunt, who had been feeling unnerved, suddenly felt a wave of exasperation. This niece of hers was as foolish and impulsive as ever, and a certified love-struck fool to boot.

To her ears, she was already convinced that Xie Chu wanted to kill her, yet she still chose to deceive herself, dragging in someone she had conflicts with to serve as this non-existent hope.

It seemed that the impression of her having grown somewhat when they met that day was just an illusion.

But this version of Ming Jiao was the one she liked the most.

In her heart, she also believed Xie Chu was involved—it was almost certainly him.

Aunt softened her voice, “Alright, Aunt will help you. Jiao Jiao, where are you now? Are you really safe? Why not move in with me?”

Ming Jiao said, “No need, I’m safe at a friend’s place. Everyone knows we’re close, so they’ll definitely pay extra attention. What if something happens on my way to you?”

Her tone gradually turned aggrieved, “Besides, you live with Grandma, and she probably doesn’t like me right now. I’d better stay hidden outside for now.”

Aunt thought it over and found some logic in it, “Alright, take care of yourself. If you remember anything, let me know.”

“Okay.”

After hanging up, Aunt’s expression shifted uncertainly—this was clearly an unexpected turn in her plans.

She never imagined Xie Chu was also a ruthless wolf cub; he hadn’t shown any signs of it before.

She needed to carefully consider how to maneuver to get what she wanted from this situation.

Aunt’s gaze darkened.

·

Bookstore

The System watched its host’s brilliant performance and felt the script alone deserved a truckload of little golden statues. 【Host, when did you prepare that story?】

【When I decided to have Aunt investigate Xie Chu.】 Ming Jiao pondered while holding her phone. She should also call Shi Yan and ask for her help in investigating the group of watchers outside the Rose Garden.

With her abilities, she was sure to follow the clues right back to Aunt.

Seeing her pull up Shi Yan’s number in the contacts, the System suddenly remembered something and hurriedly asked, 【Host, what if Aunt realizes you won’t return to the Rose Garden anytime soon and withdraws her people?】

Ming Jiao looked up with a confident smile, 【She won’t.】

The System was puzzled, 【Why?】

【Because she knows I won’t return to the Rose Garden soon. But the person who wants to kill me doesn’t. So it’s highly likely they’ll still be lurking near the Rose Garden and other places I frequent, searching for traces of me.】 Ming Jiao explained, 【If you were Aunt, and you realized this, would you pull your people from the Rose Garden?】

The System understood, 【Indeed not.】

It would be much easier to trace clues directly from these people than to tentatively probe Xie Chu for a breakthrough. Though it still depended on luck, the possibility always existed.

Ming Jiao dialed Shi Yan’s number. She seemed very busy; the rustling of pages turning was clearly audible through the receiver—likely she was reviewing documents.

Feeling it wasn’t right to take up too much of her time while asking for a favor, Ming Jiao decided to be concise and to the point, “Salt Bag, I need your help with something.”

System, 【Host, you’re being way too direct.】

But Shi Yan appreciated this approach. Her mind stirred slightly, and she replied succinctly, “Speak.”

System, 【My apologies, there’s always a higher mountain. Here’s someone even more direct.】

Ming Jiao continued bluntly, “There are people monitoring the area around the Rose Garden where I live. I want you to help me find out who’s behind them.”

The other end of the line suddenly fell silent, even the sound of flipping pages disappeared.

Ming Jiao subconsciously glanced at the call interface—the connection was stable. After a moment’s thought, she understood. “Don’t worry, I won’t take advantage of you for nothing. In the future, if there’s anything inconvenient for you to investigate, I’ll help you too.”

By then, she probably wouldn’t be penniless and powerless anymore.

But considering her past reputation for being unreliable and possibly making empty promises, she tentatively added, “How about I make you a set of clothes as an advance repayment?”

The System was horrified, 【Host, how can you say something like that? Are you even capable of making clothes?】

As if Ming Jiao had suggested building a nuclear bomb rather than sewing garments.

Ignoring her increasingly dramatic straight-man system, Ming Jiao focused on how to persuade Shi Yan when she finally heard a response, “What kind of critical moment is this, and you still have the mood to joke? Who’s monitoring you? Do you have any suspects?”

So she’d been silent because she was too stunned, processing the information.

Ming Jiao breathed a sigh of relief. She thought, I not only have suspects—I know exactly who did it.

“No, if I knew who was behind it, I’d have stormed their place already. Help me look into it.”

Shi Yan seemed to ponder again before saying, “Alright. Are you safe right now? Do you need me to pick you up?”

Ming Jiao understood her meaning. “No need. I’m staying at a friend’s place for now. Just focus on investigating for me.”

Remembering Shi Yan’s character, she added, “Be careful when sending people to investigate—don’t get noticed yourself. And if you find anything, don’t act rashly. Tell me first.”

Shi Yan thought, You’re the one who said you’d storm their place, and now you’re telling others to be cautious. “I’m not incompetent to that degree.”

Instead of retorting, Ming Jiao grew more serious. “What I mean is, the situation is messy. There’s more than one party stirring the pot. No matter what you uncover, don’t get distracted. Just focus on tracking the people monitoring me. Your safety matters more than any clues.”

Her plan was for Aunt to investigate Xie Chu, and for Xie Chu to notice Aunt—ideally, they’d clash. But she also had to ensure Shi Yan didn’t get caught in the crossfire.

No one was a puppet in her hands. Variables were inevitable, and she needed to minimize the risks.

Hearing this, Shi Yan couldn’t help but suspect Ming Jiao knew more than she let on. Her tone turned grave, “What exactly is going on?”

Now she didn’t want a brief summary—she wanted details.

“I really don’t have any suspects. Even if I did, it would only be speculation. Only with evidence you uncover can it be considered fact.”

Ming Jiao’s tone was calm and steady, filled with trust in her.

Shi Yan pursed her lips, emotions complicated. “Then you… be careful too.”

After ending the call with Shi Yan, Ming Jiao finally relaxed. She exhaled deeply, lying flat on the sofa with a serene expression, as if laid to rest.

“Making two phone calls is as exhausting as fighting a war.”

The System remarked, 【Well, you were using Oscar-worthy acting skills. It’s natural to be tired.】

Ming Jiao held back a laugh and glared at the empty air. 【You’re getting sassier. What if I suddenly laugh while talking to someone?】

The System self-reflected, 【My fault. But you have to understand—a straight-man can’t resist the urge to respond when the comedian sets up a punchline.】

The corners of Ming Jiao’s lips lifted, the curve growing wider until she could no longer contain her laughter, shaking with mirth.

It took her a while to stop laughing, and she quickly steered the conversation to a serious topic. “I’m really lucky to have a friend like Shi Yan.”

She needed to carefully consider how to repay her in the future.

“You won’t hear flattery from her in times of wealth, but she’ll surely lend a hand when you’re down and out.”

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Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Ruu

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