Chapter 28

Tang Xiaoyu’s gaze met hers briefly before quickly shifting away. “The body of the victim who died in the home invasion robbery wasn’t cremated. I went to examine it and found traces of dark energy lingering inside her.”

Her eyelashes lowered, casting a shadow over her already dark eyes. “It was the work of a hunter.”

Ming Jiao keenly sensed that Ming Yue’s aura across from her had also turned gloomy. Before she could ponder further, her attention was drawn to the matter at hand. “But this incident happened a year and a half ago. How could her body still…”

“The victim’s mother insisted on catching the culprit before cremating her daughter’s body,” Tang Xiaoyu explained.

A strange, indescribable feeling stirred in Ming Jiao’s heart. “I wonder what she thinks—whether she believes it was a mere accident or suspects something sinister.”

But regardless of what the mother thought, if she were smart, she wouldn’t openly voice her suspicions about Xie Chu.

And no matter how capable she might be, as long as she remained unaware of the other side of this world, she would never realize her daughter was killed by an ability user.

Thus, her investigation would always be misdirected, and she would pose no threat. Xie Chu would have no reason to cause further trouble by silencing her.

After a moment of contemplation, Ming Jiao added, “I wonder if Xie Chu is connected to the other accidents as well? Or is this chaos the result of internal strife within the family?”

Ming Yue looked puzzled. “Is that important?”

If Xie Chu were involved, it would only prove his heartless cruelty. Even if only some of the incidents were linked to him, it wouldn’t change anything.

Given that he colluded with ability user criminals, killed his half-sister, and murdered his fiancée, he was already beyond redemption.

Ming Jiao picked up a glass of lemon water from the table, her thumb gently stroking the side of the cup. “I’m just a bit curious. Your identities as ability users are kept absolutely secret from the outside world, but official records must exist, right? When cases involve ability users, wouldn’t the authorities pay extra attention? For instance, focusing their investigation on the ability users involved, even if their suspicion is minimal.”

Tang Xiaoyu lifted her gaze to meet hers. “Theoretically, it’s as you say.”

Under the scrutiny of those pure, black gem-like eyes, Ming Jiao inexplicably recalled the soft warmth that had once covered her own eyes. Her heart stirred slightly, and she casually set the unopened lemon water back down. “And in practice?”

“In practice, the authorities are far from having an ample reserve of ability users,” Tang Xiaoyu said, unaware of her thoughts. Her lashes fluttered like butterfly wings as their eyes met, but her tone remained calm. “Most top-tier S-rank ability users are stationed at the borders year-round or guard sealed forbidden zones. The remaining ability users are scattered across various positions and fields, with only a portion dedicated to handling and combating ability user-related crimes—that’s the Ability User Association I mentioned to you.”

Ming Jiao raised an eyebrow. “I thought that was just an official organization for recruiting and training talent.”

Secretly, she thought to herself, This world is even more dangerous than I imagined.

Since arriving in this world, she had never encountered the extraterrestrial demons Tang Xiaoyu spoke of—except for that one night at the villa banquet. Unfortunately, it had still been like viewing flowers through a fog.

Tang Xiaoyu gently shook her head, her dark, slightly wavy long hair cascading over her shoulders. “That is indeed its primary responsibility, but investigators within the Association are also tasked with investigating and apprehending ability user criminals. In our daily interactions with official agencies, we most frequently deal with the Association’s investigators and commanders.”

“It is precisely because of this situation that private teams like ours, who often take on bounty missions in the city, exist,” she added.

Ming Jiao, lost in thought, idly twirled a strand of her jade-white hair between her fingers. “So, the police investigating these cases likely don’t even know that ability users exist in this world. That means they wouldn’t focus their investigation on Xie Chu being an ability user.”

Her voice suddenly trailed off as she leaned forward. “I remember you told me that many ability users, for various reasons, don’t register, evade registration, and conceal their identities to become undocumented in the ability user community.” Tang Xiaoyu and Ming Jiao each sat in their own armchairs, placed side by side. As Ming Jiao tilted her body forward, the dark hair she had let down after her training brushed against the back of Tang Xiaoyu’s hand, soft as silk, evoking a fleeting, almost instinctive urge to grasp at something.

“You mean he…” Tang Xiaoyu began.

Ming Jiao quickly straightened up, crossing her long legs. “I just think Xie Chu is actually a cautious person, and he’s extremely cunning. He must have considered the risks we’re thinking of, and probably even more deeply.”

“For example, what if there are ability users among the police investigating the case? Once they access his records, the risks he faces would increase significantly.”

“So, he might be an undocumented ability user?” Ming Yue, who had been listening intently, finally couldn’t resist interjecting.

Ming Jiao nodded in agreement.

Ming Yue immediately narrowed her round eyes, her expression alert and frustrated. “It’s a pity we’re not official investigators. We don’t have the authority to access her files, or we could immediately determine whether she’s properly registered or not.”

Ming Jiao turned to her with a smile. “That’s important, but it’s not the most critical thing.”

Her eyes sparkled like brilliant sunlight, both reassuring and confident. “We just need to follow the trail. Sooner or later, we’ll get the results we want.”

Ming Yue was taken aback. She couldn’t recall the last time they had spoken so calmly, and a pang of melancholy suddenly washed over her. She responded with a subdued “Mm.”

Ming Jiao, assuming Ming Yue was still reluctant to engage with her, continued unfazed, “Besides, regardless of whether Xie Chu is properly registered, given his personality, he wouldn’t act directly. He might have long-term collaborations with hunters, or perhaps he’s involved with other ability user criminals.”

Her red lips curved into a slight smile. “Moreover, there’s another interesting detail.”

Tang Xiaoyu slowly turned her gaze toward her, understanding immediately. “You’re referring to Xie Chu’s father’s attitude.”

Ming Jiao snapped her fingers. “Exactly. The victims are all his children. If he cared even a little, the Xie family wouldn’t appear so calm on the surface.”

She added, “And is Xie Chu a naturally awakened ability user, or did he inherit it through bloodline? As the saying goes, ‘like father, like son.’ Both father and son share the same cold-hearted nature. It wouldn’t be surprising if they’re both involved in some unlawful activities.”

Ming Yue unconsciously stiffened her posture. She understood Ming Jiao’s implication—the Xie family likely wasn’t just limited to Xie Chu colluding with ability user criminals. Perhaps the entire clan operated in the shadows, tainted through and through.

Similar schemes might not only involve internal power struggles within the family but also external affairs—such as eliminating business competitors or participating in illicit industries.

Her heart raced with alarm, and she couldn’t help but glance at Tang Xiaoyu.

Tang Xiaoyu’s expression remained unchanged. Ming Yue felt this was due to her natural temperament, but more likely, it was because she had already entertained the same suspicions as Ming Jiao.

Indeed, if her vacation hadn’t ended, Tang Xiaoyu might not have returned today and would have continued digging deeper into the investigation.

At this thought, Ming Yue suddenly grew troubled. What would they do after she left tomorrow?

If Tang Xiaoyu didn’t continue the investigation, progress would stall and variables could arise. But if she did, what about Ming Jiao’s safety? Would she have to stay cooped up in the bookstore all the time?

Even through the mask, Ming Jiao could sense her inner conflict and said with a cheerful smile, “Just focus on your own tasks. Don’t worry about my safety. I can reduce my visits to the studio, and besides, I do have some means to protect myself.”

The System immediately whispered in her ear, 【Host, please stop secretly calling me Pikachu.】

Ming Jiao suppressed a laugh, 【Alright, Pikachu.】

Regardless, she was telling the truth, but neither Tang Xiaoyu nor Ming Yue believed her—especially Tang Xiaoyu, who could tell from the eager glint in her smile that she was undoubtedly plotting something reckless.

Nearly dying once seemed not to have tempered her arrogance but instead transformed it into a touch of madness.

Tang Xiaoyu frowned slightly, staring at her as if confronting a perplexing puzzle. “I must remind you, your situation is extremely dangerous. As long as the engagement exists, Xie Chu might go to any lengths to target you. Perhaps besides hunters, there are other methods waiting for you.”

Such as other ability user criminals whose existence they were unaware of, or even just hired ordinary assassins.

“Don’t take this lightly.”

Ming Jiao smiled lazily, exuding boundless charm. “Isn’t that perfect? The engagement is a death warrant for me, but for him, it’s an invitation to hell. Before, he was in the shadows while I was in the light. Now, I’m in the shadows and he’s in the light. Our chances of winning this game are high.”

Her eyes burned like blazing flames, though it was unclear whether it was excitement or killing intent.

“Just now, I suddenly had a new idea. What if I use the excuse of not wanting to break off the engagement to pester Xie Chu? Do you think he’s more likely to avoid me, or would he pretend to soften his attitude, feign nostalgia to let me get close, and then stage an accident to eliminate me?”

“I think it’s fifty-fifty, but the latter becomes more likely as time goes on. Why don’t we…” Ming Jiao’s red lips curved into a beautiful arc as she was about to say “set a trap,” but she noticed Tang Xiaoyu’s gaze had grown sharp and intense. She immediately straightened her posture and adopted a more serious tone. “What I mean is, you could consider this suggestion.”

Tang Xiaoyu’s elegant face had imperceptibly frosted over. “It seems you haven’t taken a single word I said to heart.”

“I heard you.” Ming Jiao, watching her expression, melted back into a boneless cat-puddle, half her body draped over the armrest of the sofa. “I just think it’s too passive to always wait for the other side to make a move. Since we’re taking risks anyway, why don’t we seize the initiative?”

She softened her voice, sounding very much like she was cooing, “Nightingale.”

Tang Xiaoyu wasn’t particularly affected, but Ming Yue found the scene before her utterly bizarre.

Ming Jiao acting coy with Tang Xiaoyu—even though she knew Ming Jiao was unaware of Tang Xiaoyu’s true identity—did nothing to dispel the strangeness of it.

“Nightingale, are you angry with me?”

“You’re not? But I can tell you are.”

“You obviously care about my safety. I’ve always said you’re the softest-hearted person in the world.”

Ming Jiao’s light, gentle voice continued to drift over as she pestered Tang Xiaoyu, until Ming Yue almost hallucinated the once aggressive peacock transforming into a lazy fox, rubbing its fluffy tail against the back of Tang Xiaoyu’s hand.

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Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Ruu

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