Chapter 41

If she could, Ming Jiao would have patted her chest and assured Tang Xiaoyu, “Don’t worry, I will definitely uphold justice at the expense of my own family.”

But she couldn’t.

So whenever she talked about her aunt, she appeared somewhat indecisive—no wonder Tang Xiaoyu was concerned.

However, it was only an appearance of hesitation. In reality, how could she harbor even the slightest tenderness toward her aunt?

Initially, her plan was indeed straightforward: once Shi Yan found the evidence, she would bluntly present it to the Ming family.

Then, they could deal with it however they wished.

She would retire after achieving her goal, with a clear conscience.

But as her interactions with Tang Xiaoyu deepened, her perspective changed.

People like her aunt were like venomous snakes hidden in the grass. If you couldn’t kill them outright, it was better not to startle them.

Because you never knew if they would burrow deeper and return to bite you when you least expected it.

Moreover, if the evidence was too light, she couldn’t help but suspect that the Ming family might go easy on her aunt, especially since they were connected by blood.

Blood ties always had a way of complicating matters that were already intricate, and to make things worse, she had the world’s greatest do-gooder sitting right beside her.

Good people were wonderful in every way, but sometimes their excessive kindness could be a headache.

Ming Jiao carefully chose her words, “You don’t need to worry. My aunt’s favoritism toward me is unique in every sense. I am her most convenient tool. As long as I show even the slightest sign of slipping out of her control, I can easily capture her attention.”

“Besides, she’s currently busy keeping an eye on my fiancé for me. She hardly has any free time lately.”

Her words sounded both mocking and sarcastic, but her tone was light, “So you don’t have to worry about her harming anyone else.”

Tang Xiaoyu frowned slightly. What she actually wanted was for Ming Jiao to go back and confront her sister. Given her sister’s way of handling things, she wouldn’t cause a public uproar as soon as she learned the truth. Instead, she would investigate discreetly, just as they were doing.

In fact, her sister had even broader connections and more resources at her disposal.

Most importantly, this was a good opportunity to clear up misunderstandings and resolve some of the conflicts, allowing their tense relationship to ease a little.

But Ming Jiao’s first reaction was to use herself as bait to restrain her aunt, showing no awareness of such possibilities.

“Aren’t you important too?” The explanation she was about to voice turned into a soft, almost murmuring question. Tang Xiaoyu shifted her gaze to the distance.

Aren’t your thoughts, feelings, and safety important?

“You care about me!” Ming Jiao immediately perked up, leaning in like a mischievous cat.

“I’m discussing serious matters with you.” Tang Xiaoyu was already accustomed to Ming Jiao’s occasional restlessness and troublemaking during serious conversations, but it still gave her a headache.

“This is serious too.” Ming Jiao declared righteously, placing her hands on the armrest of the sofa and slowly leaning forward. “Come on, tell me, are you concerned about me?”

As the faint scent of roses drew closer and that restless, eager pale hand threatened to reach out, Tang Xiaoyu knew that if she didn’t give an answer that satisfied Ming Jiao, she would cling to her like a limpet.

“As a friend, of course I care about you.” Tang Xiaoyu spoke, feeling both helpless and annoyed. Her dark eyes shimmered like the cool, icy waters of a deep pool as she glanced over. “Are you only three years old?”

She rarely showed such obvious irritation, making her usually flawless jade-like face suddenly come alive with vividness as she sat quietly.

Ming Jiao observed her with a cheerful smile, clasping her hands together in a practiced but insincere gesture. “Well, I haven’t even graduated from kindergarten yet.”

Of course she knew Tang Xiaoyu cared about her, but clear,  open favoritism and concern always made her prouder and happier than subtle, unspoken gestures. So she couldn’t resist that instinctive urge to tease, like a cat pawing at a ball of yarn.

Besides, she knew Tang Xiaoyu wouldn’t truly get angry with her.

Sure enough, Tang Xiaoyu merely tilted her head, her long lashes lifting slightly as she glanced at Ming Jiao, before calmly resuming her original posture, serene as still water.

Ming Jiao reined in her wandering thoughts and pondered seriously for a moment, realizing that Tang Xiaoyu must have misunderstood some things—just like Shi Yan.

But there was no helping it. After all, she and her aunt had always given others the mistaken impression that they would stand by each other against the world.

Wait a minute… So she had been overthinking it!

Ming Jiao had an epiphany. All this time, she had been worrying that her indifferent attitude toward her aunt might seem abnormal.

She had been overthinking it.

Even if she acted completely indifferent, or even announced to the world with great fanfare that she didn’t care about her aunt at all, no one would believe her.

They would only interpret all her reactions as a facade of calm, masking inner turmoil, conflict, struggle, and pain.

So it turned out there really were things in this world that couldn’t be explained clearly, even if you tried. But Ming Jiao decided to give it another shot.

“Actually, it’s not that serious. Although my relationship with my aunt was close in the past, looking back now, I realize it was like a castle in the air—beautiful on the surface but illusory at its core. A large part of it was built on manipulation, deception, and one-sided assumptions. Even if there were genuine feelings, they couldn’t sustain it.”

She added, “Its collapse was inevitable.”

That didn’t sound quite right either. Why did it make her seem like she was wallowing in self-pity?

“What I mean is, I’m actually quite heartless…”

Tang Xiaoyu watched Ming Jiao racking her brains to prove she was fine and said softly, “I don’t pity you.”

She knew Ming Jiao was inherently proud—whether that pride was outwardly displayed or not. No matter what she went through, she never wanted others’ sympathy.

Ming Jiao suddenly understood. She had almost forgotten that Tang Xiaoyu had witnessed the events firsthand. If she were an outsider like Shi Yan, unaware of the details, she might easily see Ming Jiao as a pitiful victim deceived and used by her aunt.

But Tang Xiaoyu wasn’t like that. As a friend, she would feel sorry that Ming Jiao had been exploited by her aunt, but she wouldn’t misunderstand the situation entirely.

She had been overthinking again.

Lost in these thoughts, Ming Jiao noticed she was being quietly watched once more. Tang Xiaoyu’s deep, tranquil eyes, usually as calm as a still pond, now seemed to ripple with unspoken emotions.

“Have you never considered reconciling with your family?”

Ming Jiao belatedly realized she had been misreading the situation all along. So Tang Xiaoyu wanted her to reconcile with her family!

Was there anyone in the world more gentle and considerate than Tang Xiaoyu?

No, absolutely not.

Even if there were, she wouldn’t believe it.

She thought it over seriously and concluded that while coming clean might be necessary at some point, reconciliation was basically impossible.

Perhaps in Tang Xiaoyu’s eyes, the reason her relationship with the Ming family had frozen over was partly due to her aunt’s instigations and partly because of the revelation of their true backgrounds and her return to the family.

Even before she transmigrated into the book, she had thought the biggest reason for the original owner’s fractured relationship with the Ming family was the swapped identities with Tang Xiaoyu and the resulting psychological imbalance.

But in reality, that wasn’t the case at all. The issue of their swapped identities was, at most, just a trigger.

The differences in personality and poor communication had buried conflicts and rifts long ago—their eruption was inevitable rather than accidental.

“A three-foot layer of ice doesn’t form in a single day,” Ming Jiao explained seriously to Tang Xiaoyu. “It’s not something that can be changed by me clarifying one or two things I didn’t do.”

“And now that you’ve seen how my aunt behaves, you might think my broken relationship with the family is entirely her doing, but that’s not the case either.”

When it came to her own affairs, she was always straightforward, whether they were good or bad.

What the original owner had done was an indisputable fact. Even if it were her, she had no intention of arguing about it. From the first day she transmigrated, she planned to lie low, take the blame, and then leave for a distant place, cutting ties with everyone.

She believed this was the best solution to the problem and hadn’t considered any other paths.

Though she was laid-back, she still had her own pride.

Lying low and taking the blame was one thing, but no one could make her beg for forgiveness on her knees, weeping and pleading, or cling to someone else for support.

A long, long time ago, she had sworn that no matter what she did in this life, she would live freely and without regrets, never enduring a stifling existence.

Even the matters involving Xie Chu and her aunt hadn’t shaken this resolve. At most, they had just delayed her plans. The real reason she wanted to stay had always been Tang Xiaoyu.

Tang Xiaoyu was truly an unexpected presence.

Although Ming Jiao had known from their first meeting that Tang Xiaoyu was a kind person, there were still times when she felt dazed by everything Tang Xiaoyu had done for her.

She had once been an avenger, willing to do anything for revenge, and she knew exactly what hatred felt like. Especially when reflecting on every hardship she had endured, even if the other person had nothing to do with it, she would still attribute all her resentment to her enemies.

And Tang Xiaoyu’s hardships were all related to her.

But feelings aside, she couldn’t help but selfishly rejoice in Tang Xiaoyu’s kindness, for without it, their current connection would never have existed.

Thinking of this, she reached out tentatively, placing her hand on Tang Xiaoyu’s shoulder with a hint of unease and shyness. “Nightingale, you know I’ve never been a good person, and my past life was a mess. I actually thought about just letting it go.”

Not arguing, not clearing her name, not clinging to anyone—just shouldering her burdens and running away with her advantages.

“It was only after meeting you that I decided to start over. Will you stay with me?”

Tang Xiaoyu felt the hand slowly resting on her shoulder. She glanced down at it. The summer heat was intense, and even though the palm wasn’t particularly warm, it still made her shoulder feel as if it were burning.

But Ming Jiao’s words were more like a drop of cool rainwater, falling into her heart.

No matter how Ming Jiao’s relationship with her aunt unfolded, when it came to her relationships with the rest of the family, she had no intention of mending or maintaining them.

It wasn’t a particularly surprising answer. From that night at the Rose Garden, she had already had an inkling of this.

Yet, just as the chill seeped into her heart and lungs, the words “Will you stay with me?” struck her like a fierce blaze, burning intensely.

The assumption in Tang Xiaoyu’s heart surfaced again: If you knew I was Tang Xiaoyu…

She turned to look at Ming Jiao, her expression complicated.

Ming Jiao didn’t wait for her response and was about to withdraw her hand in disappointment when Tang Xiaoyu gently caught her wrist.

“Have you ever been curious about my real identity?”

Ming Jiao froze.

She hadn’t expected Tang Xiaoyu to suddenly bring up this question. Although she hadn’t planned to maintain this facade forever—pretending to be ignorant while fully aware—if not for Tang Xiaoyu’s earlier remark about considering her a friend, Ming Jiao likely wouldn’t have entertained such thoughts. She knew their relationship had always been as fragile as willow catkins drifting in the wind, tethered only by the other’s goodwill.

Once the hunter matter concluded, their relationship would naturally dissolve.

Perhaps it would be better not to expose the truth and leave behind a beautiful memory.

But since Tang Xiaoyu regarded her as a friend, she owed her complete honesty.

Before confessing everything, however, she needed to properly apologize for her past actions through tangible gestures.

If they couldn’t be family, being friends would be nice too.

As for the Ming family—they had been deeply hurt by the original owner, and she herself held no particular affection for them. Remaining acquaintances who didn’t immediately clash like fire and water would be perfectly fine.

Ming Jiao reflected on the fates and sufferings of each character in the book and concluded that this might indeed be the best outcome.

But all of this had to wait until Aunt was completely dealt with.

So, ultimately, wasn’t this a problem she should be worrying about instead?

“Of course I’ve been curious,” Ming Jiao said vaguely. But with cheat-like knowledge already revealing the answers, how could she still claim curiosity?

“What would you do if you discovered one day that I’m someone who has grievances with you?” Tang Xiaoyu pressed.

Her tone remained calm and devoid of emotion, but Ming Jiao felt startled by the directness.

Aren’t you being too straightforward? What if I actually deduce your identity from this…

Well, fine. I have too many enemies anyway, so I suppose your fearlessness makes sense.

She lifted her gaze to meet Tang Xiaoyu’s intense stare. Ming Jiao couldn’t tell whether it was expectation or pressure she saw there, but it made her want to look away. “I’m not schizophrenic. Just because you have two identities doesn’t mean I can treat you as two separate people. Kindness is kindness, enmity is enmity.”

Tang Xiaoyu stated with detached objectivity, “But you’re a very rational person.”

Like with Xie Chu.

Ming Jiao never expected to be praised for rationality someday. She suspected Tang Xiaoyu was being euphemistic—”ruthless” might be more accurate.

“Specific situations require specific approaches,” Ming Jiao replied.

She truly wouldn’t perform some heartbroken lover act over Xie Chu in front of Tang Xiaoyu. Fundamentally, she didn’t want to put on performances for Tang Xiaoyu and tried to show her authentic self as much as possible.

“To me, you’re the only unique existence in this world. I won’t target or harm you again, and I’ll never become your enemy in the future.”

Her tone carried the same cadence as always, yet somehow conveyed convincing solemnity. “No matter who you are.”