Chapter 48

On the other side, Xie Chu indeed went to find others at the manor to inform them that he had brought Ming Jiao along.

Of course, this statement wasn’t entirely accurate—he only approached two people, after which the news inevitably spread among everyone.

The first was naturally his close friend, who was also the owner of Lavender Manor.

Upon hearing Xie Chu’s words, his friend was greatly alarmed. “What are you thinking? Why didn’t you mention this earlier? Aren’t you supposed to break off the engagement with her? How come you’re… Brother, listen to me—that woman may be beautiful, but she’s really not a good person.”

His friend fired off a string of remarks without even sparing Xie Chu’s dignity, showing just how much he disapproved of Ming Jiao. In his eyes, Xie Chu’s actions were also highly questionable.

Xie Chu wore an apologetic expression, his smile tinged with bitterness. “I have no other choice. Although I only see her as a younger sister, as her brother, I can’t just stand by and watch her make mistakes without intervening.”

He sighed. “This can’t go on. I want her to apologize to Tang Xiaoyu and ask for her forgiveness. That might help her regain some favor from the Ming family. Only then can I feel at ease calling off the engagement. Otherwise, with her current state—without me and cut off from the Ming family—those she’s offended in the past will eventually… Ah.”

His friend immediately understood Xie Chu’s concerns upon hearing this. Moreover, seeing someone usually cheerful so troubled stirred a sense of pity in him. He also sighed. “You’re really too kind. Think of all the trouble she’s caused you, and yet you’re still looking out for her.”

He shook his head resignedly. “Fine, I’ll help you inform the others. But once this is over, don’t involve yourself with her anymore. I don’t mean to sound harsh, but some people… are beyond saving.”

Xie Chu fell silent, eventually expressing his gratitude with a look of appreciation. “I’ll leave it to you to handle the others. I’ll do my best to keep her in check and not let her cause any trouble. As for Tang Xiaoyu, I need to speak with her personally.”

His friend nodded deeply in agreement, casting a sympathetic glance at Xie Chu, thinking he still had a difficult plea to make to Tang Xiaoyu.

To be tied to such an arranged marriage from childhood—who knew how many sins Xie Chu had committed in his past life to deserve such misfortune in this one?

Whether Xie Chu had committed sins in his past life was uncertain, but in this life, he certainly had—and he intended to continue. Persuading Tang Xiaoyu went more smoothly than he had anticipated.

After meeting her, he explained that Ming Jiao had come to Lavender Manor to apologize. With just a few words urging her to consider her mother’s feelings, Tang Xiaoyu calmly agreed.

This aligned with the magnanimous image she projected toward Ming Jiao in public.

On his way back, Xie Chu reflected that Tang Xiaoyu was indeed clever and not an easy person to read.

Every choice she made, though seemingly borne of restraint and sacrifice, consistently drew the Ming family’s favor and others’ praise toward her.

Putting himself in her shoes, he felt that no one could be so forgiving and magnanimous without ulterior motives.

He further mused that Tang Xiaoyu was not only deep and calculating but also adept at concealing her emotions. Dealing with such a person was both dangerous and difficult to control.

With this thought, the slight pity he had felt for her vanished completely.

At dinnertime, Xie Chu arrived as promised. Seeing him in a rather good mood, Ming Jiao guessed that everything had gone smoothly.

Of course, the biggest obstacle to his plan had always been her alone. Yet whether for tactical reasons or due to her inherent nature, Tang Xiaoyu could never bring herself to deliberately humiliate someone.

As the night deepened, Xie Chu chose to leave.

Ming Jiao stood by the window watching him depart. After walking several meters, he turned back to offer her a smile and a gentle wave. “Goodnight.”

Ming Jiao’s eyes curved as she gazed deeply at him, watching his retreating figure until it vanished into the lavender-scented night.

The System shuddered with dread. In this tender scene that resembled a beautiful painting, it saw only flowing, ceaseless killing intent.

Of course, this trepidation was entirely directed at Xie Chu.

[What a terrifying man with an abyss for a heart!] the System couldn’t help complaining to Ming Jiao. [You know? Even after turning away, when he was completely alone, he was still smiling.]

Ming Jiao arched her delicate brows before responding with an indifferent smile, [Nothing more than a mask worn so long it’s become a habit.]

Her gaze swept across the area where she lived. While not the central point of the entire estate’s layout, it was indeed located in the core region.

In the distance lay a small pond where trees swayed in the breeze and clear water rippled, accompanied by wafts of floral fragrance—a picturesque scene in its own right.

[I wonder what Tang Xiaoyu is doing right now.] Ming Jiao smiled slightly, her eyes reflecting the starry sky, brilliant and bright. [Given her worrying nature, she’s probably still concerned about whether I’m safe.]

But wary that the hunter might be lurking nearby, she wouldn’t send a message inquiring under the guise of Nightingale.

The System remarked, [Why are you so happy that she’s worried about your safety?]

After this casual comment, it returned to serious matters with Ming Jiao, or rather sought answers to its confusion. [Host, there’s something I don’t understand. Could you enlighten me and guide this lost soul?]

Ming Jiao immediately adopted the expression of a benevolent old priest guiding a stray lamb. [Come then.]

She had assumed the System would ask about Xiao Ying. It wasn’t that she deliberately wanted to keep her confidant in suspense, but she felt revealing unverified suspicions might lead to embarrassment if proven wrong.

However, if the System asked again, she wouldn’t hold back.

Unexpectedly, the System posed a different question. [Host, I don’t understand. When it came to nearly being killed, you showed genuine fear and tension in front of Aunt. So why are you so composed around Xie Chu? Logically, you should be terrified of him too.]

The strangest part was that Xie Chu didn’t find this odd either, accepting it as perfectly natural.

[So that’s your question.] Ming Jiao smiled lazily. [Because the original host had this personality—proud and dramatic around Xie Chu.]

This pride was the pride of arrogance.

There was no shame in seeking help, crying, or showing weakness in front of Aunt, as she was an elder.

Let alone merely displaying some fear.

But people generally dislike letting those they admire see their downfall and vulnerability, and the original host was no exception.

Come to think of it, she hadn’t performed or pretended much in front of Tang Xiaoyu, Shi Yan, or Ming Yue. Even with Aunt, she had largely been her true self.

Because none of them truly understood the original host well. Tang Xiaoyu went without saying. Although Shi Yan was her friend and Ming Yue her sister, they had been distant from the original host for too long. In the past two years, the occasions for proper conversation could be counted on one hand.

She actually resembled the original host in many ways—so much so that she didn’t need to deliberately hide or imitate.

Her appearance, tone of voice, daily habits, and even her interests and hobbies were all similar.

The original host had once been obsessed with martial arts and had diligently practiced self-defense techniques, while her own interest in design seemed to be slowly reawakening.

In moments of boredom, Ming Jiao had even entertained the thought: What if she was the original host who had lost her memory or broken free from the “dim-witted halo”? But that was clearly impossible.

Her memories of her original world were vivid and clear. She knew exactly who she was.

Their similarities were likely just a strange coincidence or perhaps a parallel-world phenomenon.

But it didn’t really matter.

Where she differed from the original host was mainly in her temperament—she was more even-tempered, clearer-headed, and had a slightly higher moral baseline.

So, when faced with these differences, Tang Xiaoyu and the others probably thought they didn’t understand her well enough. Aunt might think she was influenced by external factors and could slip out of control. The only one who would suspect she wasn’t the original host was Xie Chu.

This wasn’t because Xie Chu cared deeply about the original host, but because the timing was just too suspicious.

The hunter knew exactly how brutally he had attacked her. When he reported the situation to Xie Chu, and Xie Chu saw her walking around unscathed, he would definitely find it unreasonable.

But after careful consideration, Ming Jiao concluded that Xie Chu’s suspicions about her anomalies could only lead to a few possible explanations.

One: She had been saved by a miracle-working doctor who could revive the dead. After all, this was a world with supernatural powers—was it really so far-fetched to have a miraculous healer?

Perfectly reasonable.

Two: She was an imposter. For the same reason—in a world with supernatural abilities, was it really so strange for someone to be able to shapeshift into another person’s appearance?

Not strange at all.

Three: The hunter was lying, or had exaggerated the facts to save face after failing his mission.

There was no need to romanticize hunters as people of high integrity who would never lie. Those who were willing to commit murder and arson couldn’t be expected to have any morals or sense of shame.

She didn’t know which explanation Xie Chu initially leaned toward, but since he had asked to meet her, she had to seize the opportunity and steer him toward the third possibility.

She needed to make him believe she was the original host. That way, in his future plans, Xie Chu would subconsciously underestimate her and lower his guard, never suspecting that she was turning his schemes against him.

“If he hadn’t hired a killer to attack me, and if the killer hadn’t claimed to have injured me while I appeared unscathed in front of him, he wouldn’t have doubted me even if I acted differently from the original host,” Ming Jiao said. “But the timing was just too suspicious. Any slight deviation from my past behavior would make him suspect I was an imposter. Of course, he’d never guess the truth—he’d just assume I was disguised by another ability user.”

She spread her hands lightly. “So, I had to perfectly replicate the original host in front of him and make him believe I was never injured that night—that the hunter had exaggerated.”

Ming Jiao smiled. “Judging by his reaction, he believed it. Even if it’s only temporary, that’s enough. He’ll definitely make a move in the next few days. As long as he dares to act, he’ll be waiting for exile.”

The System thought it over seriously and realized that if it were Xie Chu, it would have believed it too.

Because the explanation right in front of him was far more reasonable than suddenly encountering a miracle doctor or a master actor impersonating Ming Jiao.

【What a brilliant game of chess.】 the System marveled, 【Every move in this scheme plays upon human nature.】

After its exclamation, it couldn’t help adding, 【Host, sometimes I can’t tell whether the original owner and Xie Chu were childhood sweethearts, or whether you and both of them were the real childhood sweethearts.】

【I feel like you understand both the original owner and Xie Chu perfectly, anticipating every possible reaction these two could have.】

As for how well Xie Chu understood the original owner, the System had observed that the original owner’s understanding of Xie Chu was clearly superficial, just like her understanding of her Aunt.

【You can’t put it that way.】 Ming Jiao straightened up, no longer leaning against the windowsill. She turned to gaze at the bright moon hanging in the sky, 【Where do you think my understanding of Xie Chu comes from?】

【From the original owner’s memories, and also from some subconscious thoughts she harbored.】

The System was startled, 【She knew Xie Chu was two-faced?】