The Real Heiress Just Wants to Be a Lazy Fish - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Infiltration

Haishi City.

At dinner time, the Jiang family villa was rather quiet. Only two people sat at the dining table, but the atmosphere between them was oppressive to the extreme. Nearby, the nanny, Auntie Sun, unconsciously held her breath.

Recently, a major event had rocked this household. It was discovered that over 20 years ago, when the eldest daughter-in-law of the Jiang family gave birth, the babies were swapped. The “Real Heiress” had been living adrift and was only recently recovered.

The matter had caused quite a stir, and the online buzz lasted for some time. However, in reality, the Jiang family’s attitude was quite different from what outsiders imagined.

Toward the biological daughter who returned after two decades, the members of this family were exceptionally cold.

This newly returned heiress was named Tao Yitong. Since her return, she hadn’t changed her surname, nor had anyone mentioned doing so. She wore a poorly fitted white dress and looked somewhat constrained. The clothes were a famous brand, but clearly, no care had been put into selecting them. Her only jewelry was a tiny stud on her earlobe; the most expensive part of it was a small, inconspicuous ruby.

She had a beautiful face a “baby face” inherited from her biological mother making her look much younger than her actual age. She was pretty and cute, especially her spirited eyes, which resembled those of a timid fawn, instinctively triggering a protective desire in others.

Her movements while cutting her steak were clumsy and cautious. Although she managed not to make a mistake, Zhao Jinhui, sitting across from her, watched with a deep frown.

The biological daughter’s timid mediocrity stood in stark contrast to the excellence of the adopted daughter. Countless outsiders were waiting to mock them. At the thought of this, Zhao Jinhui’s expression darkened. Losing her appetite for the exquisite dinner, she simply got up and returned to her room.

Once the mistress of the house left, dinner was effectively over. As for the “Real Heiress” sitting there, no one took her seriously. Auntie Sun, the nanny, came over to clear the plates, even though the steak on Tao Yitong’s plate wasn’t finished…

Huh?

The nanny felt like her eyes were playing tricks on her. She was certain she had seen a steak on that plate just a moment ago. Where did it go?!

She rubbed her eyes. The steak was definitely gone. Only a bit of sauce remained.

Was I really seeing things?

Auntie Sun shot a confused glance at Tao Yitong. The newly recognized daughter put down her knife and fork. Under the lights, her skin was so pale it was almost translucent, looking somewhat unhealthy.

The ruby earring on her ear was something the Madame had pointed out casually while buying other jewelry. Compared to the Madame’s pieces, it was incredibly cheap. It was clear that this daughter was not valued in this home. Combined with her perpetually submissive demeanor, the others looked down on her even more.

The silent girl suddenly looked up. The fire of the gemstone reflected a faint light under the lamps. Then, as usual, the “Real Heiress” left the dining room without a word and headed to her room on the second floor.

Auntie Sun even checked under the table to ensure the missing steak hadn’t fallen. Strange… am I really that tired lately?

Tao Yitong reached her room and gently closed the door. She quickly walked to the window. In an instant, her previous timidity vanished, replaced by seriousness and alertness. She scanned the area outside the window and then pressed her hand against her ruby earring.

Bzzz…

A faint static noise, audible only to her, crackled.

“This is TSH-032. Captain Tao, please report the results of the investigation for the past seven days.”

“Copy that.”

Tao Yitong leaned against the window, her arm resting on the sill. Her brows were slightly furrowed, and her gaze was low. Her entire aura had undergone a tectonic shift.

This was one of the most high-end residential areas in Haishi, with lush greenery. From her vantage point, she could see a nearby woods. The swaying shadows of the trees looked somewhat distorted.

“All target locations have been scouted. No suspicious traces found yet.”

“I have made contact with Jiang Xianglu, Zhao Jinhui, and Jiang Xiangfu… none of them show abnormal energy fluctuations. However, Jiang Hong and Jiang Zitan have not appeared these past few days. Their status is currently unknown.”

“Understood. Jiang Hong has no intention of seeing me, but Jiang Zitan visits him at the nursing home every weekend. I will find a way to follow her.”

Jiang Hong was the true power behind the Jiang family and Tao Yitong’s grandfather. Jiang Zitan was the “Fake Heiress” who had been swapped at birth.

Tao Yitong reported her findings point by point. She had been here for several days, yet the investigation lacked substantial progress, which soured her mood.

“Our opponent is very cunning. Please prioritize your cover.”

Tao Yitong sighed softly. Though frustrated, this was indeed the safest way forward.

“Roger.”

In truth, she hadn’t wanted to enter this family or claim these parents. A month ago, she didn’t even know there was an issue with her birth not until she returned from a mission in Africa and her boss mysteriously pulled her aside to drop the bombshell.

Upon hearing the news, she wasn’t excited. Her intuition simply told her that her vacation was gone.

Sure enough, her boss handed her a major mission.

Tao Yitong’s workplace was unique. She belonged to the National Special Events Investigation Bureau, or the Special Affairs Bureau (SAB) for short. They handled supernatural events, including ghosts, monsters, and “Deviants” (people with superpowers).

The reason she was here traced back 28 years.

Twenty-eight years ago, a horrific case occurred in Haishi. In just six months, dozens of people went missing in the city and surrounding areas. Faint traces of abnormal energy were left at the scenes. Consequently, the H-Province SAB took over and hid the truth from the public.

Despite a massive mobilization of elite agents, the SAB failed. They only found the skeletal remains of some victims who had been gnawed clean. The killer escaped without a trace.

It wasn’t until a year ago, when a human trafficking ring in a remote mountain village was busted, that the SAB found traces of the killer and a large number of human bones.

The clues there pointed to several old-money families in Haishi who employed local Deviants. To avoid tipping them off like 28 years ago, the SAB planted several moles. However, a few months ago, all contact with the moles was lost. Only one managed to leave a single word before disappearing:

Jiang.

Combining that mole’s last known trajectory, the SAB locked onto the Jiang family—new money that rose to prominence 20 years ago. This family might be the key to breaking the case. However, since all previous moles had vanished, it meant the culprit was on guard.

The Bureau needed someone who wouldn’t arouse suspicion, had access to the family core, and possessed enough strength to protect themselves.

Just then, someone noticed that the wife of the eldest Jiang son looked remarkably like a colleague in the Bureau. An investigation followed, and voila it was a Real vs. Fake Heiress situation!

Given the loss of so many agents, the Bureau decided to transfer Tao Yitong to Haishi for this mission.

After finishing her report, the communication switched to her team’s internal channel. She hadn’t talked to her teammates for nearly a week. As soon as the channel opened, concerned voices flooded in. Tao Yitong’s gaze softened.

“Captain! Are you okay? Did those Jiang people bully you? I thought they were good people, but I must be blind!”

“Exactly! I thought making the Captain’s backstory sound more tragic would make them care more about their lost daughter. What kind of people are they? This whole family is weird!”

“Captain…”

The channel was noisy until a clear female voice spoke up, silencing the group.

“Alright, alright. Vent your frustrations later. Let the Captain tell us the arrangements.”

The channel went quiet.

The corners of Tao Yitong’s mouth curled up. Instead of making immediate plans, she asked, “Xiao Yu, is your mission going smoothly?”

“Rest assured, my mission is going well,” the clear-voiced woman replied.

“Prioritize your own safety,” Tao Yitong reminded her, still worried.

“Understood!”

“The situation on my end has stabilized. Wenwen and Da Pang, you two go support Xiao Yu first.”

“Yes, Captain!”

“The rest of you, continue monitoring the target individuals. That’s all for now.”

“Captain, I’ve found out that Jiang Zitan is returning tomorrow. Be careful,” a team member said solemnly.

“Mm, I know.” Tao Yitong’s tone grew heavy. The Bureau deduced that the person colluding with the “Cannibalistic Demon” was likely a high-ranking figure in the Jiang Group. Currently, Jiang Hong and Jiang Zitan neither of whom she had met were the top suspects.

With a flick of her fingers, she magically produced a photograph. The subject was a very beautiful woman, a candid shot taken during an event.

Jiang Zitan. Not only was she beautiful, but she was also exceptionally capable, arguably the most outstanding heir among the Haishi families. Despite the baby-swap scandal, her position in the company remained unshaken thanks to Jiang Hong’s support.

Tao Yitong’s gut told her this wasn’t going to be simple.

She looked at the photo. When she first saw it, even she had been stunned. Jiang Zitan’s looks perfectly combined the best features of her parents.

Since Tao Yitong’s adoptive parents had died when she was very young, her impression of them was faint; she only remembered them as gentle and kind people. Could their biological daughter really be colluding with a “Cannibalistic Demon” that reeked of corpses? But thinking about the environment Jiang Zitan grew up in, Tao Yitong suddenly wasn’t so sure.

She sighed softly, a hint of melancholy in her eyes. Black mist flickered between her fingertips, and a moment later, the thin photograph vanished into thin air.

“I’ll keep a close eye on Jiang Zitan. For now, you guys need to pay more attention to Jiang Hong’s nursing home.”

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