The Real Heiress Just Wants to Be a Lazy Fish - Chapter 31

Chapter 31: The Wait

If Jiang Zitan ever found out that the unrelated sister she was kindly raising spent every day literally drooling over her, itching to take a bite… Tao Yitong figured she’d probably be kicked out of the house as a total creep.

“Ahem! Dreams—dreams are always the opposite of reality! Yes, totally the opposite! How could I possibly eat a human?” Tao Yitong explained, her voice steady and formal. Lusting was one thing, but she would never, under any circumstances, actually eat a person!

Her tone, which had suddenly jumped an octave, carried a distinct scent of “the lady doth protest too much.” Originally, Jiang Zitan hadn’t connected the dream events specifically to Tao Yitong, but now she was starting to have her doubts.

Jiang Zitan found herself re-evaluating her previous words. Which specific sentence had hit the mark? Whether it was turning into a monster or cannibalism, both sounded terrifying.

“You…” In the darkness, Jiang Zitan’s hand accidentally brushed against Tao Yitong’s face. She could feel the younger girl’s tension; Tao Yitong sat there as stiff as a board, not daring to move an inch, as if one more word would send her bolting from the room.

Obedient, harmless, and at most a little mischievous this was the summary of Jiang Zitan’s impressions of her sister over the past few days. To be honest, even though she had noticed anomalies, Tao Yitong had never displayed even a hint of danger in her presence.

Saving her regardless of the risk was real; the silent company every night during her nightmares was also real. Whatever Tao Yitong’s purpose was, she was at least well-intentioned. Anyone else could fear her, but Zitan felt she should not.

Everyone has secrets they aren’t willing to share. Prying into those secrets would only push a guarded person further away. Asking herself honestly, she didn’t want it to come to that.

“Wow, that lady is so pretty! The deer all like her!” A crisp, childish voice rang out nearby.

Secretary Fang followed the direction her little niece was pointing. Wasn’t that President Jiang, looking like she was about to be carried off by a herd of deer?!

It was true; the deer all seemed to adore her, especially the white one. It acted cold and aloof in front of other tourists but turned around to nuzzle against Zitan’s hand. Hmph!

Tao Yitong had expected she might be unpopular in the zoo, but she hadn’t expected her sister to be this popular!

“Shoo, shoo! Go find your own partners!” Tao Yitong dove into the herd to shoo the annoying little creatures away. Weren’t you supposed to dislike me? Then don’t crowd around!

When she arrived, she had meticulously retracted all her power to prevent the aura of Taotie from scaring the animals. Most creatures’ instincts still made them stay away she was used to that but why were these deer competing with her for her person?

“Pfft…”

The laughter didn’t come from Jiang Zitan; although she was smiling, she kept it quiet for Tongtong’s pride. It was the nearby zookeeper who let out the laugh.

“Ahem… the deer in our pen are quite spiritual, especially the white one. It’s very smart but usually doesn’t like being close to people. Today is quite special; perhaps this lady is just exceptionally well-liked by the little guys.” The zookeeper tried to use some verbal acrobatics to cover the embarrassment of his accidental laugh.

What the zookeeper didn’t say was that while the other deer were smart enough to do anything for hay, Tao Yitong was the only person he’d seen enter with a bag of fodder and be actively shunned by every single one of them.

Are these two a couple? Ha, special people really do flock together.

“Yes, Sister is just too popular with these guys.” Tao Yitong glared at the herd. The deer succumbed to her silent intimidation and slowly, reluctantly moved away all except for the very special white deer.

It was different. It didn’t retreat as she approached, nor did it hide its dislike for her. When Tao Yitong stood on Jiang Zitan’s left, the deer would press into Zitan’s right hand for pets. When she moved to the right, the deer would circle around to nuzzle Zitan from the other side.

It essentially used Jiang Zitan as the axis for its orbit. Tao Yitong couldn’t exactly start a feud with a deer, so she could only stand there and fume.

Jiang Zitan took two strands of hay from the paper bag and fed the beautiful white deer. It chewed gracefully, looking like a mount belonging to an immortal from ancient myths.

“You try it too.” Jiang Zitan patted Tao Yitong’s hand, which was hooked around her arm. It was rare to find a deer willing to stay near them; she wanted Tongtong to experience the fun of feeding them.

“It won’t eat anything I give it,” Tao Yitong pouted, already anticipating the result. It wouldn’t even let her get close.

Tao Yitong took a step forward, and the white deer immediately ducked behind Jiang Zitan, giving her zero face. Jiang Zitan thought for a moment, then took Tao Yitong’s hand in hers, guiding her to hold the hay near the deer’s mouth. The deer stared at them for a while. It was spiritual it truly seemed to be scrutinizing her.

After a moment, the deer finally stepped forward, took the hay, and began to chew. Tao Yitong let out a small huff, but a smile touched the corners of her mouth. Jiang Zitan knew her partner was in a better mood.

“Hiss… is that deer the one from that ‘Rules of the Zoo’ urban legend?” Suddenly, Tao Yitong heard tourists whispering nearby.

“I heard that urban legend was based on the Choushan Zoo! I just heard the zookeeper say this white deer never gets close to anyone, but today it’s actually following someone. Look, look! It’s actually lowering its head to be petted!”

“Heavens, isn’t that one of the rules?”

The conversation between the young girls reminded Tao Yitong of the post she had seen yesterday.

There is a white deer in the Deer Pen. It does not get close to people. If it bows its head to you, take note: If you see this deer in any other part of the zoo, you must immediately find a staff member wearing a blue ID tag.

What a coincidence. This scene matched the first half of that “rule” perfectly.

But Tao Yitong wasn’t worried; it was just a coincidence. Since her sister was so “appealing” to these deer, it was only natural the white one would approach. She knew how alluring her sister was; it made sense that other creatures would be drawn to her as well.

“President Jiang.”

Just as Tao Yitong was forced to focus on feeding this single deer, Secretary Fang arrived with her niece.

“Hello, sisters!” The little girl’s voice was sweet. Tao Yitong’s irritation with the deer dissipated significantly. She reached into Zitan’s pocket, found a piece of candy, and handed it to the niece.

“Hello, little one. Here, have some candy.” Tao Yitong pressed the sweet into the child’s palm. The girl looked at her aunt, and Secretary Fang patted her head. “Take it, and remember to say thank you.”

“Thank you, pretty sister!” With the extra adjective, Tao Yitong’s smile widened until it reached her ears.

After a few pleasantries, Tao Yitong’s bag of hay was empty. They planned to head deeper into the zoo, while Secretary Fang intended to stay in the pen a while longer. Knowing that her presence as a boss might put pressure on her subordinate, Zitan bid them farewell.

Strangely, the elegant white deer continued to follow unhurriedly at Jiang Zitan’s side. It didn’t make a fuss or crowd her for food like the others; it simply maintained a distance where Zitan could reach out and touch its head if she wished. It escorted them all the way to the exit of the Deer Pen before stopping, much like a person seeing off a friend.

At the exit, Jiang Zitan felt the deer was strange, though she couldn’t pinpoint why. She reached out and stroked its head; the deer remained docile a treatment no other tourist had ever received. Usually, if someone tried to touch it, it would either impatiently pull away or give them a swift kick.

The zookeeper watched from a distance, clicking his tongue in wonder.

“We’re leaving now,” Jiang Zitan told the creature. The deer didn’t respond, but its gentle gaze remained fixed on her. Long after they had walked away, it still hadn’t left the exit.

Tao Yitong’s brow furrowed slightly. There are many spiritual animals, but those spiritual enough to feel “eerie” are rare. This deer’s behavior was odd, and combined with the influence of the urban legend she read, she felt a trace of “evil” from it. Not the evil of power or aura, but the feeling that this deer had specifically targeted Jiang Zitan.

So many ghosts and monsters had targeted her sister that Tao Yitong’s psychological scars were massive. The deer’s behavior was triggering her PTSD.

“Let’s go, why is that deer still staring at you? I shouldn’t have read that urban legend yesterday.” Tao Yitong quickly pulled Jiang Zitan away until the Deer Pen was out of sight.

“Urban legend? Is there a problem?” Jiang Zitan hadn’t connected the article to the deer at all.

Back in the basement, in the center of the apparatus, there was a dark, lumpy mass. The smell emanated from there. The neighbor took a few steps closer and used her phone’s flashlight. The scene before her sent her collapsing to the floor in shock.

It was a human corpse, half-devoured. One arm still had rotting flesh clinging to it, while the other was nothing but bone. The eyes had been replaced by two hollow black pits, staring straight at the ceiling, frozen in the terror of its final moments.

The neighbor screamed in terror, but she failed to consider one thing: the killer might still be on the scene.

On the ceiling, a pair of blood-red eyes snapped open. In the moment she was defenseless, it lunged. However, just as it was about to reach her, two green shadows charged forward and slammed into it. Though they dealt no damage, they managed to slow its speed just enough.

The neighbor heard the movement behind her, but the moment she turned her head, she lost consciousness. Simultaneously, the killer was sent flying like a projectile, slamming heavily into the adjacent wall.

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