The Real Heiress Just Wants to Be a Lazy Fish - Chapter 39

Chapter 39: Signs

The next morning, when Jiang Zitan woke up, she found the spot beside her already empty. Reaching out, the sheets were cold; Tongtong must have been up for a while.

She wondered if that little foodie, who even dreamed about eating, had realized the “mischief” she had done. Jiang Zitan raised her hand to touch the spot where she had been bitten last night. It was cool and no longer pained; it seemed… someone had applied a bit of ointment?

Jiang Zitan went to the mirror to check. Last night, Tongtong’s bite had initially been quite painful, and she thought the skin might have been broken, but now only a faint red mark remained. A layer of pale green, medicinal paste had been smeared over the mark. It seemed Tongtong already knew what she had done last night. Seeing herself in the mirror, Jiang Zitan let out a smile, but it was tinged with a trace of heaviness.

Thinking back to last night, Jiang Zitan could only deceive herself by categorizing it as an accident, then forced herself to think no more of it. She thought she could maintain her surface-level composure. After washing up, she gave the mirror a proper, flawless smile. However, she didn’t expect her composure to break so soon.

In broad daylight, a massive monkey suddenly rushed down from the zoo’s mountain, snatched a child, and fled. Who could have imagined such an absurd thing happening nearby?

The monkey bore an obvious look of ferocity, clearly intent on causing harm. No matter how calm Secretary Fang usually was, she was terrified by the scene. She instinctively shielded her little niece in her arms, but whether the monkey was specifically targeting children or because they were simply too close to the mountain’s edge, it charged directly at them.

If it weren’t for the monkey’s tail, she would have thought a gorilla from the primate house had escaped. Standing as tall as a human, it was covered in bulging muscles and had blood-red eyes. Secretary Fang had no doubt it could kill a person with a single punch.

The incident happened too fast for an ordinary person to react. Even though Secretary Fang protected her niece, the bizarre monkey rushed up and forcibly snatched the child from her arms before fleeing, giving no chance for anyone to catch it. As other tourists had said—what parent wouldn’t collapse upon seeing this?

“Secretary Fang? Secretary Fang! Fang Ling!” Tao Yitong saw Secretary Fang’s silhouette in the distance among the mountain trees and called out several times, but she didn’t stop.

By the time they reached the site of the incident, Fang Ling was already gone. Based on the flattened weeds, it was clear she had headed up the mountain. Other witnesses to the kidnapping were still shaken, piecing together the fragments of what had happened.

A human-sized monkey had rushed out and taken the child, and the guardian had chased after it after calling the police. But that monkey was terrifying! Even if the guardian found it, things would likely turn out badly.

This sudden event inevitably caused panic. With no other choice, Tao Yitong used a memory-modification device to briefly twist their recollections. Finer operations would take time, but she was in a hurry to save someone and didn’t have the leisure.

“Tongtong, can you lock onto the monkey’s location?” Jiang Zitan looked at the mountain where tree shadows overlapped, her heart filled with worry.

Earlier, back in the room, Tao Yitong had said she wanted to take a shower, but in reality, she had quickly changed into a spaghetti-strap nightgown and began reviewing the recorded footage with the system, watching the reactions of her suspects when they saw her. It took nearly an hour to go through them all, some more than once.

Tao Yitong sat at the desk, took out the list of suspects she had drawn up days before the banquet, and wore a pensive expression. Seeing her grab a pen to start crossing out and circling names, the system couldn’t help but say: Host, your suspicions have shifted.

Tao Yitong’s pen paused as she wrote down a name Xie Chu. Yes, I find him exceptionally suspicious now, especially after you told me he’s likely an esper.

Why? He wasn’t even on your primary list before. From what I saw, his reaction to you wasn’t too abnormal; he just looked at you a few extra times during the banquet. The system was genuinely puzzled.

Well. Tao Yitong poked her cheek with the pen, looking thoughtful. I didn’t suspect him before because my targets were based on old grudges and daily conflicts. He wasn’t on my enemy list. Now, I realize he actually has a motive to get rid of me.

The system was confused: What motive? He doesn’t like you, but I remember your engagement was going to be broken off anyway.

Tao Yitong knew the system was right. In the original timeline, if her sister hadn’t been on a business trip, she would have scheduled the dissolution of the engagement with Xie Chu. At the latest, it would have been finalized by the end of the month. With her sister away, it would only be delayed by a few days.

But he doesn’t know that. He doesn’t know Sister will make me break the engagement, nor does he know I’d agree, Tao Yitong said. Not all families are like the Tao family, which doesn’t force children into arranged marriages. For two families to unite, an exchange of interests is the norm.

The system still felt it was a stretch: So just because of that, he’d hire an assassin to kill you? It added worriedly, Host, are you being biased because you know he’s an esper?

Until the truth is clear, the possibility you mentioned exists. Tao Yitong wasn’t angry at the system’s doubt. But I know him better than you do or rather, I know his family. His parents were also a business marriage.

His mother passed away early, and while his stepmother has no children, his father has countless lovers and illegitimate children. Not to mention his father’s siblings have their own kids; his cousins are fierce competitors. The succession process for the Xie family’s next generation is destined to be a bloodbath.

Tao Yitong sighed softly. Years ago, the Tao family actually asked me if I wanted to break the engagement.

This was news to the system. Why? Did they find out he had done something bad?

Not really. We were betrothed as children, but more importantly, it was the friendship between my adoptive mother and his mother. After his mother died, contact between the families thinned. The Tao family felt the Xie family was too chaotic and feared my marriage to him would drag me into the storm, denying me peace and happiness. But I really liked him back then, so I insisted on keeping the engagement.

The system felt a chill and began to waver: Host, you have a point. Could it really be him?

Tao Yitong continued: [Then there’s his personality a sunny, enthusiastic person. I’m not saying people from adversity can’t be optimistic, but he acts too harmless and naive. In such a complex environment, someone with that personality is usually an easy target for schemes, yet he lives quite well.

The system was completely convinced.

• An esper with an elite family background he has the capital to contact “Hunters.”

• Personality could be a facade scheming and calculating.

• Frequent attention at the banquet previously seen as concern for a fiancée, now seen as shock that she isn’t dead and an attempt to pry.

• Besides, if he really cared, why didn’t he come over to talk? Standing there making “worried” faces looks exactly like a performance for outsiders.

The system felt Xie Chu was increasingly suspicious. Host, what do we do now?

Tao Yitong smiled. The first step, of course, is to tell Jiang Zitan our suspicions.

Tao Yitong was skilled in tracking energy and scents. The monkey was clearly a problem, and there was indeed a weak trace of its power at the scene. However, surprisingly, the power was so faint it almost vanished in the air, making tracking intermittent.

Fortunately, the monkey likely hadn’t bathed in its life; the pungent stench of a wild animal was strong enough to hit one’s crown. Tao Yitong found it hard to ignore.

“This way.” Tao Yitong pointed. There was no path, but there were signs of flattened vegetation. There were human footprints and signs of a large object crushing the ground; they must have gone up this way.

Tao Yitong decided to track the monkey first; if Secretary Fang was lost on the mountain, she’d have to find her later. However, she soon realized she had underestimated the secretary. Though the kidnapping had panicked her, a shred of logic remained; following the traces left by the monkey on the plants, she stumbled toward the correct direction.

But catching up wouldn’t help her; it was better that she hadn’t reached them yet. Fang Ling was so focused on finding the child that she didn’t notice the sounds behind her until Tao Yitong and Jiang Zitan drew close. She was startled, but instead of the police she hoped for, she found her two bosses.

Secretary Fang was strong, but she nearly burst into tears when she spoke.

“Don’t worry, I’ll help you find the child. That thing shouldn’t be far. Sister, stay here with her for a moment; I’ll be right back.” The stench was overpowering; Tao Yitong estimated the monkey’s lair was nearby.

The monkey’s power was still weak, suggesting it had only turned into a monster recently. To think its lair was so close to the busy mountain paths! Leaving it here was a ticking time bomb; it was lucky she had run into it.

Tao Yitong settled her mind to sense the energy fluctuations. Her beast souls had already slipped into the woods silently, serving as her eyes and hands.

“Director Tao…” Secretary Fang was grateful they risked themselves to help, but what could the “delicate” Director Tao do? If she really encountered that monster-like monkey… she smiled bitterly in her heart. In front of such a monkey, there was no difference between her and Director Tao. They should just search together; if the monkey really tried to eat someone, she could act as bait while the other two ran with the child.

Love-sisters, heart-sisters, I get it. Who knew Tao-tao Sister was such a player! Zhou Xinyue had felt the atmosphere between the two was odd; Tao-tao Sister’s soft voice earlier had nearly scared her. She almost called someone to perform an exorcism! In all the years she’d known her, when had she ever heard her use such a soft tone?

But if it was “flavor” between lovers hey, then it was normal.

Tao Yitong felt the girl’s understanding was worlds apart from what she intended to convey, but the landlady arrived with the porridge, so the issue was shelved.

“I need to bring food to my colleagues, so I won’t eat with you. Goodbye, sisters! Goodbye, Auntie!” Unexpectedly, Zhou Xinyue waved with her packed plastic containers and ran faster than a rabbit.

Tao Yitong didn’t even have time to call her back. She had a premonition that some very strange rumors were about to spread.

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