The Real Heiress Just Wants to Be a Lazy Fish - Chapter 41

Chapter 41: Theft

My Master was also a retiree from the Special Affairs Bureau. Usually, many colleagues or juniors would visit her. For a period after her passing, people came frequently, but the visits grew sparse later on.

Since I left home for other regions, even if someone were to visit, they would typically notify me first. If they couldn’t reach me, there was always the Bureau. Even in the most unlikely scenario that someone was so familiar they would let themselves in, they certainly shouldn’t be coming at night like a thief.

Thus, Tao Yitong’s primary suspicion fell on the cannibal’s faction. After failing to find the Bureau’s hidden lines, they might have launched an in-depth investigation into her background to see if there was anything suspicious.

She had anticipated this situation long ago. Before leaving, she had rearranged the house specifically to counter the enemies’ probing.

Tao Yitong hesitated for only a second before pushing the door open. With the creak of the old wood, sunlight flooded into the dim house, and a faint smell of decay and mold wafted toward her.

The lighting conditions of her Master’s house were poor, and being near the water, the building inevitably faced various issues. Her Master had special methods to keep the interior dry, but to ensure her identity wasn’t compromised, Yitong had removed everything that could arouse suspicion.

“True,” Jiang Zitan nodded, yet for some reason, the look in that deer’s eyes lingered in her mind.

Next, they visited many other places, including the pandas Tao Yitong had been longing to see; later, they went to feed the pigeons. While Jiang Zitan was far more popular than Tao Yitong in other parts of the zoo, she didn’t encounter another “Deer Pen” situation where she was nearly carried off. It was relatively normal.

The only oddity was that most of the bread for the pigeons ended up in Tao Yitong’s stomach. The poor pigeons were “furious but didn’t dare speak,” watching helplessly as this two-legged beast ate their food. In truth, what scared them most was that the two-legged beast looked like she wanted to eat them as well.

Jiang Zitan checked the time; it was already noon. No wonder Tongtong was competing with pigeons for food.

“There are several restaurants near the zoo entrance. Shall we go there for lunch?”

Tao Yitong rubbed her stomach; she was indeed hungry.

“Let’s go. I just saw a restaurant that.” Tao Yitong’s words were cut short by a scream in the distance. Her face immediately turned solemn.

The Discussion

“Martial artists are a group with superior physical fitness or extraordinary talent. They are the reserve force against Otherworld invasions.”

“The Ancient Martial Alliance, like the Esper Association, is officially established to cultivate and recruit talent, just with a different focus.”

Jiang Zitan explained while observing Tao Yitong’s reaction. “The threshold for martial artists is lower and more predictable than for espers.”

Achieving success in martial arts requires specific bone structure and talent, but as long as one isn’t physically frail or too old to start, they can at least cross the threshold. Espers, however, rely on bloodline inheritance or postnatal awakening, which are full of unpredictability.

Tao Yitong listened quietly. This was something Jiang Zitan hadn’t mentioned in their previous conversations. Of course, that talk had focused on her own questions, but since she knew nothing of the world’s hidden side, she couldn’t have asked much anyway.

Back then, Jiang Zitan likely saw her as an ordinary person accidentally caught in the esper world. There was no need to understand certain things because, once the incident ended, she likely wouldn’t touch that boundary again.

But now, Jiang Zitan was speaking to her more deeply and comprehensively. Besides testing her, she likely no longer defined Yitong as a “normal” person.

The existence of the martial artist group provided a perfect cover for her skills once her strength returned, rather than having to force an explanation about “self-defense classes.”

Thinking of this, Tao Yitong’s mood brightened. She stood up. “I’ll go shower and change first. You should rest too. I’ll tell you about my ‘gains’ from tonight later.”

The “gains” naturally referred to the reactions of the suspects at the banquet.

Jiang Zitan’s attention was drawn back. She had observed some reactions at the banquet as well and hadn’t seen anything unusual, but Tao Yitong clearly had new findings. She responded with a deep gaze and a soft “okay.”

After Tao Yitong went to her room, Zitan stood for a moment, took off her cloak, and went into the kitchen. On the dining table, she set out two bowls of cold noodles, beautifully colored and looking delicious.

Jiang Zitan was wearing a dark shirt today, sleeves lightly rolled up to reveal her ivory-white wrists. Her temperament remained cold and clear. Seeing Tao Yitong emerge with the familiar list of suspects, her eyes were immediately drawn to it. “Confirmed a new target?”

Zitan was focused on the list, but Tao Yitong was drawn to the noodles. Over the past few days, she had frequently enjoyed Zitan’s cooking and knew she was an excellent cook. She gave a quick “mhm” and added, “Just added a new name. Currently, he’s the top suspect. Let’s talk while we eat.”

She hurried to the bathroom to wash her hands. When she returned, she saw Jiang Zitan’s brows slightly knit; she had clearly recognized the new name. She held the same confusion as the system had earlier, but kept her role as an “outsider” in mind. “What is special about this person that makes you suspect him so much?”

In the unspoken agreement to not blow each other’s cover, Tao Yitong pretended she didn’t know Xie Chu personally. “This man is my fiancé though likely my ex-fiancé soon.”

Tao Yitong polished the points she had discussed with the system and explained them to Jiang Zitan, before dropping the biggest bombshell: “I suspect he is also an esper.”

Jiang Zitan’s pupils constricted. She suddenly thought of the other hidden esper from the night of the Demon Invasion besides her sister. Could it be…

But her face remained as calm as still water. “How do you know?”

Tao Yitong put on a pensive look. “I was on the second floor. It was very quiet, and his footsteps were very distinct. I saw him walk through the side door perfectly conscious and sit among the others whose minds were clouded.”

She couldn’t have seen this, as she never left the room, but the system had broadcast it to her. She wasn’t worried about being caught in the lie; for one, it was the truth, and for another, Zitan had said electronics would fail within the Cordon. Even if the villa had surveillance, it would have been offline during that window.

Jiang Zitan fell into deep thought. It was hard for Tao Yitong to read her true thoughts from that porcelain-fine, ice-jade face; she was simply too good at controlling her emotions. Since she couldn’t read her, there was no point in guessing. Whether Zitan believed her or not, she would eventually get an answer.

Thinking thus, Tao Yitong picked up her chopsticks and began to eat. The sauce was sweet and sour, and every bite was an endless cycle of fresh, savory delight. She couldn’t help but sigh in admiration, telling the system: No wonder people say the way to a person’s heart is through their stomach. At this rate, I’ll fall in love with her sooner or later.

The system, now seeing through the mischievous nature beneath its host’s unpredictable surface, handled the flirtatious remark with ease: I thought you fell in love the day she saved you. You did say you wanted to ‘repay her with your body.’

Not quite. Back then I wanted her to have my body; now I’m allowing her to have my heart.

System: Fine, Host. You win.

Jiang Zitan snapped out of it, her gaze inevitably carrying a touch of inquiry. “If you’re engaged, there should be an emotional foundation. You seem surprisingly unfazed by this theory.”

She didn’t even seem sad or angry, as if the person who might have hired a killer was a stranger. But as far as Zitan knew, Tao Yitong and Xie Chu grew up together as childhood friends. More importantly, Yitong was supposed to like him. Looking at it now, it seemed the “outsiders” had misjudged everything.

“To my fiancé, I possess neither the halo of affection nor sufficient value,” Tao Yitong said. “So if he wants to get rid of a ‘trouble’ like me for the sake of profit, it’s not strange. Even extreme methods aren’t strange.”

She added, “Some men are simply creatures of intense profit and cold purpose. ‘A man is not a true man unless he is ruthless’ sounds like their pride and self-praise, doesn’t it?”

Jiang Zitan listened to her cold evaluation and suddenly remembered the night she rescued her. She had told her to do nothing. Back then, Zitan had felt a chill at Yitong’s distrust of her own family. That night, Zitan asked “You don’t trust them?” and she admitted it. Then Yitong said, “I only trust you now.”

Back then, she thought it was absurd and ironic that Yitong trusted a stranger named Nightingale over those she should have trusted. Re-evaluating those thoughts now brought an endless complexity. The list of suspects included her friends and her fiancé; she neither trusted nor intended to seek help from her family. She accepted this situation of being “deserted by all” so calmly.

As if it were meant to be. Natural.

How could someone so clear-headed and calm have done so many stupid things before?

Jiang Zitan looked up. She didn’t know how many times she had stared at Tao Yitong like this in the past week, but ever since that night she leaped through the window amidst the scent of roses, she had never seen through her. Or perhaps, she never had.

“Did you just hear someone screaming?” Jiang Zitan vaguely heard abnormal sounds.

“I think… it sounds like Secretary Fang?” Tao Yitong’s hearing was sharper; she was good at distinguishing voices. That voice truly sounded like Secretary Fang.

They locked eyes. Regardless of whether it was her, going to check wouldn’t waste much time and would provide peace of mind. They immediately rushed toward the source of the scream. Although they hadn’t reached the scene, the discussions of nearby tourists pieced together the event.

“Did you hear? A monkey just snatched a child!” “Heavens, really?” “I heard it was a gorilla. They say the kid looked five or six years old could a regular monkey pull that off?” “Is the issue whether it’s a monkey or a gorilla? The child is what matters! Where was she taken?” “No idea. Staff are looking. They say she was dragged into the mountain. I hope she’s okay; the parents must be going crazy…”

A monkey or gorilla snatched a child?! Tao Yitong wondered if she had misheard, but the “child”… Secretary Fang did have a child with her, and she was five years old. Tao Yitong wasn’t sure if the tourists were exaggerating, but when she relayed it, Jiang Zitan found it hard to believe.

“Could it be… something other than a normal animal?” Jiang Zitan couldn’t help but guess in that direction.

“Let’s check first. If it’s not a normal animal, there should be traces.” Regardless of what it was, Tao Yitong just hoped it wasn’t too hungry.

The Return

Was the landlady really mistaken? This thought emerged in Jiang Zitan’s mind as she walked back. Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of a black shadow flashing through the trees nearby! But when she looked closely, there was nothing.

Because she had experienced several eerie events recently, she had developed a specific intuition. She quickened her pace, compressing a ten-minute walk into five. As she entered the yard, she immediately locked the gate. But before her racing heart could settle, she smelled a faint, peculiar fragrance in the air.

A sudden dizziness hit her. Jiang Zitan staggered, fortunately bracing her hand against the wall to keep from falling.

“Sister!” Tao Yitong had sensed her return. She was wondering why the footsteps sounded so hurried, but when she looked back, she was so startled she threw the basin she was holding aside and ran over.

The dizziness came and went quickly. After a brief pause, it vanished, but it left a stifling feeling in her chest.

“Are you okay? Go rest in my room for a bit.” Tao Yitong no longer planned to take her up the mountain today. Zitan’s “delicate” constitution needed a full day of rest!

“Maybe it’s because I walked too fast; stopping suddenly made me dizzy. Don’t worry, I’m fine.” Jiang Zitan stood up straighter, though fine beads of cold sweat covered her forehead.

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