The Real Heiress Just Wants to Be a Lazy Fish - Chapter 43

Chapter 43: Illusory Dream

Tao Yitong remained crouched in wait until the early hours of the morning. There had been no movement at the trap, but she did not give up; as a hunter, patience was her most vital asset.

Finally, she sensed the “tripwire” woven from a wisp of her beast soul be triggered. A figure leaped out from the Tao family’s small courtyard. In her semi-beast state, her speed was staggering; she landed in her Master’s courtyard in less than a minute.

However, the expected scene did not manifest. Lying in the trap was a monster of the same kind she had seen the night before. It emitted a foul, rotting stench, lying motionless like a scapegoat intentionally thrown in.

Did that fellow see through the trap and flee? No this is a diversion!

Jiang Zitan walked down the stairs from the third floor, her palm feeling the icy chill of the metal handrail. This coldness seemed to seep into her heart, causing a trace of unspeakable trepidation.

She had kept Tao Yitong by her side to protect her, but also out of a certain desire to investigate. Yet, before she could see her clearly, the mist surrounding the girl had thickened once more.

Who put a bug in her room?

Aside from family members, only the servants responsible for cleaning could enter her room. But none of them had a reason to do such a thing. If it were the Tao family’s business rivals bribing a servant, wouldn’t it be more effective to bug the elder sister, Tao Wei?

Zitan had already checked Tao Wei’s room and found no such devices in hidden spots. She suspected her own room and the younger sister’s room were likely clean as well. If so, the person who planted the bug was specifically targeting Tao Yitong herself.

Who could it be? The question began to circle in her mind again.

People are prone to bias, and she was no exception. She didn’t believe her family would do such a thing, especially since she saw no meaningful purpose in it.

As she stepped down another stair, her pace suddenly faltered. For some reason, she thought of Tao Yitong’s subtle reaction when receiving her aunt’s call a few days ago—it wasn’t as close or reliant as one would expect. Even during the banquet and their brief interaction after returning, there was a sense that all emotions were merely a superficial facade.

“Sister.” A call interrupted Jiang Zitan’s thoughts. She looked down to see Tao Yue standing in the hallway, holding a transparent fruit platter, seemingly intending to find her in her room.

Jiang Zitan collected her scattered thoughts and walked down the final few steps. “Coming to find me?”

Tao Yue nodded and offered the fruit platter. “Eat some fruit before going back to the study.”

Jiang Zitan shook her head. “Keep it for yourself. Come walk with me in the garden for a bit, can you?”

Tao Yue looked at her, gave an affirmative response, and the two sisters walked toward the garden side by side.

The evening breeze blew gently, and the leaves rustled a sound that felt peaceful and comforting. Jiang Zitan could feel Tao Yue’s gaze falling on her from time to time, observing and scrutinizing her. She was a meticulous child, often watching without speaking, like a somber black cat wary of the world.

“Is it strange that I haven’t said a word about the mission I took over?” At the ivory-white European-style gazebo in the garden, Jiang Zitan stopped. Tao Yue stopped silently beside her, watching her with those dark, deep eyes. She remained silent, simply nodding slightly.

Jiang Zitan could guess what she was thinking. In the organization, their missions were divided into individual and team tasks. Unless there were specific confidentiality requirements, one would usually brief teammates on the basic situation of an individual task to facilitate requests for aid if necessary.

But this time, Zitan had not only failed to mention it but had deliberately avoided the topic when others asked. To Tao Yue, this must seem very strange.

Initially, Jiang Zitan had planned to solve the matter before telling her, because both the Hunter and Tao Yitong were people who brought immense worry to a young girl. But the silver button found on the third floor had changed her mind. Tao Yitong’s situation appeared to be a shallow puddle, but in reality, it might be a deep, dark sea, involving more people and events than she could currently see.

The rest of the Tao family might have been drawn in without knowing. Since she and Tao Yue were not just sisters but also teammates, Tao Yue would inevitably find out eventually during the investigation or when she requested aid from the organization. Thus, concealment lost its meaning. Moreover, Jiang Zitan never believed that excessive secrecy was a form of protection.

These thoughts were long, but they passed in an instant. Jiang Zitan thought for a moment and decided to start with the present. “Go back and check your room thoroughly later.”

As she spoke, she opened her hand to show Tao Yue the silver button. “See if there is anything similar.”

Tao Yue took the silver button and turned it over for a while. It didn’t feel like a simple button; it was a bit heavy and felt “off” in a way she couldn’t describe. “What is this?”

“I asked White Dove,” Jiang Zitan said. “She said it’s a bug.”

Tao Yue’s hand jerked, her eyes widening in surprise. Her eyes were round, but not exactly “apricot” shaped; they had a sharp, cat-like tilt. Now, filled with total shock, she looked even more like a cat with its ears pricked in alertness.

She quickly followed up with a question as if thinking of something: “Did you find this on the third floor?”

Jiang Zitan nodded.

“Where?” Tao Yue asked.

Jiang Zitan gazed into the distance, her dark eyes like a quiet lake at night silent, yet unfathomable. “In Tao Yitong’s room.”

Tao Yue dazed for a moment, the sharpness in her cat-like eyes replaced by confusion, finally showing a trace of the innocence a teenager should have. “How… how did this happen?” To her, both Jiang Zitan suddenly going to Tao Yitong’s room and there being a bug in that room were very strange occurrences.

“I haven’t figured it out yet,” Jiang Zitan said. “Maybe it’s a fluke targeted only at her, or maybe not. But don’t be nervous. Just keep a slight eye on the others at home and act as usual.”

By “others,” she naturally meant the servants.

Tao Yue regained her composure. She was a keen child and quickly found a logical thread amidst the absurdities. “She is your current mission target.” By “she,” she meant Tao Yitong. Jiang Zitan’s previous avoidance now had an explanation.

Jiang Zitan turned her gaze back to her sister’s face. “The matter I’m investigating involves two people with extremely important connections to us. One is indeed her. I didn’t tell you before because I felt the timing wasn’t right, and because I didn’t have any leads.”

The light in Tao Yue’s eyes jumped like a flame. She was thinking rapidly. Suddenly, her already straight posture tensed even further, like a bowstring drawn to its limit. “The other person is the Hunter! He’s appeared again, hasn’t he?”

Jiang Zitan watched the bone-deep hatred reflecting on Tao Yue’s face, a faint sigh escaping her lips. “It’s him.”

With her glasses off, she was far from the ice-cold persona Tao Yitong usually saw; instead, she looked like a pear blossom in March delicate and moving. When a trace of sorrow and pity appeared on such a face, it held a gentleness like a breeze or morning mist.

“Tao Yue.” She placed her hand on her sister’s shoulder.

Tao Yue’s fists were clenched tight, her dark eyes churning with endless hate. But because the enemy was nowhere to be found, this hatred had nowhere to land, making her pupils look hollow and desolate. Only after a long while did she slowly relax under Jiang Zitan’s palm, looking up at her. “How did they get involved with each other?”

Jiang Zitan lowered her eyes for a moment and told her what had happened that night half a month ago. The cold fragrance of roses and the night wind seemed to revive in her nostrils. The moment she picked up the girl, the soft, cold body made her smell the scent of death. It was not a pleasant memory.

Fortunately, as her narration ended, the illusory scents and sensations faded away.

Listening to her, Tao Yue felt a mix of shock, confusion, anger, and worry, making her face already rarely youthful appear even more somber than most teenagers. She thought for a while after hearing the story, then slowly lowered her eyelashes. “Then… how is her body doing?”

Jiang Zitan realized she couldn’t explain the various mysteries surrounding Tao Yitong, including her abnormal recovery speed, so she simply brushed it over. “She is fine.”

Seeing Tao Yue hanging her head dejectedly and unconsciously kicking a small stone, Zitan knew the girl must be feeling conflicted.

“Don’t worry.” Her hand moved from Tao Yue’s shoulder to the top of her head, smoothing down a few stray hairs ruffled by the wind. “I’ve taken her to the study; her safety won’t be threatened. You don’t have to force yourself to participate in this.” Moreover, school summer break hadn’t started yet, so she wouldn’t have time to get involved anyway.

Tao Yue stopped her unconscious fidgeting and after a while, responded slowly, “I know. I’ll watch things at home. If the investigation needs my help, call me.”

Jiang Zitan slowly lowered her hand. “I will. It’s late; I should head back.”

Tao Yue looked up at her. “Mhm.”

The two walked back the way they came, but after a few steps, Tao Yue’s pace slowed and she suddenly stopped. “Sister.”

Jiang Zitan turned back. “What is it?”

Tao Yue’s tone was hesitant. “Staying with her… won’t it be inconvenient? Or, I could take over her security.” She knew the relationship between Jiang Zitan and Tao Yitong was poor; perhaps it wasn’t just annoyance, but hatred that stood between them. Even if Zitan were someone who separated duty from personal feelings, it must still be a struggle.

“Getting along with her isn’t that difficult.” Jiang Zitan shook her head gently, her tone complex. “Perhaps she was never what we saw.”

As she spoke, the wind rose, blowing a few strands of her seaweed-like hair over her shoulder, softening her faint coldness. Much like the moon, which sometimes feels icy and sometimes gentle.

Tao Yue couldn’t quite understand the last sentence, but seeing that sliver of gentleness, her worries lessened. “Then… do you still hate her?”

Inside the Room

Because she had been excessively startled, Tao Yitong didn’t control her force as she recoiled. Her head hit the wardrobe door, and she slumped to the floor.

But she could no longer feel the pain. Tao Yitong sat on the floor like a startled deer, one hand covering her lips as she stared wide-eyed at the person sleeping on the bed. Fearing she would wake her, she didn’t dare make a sound.

Because she had little strength, Jiang Zitan hadn’t bitten hard, but Tao Yitong felt as if her heart were about to leap out of her throat. Even during her life-and-death moments in Africa, she hadn’t been this panicked.

She didn’t know how long she sat on the floor, but once she came to her senses, she fled the room in a panic, practically crawling and scrambling away.

Moonlight spilled into the house, shining on the person huddled in the corner. She tried to steady her heartbeat; only after a long while did her brain begin to function again.

So Jiang Zitan also has a habit of biting people in her sleep? Then we’re even, ha…

Tao Yitong felt she should laugh, but she found she couldn’t. Not far away were the funeral portraits of her adoptive parents. Looking at their gentle smiles in the photos, a sense of guilt expanded in her heart.

In that instant just now, she had actually been immersed in it, almost wanting it to continue… It must be because she had just been influenced by that Deviant Demon that could disrupt human emotions. It must be!

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