The Real Heiress Just Wants to Be a Lazy Fish - Chapter 57

Chapter 57: Bracelet

“So, An Yu is also one of yours?” Noreen leaned back against the sofa. It wasn’t surprising that her brothers and sisters wanted her dead, but finding out that the juniors she favored were either spies or moles left her feeling a bit dejected.

“Because you were a major suspect, we had to investigate you out of caution. Please forgive us; An Yu was also trying to root out the moles in your clan…” Tao Yitong explained.

Noreen waved her hand, signaling that no explanation was needed. She understood the logic and had no intention of blaming them. It was embarrassing enough that she had misjudged people and failed to manage her clan; if she were to be petty with the children of an old friend, she’d likely become the laughingstock of Hai City.

Unfortunately, An Yu was indeed a talented child, but as a member of the Special Affairs Bureau, Noreen likely couldn’t poach her. Having slept for over twenty years, the already grim situation from back then had become even more opaque to her. How many clan members could she still trust?

Noreen didn’t have time to test them one by one, so she planned to train newcomers. She had originally wanted to groom An Yu to replace Marquis Carter as her new confidante, but now she was left with no one to use.

Noreen sighed softly. She remembered what her old friend had told her many years ago: the True Ancestor gave her eyes that could see through all things, yet she could not see through the human heart. That fellow’s words had become a prophecy, yet he hadn’t fulfilled his original promise.

In the Car

Tao Yitong sat in Jiang Zitan’s car, surreptitiously observing the rearview mirror. Seeing the white Jeep following them, she finally broke the silence: “Is Sister Fu Nan coming back with us too?”

Jiang Zitan kept her eyes on the road. Hearing this, she glanced at the mirror.

“Mhm.”

She gave a simple reply, paused, and then continued like a passionless repeating machine: “While you were at home, Fu Nan called me. She said someone came from her hometown with free-range chickens. Her family made American Ginseng chicken soup and she wanted to bring me a jar.”

Zitan was usually too lazy to speak much; when she did talk, she sounded increasingly lethargic. However, certain words in that sentence caught Tao Yitong’s attention.

“So,” Tao Yitong asked tentatively, “did you tell Sister Fu Nan about my family’s situation back then?”

At this thought, Tao Yitong suddenly recalled the scene from earlier. After Fu Nan finished handling the matter, she turned to her.

“Yitong, come to the side with me for a moment. Let’s talk.” “Okay, Sister Nannan…”

Tao Yitong could more or less guess what Fu Nan was going to say, so her answer betrayed her lack of confidence. But her lack of confidence made a certain someone particularly combative.

“What do you have to say that can’t be said in front of me?”

Fu Nan and Tao Yitong both turned to look at the speaker. Jiang Zitan stood there, arms crossed in annoyance, dressed in a luxurious faux-fur outfit. Despite the freezing winter, she wore over-the-knee boots that left a section of her snowy-white thighs exposed. With her wavy long hair draped over her shoulders, she looked dazzling and assertive.

Whatever Fu Nan wanted to say likely wasn’t pleasant, but forcefully pulling Tao Yitong away now felt inappropriate. Fu Nan settled for taking Yitong a few steps further away before speaking.

“Yitong, although today’s issue was resolved, it was only because I happened to call her that things didn’t take a turn for the worse.”

“Mhm, yes…” Tao Yitong lowered her lashes, her fingers quietly fiddling with the heavy stitching of her pocket.

Fu Nan sighed. “You know her temper. I won’t say much else.” She paused before continuing, “But things were settled today; what about tomorrow? What if something happens the day after? I can’t solve everything.”

“I watched her walk this path step by step. Her family didn’t agree at first. To prove she could do it, she worked herself to death. As long as the role required it, she’d jump into a frozen lake in sub-zero temperatures. To reach the position of a Triple Crown Best Actress by age 27, it took more than just talent and intuition it was inseparable from her hard work.”

“She looks like she doesn’t care about anything, but does she really? Have you considered that?”

“Remember what I mentioned to you? In the terms of the contract you signed… you also promised me you wouldn’t date, yet you and Jiang Zitan…”

“We… aren’t…”

Tao Yitong was about to say they weren’t dating, but Jiang Zitan’s voice cut in behind them: “We aren’t dating.”

The two of them turned around. Jiang Zitan brushed back her voluminous, silky waves. “We are just discussing a marriage contract.”

The shock was too sudden. Fu Nan’s mouth formed a capital “O.” It took her a long time to find her voice: “A contract… marriage?!”

She was utterly incredulous at first. Until Tao Yitong added a “stab” with pure innocence: “Wasn’t it an engagement?”

Fu Nan’s Inner Monologue: Red Panda pressed against the wall saying ‘Huh?’ meme.

Jiang Zitan: “We can get engaged first, then married.”

Fu Nan’s Inner Monologue: Red Panda spinning like a top at high speed “Ahhhhhh!!”

Tao Yitong wanted to say something, but Jiang Zitan raised a finger to stop her, dropping another bombshell: “And I forced her into it. I told her if she didn’t agree, I’d pester her forever.”

Finally, Fu Nan’s mental “red panda” flew into the sky with a piercing shriek, turning into a shooting star. “You guys play that hard?”

Back in the car, Jiang Zitan thought about Tao Yitong’s question and gave a serious answer.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t say that much. After all, since you won’t tell me, what I know is limited.”

It sounded like she was still a bit bothered that Tao Yitong hadn’t told her about the bullying on set. However, Yitong was still dwelling on Fu Nan’s “advice” about not dating, so she didn’t notice the sharp drop in Zitan’s mood.

She bit her lip. “Then… what did you… say to Sister Fu Nan?”

She was terrified of Jiang Zitan finding out the truth about her situation. She also didn’t want Fu Nan to know too much; she feared that if Fu Nan knew about her family background, she would strongly oppose them being together.

But… were she and Jiang Zitan even “together”? They mentioned a contract. The scope of a contract has nothing to do with falling in love. Even both of them had agreed: they weren’t dating.

But she had truly caused trouble for Jiang Zitan, and there might be more in the future… When a dim star touches the bright moon, being illuminated is beautiful, but on the shadowed side, there is always hidden inferiority.

Jiang Zitan caught a glimpse of her at a red light. When it turned green, she stepped on the gas, and the supercar glided forward.

“I didn’t say much about your business. I only told her what I plan to do.”

Jiang Zitan’s “plans” sounded far from simple. Back in the day, she had once stuffed a sasaeng fan’s DSLR lens back into his mouth; the incident trended for two days, and she wasn’t the least bit afraid of losing fans. It was her uncle’s good fortune that he encountered Fu Nan instead.

Tao Yitong poked her palm with her fair fingertips. She bit her rose-red lip and finally spoke: “I won’t go to your place anymore.”

“What?!”

The light ahead turned red. Jiang Zitan slammed the brakes so hard and fast that the white Jeep behind them almost rear-ended them. The red light was piercingly bright, the countdown numbers looking grim and final like a death sentence.

Jiang Zitan turned around, staring at Tao Yitong with a complex gaze. “What did you say? Say it again.”

Tao Yitong bit her lip hard. “I’m not going to your house. I probably won’t be able to take care of One Yuan anymore.”

“If you find it troublesome, you can have a staff member drop it off at my set. I’ll find a way to get it adopted.”

Jiang Zitan frowned, her enchanting eyes gaining a sharp edge. Tao Yitong kept her eyes lowered, so she couldn’t see the sorrow and gloom hidden in the depths of Zitan’s gaze.

“If you don’t like her, I’ll go to your house today and take her away.”

Beep-beep-beep!!

The vehicles behind them honked in dissatisfaction. Someone even leaned out of a window behind Fu Nan’s Jeep and yelled, “Is there a color you like or what?! The light’s green, move it! What are you doing?! Do you even know how to drive?!”

Jiang Zitan gripped the steering wheel, her knuckles turning white. she didn’t care about the cacophony of horns; she had no room in her mind for them. She only watched Tao Yitong with eyes full of unreadable emotions.

“You mean… you want to draw a line between us?”

After those words, there was another agonizing silence. The distant noise became a meaningless background track. Tao Yitong thought for a moment, then finally raised her eyes to meet hers. Her almond eyes, usually soft and gentle, were now filled with resolve, making the corners look sharp.

“That wasn’t my original intent, but… but this seems like the best way to stop causing you trouble. I’ll take One Yuan away, and I’ll try to appear before you as little as possible in the future…”

Speaking of not causing trouble—One Yuan was actually the biggest trouble. Yet it was a trouble neither could give up.

“No,” Jiang Zitan finally withdrew her gaze, staring at the road ahead through her long, lowered lashes. “One Yuan is my cat. I even gave her the name. What right do you have to take her?”

“Then… I’ll leave her in your care. I’m going now.”

Click. The door handle was pulled. The red sports car opened its doors in that arrogant manner once more. Instantly, a blast of cold air rushed in, making Tao Yitong’s fingertips shiver. She got out, stood on the sidewalk, and bowed to the slowly closing door.

“Thank you for the ride. Goodbye.”

There was no answer. Jiang Zitan responded with action; before the door was even fully closed, the engine roared and the car surged forward violently.

The car vanished. Fu Nan’s white Jeep, which had just started moving, caught another red light. She rolled down the passenger window and looked at Tao Yitong with a complex, unidentifiable look. There was also a sense of guilt for “breaking up the mandarin ducks.”

Tao Yitong bowed to Fu Nan as well. “I’m sorry, Sister Nannan, for causing you trouble today.”

“Don’t worry. I shouldn’t covet what shouldn’t be mine; I’ve understood this for many years. I’ll continue to work hard in the future. Thank you for always taking care of me.”

She had always relied on herself in the past, and it was no different now. She just had to put her feet back on the ground and work hard to move forward.

Fu Nan gave a nearly imperceptible sigh, smiled at her, and rolled up the window. The light turned green, and the white Jeep vanished into the night.

Tao Yitong gazed into the black void of the night, the sourness in her heart churning uncontrollably. She had once been so close to the moon, but she was just a speck of dust. Approaching the moonlight only exposed her nature as dirt that was the real joke.

Everything from the past, including that night… let’s just treat it as a beautiful, fleeting dream.

At the Bureau

On the other side, Jiang Zitan had successfully gained the trust of Xiang Yun. The girl knew Jiang Zitan was Tao Yitong’s sister the very person whose “informed person” privilege had been approved days ago. Thus, as long as Zitan’s questions didn’t involve top-secret data, she answered without reservation.

“Captain Tao? She’s amazing pretty and cool. Almost everyone in our team worships her. Her strength is top-tier among S-class espers. We feel safe with her in charge…” Xiang Yun praised Tao Yitong profusely, making Jiang Zitan feel that the “Tongtong” in her words was quite different from the person she knew.

But does this mean there are more surprises waiting to be discovered in Tongtong?

Of course, the “clinging kitten” version of Tao Yitong that appeared before her was something the teammates had never seen. If they did, they’d likely think they were dreaming and go right back to sleep.

“But… actually, we’ve always been worried…” Xiang Yun’s expression suddenly turned very sad. She thought of her previous captain. “Our Team One Captain the position of the ‘H-Province Guardian’ is like a curse. Three have sacrificed themselves in just twenty years, and none had a peaceful end. This is an era of peace; what other province is like ours?”

They were all afraid that this captain, who was also so good to them, would fall into that strange curse. Especially after accidentally learning that Tao Yitong’s medical checkup results were “not ideal,” Xiang Yun felt that the curse was catching up once more…

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