Transmigrated as Jane’s Ghostly Godmother - Chapter 45

Chapter 45: The Eye of the Storm — Straight Talk Overwhelms Avoidance

Time pushes everyone forward equally—everyone, that is, except her.

Over the past few years, in order to maintain a legitimate identity by Jane’s side, Lin Zhao had poured immense effort into the Vine Manor.

Mr. Eyre’s business grew larger by the day, doubling the scale of his caravans; Terry had successfully transitioned from a counter clerk to the manager of the Funchal branch of the Mason Trading Company; and then there was Jane. She had grown from a child barely reaching Lin’s waist to a young woman standing at her shoulder—poised, well-mannered, and showing the first sparks of a brilliant merchant.

Only a few years remained before Mr. Eyre’s scheduled passing. Lin Zhao didn’t know if the plot regarding him could be changed, but as long as Jane maintained this growth rate, she wouldn’t have to fear being defeated by the loss of his protection.

Jane would become a qualified heir, a great and renowned merchant. She would have the power to make every choice in her life—the choice to go afar or live in the moment, the ability to discern who was worthy of love.

In the next decade of her life, and the many decades to follow, Jane would realize that of all the things that grow within time and life, the most precious is the self. A steadfast self had allowed her to face suffering with resilience and find love and happiness before; it would do the same now, bringing brand-new possibilities.

Lin Zhao’s vision for Jane’s happiness essentially ended there.

Lin wasn’t sure how the romance arc she had deliberately avoided would develop, but if she could witness such a conclusion for Jane, she would consider her “mission” accomplished. Eventually, she would face the original promise:

“When you find happiness, I will leave.”

Leave. Go home. Return from the book to reality.

This was supposed to be what both she and Jane looked forward to.

But as the years passed, Lin Zhao had become increasingly uncertain about her own ending. Her physical habits and ghostly abilities had been thoroughly explored through various affairs, yet she had found no clue on how to return. Instead, she felt herself integrating more and more into this life, sometimes even forgetting her past.

She forced herself into a state of constant busyness—either lost in logistics or focused entirely on Jane, pinning all her thoughts on the protagonist. Caring for Jane, protecting Jane, guiding Jane—this was the reason she existed here. This was the mission she had to remember every moment.

Only then would she avoid being struck by devastating “what-ifs” during moments of solitude or relaxation.

For instance… what if everything went as planned, but she still couldn’t go back? From the start, the idea that “completing the mission means going home” was merely her own subjective assumption.

And what would Jane think? No matter how close they were, being followed by a ghost for a lifetime was ultimately too eerie. And thinking even further… what would happen to Lin after Jane passed away?

No, that was too far off. Lin Zhao sighed, knowing these negative thoughts were triggered by Jane’s unintentionally honest words:

“…Stop saying such things. As if you will always stay by my side, as if you won’t leave even after I achieve so-called happiness.”

Jane had smiled when she said it, but her tone was anything but happy. And before that, there was the murmur Lin hadn’t quite heard.

Wasn’t this moment of realization just like waking from a dream? She suddenly remembered Jane’s initial fear. If Jane hadn’t known Lin would leave one day, how could she have ever accepted her help? After all, Lin wasn’t some “imaginary friend”; to Jane, she was a completely foreign entity.

Lin Zhao believed her years of training as an information broker had gifted her with a numb merchant’s mask. But in front of Jane, all disguises failed. Before those eyes—which had discerned her fear from the very beginning—none of her inner thoughts could remain hidden.

Moreover…

“What are you thinking about, Mr. Lintner?”

A fifteen-year-old girl, also cloaked, had walked up beside her at some point. She tilted her head, her expression unreadable.

Moreover, Jane had been accompanied by her since she was a ten-year-old girl. Lin had grown accustomed to Jane’s presence—a Jane whose face had shifted from that of a child to a teenager, participating in every peak and valley of Lin’s life.

Faced with this countenance—once blurry, but now increasingly vivid because she was seeing Jane with her own eyes—Lin Zhao could hide nothing. She couldn’t lie to her only friend, and consequently, it was becoming harder to maintain that distant, reliable persona of “Mr. Lintner” in front of the real Jane.

Lately, she had even begun to treat Jane as “Jane”—acting spoiled, teasing her, making intimate jokes.

That must be why Jane felt I overstepped, Lin thought. When did she start resenting my interference? Was it a month ago, when she finally reached her limit and spoke her truth?

Lin Zhao shook her head, having no heart to answer the “illusion” before her. Although she didn’t hide her thoughts from Jane, she wasn’t always in the mood for conversation. Occasionally, she would remain silent, waiting for the figure to vanish.

The girl didn’t speak either; she just stood quietly by Lin’s side, watching the sea with her. The sea breeze caressed them, the sound of waves echoed from afar, and the world seemed to freeze. Time ceased to exist.

If I turned into sea foam and vanished at this very moment, would that be so bad? At least then, Jane would remember her.

Lin’s thoughts drifted for an unknown amount of time. The sun had drawn much closer to the horizon. The girl beside her didn’t vanish. Instead, having reached the limit of her patience, she reached out and tugged on Lin’s cloak.

“It’s too hot, Lin. Let’s find somewhere else to look at the sea, shall we?”

Lin Zhao was startled. She turned her head slowly. Their eyes met. She could see the girl’s face, flushed from the heat, and the stray hairs stuck to her forehead with sweat.

This Jane was not an illusion.

She had let a fifteen-year-old child stand with her in the scorching sun for a long time.

…Damn it, this is exactly what I was afraid of.

“Right, let’s go.” Lin became frantic. She placed her hand on Jane’s shoulder, turned her around, and pushed her toward the shore. After a few steps, she couldn’t help but add, “I’m sorry, Jane. I… I really didn’t notice it was you.”

“You were looking right at me—what were you thinking about so intently?” Jane leaned back into Lin’s palm, letting her strength ebb away. Her voice was languid from the sun. “It’s been hard on you, working non-stop for the EIC business. I haven’t seen you in days. Father said you were truly tied up.”

Lin Zhao looked up guiltily. “A… a little?”

She wasn’t actually working that hard, but she had been running around, using the business as an excuse to fret over her own existence. Thank goodness for the professional excuse; otherwise, if Jane pressed her, she might have blurted out all these messy thoughts.

But how were they supposed to interact now? An adult who couldn’t maintain her composure, showing weakness before a precocious child… the relationship could never go back to what it was.

I don’t want to be disliked. I don’t want to be abandoned. I don’t want to no longer be needed.

Lin Zhao decided to grit her teeth and maintain her mask of imperturbability until the day she was exposed and had nowhere left to run.

“…” Jane didn’t respond, only letting out a soft sigh.

Lin Zhao didn’t know if the girl had seen through her guilt, so she followed her in silence. They walked quietly through the docks, leaving the restless sea behind, and boarded the carriage back to the market.

The noisy calls of the street were shut out by the carriage door. Jane took off her hood and turned to Lin Zhao, her tone extremely restrained.

“Do you have other business arrangements later, Lin?”

Jane always liked to say her name in a soft voice. Whether the tone rose or fell, it always carried a slight vibration as it left her teeth, like a bell being rung. That sound always snapped Lin’s attention back, forcing her to carefully weigh the hidden meaning behind every word wrapped around that single name.

Like now—she heard Jane’s subtext: I want you to take off your disguise and be honest with me.

Fearing Jane’s increasingly sharp micro-expression skills, Lin Zhao shook her head and told a small lie: “I have to go to the trading firm later.”

Jane gave a strange “Mhm” and told the driver to head to the firm.

The sound of horseshoes clicking on the pavement made Lin feel like she was sitting on pins and needles. It had been a month since they were last alone together. She didn’t know what to say.

Greetings? Concern? These “Fairy Godmother” phrases had already been categorized by her as “overstepping.” She couldn’t say them now.

In that case, it was better to let nature take its course. She would do as she had for years: stand a step away, restrained and distant, acting as an information officer who only provided help when asked.

Seeing Jane open her mouth as if to revisit the topic from the seaside, Lin Zhao immediately spoke first, steering the conversation toward business.

“Are you here to inspect the fleet?”

“No, I handled that this morning,” Jane answered immediately, leaving no gaps. “I just came from the firm; Mr. Terry said you might be here. Besides, I’ve spoken with Father. He’s agreed to let me take full charge of the EIC affairs, with you assisting from the side.”

Assisting from the side. It seemed there would be plenty of opportunities to be alone.

Lin Zhao’s heart felt a small prick. Another awkward silence filled the carriage. Looking at the hermetically sealed Lin Zhao, Jane held back a sigh and moved to the main topic.

“One thing is very strange. A week ago, Julian Harrison suddenly arrived in Madeira from England and has already signed contracts with several large wineries. I’m worried—could this be related to the EIC?”

Lin Zhao perked up instantly. Once business was mentioned, her personal emotions could be temporarily set aside. Entering work mode, she nodded, understanding the implication.

Clearly, Edward Harrison had used his connections in London to get the news early and had immediately sent his son to seize the initiative.

“Your worry is justified. That is exactly his goal.” Lin Zhao’s tone returned to the calm professionalism of an information broker. “Here is the intelligence I have: next Tuesday, the EIC’s advance procurement ship, the Victoria, will arrive at Funchal. My task then is to obtain their specific requirements and budget floor. That information will be our key advantage.”

“The Harrisons are in the UK; they have access to high-level information we don’t. Our advantage is here in Madeira. While I focus on the EIC line, you are the only one on the island who can observe Julian’s specific moves in real-time. I’ll need you to keep a close eye on him. We must communicate constantly to devise the best strategy.”

“The exact scale of this procurement is still unclear, but compared to Julian, your knowledge of local wineries is incomparable. If you stay calm and use your advantages, we have a winning chance.”

Jane nodded without hesitation.

Having received an answer, Lin Zhao wasn’t finished. She pulled out her pen and paper, wrote down the key information, and handed it to Jane. Taking the note, Jane’s eyes fell on the familiar handwriting, and her suppressed emotions were stirred once more. Her fingertip lightly brushed over her own name written at the very bottom. She spoke in a low voice:

“Lin, when this is all over, can we have a real talk?”

Even just looking at the short exchange of expressions, Jane finally felt that her suspicion about Lin avoiding her was true. Business was important, but they had been preparing for a month—Lin’s “busyness” clearly had a private reason.

Even in the early days of arriving in Funchal, when their schedules were packed, they always found time to talk. Lin Zhao’s avoidance definitely stemmed from that conversation in London.

Jane had spent a lot of time recently reflecting on the past. She realized that over the years, they had always solved her emotions. Because Lin Zhao was the adult, Lin Zhao was the ghost, Lin Zhao was always concerned for her, and Lin Zhao always avoided being cared for herself. Jane had subconsciously grown used to it.

Lin Zhao didn’t need her help.

Initially, it was because of fear; later, it was because of trust. This realization was buried deep in her heart. Time left no marks on Lin Zhao, but Jane was different.

She realized what kind of mistake she had made. No one truly “doesn’t need” to be cared for. Yes—humans, and even ghosts were once human. Humans are creatures who cry because of sadness and shout because of anger.

Jane remembered those dreams about Lin Zhao. Why can she reveal her heart to others, but keep her mouth shut with me? Regardless of how real those past lives were, the ones accompanying each other right now are US! Regardless of whether Lin Zhao eventually leaves, she is still here NOW!

Why can’t I earn the same level of trust?

Her heart hammered against her ribs. Jane felt her blood boiling hotter than when she had stood in the sun. Heat rushed to her face, and her breathing grew heavy.

The carriage slowed down. The person hidden under the cloak didn’t answer. The rustle of fabric indicated she was turning toward the door, preparing to leave.

Jane gritted her teeth and reached out, grabbing Lin Zhao’s wrist. Every word was forced out with effort.

“I will handle all of this. So, promise me, Lin—when it’s over, we will have a real talk.”

Lin Zhao’s wrist, wrapped in thick clothing, yielded no sense of temperature or texture, but it was held firmly in Jane’s palm. Jane felt a few slight struggles from her hand and tightened her grip.

“Lin, I told you long ago: stop treating me like a child who needs constant looking after. Do you remember?”

This time, the person didn’t move. Outside the carriage, the driver called out that they had arrived at the trading firm.

Jane refused to let go, staring intently at the impenetrable cloak. A dead silence filled the carriage. Between the two people facing each other without words, the same one eventually surrendered first.

“…Fine,” a muffled response came from under the cloak.

Jane felt a wave of relief. She let go, and Lin Zhao turned, leaped out, and hurried into the firm.

Watching her disappear through the gates, Jane gave the driver an address that was not the Vine Manor. She needed more achievements to prove her growth, and this proof had to be significant enough to change the impression held by the one who had witnessed her at her most powerless.

Whether it was the person who had long imagined she would grow this way, or the people who had never spared her a glance.