Chapter 242
by Golden DragonChapter 242: Acting Coquettish
“We’ve arrived. Time to get off the plane.”
As the plane touched down, the first to speak was the flight attendant—her tone devoid of any polite formality.
While disembarking, her hands were anything but well-behaved, fussing over Mi Xiaoliu: adjusting her collar, smoothing her hair, and even pretending to stumble so she could hug her.
She’s so thin… It hurts my heart.
Mi Xiaoliu looked up at her.
The flight attendant tilted her face upward, using her height advantage to show only her black mask.
Mi Xiaoliu turned away, no longer looking at her.
Even Sasha recognized her.
Simple-minded Mi Xiaoliu didn’t question why the flight attendant was following them—or perhaps she didn’t even understand what a flight attendant was supposed to do.
Breaking free from the embrace, Mi Xiaoliu walked over to Heli and clung to her arm.
The flight attendant’s expression stiffened.
This is my flesh and blood, the child I carried for nine months and birthed naturally.
The car prepared for them in the city was unassuming—an ordinary six-seater van. In reality, two more vehicles of bodyguards trailed at a distance.
Since Okulet didn’t drive, there were five people in total, including the driver, hence the choice of a spacious vehicle.
This was one of the Chairwoman’s more far-sighted decisions. Had it been a four-seater, even if five could squeeze in, she’d have been the real clown if Mi Xiaoliu ended up sitting on Heli’s lap.
Her plan was well-calculated, dress up, use this journey to bond with her youngest daughter, and finally reveal her identity once the girl grew fond of her.
For this, she’d even swallowed her pride and asked Heli for over four thousand words’ worth of details on Mi Xiaoliu’s preferences, preparing a mountain of snacks to feed her like she had when Mi Xiaoliu was little.
She’d accounted for everything—except Mi Xiaoliu sleeping through almost the entire flight.
But there was no need to despair.
Before getting in the car, the Chairwoman seized Heli’s arm and yanked her toward the passenger seat, shoving her inside and slamming the door shut. She then took the back seat with Mi Xiaoliu.
Seeing this, Mi Xiaoliu tried to climb onto Heli’s lap but was pushed back by the Chairwoman.
“Two people in the front seat is dangerous.”
Heli propped her chin on her hand, turning to gaze out the window with an eye roll.
The Chairwoman smoothly maneuvered Mi Xiaoliu against the door.
No resistance.
A glance revealed the child had already fallen asleep again.
The Chairwoman tentatively touched her shoulder, then withdrew her hand. After hovering in the air for a few seconds, she finally slid her arm behind Mi Xiaoliu’s neck and pulled her into an embrace.
Half-asleep, Mi Xiaoliu hugged her back, even draping her legs over the Chairwoman’s lap.
She must be instinctively seeking her mother’s arms.
Hesitating for only a moment, the Chairwoman stiffly lifted Mi Xiaoliu onto her lap, letting her sleep nestled against her chest.
She’s so light—barely any weight at all.
At this age, Gloria had already been too heavy to carry comfortably.
Memories flashed of a time when she could effortlessly lift Mi Xiaoliu high—followed by an endless surge of guilt.
The Chairwoman lightly patted her own cheeks, then rested a hand on Mi Xiaoliu’s back, feeling the gentle rise and fall of her breathing. Only then did it feel real.
My poor little treasure.
Regrettably, the happy moment was fleeting. If not for the tight schedule, the Chairwoman would’ve ordered the driver to circle the city dozens of times, delaying their arrival until midnight.
The car stopped at the harbor.
Rubbing her eyes, Mi Xiaoliu blinked in confusion at the Chairwoman—who was using her sleeve to wipe drool off her face—before sliding off and taking Heli’s hand again.
Watching Heli accept the handholding without reaction, someone’s back teeth ground together silently.
Heli began to wonder if the Chairwoman would fire her the moment Mi Xiaoliu’s dark element was fully treated.
Feeling a twinge of guilt, Heli turned Mi Xiaoliu toward the Chairwoman—but couldn’t think of what to say.
Mi Xiaoliu, however, misinterpreted the gesture in her usual simplistic way.
She thought Heli was reminding her to apologize for sleeping on the flight attendant.
Heli always teaches me to be a polite child.
She trotted over to the Chairwoman and looked up at her.
Under the Chairwoman’s hopeful gaze, she said, “I’m sorry.”
Then she ran back to Heli and clung to her arm.
The Chairwoman’s outstretched hand dropped limply.
💔
……
The harbor was crowded with tourists who weren’t there to board ships, many holding snacks to feed the seagulls swirling overhead—inevitably ending up with white “paint” splattered on their heads. Anyone unlucky enough to be eating ice cream or talking would get a mouthful of bitter, fishy grit.
Locals seized the business opportunity, chopping ham into chunks, bagging them as “bird feed,” and selling them to out-of-towners for twenty mira apiece.
Most ignored the scam, but with enough people, there were always one or two suckers willing to pay. These days, who cares about twenty mira?
“Misha, look—a ship.” Okulet pointed ahead.
“Mm.” Mi Xiaoliu nodded drowsily, barely reacting.
Okulet’s shoulders slumped.
How is a ship not more fun than a plane?
The Chairwoman had arranged for a cargo ship owned by a business associate, though the crew was entirely her own people.
Being somewhat superstitious herself—clutching a rosary-beaded cross while praying to Buddha—she’d been meticulous in selecting the sailors.
No one named Jack or Rose. No soon-to-be-married crew. No one who hadn’t been home in years, hiding photos of their family in their clothes. And absolutely no one surnamed Joestar.
After sending Heli and the others aboard, Okulet stopped his wife at the gangway, turning her around with hands on her shoulders.
“The voyage might be dangerous. You should head back.”
The Chairwoman stepped on his foot lightly but said nothing, tacitly agreeing.
This mother-daughter reunion had been cut short. Despite all her plans, the only thing she’d managed was a hug.
I just hope Mi Xia comes back safe and sound.
Shen Qing emerged from the shadows to hold an umbrella over her, shielding her from bird droppings as they watched the ship depart.
“Madam, the lab has been cleared. But there’s something odd—a blind woman was investigating the site. I’m unsure if she’s with the police.”
“Have her followed.”
The Chairwoman’s voice turned icy.
“She’s good at counter-surveillance. Seems trained.”
“Track her down. What about the polls?”
“Currently, the acting governor has the highest number of votes. His proposal of a ‘665 work system’ has gained significant support among the middle and lower classes. Next is Kenny’s advocacy for merging universities for the gifted with ordinary universities… With all due respect, Madam, unless the promises you’re making are even more far-fetched than theirs, the chances are quite slim.”
The Chairwoman narrowed her blue eyes, sliding back into the van and removing her mask.
Then her scalp tingled, her consciousness blurring.
Shen Qing caught her in alarm, calling for the royal physician while scanning for assassins.
But it was just ordinary anesthesia.
The sleeves were stained with Mi Xiaoliu’s drool, and her saliva contained an anesthetic.
Enough to knock out an ability user.
……
On the ship.
Heli had just finished putting away the luggage and gazed out at the sea.
She thought that a business tycoon probably wouldn’t do something as ungrateful as “killing the donkey after it’s done grinding the mill.”
If she lost her job and wanted to continue living a low-key, peaceful life, she’d have to scrape by on the measly 100,000 mira a month from rent—barely enough to raise little Mi Xiaoliu in poverty.
She turned to Mi Xiaoliu.
“Which bed do you want to sleep in? The top bunk or the bottom bunk?”
Mi Xiaoliu stared at her without blinking.
Heli understood immediately and examined the beds.
They were decently sized, and the room had air conditioning. Even if two people slept together, it wouldn’t be too hot. The edges of the beds even had guardrails and safety straps to prevent falling in their sleep.
But she still flicked Mi Xiaoliu’s forehead.
“No. Sleep on your own.”
She was already 13—this habit couldn’t continue, or she’d really turn into a mama’s girl.
Mi Xiaoliu hugged her arm and swayed, pressing her face close.
Heli remained unmoved.
“I’m acting coquettish.”
Mi Xiaoliu explained her behavior.
“……”
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