The Heroine Fell Deeply For Her [Quick Transmigration] 103

Chapter 103: I Love Slacking Off

The internet was practically boiling over, with everyone arguing and taking sides. However, the account that made the post hadn’t replied for hours, no matter how much people bombarded it with messages.

It was already afternoon, and there was still no official announcement. Most people assumed it was a hoax, a malicious prank disturbing the deceased’s peace.

In the crowded Queen’s District spaceport, the waiting crowd suddenly spotted a familiar figure and straightened up, quickly approaching.

Emerging from the stream of people, Tao Ning, lost in thought, suddenly turned around and grabbed the hand that was about to touch her shoulder.

Recognizing the person, she released her grip in surprise: “An He?”

An He’s brows were furrowed: “You’re just walking out like this? There are people waiting outside to take you back.”

Tao Ning remained calm and asked, “Military personnel?”

If the rumors were true, ordinary law enforcement wouldn’t be able to handle this case.

During the journey, Tao Ning had been glued to her smart device, researching extensively, familiarizing herself with the current laws and various factions.

“You don’t seem nervous,” An He said.

Tao Ning smiled: “Of course I’m nervous.”

An He hesitated, not saying that she didn’t look nervous at all, but rather like a tourist on vacation.

It was impossible for An He not to be nervous. She didn’t know why she came, nor could she describe her feelings during the hours of waiting.

But there were things she felt she had to do, or she would regret it for the rest of her life.

This had nothing to do with romantic feelings. She felt Zang Yuzhu, having just escaped danger, shouldn’t face such suspicion, let alone be accused of betraying the Federation.

Callista: “?” She didn’t recognize this person, but she had heard her voice before.

Looking at the worried An He, then at the composed Tao Ning, Callista blinked, deciding on her expression.

The person who had turned Caesar Star into fireworks a few days ago said with a serious expression, “I’m not only nervous, but also troubled.”

She had been wondering where to place Callista, as she definitely wouldn’t want to go to the Research Institute, and then An He appeared.

It was like a dream come true, perfect timing.

An He: “It’s crowded here, come with me.”

The three of them, understanding each other without words, moved to a less conspicuous corner, partially hidden by the crowd.

An He briefly explained the situation: “The Silver Ship was recently built by the Federation, using the latest materials, and it wasn’t cheap. Now, not only has the ship been captured, but the Mermaid is also gone. Gu Yuan is seriously injured and unconscious, unable to provide any information.”

She was just a student, but due to her excellent grades, she could get some information from her teachers.

Even if it wasn’t much, it was better than nothing: “But you returned safe and sound. Now the Federation considers you the only witness, and the media has also learned of your arrival…”

She didn’t need to finish the sentence, Tao Ning understood.

It meant she was already surrounded by military personnel and reporters, and stepping out would only result in her arrest.

Tao Ning let out an “Ah”: “The Silver Ship is that valuable?”

She should have taken that one then. The ship she took was practically scrap metal, not worth much even if sold.

Then she thought, it wouldn’t have changed her fate of being a fugitive, so it was better for the Silver Ship to be sacrificed gloriously.

Callista, after listening for a while, only partially understanding the human world, finally grasped one point: “How is the Mermaid gone? I’m still here.”

This fluent human language made An He speechless. Seeing Tao Ning not denying it, she asked, “Y-you’re the Mermaid?”

Callista smiled at her. Her long hair was hidden under a hat, making her look like an athlete, nothing like the breathtakingly beautiful Mermaid described in the news.

Her features seemed ordinary, almost overlooked by An He, who had assumed she was someone Tao Ning met along the way while escaping.

An He looked down: “Your tail…”

Callista: “It’s tucked away.”

This seemed to spark some imagination in An He, her expression shocked.

Fortunately, ancient Earth culture was mostly lost. If An He had heard the story of the Little Mermaid, she would have believed it, looking at Callista, who had danced on the edge of a knife to come ashore, with sympathy.

Thanks to An He, Tao Ning understood the Federation’s stance, which was as she expected.

The military wanted to investigate, Gu Changfeng wanted to cover it up, and his political rivals wanted to remove him from the game, eager to take the stage.

As for the media, each had their own agenda, determined to muddy the waters.

Tao Ning said, “Then I still have to go out.”

An He didn’t understand. She had explained the situation so clearly, yet Tao Ning still insisted on walking into the tiger’s den: “Have you decided? You must go out?”

This was precisely the outcome Tao Ning wanted. Some things didn’t need to be explained. She said, “Since we’re here, let’s face it. There’s something I need your help with.”

She didn’t understand the first part, but she understood the second. An He said, “Just tell me, anything I can help with.”

Tao Ning said seriously, “Lita is new to human society, she doesn’t like places like the Research Institute, it’s too dangerous, and I’m worried about her. Could you let her stay with you for a few days?”

520 wholeheartedly agreed with Tao Ning. The Research Institute sounded like a professional place, and if anything were damaged, the compensation would be costly.

Perhaps when Tao Ning finished her business and returned, she would find the Research Institute in ruins.

Sometimes, An He felt Zang Yuzhu always did unexpected things. She seemed reckless, yet she also considered the well-being of those around her.

But she wasn’t sure if Tao Ning had a plan, speaking so confidently about “a few days,” as if certain there wouldn’t be any unexpected events.

An He felt conflicted: “You trust me?”

Tao Ning’s expression was sincere: “An He, you’re a good person. On Kelei Star, you’re the only one I can trust.”

After a long silence, An He finally spoke: “You seem… different from before. I feel like I’ve never truly known you.”

An He had heard of Zang Yuzhu long ago, the undisputed beauty of the Command Department, the object of many secret admirers from the Mecha Department, who would often say, “Zang Yuzhu skipped class again today, I missed her.”

It wasn’t until the eve of the exercise that An He finally met her. She was both similar and different from the rumors. The similarities were related to her appearance, while the differences were that she wasn’t as bad as people said.

She was just a bit spoiled, lazy, and liked to act cute, but she wouldn’t bully others with her status, no different from other spoiled young ladies from wealthy families.

Out of responsibility and a sense of protectiveness towards the weaker individual, An He paid close attention to Zang Yuzhu during that time.

This even sparked different feelings in her. She had planned to confess after the exercise, even if there was no chance, she wouldn’t have any regrets.

Until this reunion, An He realized she didn’t understand Zang Yuzhu at all.

An He said firmly, “I promise.”

Tao Ning: “Thank you.”

Exchanging a glance with Callista, Tao Ning walked out.

They had agreed during their journey that upon reaching the First Star System, they would go their separate ways. Callista would search for her people, and Tao Ning would deal with some matters at home.

Some people could entrust their lives to strangers they just met, while others, under the guise of family, would harm them.

Like An He, and like the Gu family.

After they left, An He let out a long breath and said to Callista, “I don’t live in the school dormitories, I rent a place off-campus. You can stay there. By the way, what do you usually like to eat? Any dietary restrictions? I usually just eat nutrient solution, it’s not very tasty… Do you have any other habits? Tell me now, so I can remember…”

Listening to her rambling, Callista was reminded of the red-haired Mermaid mother, long-buried memories resurfacing.

Callista, her blue eyes wide and innocent, asked, “If I’m staying at your place, can I borrow the bathtub? I haven’t soaked in water for days, I feel like I’m turning into dried fish.”

An He: “…” Hearing this, she was reminded again that the person before her was indeed a Mermaid.

A Mermaid who could sing, shed scales, and had a large tail.

After a while, An He said, “I don’t have a bathtub… but I can buy one.”

Callista opened her fist, revealing a pearl: “Ningning said this can be exchanged for money, use this to buy a bathtub.”

An He was surprised, her reaction mirroring Tao Ning and 520’s. She instinctively asked, “Where did you get this?”

Callista: “Ah?”

“No, I mean…” An He looked at the oval-shaped pearl, “Who’s Ningning?”

Callista replied without blinking, “Yuzhu’s name in Mermaid language is Ningning.”

An He suddenly understood and, after Callista’s repeated insistence, accepted the pearl.

Callista didn’t care about the pearl’s fate, as it wasn’t one she had cried herself, but one from a defeated opponent.

The pearls she personally cried were all with Tao Ning, she wouldn’t give them to anyone else.

Looking at the pearl in her hand, An He suddenly understood why Zang Yuzhu seemed worried before leaving.

A pearl of such quality, given away so easily, this was a naive Mermaid.

At this moment, Callista thought: A single pearl for a few days’ stay, humans are so easy to deal with.

So, both of them thought the other was naive.

If 520 were here, it would have insisted on awarding the Mermaid an acting award.

Her acting was truly natural and impeccable.

“She’s out!”

The person leaning against the wall suddenly spoke, and several people looked in the direction he pointed.

“Is that her? Wasn’t Zang Yuzhu described as having waist-length hair?”

“It’s just hair, it can grow back.”

“That’s her, hurry up! The military will take her away soon!”

Queen’s District spaceport was vast, with hundreds of exits leading to various parts of Kelei Star.

They had people stationed at every exit, and those who were called here had been skeptical, but they had actually found her.

The people of the First Star System were indeed sharp-eyed. Tao Ning had been on the ship for hours without being recognized, but she was immediately spotted upon exiting the spaceport.

These people didn’t rely solely on appearance. Having worked in this field for a long time, they could detect anomalies from subtle clues.

Their first impression was that it wasn’t her, but their second confirmed it was indeed Zang Yuzhu.

It wasn’t their fault they didn’t recognize her at first. The Zang Yuzhu in their minds usually wore flowing dresses and walked gracefully with her hands clasped in front of her. But this person was wearing sunglasses and walking briskly.

She exuded a casual air, occasionally looking around, easily blending in with the tourists visiting the “Crown Jewel.”

But clearly, she wasn’t here for sightseeing. Queen’s District in the First Star System was where she grew up.

As soon as she stepped out, Tao Ning was surrounded, the fastest being the well-informed media personnel.

“Zang Yuzhu, it’s said that you caused your teammates’ injuries during the exercise, and your psychic sea was severely damaged, with no chance of recovery. So how did you return after the Silver Ship was captured?”

The first question was aggressive, and the others, exchanging glances, followed suit.

“Now that you’ve returned safely, was the capture of the Silver Ship related to you?”

“Why didn’t you contact your family after returning? Why are you alone?”

“The Gu family is known for its integrity, as their adopted daughter, betraying the Federation, don’t you think you’ve disgraced their name?”

“You’ve been silent, are you hiding something? Are you afraid to tell us what happened among the White Ravens?”

“Miss Zang Yuzhu…”

Even before they swarmed her, passersby had sensed something was wrong and, upon hearing the name of the surrounded person, looked shocked.

They had thought the online discussions about Zang Yuzhu dying and then coming back to life, then dying again, were just rumors, but she was actually alive, standing right before them.

Someone opportunistic started a live stream titled “Federation Traitor Zang Yuzhu Arrested.”

The sensational title immediately attracted a large audience.

They saw, in the video, under the bright sunlight, with people rushing past in the background, the person at the center calmly, even boredly, listening to the explosive questions.

No matter what the reporters said, the surrounded person remained silent, her pale lips slightly curved upwards, as if listening to a joke.

Anyone with less patience would have been angered by these pointed questions and retorted.

But the woman in the video didn’t react at all.

This attitude displeased the netizens eager for drama, who filled the live stream chat with criticisms.

But the online comments couldn’t reach Tao Ning.

She remained indifferent, as if she couldn’t hear or see anything, her nonchalant attitude infuriating those who tried to provoke her.

Gradually, they stopped asking questions. One of them said, dissatisfied, “Why aren’t you answering our questions?”

Tao Ning still didn’t react, then, as if sensing something, she turned to look to the side.

They had come to watch Zang Yuzhu like a monkey, but she was treating them like a circus act, how could they not be angry?

The person with a press pass, who had introduced himself as the chief editor, was furious: “Zang Yuzhu, don’t push your luck! This is your chance to clear your name!”

Words could be as deadly as weapons, and public opinion could be a killing knife.

A voice interrupted, coldly cutting off the chief editor: “There are doubts surrounding the Silver Ship incident, Miss Zang Yuzhu, please come with us.”

Tao Ning removed her sunglasses, revealing her eyes: “Sure, I’ve been waiting for you. You’re slower than I expected.”

Her casual words made the newcomers stiffen slightly, the subtle change in their expressions too fleeting to be noticed.