Starting with a Breakup: Why Is the True Heiress My Possessive Ex? - Chapter 87
“Nian.”
“I’m planning to go to the Public Security Bureau after dinner.”
Su Qingya leaned toward Xu Nian as she spoke.
While absentmindedly tearing off pieces of bread, she looked completely at ease.
She had gradually grown accustomed to living in this home.
Everything she did had become more natural and relaxed.
Perhaps it was because everyone in the family had treated her with genuine kindness.
There was no suffocating atmosphere.
No pressure.
She had blended into the family far more quickly than anyone expected.
Xu Qingshan looked up from the news on his phone.
“Why are you going to the Public Security Bureau again today?”
“I told you before.”
“Qingya and I are volunteers there now.”
“We help out whenever they need us.”
Xu Nian quickly explained.
“The Public Security Bureau actually needs volunteers?”
Xu Qingshan looked doubtful.
“Of course.”
“Some tasks require cooperation from ordinary people.”
“It’s perfectly normal for volunteers to help.”
Xu’s mother couldn’t help asking another question.
“Then are there any benefits?”
“Don’t spend all your time working for free.”
“There are plenty.”
“It broadens our horizons.”
“We gain practical experience.”
“And most importantly…”
“It can earn us extra points on the college entrance examination.”
“Volunteer work gives bonus points?”
“I’ve never heard of that.”
Xu Qingshan looked puzzled.
“That’s only natural.”
“There are plenty of opportunities that only a handful of people know about.”
“If everyone knew…”
“They’d all rush to sign up.”
“Once too many people joined, the competition would become overwhelming.”
“So naturally, they keep it relatively low-key.”
“If Qingya and I hadn’t been lucky—and performed well—we probably wouldn’t have received this opportunity.”
After hearing the explanation…
Xu Nian’s parents exchanged glances.
It sounded surprisingly reasonable.
Neither of them asked any more questions.
Their silence was answer enough.
Since Su Qingya still didn’t have a driver’s license…
She naturally rode with Xu Nian.
Sitting in the passenger seat suited her perfectly.
Xu Nian also understood why Su Qingya wanted to visit the Public Security Bureau today.
She was about to advance to Two-Star.
At the same time…
Xu Nian quietly sent her clone out on a separate mission.
Before leaving…
She handed both Esper Artifacts to the clone and disguised it once more.
Its appearance changed dramatically.
Shoulder-length hair.
Simple clothes.
An ordinary, forgettable face.
Cold and expressionless.
Even the fox tail disappeared beneath the disguise.
There wasn’t the slightest trace of her usual charm.
Because Xu Nian could replicate Esper Artifacts…
The clone was able to continuously copy the abilities of the Death Soul Lantern, perfectly disguising itself as a Fear-path Esper.
At the same time…
The clone inherited a proportional share of Xu Nian’s own Euphoria abilities.
It made perfect sense.
After all…
The clone wasn’t an independent person.
It was simply another body controlled by the same consciousness.
One mind.
Two bodies.
Sharing abilities was only natural.
Still…
Xu Nian had no intention of exposing herself as a Euphoria Esper.
Pretending to belong to another Path made her disguise far more convincing.
As for the clone’s destination…
Its objective couldn’t have been clearer.
It was setting out to carry out the strategy she’d developed during the previous simulation.
Xu Nian focused on driving.
Not long afterward…
They arrived at the Public Security Bureau.
She had already become acquainted with the officer at the entrance.
After exchanging greetings…
Her car was waved straight through.
“Captain.”
“We’re here.”
“Good.”
“There aren’t any incidents today.”
“After Qingya advances to Two-Star, let Chen Qiu familiarize her with today’s work.”
“Then you can both head home.”
Generally speaking…
Unless a Fluxbeast incident occurred…
The workload here was surprisingly light.
High pay.
Stable employment.
Very little overtime.
Jobs like this were incredibly rare.
Still…
If her parents ever found out that she and Qingya intended to become public security officers instead of inheriting the family business…
They’d probably faint on the spot.
Then again…
Maybe she could simply do both.
And if that ever became impossible…
She could always retire someday.
Go home.
Take over the family business.
That wouldn’t be too bad either.
Xiao Ge handed Su Qingya a pitch-black crystal.
Just looking at it made Xu Nian feel an eerie chill.
Yet…
Su Qingya seemed strangely drawn to it.
“The ritual normally requires you to awaken the deepest fear within your heart while absorbing the core.”
“It’s fairly difficult.”
“But…”
“The ritual itself isn’t absolutely necessary.”
“I can have Leng Xiao use the Soul-Stabilising Bell to suppress your emotional fluctuations to around ten percent.”
“That should make the absorption process much easier.”
Xiao Ge spoke confidently.
As expected…
Support-type Espers truly were exceptional.
With the help of an Anning-path Esper…
Advancing became dramatically safer.
“Thank you.”
Xu Nian nodded toward Leng Xiao.
“It’s nothing.”
“Just a small favour.”
“Let’s find somewhere quiet.”
“Okay.”
Following Leng Xiao into a nearby room…
Su Qingya sat inside.
Xu Nian, Xiao Ge, and the others waited outside, watching through the observation window.
The two remained several metres apart.
Leng Xiao slowly lifted the Soul-Stabilising Bell.
Ring…
A soft chime echoed through the room.
Almost instantly…
Su Qingya felt every emotion within her heart become calm and tranquil.
This time…
She didn’t resist.
Instead…
She willingly accepted the rhythm carried by the bell.
Slowly…
She closed her eyes.
Then…
She began absorbing the core.
In an instant—
An overwhelming tide of fear erupted inside her mind.
Countless emotions sealed within the core burst forth all at once.
The terror of a young girl being hunted down and killed by a Fluxbeast.
The despair of someone choosing to leap from a rooftop.
The hopelessness of a middle-aged man who had lost his job and saw no future ahead.
One memory after another crashed into her consciousness like a tidal wave.
Each one tried to replace her own perspective.
To convince her…
That she herself had experienced those tragedies.
Five ghostly figures gradually appeared around her.
Only Su Qingya could see them.
They surrounded her silently.
Again and again, they whispered accusations.
“Why?”
“Why did you do this?”
“Why did you destroy our futures?”
“Why did you make us suffer?”
“Why did we have to die?”
Yet…
Su Qingya remained completely unmoved.
She knew with absolute certainty…
None of those lives belonged to her.
None of those sins were hers to bear.
Her heart was perfectly clear.
Without Leng Xiao’s bell…
Those emotions might have overwhelmed her.
But now…
The borrowed fear couldn’t shake her in the slightest.
She refused to accept responsibility for crimes she had never committed.
Besides…
There was only one thing in the world capable of making her afraid.
Losing the people she loved.
Nothing else mattered.
She calmly endured the trial.
The five spirits looked at one another.
Their time was almost over.
As Su Qingya continued absorbing the core…
Their figures gradually faded.
Finally…
One of them asked quietly,
“Why aren’t you afraid?”
“How can you be so cold?”
“So heartless?”
Su Qingya answered without the slightest hesitation.
“I didn’t do those things.”
“So why should I feel guilty?”
“And if I’m not guilty…”
“Why should I be afraid?”
The spirits fell silent.
None of them spoke again.
Their time had come to an end.
One after another…
They disappeared.
At the same moment…
Su Qingya’s emotions completely stabilised.
Her Fear Value settled permanently at 20%.
“…It’s done.”
Leng Xiao lowered the Soul-Stabilising Bell.
His gaze toward Su Qingya had become noticeably more complicated than before.
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