Acting as the Powerful Background Character in a Scummy Alpha Novel - Chapter 11

While Jing Shen worried about her, Xiao He was busy arranging her trip to the old family estate. She wasn’t busy these couple of days, and since the estate was within the city, a single day would be more than enough time. She decided to go the following day; since the “human cubs” had their tutoring at home, she could go alone.

The next morning, Jing Shen and the others noticed Xiao He’s absence at breakfast.

“Uncle Lin, is Auntie still not up?” Xie Qingyu asked, looking at the breakfast set before him. No one dared to start eating before the head of the house arrived.

“President Xiao left early this morning. You don’t need to wait for her,” Butler Lin replied.

“This early? Where did she go?” Xiao Shuyuan followed up.

“Business matters. She mentioned she would return late and instructed everyone to focus on their lessons. I don’t know the specifics.”

Butler Lin only shared what Xiao He had permitted. Even if he knew more, he wouldn’t breathe a word of it. The group didn’t push further; Xiao He wasn’t obligated to report her itinerary to them.

The Xiao family estate was located in the old district of City A. The surrounding area had been designated as a historical architectural zone, except for the Xiao residence itself. To prevent tourists from wandering in, a retired butler had remained there to look after the house.

Xiao He stepped out of the car. The bluestone pavement still showed traces of dampness. A bodyguard opened the gates, and the old housekeeper, who had been notified in advance, hurried out to greet her.

The housekeeper, Aunt Song, was over eighty years old but remained sharp and upright. Her snow-white hair was pinned back in a meticulous bun. Seeing Xiao He, she quickened her pace. “Young Miss, you’ve finally come back.”

“Aunt Song,” Xiao He reached out to steady her. “How is your health?”

“At my age, it’s as well as can be. And how is the Young Miss?”

“I’m doing well.”

They walked inside, chatting about the purpose of Xiao He’s visit.

“Miss, you mentioned looking for the Madam’s belongings. Everything has been kept exactly as she left it. I cleaned the room last night; you can go straight there.”

“Thank you. By the way, Aunt Song, has anyone else been here over the years?”

Xiao He walked through the century-old garden. Everything was pruned and orderly; maintenance crews visited regularly, leaving no sign of the desolation one might expect from an empty house.

“No one. People visit the ancestral hall behind the house every year for ceremonies, but no one comes here.”

Aunt Song was referring to the Xiao Family Ancestral Hall. The two properties used to be connected, but they had since been walled off into independent lots. Even when the Xiao relatives visited the hall, they never made a detour to the residence.

Xiao He wasn’t surprised; she preferred the quiet. They reached the main courtyard—the former residence of Xiao He’s parents—which looked a bit more weathered than the outer gardens.

Aunt Song unlocked the door. “I don’t trust anyone else in here, so I clean it myself. I’m getting older and can’t look after the Madam’s garden as well as I used to.”

“No, it’s perfect. It’s just like it was. But please, let others handle the heavy lifting from now on. Your health is more important.”

Xiao He possessed the original owner’s memories and could see the care put into the place. It lacked only the warmth of a living resident.

“The Miss is as kind as ever.”

Aunt Song opened the door. The furniture was unmoved. The room didn’t smell of decay; it had clearly been aired out.

Perhaps due to the inherited memories, a wave of emotion washed over Xiao He. She felt a moment of disorienting overlap. The System had said she and the original owner were a 99% match—not just in name and appearance, but in family background. It felt as if this version of Xiao He was simply her in a parallel universe.

“Miss, if you are looking for something specific, tell me. I might be able to help.”

Aunt Song’s voice pulled her back. Xiao He steadied her mind.

“Aunt Song, I remember my mother left behind a collection of journals. Are they still here?”

Xiao He recalled this from her memory. The journals had been stored with other relics, but the original owner had been too busy with the company to ever read them.

“Yes, they are safely stored right here.”

Aunt Song went to a large chest by the bedside and pulled out a smaller box. It was filled with letters and journals—far more than Xiao He had remembered.

Xiao He sat at the table and began sifting through them. Most were letters to friends, organized by date. The journals were the same, each representing a specific period with detailed entries.

She found what she was looking for: the records from when her mother adopted Xiao Lincu ten years ago. It had been a life-altering event for her mother, who had started a fresh journal for it. It was her final one.

【Today is a heart-wrenching day. He Ling’s passing was a bolt from the blue. I cannot believe it, yet my grief does not change the truth. I cannot even mourn her publicly—my one true friend…】

The handwriting on the first page was chaotic, reflecting her mother’s deep sorrow. However, the name He Ling was entirely foreign to Xiao He’s memory.

From subsequent entries, it became clear that Xiao Lincu was inextricably linked to this He Ling. Xiao He’s mother had adopted the girl specifically because of He Ling’s dying request.

As she read on, the entries became sparser as her mother’s health failed, until the journal ended abruptly with her passing. To find the full story, Xiao He began searching the letters.

She found the trail. He Ling had been a police officer who had gone undercover in a criminal syndicate for ten years. When she finally re-established contact with Xiao He’s mother, she used a pseudonym, Duan Yunyuan.

In her letters, He Ling mentioned that she wanted to adopt a little girl she met during her undercover mission. Both of them had suffered immensely within the syndicate, and she hoped for a new life for both of them.

In a later letter, He Ling was joyful; she was preparing for their new life together. However, the very last letter was stained with dried, brown blood.

While processing the adoption, He Ling had been spotted by a remnant member of the syndicate. She was attacked. Though the perpetrator was killed on the spot, He Ling’s injuries were fatal. She died just before the “dawn” of her new life.

Her final wish was for Xiao He’s mother to adopt the girl. With the influence of the Xiao and Xie families, she knew the girl would be protected.

The letter contained the girl’s details, revealing the nature of the crime syndicate. In a world where ABO differentiation creates vast social gaps, some sought to “force” the process. This syndicate used human experimentation on children to develop gene-altering serums. That little girl was one of the few who had survived multiple experiments. Her resilience had moved He Ling.

From age three to eight, the girl had spent five years with He Ling. He Ling requested that the girl be raised as an “ordinary person” and that the past—including He Ling herself—never be mentioned to avoid triggering her trauma.

Xiao He’s mother had honored the wish. Around that time, it was confirmed that Xiao He herself would never differentiate and would likely never have children. Her mother gave the girl a new name, Xiao Lincu, and placed her under Xiao He’s name as her adopted daughter.

The original owner had been resentful of this, refusing to finalize the legal paperwork and leaving the girl to be raised by the grandmother. It was only after the mother died that Lincu was brought to the main house. The secret had been kept so well that even the original owner hadn’t understood her mother’s insistence, leading to a strained relationship that was never resolved before death.

Now, the journal was finally open, but the mother and daughter would never have the chance to reconcile.

“Miss, my condolences.”

Aunt Song’s voice brought her back. Taking the offered handkerchief, Xiao He realized her face was wet. She wiped away the cold tears.

“Aunt Song, has anyone else seen these?”

“No. These are the Madam’s private items. I’ve kept them safe. No one else knows, and I have never read them myself.”

“I trust you, Aunt Song,” Xiao He closed the box. “Did my mother have any other close friends when she was young?”

“Friends from her youth?” Aunt Song thought for a moment. “There was one—Miss He Ling. But she was said to have died in the line of duty in her twenties. Why do you ask?”

“It’s nothing. Is there anything else about her?”

Aunt Song went to the desk and opened a hidden compartment, revealing a single photograph. “This is Miss He Ling. The Madam looked at it often, but she told me never to let anyone else see it.”

Xiao He took the photo. Two young women sat at a cafe. One was a young version of Xiao He’s mother, smiling elegantly at the camera. The other woman had a heroic, sharp look; she wasn’t looking at the camera, but was laughing as she looked at Xiao He’s mother. It was a three-quarter profile of He Ling.

Xiao He placed the photo into the box. “I’ll be taking these with me. Only we know about today.”

“I understand,” Aunt Song watched her stand. “Won’t the Miss stay for a meal?”

Xiao He saw the longing in the old woman’s eyes. She realized she had nothing urgent to return to. “I’ll stay.”