The way Uma Musume looks at me is so scary!

This time, the middle-aged man finally put his knowledge, which he should have as a high-value talent, to good use. He easily led Xiu Xingmeng out of the mansion, not only pointing her in the right direction but also finding a maid to take care of her in case of any accidents.

Even as she walked with the maid through the Mejiro family's manor, Xiuxing Meng was still somewhat dazed.

So getting lost at the Mejiro residence is a normal thing?

What am I, after all that beating around the bush with the other party? I should have just said it directly.

Thinking of this, Xiu Xingmeng couldn't help but shake her head. Because of her grandmother and mother's relationship, she subconsciously had a deep sense of vigilance towards the Meguro family.

Moreover, she had just had a fight with the head of the Mejiro family, and he even pulled Mejiro Takamine's hand away in front of her. When facing middle-aged men, Xiu Xingmeng instinctively regarded the Mejiro family as a den of demons.

But she doesn't actually need to be so wary of her identity. To others who don't know the Mejiro family's past, she's just a racehorse girl with Mejiro family blood. They can just say whatever they want.

Thinking of this, Xiu Xingmeng breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that the next steps would be much easier.

All she had to do was follow the maid to the room where her mother had once lived, clean up the traces her mother had left behind, and then have the maid lead her to the front door.

Even if they have doubts, it doesn't matter, since she is Meguro's racehorse girl and doesn't need to explain anything to them.

By the time the head of the Mejiro family and Mejiro Takamori realized what was happening, he had already returned to his northern home with his mother's belongings.

In this way, if they want to bring me to the Meguro family again in the future, they will have to meet my demands and hand over Meguro Asama first.

Xiu Xingmeng couldn't help but marvel at how perfect the plan was. This way, she could both learn about her mother's past and return to her home in the north to prepare for the competition in peace.

There are only about four months left until the next Emperor's Spring Appreciation Tournament. Unlike all the tournaments I've participated in before, this time I will truly face those senior powerhouses who have dominated the arena for generations. Therefore, I must practice more during this time.

Thinking of this, Xiu Xingmeng clenched her fists silently. She didn't know what kind of opponent Emperor Chunshang would have, but she was determined not to lose.

Just as Xiu Xingmeng was lost in thought, the maid who had been leading the way for her suddenly stopped and said softly.

"Miss Xingmeng, we have arrived."

Interrupted by the sound, Xiu Xingmeng looked up and saw a neatly maintained courtyard. Not far from the courtyard, she could see a snow-covered racetrack. This place seemed to be near the Meguro family's training ground.

"This area used to be Meguro's training ground. Usually, not many people come here. They only send people over occasionally to clean it up."

Hearing the maid's words, Hua Xiuxingmeng nodded, but looking at the snow-white racetrack not far away, she felt a mix of emotions.

She had heard from her grandmother that the Mejiro family was currently at its peak, having not only achieved three generations of imperial reigns, but also produced many racehorse girls capable of winning the G1 crown.

Judging from the grand entrance they made, the Mejiro family is truly rolling in money these days.

But Xiu Xingmeng really didn't expect that the Megumi family was so rich. Not only did they have such a large estate, but they had also built a new training ground.

In comparison, the Northern family, which had once been allied with the Mejiro family through marriage, is in a much worse situation.

To raise funds for the development of the limiter, the Northern family had long ago sold off their luxurious manor, leaving only a small Western-style house nestled deep in the mountains.

If it weren't for the open space behind the mansion, Xiu Xingmeng wouldn't even know where to train.

Xiu Xingmeng shook her head to clear her mind of the complicated thoughts, gestured for the maid to wait where she was, and then walked towards the small courtyard ahead.

The winter sun shone through the bare branches and onto Xiu Xingmeng's bangs, casting several staggered silhouettes on her smooth cheeks. Neatly trimmed shrubs stretched along both sides of the path, leading straight to the most eye-catching two-story building in the yard.

The white exterior walls have been tinged with a pale beige by the years, and the small wind chimes hanging in front of the porch sway gently in the breeze, making a crisp sound, as if someone still lives there.

"Is this the place where my mother used to live?"

Xiu Xingmeng raised her head and looked at the small building in front of her, muttering to herself.

The door that sealed away her mother's past seemed to have opened slightly to Xiu Xingmeng; she only needed to push it a little harder to find out.

Xiu Xingmeng pursed her lips, quickly walked to the door of the small building, grasped the doorknob, and opened the door without any hesitation.

Before she could examine the interior of the building closely, a soft, puzzled exclamation came from the front.

Was it cleaned? Xiu Xingmeng frowned slightly, not expecting to be so unlucky as to encounter this situation as soon as she arrived.

But it doesn't matter. She has already figured it out. She just needs to use her identity as the Meguro family's horse racing girl to deal with the situation, and then send the other party outside to meet with the maid.

Xiu Xingmeng quickly sorted out her thoughts, and with an attitude of taking it for granted, she looked up and said.

"Is cleaning today? I'm..."

However, her words were abruptly cut off mid-air.

Xiu Xingmeng's pupils suddenly contracted as she stared in disbelief at the figure before her. It wasn't a maid at all, but a racehorse girl with long, light blue hair.

Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a soft silver glow on her pale blue hair. The red ribbon tied behind her left ear swayed gently in the breeze blowing through the window, and her clear, spring-like purple eyes were fixed intently on Xiu Xingmeng.

The racehorse girl, who looks exactly like her mother when she was young, is now standing on the stairs, looking at the present-day Embroidered Star Dream as if she has stepped out of the past.

In the small building where my mother used to live, I was surprised to see my mother when she was young.

Xiu Xingmeng could no longer remain calm. She looked at the racehorse girl with light blue hair and spoke with an uncontrollable hope in her voice.

"Mother?"

Meguro Aldan blinked and tilted her head in confusion, completely unable to understand why this racehorse girl she was meeting for the first time would suddenly call her mother.

However, she felt a strange sense of closeness, as if there was some kind of blood connection between them.

Chapter 173 The Meguro Clan's Sinister Intentions

Looking at the racehorse girl in front of her who looked exactly like her young mother, Xiu Xingmeng's mind was greatly shaken. For a moment, she even thought that she had traveled back to the past. Anyway, the system could cover the timeline, so it was reasonable to slightly adjust the time.

But Xiuxingmeng eventually gave up on this fantasy.

The fact that she didn't hear that cold, mechanical voice in her ear proved that this scripted world hadn't undergone any changes.

Unexpectedly, the system's notification sound became the anchor that pulled her back to reality at this moment. However, Xiu Xingmeng did not dwell on the matter. Instead, she looked at the racehorse girl in front of her and her brain started working at high speed.

First of all, she is definitely not the mother.

But she looked almost exactly like her mother, even the red ribbon by her ear was the same one her mother had given her, as if she had stepped out of her memory.

Thinking of this, Xiu Xingmeng raised her head suspiciously and said to the horse racer.

"A world of illusion?"

Xiu Xingmeng's words left Megumi Ardan speechless, and she smiled helplessly.

"I am a real horse racer."

As he spoke, Megumi Ardan walked down the stairs, stood in front of Xiuxing Meng, and took her hand with a smile.

"See, it's warm, right?"

Xiu Xingmeng frowned as she felt the warmth emanating from her hands. This kind of touch was indeed not something that could be achieved by illusion magic. Moreover, she had never actually witnessed any illusion magic before; she had just mentioned it casually.

Now that things have come to this, she must calm down and use the most rational thinking to get an answer.

After thinking for a second or two, Xiu Xingmeng looked at the other person's blinking purple eyes and thought to herself.

She looks almost exactly like her mother when she was young, so she definitely has a close connection with her mother.

"I understand."

Xiu Xingmeng suddenly looked up, her gaze fixed firmly on Mubai Aldan.

"You must be your mother's clone!"

"The despicable Mejiro family, they'd do something so immoral and unethical just to win the Emperor's reward for the Spring and Autumn Period's consecutive hegemony!"

Thinking of the middle-aged man with two medical doctorates she had just seen, Xiu Xingmeng said through gritted teeth.

She knew that someone of that level couldn't be that simple. They must have some shady dealings with the Mejiro family. Maybe there was a secret base beneath the Mejiro family's manor for them to conduct their evil research!

Seeing that she had misunderstood again, Megumi Ardan could only smile helplessly at Xiu Xingmeng.

"Technology wasn't this advanced in the 20th century."

Unexpectedly, her explanation only made Xiu Xingmeng's eyes widen in horror. She looked at Mubai Aldan in disbelief and said...

"The 20th century?! Aren't you a racehorse girl of this century?"

Xiu Xingmeng glanced at the other person's light blue hair, and a bold idea sprouted in her heart. She hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Could it be... that you're Doraemon, a horse-racing girl-type childcare robot from the 22nd century?!"

Upon hearing this, Xiu Xingmeng found it increasingly reasonable. It must be that her descendants saw how hard she had worked for her mother during this time, so they specially used the time machine to send back a robot that looked exactly like her mother.

Look, her name contains the character for "dream"! Isn't that a hint?!

"That's a raccoon-shaped childcare robot, and it has nothing to do with my name."

Perhaps it was because Xiu Xingmeng's expression was too easy to read, but Megumi Ardan actually felt that he could vaguely guess what she was thinking.

Hearing Megumi Ardan's words, Hidehoshi Meng frowned. Now all possibilities had been denied. The racehorse girl in front of her was neither an illusion, nor a clone, nor a robot from the 22nd century. What other answer could there be?

It's impossible that she's just a racehorse girl who looks a lot like her mother when she was young, right?

Xiu Xingmeng shook her head. Impossible, absolutely impossible.

There must be something I haven't found yet. Suddenly, Ardan's words made her have a flash of inspiration.

The other party's almost mind-reading ability inspired Xiu Xingmeng, and she nodded confidently to Megumi Ardan.

"I understand now, you must be a special agent specially trained by the Megumi family to keep me here!"

"That's why you knew what I was thinking. You must have been trained for this mind-reading ability! No wonder you were able to eliminate all the possibilities I guessed. It turns out you were prepared in advance!"

Before Mubai Aldan could retort, Xiuxingmeng immediately grabbed his cheeks with both hands.

"You must be wearing a disguise to look so much like your mother!"

"No, that's just how I look!"

Seeing that Mubai Aldan was being pinched on the cheek and was still trying to argue despite her slurred speech, Xiu Xingmeng gave a cold smile and then said to her with a fierce look.

"Hmph, do you think I don't know how cunning your Mejiro family is! You must be trying to keep me here so that you can seize the Emperor's Prize for the Spring and Autumn Period again in the name of the Mejiro family!"

"I sense you have something to hide. If you tell me everything you know and then help me pack up and take Mother's things, I might spare you this time!"

Got it, got it all.

From the moment they arrived at the Kita family, they had already set a trap for themselves. First, they used their mother's belongings to pique their curiosity and bring them to the Kita family. Then, they made the head of the family refuse, causing them to lose their rational thinking. Finally, they sent that middle-aged man to guard the corridor and lead them to this small courtyard!

Finally, this horse racer, disguised as her mother in her youth, will seize the opportunity when she is off guard and in a state of shock to lock herself firmly in the Meguro family!

What a complicated plan, what a cunning scheme!

If it weren't for the system's help, which allowed me to immediately regain my senses after a moment of confusion, I might have already been bewitched by the racehorse girl in front of me and stayed here for the sake of the Meguro family's honor!

"Hmph, it's a pity you never expected that I would be able to break free from control and regain my senses!"

Xiu Xingmeng stood on tiptoe and looked down at Mubai Aldan, saying this.

"To be defeated by my brilliant prediction, you can die a worthy death! Now tell me, just how many more conspiracies and schemes has the Meguro family plotted!"

Just as Xiu Xingmeng was feeling smug and Mu Bai Aldan was on the verge of tears, a slightly awkward cough suddenly rang out behind them.

“Hoshimu, the Mejiro family is really not some dark demon king's castle, they wouldn't do such a thing.”

Meguro Takamine leaned against the door, looking at the confused Xiuxing Yume and Meguro Aldan with a helpless expression.

Chapter 174 Explanation

After leaving Meguro Asama, Meguro Takamine learned of Xiu Xingmeng's whereabouts through the attending physician who happened to be passing by, but she did not expect to witness such a wonderful debate as soon as she arrived.

Especially Xiuxingmeng's whimsical ideas made her almost unable to believe that this was still the same autistic little pony girl who had isolated herself from the world.

However, Xiu Xingmeng is still just a child, and this kind of nature is more in line with her age. Her previous indifference was probably just a form of self-protection under the pressure she had accumulated.

Meguro looked at the two who had suddenly frozen in place, sighed subtly, and thought to himself.

But Megumi Takamori was still a little confused. He hadn't been able to get Xiuxingmeng to open up before, so why could she do it when she came to Aldan's side?

She had no recollection of her younger sister being a social butterfly. In Meguro Takamine's memory, the frail and sickly Meguro Aldan always preferred to stay quietly in a corner by herself. But now, she could actually elicit a range of expressions from Xiuxing Meng that she never showed when she was with her.

How did she manage to do that?!

Could it be that Megumi Ardan is actually a natural social genius, but his talents were wasted because he didn't have the opportunity to showcase them before?!

Just as Meguro Takamine was completely baffled, Xiuxing Meng, who was standing to the side, had already reacted. She shielded Meguro Aldan in front of her and said warily to Meguro Takamine.

"Have they caught up? But I will never surrender!"

"Summon all the men your Mejiro family has planted in ambush! This racehorse girl and I, who have turned to the light, are sure we can break through here!"

Meguro Ardan, who was being protected in front of him, covered his flushed cheeks and looked at Meguro Takamine with a blank expression, completely unaware of what was happening.

Looking at the two of them, Megumi Takamine knew that now was not the time for her to overthink things. She rubbed her forehead and said with a headache.

"Anyway...can you let me explain first?"

Although she was the future heir to the family headship, Megumi Asama was unwilling to talk about things that Megumi Takamori couldn't force her to. So she managed to coax some basic details of the past out of Megumi Asama.