The Real Daughter Just Wants to Pilot Mechas - Chapter 2

Jiang Yuan was startled by the person who suddenly landed on the ground and instinctively took a step back. “Who are you?! How did you get in here?”

The person in front of him looked very strange.

Though wearing a long dress, her movements weren’t hindered by it at all. Her short black hair was unkempt and wild. Her left arm held a cannon and her right shoulder carried the metal skeleton of a mecha arm. Black metal coils were wrapped around her limbs and waist. A thin black cord was tied to her right wrist, connected to a piece of dark animal hide about the size of half a palm.

Jiang Yuan, a mecha enthusiast who had entered Central Mecha Academy a year early due to his talent, immediately recognized the things wrapped around her body as mecha exoskeleton components.

Mecha exoskeleton was a type of semi-mecha weapon that could greatly enhance physical strength, though not significantly enough for military use. It had been abandoned by the army and adopted by interstellar pirates instead.

Had interstellar pirates really made it into the core system of the Capital Star?

He inhaled sharply and took another step back, his left hand reaching for his right wrist to send an emergency alert.

The courtyard’s security system responded instantly, with cannons emerging from all directions, targeting the figure standing in the middle.

“Hi, Second Brother!” Jiang Momo grinned brightly and waved cheerfully at Jiang Yuan before looking around amidst the blaring alarm.

Sensing no immediate threat, her gaze locked through the window onto Jiang Xian who was standing by the dining table with a concerned look.

That’s Mom!

Jiang Momo recognized her at once. Like a baby bird returning to the nest, she dashed forward.

The cannons began to charge up.

“Second Young Master, stop!” The old butler finally pushed his way out from the pile of junk, barely reaching the ship’s door in time. When he saw the scene unfolding, he nearly had a heart attack and shouted hastily.

The cannons stopped charging and retracted.

“Good thing I reacted quickly or that would’ve been a waste of energy. This stuff’s expensive,” Jiang Yuan muttered, wiping cold sweat from his forehead. He looked at the butler. “Weren’t you supposed to be back tomorrow?”

The butler replied, “…We took a bit of a shortcut.”

“Oh.” Jiang Yuan didn’t ask more, as he wasn’t a curious person. He turned around, ready to greet his long-lost sister but only caught a glimpse of her disappearing silhouette at the door.

Jiang Momo was too excited. Her eyes sparkled and she tossed aside the cannon and mecha arm she had treasured during the journey. She spread her arms wide and ran forward, hoping for a hug.

Little Eight had said that family members hug each other to share warmth.

It was a kind of warmth artificial intelligence could neither understand nor replicate.

“Mom!”

As she reached Jiang Xian and was about to embrace her, Jiang Xian glanced at Jiang Yingying who had been silent since Momo’s arrival. Instinctively, she took a half step back and raised one hand in a blocking gesture.

Jiang Momo stopped immediately.

She felt a breeze pass through the space between them.

It was a little cold.

“Why are you so filthy?” Jiang Xian’s gaze dropped, frowning at the dirt on the white dress, her beautiful features twisting into a look that said she’d rather throw Jiang Momo into a sink to scrub her clean.

Jiang Momo looked down at her clothes, then looked up, and smiled as she reported to Jiang Xian.

“I was just assembling a mecha arm for fun. Maybe it got a little wrinkled but it’s not dirty!”

She had disassembled and reassembled those materials over and over, polishing them until they could practically shine.

“Go wash up first.” Jiang Xian ignored Jiang Momo’s explanation. “You must not have eaten or slept well on the way. After you clean up, we’ll eat together, then rest early. Anything else can wait until tomorrow.”

She looked Jiang Momo up and down carefully. The deeper layer of dissatisfaction in her eyes was not noticed by anyone.

Jiang Momo didn’t move. She lifted her head, eyes sparkling and asked softly, “Mom, can you give me a hug?”

Jiang Xian felt a slight ache in her chest but she didn’t pay it much mind. She frowned, took half a step forward, and leaned in to lightly wrap her arms around Jiang Momo.

Just a brief touch, and then she pulled away.

Jiang Momo closed her eyes slightly, her body tense as she felt Jiang Xian’s presence move away. Her fingers tightened without a trace.

“Are you done?” Jiang Xian asked.

Jiang Momo was about to nod when Jiang Yuan impatiently bumped her from behind. “Don’t just stand there. Go take a shower! Your room is the first one on the left on the first floor,” he said gruffly.

Standing to the side, trying to make herself as invisible as possible, Jiang Yingying suddenly lifted her head and looked at Jiang Xian.

Jiang Xian didn’t object.

“Go on, go on,” Jiang Yuan urged again, pushing Jiang Momo’s back, forcing her to take two steps forward. Then he waved his hands impatiently. “What the hell do you eat? You’re so heavy.”

Jiang Momo ignored him. She turned her head to look at Jiang Xian who stood with her arms crossed, silent as she let Jiang Momo be shoved around.

Jiang Momo lowered her gaze slightly, then turned and walked away.

[Please follow me.]

A small household robot slid to Jiang Momo’s side, its screen blinking as it led her toward the room.

The atmosphere in the living room was heavy. The three members of the Jiang family stood in place, no one speaking, just silently watching Jiang Momo’s back as she followed the robot away.

Their gazes were cold, like they were watching an intruder in their territory.

Time seemed to freeze in the room.

Only when the door to the room closed with a soft sound did the air begin to move again.

Jiang Xian turned her head and looked at Jiang Yingying who stood to the side looking weak and gentle. Even without any deliberate expression, she still gave off a sense of resilient fragility. Jiang Xian’s dissatisfaction grew a bit more.

Jiang Yingying noticed Jiang Xian was looking at her. She lifted her head slightly and her dark eyes showed suppressed restraint, as if she wanted to speak but held back.

“I know you feel guilty toward Momo but you’re also a victim in this. You don’t have to involve yourself in what happens next. We’ll handle it,” Jiang Xian’s tone softened.

Jiang Yingying had been raised and taught by her personally. Her behavior and personality matched Jiang Xian’s preferences and the standards of high society. In comparison, Jiang Momo was far from presentable, worse than she had even imagined.

Jiang Yingying lowered her head. “I’m sorry, Mom. It’s my fault for causing trouble.”

“It’s okay.”

Jiang Xian looked at her, appreciating how even with her head bowed, she still stood with a perfectly straight back. Then she turned her head to look at the entrance.

There, the butler was directing household robots to carry the mecha arm Jiang Momo had thrown on the ground. Seven robots lined up, squatting down and grabbing the arm, shakily lifting it up.

It was only then that the dented ground at the doorway was noticed.

Jiang Xian gently placed a hand on Jiang Yingying’s shoulder and questioned the butler, “Didn’t I give you a spatial compression storage box before you left? Why did you let Jiang Momo carry all that heavy stuff herself?”

The butler knew Jiang Xian wasn’t asking because she felt sorry for Jiang Momo, nor was she truly curious about how the storage box was used.

But he still had to answer.

“Miss Momo had a lot of items, so…”

“You know that’s not what I’m asking.” Jiang Xian raised a hand and interrupted the butler. “Don’t let her carry junk in her hands next time. It’s a matter of appearance. Fortunately, no guests came to the house today, otherwise, there would’ve been no way to explain it.”

“Understood, Madam,” the butler replied.

Jiang Xian sat back down at the dining table and Jiang Yingying followed.

Jiang Yuan looked around, then rushed over to the butler’s side, and examined the mecha arm the robots were carrying.

“You said her stuff was too much earlier. Don’t tell me all that junk filled up the storage box?” He asked on purpose to annoy the butler. After all, when that latest extra-large storage box came out, he and his father had begged for one but in the end, it went to the butler. He still held a grudge.

“Not just that,” the butler answered honestly. “The ship is full too.”

Jiang Yuan froze and let out a sharp screech, “That’s my ship!!!”

Just beyond the wall…

Jiang Momo held down the struggling household robot beneath her hand and transferred Little Eight’s data into it.

Soon, the robot’s resistance weakened and stopped.

A familiar, cheerful voice rang out, [Momo, you’re home!]

[Did you see Mom and Dad? Are you happy? Did you hug them? Humans love hugging the most.]

[You’re so wonderful. I’m sure they’ll love you too!]

[Is this your room? This room is really… cozy.]

Little Eight looked around but before it could finish speaking, Jiang Momo tightly hugged it. Perhaps it hadn’t gotten used to its new body yet but it could feel Jiang Momo trembling.

“Yes, this is my room,” Jiang Momo said softly.

She wasn’t sure if the villa had poor soundproofing or if her hearing was just that good but every sound from outside came through clearly, including the things they said.

She suddenly realized that they didn’t seem to want her back at all.