26

Pei Yujang had heard Jiang Wenxiu curse people before, but it was usually during games, either when encountering bad teammates or as a habitual manner of speaking.

However, this was the first time Pei Yujang had seen the young girl use such harsh, direct, and extremely unpleasant language against someone.

Even as a bystander, Pei Yujang found the words hard to listen to, so how could the target, Liu Huanran, not notice? The woman was so angry that her hands trembled, her pretty face turned bright red, and after stammering "you, you, you" for a long time, she found herself completely defeated in front of a young girl.

Although Jiang Wenxiu had developed early and was already quite tall in her adolescence, her face still looked youthful, making it obvious she was a high school student. If she wanted to go to bars or clubs, she had to be accompanied by someone to sneak in.

In fact, Jiang Wenxiu had seen Liu Huanran a few times in a bar.

She went to bars purely for the lively atmosphere. Being young, she enjoyed clubbing and felt there was nothing wrong with it, though her parents had been strict with her recently.

Especially after Pei Yujang meddled and reported her to Fan Zhaozhao, who then realized she shouldn't spoil her daughter so much. Since then, Fan Zhaozhao had been checking Jiang Wenxiu's homework every day after school, leaving her no time to go out.

But in the past few times she managed to go, she coincidentally witnessed Liu Huanran flirting ambiguously with pretty girls in the bar. Often, just as they were about to kiss her, Liu Huanran would push them away, righteously declaring that she had a wife.

Jiang Wenxiu was utterly disgusted by her.

Though she was an Alpha herself, she would never be such a scumbag. Her mother had been mistreated by a male Alpha, and she deeply loathed her so-called father, wishing she didn't have his blood in her veins.

Some female Alphas, relying on their primary gender advantage, completely forgot they were also women and acted aggressively towards Omegas.

While Jiang Wenxiu was confronting Liu Huanran, Pei Yujang, who hadn't seen what led up to the confrontation, approached but immediately stood protectively in front of Yu Zhiwan upon noticing her:

"What are you doing?"

Though she asked "what are you all doing?" her gaze was fixed on Liu Huanran.

Jiang Wenxiu seized the initiative and took a jab at Pei Yujang in the process:

"Sis, shouldn't you just hit things that think with their electronic d*ck and glands instead of asking questions here? Use the strength you had when you hit me!"

Liu Huanran: "..."

She suddenly recalled how Pei Yujang had once punched her so hard she was left kneeling in the rain, unable to stand.

She had been bedridden for several days afterward, and even a slight movement caused her spine to ache. She had no idea how much force Pei Yujang had used, especially since Pei Yujang was just a Beta, not an Alpha—how could she be so strong?

Even so, after that lesson, Liu Huanran didn't dare provoke Pei Yujang directly.

The woman glared at Yu Zhiwan resentfully, but Yu Zhiwan, unable to see her gaze, remained silent. It was Jiang Wenxiu who snapped:

"What are you looking at? Keep staring, and I'll dig your eyes out!"

Liu Huanran turned and left.

Pei Yujang watched her retreating figure for a moment before patting Yu Zhiwan on the shoulder, asking softly:

"Were you scared?"

According to convention, a considerate Omega would usually shake their head at this point and say, "No." But Yu Zhiwan was not one to deny her feelings.

Her mood had been soured by Liu Huanran, and she wasn't about to let others feel better. So as soon as Pei Yujang asked the question, a tear slowly trickled down her cheek.

Yu Zhiwan's nose turned red, her almond-shaped eyes filled with tears, and her expression was full of grievance. She was naturally soft and non-aggressive, and as her tears fell, she hurriedly wiped them away, lowering her head as if not wanting anyone to see her crying. Pei Yujang panicked and quickly took out a tissue.

She had intended to hand her the tissue, but as Yu Zhiwan began to cry uncontrollably, seemingly venting all the grievances from Liu Huanran, Pei Yujang had no choice but to kneel down and carefully wipe her tears away.

While Pei Yujang knelt on one knee to wipe Yu Zhiwan's tears, Jiang Wenxiu felt like an unwanted third wheel and quickly slipped away.

The location of Yuérong's company was not in a bustling area, but it wasn't too remote either, with beautiful scenery that was ideal for focusing on makeup research. The night wind carried the chill of early winter, and Jiang Wenxiu paced back and forth in the corridor. She was a restless person, seemingly full of energy to burn. Her phone kept pinging as her classmates and friends bombarded her with messages.

Soon, she received a photo from a club.

Someone tagged her, asking her to come quickly to celebrate her "sister's" birthday.

Although it wasn't her actual sister, Jiang Wenxiu loved joining in the fun, so she immediately ditched the family gathering and headed to the birthday party.

When Pei Yujang finished her tasks, she noticed that Jiang Wenxiu had already left. Fan Zhaozhao, feeling a bit embarrassed, apologized:

"This kid has been wild since she was young. I didn't discipline her much before, and now I'm afraid that if I start, she'll rebel in her adolescence. As long as it's not too outrageous, I let her be. I hope you don't mind."

Though Fan Zhaozhao no longer allowed her to frequent such places, since this was a classmate's invitation and a legitimate gathering, Fan Zhaozhao was lenient enough to let her go, fearing the young girl might get upset. Pei Yujang didn't mind at all; she was indifferent to how many people were at the gathering, but under Pei Jinhuai's request, she still brought Yu Zhiwan along.

Pei Jinhuai had reserved a restaurant, and they all drove there together.

During the meal, Pei Jinhuai couldn't stop praising Yu Zhiwan and kept serving her food with the communal chopsticks. Since Jiang Wenxiu wasn't there today and Pei Jinhuai and Fan Zhaozhao were a married couple, Pei Yujang couldn't shake the feeling that she was introducing her girlfriend to her parents.

The awkwardness made her keep glancing at Yu Zhiwan.

However, Yu Zhiwan didn't seem to mind the attention from the elders and responded to them with consideration. Pei Jinhuai was now more satisfied with her than ever, not even caring much about Yu Zhiwan's disability.

Pei Yujang even suspected that if she proposed marrying Yu Zhiwan today, Pei Jinhuai would arrange the wedding the next day.

After finally making it through the meal, Pei Yujang wanted to head home but wasn't sure where to go with Yu Zhiwan. As she was deliberating, she suddenly heard the Omega softly ask:

"Would you walk with me for a bit?"

It's often said that a hundred steps after a meal will keep you healthy. Although Yu Zhiwan couldn't walk due to her leg disability, she seemed to enjoy going out for a stroll after dinner. Pei Yujang certainly wouldn't refuse such a small request and informed the two elders before heading out.

Before they left, Pei Jinhuai playfully winked at her.

The scenery around the restaurant was also beautiful, with a river just a short distance away. The neon lights reflected on the water, rippling with the waves. The air was already tinged with cold, so Pei Yujang took off her jacket and draped it over Yu Zhiwan to keep her warm as they strolled and chatted casually.

"We're by the Heng River," Pei Yujang remarked, listening to the fierce wind over the water.

Yu Zhiwan immediately asked:

"Have you ever come here for the Water-Splashing Festival?"

Pei Yujang blurted out:

"No."

She was from two hundred years in the future—how could she have attended the Water-Splashing Festival here? In her time, there was already chaos, and entertainment options were scarce.

Moreover, this river would eventually dry up, becoming more of a long creek. Later on, many people would use its water for washing clothes and dumping household waste, worsening its condition until it was completely unusable.

Yu Zhiwan was a native of Yicheng, and from her, Pei Yujang learned that this river had originally been a small creek that had gradually been expanded.

Before Yicheng became so developed, many people enjoyed coming here to celebrate the Water-Splashing Festival, splashing water from the river onto each other. Back then, there were no bustling streets like there are now, nor was there a bridge. People used small stepping stones to cross the river.

Yicheng had experienced ups and downs over the centuries. Pei Yujang had seen Yicheng at its most desolate and found it difficult to imagine it once resembling a small village.

But she could picture Yu Zhiwan's childhood, knowing she had played here with others. At that time, though blind, Yu Zhiwan had no leg disability and could walk normally. Now, however, she was confined to a wheelchair, listening to others describe the ever-changing Yicheng.

Pei Yujang suddenly felt a pang of emotion. Fortunately, Yu Zhiwan wouldn't witness the future decline of Yicheng; when this city was finally engulfed in war, Yu Zhiwan would have long since passed, sparing her the pain Pei Yujang had felt.

Having truly defended this homeland and seeing its current prosperity, one couldn't help but feel a deep sense of loss.

But no matter how it changed, Yicheng was still her hometown. She grew up in this city, and even after being transferred to various places during her military service, it was this place she missed the most.

But how was this world even constructed?

Pei Yujang was always puzzled about the connection between this novel and herself. After perishing alongside the zombie beasts, she didn't truly die but instead traveled back two hundred years to this city, taking over the body of someone with the same name and meeting Yu Zhiwan.

Yu Zhiwan was one of the novel's main characters, but with Pei Yujang's extensive reading experience, she felt the novel was written from a "main attacker" perspective.

Almost everything in the book was set up to make Liu Huanran's life easier. Anyone who bullied her got their comeuppance, she could flirt wherever she pleased, and the main character would remain chaste for her, even bearing a child while enduring hardships, ultimately granting her a young, beautiful, and extraordinary wife without any effort, securing both wife and child.

Even when Liu Huanran pulled all sorts of manipulative stunts, like kidnapping Yu Zhiwan and having someone else abuse her, only to then swoop in as the savior, wasn't that classic PUA behavior, telling the Omega she was nearly "tainted" and that only she could save her?

This kind of baffling behavior appeared frequently in the original plot, yet Yu Zhiwan didn't seem to care at all and thought Liu Huanran was great, like an incurable romantic who insisted on being with her.

But could one truly be happy with someone like that?

Even if it was crematorium literature, such a person didn't deserve a "chase," only to be reduced to ashes in the crematorium.

Pei Yujang then remembered that someone had approached Liu Huanran, asking her to forcibly mark Yu Zhiwan. Once an Alpha marked an Omega, unless it was a temporary mark, the Omega would most likely become pregnant. That person wanted to use the child to tie Yu Zhiwan to Liu Huanran, but why would they help Liu Huanran?

Later, when she tried to investigate that black-clad individual, she found no clues.

Perhaps the person had changed clothes and gone out. By the time Pei Yujang managed to access surveillance footage, there was no trace of them. Yicheng was so large; finding one person in a sea of people was no easy task, especially if they weren't a local, making it even harder to track them down.

Who exactly had Yu Zhiwan offended?

Yu Zhiwan hadn't discussed her background in detail with Pei Yujang, and since she didn't want to talk about it, Pei Yujang didn't press her but continued to speculate wildly.

The riverside scenery was nice but a bit chilly, so Pei Yujang decided to take Yu Zhiwan on a short walk before heading back. On their way back, they encountered several internet influencers filming. They were laughing and joking on a sightseeing boat, and one girl in a pink and white thin cotton jacket's eyes lit up when she saw Pei Yujang and immediately shouted:

"Stop!"

The girl had a round face, with a cute and pure appearance, looking like an Omega. The sightseeing boat wasn't far from the shore, and there was a small dock where the boat stopped. The round-faced girl got off and ran over amidst her friends' jeers.

"Can I add you on Talk, sis?"

Talk was the most popular chat app in this world.

As soon as she spoke, Yu Zhiwan, sitting in her wheelchair, pursed her lips but didn't say anything, silently waiting for Pei Yujang to respond.

Pei Yujang didn't know this girl at all and didn't understand why people nowadays wanted to add strangers on Talk. Judging by the girl's age, she seemed only a little older than Jiang Wenxiu. After some thought, Pei Yujang couldn't help but give her a word of advice:

"I don't add strangers. Talk is a private app with a social network, and adding strangers isn't good—it could expose your personal information. You shouldn't add people recklessly."

Finally, remembering that Yu Zhiwan didn't like her stern demeanor, she softened her tone, smiled, and added:

"Don't you think so?"

Pei Yujang hadn't dressed up much today, but she had naturally striking features, especially her eyes, which were not the usual dark brown but a blue-black hue, made more vivid by the light.

Her long hair, naturally slightly wavy, cascaded down her back, giving her a regal air. With her tall and well-proportioned figure, many women attracted to other women would have a soft spot for such a commanding presence. When Pei Yujang smiled, it carried a hint of affection, and the girl's face flushed as she stammered, "Mm-hmm."

"So, will you come here again, sis? If we meet by chance next time, then we won't be strangers, and we can exchange contact info—"

She was trying to mimic Pei Yujang's tone and shyly asking "is that okay?" when a sudden coughing fit interrupted her.

The round-faced girl had noticed Yu Zhiwan.

Even though Yu Zhiwan was in a wheelchair, her outstanding beauty made it impossible to ignore. However, because of her disability and Pei Yujang's impressive qualities, the girl had subconsciously dismissed the idea that Yu Zhiwan might be Pei Yujang's girlfriend.

When Yu Zhiwan started coughing, Pei Yujang, worried she might be getting cold, hurriedly pushed her away without saying goodbye to the girl.

It wasn't until they reached the underground parking lot that Yu Zhiwan's coughing subsided. As Pei Yujang opened the car door, she heard Yu Zhiwan say softly:

"Sorry for interrupting your conversation with that girl."

After settling the back seat, Pei Yujang lifted Yu Zhiwan into the car. She usually had Yu Zhiwan sit in the back seat, as it was safer and more spacious. Once Yu Zhiwan was seated, she folded the wheelchair and placed it in the back seat as well. Then she heard the woman casually ask:

"Was she pretty?"

Pei Yujang thought for a moment. She couldn't quite remember what the girl looked like, only that she seemed about the same age as Jiang Wenxiu, but she seemed okay. She thought everyone was okay, except for Yu Zhiwan, who was an undeniable beauty.

It didn't feel right to comment on someone's appearance behind their back, so Pei Yujang didn't want Yu Zhiwan to think she was harsh in her judgments and cleared her throat:

"She was pretty. The petite and cute type. Also very spirited and energetic."

It was freezing cold, and the girl was only wearing stockings on her legs—definitely "young and energetic"!

Yu Zhiwan responded with an "oh."

As Pei Yujang started the engine, she added:

"But there are a lot of pretty scammers these days. Next time, if a sweet-voiced little girl asks for your contact info, just steer clear."

"Same goes for little boys."

Yu Zhiwan seemed lost in thought for a moment, then Pei Yujang suddenly heard the woman's amused laughter from the back seat.

A few days later, when Pei Yujang returned from her morning run, she saw a familiar figure at her doorstep. She hurried over and was met with Yu Zhiwan's smile.

The Omega shook a steaming plastic bag in the winter air:

"Open the door, I made breakfast for you."

Pei Yujang already knew Yu Zhiwan could cook, but she was still groggy as she opened the door, only snapping to attention when she saw Yu Zhiwan pull a key out of her pocket.

A key that looked almost identical to her own.

"The hassle of getting in and out of the car every day was getting to me, so I moved in next door to you. I'll trouble you a bit by making breakfast every day," Yu Zhiwan said as she opened the plastic bag and asked, "Is that okay, Little Pei?"

Whenever Pei Yujang heard this nickname, it was often said with mockery, but Yu Zhiwan's tone now was gentle and sincere.

With someone offering to make her breakfast daily, Pei Yujang was, of course, happy. On second thought, she had to go to the company every day, and taking Yu Zhiwan along was no trouble at all—she was definitely getting the better end of the deal. Moreover, Yu Zhiwan had given her a gift before.

Pei Yujang decided to give her something in return.

The head of the planning department, Zhao Manlin, was Yu Zhiwan's Omega best friend. The two had been college roommates and were almost inseparable.

Most of the company's veteran employees didn't have a great impression of Pei Yujang, and Zhao Manlin was one of them, though her opinion had slightly improved recently. Despite being an Omega, Zhao Manlin's leadership abilities were on par with some Alphas, and she held a high position in the company, commanding respect, so she wasn't particularly intimidated by Pei Yujang.

Lately, Pei Yujang had been shadowing her to get familiar with the business and had to work with the finance department's veteran staff, running around daily and exhausting herself. Now that the accounts had been settled, she could finally take a breather.

Today, Zhao Manlin returned from the break room and noticed Pei Yujang's computer open. She glanced at it casually and immediately spotted a bold query in the search bar:

"What do Omega girls like?"

The related searches underneath were things like "Omega girls' personalities" and "Best birthday gifts for Omega girls." The earlier ones were fairly standard, but some of the later suggestions had become:

"What gift to give an Omega to suggest intimacy?"

"What gift would make an Omega willing to sleep with you?"

Zhao Manlin froze, her internal alarms blaring.

She knew that Pei Yujang had been getting close to Yu Zhiwan recently, and after asking Yu Zhiwan, she knew the two weren't together but had made peace and become friends.

Yu Zhiwan hadn't gone into much detail, so Zhao Manlin's suspicions about Pei Yujang hadn't been completely dispelled.

The original Pei Yujang had visited the company several times, supposedly to check things out, but in reality, she was trying to meet someone. Zhao Manlin had witnessed this multiple times, which had left her with a poor impression.

She didn't believe Pei Yujang had any good intentions in searching for such things and was about to take a picture when she heard footsteps, forcing her to put away her phone and return to her desk.

Pei Yujang didn't shy away, even in the shared office. After all, Zhao Manlin knew about her relationship with Pei Jinhuai. Pei Yujang entered the office while on the phone, flipping through her schedule with one hand and holding her phone with the other:

"Mom, how about I handle the collection task in Ningxiang with Yu Zhiwan? Her birthday is coming up, and I want to surprise her."

Yu Zhiwan's birthday was in winter, and Ningxiang was a small town in the south. One of the new product ingredients could only be found there, requiring a sample collection. Originally, this was a task for the product department, but Pei Yujang was eager to take it on.

She had heard Yu Zhiwan mention wanting to visit the south during a casual conversation. Coincidentally, her birthday was in half a month, and Pei Yujang had spent a long time finding a romantic idea on a certain platform. She planned to take Yu Zhiwan to Ningxiang next month, combining business with a company-funded vacation.

Since Yu Zhiwan had mobility issues, other colleagues wouldn't likely take her out for fun, but Pei Yujang found it convenient, given her strength, to assist Yu Zhiwan wherever they went. Besides, Ningxiang was warm in winter, with temperatures reaching over ten degrees, and was known as the "City of Flowers."

Pei Yujang's requests were generally granted by Pei Jinhuai, and this was a small matter. After she brought it up, Pei Jinhuai agreed on the spot.

As she ended the call, Pei Yujang noticed Zhao Manlin staring at her without blinking.

She wasn't in the habit of offering kindness to someone cold, and Zhao Manlin's attitude toward her was lukewarm at best, so Pei Yujang wasn't particularly fond of her either. But knowing Zhao Manlin was Yu Zhiwan's good friend, she couldn't be too indifferent. After assessing the other's expression, she smiled amiably and tentatively asked:

"Would you like to join us? I can help you get some time off."

Zhao Manlin: Is she not even going to try to hide it???