5

Jiang Wenxiu sat on the floor, clinging to Pei Yujang's clothes, wailing as if she had been gravely injured.

Pei Yujang couldn't help but question herself.

Had she been too rough on the girl, or were people in this era simply not very resilient?

Her hands had wielded knives that slit the throats of zombie beasts and severed the heads of bandits, but she had held back when dealing with this young girl. Even though she didn't like Jiang Wenxiu, Pei Yujang had calculated her strength to cause pain but not injury, certainly not permanent harm. But Jiang Wenxiu's dramatic crying made Pei Yujang wonder if there was some hidden agenda.

The housekeeper and maid exchanged glances, nudging each other until the maid finally gathered the courage to step forward. She timidly glanced at Pei Yujang before moving to help the sobbing Jiang Wenxiu.

Pei Yujang looked at the maid, about to ask something, but the maid immediately lowered her head and dared not speak, even slowing down her movements as she reached for Jiang Wenxiu.

Pei Yujang: "..."

It wasn't the first time she had been treated like some terrifying force. She remembered a time on the battlefield when she was in charge of cleaning up. The stench of blood clung to her for days, even after the corpses had been burned. When she returned to the city, babies would cry at the sight of her, but it wasn't as if adults acted as scared as they did now.

After the maid took Jiang Wenxiu away, Pei Yujang finally had some peace. She followed the original character's memories to find her room.

The room was lavishly decorated. Pei Yujang stood in front of the full-length mirror in the bathroom, seriously examining her appearance for the first time since transmigrating.

The original character looked very much like her, with the main difference being that she was a Beta. Otherwise, there weren't many significant differences.

Her long, narrow eyes had a slight upward tilt, her nose was delicate and prominent, and her lips, pale when bare, were thin. She had a cat-like appearance, with deep blue eyes—darker than most but lighter than deep-sea blue. Her eyelashes were long, including her lower lashes, drawing immediate attention to her eyes.

But Pei Yujang found herself most haunted by the memory of Yu Zhiwan's eyes.

Yu Zhiwan's eyes were soft and clear, filled with deep emotions, speaking volumes despite her blindness. Every time Pei Yujang thought about it, she couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.

As for her role as the villain, Pei Yujang wasn't too concerned for now. After all, she wasn't even an Alpha and had no intentions of claiming Yu Zhiwan. Besides, she was a law-abiding citizen who would never engage in something as heinous as forceful marking.

The system, 711, reminded her persistently:

"Host, even if you can't mark Yu Zhiwan right now, you still need to act like you're interested in her, to make her dislike you and to ignite the fighting spirit in Liu Huanran. Otherwise, Liu Huanran will stay passive, and how will the plot progress?"

Pei Yujang remained optimistic:

"No worries, things will sort themselves out when the time comes. Let's focus on lowering the female lead's blackening value to a safe range first."

The female lead's blackening value couldn't be too low or too high. 711 hadn't specified the ideal range, but Pei Yujang guessed it needed to be around 50 or 60. Too high would be dangerous, while too low could stall the plot.

Pei Yujang decided to start working at Pei Jinhuai's company. After all, she couldn't just laze around in a new era without a job—being unemployed didn't suit her.

She called her mother, the original character's mother, to share her plan. Delighted, Pei Jinhuai, who had always been concerned about her daughter's future, urged Pei Yujang to work hard, avoid causing trouble, and stick with it. She even sent her some pocket money and scheduled a health check-up for her.

"Xiaoyu," Pei Jinhuai, a powerful businesswoman, seemed hesitant on the phone, clearly worried about upsetting her daughter. Her guilt over her failed marriage and its impact on her daughter's rebellious personality made her overly indulgent. She asked cautiously, "For this check-up, how should we list your gender?"

The original character was a Beta, but only her family and the other mother-daughter pair they lived with knew. She publicly identified as an Alpha, even going so far as to buy Alpha pheromone extract on the black market to maintain the illusion.

Pei Yujang had been a strong Alpha in her previous life. While it was true that Alphas were superior in physical abilities, they also carried the responsibility of protecting their country. Many Betas envied Alphas, but Pei Yujang didn't mind being a Beta now.

Just as she was about to speak, a powerful force seized her throat, preventing her from voicing her true thoughts.

Becoming an Alpha was a deep-seated obsession for the original character. If she hadn't been so desperate, she wouldn't have risked buying pheromone extract on the black market.

Pei Yujang frowned and, against her will, replied:

"Alpha, as always. Everyone already thinks I'm an Alpha, so suddenly changing it would be too suspicious."

The moment she agreed, the oppressive feeling disappeared.

The original character seemed extremely fixated on her gender, but as long as Pei Yujang didn't challenge that, the remnants of the original character's consciousness wouldn't interfere.

Pei Yujang didn't like feeling controlled, finding it deeply unsettling. She asked the system if this would change, and it assured her that once the plot started progressing, the original character's consciousness would fade away. That made her feel a bit better.

On the day of the health check-up, Pei Yujang accidentally ran into Yu Zhiwan.

Yu Zhiwan was dressed in a simple, ankle-length dress, wearing sunglasses, and seated in an electric wheelchair, making her stand out among the crowd in the hospital. Her long black hair was styled in a loose bun held by a wooden hairpin, with thick bangs framing her face. The simple outfit highlighted her fair skin and striking features.

Her figure was slender, her posture straight. If not for the wheelchair, she wouldn't have looked ill at all.

However, the hospital was crowded that day, and there was commotion up ahead—apparently, a dispute had erupted. Family members of a patient were holding up banners, blocking the path completely, while others gathered to watch, leading to more pushing and shoving.

Shouts and the cries of children echoed through the crowd.

Yu Zhiwan, caught in the chaos, was jostled back and forth. Despite the security guards trying to maintain order with loudspeakers, it was no use. In an instant, Pei Yujang saw the wheelchair being pushed aside, nearly crashing into a door. The person who had shoved her didn't even apologize, continuing to push through the crowd with a report in hand.

Pei Yujang couldn't stand it any longer.

She was strong and tall but slender, easily finding her way through the crowd.

Despite her best efforts to maneuver the wheelchair, the sheer number of people made it impossible for Yu Zhiwan to avoid being jostled. Like a small boat lost at sea, she was about to be swallowed by the crowd when Pei Yujang grabbed the wheelchair from behind.

Pei Yujang firmly took control of the wheelchair.

The crowd was overwhelming, and Pei Yujang couldn't understand why a normal hospital in a time of peace was so crowded. The stench of sweat and body odor filled the air, along with the smell of saliva as people shouted and argued about who had bumped into whom.

The sharp cries of children, the shouts of a pregnant woman calling for her partner, and the overall chaos made the hospital feel like a noisy marketplace.

Someone suddenly shouted, "There's a fight!" and the crowd dispersed in panic, adding to the chaos in the already congested corridor.

Yu Zhiwan clutched the edges of her wheelchair, trying to regain control, but Pei Yujang leaned down and whispered in her ear:

"Hold on tight!"

Before Yu Zhiwan could react, Pei Yujang bent over, her hands gripping the sides of the wheelchair, shielding her from the crowd.

Though Pei Yujang's arms weren't bulky, they were toned and capable of immense strength. After identifying a clear path, she pushed through the crowd without hesitation, carefully avoiding the elderly, weak, and infirm as she securely held Yu Zhiwan and her wheelchair close.

Yu Zhiwan's wheelchair was compact, making it easier for Pei Yujang to navigate. The stench of sweat was blocked out, replaced by the subtle scent of an expensive perfume—fresh and clean, like white tea, a fragrance that indicated the wearer's refined taste.

"We meet again."

As a villain, it seemed odd to keep showing up when the female lead was in trouble. Pei Yujang had planned to help and leave without being noticed, but she was startled by the woman's soft, ethereal voice near her ear.

Before she could slip away, the warm breath from Yu Zhiwan's words stirred the hair near her ear. As if afraid Pei Yujang would leave too quickly, Yu Zhiwan cautiously reached out, lightly grasping her wrist. Although Pei Yujang could easily break free, the Omega's touch was so delicate that she was afraid of accidentally hurting her if she moved.

"Miss Yu, I recognize your voice."

The soft voice spoke again, this time with a hint of playfulness. As she spoke, Yu Zhiwan's lips curved into a faint smile, so charming that one could easily drown in the Omega's gentle allure.