Meanwhile...
In another hospital room.
The cool scent of medicinal ointment filled the air, and the faint pain from her wounds kept Yu Zhiwan's brow furrowed even in her sleep, her delicate fingers tightly clutching the bed sheets.
An Omega's body was naturally fragile, and Yu Zhiwan was on the verge of entering her heat period. After being tied up in the dark attic for two whole days without a drop of water, her mental state was close to collapse.
For two days, her only companions had been the rough nylon ropes and the howling wind outside the window.
Whenever she slipped into unconsciousness, it was a desperate will to survive that would jolt her awake, only to plunge her back into a sea of confusion and darkness, over and over again.
The wounds from the nylon ropes burned like ants biting at her skin, or like the sharp sting of a needle. She dreamed once more of a cold, damp basement, where the chill penetrated her bones, and even breathing was painful, as if her lungs were being torn apart.
"Miss Yu."
Yu Zhiwan's breathing quickened. She heard someone calling her name, but the bloody images in her dream flooded her mind, causing her heart to race with anxiety. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears, and she could faintly hear a pounding sound.
Thump, thump, thump!
Yu Zhiwan awoke with a start.
A nurse's concerned voice reached her ears:
"Miss Yu, were you having a nightmare?"
Yu Zhiwan's heart was still pounding. It had been a long time since she had experienced such a strong emotional fluctuation, and it took her a moment to gather her thoughts. But soon, she caught the sweet scent of honey water, which gently filled her senses.
"Miss Yu, someone has come to see you. If you need anything, you can press the call button. I'm Nurse 019."
The nurse said this gently, taking Yu Zhiwan's hand to guide her to the bedside electronic bell. After making sure Yu Zhiwan knew its location, the nurse bowed to Pei Yujang and left the room.
As the nurse slowly closed the door, only the two of them were left in the room.
Pei Yujang wasn't socially anxious, but she had little experience interacting with Omegas, especially one who seemed to have a significant misunderstanding about her.
She hadn't wanted to come, but the female lead's blackening value had reached 99%. According to the system, if it hit 100%, the blackening would be irreversible, and Yu Zhiwan would fully turn against society. This would result in Pei Yujang's mission failing, and she would lose her life.
Pei Yujang, who had once led troops in battle and had read many popular novels about scumbag Alphas, knew that the first rule for an Alpha to win over an Omega was to admit fault, regardless of the situation. So, she forced herself to awkwardly address her as "Miss Yu," just as the nurse had, and asked:
"How are you feeling now?"
She had learned a bit of voice acting, though not very well, but it was enough to fool the average person. She deliberately used the same tone she had when they first met, while carefully observing Yu Zhiwan's expression.
Even though Pei Yujang wasn't particularly drawn to appearances, she had to admit that the female lead was truly stunning.
Yu Zhiwan's beauty was delicate and refined, neither too strong nor too weak. At first glance, she might not seem overwhelmingly gorgeous, but she was definitely a "first-look beauty," and the more you looked, the more charming she became.
Her eyes were soft and lovely, almond-shaped, with a tiny, exquisite beauty mark below her left eye that added to her charm. Her skin was naturally fair, and under the pale sickly hue of illness, it gave her an almost fragile, porcelain-like appearance. Her thin lips were pale, but this did not detract from her overall beauty.
Even in the standard blue-and-white striped hospital gown, Yu Zhiwan carried herself with an undeniable grace.
When Pei Yujang spoke, Yu Zhiwan only responded with a light "Mm," her tone cold and indifferent, making it hard to gauge her feelings. Pei Yujang's head was still throbbing, but she kept a close eye on the female lead's blackening value, trying her best to keep her tone relaxed, showing no signs of nervousness:
"Here, I made you some honey water. Drink it while it's warm. I swear I had nothing to do with what happened before. You can check for fingerprints if you don't believe me."
While she was untying Yu Zhiwan, Pei Yujang had been rapidly thinking of ways to handle the situation. The chat logs wouldn't help her prove anything; they were anonymous, and if someone went to the trouble of making it anonymous, they probably faked the IP too. Tracing it back would be almost impossible.
As for an alibi, it didn't seem like anyone could vouch for the original character. After graduating from college, the original Pei Yujang refused to work properly, spending her days idling about. Even her assistant, Zhou Shuyue, couldn't possibly keep track of her every move 24/7.
If this kidnapping were pinned on her, Pei Yujang figured she'd be doomed.
The most important thing right now was to remove Yu Zhiwan's suspicions.
Pei Yujang handed the water to Yu Zhiwan while carefully observing her reaction. Noticing that Yu Zhiwan didn't resist, she let out a small hiss of pain, deliberately drawing in a sharp breath.
Yu Zhiwan raised an eyebrow, and, as expected, asked:
"What's wrong?"
"It's nothing, just a bit of a headache. I must have hit my head when I fell. But thanks—were you the one who brought me back? Could you leave me your contact information? I'd like to treat you to a meal sometime."
As she spoke, Yu Zhiwan took a sip of the perfectly balanced honey water, and Pei Yujang noticed the blackening value drop slightly.
Pei Yujang's eyes lit up.
On her way over, she had come up with several different excuses, and based on Yu Zhiwan's reaction, she had chosen the most pitiful one. In the original story, the female lead Yu Zhiwan had become so vengeful that even torturing the villainous Pei Yujang wasn't enough, proving that she was more likely to respond to kindness than force.
"Well, I was just at the factory collecting some old bottles to sell…"
Pei Yujang began crafting a tragic backstory for herself.
She talked about being orphaned, growing up in an orphanage, working her way through school despite not being a good student... It was partly true—her parents had been killed by zombie beasts in her previous life—so she borrowed from her past and kept spinning the tale.
Pei Yujang felt like she had used up all her speaking skills in those few minutes, her mouth dry by the end, but she finally saw a hint of pity in Yu Zhiwan's expression.
She explained that she had found the key, and a few days ago, while passing by, she thought she heard someone upstairs but was too scared to check because it was getting dark. When she noticed it was about to rain, she was worried something might have happened, so she went up to look.
The logic seemed sound enough, especially since Yu Zhiwan couldn't see her face. Pei Yujang had changed her voice, so she felt confident enough to lie convincingly to her.
As for Liu Huanran, the official love interest, who knew why she hadn't arrived in time to "rescue" Yu Zhiwan? Since time had passed and they hadn't met in person, Liu Huanran couldn't just randomly blame Pei Yujang.
But it seemed to be working out well enough. Pei Yujang watched as Yu Zhiwan's blackening value dropped from a terrifying 99% to 98%, then to 92%, slowly falling below the dangerous 90% mark, finally settling at 87%.
Pei Yujang felt as nervous as if she were facing zombie beasts for the first time, treating the Omega with extreme caution. Yu Zhiwan even pulled out a blind-accessible smartphone and asked her to scan the WeChat code to add her as a friend.
"What's your name?" Yu Zhiwan asked.
"Just call me Xiaoyu, like 'a fish in water,'" Pei Yujang replied.
As soon as she said it, Pei Yujang realized she had just dug herself a hole, creating a new identity in front of the female lead.
Oh well, as long as she stabilized the female lead's blackening value, she shouldn't have to deal with her much in the future. She had set herself up as a poor young person, so Yu Zhiwan probably wouldn't be interested in keeping in touch.
But to keep up appearances, Pei Yujang added in a deliberately altered voice:
"Then I'll treat you to a meal later, you'd better show up."
Yu Zhiwan softly replied, "Okay." Her voice was gentle and pleasant, not overly sweet, but light and soothing, like a breeze in spring.
There was no sign of the potential for blackening at all.
In the original story, after the female lead blackened, she and her official Alpha systematically destroyed Pei Yujang, cutting her tendons and slicing her body into pieces, feeding her flesh to pet snakes while forcing her to drink her own blood as it splattered everywhere.
The descriptions were horrifyingly brutal, indicating just how deeply Yu Zhiwan had come to hate the original character.
After temporarily calming the female lead, Pei Yujang made a successful retreat. Just as she turned a corner after leaving the hospital room, she saw a figure rushing toward her.
[Warning: The official love interest, Liu Huanran, is within 100 meters!]
So this is Liu Huanran? Pei Yujang frowned slightly. How much time had passed, and only now was she arriving?
Today, Liu Huanran was clearly dressed to impress. Her hair was meticulously styled, and she was wearing a deep V-neck black dress that accentuated her tall, slender figure. Her makeup was vibrant yet not overpowering, clearly applied with care. Perhaps because she had just run over, the shawl on her shoulders was slipping off, revealing her smooth, white shoulders.
Pei Yujang, who had never seen anyone dress like this to visit a patient, couldn't help but pause and observe this so-called official love interest.
Dressed in her hospital gown, with her hair casually draped over her shoulders, Pei Yujang stood still. Liu Huanran, in her rush, didn't even notice her. Pei Yujang watched as Liu Huanran burst into the room without even closing the door behind her.
Seeing Yu Zhiwan lying weakly in bed, Liu Huanran instinctively rushed to her side, holding onto her wheelchair and calling her by her nickname.
"Wanwan, how are you?"
The heavy scent of perfume that Liu Huanran had doused herself in was overwhelming, making even Pei Yujang, standing at a distance, feel lightheaded. With an Omega's heightened sense of smell, it was no surprise that Yu Zhiwan's brow furrowed in discomfort.
Yet Liu Huanran remained oblivious, fussing over Yu Zhiwan with exaggerated concern.
"Wanwan, if you're okay, say something! Don't scare me. Is your heat period coming soon?"
At the mention of "heat period," Yu Zhiwan's eyelids fluttered slightly, but she responded with a long silence. As if sensing something amiss, Liu Huanran reached out to touch her forehead.
Watching from outside, Pei Yujang suddenly noticed that when Liu Huanran's hand made contact with Yu Zhiwan's forehead, Yu Zhiwan's body trembled slightly.