Pei Yuzhang waited for a few minutes. Just as her nerves began to relax, she heard footsteps approaching, slow and hesitant, as if the person was unsure.
Her senses instantly went on high alert.
Holding her breath, Pei Yuzhang stayed hidden in the shadows of the corridor. She peeked around the corner and spotted a tall woman stepping out of the elevator. To her surprise, it was Liu Huanran.
What is Liu Huanran doing here?
The question flashed through Pei Yuzhang's mind, but she quickly realized it couldn't be for anything good. This floor of the club wasn't for regular accommodations; it was meant for more intimate encounters. Liu Huanran, hurrying over with such urgency, must be up to something shady.
She recalled the system's earlier warning about Yu Zhiwan being drugged, suggesting that someone else had already carried out that task. But who had done it?
At first, Pei Yuzhang suspected her subordinate, but based on the original story, that person wouldn't have dared to defy the original character while she was still in power. Seeing Liu Huanran now, Pei Yuzhang's suspicions shifted to her.
Liu Huanran seemed to be searching for something, moving cautiously and making as little noise as possible. The soundproofing in these rooms was excellent, so she couldn't hear anything from inside. Watching Liu Huanran sneak around, Pei Yuzhang frowned, debating whether to step out and interrupt, when suddenly a door opened.
Yu Zhiwan emerged from the room, sitting calmly in her wheelchair, her posture and demeanor entirely composed, betraying no sign of her earlier distress.
The Omega had returned to normal. Under the soft corridor lights, her skin glowed with a warm, pearly sheen, like a piece of fine jade. Aside from the slight sheen on her lips indicating she had recently washed her face, there was no trace of the flushed, vulnerable Omega from before.
Liu Huanran's eyes lit up when she saw her, and she quickly closed the distance with a few long strides.
"Wanwan, what are you doing here?"
Yu Zhiwan didn't immediately respond, and Liu Huanran eagerly moved to push her wheelchair, muttering, "I was so worried. An Omega in a place like this—what if someone had noticed you? Hmm?"
She sighed, her expression a mix of helplessness and affection. Reaching out, she attempted to pinch Yu Zhiwan's cheek, but before she could make contact, the Omega, relying on her sharp instincts, subtly dodged the touch, clearly rejecting the gesture.
Perhaps because she thought they were alone, or maybe she had had a bit too much to drink, Liu Huanran didn't pay much attention to Yu Zhiwan's reluctance. Instead, she grabbed her by the chin and fondled her affectionately.
Yu Zhiwan's expression darkened. As Liu Huanran's hand lingered on her jawline, she unhesitatingly swatted it away with a sharp slap.
Liu Huanran winced, hissing in pain as she quickly withdrew her hand.
But when the two had first met, Pei Yuzhang hadn't been able to see everything clearly from her hiding spot. Hearing the sound, she assumed Liu Huanran had been rough with Yu Zhiwan. A surge of anger flared within her, and she could no longer hold back. Ignoring the system's warnings, she pushed open the door to the stairwell and stepped out.
As the protagonist's supposed romantic lead, Liu Huanran had so far proven to be utterly disappointing—impatient, lustful, and completely disregarding the Omega's consent. These traits were enough to make anyone detest her. How could someone as delicate as Yu Zhiwan stand a chance against a forceful Alpha?
"Little Pei?"
Hearing the commotion, Liu Huanran instinctively looked up, locking eyes with Pei Yuzhang. Seeing her hostile demeanor, Liu Huanran subconsciously placed herself in front of Yu Zhiwan.
To Liu Huanran, though she had no real relationship with Yu Zhiwan, she had become attached to this character after transmigrating. Knowing that Yu Zhiwan was destined to be her future wife, Liu Huanran felt a sense of responsibility.
Even if Yu Zhiwan currently treated her poorly, Liu Huanran was determined to claim her as her own. So, she stood protectively in front of Yu Zhiwan, facing the twisted antagonist from the early chapters of the novel. Her heart pounded with nerves, and sweat began to bead at her temples.
But to Pei Yuzhang, this was pure provocation.
She took a step forward.
Though she had transmigrated into a Beta, her height remained unchanged, and she was still a few centimeters taller than Liu Huanran. The difference wasn't huge, but as the distance between them closed, those few centimeters became more pronounced.
Pei Yuzhang's cold gaze fixed on Liu Huanran. She didn't need to say anything threatening; her mere presence, sharp as a blade, exerted a heavy pressure.
Meeting her eyes, Liu Huanran's fear went beyond the professional consequences of crossing her superior. For a moment, she felt an overwhelming sense that she might not survive this encounter.
Once fear takes root, it's hard to shake off. A chill climbed up Liu Huanran's spine, spreading through her body. She hadn't drunk much, but now her head spun as if she were tipsy.
After a brief, tense standoff with Pei Yuzhang, Liu Huanran panicked and fled, completely oblivious to the mocking look on the other woman's face. Her earlier determination to protect the Omega had evaporated.
Pei Yuzhang's lips curled into a sneer, though her eyes remained cold.
She wasn't the original character and had her own moral compass. She would never harm Yu Zhiwan. But leaving an Omega in a place like this without considering the consequences, and then fleeing at the first sign of confrontation, made Pei Yuzhang question how someone like Liu Huanran could be the protagonist's "heroic" romantic lead.
Remembering the awful events described in the original plot, Pei Yuzhang couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for Yu Zhiwan. But she had to stick to the storyline. She couldn't afford to break character so badly that it raised suspicions.
"Poor thing. Looks like your Alpha just left you behind."
She deliberately altered her tone, lacing it with mockery as she stepped closer, exhaling softly to intensify the Omega's anxiety.
Yu Zhiwan's breathing quickened. Her delicate hands trembled as they gripped the sides of her wheelchair, her body language betraying her unease. Pei Yuzhang forced a cold laugh and, with deliberate slowness, ran her nails down Yu Zhiwan's back. The motion was calculated, meant to intimidate. Only when she received the notification that her "cannon fodder" value had increased did she finally relax.
Pei Yuzhang had never played the villain before. As she got close to the Omega, she could smell the faint, alluring scent, which, though not particularly enticing to her as a Beta, still made her feel deeply uncomfortable. She was close to tears at how wrong this all felt.
After completing the task, Pei Yuzhang casually tossed a tissue into Yu Zhiwan's lap, signaling the end of her act. She saw the Omega bite her lip in frustration, on the verge of tears, and desperately wanted to flee from the club.
But less than a minute later, Pei Yuzhang found herself returning.
She couldn't leave until she was sure no one else would harm Yu Zhiwan.
**
The party dragged on for a long time before finally winding down. Pei Yuzhang had kept a close eye on Yu Zhiwan the entire time, suffering through the evening's charade. By the time she got home, she was exhausted. Collapsing onto her soft bed, she didn't want to move, but when her phone buzzed with a new message, she quickly sat up.
The message was from Yu Zhiwan.
It was brief, written in Braille, simply asking, "Can we talk?" Pei Yuzhang thought to herself that she had played her role well enough. The protagonist already saw her as a trustworthy confidante after just a few encounters.
To make things easier for Yu Zhiwan, Pei Yuzhang replied with a voice message.
But then the phone rang.
Yu Zhiwan's soft, distressed voice came through the receiver. The moment Pei Yuzhang heard it, all her exhaustion melted away. She hurried to the balcony, cleared her throat, and tried to sound as natural as possible.
"Sure, what do you want to talk about?"