Pei Yuzhang took several days to personally scout for a house. She eventually settled on a property in a higher elevation neighborhood—mid-tier but not old. She wasn't particularly picky about where she lived, so she chose a clean, simply but tastefully decorated house and purchased it outright. It was a single-occupant home.
Yicheng had long favored simple western-style houses or small bungalows due to its spaciousness and relatively affordable prices. It was a city known for its comfortable living conditions, ideal for retirement.
Pei Yuzhang was quite pleased with her new home. The very next day, she informed Pei Jinhuai that she planned to move out.
His reaction was far stronger than she had anticipated.
"Move out? Did Wenxiu upset you? Or did one of the servants say something to offend you? Didn't you say living at home was more comfortable than outside?"
Pei Jinhuai bombarded her with questions, his well-groomed brows furrowing with concern. Of course, his displeasure wasn't directed at Pei Yuzhang.
The original Pei Yuzhang often moved out on her own whenever she had disputes with the family. When Pei Yuzhang first crossed into this world, she had stayed in the hospital for two days, and for convenience, she had returned to the family home, claiming it was more comfortable than living outside.
This back-and-forth behavior was typical of the original Pei Yuzhang, but Pei Jinhuai's expression was full of worry as he pressed for the reason behind her decision to move out.
Pei Yuzhang had already prepared her excuse:
"Oh, it's just that I have a job now, and I want to live independently."
Since she showed a hint of impatience, Pei Jinhuai didn't press further, though his gaze remained heavy with concern.
**
Pei Yuzhang moved quickly. She hired a moving company and declined any help from the family. By that evening, she was already enjoying the solitude of living alone.
She had never been used to living in a large mansion surrounded by servants, especially with a personal assistant constantly by her side. It made her feel like a semi-invalid, forced into a lifestyle of comfort and leisure far too early.
This new neighborhood was in a high area with good drainage and decent security. The buildings were close together, with well-maintained exercise equipment and a safe environment. That evening, Pei Yuzhang jogged around the complex to observe and appreciate the layout. After finishing a few sets of exercises, her phone buzzed in her pocket.
"Xiaoyu," a familiar voice came through the phone, slightly breathless, "where are you?"
Pei Yuzhang checked the time and gave her location.
Yu Zhiwan responded with a surprised "Oh!" and said, "You're close by. Stay there; I'll come find you."
Recently, Pei Yuzhang had reduced her contact with Yu Zhiwan, mainly because Zhao Manlin had already seen through her disguise. It was only a matter of time before she exposed Pei Yuzhang to Yu Zhiwan. Given her notorious reputation, if Yu Zhiwan discovered that Pei Yuzhang had been approaching her in a roundabout way, she would likely assume the worst.
Pei Yuzhang didn't want to be misunderstood, especially since she still needed a way to lower Yu Zhiwan's blackening value. She was also worried about Liu Huanran potentially harming Yu Zhiwan and hoped to persuade her to move to this neighborhood.
An invitation from "Xiaoyu" was a friendly reminder, while one from "the troublesome boss" would be like leading a lamb to the slaughter. Pei Yuzhang was clear on the distinction.
The night air was cool, with the sky hanging like a deep blue curtain, heavy and starless. As she anxiously completed another set of stretches, she spotted a familiar figure emerging under the clear moonlight.
Yu Zhiwan looked different today, and Pei Yuzhang's keen senses noticed immediately. The usually serene woman was now slightly flushed, with sweat beading on her forehead and neck, and a faint smile playing on her lips.
The Omega's pale fingers gently parted a few red maple leaves, and the navigation voice on her phone stopped as soon as she heard Pei Yuzhang's greeting. Yu Zhiwan's bangs were thick and now clumped together with sweat, covering her forehead. Pei Yuzhang walked up and offered,
"I have a hair clip. Would you like to pin your bangs up?"
"No need," Yu Zhiwan responded quickly, her fingers pressing against her forehead, hiding it slightly. "I have a birthmark here."
The equipment area wasn't well lit, and Yu Zhiwan's quick movement prevented Pei Yuzhang from seeing anything. She thought to herself that Yu Zhiwan was already stunningly beautiful—she'd look good even with a birthmark—but the Omega quickly changed the subject.
"Xiaoyu, I've started doing rehab exercises."
Yu Zhiwan's tone was filled with unprecedented excitement and joy as she emphasized "rehab exercises."
"What do you think?"
Pei Yuzhang was taken aback, lowering her gaze to carefully examine Yu Zhiwan's legs before nodding in approval.
"It's great."
"But rehabilitation requires a lot of willpower. You have to stick with it, or all your efforts will be wasted. It's best to have a professional trainer to help, someone who can tailor the program to your Omega physiology..."
Yu Zhiwan's legs were paralyzed from the thighs down, making rehabilitation particularly challenging because it required strengthening her core. Developing core strength was difficult, especially for someone who lacked regular exercise due to their disability. Even if a masseuse helped prevent muscle atrophy, there would still be some degeneration.
Most people in Yu Zhiwan's situation would give up on rehab, either resigning themselves to their condition or adapting to life in a wheelchair.
Pei Yuzhang hadn't expected such determination from an Omega who appeared so delicate, and she couldn't help but smile.
Yu Zhiwan hadn't expected this response from Pei Yuzhang either.
As she shifted the conversation, Yu Zhiwan had already anticipated the typical reaction—that people would dismiss her efforts, believing she couldn't handle the hardships of rehabilitation, and use her Omega status to further discourage her.
But Pei Yuzhang was genuinely considering all the possibilities, thoughtfully discussing the various challenges of rehabilitation, not to frighten or discourage her, but to help Yu Zhiwan plan how to overcome them.
She suggested installing home aids, and if the budget allowed, even getting a robotic assistant... But just as Pei Yuzhang was excitedly sharing her thoughts, Yu Zhiwan suddenly interrupted.
"Xiaoyu."
"Hmm?"
"Can I touch your face?"
The sudden shift in conversation caught Pei Yuzhang off guard. She instinctively replied, "Sure," before realizing that Yu Zhiwan seemed particularly fixated on her face. Despite their last interrupted attempt, it seemed Yu Zhiwan hadn't forgotten.
Pei Yuzhang wondered if Zhao Manlin, who was also quite attractive, was the reason Yu Zhiwan might be a bit of a looks enthusiast—perhaps she only befriended people after touching their faces to decide if they were worth keeping around?
But since Yu Zhiwan had expressed a strong desire, refusing again would be impolite. They were both girls, and with Pei Yuzhang now being a Beta, there wasn't much need for propriety.
After a brief internal debate, Pei Yuzhang squatted down.
She positioned her face within easy reach of Yu Zhiwan's outstretched hand, bracing herself against the wheelchair as the Omega gently cupped her face.
Yu Zhiwan's delicate fingers roamed across her features, her soft touch tracing the contours of Pei Yuzhang's face. Her little finger curled around the edge of her ear, slowly and carefully mapping out her facial structure.
Pei Yuzhang had smooth skin and refined bone structure. Even her neck and jawline were flawless, without any blemishes. She was confident in her looks, but Yu Zhiwan was incredibly thorough, even lingering on her lips and gently brushing them.
The two were close, and the subtle fragrance of the Omega, now stronger after exercise, filled the air. Although Pei Yuzhang was no longer an Alpha and didn't experience attraction due to pheromones, the close proximity and unusual situation made her heart race uncontrollably.
Pei Yuzhang instinctively pulled back slightly.
"What's wrong?" Yu Zhiwan paused, sensing something and asking cautiously, "Did I hurt you?"
Yu Zhiwan tilted her head, thinking for a moment before playfully smiling, revealing two small dimples. Pei Yuzhang was taken aback by this mischievous expression she hadn't seen before, and Yu Zhiwan asked,
"Are you embarrassed?"
"No!" Pei Yuzhang reacted like a cat being forcibly petted. If she had a tail, it would have been standing straight up. She loudly denied it, "I'm straight as steel."
After a moment's pause, Pei Yuzhang, who had been tightly closing her eyes, opened them slightly, only to see Yu Zhiwan smiling with those radiant almond-shaped eyes, as if she were gazing right at her, making Pei Yuzhang feel a bit dazed.
But that must have been a trick of the light. As Yu Zhiwan resumed her "petting," the warmth spreading from her facial nerves made Pei Yuzhang uncomfortable, and she quickly shut her eyes again, resigned to her fate.
Seeing her looking so defeated, 711, the system, made a rare appearance to mock her,
"Host, are you planning to walk the path of a submissive pet?"
Pei Yuzhang wasn't having it: "Shut up!"
711 replied sarcastically:
"But it seems the heroine's positive feelings toward you have already far surpassed those for the main male lead."
Prompted by 711's remark, Pei Yuzhang finally noticed that Yu Zhiwan's blackening value had dropped by five points within a short time.
Pei Yuzhang: "?"
So she really had become the heroine's stress-relief pet?
Feeling awkward, Pei Yuzhang forced a smile and didn't respond. Then, she heard Yu Zhiwan's assessment of her appearance:
"I didn't expect Xiaoyu to have such good bone structure. But there's one thing that's a bit unfortunate."
Being complimented on her looks made Pei Yuzhang happy, even though she was already confident in her appearance. Curious, she asked, "What's unfortunate?"
Yu Zhiwan sighed softly in response and gently traced her fingers along Pei Yuzhang's jawline, applying a bit of pressure that sent a tingling sensation through her. The Omega leaned in closer, her lips almost brushing Pei Yuzhang's flushed earlobe, and spoke seriously, emphasizing each word:
"You look a bit like my annoying boss."