Pei Yujang had no idea that she had already been reduced to a "little fool" in Yu Zhiwan's eyes.
After returning that day, the female lead's darkening value shot up by ten points, once again reaching a dangerous threshold. Unfortunately, all the identities Pei Yujang could use to calm Yu Zhiwan had already been blown, so she had no choice but to avoid Yu Zhiwan at the company as much as possible to prevent further aggravating the situation.
Meanwhile, the tide was rising in the sea near Yicheng, and the news of the impending heavy rain and low temperatures sweeping across the city was passed on to every resident, especially to every business. To prevent casualties, a one-week break was mandated, with everyone instructed to stay home until further notice.
Although Pei Jinhuai hadn't been as focused on the company in the past two years, she was still the female boss who had single-handedly supported Yuetong. During difficult times, she would often come by to check on things.
Right now, the company had a crucial order in progress. The recent issue of accumulated goods had been largely resolved by Pei Jinhuai's suggestion of promoting and bundling sales at a discount. While the profit wasn't high, the small gains added up, bringing in some earnings.
Yuetong's new products were in production, and Pei Jinhuai was planning to participate in this season's cosmetics exhibition. Although Yuetong hadn't reached the point of a desperate struggle, sales had declined, and it was evident they couldn't compete with new brands. The news of the impending storm completely disrupted Yuetong's orderly rhythm.
A one-week break would significantly impact the product's progress. With logistics halted and work suspended, except for essential services like power plants and flood control offices, everyone in Yicheng was expected to stay home.
The loss of this work progress would be hard to make up. Either employees would have to work overtime to the point of exhaustion, or corners would be cut, resulting in shoddy work—outcomes Pei Jinhuai was unwilling to see.
But the exhibition wouldn't change its schedule just for a single brand from Yicheng, and Pei Jinhuai didn't have the influence to demand such a change. For the past few days, Pei Jinhuai had been troubled, casting a low mood over the entire company. Even on the night before the official break, no one left work with any joy or celebration.
This was of no concern to Yu Zhiwan, a beauty model.
She was in a pretty good mood, but as she was packing up to leave, Liu Huanran chased after her from her department to the lobby, brazenly blocking Yu Zhiwan at the clock-out station. The interlacing lights fell on the Omega's beautiful face, which had already shown signs of impatience, yet Liu Huanran still spoke loudly enough for everyone around to hear:
"The heavy rain is coming. There's no rush to move out, so why do you have to do it so quickly?"
At the clock-out station, people came and went. Liu Huanran and Yu Zhiwan were both good-looking, and since the former liked to brag about her relationship with Yu Zhiwan, many people assumed they were a couple.
In the stifling atmosphere, seeing a "couple" quarreling drew quite a few curious onlookers.
Liu Huanran seemed to have a natural flair for performance in front of an audience, following behind Yu Zhiwan with pleas and coaxing. She was tall, attractive, and an Alpha, admired by many young employees. Annoyed by the commotion and uncomfortable with the attention, Yu Zhiwan quickly wheeled herself away with a cold expression.
Pei Yujang, after working for a while and finishing up, came downstairs to clock out. When she arrived, only a few employees were left. She overheard one female employee gossiping with a friend:
"So, Liu Huanran and Yu Zhiwan do fight, huh? She's so commanding, but she still manages to act cute without it seeming out of place. If she were my girlfriend, I'd never refuse her."
"I say, Omegas shouldn't be too proud. If you meet an Alpha who's willing to lower themselves for you, just marry them!"
The two laughed and joked as they clocked out, holding hands as they left. Pei Yujang frowned as she listened to their gossip. Only after they were gone did she press her fingerprint to clock out, hearing the beep as she slowly lifted her head to look out at the gloomy weather through the large window.
It was only a little past six in the evening, but the sky was already heavy with dark clouds, so dense it looked as if they were about to press down on the tall buildings, squeezing out the space for human existence. There wasn't a breath of wind outside, the air was stifling and oppressive, and one could easily imagine how terrifying this rain would be when it finally fell.
Yes, terrifying. The word flashed through Pei Yujang's mind without seeming exaggerated. Two hundred years ago, when technology was advanced and everything hadn't yet been destroyed, weather stations could predict storms in advance, allowing people to stay indoors to avoid getting wet.
But what if it were a flood? Could people escape that by staying at home?
**
The house Pei Yujang bought was in a high area, with good drainage in the neighborhood. She'd heard that it had never been flooded during heavy rains. After confirming this through records, Pei Yujang declined Pei Jinhuai's repeated invitations for her to return home, even being forced to "throw a tantrum" under her mother's persistence, before her mother finally stopped persuading her.
Pei Yujang didn't mention where she was staying, and Pei Jinhuai didn't have the habit of prying into her daughter's privacy. She simply said over the phone, "I'm just worried you won't be comfortable," and then hung up.
Over time, Pei Yujang realized that her mother was protective, kind to her family, and didn't exploit her employees—a woman with a lot of empathy. Sometimes, she even acted like a child, occasionally being playful with Pei Yujang.
The maternal warmth Pei Yujang had never experienced, she felt in Pei Jinhuai. It made her feel a bit embarrassed to be stern with her mother, just as the original owner had been.
But she did have things to do and couldn't return home for now.
Pei Yujang was in the middle of writing emails to the meteorological and water conservancy departments.
Having gotten used to writing wartime reports, she was succinct and to the point, making it easy to understand. In just over ten minutes, she had typed up a report and was carefully checking it word by word when she suddenly heard the doorbell ring. At first, she thought it was a mistake, but as the "ding-dong, ding-dong" sound grew more frequent, Pei Yujang went to open the door. A flash of bright lightning suddenly filled her vision.
Unbeknownst to her, it had already started pouring outside, and because she had been in her study with the doors and windows closed and the curtains drawn, she hadn't noticed a thing.
As she opened the door, a torrent of rain mist hit her face, accompanied by icy cold raindrops—and something warm and soft fell into her arms.
Outside, the lightning flashed and thunder roared, brewing a storm that would soon engulf the entire city of Yicheng. Pei Yujang suddenly felt that after being killed in battle and traveling two hundred years into the past, she lived in a new, strange reality every day.
For instance, she suddenly recalled a certain history book that recorded a horrifying storm that almost drowned the entire city of Yicheng due to a meteorological miscalculation. The storm lasted for half a month, and the city could only be reached by boat.
And then there was the fact that she had gone from being an Alpha to a "perfectly ordinary" Beta, playing the role of an evil cannon fodder in a melodramatic novel, destined to be the obstacle to the main characters' beautiful love story.
As for Yu Zhiwan, the female lead, somehow she had managed to struggle through this torrential storm, forcing herself up from her wheelchair, stumbling as she reached out to Pei Yujang. And just as Pei Yujang hesitated to respond, Yu Zhiwan threw herself into her arms.
"Help me, Pei Yujang."
Yu Zhiwan was soaked through, her voice trembling as her delicate hands clung tightly to the supposed evil cannon fodder. Through the fabric, Pei Yujang felt a softness she couldn't describe. The Omega's rich pheromones filled the air, her eyes red and brimming with tears. It seemed she had reached the point of utter despair, using every means at her disposal to plead in a low voice:
"Help me, please."