After the Sickly Child Differentiates into A - Chapter 53

The next morning, Lin Li was discharged from the hospital. Accompanied by her family, who were concerned that she hadn’t fully recovered, they took her directly to Eryue.

Aunt Li prepared a table of medicinal dishes for nourishment. After the meal, Old Master Wen left with Wen Xize and his sister. Wen Xize lingered behind, glanced at Wen Jingzhi, hesitated as if wanting to say something, but ultimately remained silent.

Wen Xize was now the only one who equated Lin Li’s differentiation into an Alpha with her being an Alpha. However, considering Dr. Su’s warning that Lin Li was particularly averse to Alpha pheromones and couldn’t tolerate aggressive ones, which could easily trigger adverse reactions, he refrained from suggesting that Lin Li move back to the old residence.

He had initially intended to remind his younger sister to be cautious, as in his perception, her pheromones were far from mild. But since Lin Li had used his sister’s pheromones for comfort during her differentiation, he felt it unnecessary to say anything more.

After that day, Old Master Wen visited a few old comrades, Wen Xize reached out to friends in the art circle, and Wen Xihe looked around but realized most of her contacts were seasoned businesspeople, with their Omegas often being pampered young ladies. She didn’t put much effort into it and decided to invite them all to Lin Li’s coming-of-age birthday banquet.

On the other hand, Su Yue made faster progress. She submitted a report and quickly obtained a list of outstanding Omega soldiers from the military.

A couple of days later, she called them to the research institute to test their pheromones and selected five with matching compatibility, planning to arrange meetings with Lin Li in the near future.

Lin Li’s daily life didn’t change much, except for a patch on the back of her neck to block pheromones. Her sense of smell remained the same, the pain persisted, and occasionally her gland would ache sharply, but it was all bearable.

Recently, apart from essential work, Wen Jingzhi hardly left home. Her attitude toward Lin Li remained unchanged, as if in her heart, this fragile girl carried no trace of an Alpha’s presence and was still the little one who needed careful nurturing.

The issue that had troubled Wen Jingzhi before Lin Li’s differentiation Lin Li no longer going to the study was “resolved” after her differentiation.

Without any prompting or reminder, whenever Lin Li could endure the physical pain, she would voluntarily go to the study to do homework or read.

If there was any change, it was only in Lin Li’s attitude toward Wen Jingzhi.

She no longer sought her sister for every little thing, solving problems on her own first and reducing the frequency of messaging her.

Nowadays, aside from being occupied with a certain script, Wen Jingzhi devoted all her time to Lin Li, so even the slightest changes in the girl didn’t escape her notice.

She couldn’t understand the reason for this subtle distance. At times, when the girl softly hugged her, she even wondered if she was being overly sensitive.

This stirred a touch of melancholy in her.

“Children” were indeed the most unpredictable.

Their growth process was equally hard to grasp.

Could it really be due to the emotional fluctuations of adolescence?

The calendar turned a few pages, and it was early July, the first day of summer vacation.

The screenwriter Wen Jingzhi had asked Shen Yuan to find finally made contact. The day before, she and Shen Yuan had flown to Country M to discuss the script with the screenwriter.

This script was one she received several years ago unfinished, and after the director had an accident, the production team disbanded. The screenwriter and the director were lovers; after the director passed away, the screenwriter withdrew from the industry and went into seclusion in the U.S. Over the years, people in the industry had long lost track of each other’s whereabouts, so Wen Jingzhi had no choice but to ask Shen Yuan, who resided in the U.S., for help.

The script itself was quite good, a suspenseful story about a blind girl seeking revenge. The core of the story was compelling, but Wen Jingzhi’s obsession with it wasn’t because of the plot. It was because the protagonist was blind.

During the two years when Lin Li lost her sight, Wen Jingzhi watched the young girl struggle through confusion and pain, yet persevere with resilience. She had always wanted to understand what Lin Li experienced.

There were almost no scripts with a blind protagonist that also met her expectations in terms of story content, which was why she was so fixated on this particular one.

School let out early that day. Shortly after four o’clock, Lin Li left the campus with Sun Xiaoxiao, followed by Su Ke.

During this period, Su Ke, leveraging her status as a longtime fan of Wen Jingzhi, had managed to strike up conversations with Lin Li. Seeing how genuinely Su Ke admired her sister, Lin Li’s attitude toward her became less distant. Besides, since Su Ke had already presented as an Alpha, it wasn’t inappropriate for Lin Li to interact with her casually.

The three parted ways at the school gate. Lin Li was picked up by the research institute’s car to attend a “matchmaking” session.

The Omegas she was supposed to meet had been occupied with tasks recently and hadn’t been able to make time earlier.

Su Yue had explained the purpose of the “matchmaking” and the specifics of the treatment plan to Lin Li. Though Lin Li didn’t object outwardly, deep down, she couldn’t accept it.

To her, the “matchmaking” was merely a formality, a way to reassure the Wen family and the doctors.

For Lin Li, the idea of interacting with someone with the intention of using them as “medicine” felt wrong. Even if genuine feelings were to develop, she couldn’t overcome the moral conflict in her heart.

It felt like a form of “coercion.”

A forced “sacrifice.”

By eight in the evening, Lin Li’s dinner with the Omegas had concluded. The research institute dropped her off at the entrance of Eryue Community. She got out of the car, thanked the driver, and watched the vehicle drive away before turning around. Her gaze paused.

Not far ahead, a white sedan was parked. Shen Yuan leaned against the car door, while Wen Jingzhi stood facing her. Even from several meters away, Lin Li could clearly see the curve of her sister’s lips.

Her sister was happy.

Lin Li stood at the community entrance, watching the two converse cheerfully. Those familiar, beautiful eyes never once glanced in her direction.

“So, you’re assembling the team yourself?” Shen Yuan gazed gently at the softened expression of the person before her. Noticing a figure out of the corner of her eye, she turned her head. “Hmm? Isn’t that your sister?”

Wen Jingzhi paused mid-sentence and followed Shen Yuan’s gaze. The smile on her lips widened. “Yes.” She raised her hand, about to call Lin Li over, but then hesitated and stopped. Turning back to Shen Yuan, she said, “Let’s continue tomorrow.”

“Alright, see you tomorrow.” Shen Yuan smiled and waved before bending down to get into the driver’s seat.

The car turned around and drove off. Only then did Wen Jingzhi walk toward Lin Li.

As she drew closer, those light-colored eyes finally settled on the young girl. Lin Li suddenly tilted her head, squinted her eyes, and smiled. “Sister.”

Wen Jingzhi raised her hand, intending to ruffle the adorable girl’s hair, but paused just before her palm touched and withdrew it.

She had drunk a little alcohol that evening and wasn’t sure if she carried any trace of Shen Yuan’s scent on her.

“Let’s go home.” She curved her lips into a slight smile and stepped into the community first.

Lin Li watched her tall, curvaceous back, raising his right hand to press his palm gently against his chest, a bitter smile tugging at his lips.

“Lin Li?” After walking a short distance without hearing any movement behind her, she turned around and found the girl still standing in the same spot. “Why aren’t you coming?”

“Coming.” Lin Li flashed a wide smile, jogged a few steps to catch up, and fell in step beside her sister on the right.

Upon returning home, Wen Jingzhi immediately took a shower. After freshening up and stepping out, she didn’t see anyone in the living room, so she headed to the study.

Under the soft glow of the lamp, the girl was sitting at the desk doing her homework. Wen Jingzhi’s expression softened as she approached and ruffled the girl’s hair. “I’ll be going on a business trip in a couple of days.”

The hand holding the pen trembled slightly. Lin Li set the pen down, turned around, and smiled. “Alright, be careful, sis.”

Two years ago, Wen Jingzhi had suffered a minor injury while filming. When the girl found out, she took time off and rushed over, sulking for days. No matter how Wen Jingzhi tried to cheer her up, she couldn’t get the girl to smile even once.

Remembering this, Wen Jingzhi felt a headache coming on and spoke with a hint of reassurance, “I won’t get hurt.” She gently rubbed the girl’s head. “I won’t be able to spend the summer with you, but when you have free time, you can invite Sun Xiaoxiao and the others over to play.” Don’t just stay cooped up at home all the time.

“I know.” But it might just mean more “matchmaking” sessions.

Wen Jingzhi sat down beside Lin Li, made a few calls to coordinate the crew, and stayed with the girl until past eleven in the evening.

They bid each other goodnight and returned to their respective rooms.

The next day, Wen Jingzhi and her team dove into a flurry of work.

Assembling the crew wasn’t difficult, and funding wasn’t a concern, but there were countless trivial matters to handle. The script, which had been finalized years ago, also needed minor adjustments. Wen Jingzhi had originally planned to start filming in a month, but she ended up busy until the end of summer before the opening ceremony could finally be held.

She took this project very seriously, constantly refining the script during filming and demanding high standards for every aspect of the production. With her and Wen Xihe backing the finances, there was no need to rush, so the pace remained deliberately slow.

By the time filming wrapped up, it was already late December, with heavy snowflakes drifting down.

Wen Jingzhi didn’t even attend the wrap party. Instead, she flew abroad with Wen Xihe, who happened to be on a business trip there, to pick up Lin Li’s coming-of-age gift.

Upon returning to the country, Wen Xihe headed back to the company to tie up loose ends, while Wen Jingzhi went straight to Eryue. However, Lin Li wasn’t home.

She took out her phone and realized that this “ungrateful” girl hadn’t sent her a single message in ten days.

After calling her elder brother and learning that Lin Li was at the old family estate, she changed into fresh clothes and drove over.

As she approached the manor, she heard Xiao Xi’s cheerful barking from a distance, followed by the girl’s clear, delighted exclamation.

Her steps quickened involuntarily, and a smile had already curved her lips at the sight of that familiar figure. But then, an unfamiliar figure abruptly entered her line of sight.

A young woman with neat, short hair, dressed in a black training outfit, ran up behind the girl, bent down, and reached out to hook an arm around the waist of the girl, who had nearly stumbled while playing with Xiao Xi.

Wen Jingzhi halted, her gaze sharp as a blade, piercing that arm.

The girl grabbed the woman’s arm to steady herself, looked up at her, and smiled radiantly. “Thank you, Sister Qiao.”

The young woman lightly scratched her flushed cheek. “You’re welcome. Be careful.”

The two interacted naturally, with a hint of intimacy, making Wen Jingzhi’s already aloof face appear even colder. She strode forward, and when she was still a few meters away from Lin Li, Xiao Xi noticed her first, lifting its head and calling out to her.

In the past, the young girl would always be the first to notice her, but this time, she only turned to look after hearing Xiao Xi’s call.

This made Wen Jingzhi’s chest tighten, and her brows furrowed deeply.

“Sister!”

Lin Li quickly walked over to meet her, spreading her arms and throwing herself into her sister’s embrace for a light hug. Before Wen Jingzhi could return the hug, the softness in her arms had already retreated. With a cold expression, she withdrew her hand and turned her gaze to the woman standing beside Xiao Xi.

“Third Miss.” The young woman walked up to Wen Jingzhi and gave her a military salute. “Hello, my name is Qiao Xian, Xian as in ‘dedication’.”

Wen Jingzhi nodded coldly and was about to ask about her identity when her nose twitched slightly. She abruptly turned to look at the young girl beside her, her eyes tinged with red.

On Lin Li’s body, there was the scent of an unfamiliar Omega.

She reached out and grabbed the girl’s slender wrist, then turned to look at Qiao Xian. Her pupils trembled violently.

It was coming from her.

This was an Omega in her special period.

She felt a stabbing pain in her heart, suppressing her anger as she coldly asked, “Grandfather’s student?”

“No, no. I’m not capable of that!” Qiao Xian waved her hands repeatedly. “I’m sort of, half a bodyguard for Lin Li?”

“Sister?” Lin Li looked at Wen Jingzhi in confusion, gently twisting her captured wrist, only to have it gripped even tighter.

It hurt a little.

“Half?”

Wen Jingzhi’s chest heaved, her aura cold and imposing. Qiao Xian wasn’t afraid, just puzzled, but she knew better than to ask unnecessary questions. She simply answered honestly, “Because I can’t protect Lin Li closely at the moment.”

A faint blush spread across her wheat-colored skin. “And also because of this, um… I’m currently getting to know Lin Li.” She quite liked this adorable little Alpha.

Wen Jingzhi’s pupils contracted, and she let out a cold laugh in her fury. “Getting to know Lin Li?”

Perfect. While she was away, her grandfather and the others had kept it from her and arranged a matchmaking session for the underage girl.

“Excuse me.” Wen Jingzhi gripped Lin Li’s wrist and led her past Qiao Xian, entering through the main gate.

Qiao Xian scratched her head, full of confusion.

It seemed the Third Miss really disliked her.

But they had only just met today?

“Sister.” Lin Li struggled to keep up with Wen Jingzhi’s pace, her wrist hurting slightly. “Could you slow down a bit?”

Wen Jingzhi abruptly stopped, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. She released Lin Li’s hand and, without looking at her, turned and went upstairs.

Lin Li stood in the middle of the living room, watching her sister’s icy retreating figure, and sighed softly.

She had made her sister angry again.

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