After the Strategy Failed, the Heroine Turned into a Crematorium - Chapter 26.1

Cold and eerie, chilling to the bone, the words sent shivers down one’s spine.

Bian You stared at Qi Zhi’e in shock, utterly bewildered by how the latter had seen through her. Those cold, piercing eyes held no hesitation as Qi Zhi’e decisively tore off Bian You’s scent-blocking patch.

Seeing the stunned expression on Bian You’s face, Qi Zhi’e understood everything. She sneered, her grip on Bian You’s wrist unrelenting as she dragged her up and out.

“Wait, the computer! We haven’t paid yet,”

Bian You stumbled, nearly in tears.

Qi Zhi’e pulled her toward the counter. The clerk, who had already noticed the commotion, straightened up as they approached.

“Please hold onto that computer. Someone will come later to pay and pick it up,” Qi Zhi’e said.

The clerk, an Alpha, could already smell the pheromones in the air. Covering his nose, he nodded quickly, eager for them to leave before anything escalated.

Bian You staggered after Qi Zhi’e into the car, clutching her neck where her scent gland was exposed, head bowed like a quail, too afraid to speak.

Her mind raced, but she couldn’t think of any plausible excuse. Qi Zhi’e was too sharp, too perceptive she already suspected, no, was certain about Bian You. Any slip in her words would crumble under Qi Zhi’e’s scrutiny.

Perhaps knowing this wasn’t the place for explanations, Qi Zhi’e remained silent after getting in the car. She drove straight to a pharmacy, returning with a small bag that she tossed onto Bian You’s lap.

Bian You nearly jumped at the sudden movement. Opening the bag, she froze at the sight of Alpha suppressants inside.

“I—I…”

Holding the suppressants, Bian You stammered, at a loss. Why would Qi Zhi’e suddenly buy Alpha suppressants for her?

“Inject it.” Qi Zhi’e’s voice was icy, offering no room for argument as she merged back into traffic.

Bian You fell silent, not daring to protest. As she prepared the injection, her frantic heartbeat slowed slightly, and she finally noticed something unusual.

There was a new scent clinging to her, one she’d never sensed before. Apart from the faint lily-of-the-valley fragrance, it carried no distinct odor, yet it was undeniably present.

Soft as water, flowing gently in calm moments, but when agitated, it surged into thick, crashing waves against the shore.

Her heart pounded as a realization struck her, nearly making her fumble the injection.

As the suppressant took effect, a cooling sensation spread through her body. The feverish heat subsided, and her restless scent gland quieted, bringing much-needed relief.

“Get out.”

Arriving at Qi Zhi’e’s apartment complex, Qi Zhi’e stepped out first, frowning at Bian You’s dazed expression.

“O-okay.”

Bian You quickly got out of the car and followed Qi Zhi’e into the elevator. As she looked at their reflections in the elevator mirror, the scene felt eerily familiar, it was almost like reliving that time during Qi Zhi’e’s heat cycle.

Qi Zhi’e clenched her fists at her sides, suppressing the strange sensations caused by Bian You’s pheromones. Fortunately, she wasn’t in heat this time, so while affected, it wasn’t as severe as last time.

Once inside the apartment, Qi Zhi’e sat stiffly on the sofa, watching Bian You perch nervously on the edge of her seat. A mocking smile curled at the corners of her lips.

Her cold gaze fixed on Bian You’s face as she said icily, “Even now, you refuse to show your true self?”

Bian You was practically trembling with anxiety, her fingers twisting together restlessly. She wracked her brain trying to figure out where she’d slipped up to make Qi Zhi’e so certain about her disguise.

A soft scoff reached Bian You’s ears, followed by Qi Zhi’e’s increasingly frigid voice: “So this is your so-called affection, built on lies?”

“No! That’s not it!” Bian You immediately protested, but under Qi Zhi’e’s frost-laden stare, her shoulders slumped. “I just… didn’t know how to explain it to you,” she murmured.

After all, changing one’s appearance was something straight out of fantasy.

Qi Zhi’e regarded her impassively.

Under that unwavering gaze, Bian You grew increasingly flustered before finally blurting out in desperation, “Don’t be shocked by what you’re about to see.”

Qi Zhi’e gave no response, her eyes never leaving Bian You.

The room fell into heavy silence, broken only by the pheromones silently swirling in the air.

Taking a deep breath, Bian You opened her system interface and switched back to her original appearance.

Beside her, Qi Zhi’e’s expression darkened further.

She had assumed Bian You was wearing some kind of disguise, but instead witnessed Bian Ling’s features morph seamlessly into Bian You’s face right before her eyes.

It was surreal, the facial features hadn’t changed drastically, yet the impression was of two completely different people.

Qi Zhi’e struggled to process what she was seeing, her mind reeling as she stared fixedly at Bian You’s true face.

Now in her original form, Bian You seemed to relax slightly, touching her swollen scent gland as their pheromones mingled in the air.

“From the very beginning, I told you I wasn’t the original Bian You,” she said softly.

Her throat worked as she finally decided to reveal everything. “If you’re not the original Bian You, then who are you?” Qi Zhi’e’s voice was barely above a whisper, so quiet it was almost inaudible.

Even she was having trouble accepting this sudden transformation.

Bian You nervously rubbed her knees, unable to meet Qi Zhi’e’s eyes. “I’m from another world,” she admitted, biting her lip. “My name is also Bian You. After a car accident in that world, something called a ‘system’ bound itself to me and brought me here.”

Her anxiety was palpable, this sounded like the kind of story that would get her labeled as mentally ill or worse, locked up for experimentation.

The explanation was indeed hard to believe. Qi Zhi’e remained silent after hearing it, simply watching her with an unreadable expression.

Seeing her like this, Bian You couldn’t help but grow anxious. “I’m telling the truth, but I don’t know why the system chose me. Maybe it’s because I look so much like this world’s Bian You?”

Qi Zhi’e’s fingers tapped lightly on the armrest of the sofa. After a moment of silence, she asked, “Then why did this system of yours bring you to this world?”

At these words, all of Bian You’s excitement froze instantly. She looked into Qi Zhi’e’s eyes, her lips parting uncertainly.

“What, can’t you say?” Qi Zhi’e scoffed.

Bian You took a deep breath. “It’s not that I can’t, it’s just…” Gritting her teeth, she said solemnly, “This world is actually a novel. The system sent me here to make you fall in love with me, to change your original ending. Once I succeed, I can return to my original world.”

Dead silence fell the moment the words left her mouth.

A sour ache spread through Bian You’s chest. She couldn’t help wondering, would Qi Zhi’e think that all her previous declarations of affection were just part of the system’s mission?

“A novel? What novel?” Qi Zhi’e’s voice sounded slightly stiff.

Under Qi Zhi’e’s gaze, Bian You finally recounted everything she knew about the plot, then fell silent.

As she listened to Bian You’s description of the plot, Qi Zhi’e knew every word was true because these events had unfolded exactly as described in her previous life.

A mocking smile curled at her lips. So her life had already been predetermined? How ironic. If that was the case, why had she been allowed to be reborn?

And now…

Her gaze shifted to Bian You. There was this new variable.

To make her fall in love, to change her ending?

“So everything you did before was just to complete your mission?” Qi Zhi’e asked.

“No! That’s not it!” Bian You immediately denied, her voice urgent. “I admit that at first, I approached you because of what happened between us when I first arrived. I wanted to take responsibility. But later, it wasn’t just about responsibility anymore, I genuinely wanted you to like me.”

“Because I truly do like you.”

By the end, Bian You’s voice had taken on a slight tremble, her eyes and nose stinging fiercely.

No matter what she did, Qi Zhi’e’s opinion of her never changed. It made her wonder if Qi Zhi’e might never like her at all.

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