After Transmigrating Into A Novel, Not Only Did I Become An Omega, But I Also Provoked The Male Lead’s Mother - Chapter 20

Qin Yue didn’t contact Ling Jixiao again.

Before leaving the hospital that day, she had specifically asked for the receipt. It showed a cost of nearly 30,000 yuan.

Qin Yue stared at the bill, her heart aching.

What kind of hospital is this? A single night’s stay and some tests cost 30,000 yuan?!

Perhaps this sum meant little to Ling Jixiao, but to Qin Yue, 30,000 yuan could cover her living expenses at school for over two years!

What Qin Yue didn’t know was that the actual costs were much higher. Ling Jixiao had instructed the hospital to provide a reduced bill, but even this amount felt overwhelming to Qin Yue.

She still needed to repay the debt. After all, Ling Jixiao wasn’t obligated to pay for her.

Qin Yue resolved to work hard and save up until she could repay Ling Jixiao in full.

Meanwhile, Ling Jixiao seemed to have vanished. She hadn’t contacted Qin Yue again, as if both were stubbornly waiting for the other to make the first move.

The boss of the café where Qin Yue worked announced he would be closing the shop for two days. Coincidentally, Qin Yue had a light class schedule during those days and hadn’t visited her grandmother in a while, so she decided to head to Xixing Sanatorium.

Xixing Sanatorium was a small sanatorium that had existed since Grandma Qin’s time. Grandma Qin, the director, was a former nurse. The sanatorium had a small staff—excluding Grandma Qin, there were only nine employees: Master Lu, the chef; Doctor Zhang, who had graduated with a clinical medicine degree, passed the physician qualification exam, but chose to stay at this small sanatorium instead of working at a hospital; and seven caregivers. There wasn’t even a driver.

Due to the shortage of staff, each caregiver was responsible for managing two to six residents, depending on the situation.

Grandma Qin had established the sanatorium with the purpose of helping as many people as possible. However, her limited funds and lack of investors, combined with her willingness to offer discounts or even free care to those in extreme financial hardship, meant the sanatorium’s overall conditions were poor. As a result, most of the residents were impoverished individuals.

After greeting the familiar caregivers, Qin Yue headed to find her grandmother.

As she passed the small garden, she noticed a girl around fourteen or fifteen years old, hunched over something, drawing intently.

The girl’s long, jet-black hair cascaded down to her waist. Her head was bowed, revealing a slender swan-like neck.

Her frail frame was dwarfed by the oversized sanatorium patient’s gown, making her look like a child wearing an adult’s clothes.

The sanatorium housed only about twenty residents: there were women with mental disorders who giggled incessantly, young men with low IQs, elderly patients unable to care for themselves, and disabled individuals with amputated limbs.

This was the first time Qin Yue had seen someone so young.

Curiosity piqued her and she approached the girl. She saw her holding a notebook, sketching relentless lines with a black pen. The tip pressed firmly, each stroke etched as if trying to carve into the paper. The dense, tangled lines resembled sinister creatures lurking in the night, giving the scene an unsettling aura.

Qin Yue shifted her gaze to the girl.

The girl had a straight bangs haircut, and her big eyes were half-closed as she looked at the drawing book in her hands. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, like the wings of a beautiful butterfly deep in a valley. Her face was a little pale, perhaps because she was drawing so intensely, and a faint blush showed through the paleness.

She was small and very cute, like a delicate porcelain doll that made people feel protective of her at first glance. Qin Yue’s eyes showed her appreciation for the girl’s beauty.

But the drawings in the girl’s book showed that her heart wasn’t at peace. A girl at this age should be in middle school, living life to the fullest and enjoying her youth, not in this small sanatorium drawing those fierce, twisted lines.

“What are you drawing?” Qin Yue asked softly. Perhaps it was because she saw the anger and darkness in the girl’s drawings, or perhaps because the girl was so young, but Qin Yue felt a surge of tenderness and wanted to care for this adorable girl.

Despite Qin Yue’s gentle and soft tone, she startled the girl, who shrank back and trembled uncontrollably.

This reaction caught Qin Yue off guard.

The girl, blinking her big, expressive eyes, seemed to recognize Qin Yue’s gender before slowly relaxing and stopping her trembling.

“Hello, my name is Qin Yue. Would you like to be friends?” Qin Yue asked warmly, genuinely fond of the girl.

The girl didn’t answer verbally. She simply lowered her head, picked up her notebook, and stood up to leave.

Qin Yue found this strange. The girl’s cuteness reminded her of a cat lover encountering a soft, fluffy kitten—she had an urge to stroke her hair.

She stood up to follow the girl.

But just as she rose, someone grabbed her arm.

Qin Yue turned around. It was Sister Yan, the caregiver.

Sister Yan was a veteran at Xixing Sanatorium, having worked there for ten years. She was a kind and gentle woman.

“Don’t go after her. You frightened her,” Sister Yan said.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to,” Qin Yue said, embarrassed, rubbing her head. When she turned back, the girl was already gone.

“It’s alright,” Sister Yan said, shaking her head. “The Director’s been in a bad mood lately. But now that you’re back, Little Yue, she’ll definitely be cheered up!”

“Ah, yes, I’m just visiting Grandma and you all since I finally have some free time. Grandma seems upset. Did something happen?” Qin Yue asked, puzzled.

Truthfully, every time she saw these familiar relatives and friends of the original body, Qin Yue felt a twinge of discomfort. In her heart, she felt like a cuckoo usurping the original’s nest, having taken everything that belonged to the original, including their family bonds and friendships. She felt deeply guilty, especially towards those who treated her well because of the original’s past.

“Ah, there is something,” Sister Yan said, her eyes looking a bit sad. “Last week, someone we don’t know came to try and buy out Xixing. The Director chased them away, and after that, some people started spreading bad things about Xixing online!”

Though they had no proof, anyone could see that this person was trying to use the bad rumors to pressure them into selling.

“What a despicable person!” Qin Yue exclaimed, her eyes widening in anger, her chest heaving as she wished she could punch that person.

“Don’t get angry. Xixing is twenty years old, and our reputation is well-established. This isn’t a big deal. It’s just that the Director’s hard work is being slandered by people who don’t understand, and that would upset anyone. Remember to comfort the Director later!”

Qin Yue nodded earnestly. “I will!”

“Let’s go. The Director should be tending to her garden at this time. I’ll take you there,” Sister Yan said, pulling Qin Yue along affectionately.

As they walked, Qin Yue thought about the girl they’d just seen. “That girl didn’t look very old. Is she new here?”

“That was Xiaoyun. She’s only fourteen and under my care,” Sister Yan explained as they walked. “The poor girl. Her mother found her attempting to slit her wrists not long ago. Luckily, she arrived in time to save her.”

“Suicide?” Qin Yue exclaimed, startled.

“Yes. She doesn’t have a father, only a Beta mother who works long hours and can’t always look after her. After saving Xiaoyun, her mother noticed the girl becoming withdrawn, refusing to speak or come out of her room. Since her mother needed to work, there was no other choice but to bring her here.”

Sister Yan occasionally briefed Qin Yue about the residents’ backgrounds, as Qin Yue sometimes helped out and understanding their situations allowed for better assistance.

“Something must have happened,” Qin Yue sighed. “She wouldn’t have suddenly become like this otherwise.”

“Indeed, but this child refuses to speak no matter how we ask,” Sister Yan said, shaking her head. “Fortunately, Xiaoyun’s mood has improved considerably since coming here.”

“That’s good,” Qin Yue replied.

The two walked to a small vegetable garden at the back of the sanatorium, which Grandma Qin had cultivated. Growing vegetables not only provided healthy food but also helped save money.

“Xiao Yue is back!” Grandma Qin exclaimed, her smile crinkling her face into even more wrinkles.

“Grandma, I’m here to help!” Qin Yue said, running over with a smile.

Sister Yan watched the grandmother and granddaughter, shook her head helplessly, and turned back to her work.

After helping Grandma Qin with some chores, the older woman took Qin Yue’s hand and looked her over with concern. “You must eat properly. Look at you, you’ve lost weight again!”

“No, no, I actually gained a pound!” Qin Yue said with a grin. “But Grandma, I heard from Sister Yan and Brother Zhang that you haven’t been eating properly!”

“Hah, I’m getting on in years. I never ate much to begin with!” Grandma Qin said cheerfully as she led Qin Yue back to her room. “Today, Grandma will make you something special!”

Seeing Grandma Qin’s hunched back, Qin Yue felt a pang in her heart.

“No need, Grandma. I haven’t eaten at the sanatorium’s little cafeteria in ages, and I’m really craving it.” Qin Yue quickly refused, unable to bear the thought of making Grandma Qin work so hard for her.

“Great! Xiaolu made braised pork ribs today, your favorite! I’ll have her pack a few extra pieces for you!” Grandma Qin beamed, her eyes crinkling with delight.

“Awesome! You’re the best, Grandma!” Qin Yue gushed, playfully acting cute.

In her previous life, Qin Yue’s parents were busy with their own families, leaving her isolated at home, writing and completely disconnected from social life. With no friends or family, she had longed for the warmth of familial bonds. Now, in this life, she finally experienced the nurturing affection she had always craved.

Xixing Sanatorium was the culmination of Grandma Qin’s years of dedication and hard work. She would never tolerate anyone slandering Xixing—or her!

While Grandma Qin was busy, Qin Yue discreetly pulled out her phone and searched for news about the sanatorium. Sure enough, several influential bloggers had published articles hinting that Xixing’s caregivers were not only pocketing kickbacks but also treating Alzheimer’s patients with indifference, even resorting to verbal abuse and physical violence. The articles claimed that despite its “affordable” prices, the sanatorium secretly gouged patients, withholding food from those who didn’t offer bribes. They also painted a grim picture of the facility’s living conditions, complete with dubious photos of unkempt surroundings.

Many unsuspecting passersby below began to hurl insults.

Seeing this, Qin Yue’s blood boiled. She immediately jumped into the fray, firing back at those brainless trolls.

But even if she could have fought a hundred battles single-handedly, she couldn’t stand up to those keyboard warriors—especially since many of them were paid trolls.

After stewing in her anger for a while, Qin Yue glanced at the retweets on those big V’s posts. Her eyes lit up.

She quickly took screenshots of the retweet counts and headed straight to the police department to report the crime.

At the police department, an officer looked at Qin Yue with amusement. “It’s you again!”

Qin Yue recognized the officer and scratched her head sheepishly.

Truth be told, she had been calling the police a lot lately—first to save the female lead’s parents, then when she was kidnapped. This officer had come to the hospital both times to investigate.

After hearing Qin Yue’s story, a young, justice-minded officer grew indignant.

With his help, Qin Yue drafted a complaint, naming the online trolls and noting that the widespread retweets constituted libel.

Qin Yue created a new account, tagged the big V’s who had secretly slandered Xixing, and posted the police report and complaint.

After that, Qin Yue stopped worrying. Sister Yan was right. Xixing Sanatorium had been operating for over twenty years, and its reputation had long been established. Anyone who knew the truth could see through the online lies.

Even if many people still believed the rumors, Qin Yue was relieved. At least fewer impoverished people were coming to plead for help, easing Grandma Qin’s burden.

After finishing her errands, Qin Yue hummed a tune as she returned to the sanatorium. When she went to the small cafeteria for lunch, she saw Xiaoyun again.

The girl was quietly eating in a corner, spoonfuls of rice disappearing into her mouth. Her cheeks, still carrying a baby-fat softness, puffed adorably with each bite.

Everyone desires beauty, and knowing Xiaoyun’s story, Qin Yue approached and sat down beside her.

“Mind if I sit here?” Qin Yue asked softly.

Xiaoyun glanced at Qin Yue but continued eating as if she hadn’t seen her. Her sketchbook remained on the table. Qin Yue sat silently, lost in thought, gazing at the drawings.

What could have happened to turn such a flower-like girl into someone so withdrawn, timid, and unwilling to live?

After a few bites, Xiaoyun barely touched her food. Ignoring Qin Yue, she gathered her sketchbook and tray and left.

Support After Transmigrating Into A Novel, Not Only Did I Become An Omega, But I Also Provoked The Male Lead’s Mother