After Transmigrating Into A Novel, Not Only Did I Become An Omega, But I Also Provoked The Male Lead’s Mother - Chapter 26

Qin Yue had a dream.

In the dream, she was trapped inside Xiaoyun’s drawings.

She ran endlessly through a chaotic landscape of black lines—past towering trees formed from dense strokes, across grass made of intersecting lines, and past buildings constructed from overlapping strokes.

What made Qin Yue’s scalp tingle with fear was the humanoid monster behind her, composed of especially dense lines. When it saw her, the lines at its mouth curved upward into a sinister grin.

Qin Yue jolted awake, drenched in cold sweat. She couldn’t stop herself from running forward as the tangled mass of lines chased her, emitting deafening laughter like a grotesque, terrifying monster.

She ran and ran, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t shake off the monster behind her. Not only that, but the distance between them was gradually shrinking.

“No, no!” Qin Yue screamed in terror, stumbling and falling to the ground.

The dense, black-lined figure of the monster loomed closer. Her pupils constricted as the creature’s raspy laughter filled her ears. Helpless, she watched as the monster engulfed her…

Startled awake, Qin Yue sat up, gasping for breath.

Only then did she realize she had fallen asleep while looking at Xiaoyun’s sketchbook last night.

After sleeping slumped over the table all night, her back ached and her body felt stiff. Qin Yue stood up and stretched.

The dream gradually faded, but the lingering fear, especially the image of the humanoid monster composed of dense black lines, still haunted her.

Winter mornings came late. Just as the sky began to lighten, the noise outside grew louder.

Qin Yue hurriedly tidied up and went to the gate.

The usual troublemakers were back, right on time.

Qin Yue stepped out of the door and saw a middle-aged man in a suit leading the group, with several others standing beside him.

Among them, Qin Yue recognized only one: Old Liang, the procurement manager from Xixing Sanatorium.

The other staff members from the sanatorium were also present, and they were all shocked to see Old Liang standing on the opposing side.

“Where’s Director Qin? Has he recovered any better?” the man in the suit asked with feigned concern.

He was President Liu, the investor behind the newly opened sanatorium nearby.

If one didn’t know about his past actions, his concerned words might have seemed genuine.

Qin Yue frowned and stepped forward. “My grandmother is fine. You needn’t concern yourselves with her!”

President Liu looked at Qin Yue and chuckled. “Young lady, such impetuosity isn’t becoming.”

Qin Yue curled her lips in mockery. Impetuousness depends on the person.

President Liu didn’t press further and beckoned Old Liang forward.

Many were deeply hurt by Old Liang’s betrayal.

Old Liang justified himself by saying, “Birds choose their trees wisely. President Liu offers better pay and more opportunities for advancement. It’s only natural to switch jobs!”

There was no future for him at Xixing. He couldn’t make any money, and it wasn’t just him—Director Qin had been barely scraping by for years, and now the Xixing Sanatorium was on the verge of collapse.

Old Liang was considered a veteran of Xixing, having worked there for seven or eight years as the procurement officer, responsible for purchasing everything from daily supplies to disinfectants. If Old Liang said Xixing was out of money, it meant they were truly at the end of their rope.

But that wasn’t the worst of it. What was truly infuriating was that Old Liang had taken the suppliers they’d worked with for years and introduced them to President Liu, effectively cutting off Xixing’s lifeline.

Meanwhile, Old Yang, who had long supplied food to Grandma Qin, had handed his business over to his son, Young Yang, due to his advanced age. Young Yang had then partnered with President Liu, cutting off Xixing’s food supply.

No wonder Grandma Qin had fainted in anger.

“We’re not saints,” Old Liang said, growing more convinced of his position as he spoke. “We have to look out for ourselves and our families!”

Doctor Zhang could barely contain his anger. “Don’t make your selfishness sound so noble! If you want to leave, no one’s stopping you! But colluding with outsiders to cut off Xixing’s supplies? That’s downright vicious!”

Old Liang flushed crimson and immediately shot back.

The argument escalated into a heated confrontation.

Just then, Grandma Qin returned.

Seeing Grandma Qin approach, both sides instinctively stopped arguing.

“Director Qin,” President Liu said with a smile, “I just want to run the business properly. You’re getting on in years and should retire. Why not sell Xixing to me? You’d no longer have to worry about work and could retire comfortably with the money. What’s not to like?”

Everyone at Xixing fell silent, turning to look at Grandma Qin.

Grandma Qin glared at President Liu, her eyes blazing with fury. “Get out! I will never sell Xixing!”

If she sold Xixing, all the employees would likely be fired. Even if they could find new jobs, what about the residents?

These people, many of whom were already impoverished, had come to Xixing to live and be cared for, hoping for a stable second half of life.

Knowing the ruthless nature of capitalist businessmen, they would undoubtedly be kicked out if they couldn’t pay.

After living together for so long, they had long since come to see Xixing as home.

The ones who had lost limbs and couldn’t care for themselves, the paralyzed disabled, the elderly without children, the Alzheimer’s patients, the mentally ill…

They had already lost their direction in life; they couldn’t afford to lose this sanctuary that sheltered them.

President Liu looked at Grandma Qin and sneered. “Xixing has been broke for ages, and no one’s willing to invest. It’s doomed anyway. What’s the point?”

Grandma Qin’s frail body swayed, and Qin Yue quickly rushed to support her, helping her sit down.

Grandma Qin closed her eyes and waved her hand dismissively.

Doctor Zhang and Master Lu stood expressionlessly, ready to see the visitor out.

President Liu’s beady eyes swept over the assembled group before he chuckled. “No rush. I can wait!” With that, he turned and led his men out.

Qin Yue’s eyes reddened, feeling utterly helpless.

No one spoke, the silence suffocating.

A moment later, someone knocked on the door. An elderly man entered.

“Mr. He, are you feeling unwell?” Doctor Zhang remembered the old man’s heart condition and moved to grab his stethoscope from his pocket, ready to examine him.

“I’m perfectly fine,” Mr. He waved him off, turning to Grandma Qin. “I just wanted to say… I still have some savings left. It’s not much, but it’s all I can do to help.” He pulled a bank card from his pocket.

Doctor Zhang stopped in surprise, and everyone in the room turned to look at Mr. He in astonishment.

Then, eight or nine people appeared at the door: disabled middle-aged men, elderly women, and others who could still move and think. They brought their life savings to contribute what little they could.

At that moment, tears welled up in Grandma Qin’s eyes, yet she smiled brightly.

“We’re still managing,” Grandma Qin said, her voice comforting. “There’s no need for you to dip into your savings. Just keep paying your monthly fees on time.”

Qin Yue still heard the trembling in Grandma Qin’s voice. Her lips trembled slightly, but she remained silent.

After the others left, leaving only Grandma Qin and Qin Yue in the room, Qin Yue finally spoke, her voice tinged with anxiety.

“I know what you want to say,” Grandma Qin said, holding Qin Yue’s hand and patting the back of it. “It’s nothing but a little poverty. Money isn’t a problem. I’ll apply for a government-subsidized loan—perfectly legal. Just focus on your studies at university, and I’ll be content.”

Qin Yue still wanted to speak. “But…”

“Don’t worry!” Grandma Qin’s eyes shone like winter sunlight, radiating warmth and kindness. “If we run out of daily necessities, we can just buy them at the wholesale market. For rice, flour, and oil, we’ll stock up at the vegetable market. As for disinfectants and supplies, we’ll contact the suppliers again. There are so many sellers out there now, it won’t matter if we switch. You don’t need to worry about that!”

“All I want is for you to stay healthy, that’s all.”

“Okay!” Qin Yue smiled, but her heart ached bitterly.

She had lived twenty-eight years in her previous life without developing any special skills or talents. Now, in this world, she felt utterly helpless when faced with her family’s troubles.

She had no experience with sanatoriums and didn’t understand anything about them, making it impossible for her to help.

Qin Yue felt utterly useless.

Grandma Qin didn’t scold her for skipping class and urged her to return to school.

What Qin Yue didn’t know was that private sanatoriums couldn’t apply for government loans. And with Grandma Qin’s advanced age, banks wouldn’t approve a loan either.

Having decided to give it a try with Qin Yue, Ling Jixiao immediately took action.

Despite being busy at work at the end of the year, she made time to contact Qin Yue.

“Thank you for giving me a ride home last time. Let me treat you to dinner as a thank you!” Ling Jixiao’s cool voice came through the phone.

Qin Yue hastily refused. “No need, no need. If anything, you’ve helped me much more, Sister Jixiao…”

“Alright, I’m leaving now. I’ll be at your school in half an hour.” Knowing Qin Yue would refuse, Ling Jixiao hung up without waiting for a response.

Qin Yue sighed, staring at the call ended screen.

Her mood had been gloomy these past few days, mostly because of Grandma Qin and the Xixing Sanatorium situation.

No money, no money… Even a penny can be a hero’s downfall!

Bai Zhi, watching a TV drama nearby, heard Qin Yue’s sigh and turned to look at her. “What’s wrong? Who was that on the phone that made you sigh so deeply?”

“It’s nothing. I need to go out. Sister Jixiao called me,” Qin Yue said, standing up to change her clothes.

“Hey, it’s almost dark. What does she want with you?” Bai Zhi quickly paused the drama, watching Qin Yue pack her things.

“She said she wanted to thank me for what happened last time and invited me to dinner,” Qin Yue said casually.

Bai Zhi’s eyes darted around, and she pursed her lips. “So, what’s Sister Jixiao look like?”

Ling Jixiao’s face flashed in Qin Yue’s mind. After a moment’s thought, she replied, “She’s very gentle and beautiful.”

“Does she wear glasses?” Bai Zhi asked, her voice tinged with nervousness as she stared intently at Qin Yue.

Qin Yue didn’t dwell on the reason behind Bai Zhi’s question. She remembered that Ling Jixiao usually didn’t wear glasses in public, but during the time she stayed at Ling Jixiao’s house, she had seen her wearing gold-rimmed glasses while working.

“I don’t think so,” Qin Yue said, recalling how Ling Jixiao typically didn’t wear glasses.

Hearing this, Bai Zhi breathed a sigh of relief. So the woman who patted my head that day at the restaurant probably wasn’t Qin Yue’s Sister Jixiao! That person was wearing black-rimmed glasses!

Now relaxed, Bai Zhi had the energy to tease. “Little Yueyue, could it be that your Sister Jixiao is trying to hit on you?”

“Impossible,” Qin Yue said, packing her things. She looked at Bai Zhi helplessly. “Stop teasing me. I’m nowhere near her level. She could never be interested in someone like me! Alright, I’m off.”

“Oh, come back soon!” Bai Zhi waved dismissively, losing interest.

As Qin Yue reached the school gate, Ling Jixiao’s car was already parked there.

She jogged over, opened the passenger door, and slid in.

The weather was bitterly cold. Throughout the drive, Qin Yue’s breath puffed out in white clouds, her nose turning bright red from the chill.

Seeing Qin Yue’s delicate face buried in her thick scarf, Ling Jixiao turned the car’s heater up a notch and handed her a warm cup of milk tea.

At the same time, Qin Yue presented her with a bag, held carefully in both hands.

The two women exchanged glances, then looked at the gifts in their hands. After a moment of surprise, they burst out laughing.

“Hold this to warm your hands,” Ling Jixiao said first, her voice light and cheerful, reflecting her good mood. “I heard girls like milk tea, so I got you a cup.”

Qin Yue thanked her, holding out the bag. “Sister Jixiao, this is from a dessert shop in our university cafeteria. The cakes are really delicious. I got you one, but I hope you like it.”

I hope she doesn’t hate sweets!

Ling Jixiao took the bag and opened it. Inside, a soft, snowy layer of cream was covered in golden jam, with a piece of mango on top.

“It’s mango-flavored,” Qin Yue said cautiously. “Sister Jixiao, you don’t hate mango, do you?”

“I don’t,” Ling Jixiao replied coolly. She carefully placed the cake on the back seat, her eyes flickering with amusement. “But I prefer peaches.”

With that, she started the car.

Qin Yue didn’t catch the deeper meaning in Ling Jixiao’s words, still wondering naively, But there’s no peach flavor in the cake!

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