Transmigrated as a Scum Alpha: Now I Have a Wife via the Heartless Dao - Chapter 21

Don’t let the term “differentiation” fool you, it actually has nothing to do with gender differentiation but refers to level differentiation instead.

Gender is determined at birth, and it influences two major metrics: mental strength and physical constitution.

Generally speaking, the upper and lower limits of an Alpha’s physical constitution and mental strength are far higher than those of a Beta. While an Omega’s physical constitution limit is low, they have the potential to rival Alphas in terms of mental strength. Combined with their extreme fertility and high probability of passing on superior genes, Omegas have become the existence second only to Alphas in the social hierarchy.

Betas have the largest population, face fertility issues, have a low probability of passing on superior genes, and have low overall caps on their levels. With these multiple debuffs stacked on top of each other, Betas have become the common people, ruled and managed by others.

However, Betas are not without their advantages.

Because an Omega’s physical fitness is generally poor, and their extreme fertility often leads to pregnancy shortly after marriage, they also develop a dual dependence—both mental and physical—on the Alpha who permanently marks them. This leads many noble families to choose a Beta as an heir when they lack Alpha descendants or their Alpha descendants are not excellent enough.

In this seemingly advanced and open interstellar era, the underlying truth of “survival of the fittest,” “hierarchy above all,” and “gender essentialism” remains shockingly cruel.

On top of this foundation, secondary differentiation, which can break the shackles of level and randomly improve one’s mental strength and physical constitution, is nothing short of a miracle.

The probability of secondary differentiation occurring is ridiculously low, yet its effects are huge.

Looking back at the few sporadic people in history who achieved secondary differentiation, every single one of them gained a massive boost in one area or another. For instance, jumping from B+ to S rank in one go. Only one person managed to improve both physical constitution and mental strength.

That person didn’t see a huge increase in rank, but the improvement was comprehensive. Physical constitution and mental strength are meant to complement each other, after all. Most importantly, she proved the possibility of dual-attribute improvement in secondary differentiation. Just because their rank increase was small, it didn’t mean that someone else wouldn’t see a much larger one.

Throughout history, countless people have tried to replicate or even mass-produce secondary differentiation, but its occurrence is so rare and random that it seems like a god having a thousand-year dream, waking up, casting a glance through time and space to bless the first person they happen to see, and then falling back into a deep sleep, forever out of reach.

Gradually, secondary differentiation became something of a lost legend, and fewer and fewer people know about it.

At the very least, the original Yu Qianyan didn’t know about it, and the novel’s plot never mentioned it once.

Boss He dared to speculate that Rong Shu was undergoing secondary differentiation because she had always been interested in this subject and knew a fair bit about it. That allowed her to draw this conclusion from Rong Shu’s seemingly ordinary heat.

Boss He first asked Yu Qianyan if Rong Shu had any abnormal reactions or behavior during this time, and then asked about the scene where the two were alone together before Rong Shu fainted.

Involving Rong Shu’s safety, Yu Qianyan felt a bit awkward, but she bit the bullet and gave a rough account of the situation, omitting Rong Shu’s initiative and framing it as them being unable to control themselves.

Boss He smiled knowingly, winking at Yu Qianyan. She was sensible enough to straighten out her attitude before the thin blush on Yu Qianyan’s face could turn from shy to angry, and then proceeded to explain her analysis of Rong Shu’s secondary differentiation one by one.

At the end, Boss He asked about Rong Shu’s current level.

“I haven’t tested it recently. According to Rong Shu, the Rong family took her to be tested on her coming-of-age day, and her physical constitution was C+, with B-rank mental strength.”

Boss He pondered for a moment before saying cautiously, “That’s not high, but they aren’t far apart, so it counts as balanced. If she’s lucky, she might be able to improve both.”

Saying it “wasn’t high” was a very conservative statement. Given Yu Qianyan’s level and status, it wouldn’t be hard for her to find an Omega with S-rank mental strength and A-rank physical constitution. Rong Shu’s current stats were nowhere near a match.

“If the foundation isn’t high, secondary differentiation can actually lead to a huge improvement, so don’t you worry,” Boss He comforted Yu Qianyan.

Yu Qianyan shook her head, “I’m not worried about that. Rong Shu is fine no matter what. I’m just worried that she won’t keep burning up like this, right? She really won’t burn out any brain cells, will she? What if she burns herself into a fool?”

Boss He wanted to say that everyone with secondary differentiation goes through this and just has to endure it, but thinking of Yu Qianyan and Rong Shu’s “inability to control themselves,” she knew that this legendary, arrogant, and dissolute Miss Yu cared deeply for her fiancée. She swallowed the comfort she was about to give and proactively offered to contact a hospital.

Yu Qianyan was anxious about Rong Shu’s condition, so she naturally had no objections and walked back to Rong Shu’s side to look after her.

Thus, Boss He took her staff and left, leaving only Yu Qianyan and Rong Shu behind, along with a lonely-looking wedding dress.

After Boss He left, Rong Shu slowly regained consciousness and weakly reached out to Yu Qianyan.

After Yu Qianyan cooperated and helped her sit up, Rong Shu naturally leaned against Yu Qianyan’s shoulder and asked her listlessly, “What were you and Boss He talking about?”

Yu Qianyan frowned at the question and asked strangely, “How do you know her surname is He? Aren’t you supposed to be unconscious?”

Rong Shu stiffened instantly and twitched her lips unnaturally, “I heard before that the boss here is surnamed He.”

“When we came here for the first time, didn’t you say you had never been here and had never heard of this century-old custom shop?”

Rong Shu choked. She wanted to find another excuse, but couldn’t think of one in the moment, so she glared angrily at Yu Qianyan, “I heard it! You two were talking just now, and I heard it, okay?! Tell me quickly what you two were talking about?!”

Yu Qianyan was not intimidated by Rong Shu’s anger, but instead asked her quite uncomprehendingly, “You heard everything, so why ask me?”

“You!”

Yu Qianyan started gently patting Rong Shu’s back as if coaxing a child, muttering to herself, “So that means you were awake just now? The suppressants were effective after all. And your hearing seems to be much sharper than before, being able to hear clearly from such a distance… It looks like Boss He’s guess is likely correct. You really are going to undergo secondary differentiation, though I don’t know what caused it… Secondary differentiation is good. Once your level is higher and you’re stronger, no one will dare to bully you easily. I’ll also be more at ease when you go to the military academy, and this works faster than practicing sword arts. If you’re willing to continue learning the sword later, you’ll get twice the result with half the effort… This secondary differentiation really is a good thing, no wonder so many people want it. Rong Shu, you’re really quite lucky.”

Whether it was because Yu Qianyan’s patting was gentle and cherished, or because her muttering was so simple and sincere, Rong Shu’s anger was like a pricked balloon, popping and dissipating into the air along with the sweet scent of pheromones.

Yu Qianyan didn’t notice that Rong Shu’s complexion had improved, and she continued to mutter softly, “I need to check all the indicators, and if it doesn’t work out, we’ll stay in the hospital for a few days. We’ll put etiquette lessons on hold, you’ve learned enough of it anyway. I’ll also inquire about the latest technology for disguising one’s gender… There will definitely be corresponding level tests upon enrollment, which might affect class placement… Leave the dress here for now. We’ll come back to try it on after the check-ups are clear, but I think you should be able to wear it. Even if you can’t, we’ll buy it anyway, it suits you quite well. We can slowly find a master tailor to modify it…”

Hearing this, Rong Shu subconsciously glanced at the mannequin stand by the door.

The dress was indeed as beautiful as Yu Qianyan said. She couldn’t even find the words to describe such beauty; she only felt that wherever the dress was, even the surrounding floor seemed to shine.

A dress like this, it must be very expensive, right?

Is Yu Qianyan really willing to give it to her? When has she ever been this generous to her? When did her taste become so high-end?

Rong Shu’s eyes darkened. Suddenly, she raised her face and pecked Yu Qianyan on the cheek, without any lust, leaving a small, warm, and fragrant lip print in Yu Qianyan’s consciousness.

She buried her head in Yu Qianyan’s neck, closed her eyes wearily, and emptied her mind.

“Yu Qianyan.”

“Hmm?”

“When we go to the hospital later, you should do a level test while you’re at it.”

“Sure.”

“And do a compatibility test for our pheromones too.”

“Alright, go to sleep.”

Yu Qianyan took off her coat and wrapped both Rong Shu and herself in it, as if they were sharing a single, narrow quilt.

The air in the room was replaced over and over again, yet the sweet scent lingered, constantly stimulating Yu Qianyan’s sanity.

When endurance becomes the norm, even suffering becomes numbing. Yu Qianyan suddenly understood those Buddhist monks in Jinguang Temple who were always expressionless. Repressing inner desires for a long time would twist anyone’s mind, no wonder their disciples were always getting seduced by inner demons.

Fortunately, she only did this occasionally.

Rong Shu curled up in Yu Qianyan’s arms and fell into a peaceful sleep.

Support