I Topped the Aloof Omega in a Scummy Alpha Novel - Chapter 59

Dream Corrected

At the age of twenty-seven, Bian Yunchen announced her withdrawal from the entertainment industry and, in the same year, took over the family business in a high-profile manner.

It wasn’t uncommon for second-generation rich kids to spend a few years playing in the entertainment industry before dutifully inheriting the family business. The public was merely shocked for a while before things settled down. Even more laughably, some would spectacularly squander the family fortune and return to the entertainment industry to work off their debt.

Gossip accounts scrutinized the Bian Corporation daily, desperate to piece together even the shredded contents of their paper shredders, hoping to attack Bian Yunchen as just a “pretty face” of the conglomerate.

In this era, people disliked those who were flashy, especially someone like Bian Yunchen—talented and beautiful, wearing a cold, detached expression, seemingly indifferent to everyone.

Everyone waited for her to fall from grace, yet she excelled, consistently proving the media wrong. Only then did people begrudgingly admit that Bian Yunchen was a true tian zhi jiao nü (heaven’s favored daughter): good family background, beautiful, great acting skills, and a powerhouse in the business world.

But the more flawless she appeared, the more people wondered about her vulnerability, for she was human, not a god.

Journalist Xiao Fan was one of the curious ones.

She followed Bian Yunchen for three days, nearly getting her leg broken on the third. Her obsession with gossip ensured she wouldn’t stop there.

Her sincerity finally moved the ‘Gods,’ and she eventually caught a glimpse of a mysterious woman on the hilltop after a Bian family dinner, aiming her large lens.

Through that window, she clearly saw the woman.

The woman took her seat first, and then Bian Yunchen sat beside her.

While everyone around was in formal attire, the woman wore an outdoorsy jacket and had her hair tied in a high ponytail, looking as if she had just rushed back from an expedition.

Xiao Fan had followed Bian Yunchen since her debut. She was extremely familiar with Bian Yunchen’s every move, feeling she understood her better than even Bian Yunchen’s own mother.

During this dinner, Bian Yunchen looked at the woman next to her ten times, subtly signaling a waiter to place a dessert in front of the woman. When the woman toasted her, the subtle joy on Bian Yunchen’s usually placid face was something only Xiao Fan could discern.

Xiao Fan switched her focus to following the woman.

Her name was Xuan Yuchi. Her family and the Bian family were family friends; she and Bian Yunchen were childhood friends.

She was an only child, very pampered, had no need to manage a company, and loved adventure and extreme sports, traveling the world.

Xuan Yuchi went rock climbing, and Xiao Fan fearlessly followed, lurking near her. Disaster struck when Xiao Fan’s rope wasn’t secured properly, and it was Xuan Yuchi who grabbed her.

The woman was very helpful. Seeing that Xiao Fan was a rock-climbing novice, she shared tips throughout and even shared her water.

Xuan Yuchi also noticed their strange connection.

When traveling, one often meets fellow travelers, but they usually part ways after one or two stops. Xiao Fan, however, traveled with her for four full stops.

They became friends because of this.

When traveling, Xuan Yuchi typically only discussed matters related to the outside world. She never spoke about herself or her family matters.

However, Xiao Fan made her feel a certain closeness, leading her to unconsciously reveal more than usual.

For example, she mentioned that she once had a fiancée. This was a childhood engagement set up by her mother. As she grew up, she only felt sisterly affection for the ‘older sister.’ To call it love would be a stretch.

Secondly, she didn’t want to marry anyone; she wanted to be free for life.

So, she broke off the engagement in college. Fortunately, as they had grown up together, the ‘older sister’ didn’t hold a grudge. Sometimes when she returned home, she would still go and have a meal with her.

Xiao Fan was very interested in her love life.

“Are you sure she really doesn’t like you anymore?”

“She was broken up with by you, yet she can still sit at a table and eat with you? How generous must she be?”

“Did your ex-fiancée date anyone after you? Judging by your description, she sounds so excellent, surely people pursue her? Aren’t her family worried?”

These were questions Xuan Yuchi had never considered.

Before she could think clearly, Xiao Fan suddenly disappeared.

This was immediately followed by the news that her mother was seriously ill.

Xuan Yuchi rushed back to the country overnight, keeping vigil by Huo Tian’s sickbed.

The doctor said her mother didn’t have much time left, so Xuan Yuchi stayed with her every day.

Bian Yunchen occasionally came to visit her mother. When Xuan Yuchi saw Bian Yunchen, she recalled Xiao Fan’s questions.

She was usually very open with Bian Yunchen and was about to ask, but she noticed a tan line from a ring on Bian Yunchen’s ring finger and strangely held back the question.

Bian Yunchen took her out for a meal. It was no different from before. It started with a few words of concern, asking if she enjoyed her recent travels. Then, when the food arrived, Bian Yunchen used the serving chopsticks to give her a piece, and they each ate separately, with periods of silence.

Xuan Yuchi couldn’t hold back and asked if she was dating.

Bian Yunchen paused, her eyes flickering with a faint, hidden smile: “Why are you asking that?”

Xuan Yuchi: “I’m worried about your aunties and uncles. After all, if it weren’t for me… Sigh, how about I introduce someone to you?”

She remembered a childhood friend who seemed to have a crush on Bian Yunchen.

“No need,” Bian Yunchen replied flatly. She lowered her head and cut a piece of steak. The rare steak bled thin lines of light red juice. Bian Yunchen put it in her mouth, chewing slowly and deliberately.

A few days later, Xuan Ling told Xuan Yuchi in a tone of guilt that he hoped Xuan Yuchi would marry Bian Yunchen.

The Xuan Corporation had long been in trouble. When the news of Huo Tian’s severe illness leaked, the company’s stock plummeted. A reporter then took a photo of Xuan Yuchi and Bian Yunchen eating together. Rumors spread that the two had reconciled, and speculation that Xuan Yuchi would marry Bian Yunchen to save the family’s stock caused Xuan Corp’s stock price to rebound slightly.

Xuan Yuchi agreed.

Her confidence while traveling came from her family; now was the time to repay them.

Shortly after the wedding, Huo Tian passed away. Xiao Fan showed up on the day of the funeral.

Xuan Yuchi was surprised. Xiao Fan waited for her in a secluded corner.

Xiao Fan confessed her identity to Xuan Yuchi, her original motive for approaching her, and the reason for her sudden disappearance—she had been threatened by Bian Yunchen.

Not only that, the subsequent report claiming Xuan Yuchi and Bian Yunchen had reconciled was also written by her.

Furthermore, Huo Tian’s sudden illness might have been connected to Bian Yunchen.

Xuan Yuchi confronted Bian Yunchen with the evidence Xiao Fan gave her.

Bian Yunchen didn’t even look at it: “You’re too tired today. Rest early.”

Some words didn’t need to be spoken for Xuan Yuchi to understand.

She gripped Bian Yunchen’s shoulders, trembling, horrified that she seemed to have never truly known her, and terrified of sleeping next to a cold viper every night.

She didn’t say a word. She had to escape.

She realized it too late, even obediently drinking the water Bian Yunchen offered her just before the confrontation.

After a quiet night, Bian Yunchen loaded her into a car and drove her to an experimental laboratory in the suburbs.

Since Bian Yunchen was in college, she had persistently advocated for increased family investment in this research.

When she was a child, she watched a movie where the protagonist was a brain suspended in a fish tank, monitored and controlled by scientists through various means.

It was merely a brain, yet it manifested an incredibly vivid life.

Xuan Yuchi lay in the hibernation pod, numerous wires attached to her head and body. She looked like a docile puppet, her face serene.

Her dream displayed on a large monitoring screen, with many numerical values in the rightmost column.

The employees exited the room. Bian Yunchen stood beside Xuan Yuchi, taking her hand in hers and finally pressing it to her cheek, looking calmly at Xuan Yuchi.

She began to tell her story.

Was it a one-sided crush?

Was it resentment?

Was it the twisted possessiveness of finally tearing off a veneer of hypocrisy?

Bian Yunchen no longer needed to contemplate these questions.

She picked up the controller and modified a column of values.

Under the locust tree on the university campus, a classmate walked up to Xuan Yuchi and asked: “I heard that Senior Bian is your fiancée?”

Xuan Yuchi replied annoyingly: “Stop nosing around. That was just a playful thing our families set up a long time ago.”

[Dream Corrected]

Xuan Yuchi smiled when she heard her classmate: “That’s right. We’ll get married after graduation.”

When they were young, Xuan Yuchi tugged at Bian Yunchen’s sleeve: “Sister Yunchen, let’s go play.”

Bian Yunchen: “I need to read.”

“Okay,” Xuan Yuchi turned and ran toward her friends.

[Dream Corrected]

“Okay,” Xuan Yuchi sat beside Bian Yunchen and also picked up a book.

[ALERT, ALERT, testing subject detected to be generating resistant emotion!]

The employees rushed in and urgently adjusted the values.

“What’s going on?” Bian Yunchen demanded.

The employee explained: “The dream is synthesized based on the subject’s experiences and personality. If it deviates too much from her true intentions, the dream will automatically generate content to resist our intervention… This experiment is not yet fully successful. We recommend that you leave some buffer space when adjusting the values.”

“You can take it step by step, gradually taming it.”

“But don’t worry, we will continuously upgrade the technology to allow you to directly participate in her dreams.”

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