The CEO Omega I Picked Up Has Run Away - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The first novice farming task the system gave Ji Shu was weeding.

Aside from a mud hut that could hardly be called a house, the original host actually owned about one acre of land left behind by her ancestors. While one couldn’t say this small plot would make someone a tycoon, it was more than enough to grow food for personal consumption.

Unfortunately, the original host was so lazy that the field was now overgrown with weeds. At her height of 173cm, the weeds reached nearly to her waist.

The plot was located only a few dozen meters from the mud hut. It wasn’t far, and Ji Shu reached it quickly. However, she first headed to a nearby river to wash the grime off her face and limbs. Fortunately, looking at her reflection in the water, although the original host was scruffy, her facial features weren’t much different from Ji Shu’s original ones. Using the words of people who knew her before, she looked heroic, clean, and radiant.

But the green overalls and black trousers she wore had faded from too much washing, were riddled with holes, and her pitch-black rubber boots looked like they smelled terrible. Combined with her matted, bird-nest hair, she looked like a scavenger.

Ji Shu, who had grown up in comfort and was meticulous about hygiene, found this look unacceptable. She didn’t just need to change clothes; she needed to wash her hair and cut it shorter to look like she did before she transmigrated. The only thing about the original host that satisfied her was that face at least she wouldn’t scare herself every time she looked in a mirror.

Ten minutes later, guided by the system, Ji Shu arrived at her field with the hoe over her shoulder. At first glance, the entire plot was covered in small mountain rocks, with the graves of the original host’s parents situated right in the center. Sunlight was blocked by a large forest on the left, giving the place an eerie, chilling vibe. Honestly, this kind of land wasn’t suitable for vegetables.

Back when Ji Shu grew her own vegetables, she had a private garden; she had never been to a place that looked like a scene from a horror movie. Though she was brave and didn’t fear snakes or insects, she was slightly afraid of ghosts. Seeing this scene, she felt the urge to retreat.

The pay from the system was low, she didn’t know if the “novice gift” was useful, and the weeds were so thick it would take her ten hours to finish at her current pace. She didn’t have to follow the system’s farming path; she could find other ways to support herself, right?

Just as Ji Shu was about to turn around, a hand landed on her shoulder from behind.

!!!

Ji Shu jumped in fright. By reflex, she grabbed the hand and twisted it with force. Finally, she saw Ji Hen’s familiar face and heard his pig-like squeals: “Sis! Sis! It’s me! Let go, it hurts, hurts, hurts!”

Behind him stood Li Mengwan, watching them with a look of concern. Ji Shu released him, shifting her gaze back to the weeds. “Why are you two here?”

Ji Hen rubbed his arm. “Didn’t you say you were weeding? We came to help. Honestly, Sis, why is your strength so great? You almost broke my arm.”

Li Mengwan added, “We came to help Sister.”

It wasn’t just strength; it was a bit of martial arts technique. After all, this current body was actually quite frail. Ji Shu looked at what Ji Hen was holding and changed the subject. “Where did you get that hoe?” If she remembered correctly, Ji Hen’s house only had one rusty hoe, and the original host had none.

Successfully distracted, Ji Hen replied, “Borrowed it from a villager.” He had to beg for a long time before an auntie finally lent it to him.

In truth, Ji Hen would rather do any heavy labor than farm, but since he had eaten his cousin’s only old hen today, he felt guilty and wanted to help. He hated farming because his family had very little land, he didn’t think it made money, and most people farming in the village now were elderly; the youth had all left to work in the cities. Those who returned after a few years built grand houses, which Ji Hen envied.

Unfortunately, he lacked education, had no one to lend him money, and refused to live off subsidies like his cousin. Before his parents died, they told him the house and land couldn’t fall into the hands of others, so he couldn’t travel far and could only try his luck in the local town.

“Alright, thank you for the help then,” Ji Shu nodded. With company, she wasn’t as afraid. Besides, the system had told her to bring Ji Hen along for farming anyway.

After speaking, Ji Shu took her hoe and chose a spot far away from Li Mengwan, beginning to weed with the focus of a diligent farmer. It seemed as if the beautiful woman wasn’t as important to her as the weeds in front of her.

Even the system couldn’t help but comment: “So the host actually knows how to farm.”

Li Mengwan’s fingers, which were stroking her jade bracelet, paused slightly. She smiled.

Ji Hen turned and caught the smile, immediately becoming dazed. He quickly pulled out a piece of cardboard he’d brought, laid it on a smooth rock by the field, and said eagerly to Li Mengwan, “Little Wan, there are no more hoes. Just sit here and watch. This kind of work is for us Alphas.”

The reason he brought her along was because he was afraid she’d be bullied if left home alone. He never truly intended for her to pull weeds. Especially after those two drunks visited, the news that his house held a beautiful Omega would likely spread through the village quickly. Little Wan was a female Omega—a treasure that any Beta or Alpha would want to marry.

“Mhm, thank you, Brother Ji.” Li Mengwan didn’t refuse. Although she had no memory, she felt she wasn’t meant for this kind of work; helping would likely just get in the way. She felt that this life was very, very far away from her, possessing the unreality of a dream. She wanted her memories back, but her intuition told her she couldn’t ask for help—especially not from the police.

Based on the scars she had when she woke up and her own instincts, she guessed she might be a fugitive or someone in trouble. To hide her identity and protect herself, she needed a pillar of support—someone who wasn’t repulsive and could protect her. Thinking of the foul language from the two men earlier, Li Mengwan frowned.

Meanwhile, Ji Shu and Ji Hen got to talking as they worked. Ji Hen spoke first: “Sis, why the sudden urge to weed? Didn’t you hate farming the most?”

Ji Shu: “Someone said farming can lead to wealth.” Yes, the system said that.

Ji Hen took a break and let out an exaggerated cry. “No way, Sis! What era is this? You actually believe farming can make you rich?”

Thinking of the ten yuan per hour promised by the system, Ji Shu shook her head. “I don’t. But I’ll try.”

The system felt insulted. For the first time, its mechanical voice sounded angry: “Host, what do you mean? Don’t you know food is the people’s heaven? And I told you, this is just the internship period. Understand? Follow me, and the host will definitely be rich in the future!”

Ji Shu ignored it. Long hours of bending over made her tired. She wiped her sweat and glanced at Li Mengwan basking in the sun on the rock. She lowered her voice to Ji Hen: “You didn’t call the police?” Wouldn’t it save a lot of trouble to let the police find Li Mengwan’s family?

When Ji Hen explained his reasoning, Ji Shu went silent. It turned out her own reputation was part of the reason.

Ji Shu asked the system: “Why do you think Li Mengwan doesn’t want to call the police?”

The system was still a bit grumpy, but answering the host was its duty. It replied reluctantly: “The Li Corporation has a traitor, and there are moles in the police force. She’s lost her memory and can’t contact her own people; staying hidden is best until she recovers. Besides, if the female lead doesn’t lose her memory, how can the romance with the male lead progress? That is the power of the plot.”

“Don’t worry about it, Host. That’s between the leads. Our task is just to lead the male lead in farming.”

Ji Shu was only curious; she didn’t want to get involved. She had suggested the police just to avoid trouble, especially since those two drunks didn’t seem to have given up. But as a martial artist, standing by while someone suffered went against her principles of helping the weak. Even if the female lead wasn’t truly “weak,” she certainly looked like she needed protection right now.

Just then, Li Mengwan screamed: “Snake! There’s a snake!”

A medium-sized non-venomous rat snake was rustling through the grass toward Li Mengwan’s feet. She stood on the rock, too terrified to move. It was early October and the weather wasn’t cold yet; with the thick, dark grass, snakes were common.

Without thinking, Ji Shu dropped her hoe and covered the distance in three strides, reaching Li Mengwan before Ji Hen could. Her steps were light, and she grabbed the snake quickly without startling it. Seeing Li Mengwan’s pale face, Ji Shu offered a rare comfort: “Don’t be afraid. It’s not venomous.”

So even the CEO is afraid of snakes… Ji Shu sighed internally, holding the snake as she prepared to move it further away.

Li Mengwan stared at Ji Shu’s back, forgetting her fear. Once this Alpha’s face was clean, she was actually quite handsome and gave off a very reliable feeling. Her heart seemed to beat a little faster. Perhaps it was the sun, but Li Mengwan felt her face grow warm.

“Thank you,” she said softly. This time, there was a bit more sincerity. Before, it was merely for survival. Even the most rational person would panic when losing their memory among strangers. Li Mengwan was no exception. Only after confirming Ji Hen was a good person had she relaxed her guard. Even so, she kept that small knife on her person at all times.

After Ji Shu “escorted” the snake away, she returned to see Ji Hen comforting Li Mengwan. She didn’t dwell on it and returned to her weeding. With Ji Hen’s help, a task that would have taken ten hours was finished in six. They started at one and finished past seven. The sky had darkened, and the cemetery hill had become even more ominous.

Ji Shu just wanted to leave. Furthermore, after a day of manual labor, she was genuinely starving. Unfortunately, she had no food, and neither did Ji Hen. What to eat for dinner was a problem for all three.

On the way home, Ji Hen had a long face. “I should have kept that snake to stew. Sis, why did you let it go?”

Naturally, it was because Ji Shu didn’t like snake meat and didn’t like killing unnecessarily. But she didn’t say that. Instead, she pinged the system: “Xiao Tiantian, give me the sixty yuan I earned today and my novice gift.”

System: “Money can only be settled once a month on the 20th. As for the novice gift: at 7:30 tonight, a person returning to the village will be chased by a mad dog. If the host helps her drive the dog away, she will give the novice gift to the host. Whether it’s money or items, I will ensure it reaches you in a logical way. Don’t worry about legal issues.”

“There are fifteen minutes until the target appears. Please hurry to the village entrance, or you might miss it.”

That’s… quite logical indeed. Ji Shu stopped the rambling Ji Hen and handed him her hoe. “I’m going to the village entrance.”

Ji Hen was confused. “It’s so late, Sis, where are you going? Also, shouldn’t we figure out what to eat? Forget it, I’ll ask the auntie who lent me the hoe…”

“Probably going to climb over some village girl’s wall again,” Ji Hen muttered under his breath. It wasn’t malice; his cousin did that often, and her reputation was trash.

Ji Shu didn’t hear him and walked away without looking back. Li Mengwan, however, heard it clearly, and the smile on her face dimmed instantly.

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