The Heartless Alpha Just Wants to Follow the Plot - Chapter 21

Seeing that the two had clearly agreed to work together, Pu Ying sent each of them a copy of the contract and said flatly, “This is the contract.”

“You’re both artists. Compared to a verbal agreement, I believe a written contract offers far more security for you. Whoever breaches it will be sent to a military tribunal—how does that sound?”

Qiu Fu: “……”

She lowered her head and read through the contract once. Every issue and procedure was laid out clearly, with no attempt to take advantage of her. If anything, the terms were rather generous to her, while Su Mo was the one facing more restrictions.

She discreetly glanced at Pu Ying, who was sipping her coffee as if completely detached from everything around her. Curiosity stirred in Qiu Fu’s heart—why was Pu Ying treating her so well?

With such a good opportunity laid out before her, shouldn’t Pu Ying be taking the chance to squeeze every bit of value out of her instead?

“I have no objections.”

Su Mo skimmed through the notes casually. While the contract didn’t seem particularly beneficial to her, it wasn’t disadvantageous either. She trusted Pu Ying’s competence.

She pressed her fingerprint and signed her name without hesitation. “I’m fine with it too.”

Seeing how readily Su Mo agreed, Qiu Fu felt she had been overthinking things. Just as Su Mo had said, she really had no interest in her at all—everything was simply her own misplaced assumptions.

Relieved, Qiu Fu signed her name and pressed her fingerprint as well. They exchanged copies of the contract.

“Since neither of you has any objections, it’s settled,” Pu Ying said. “You should head back now too. It’s late—if you’re still out at this hour, the old man will be worried.”

Pu Ying began ushering them out without ceremony, catching Su Mo completely off guard.

“I don’t really want to go back right now.”

Going back meant facing that strange, unsettling feeling again. She didn’t want that.

A trace of doubt flickered in Pu Ying’s eyes. Normally, although Su Mo disliked going home, she always behaved herself once she did. It was rare for her to run off in the middle of the night like this—especially saying she didn’t want to go back for now.

Out of the corner of her eye, Pu Ying glanced subtly at Qiu Fu.

Could it be that she liked this person to such an extent?

Completely unaware of what was going on, Qiu Fu only felt a chill run down her back. A strange, intangible tension spread through the house.

After some thought, she tried to persuade her. “Even if you don’t want to go back, you’re still an Alpha. If you stay here too long, it’ll be hard for us to explain things later.”

Su Mo shrugged. “Alright, then.”

“I only came because I thought you might relapse tonight. Since you’re fine, I’ll be leaving.”

Qiu Fu pressed her lips together. She had known Su Mo’s reason for coming. It was just that with Pu Ying present, admitting she wasn’t feeling well would’ve been awkward.

She couldn’t help feeling that the dynamic between Pu Ying and Su Mo was complicated—there was something there she couldn’t quite understand. That vague feeling stirred an unfamiliar flutter in her chest.

Maybe she was just imagining things, but she still didn’t want to appear as if there was anything between her and Su Mo in front of Pu Ying.

Pu Ying noticed Qiu Fu’s unease as well. Holding her coffee, she stood up. “I’m tired. I won’t disturb you any longer.”

With that, she left the living room and went upstairs to her bedroom.

Sitting on the bed, she placed the barely-touched coffee on the nightstand and turned her gaze to the bright moonlight outside the window.

The moonlight of the interstellar era was different from that of Earth—it wasn’t reflected sunlight, but illumination cast by a naturally luminous planet. That planet had been named Moonstar, in remembrance of Earth’s moon.

As for everyday sunlight, that came from constant-light stars.

Staring at the glowing Moonstar, Pu Ying removed her glasses and set them on the nightstand, her fingers gently brushing over the spot where her gland lay.

If only, if she had been just a little more careful back then, would the ending have been different?

If the one she had met back then had been Su Mo, would she have become the Qiu Fu of today?

But there were no “ifs” in this world.

“Ding ding ding.!”

Pu Ying jolted out of her reverie and accepted the call. On the screen was the neatly dressed Old Master Su.

“Grandpa Su.”

After Pu Ying left, Qiu Fu grew even more uncomfortable. The strange atmosphere made her hands tremble slightly without her noticing.

Her gaze swept over Su Mo, who was staring motionlessly at her light-brain. After hesitating for a long while, she finally spoke first.

“You, you came today because of me?”

“Mm.”

Su Mo lifted her head from the screen and nodded calmly. “Otherwise, why would I bring you here?”

Despite Su Mo’s casual tone, Qiu Fu’s heart still skipped a beat.

“Then, you and Pu Ying.”

“Nothing,” Su Mo replied. “She’s the manager my family’s old man assigned to me. She’s been with me for many years.”

Qiu Fu: “Oh.”

With the topic exhausted, the two of them sat there in awkward silence.

The system quietly came online and urged her anxiously:

【Host, host, hurry, hurry and leave! The next plotline is about to start—another person related to the original host has already appeared!】

Su Mo: “?”

【The next one? Wasn’t I supposed to approach them myself?】

Since when did this lousy system start actively pushing the plot forward?

System: 【Well, we noticed the host seems rather anxious.】

Who exactly was anxious here?

Still, she really should leave. Seeing that Qiu Fu was fine put her much more at ease.

Su Mo drained her glass of fruit juice in one go and stood up. “I should get going. If anything happens, contact me anytime. If you can’t reach me, go to Pu Ying—she’ll know where to find me.”

“Thanks for the hospitality.”

Qiu Fu shook her head. “I didn’t really do anything. Pu Ying handled everything.”

Su Mo nodded. “I know. She’s the only one who knows ‘my’ tastes that well.”

Qiu Fu remained silent.

Seeing that Qiu Fu seemed about to walk her out, Su Mo quickly said, “No need to see me off. Get some rest. In about three days, I’ll need to detoxify you—any later would be bad for your health. Have Pu Ying make the necessary preparations. You’ll need to stay out of sight for those few days.”

Qiu Fu’s face flushed red, and she replied awkwardly, “Alright.”

Why did she say it like that? Su Mo sounded completely nonchalant, as if she was just talking about what to eat today.

Qiu Fu felt a twinge of embarrassment.

Su Mo had dashed out the moment she stepped outside. Although she had said there was no need to see her off, Qiu Fu still went to the window to watch. Seeing Su Mo leave without even looking back, a strange, heavy feeling settled in her chest.

Their relationship clearly wasn’t like this. They were supposed to be mortal enemies. Yet recently, whenever Qiu Fu saw Su Mo, there was no sharp sarcasm, no lingering sense of malice.

She touched her chest. Could it be that after being marked, the so-called “Omega effect” actually existed?

Qiu Fu didn’t know. Perhaps this effect was stronger than she had imagined.

Rushing to the next plot point, Su Mo had no idea what was going on in the house.

[Where is the next plot point?]

System: [Just a little past the exit.]

Su Mo piloted her flyer nearby, then stopped and decided to approach on foot. She heard sounds of someone being beaten not far off. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she muttered to herself—she wasn’t exactly the kind of good citizen who was passionate about charitable deeds.

[Heroic rescues shouldn’t the main character’s job? Why should a vicious cannon fodder like me do it? Fall into the pit myself?]

The system scrolled through the data, then spoke seriously: [According to records, the person being beaten inside is the future main character.]

Su Mo: [Main character?]

The main character being beaten?

Her mind quickly clicked. A main character who never gets hurt isn’t a proper main character. Without a tragic past, without a bleak background, how could she be resilient, plunge into darkness, and wait for someone to illuminate her bleak life?

So, this is what they call a fated misfortune.

[So, what am I supposed to do? You’re not telling me to save her, right? That doesn’t fit my character.]

If she went and slit someone’s throat now, that would be more in line with her persona.

[She can’t die. If she dies, your mission ends.]

Finally, the system added: [But she isn’t exactly far from death either.]

Su Mo: “…”

[Whether she dies or not should be the main character’s problem. What does it have to do with me, a cannon fodder?]

[If she dies, the plot collapses. If the plot doesn’t collapse, then my mission is immediately completed.]

System, shocked: [If the main character’s gone, what mission is left?]

Su Mo: “…”

Thinking about it, it kind of made sense.

[Fine then.]

Rescue, to the end.

When she arrived, the people who had been beating the main character were already gone, leaving behind the protagonist lying on the ground, ragged and near death.

Su Mo squatted down, staring in disbelief at the beaten figure that barely resembled a human. If it wasn’t for the glaringly bright label “Main Character” hovering above their head, she wouldn’t have believed it.

[System, what’s their name?]

The system played dead, silent.

Su Mo glared. The system was always useless at critical moments.

“You okay?” she asked.

The one remaining open eye slowly turned to look at Su Mo. Suddenly, a mouthful of blood spewed out, staining the ground red.

Su Mo: “…”

No wonder they were the main character—someone even coughing up blood did it in style.

“Save me.”

Perhaps not recognizing Su Mo, the protagonist weakly grabbed her leg, forcing out the words between spurts of blood.

Su Mo: “Fine.”

She scooped the person up and returned to her flyer, which had a healing device on board.

Although it wasn’t as effective as a full treatment pod, it could at least keep her alive for the time being.

The woman let out a sharp groan, blood spilling even more. Her gaze toward Su Mo was as if Su Mo was trying to kill her.

Four of her ribs were broken. With Su Mo’s embrace, they were practically pressing into her internal organs.

The healing device displayed the injuries: both legs broken, toes crushed, one arm useless, four broken ribs, internal bleeding, and near-total destruction of her eyes.

Su Mo sighed. What kind of grudge did these people have to strike with such cruelty?

Fortunately, she wasn’t the main character herself. Otherwise, with these injuries, she would have had to risk her life to go down with them.

“I’ll take you to a hospital.”

At this point, the healing device was useless. She needed to get to a treatment pod and apply special healing drugs immediately.