The Heartless Alpha Just Wants to Follow the Plot - Chapter 22.1

“No.”

“033, change the destination. Don’t go to Heming Winery. Head to the nearest hospital instead.”

A gentle female voice replied, “Understood. Auto-navigation activated—Zhong’er Hospital.”

As for the protagonist’s barely audible protest? Completely ignored.

The woman, hearing this, immediately spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed.

Seeing the protagonist faint, the system quietly popped up again:

[Host, it looks like the protagonist has a lot of enemies. If we just head to the hospital like this, won’t someone be lying in wait?]

Su Mo shrugged:

[She’s already like this. Who would bother ambushing her now? Didn’t you see they weren’t even prepared to finish her off completely?]

System: [But.]

Su Mo: [There’s no “but.” Just trust me.]

System: [“…”]

Fine. If it can’t convince the host, it would just follow along. After all, this person is the protagonist—her luck can’t be that.

“Miss Su? The hospital has recently admitted many patients with infectious diseases. All wards are full, and we can’t admit anyone else for now. Even the emergency room is full.”

The nurse looked embarrassed, then was hurriedly called away by others.

Really?

The system dropped its jaw in shock. This, this luck.

Is this really the protagonist?

Could she have taken a turn on the “misfortune route”?

Su Mo frowned. “Doesn’t look like this hospital will work. Change to another one.”

033 switched to a different hospital and finally found an available ward to send the woman to emergency care.

But because Su Mo had flown her there late at night and was photographed doing so, the Star Net exploded with activity. Everyone was speculating whether the woman had ended up like this because of Su Mo.

[I heard some people drive recklessly at night on public flight paths just because they’re rich, completely disregarding human life.]

[Hey, someone’s hinting at a certain person. But no one’s ever exposed this. Where did you hear it from? Show us proof!]

[Calm down, we didn’t say it was that person. Why are you so quick to assume?]

[I think the person looks beaten up.]

[So tragic just looking at her, it’s terrible.]

Not knowing the full situation, Su Mo left the hospital after paying and preparing to leave. But since the woman had no guardian, the nurse had to ask Su Mo to wait until she was stable.

Su Mo: “…”

Fortunately, it wasn’t New Year yet. Otherwise, she probably wouldn’t have had a peaceful holiday.

Leaning against the wall, she yawned and lowered her eyes, looking as if she was silently assessing the woman’s condition. Reporters quickly updated the scene, noting Su Mo’s serious expression outside the emergency room. Many speculated that the person inside was important to her.

The online speculation shifted instantly, with guesses that the patient might be one of the celebrities who had previously had close dealings with Su Mo.

Among them, Si Yu and Qiu Fu made the top trending list, as they had been seen with Su Mo recently—especially Qiu Fu, who, according to prior rumors from Qi Huan Entertainment, had been “redeemed” with Su Mo’s money.

[No way, Qiu Fu hasn’t appeared for months. Could it really be that Su Mo did that?]

[Nonsense. Our sister was just unwell, resting for now. She’ll be back soon. As for Su Mo, we don’t even know if these rumors are true. Just because people say something doesn’t make it a fact. Even if true, it was probably borrowed money. Everyone knows our sister and Su Mo aren’t exactly friends.]

[Wait, that doesn’t make sense. First you say borrowed money, now you say they aren’t on good terms. Who lends money to someone they don’t get along with? It’s not like our sister is naive.]

[Maybe it’s mutual respect and maybe Su Mo is naive and rich.]

Online, Su Mo didn’t have a reputation for stinginess, so most couldn’t tell she was actually careful with her money. Logically, she probably wouldn’t lend to Qiu Fu.

But the truth? Nobody knew. They would have to wait for Su Mo to explain personally.

Meanwhile, Pu Ying, having just finished a video call with the elder and been scolded, saw the trending news and felt her head spin. She took a deep breath and messaged Su Mo, asking where she was. How long had it been? And why was she back at the hospital—injured?

Su Mo was woken by the vibration of her light-brain device, flexed her numb legs, stretched, and opened the message.

Seeing it was Pu Ying, she was about to reply when a video call came through.

“Why are you at the hospital? There’s blood on you! Did you get into a fight?”

Pu Ying frowned deeply. She had never met anyone so difficult to keep track of, but in a way, it reassured her that Su Mo hadn’t gotten into trouble with Qiu Fu.

Su Mo replied helplessly, “I didn’t want to go home, was thinking of grabbing a drink, but on the way I ran into someone who’d been badly beaten. So, I just brought her to the hospital.”

She wrinkled her nose and waved her hand at the strong blood smell: “Bring me a change of clothes. It stinks.”

Pu Ying: “On my way.”

Call ended. Pu Ying changed, grabbed another set of clothes, and left immediately—so rushed she didn’t even wear glasses or button her clothes properly. She looked quite different than usual.

Passing Qiu Fu downstairs, she was puzzled at her late-night departure. She wanted to ask why, but realized she had no right. All she could do was watch her hurry away.

Her movement was so fast it seemed off. She checked Star Net—sure enough, the top trending post was Su Mo at the hospital late at night.

She pressed her lips together and sent her a message: [Did something happen to you?]

Su Mo quickly replied: [No.]

No?

Qiu Fu bit ers lip. [But I saw Pu Ying rushing out.]

The only reason Pu Ying would be in such a hurry was because of Su Mo, but it seemed Su Mo herself didn’t realize it.

Su Mo: [I asked her to come. You rest.]

Qiu Fu stared at the message, feeling an odd ache—like her heart had been struck from nowhere. Confused, she didn’t know why it hurt.

[Hmm. Glad you’re fine.]

She sent the message dryly and sat in the living room, dazed, waiting for Pu Ying to return.

Pu Ying soon arrived at the hospital. The rescued woman was moved out of the emergency room into a treatment pod.

The doctor removed his gloves, frowning: “The patient is stable, but internal organ damage is severe. She’ll need to stay in the treatment pod for three days.”

“She’ll need someone to accompany her. Any family?”

Su Mo shook her head: “I don’t know. I found her by the roadside. When I saw her, she was already like this.”

‘Found her’ was a euphemism—the sound of Su Mo’s flight craft scared off the people finishing the last blows. Otherwise, the woman would likely have died.

[As expected of the protagonist. Surviving this, her luck is incredible.]

[You say that, but if you’d arrived earlier, it wouldn’t have been this bad.]

System: [But a protagonist with this miserable a life is truly rare.]

Su Mo: [You must’ve read too few books. Look at Earth-era authors. Their protagonists are far worse off—almost every main character has a tragic background. Without one, they wouldn’t even be considered protagonists.]

“Su Mo!”

Pu Ying ran over, panting, carrying a bag. Hair loose, coat unbuttoned—her usual sharp look completely gone.

She grabbed Su Mo and looked her over. Even though Su Mo claimed she was fine and just escorting someone to the hospital, Pu Ying worried that Su Mo might have been injured rescuing the patient.

Seeing her safe in person confirmed it.

“Why suddenly want a drink so late? Couldn’t you have had one at home?”

Pu Ying scolded, arms crossed.

Su Mo glanced at Pu Ying’s disheveled state and laughed, her eyes curved into crescent moons.

Pu Ying, confused: “?”

“What are you laughing at?”

Su Mo’s clothes had shifted oddly and felt uncomfortable. Knowing Su Mo’s obsession with cleanliness, Pu Ying hurriedly shoved the bag of clothes into her hands.

“Quick, change. Stop laughing.”

Su Mo took the bag, pulled out a jacket, and tossed it over Pu Ying’s head.

Pu Ying: “?”

She reached to remove it: “Don’t—”

Su Mo lowered her voice: “Don’t move.”

Pu Ying: “?”

Su Mo blocked her body, corrected her misbuttoned coat, and smiled helplessly. “Why rush? Didn’t I say I’m fine?”

Pu Ying’s ears warmed. She stiffened, stepped back, handed the clothes over, and turned her head away. “Don’t do this to others. Even though we’ve known each other for a while, it’s abrupt and improper.”

Su Mo accepted the clothes and felt the gesture a bit rude, though it was instinctive—she had just wanted to fix the messy coat.

She paused, then whispered: “I won’t do it again.”

Pu Ying was momentarily at a loss—she hadn’t meant it like that.

“Mm.”

Su Mo changed, discarded the dirty clothes into the hospital’s automatic sorting trash. The system separated recyclable items for collection; everything else was processed and repurposed.

After washing her face and changing, Su Mo stepped out, seeing Pu Ying still with loose hair, standing by a corner, extending her hand to someone. She tilted her head, curious.

Pu Ying, expressionless: “Please hand over all videos and photos taken just now for deletion.”

The paparazzo grumbled, “What’s the big deal? You post stuff like this all the time anyway. One or two more news items won’t matter.”

Pu Ying replied firmly, “Not necessary.”

She insisted on having it deleted. The paparazzo, unable to argue further, had no choice but to comply.

Pu Ying checked carefully, confirming that everything was removed before she finally relaxed.

“I understand this is your job, but this is private time. We are here for personal matters, and your previously fabricated news has already caused harm to my artist.”

Setting down the other person’s holo-pad, Pu Ying’s expression darkened slightly. “If you continue to publish false news, we will take legal action. I hope you understand that even paparazzi work requires a conscience.

A minor, unverified story that doesn’t hurt anyone occasionally is fine, but if it becomes a habit, a military court will be waiting for you.”

“Thank you for your cooperation.”

Su Mo watched the scene, her gaze deepening. Paparazzi in the interstellar era was even harder to guard against.

Noticing Su Mo’s frown, Pu Ying said, “It’s resolved now. Don’t worry.”

Su Mo offered a faint smile, straightening her clothes. “I’ve always trusted you to handle things properly.”

“The task here will take three days. She doesn’t seem to have an emergency contact, and the family registry is blank. I suspect she’s an orphan and may face mistreatment.”

“I have some inconvenience at the moment. Call someone to watch over her—I’ll pay them.”

Pu Ying looked at Su Mo, gently adjusting her collar before nodding slowly. “Understood.”

Su Mo stood still while Pu Ying handled it. “Also.”

Pu Ying asked, “What is it?”

Su Mo hesitated a moment, then spoke honestly: “I apologize for earlier. I was reckless and shouldn’t have acted that way. I’m sorry.”

Pu Ying lowered her gaze, retracting her hand and stepping back. “It’s fine.”

“You didn’t do it on purpose—I understand.”

“That’s good.”

Su Mo had grown accustomed to girls helping each other. Sometimes she forgot that in this world, girls could also bear children. In another scenario, her previous actions could have been considered sexual harassment.

“I’ll be more careful from now on.”

“Mm.”

The two exchanged a silent look. Feeling slightly embarrassed to linger, Su Mo went to notify the nurse and then left with Pu Ying.

Standing by the spacecraft, Su Mo said, “It’s late. Let’s head back.”

Pu Ying asked, “Aren’t we going to have a drink?”

Drinking was just an excuse for Su Mo. “Never mind. I don’t feel like it anymore—it’s not worth it.”

Pu Ying flipped her long hair back. “You don’t feel like drinking, or you don’t feel like drinking with me?”

“Both?”

“Don’t misunderstand. I don’t mean anything by it.”

Although she truly didn’t feel like drinking, she couldn’t say so outright.

Pu Ying settled into the pilot’s seat. “Let’s go back to the villa. I’ll drink with you, and we won’t stop until we’re drunk.”

Su Mo shook her head. She had piloted her own spacecraft here. “Let’s return to the old family estate instead. Qiu Fu is probably asleep; it’s not polite to disturb her. And if we get drunk, at least there are servants at the old estate to take care of us.”

“Fine.”

Su Mo had been to the Su family estate many times. The old master had summoned her repeatedly, usually to inquire about her situation, sometimes to assign work. Pu Ying’s efforts aside, the old master’s careful arrangements had also played a significant role in Su Mo’s current position.

Su Mo entered her spacecraft, engaged autopilot, and glanced at the rearview mirror. Pu Ying’s craft followed steadily behind, maintaining a consistent distance.

It was as if Pu Ying herself always stayed nearby—never too close, never too far.

Arriving at the estate, the robot parked the crafts. Su Mo led Pu Ying upstairs, casually grabbed two bottles of wine, and brought them to the second-floor balcony. Pu Ying followed, holding two glasses.

The balcony was furnished with a table, chairs, and a sofa. Su Mo preferred the sofa. Sitting down, she used some strength to pull out the cork and poured a little wine for each of them. The ruby-red liquid clung to the sides of the glasses.

She sipped it, then had the robot bring some palatable snacks and a small cake.

Pu Ying asked, “There are already dishes—why the cake?”

“You probably haven’t eaten yet,” Su Mo replied. She swirled her wine, her gaze calm. “You haven’t been eating properly recently? You’ve lost weight. No matter how busy work is, you need to take care of your body.”

Pu Ying was taken aback, touching her face. “I have been a bit busy lately.”

Su Mo’s gaze sharpened. “Did the old master scold you because of something online?”

Pu Ying didn’t reply. Since Su Mo brought it up, it meant she already knew. Lying now would be pointless.

The two sat like old friends, chatting. When the cake arrived, Pu Ying picked up a slice—matcha, slightly bitter, her favorite. She didn’t like sweet things.

Su Mo waved her wine glass. After their glasses clinked, she asked curiously, “We’ve known each other a long time. How did you suddenly decide to follow the old master and enter the entertainment industry as my manager?”

Pu Ying leaned back, her gaze drifting to the sky, deep and distant. “I don’t know.”

She sipped her wine, a balance of sweet, sour, and faint bitterness—the flavor she loved, though tonight it tasted slightly wearisome.

“I was an orphan supported by the Su family. After graduating, I joined Su Corporation as a manager. The old master then assigned me to the entertainment industry as a public-facing manager, but behind the scenes, I was a company administrator helping expand the Su family business.”

“I’ve always done what he asked, never thought to refuse.”

When she first entered the industry under Su’s protection, integrating wasn’t easy. She endured being targeted and humiliated. Later, once she gained influence, she became bold—her foundation.

Feimu Entertainment could dominate its portion of the entertainment world largely thanks to Pu Ying. The old master even gave her part of the company’s stock, making her the youngest shareholder. Her artists got excellent resources, both because of her capability and her shareholder status. Outsiders only assumed she benefited from Su family backing.

Her reputation in the industry remained impeccable—until Su Mo entered the circle under her management.

“When I first met you, you were still a clueless young lady.”

Pu Ying crossed her legs, swirling her glass again. “You were my first Waterloo.”

Nearly crushed her in the process.

Su Mo laughed awkwardly, taking a sip of wine to mask her embarrassment.

Pu Ying asked, “Why did you insist on creating a ‘playboy’ persona for yourself?”

Everyone assumed Pu Ying had done it, but few knew the original request came from Su Mo herself: she demanded a playboy image with at least five flirtations within a year, regardless of who.