The Heartless Alpha Just Wants to Follow the Plot - Chapter 31

Forcing a smile, Su Mo quickly left the hospital with Pu Ying.

Once Tan Ya was left alone in the room, possessiveness surged in her eyes. “I really want to know behind all this glitter and glamour, is there a different kind of hell?”

After leaving the hospital and boarding the flight, Su Mo still felt a lingering unease about what had just happened. Something felt off, an indescribable sensation curling in her chest.

“This Tan Ya.”

She glanced at Pu Ying, hesitant to put her thoughts into words.

Through the rearview mirror, Pu Ying noticed Su Mo’s strange, hesitant expression and asked bluntly, “Something weird?”

Su Mo nodded. “She doesn’t seem like an ordinary child. Her eyes.”

She paused, searching for a better word. “There’s something twisted about them.”

What she really wanted to say was that she seemed dangerous.

Especially when their eyes met, the fleeting, partially hidden thoughts in Tan Ya’s gaze were completely clear to her. That was one of the reasons she had hurried away.

Although she didn’t think the currently weak Tan Ya could cause her real harm, the future version of her had indeed been enough to make the original protagonist fall apart.

Her potential was limitless.

Su Mo rubbed her thumb against her forefinger, letting the delicate friction calm her thoughts.

“Have someone keep an eye on her. Step in to help when necessary, but otherwise leave her alone.”

“And arrange for her to receive a proper, morally upright education. Make sure she grows into a principled, patriotic, and virtuous young adult.”

If she intended to change Tan Ya, action was required.

Just talking about it would be meaningless.

Pu Ying frowned. “You’re planning to raise a child?”

When had Su Mo ever been so kind?

Her previous interest in Qiu Fu could be understood, she’d been attracted by her beauty and wanted to help remove her poison. Su Mo had always had a thing for appearances.

But Tan Ya.

There was no way she triggered Su Mo’s personal tastes, right?

“Of course not.”

Su Mo recalled Tan Ya’s gaze. As a child who had just seen the light, it was normal for her to be unable to fully hide her thoughts.

It would have been fine if her gaze had been neutral. But when Tan Ya looked at her with that mix of obsession and excitement, along with thoughts that would make her shiver just imagining them, Su Mo felt a chill run down her spine.

Having acted as villains countless times, she was extremely sensitive to pathological gazes. She could read the hidden emotions in anyone’s eyes even a criminal’s.

She hated being stared at like that, even in a role.

“I have no interest in raising children.”

“But,” Su Mo sneered, “I do enjoy educating disobedient children.”

Pu Ying had no idea what Tan Ya had done to provoke Su Mo, but she could clearly feel the displeasure Su Mo held toward her.

“Then I’ll find some strict schools to enroll her in….”

“No. First, a private tutor.”

Su Mo cut her off. “She hasn’t attended school since middle school. She’ll study at home, take exams online, then go straight to the college entrance exam.”

Pu Ying: “…”

“That’s quite strict.”

Even for an enemy child, it was extreme. The online exam setup was basically a three-on-one: a guardian in person, a tutor online giving lessons, and an invigilator monitoring—all freedom gone, cheating impossible.

And for the student, the pressure was enormous.

Someone like Tan Ya, recently rescued and mentally unstable, might struggle even more than usual to learn. Could she even re-learn properly?

Su Mo said confidently, “She can.”

Within five years, Tan Ya had organized everything and would lead the Tan family beyond the Su family. Her intelligence couldn’t be low, and her methods weren’t ordinary either.

With such a child, Su Mo thought, you either instill an exceptionally high moral standard from the start, engraved deep enough to enforce naturally or watch her descend into obsession and darkness.

Even without reading the original story, she knew that Tan Ya couldn’t reach the end safely. Unless the story’s moral baseline was radically subverted, she couldn’t let this book turn into another tragedy.

No polyamory, no sexual exploitation—these were non-negotiable boundaries.

Pu Ying was surprised by Su Mo’s assessment. “You’ve only met twice, and you’re already so sure?”

“What if she disappoints you?”

“You don’t understand.”

Su Mo shook her head, thinking Pu Ying was naive.

Tan Ya was the protagonist. If the protagonist was a fool, how could the story progress?

“Just follow my instructions. Whether you win or I win in the end—that’s something only time can tell.”

Time would prove everything.

Pu Ying pressed her lips together. “Then let time bear witness.”

Meanwhile, Tan Ya at the hospital had no idea what lay ahead. She was still eagerly waiting for her third meeting with Su Mo.

But the next day, the person who came wasn’t Su Mo or Pu Ying, it was Jiang Xi.

Jiang Xi had her things in order and smiled kindly at Tan Ya. “I’m Jiang Xi, Su-jie’s former assistant. I’ll be taking care of your daily life for now.”

She then showed Tan Ya her ID and a voice recording from Pu Ying as proof.

Tan Ya: “…”

So, this was what Su Mo meant when she said Pu Ying would take care of everything.

“I’m Tan Ya,” she said.

Although Su Mo wasn’t here, this person had contact with her, so naturally Tan Ya had to play along. Who knew if she might secretly report something back to Su Mo?

“Come with me now. Su-jie has already prepared a place for you.”

Tan Ya hesitated. “So soon? Isn’t she coming to see me again herself?”

Jiang Xi, tidying up her things as she spoke, said gently, “Su-jie’s very busy, especially lately.”

Tan Ya’s voice carried a hint of worry. “Has something happened over there?”

“Mm,” Jiang Xi replied.

She didn’t elaborate. Saying just enough about Su Mo’s hardships would help Tan Ya understand how much Su Mo had to deal with but saying too much would be revealing sensitive details. After all, this child wasn’t one of their own.

Tan Ya wanted to press further, but seeing that Jiang Xi clearly didn’t want to say more, she suppressed her curiosity and started helping pack her things.

Once everything was ready, she glanced at Jiang Xi boarding the flight and asked nervously, “Where are we going? To see Su-jie?”

“Sort of,” Jiang Xi replied.

Hearing the vague answer, Tan Ya’s unease began to swell. “‘Sort of’ what does that mean?”

“If we’re not going to see Su-jie, then I’m not going.”

She believed that only Su Mo could save her; no one else would.

Jiang Xi hesitated. Her mission wasn’t to take Tan Ya to Su Mo, it was to bring her to an apartment.

Su Mo’s previous apartment had been remodeled into a comfortable, student-friendly space. There were plenty of toys children liked and some small puzzles and brain-training tools.

Tan Ya: “….”

It was clear that the apartment had been transformed into a student-friendly, single-living space. Everything was new, without a trace of anyone else.

So, Su Mo had never intended to live with her, nor to occasionally come by. From the start, she had wanted Tan Ya to live alone, without deepening any emotional attachment.

Tan Ya pursed her lips, her eyes darkening with a subtle malice.

When Jiang Xi finished putting things away and looked over, Tan Ya had already concealed her uneasy expression, not letting the other notice anything. A faint smile touched her lips as she pretended to fidget awkwardly with her hands.

“So, I’ll be living here from now on?”

“And where does Su-jie live?”

Jiang Xi carried Tan Ya’s luggage into the master bedroom and said, “She doesn’t live here. This place is for you. For now, you’ll stay here. Once you’ve grown and achieved more, you can move out on your own.”

“This will be your sleeping area. Next door has been converted into a study, where you’ll do your lessons. Inside, you’ll find the latest holographic computer, a game pod, and a nutrition pod.”

“The kitchen is outside. Since you probably don’t know how to cook yet, a housekeeper will be arranged to take care of you.”

Jiang Xi finished organizing everything, washed some fruit for Tan Ya, then brought the holographic computer from the study for her to wear. She entered her own ID to sync with Tan Ya’s, storing a copy on each device.

“This is my holographic ID. If anything happens, you can contact me. If the housekeeper isn’t suitable, I can change her for you as well.”

Tan Ya stared at the new device on her wrist. Everything here was perfect, even the couch was far more comfortable than the hospital bed but she still preferred the days at the hospital.

Because Su Mo came to see her.

Everything here was fine, except it lacked the person she wanted to hide away with.

She lowered her gaze, studying the device on her wrist. “What about Su-jie, can I contact her?”

“Not for now,” Jiang Xi said apologetically. “Your current status doesn’t allow you to get too close to Su-jie. It wouldn’t be good for either of you.

Besides, Su-jie moves in a circle where being seen with you could be dangerous. A few words of explanation wouldn’t be enough to convince anyone.”

Tan Ya squeezed the device on her wrist, realizing just how dangerous she was to Su Mo.

At that moment, a knock came at the door, and a clear, slightly expectant voice rang out.

“Su Mo, you’re back.”

Qiu Fu stepped into the room and froze at the sight of the unfamiliar girl sitting on the couch.

This was.

Isn’t this Su Mo’s apartment? Why is there a stranger here?

“You are.”

As Qiu Fu was trying to collect herself, Su Mo’s former assistant Jiang Xi stood up, shyly introducing herself. “Hello, Qiu-jie. I’m Jiang Xi, Su-jie’s former assistant. We’ve met twice before.”

Though nothing good had ever come from those previous meetings.