The Mad Beauty and the Sick Young Lady [Transmigration Novel] - Chapter 28

Jiang Zhuoye was actually on vacation today. Su Li mainly wanted to see Jiang Zhuoye filming, which meant she wouldn’t be able to see it until Jiang Zhuoye started work tomorrow morning.

So, for the afternoon and evening, Jiang Zhuoye drove Su Li around the city, from high-end shopping malls to secluded botanical gardens, and from bustling marketplaces to historical sites.

What was rare was that Su Li stayed in the car the entire time. Besides being led by Jiang Zhuoye to buy some clothes at the mall, she basically didn’t get out of the car, viewing all the scenery through the car window.

Jiang Zhuoye was truly adept at choosing locations. The places she found allowed Su Li to appreciate the scenery perfectly from inside the car, including old city architecture, beautiful flowering trees and groves, and unique cultural sculptures.

Su Li didn’t have to get out, brave the wind, or feel the cold, yet she saw all the sights. Although it was a whirlwind tour, it was much better than being bored at home every day.

As night began to fall, Jiang Zhuoye finally parked the car in front of a luxurious hotel. A sophisticated-looking doorman came over to open the car doors for them.

As Su Li got out, her ankle wobbled slightly, and her body swayed. The Bug body was immediately embraced by Jiang Zhuoye, and all she could smell was a grassy scent.

She sniffled, carefully steadied herself, and felt a little helpless with her other hand, instinctively wanting to reach out and grab the ornamental pillar next to her. But she definitely couldn’t reach, so she could only rely on Jiang Zhuoye’s waist for support.

Jiang Zhuoye led Su Li gently into the lobby and onto the sightseeing elevator, heading straight for the top floor.

Su Li cautiously asked:

“We’re not here to stay, are we?”

Jiang Zhuoye laughed:

“It’s dinner time now. We’ll stay at my hotel.”

Su Li didn’t think much of it and nodded.

It wasn’t until the two were seated in the elegant, river-view restaurant that Su Li realized something, and asked in surprise:

“What do you mean, your hotel?”

Jiang Zhuoye was placing a napkin on her lap. Hearing the question, she looked up and smiled:

“The hotel I invested in and built.”

Su Li:

“So you’re an investor! My respects!”

Jiang Zhuoye:

“Not a problem. Earning so much money, I just needed a way to save it.”

Su Li:

“Do you know how much resentment your words just caused? I’m still relying on drawing comics to make a living, and you’re already lying down, letting money make money.”

Jiang Zhuoye’s eyes narrowed into crescents, and her tone was cunning:

“You want to lie down and make money so much? I’ll be your sugar daddy/mommy.”

Su Li’s face flushed, and she argued defensively, feeling uncomfortable:

“If anyone’s going to be the sugar daddy/mommy, it should be me! I have a small share in my family’s company; it’s enough to support you.”

Jiang Zhuoye smiled charmingly and sweetly:

“That’s wonderful. I’ll wait for you to support me.”

Su Li casually replied:

“But it’s no use if I support you. You’re an Omega, the same type as me. Are we just going to chat under the covers then?”

Jiang Zhuoye raised an eyebrow, her smile gradually turning wicked:

“Why don’t we try it tonight and see if the types match?”

It was only at this moment that Su Li suddenly realized she might have said something she shouldn’t have… Ahhh, her face immediately turned red, her cheeks hot and burning, practically steaming.

She covered her face, pretending to turn and look at the scenery, rigidly changing the subject:

“Look how beautiful the river outside is. So many big boats tonight.”

Jiang Zhuoye glanced out:

“Or do you want to try the types on a boat?”

Su Li was momentarily speechless. Annoyed, she turned her head to look at Jiang Zhuoye, then back to glare at the window:

“Change the subject. I don’t want to test any types.”

Jiang Zhuoye knew when to stop and began introducing the restaurant’s specialties:

“This place has an innovative concept, combining Chinese and Western cuisine. The chef is very imaginative. I’ve been a few times and found it excellent. Also, their dishes are very healthy, which is why I brought you here. Just eat and enjoy.”

The dishes were indeed as Jiang Zhuoye described simple, healthy, and highly creative. They weren’t like the constant salads at home, and Su Li was very satisfied overall.

When she was about ninety percent full, she proactively put down her knife and fork and asked Jiang Zhuoye expectantly:

“Will there be a midnight snack later?”

Jiang Zhuoye met Su Li’s bright, twinkling eyes and smiled:

“Of course…”

Su Li raised the corner of her lips, ready to flash a ‘yeah’ sign.

“Not!”

Jiang Zhuoye deliberately paused before uttering the last half of the sentence, satisfied to see the smile on Su Li’s face gradually vanish and her raised fingers slowly drop.

“Hmph, stingy!”

Su Li angrily took a big bite of dessert, unable to resist complaining:

“Why do I feel like you’re just like my mom, controlling everything?”

Jiang Zhuoye nodded seriously:

“Auntie entrusted you to me, which means she partially transferred her mother’s rights. I, in turn, bear a mother’s obligation. These are things I should do. You’re welcome!”

Su Li:

“…”

She made a very good point, but something about it still felt wrong.

After they finished eating, Su Li suggested they walk by the river downstairs. Jiang Zhuoye magically pulled a thick overcoat from the car, wrapped it around Su Li, bundling her up from head to toe. Only then did she say contentedly:

“Let’s go.”

The river in the evening during winter wasn’t particularly scenic, but Su Li had never been by the river at this time before, so everything was novel to her, and she chattered about everything she saw.

Trees that hadn’t shed all their leaves, a streetlamp with a burnt-out bulb, a vague couple in the distance all were objects of Su Li’s curious observation.

But Su Li didn’t notice that she, too, was the object of Jiang Zhuoye’s observation.

They walked onto the bridge, overlooking the surging river. Su Li stared at the water, suddenly overcome with sadness, wondering how much longer she would be able to see such a sight.

Jiang Zhuoye remained silent, contemplating.

Suddenly, a woman nearby screamed:

“Ahhh, is that person going to jump into the river?!”

They quickly looked over, and indeed, not far away, a young girl was climbing over the river railing.

Su Li shrieked and was about to rush over but was grabbed by Jiang Zhuoye.

Jiang Zhuoye roared:

“You stand still!”

Su Li was startled, still immersed in a state of anxiety, but her feet were no match for Jiang Zhuoye’s speed.

Jiang Zhuoye shot out like an arrow, quickly rushing over, grabbing the girl, and dragging her directly off the railing.

The girl was probably weak-kneed and lay on the ground, unable to move for a while. Jiang Zhuoye frowned and scrutinized her closely.

The middle-aged woman who had screamed also walked over, clucking her tongue and asking:

“Oh, these young girls! What’s wrong? Why are you so desperate? You have so many good years ahead of you; what can be so bad? Tell me about it; Auntie will help you solve it!”

Su Li hurried over and looked at the girl.

The girl was probably under twenty, her face extremely pale, her black hair messy and dishevelled, and her features delicate yet clouded with sadness, looking like a textbook “heartbroken person.”

Perhaps annoyed by the auntie, the girl finally spoke:

“I’m fine… cough, cough. Thank you.”

Jiang Zhuoye suddenly said:

“Were you permanently marked by an Alpha?”

Su Li shivered, realizing something, and quickly bent down to look at the back of the girl’s neck.

The scent gland area was covered by hair, so she couldn’t see anything. Shocked, she turned to look at Jiang Zhuoye.

The girl raised her head:

“How did you know?”

Jiang Zhuoye scoffed, her tone utterly contemptuous.

The girl’s tears streamed down her face:

“He permanently marked me without my consent and also formed a knot inside me… I can never get rid of him in this life, but he abandoned me and said something like, ‘We owe each other nothing from the time we dated’… Now I’m pregnant, I dare not tell my family, and I don’t have a penny. I can’t even afford an abortion…”

Su Li was horrified. Without a word, she pulled out her phone to transfer money to the girl, but Jiang Zhuoye stopped her.

Jiang Zhuoye’s tone was icy:

“Hospitals can now remove permanent marks. I can finance your abortion and the surgery to remove the mark, but I have one condition.”

The girl looked up distractedly. She had thought Jiang Zhuoye was a good Samaritan, but she flinched when she met her eyes:

“What… what condition?”

Jiang Zhuoye:

“I want you to have your scent gland completely removed.”

Su Li and the middle-aged woman both gasped simultaneously. The middle-aged woman raised her voice:

“Miss, you can’t say something like that! An Omega with their scent gland removed wouldn’t that be worse than a Beta? She’s already fragile if she removes her scent gland, how will she ever find a partner?”

Jiang Zhuoye stared into the girl’s eyes:

“You choose: remain an Alpha’s accessory with your scent gland, or fight for yourself.”

Su Li was shocked and incredulous, but at the same time, she felt like a new world was opening up to her. She had never felt that being an Omega was bad on the contrary, she always believed that Omegas’ innate sensitivity and delicacy gave her artistic talent.

However, she had overlooked the fact that in this world, being an Omega meant countless dangers, a constitution weaker than average, a monthly heat cycle, and being extremely prone to pregnancy while finding suitable work was difficult.

From these perspectives, Su Li suddenly realized that Jiang Zhuoye’s proposal made sense. An Omega who had their scent gland removed was essentially like a regular Beta. They could find normal work and marry or divorce freely.

Society still found the removal of an Omega’s scent gland hard to accept. Even in the most developed city they were in, only a handful of hospitals offered this procedure. Slightly more remote cities didn’t offer it at all.

It was, one could say, a shocking idea.

Yet, amid the middle-aged woman’s discouragement, the girl gave a desolate smile:

“Okay. I’ve already died once. What am I afraid of? Do you mean what you say? I promise you—I’ll remove my scent gland. I won’t be an Omega anymore.”

Jiang Zhuoye took down the girl’s number and transferred a small sum of money enough for the girl to stay in a hotel tonight and for the subsequent costs of making a hospital appointment. The surgery fee would be given later.

It was fair to say she was extremely cautious.

The middle-aged woman watched Jiang Zhuoye and Su Li walk away as if they were monsters, then kindly helped the girl find a place to rest, questioning her throughout:

“What that beautiful woman said isn’t reliable, dear. Trust me, I’m an older woman; I won’t lie to you. You absolutely cannot remove that scent gland! If you remove it, you won’t be able to marry an Alpha or have Alpha or Omega children! Think about how severe the consequences are! Reconsider!”

The girl remained silent. Finally, as she parted ways with the auntie, she smiled faintly:

“I want a completely new life.”

Jiang Zhuoye drove Su Li back to her hotel. The entire journey was silent.

Su Li was still immersed in the shock of the earlier incident. She was very curious why Jiang Zhuoye had such a startling idea. What exactly had she experienced before?

It wasn’t until they walked into the hotel room one after the other that Su Li sat on the sofa while Jiang Zhuoye stood at the bar mixing a drink.

Su Li finally couldn’t hold back:

“Can you… can you tell me what kind of… experience you’ve had before, that made you suggest an Omega remove their scent gland?”

Jiang Zhuoye held a glass of orange drink and poured a purple liquid into it, looking as though a witch was concocting a magic potion. Her expression was calm yet eerie:

“Do you really want to hear it?”

Su Li nodded frantically.

Jiang Zhuoye gave a cold laugh:

“After you hear it, if you have any thoughts, you are free to leave at any time.”

Su Li felt confused:

“What thoughts could I have?”

Jiang Zhuoye’s next sentence choked her:

“I destroyed my best friend.”

Su Li:

“…”

She was dumbfounded, wanting to speak but unable to. Looking at Jiang Zhuoye’s cold profile, she felt the other woman was somewhat unfamiliar.

Jiang Zhuoye chuckled:

“We’ve known each other since we were in diapers. We entered the entertainment industry together. But she exchanged her body for a lot of things. Later, she even exchanged her whole self and was no longer the person I knew.”

“The night I achieved fame, she brought people to kill me. I, in turn, destroyed her.”

“You know what? You have some things that are very similar to her.”

Jiang Zhuoye turned to look, her deep gaze fixed on Su Li’s eyes.

Su Li felt a shiver run down her spine, as though she were being stared at by a wild beast. All the hairs on the back of her hands stood up.

But it was only for a moment. Su Li took a deep breath and told herself: Jiang Zhuoye won’t hurt me.

She said seriously:

“No matter what you’ve been through, you must understand that I am not the same as your best friend. Because I will never betray my friends.”

Jiang Zhuoye’s eyes flickered. She suddenly raised her neck and downed the strangely coloured drink in the glass. Her fair fingers were splayed, and the veins on the back of her hand were taut.

“You wouldn’t? Even if I did something excessive?”

Su Li thought carefully, then said firmly:

“As long as it doesn’t cross the lines of law and morality, I won’t betray you, let alone hurt you. That’s not my style.”

As she spoke, she thought that she only had two years left in her life anyway, and she gave a self-mocking smile:

“Life is so short. I cherish my friends too much. Why would I hurt them? I couldn’t bear to hurt you.”

Jiang Zhuoye’s eyes flashed, and she suddenly lifted her chin, finishing the drink in the glass.