The Scumbag’s Redemption: Kept by Her - Chapter 71.2

Shen Yuwei had only just used the matter of her cousin to give her a warning. If she now turned around and openly asked about the bruise, it would be no different than announcing, “Your warning didn’t work.”

That would be incredibly blunt.

Even though Ling Jiao felt uneasy after seeing the bruise, she didn’t act impulsively. She stopped herself in time and smoothly changed the subject.

“Can I go out today?”

Shen Yuwei nodded.
“Feel free.”

Ling Jiao held her breath, stood up, politely took her leave, and left the third floor. She took the elevator downstairs and walked out the door.

The butler came in just after and frowned.
He clearly disapproved of the alpha Madam had just brought home.

“Madam, she’s completely disrespectful.”

Shen Yuwei looked up slowly. Her tone was lazy and unbothered.
“So what? Let her do as she pleases.”

Ling Jiao left the estate and arrived at the bar, asking for Milo at the front desk.

The receptionist didn’t recognize the casually dressed woman as the once-disgraced Zhou Xiaojun who had fallen from grace.

While waiting for Milo, Ling Jiao scanned the surroundings.

The bar was only lively at night. In the daylight, it felt cold and empty. In the spacious room, aside from a few idle bartenders, there were almost no customers.

Milo walked out from the back when he heard someone was asking for him. He already had a hunch, but when he saw Ling Jiao standing there, confident and radiant, he was still surprised. She looked nothing like the person she used to be.

He smiled, and that smile was completely genuine, even a little teasing.

“I thought you’d come find me a few days later.”

Ling Jiao clapped him on the shoulder.
“What kind of friend would I be if I turned my back on you? Come on, I’m treating you to a proper meal.”

“Give me a minute,” Milo said. “I need to take care of some things in the back.”

“Go ahead.”

Ling Jiao leaned on the counter and ordered a glass of red wine while she waited. Before she could finish even half, Milo came out again, clearly in high spirits.

The receptionist looked surprised.

She had worked here for a long time, but it was her first time seeing Milo, who was usually calm and serious, in such a cheerful mood.

Milo glanced at her.
“Focus on your job.”

The receptionist nodded immediately.

Ling Jiao paid for the wine, then walked out with Milo, arm over his shoulder. They went to the best restaurant nearby. After they sat down, Ling Jiao handed him the menu.

Milo rubbed his hands together.
“Hope you don’t mind me ordering without holding back.”

Ling Jiao pulled out her Star Bank card and waved it in front of him.

Milo grinned with relief.
“Then I want one of every expensive dish on the menu.”

While they waited for the food to arrive, Milo smiled.
“You must feel satisfied now.”

“Of course,” Ling Jiao said, raising an eyebrow.
“When I make a move, things go exactly my way.”

Milo laughed.
“I still don’t get what that Madam sees in you. If I had known earlier, I would’ve tidied myself up and given it a shot. Maybe she’d have chosen me instead.”

Ling Jiao cleared her throat.

“So, are you planning to stay at the bar forever?”

Milo rested both hands on the table.
“If I don’t work here, where else could I go? Do you think the money I gave you is enough to let me live comfortably for the rest of my life?”

“If you want your money back, say so. No need for the long speech.”

Seeing that he had no clear plans for the future, Ling Jiao brought it up herself.
“Madam gives me a good allowance each month. If you ever wanted to start something on your own, like opening a bar or maybe a little restaurant, I could invest. Be your partner.”

Milo shook his head.
“Xiaojun, you’re too idealistic.”

“Starting a business isn’t easy. I’m not a strong, young alpha with endless opportunities waiting for me. Things like this take more than money. You need connections, people on both sides of the line.”

He looked a little down as he said it.

“Honestly, not losing everything would already be a success.”

Ling Jiao stayed quiet for a moment.

Maybe now she finally understood that the difference between her and Milo wasn’t just about gender or social status.

Everyone’s path in life shaped who they became. What she wanted wasn’t necessarily what Milo wanted.

As a regular beta among millions, what Milo longed for was peace. A simple life. Work hard, save money, live steadily.

The one time he had gone all-in was to help her, just to support her crazy dream of marrying into the Ling family. And even that had felt like a gamble.

Ling Jiao nodded slowly.
“I understand.”

This was someone who had helped her during her darkest days. After she woke up, he told her everything without hesitation. That kind of loyalty meant more than any amount of money.

She let the topic rest and switched to something else.

“I want to ask you something. If you saw a needle mark on someone, like from a syringe, what would you think?”

Milo raised his eyebrows slightly, then paused before answering.
“It depends on the person. If it’s a strong alpha who came into contact with omega pheromones and entered a heat-driven state, and didn’t want to bond, they’d need a tranquilizer. Also, after certain injuries, pheromone imbalance requires injections.”

“If it’s a beta, injections might be…”

Ling Jiao cut him off, annoyed by the unnecessary details.
“You know exactly which gender I’m talking about.”

The food had already arrived. Milo picked up his chopsticks and inhaled deeply at the smell of the delicious spread he rarely got to enjoy.

“Can I eat first?”

Ling Jiao nearly rolled her eyes.
“Say it first, then eat.”

Milo tapped her hand with a chopstick, pretending to be offended.
“And you say you’re loyal? You traitor.”

It wasn’t hard enough to hurt.

Ling Jiao played along and gave a dramatic gasp.
“Now can you talk?”

Milo chuckled, then put down his chopsticks and spoke softly.
“A beautiful, elegant, long-time single omega woman. Why don’t you guess how she gets through her monthly heat cycles?”

“As far as I know, after her wife passed away, no one else ever came into her life.”

“The only way to manage that is with suppressant injections. Right now, the Union controls those strictly. Buying them officially means registering and reporting it. But from what I’ve heard, suppressants lose effectiveness after about three years.”

He leaned in slightly, his voice low and deliberate.

“Someone like Madam. Beautiful, untouchable, and dangerous. Xiaojun, why don’t you guess… how long has she been using them?”

Ling Jiao’s hand trembled slightly around her chopsticks.
Her breathing became unsteady.

Milo had already started eating. While enjoying his meal, he looked up and noticed his friend sitting there in a daze. He said with his mouth half full, “What I said might not be entirely true…”

“Maybe the black market has more advanced suppressants that can last longer.”

Ling Jiao had felt a chill all over her body, but after hearing that, she finally started to feel a bit better. She picked at her food absentmindedly, had a few bites, then put down her chopsticks.

Milo sighed.

“With you like this, I can’t enjoy my food either. Did you come here today just to mess with me?”

“Sorry.”

Milo set down his utensils and said, “If you really want to know the truth, why not just ask her yourself? If you can’t bring yourself to say it, then watch the color of her suppressant vial during her next heat cycle.”

“The first two years, the vial is white. In the third year, it’s gray. That’s based on official Union documentation. From what I know, in the fourth year, black market suppressants use black vials to distinguish them from others.”

Ling Jiao didn’t even know how to respond.

“What happens if the suppressant completely fails…”

Milo cut her off, his eyes dark and serious.

“The Union military will get involved.”

Ling Jiao took a sharp breath.

“I haven’t seen it myself or heard exactly what happens when a suppressant completely fails,” Milo said, “but I imagine the side effects are extremely serious.”

“Maybe a high fever, complete loss of rational thought, reduced to nothing more than a slave to physical desire. At that point, she may not even recognize herself anymore.”

“Maybe that’s why Madam was in such a rush to bring you into her life.”

“Just saying, these are my completely unverified guesses. Xiaojun, hey, are you okay? I was only half joking.”

Milo panicked.

Ling Jiao’s face had gone pale, her body looked ready to collapse. She looked like she might faint at any moment. It was honestly terrifying.

Milo rushed over and caught her.
“Do you want to go to the hospital?”

Ling Jiao shook her head quickly, overwhelmed and unsettled.

Milo scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.
“What I said just now, it’s all stuff I read online. You know how people on the internet love to exaggerate. They don’t need to be responsible for what they say.”

“I was just trying to scare you a little.”

Ling Jiao swallowed and took a deep breath. Her thoughts began to clear. After settling the bill, she also returned all the money she had borrowed from Milo before.

“Thank you for telling me all that,” Ling Jiao said, biting her lower lip.

Since the system left, she had felt somewhat lost. Six years had flown by in the blink of an eye, and the world had changed completely. Trying to uncover the private affairs of a powerful family over those years was incredibly difficult.

But what Milo said just now was enough to make her heart race.

Milo rubbed his head.
“No need to be so formal.”

He noticed Ling Jiao was still off and wanted to go with her, but after being refused, he figured he was overstepping. So he let it go.

Ling Jiao gave him her contact information, then quickly left by car.

Shen Yuwei wasn’t home that afternoon. The butler was also out, presumably with her. One of the maids who had served wine in the hall last night saw Ling Jiao return and asked with concern, “Madam, you don’t look well. Are you feeling sick?”

Ling Jiao waved it off.
“I’m fine. When will they be back?”

The maid looked hesitant and shook her head.
“I don’t know.”

Ling Jiao didn’t press her. She returned to her room and took out a very outdated pocket computer.

These days, everyone used personal holographic devices. Computers were considered obsolete. In a few more years, they might be completely useless. Few people even studied how to repair them anymore.

Holding something familiar in her hands helped Ling Jiao relax a little. She turned it on, connected to the network, and started searching to verify what Milo had told her.

Because of his connections in the bar world, Milo had access to information far more detailed than what was available online. The results Ling Jiao found were vague, full of vague statements and public-facing facts. Frustrated, she slammed the computer shut.

So annoying.

She ran her fingers through her hair, irritated.

If Shen Yuwei had been using suppressants for several years and they were starting to fail, the consequences would be unimaginable. Ling Jiao had only just reunited with her. The thought of losing her so soon made her panic.

She downed a glass of hot water and made a decision.

She couldn’t wait any longer. She had to reveal her identity to Shen Yuwei soon.

Maybe it was because she hadn’t eaten much at lunch, but now she was feeling a bit hungry. She got up and headed to the kitchen, planning to make herself a simple fried rice.

The cook was surprised to see her.
“Madam, what brings you here?”

“Just getting something to eat,” Ling Jiao replied casually.

The maid tried to hint politely,
“Madam instructed us to prepare dinner for this evening.”

Which meant Ling Jiao was expected to wait and eat together with Shen Yuwei.

Ling Jiao had thought the same.

Just the idea of having dinner with Shen Yuwei later made her less hungry, so she nodded.
“All right.”

She drank a bit of water to tide herself over.

Then she made a small request.
“I want two red candles for dinner tonight.”

The maid blinked.
“Excuse me?”

“Western style dinner feels more formal.”

“Understood, Madam.”

Ling Jiao returned to her room, opened her computer again, and after some thought, ordered a bouquet of roses for express delivery. She tried to distract herself by playing a single-player game. In the past, she was always too busy to enjoy entertainment. Now that she finally had the time, she found she couldn’t concentrate.

Part of her was thinking about Shen Yuwei’s suppressant situation.

The other part was distracted by the games.

These outdated games were full of ads, pop-ups, and random links.

Ugh.

Couldn’t she just play in peace?

Meanwhile, in a conference room downtown, Shen Yuwei received a notification on her personal device.

Star Bank Card transaction: 198.00 credits

She ignored it and continued with the discussion.

“Holographic gaming is a new frontier,” she said. “It still has a long way to go before replacing mobile or online games. The time spent inside should be limited.”

She tapped her finger on the table thoughtfully.
“If a player’s consciousness is inside the game, and a fire starts in their real home, can they exit immediately?”

“I recall a few years ago, someone developing this technology triggered a major safety incident.”

Across from her, a man in a gray suit looked eager.
“I’ve tested it myself. I assure you this version has no safety flaws.”

Holographic games had been an emerging concept for several years, with more and more investment coming in.

At first, it involved a sleeping pod that automatically provided nutrients. It also woke the player at set times. But once, a nearby power outage left a player trapped inside. With no power, the nutrient system failed, and the player’s consciousness remained stuck in the game. That company had to pay a large settlement afterward.

Now, the latest system developed by the man’s team allowed players to build their own world using their imagination. They could engage in combat, run shops, farm—anything they wanted. The features were incredibly rich.

Still, after the earlier incident, very few were willing to invest.

With no other choice, the man had reached out to Shen Yuwei, hoping she would take a chance.

Then a series of new notifications appeared on her device.

Star Bank Card transaction: 298.00 credits
Star Bank Card transaction: 168.00 credits
Star Bank Card transaction: …

Under the man’s eager gaze, Shen Yuwei closed her personal device.

“It has another feature,” he said, drawing a deep breath. “Have you ever played a face customization game, Madam? In our holographic game, players can use their imagination to reconstruct someone who no longer exists in the real world. As long as you remember what they looked like, the system will complete the data for you and fulfill that wish.”

He noticed a slight change in her expression and clenched his fists, continuing, “I heard your wife passed away many years ago. Haven’t you ever wanted to see her again?”

“You can recreate her face. Even her personality. Even if she’s no longer alive, she can still accompany you in another form, at least until the company one day shuts down.”

Shen Yuwei’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“You investigated me?”

The man shook his head.
“Your story, the deep love between you and your wife, isn’t exactly a secret anymore.”

She seemed swayed, thinking in silence for quite a while without giving an answer.

Just when the man thought the opportunity was lost, she finally said calmly,
“Talk to the finance department and get the remaining funds.”

Ling Jiao had spent the whole afternoon gaming. To make sure she had a proper appetite for the candlelit dinner with Shen Yuwei, she didn’t eat anything. The only thing she had was two cups of hot milk.

The joy of in-game purchases was even more delightful than she expected.

While others were stuck watching ads, Ling Jiao was swiping her card freely. She had no distractions. After finishing a match, she was just about to shut down her computer when a girl on the other end chuckled.
“Wow, big spender! Carry me next time!”

“Just playing a little while the wife’s out,” Ling Jiao replied casually.

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