The Villainous Female Side Character Pretends to Be an Omega in the Apocalypse and Raises a Cat - Chapter 44

When Chi Yingdong returned, the lights in the room were still on.

Under the dim yellow glow, a small lump was visible on the bed, with faint sounds of a game’s victory effects leaking out.

She tiptoed to the bedside and gently patted the bulge. “Are you asleep?”

“Not yet.”

The blanket was pushed aside, revealing a fluffy head with two cat ears twitching lightly.

Next came a face the size of a palm, fair-skinned, eyes brimming with joy.

Infected by Meng Qinghe’s visible delight, the weariness in Chi Yingdong’s eyes was gradually replaced by tenderness.

“Why aren’t you asleep yet?” she asked in a hushed tone, afraid that raising her voice might shatter the beautiful moment.

Meng Qinghe glanced sideways at her, long eyelashes lowering to veil the light in her eyes.

Chi Yingdong’s gaze drifted downward, settling on her red lips, which were slightly pouted as a reproachful voice sounded by her ear. “You’re asking the obvious.”

“I just went to check things out. I didn’t plan on meeting them.”

Chi Yingdong defended herself. Nowadays, she valued her life dearly, she had a little cat to take care of.

Meng Qinghe pulled the blanket down discontentedly, her cheeks puffed up like a pufferfish.

“I know! But I can’t help worrying when I don’t see you back.”

If she had never had anything, she wouldn’t have worried. But now that she did, she couldn’t escape the anxiety of potential loss.

“I’m sorry for making you worry.”

Chi Yingdong readily admitted her mistake.

In an instant, she cut off the words Meng Qinghe hadn’t yet spoken. Meng Qinghe pressed her lips together, suddenly realizing that her temper had grown a bit short lately, she was becoming spoiled by the affection.

She stole a glance at Chi Yingdong out of the corner of her eye. The other woman sat at the foot of the bed, tugging a corner of the air-conditioning blanket to cover Meng Qinghe’s exposed ankles.

“It’s too hot,” Meng Qinghe muttered softly, kicking the blanket off.

Chi Yingdong didn’t insist.

“What’s the situation over there now?” Meng Qinghe changed the subject, her expression turning serious.

Chi Yingdong pondered for a moment before uttering four words: “A bit complicated.”

“Hmm?” Meng Qinghe’s lips tightened, her brow furrowing slightly. “What do you mean?”

Chi Yingdong gave a brief overview of the situation.

She emphasized that Ye Rourou and Qiao Ying hadn’t developed feelings for each other as they had in the past, and that Qiao Ying was looking for her, though her intentions were unknown.

“So, what should we do next?”

Meng Qinghe looked at Chi Yingdong, knowing full well that the other already had a plan in mind.

“If they come looking for us again tomorrow, we’ll agree to their terms.”

Chi Yingdong’s eyes remained calm, but the corners of her lips curled into a rare, faint smile as she joked, “We have to infiltrate their ranks to dismantle them from within.”

Meng Qinghe chuckled in agreement. “Then I’ll turn into a kitten during the day and change back at night.”

“Oh? You can control the transformation now?”

Chi Yingdong’s focus shifted unexpectedly, her tone tinged with surprise.

Meng Qinghe turned her head away, avoiding her probing gaze, the tips of her ears blushing faintly.

Just then, the tablet connected to the listening device emitted a crackling static sound.

It signaled that someone had entered the room where the listening device was planted.

The two exchanged a glance and immediately huddled around the tablet, waiting for useful information from the other end.

“We already have a way to fight the zombies. They’re no longer an obstacle to us. Is there any way to widen the rift in the world? That way, we can connect with the alien civilization faster.”

It was Qiao Ying’s voice, tinged with urgency and ambition.

“Qiao Ying! I think we’re being too conspicuous now. If anything goes wrong, it won’t benefit any of us.”

Ye Rourou’s voice carried hesitation.

The two people conversing were Ye Rourou and Qiao Ying, and their thoughts were not aligned.

“Rourou, it was you who came to me back then, saying this world is no good and wanting a complete reshuffle.”

Qiao Ying’s tone was enticing. “Think about it, if we can handle the biggest variable in this world, what else could stop us?”

“But… even if we have methods to fight zombies now, there are still official personnel here. It’s too risky.”

The two continued to argue, ending only when Qiao Ying left in displeasure.

After listening to the conversation from the other end of the bug, Meng Qinghe clenched the bedsheet.

The plot had derailed beyond belief. The original female lead’s current mindset seemed bent on destroying the world!

She suddenly felt that there were some things she needed to confess to Chi Yingdong.

With that thought, she straightforwardly said, “There’s something I need to tell you.”

Chi Yingdong turned her head, her gaze focused intently on Meng Qinghe’s face. “Go ahead.”

“Actually, the world we’re in now is a book.”

“I know.”

“Ah?” Meng Qinghe’s eyes widened in astonishment. “How did you know?”

Chi Yingdong replied calmly, “I knew when I was reborn.”

Having kept her secret for so long only to find the other already knew, Meng Qinghe couldn’t help feeling somewhat deflated. Gritting her teeth, she decided to play her trump card. “Then let me tell you something you don’t know.”

“Alright.”

“This book… I wrote it.”

“?”

Once she started, the rest flowed naturally.

Meng Qinghe laid out the whole story clearly.

From why she wrote the book to accidentally transmigrating into it and turning into a cat.

Chi Yingdong suddenly interrupted her, her tone tinged with heartache. “Then, in your original world, were you doing well?”

Meng Qinghe thought carefully.

It had been a long time since she had recalled her past life since coming to this world.

Thinking back now, it wasn’t all that bad.

Although her parents considered her a burden, her grandmother doted on her.

Though her family was ordinary, she never went hungry.

Time seemed to have washed away all the hardships in her memory, leaving only warm fragments.

“It was fine.” She paused, lifting her head to look at Chi Yingdong with sincerity in her eyes. “But now is better.”

Chi Yingdong seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and said earnestly, “That’s good.”

She promised, “I’ll take good care of you!”

“By killing zombies to support me?” Meng Qinghe teased with a laugh.

A smile flickered in Chi Yingdong’s eyes. “If that’s what you want, sure.”

After a bit of banter, Chi Yingdong suddenly asked, “In your outline, what kind of person was I?”

Meng Qinghe crooked a finger at her, a sly glint in her eyes. “Want to hear the truth?”

Chi Yingdong nodded, her tone resolute. “Of course.”

“Then kiss me.”

“Alright.”

Chi Yingdong leaned in, their lips meeting gently.

“A malicious female supporting character with nothing but beauty.”

Meng Qinghe offered an ingratiating smile and quickly added, “But! In my writing, you were the most beautiful! The most beautiful Omega!”

Chi Yingdong nodded understandingly.

Then she abruptly asked an absurd question, “What if I weren’t an Omega?”

Meng Qinghe was taken aback for a moment and chuckled awkwardly. “How could that be?”

“An Alpha’s gland is smaller than an Omega’s.”

Chi Yingdong spoke, then remembered that Meng Qinghe couldn’t smell pheromones and had no concept of their intensity, so she lowered her head and presented the gland on the back of her neck to her.

“Want to take a bite? Even though you’re neither an Alpha nor an Omega and can’t smell pheromones, you should still be able to taste it.”

Meng Qinghe instinctively reached out and covered that patch of skin. She had touched it not long ago, but it hadn’t felt this scalding then.

The skin under her palm was unusually hot, and she could even clearly feel the pulse of blood vessels, carrying a powerful vitality.

Meng Qinghe withdrew her hand, her eyes wide and her cat ears stiffly upright. “You… you’re serious?”

Chi Yingdong sat up straight, her black hair cascading down.

“Do I look like I’m joking?”

A conjecture surfaced in Meng Qinghe’s mind.

“You’re not the Chi Yingdong I wrote?”

Afraid the other hadn’t understood, Meng Qinghe added, “What I mean is, not the one I ‘created’?”

“I am,” Chi Yingdong looked at her, her gaze profound. “But I might not be the Chi Yingdong you originally designed.”

“After being reborn, I gained self-awareness, saw the true nature of this world, and am no longer influenced by the plot.”

She paused. “Perhaps because I’m just a supporting character, your writing didn’t fully describe my life, so there are more possibilities.”

Meng Qinghe quietly watched Chi Yingdong.

“Even though you’re not the female lead from my writing, you will be my future female lead.”

Chi Yingdong pulled Meng Qinghe into her embrace. “Hearing you say that makes me very happy.”

…

The next day.

Chi Yingdong had only suspected that Qiao Ying would send another subordinate, but she didn’t expect Qiao Ying to come in person.

Before Chi Yingdong opened the door, Meng Qinghe had already transformed back into a kitten and was now hiding in a backpack, eavesdropping with her ears peeking out.

Chi Yingdong faced Qiao Ying directly, observing her discreetly.

Qiao Ying didn’t seem to have changed much.

Her complexion was rosy, her spirits high, and she was impeccably clean, without even a stain on her coat.

She didn’t look like someone from the apocalypse, but more like she had just stepped out of an office building for an appointment.

Chi Yingdong spoke first, her tone appropriately distant. “What can I do for you?”

Qiao Ying waved her hand, a warm smile spreading across her face.

Chi Yingdong subtly withdrew her gaze.

Actually, she hadn’t remained completely unchanged, at least she had learned to win people over with smiles, unlike her previous ostentatious self.

“It’s like this,” Qiao Ying proactively extended her hand, her tone familiar. “I’m Qiao Ying, the CEO of Qiao Yu Technology before the apocalypse. If you’ve read financial magazines, you’ve probably heard of me.”

She paused, deliberately raising her voice slightly. “We stayed nearby last night. After the apocalypse began, I awakened dual abilities in lightning and light, and I’m now the captain of this team.”

“I’m not interested in any of that. Why have you come to find me?”

Chi Yingdong interrupted, her tone cold, leaving no room for Qiao Ying to boast.

The smile on Qiao Ying’s face stiffened for a moment, a flash of anger quickly passing through her eyes.

No one had dared to disrespect her like this since the apocalypse began.

But she quickly suppressed that anger and put on another smile.

“I admire your ability to escape from a horde of zombies alone. I know you’re strong, but there are too many dangers in the apocalypse. There will always be times when one person can’t handle everything alone.” Chi Yingdong lowered her eyes slightly, her eyelashes trembling, revealing just the right amount of emotion, as if the words had struck a chord.

Qiao Ying immediately seized the opportunity, leaning forward slightly.

“We’re about to set off. If you’re willing, you can come with us. We can look out for each other along the way.”

“Where are you headed?” Chi Yingdong looked up and asked, her tone growing more serious.

“We plan to go to the capital to establish a new base.”

Qiao Ying answered decisively, her eyes gleaming with unwavering determination.

Chi Yingdong deliberately furrowed her brows, feigning confusion.

“There’s already a base in Shanghai, and it’s developing quite well. Why not join them instead?”

Qiao Ying’s smile grew even warmer, masking the coldness in her eyes.

She took a step forward and let out a heavy sigh.

“When the apocalypse arrived, it wasn’t just about the zombies for ordinary people.”

She paused, deliberately slowing her pace. “I have informants in the Shanghai base. They’ve divided people into several tiers.”

She pulled a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket, densely covered with notes.

Her tone carried a sense of helplessness and sorrow toward fate, deeply moving.

“Ability users are revered, while ordinary people are reduced to cheap labor. If safety must be bought with dignity and freedom, what’s the point of living?”

As she tucked the paper away, her tone suddenly turned earnest, her eyes burning with passion. “I want to build a base where resources are shared and decisions are made collectively.”

“Ordinary people should have a voice, uniting to protect themselves instead of relying on the state or any official institution, becoming passive existences.”

Chi Yingdong clapped at the perfect moment, her eyes filled with admiration as if thoroughly convinced.

“My name is Meng Xiaodong. My ability is ice, and I’m a second-tier ability user.”

“I’m willing to join you, but I’d like to know why you chose me.”

Qiao Ying waved her hand dismissively, smiling mysteriously. “No need for too many reasons. I just feel we should be teammates.”

Chi Yingdong smiled without arguing.

After joining Qiao Ying’s team, Chi Yingdong’s vehicle openly followed at the rear of the convoy.

The car slowly drove into the eastern part of the city, which had been completely overrun by zombies since the apocalypse and had fallen into ruin.

Zombies wandered aimlessly along the roads, yet as the vehicle passed through them, the zombies showed no reaction, as if they hadn’t noticed them at all.

The car eventually stopped in front of a dilapidated residential building.

The paint on the walls had long peeled off, most of the windows were shattered, and the entrance was cluttered with half-rotten debris. It was a place that hardly seemed fit for living people.

Chi Yingdong understood inwardly, no wonder Chen Junyun hadn’t been able to track them before. Who would have thought a group of living people would hide among a horde of zombies?

Combined with the conversation she’d overheard on the bug the previous night, it was clear they had already developed a method to counter the zombies.

Just how many more secrets were Qiao Ying and her group hiding?

A faint unease stirred in Chi Yingdong’s heart.

If given more time, would they even be able to control the zombies?

But on the other hand, if this method could be applied to building a base…

Perhaps the base wouldn’t have to fear zombie hordes, and ordinary people without abilities would have an extra layer of protection.

Having just joined Qiao Ying’s team, Chi Yingdong wasn’t yet privy to core matters.

She needed a few opportunities to infiltrate the higher ranks.

The opportunity soon presented itself.

Qiao Ying and her group were, once again, planning to attack the Shanghai base.

In Chi Yingdong’s eyes, their attacks were nothing more than child’s play.

Indeed, it could cause some impact on the base, but it wouldn’t inflict significant damage.

It seemed like a futile effort, both time-consuming and laborious, and she couldn’t quite grasp the purpose behind it.

But if she viewed Qiao Ying as a villain, it made sense for villains to have some inexplicable behaviors.

Unexpectedly, they encountered the little black snake, which had left before them.

The little black snake was coiled in a corner, staring at Chi Yingdong for a long time, its eyes filled with confusion.

The scent was still familiar, but the face was entirely unfamiliar.

It wasn’t until the calico cat poked its head out of the backpack that the little black snake finally confirmed their identity.

After some conversation, Chi Yingdong learned that the little black snake had come here because it found the gene serum truly effective and wanted to see if it could gather more useful information.

Coincidentally, Chi Yingdong needed someone to deliver the news of Qiao Ying’s plan to attack the base to Chen Junyun, and the little black snake’s appearance was like a helper sent right to her doorstep.

Using Qiao Ying’s “brainwashing” tactics, she crouched in front of the little black snake, her voice coaxing and persuasive.

“Would you like an endless supply of gene serum to bathe in?”

“Would you like to transform into a human, just like my cat?”

As it savored the mouthwatering “pie” Chi Yingdong had cooked up and watched the calico cat transform into a human, the little black snake’s eyes widened in astonishment. Completely mesmerized, it enthusiastically agreed to help.

Chi Yingdong quickly scribbled a letter and handed it to the little black snake, watching as it slithered away from the residential building.

Meng Qinghe asked worriedly, “Will Chen Junyun believe it?”

Chi Yingdong replied with certainty, “She will. Even if she doesn’t, she’s a cautious person and will definitely make preparations.”

Over the next few days, Qiao Ying summoned Chi Yingdong twice.

Each time, she enthusiastically painted a beautiful blueprint of the future base, talking about equality for all and resource sharing.

Chi Yingdong played along the entire time, her face full of longing.

She echoed Qiao Ying’s words, gradually dispelling her suspicions and slowly integrating into their inner circle.