Transmigrated as the Cannon Fodder Boss of the Disabled Heroine - Chapter 32

A tingling electric current traveled to her fingertips, leaving Yu Zhiwan feeling heat spread across her cheeks, earlobes, and neck as if she’d been steamed alive in a bamboo basket.

She never expected Pei Yujiang to suddenly “bite” her like that.

When an Omega gets excited, their pheromones become uncontrollable. For Alphas, it’s the most potent aphrodisiac, but to Betas, it just smells like pleasant perfume.

The flower’s sap carried a faint bitterness. Though its fragrance was sweet, the taste was tart and bitter hardly palatable.

Pei Yujiang noticed the pheromones in the air thickening. As a Beta now, she wasn’t as sensitive to them as Alphas or Omegas would be. By the time she realized it, the pheromone concentration must have already peaked, prompting her to hurriedly release Yu Zhiwan’s finger from her mouth.

She glanced back at Yu Zhiwan and, seeing the woman’s expression unchanged, finally relaxed.

By then, Yu Zhiwan had forcibly “cooled down” her face, maintaining an air of nonchalance to avoid tipping Pei Yujiang off.

While Yu Zhiwan appeared unbothered, Pei Yujiang was wracked with anxiety.

She had just seen the female lead’s blackening value drop by only 1 point. Was her response unsatisfactory? But she couldn’t possibly say she wouldn’t go to the film set!

Faced with the female lead’s “capriciousness,” Pei Yujiang racked her brain before realizing that her impulsive act of biting Yu Zhiwan’s finger might have been inappropriate.

After all, Yu Zhiwan was an Omega. Even if she were a Beta, biting someone’s finger without permission was rude, what if Yu Zhiwan had mysophobia? From what she knew, many Omegas were fastidious about cleanliness, partly due to their physiology requiring stricter hygiene.

But Pei Yujiang wasn’t particular about cleanliness. Having weathered life’s storms, she wasn’t exactly “rough,” but neither was she obsessed with tidiness.

Without further thought, Pei Yujiang immediately extended her hand toward Yu Zhiwan’s lips:

“Want to bite me back?”

Yu Zhiwan: “…”

She slowly, deliberately ground her teeth.

Afraid of angering her and triggering another rise in the blackening value, Pei Yujiang hastily added:

“I don’t mind! And I’m not afraid of pain, bite however you want!”

After a long silence, Yu Zhiwan managed to squeeze out:

“No.”

“Really no?”

Pei Yujiang didn’t actually have any peculiar fondness for being bitten, she was just worried about future retaliation from the female lead, hence the extra question. Yu Zhiwan’s patience seemed thoroughly exhausted as she murmured, “I’m a bit tired,” and turned to leave.

Before exiting the lab, they needed to check and shut down the equipment, simple tasks that Pei Yujiang handled since Yu Zhiwan was blind. Before switching off the last light, she saw Yu Zhiwan sitting by the door, arms crossed, her beauty icy and detached.

Ancient texts often praised “beauties under lamplight” and “mourning attire enhancing charm” both conveying the same truth.

Dressed in plain white without adornments, the Omega’s serene features were illuminated by the uncomplicated lighting, exuding an ethereal, unapproachable beauty that transcended the mundane.

Yu Zhiwan had delicate willow-leaf eyebrows and almond-shaped eyes, resembling a water-town maiden nurtured by the fertile lands of Ningxiang like a white lotus or crisp lotus root, so tender one could almost squeeze water from her with a bite.

Her beauty was understated yet far from plain, with perfectly spaced features. When the light fell, casting half her face in shadow, it added an inexplicable edge to her otherwise soft gaze, sharpening her presence in the dimness, no longer as gentle as before.

For some reason, Pei Yujiang was reminded of the “setting” that if the female lead were to turn fully dark, she would bring about the apocalypse. In the past, she had wondered how Yu Zhiwan, a seemingly defenseless Omega could possibly destroy the world. But as they spent more time together, she was beginning to understand.

This woman hid depths beneath her surface.

Pei Yujiang flicked off the last light with a snap, and the hallway outside lit up in response, bathed in a soft, warm yellow glow. She exhaled in relief before walking over to Yu Zhiwan’s side.

Pei Yujiang dreamed again.

This time, the dream was straightforward, she saw Yu Zhiwan in a dimly lit basement converted into a small laboratory, ordering someone to tie her up.

The ropes, soaked in saline water, were rough, scraping her skin raw. Worse, there wasn’t a single unblemished spot left on her body, every inch had been lashed bloody by the woman’s whip.

Pei Yujiang screamed for help, but no one answered. She could only watch helplessly as Yu Zhiwan released the snakes she had been keeping.

They were patterned pythons, having shed their skins multiple times, their fangs honed with age. Slithering across the floor, they flicked their tongues in the dim light, hissing. Pei Yujiang had no idea where Yu Zhiwan had even gotten such creatures.

Then Yu Zhiwan pressed the whip against her chin, the rough fibers slicing into already broken skin, blood dripping. The scent excited the carnivorous reptiles, their bodies coiling in anticipation.

The salt-laden whip dragged over her wounds, sending sharp jolts of pain through Pei Yujiang. The woman deliberately traced the rough tip along her collarbone, applying pressure while taunting in a mocking tone:

“Will you take it off yourself, or should I help you?”

In the dream, the madwoman’s demand to “take it off” was, of course, not some suggestive, intimate scenario. Pei Yujiang guessed it meant stripping her clothes to expose her mangled flesh, either to attract the snakes or even more horrifying for Yu Zhiwan to skin her alive.

Either way, it was too cruel for any living person to endure.

Pei Yujiang woke up in terror.

By the time she opened her eyes, daylight had already flooded the room. Drenched in sweat, she hurried out of bed to shower. The warm steam in the bathroom dulled the lingering fear from the dream’s vividness, and as the hot water cascaded over her, her nerves gradually settled.

She stretched her arms under the spacious showerhead, relishing the flow until she noticed the water growing colder. After adjusting the knob twice, a sudden click sounded from outside.

The lights cut out instantly, the electric water heater shutting off, plunging the bathroom into a murky half-light.

A power outage? Or a tripped circuit?

Usually, the landlord would give advance notice for outages, so this was likely just a tripped breaker. Pei Yujiang hastily wrapped a towel around her head and reached for her clothes only to realize:

In her rush to shower, she had forgotten to bring a change of clothes.

The dirty clothes had already been tossed into the bamboo laundry basket by her. The pajamas were soaked with sweat, putting them back on would mean the shower was wasted.

Pei Yujiang clicked her tongue in annoyance, having no choice but to wrap herself in a disposable towel and dash out.

Fortunately, the circuit breaker was in the living room. Pei Yujiang fiddled with it a few times and fixed it quickly, planning to rinse off once more in the shower before finishing up.

As she untied the towel while stepping back inside, she abruptly collided with Yu Zhiwan, who was already there.

The living room and bathroom weren’t close, and the soundproofing padding meant she hadn’t noticed Yu Zhiwan’s approach while focused on the circuit breaker.

What’s more, the bathroom door had been left open. The space was divided into two rooms one with a vanity and sink, the other with the toilet and shower. The guesthouse was well-decorated and spacious, and in her hurry earlier, she’d forgotten to close the door. She hadn’t expected Yu Zhiwan to enter at the same time.

Flustered, Pei Yujiang hastily grabbed the towel to cover herself.

Even though she knew Yu Zhiwan was blind and couldn’t see her state of undress, shame sent a burning flush across her face.

Especially after that dream. Waking up and running into the very person from it made the memories surge back vividly. Though her body was clean now, free of any wounds, she couldn’t help recalling the bloodied, humiliating way she had begged for mercy in the dream.

Pei Yujiang coughed violently.

Though Yu Zhiwan couldn’t see and had no idea what was happening much less that the person in front of her was only wrapped in a towel she belatedly sensed the awkwardness.

“I came in and saw the bathroom door was open, so I thought I’d take a quick shower…”

Pei Yujiang waved a hand. “I was showering earlier, but the circuit tripped. I just went out to reset it. Give me a few more minutes to finish up.”

Once Yu Zhiwan stepped aside, Pei Yujiang hurried to her bedroom to grab fresh clothes. After a quick rinse, she changed and left the bathroom without even drying her hair, yielding the space to Yu Zhiwan.

Pei Yujiang roughly towel-dried her hair before sitting on the bed to arrange a meeting time with Chen Lulu for the film set.

While waiting for Chen Lulu’s reply, it suddenly struck her: most people in Yicheng didn’t shower in the morning during winter. The city’s winters were cold, and even with heating, there was no need to shower first thing.

Besides, Yu Zhiwan was blind. Showering was inconvenient for her no matter what. Why would she decide to shower so early in the morning?

The more Pei Yujiang thought about it, the more uneasy she grew.

If this were anyone else, she wouldn’t overthink it. But considering Yu Zhiwan’s “corruption value” in the system’s terms, spiking unpredictably, the future apocalypse, the bloody torment she’d endured in her dreams…

Pei Yujiang shuddered.

Was Yu Zhiwan’s corruption value reaching a critical point? Was she planning something to eliminate her?

During the apocalypse, Pei Yujiang hadn’t had many leisure activities. She didn’t care for fooling around with Omegas or trading crude jokes with idle colleagues. Her favorite pastime had been reading old novels left behind from before the collapse.

However, the novels she read rarely involved romance; they were mostly about murder cases and such. She had also read the once-popular “Scumbag Alpha” stories, but usually ended up dropping them halfway through. When reading, she always hoped to see how the Omega protagonist would utterly destroy such a scumbag Alpha burning them to ashes in a crematorium, so to speak. Yet, the endings were almost always the scumbag winning the beauty’s heart.

If she had been treated like that before, without knowing the person had changed, she would have considered them a sworn enemy for life. She wouldn’t blush or get flustered just because the scumbag reformed.

As the protagonist of the story, Yu Zhiwan hadn’t retaliated against Liu Huanran, who had once bullied her. Didn’t that mean the resentment might shift onto her instead?

Pei Yujiang didn’t think she was overthinking this was something that could very well happen.

If she still went to the set today, would Yu Zhiwan feel abandoned and spiral further into darkness, reaching an irreversible point?

The set was valuable, Zhiwan was precious, but for the sake of survival, both could be abandoned.

Pei Yujiang pondered for less than two minutes messages could still be recalled within that time. She tapped into the fastest reflexes of her life to recall the message just in time. Chen Lulu was probably filming now, and actors didn’t have much time to stare at their phones, so she likely hadn’t seen it yet.

After briefly considering an excuse, Pei Yujiang sent Chen Lulu another message:

“Sorry, something urgent came up with work today, so I can’t make it. Maybe I’ll support you when your drama airs instead?”

“Work-related issues” was one of the most convenient universal excuses. Most people wouldn’t pry into specifics since it involved privacy.

A few minutes later, she saw Chen Lulu’s reply, though it sounded more like an assistant’s tone:

[Chen Lulu]: Got it.

By the time she stepped out of the shower, she hurried to tell Yu Zhiwan the news. If she wasn’t going, Yu Zhiwan shouldn’t have any reason to turn dark, right?

When Pei Yujiang approached, she saw Yu Zhiwan holding a small bamboo basket, a laundry hamper, sized for one person. They each had their own.

Pei Yujiang instinctively reached out to help carry it to the laundry room, but Yu Zhiwan quickly hugged the basket tighter.

“No need, I can do it myself.”

Pei Yujiang froze.

After getting closer to Yu Zhiwan, she had grown accustomed to helping out in daily life, tasks that were difficult for a blind and disabled person but effortless for someone like her with full mobility.

Carrying the hamper to the laundry room wasn’t even the same as washing the clothes just tossing them in. What was the issue?

Pei Yujiang blinked nervously.

Was this a sign the female lead was starting to dislike her?

Pei Yujiang hadn’t lied to Chen Lulu, either. Their stay in Ningxiang was indeed short. They left the day after the person arrived, once the essence extraction was successful, without wasting time there.

Pei Yujiang didn’t get to try the fish maw hotpot she had been craving, but on the night they returned to Yicheng, someone invited her to a gathering.

The person who invited her was Zhao Longshuang, the daughter of another wealthy business family. Her Alpha mother was one of Pei Jinhuai’s business partners.

Both Zhao Longshuang and the original host were Betas, but they shared a preference for Omegas, making them kindred spirits. Zhao Longshuang was clever and slick, with plenty of connections, while the original host was open-minded when it came to fun. It was Zhao who had facilitated the original host’s access to Alpha pheromone extracts.

Despite knowing it was illegal, Zhao had still helped, all while putting on a “I’m your confidante” act. The original plot had little mention of this character, but Pei Yujiang knew that after the Pei family’s downfall, Zhao’s family had also taken a slice of the pie and discarded the original host like trash.

If it were up to Pei Yujiang, she wouldn’t want anything to do with someone like this. But the looming threat of the Pei family’s future bankruptcy was a thorn in her heart. She could see Pei Jinhuai’s genuine care for her, and since she called her “Mom,” she couldn’t bear to watch her mother’s company collapse. Zhao Longshuang was likely one of the hidden key figures in this, so despite her dislike, Pei Yujiang didn’t refuse the invitation.

After work, Zhao sent a luxurious car to pick Pei Yujiang up right at the company entrance. Zhao herself didn’t come in person, but the driver greeted Pei Yujiang with a grin and said loudly, as if ensuring others would hear:

“Young Miss Pei, Young Miss Zhao is waiting for you in the private room. After dinner, we’ll go sing, there’ll be plenty of pretty Omega girls tonight.”

Pei Yujiang’s reputation in the company had improved significantly over the past while, but the driver’s loud proclamation seemed deliberate. The original host might not have cared, but Pei Yujiang didn’t mind normal gossip about dating just not the kind that painted her as a reckless playgirl. She immediately shot the driver a glare.

She had already told Yu Zhiwan she wouldn’t be going home with her tonight, but Yu was right behind her. Unsure if she’d overheard, Pei Yujiang quickly said, “I don’t feel like singing tonight. I’d rather go early and come back early.”

The driver just smiled and said nothing more, ushering her into the car.

To her surprise, Zhao had chosen a bathhouse as their meeting spot.

Since arriving in this world, Pei Yujiang had never been to such a place. She instinctively recoiled from these kinds of pleasure dens.

The moment she stepped inside, dim yellow lights flooded her vision, resembling the eerie glow of a bloodthirsty zombie beast’s eyes, instantly putting her on edge.

The air was thick with overpowering perfume, so pungent it stung her nose. She couldn’t fathom what kind of twisted olfactory preference made people enjoy such a suffocating scent.

Pei Yujiang hated this environment, but before she could linger at the entrance, Zhao Longshuang appeared, beaming as she approached with open arms for an enthusiastic hug.

After all, the original host hadn’t seen Zhao in a while, she’d been abroad recently, and the original host had tried to meet up with her several times, still holding onto fond memories of this “big sister” figure.

Of course, the original host hadn’t been in love with her just saw her as a trusted confidante who could offer guidance. It was also Zhao who had egged the original host on to rebel against her family and provoke Pei Jinhuai.

Pei Yujiang disliked her but went through the motions of a brief hug before pulling away. Just as she turned her head, she caught sight of a familiar figure lounging on one of the rest chairs in the lobby.

Liu Huanran was playing a game of feeding fruit mouth-to-mouth with a heavily made-up girl dressed provocatively. The girl’s delicate hands rested on her thigh, giggling coquettishly.

Why was Liu Huanran here?

Before Pei Yujiang could dwell on it, the girl playing with Liu Huanran suddenly let out a startled “Ah!”

In an instant, Liu Huanran, who had been all smiles shoved the girl away.

They had been sitting on a leather sofa, Liu Huanran with her legs crossed, and the girl, caught off guard, tumbled to the floor, even knocking over a fruit platter. A sharp clang rang out in the music-filled hall, drawing numerous gazes toward them.

Liu Huanran quickly bent down to pick up the fallen items while gripping the girl’s slender wrist tightly. Her voice dropped low, her expression stern with warning:

“Little girl, I didn’t give you permission to kiss me directly on the lips…”

Yu Zhiwan: Why are you afraid of me?

Pei Yujiang: Because I had a dream.

Pei Yujiang: Why won’t you let me help you carry things?

Yu Zhiwan: …Because I had a dream too.

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