After Marking the Villain Professor (ABO, GL) - Chapter 38

Chapter 38

The two burly men were uncertain whether Zhou Yutao had spoken the truth or not, but they did not dare to gamble on it. So after they entered the mine, they really did their duty and protected Xin’er dutifully.

Xu Man mined according to the camouflage men’s demands on one side while thinking on the other about how they could escape.

She still had not figured anything out even by midnight.

They got no rest after mining continuously for more than ten hours. Those people did not treat them as humans at all and did not care about their life or death.

Because in those people’s eyes, cheap labor like Xu Man was plentiful.

The two burly men were also quite desperate.

When no one noticed them, they found Xu Man not far away. “Have you found a way out? Can we really escape?”

“You had better not deceive us. If we cannot live, then you and that child cannot live either.”

Xu Man was already distraught herself, and plus her back hurt from that whip lash. She paid little attention to the two burly men and only told them to do what they were supposed to do.

Even though they had not said much, the camouflage man supervising them still discovered them.

“You like talking so much, huh? Strip them all naked and drag them outside. Ten lashes each.”

Since it was the second offense, they were treated as an example of disobedience.

Based on the degree of injury from one lash before, ten lashes were enough to take their lives.

Xu Man had not expected that even though she had been careful enough, she still got implicated by her “teammates” who were like pigs.

She glared fiercely at the two burly men.

The two burly men did not realize their mistake and only felt afraid of the ten lashes to come.

They might look tall and burly, but when it really came down to it, they were even more afraid of death than Xu Man, who appeared quite fragile.

Xu Man took a deep breath. The words she said surprised everyone. “They did not talk. It was all me. Thirty lashes. Hit me.”

She did not want to save the two burly men, but if all three of them died here, Xin’er would probably not survive either.

She had promised Zhou Yutao that she would take good care of Xin’er. Xu Man did not want to break her word.

There was also one more point: the two burly men were poisoned by Zhou Yutao, so they would definitely find a way to go to her. If she died, at least Zhou Yutao would still have a chance at survival.

Xu Man herself had not expected that she, who had originally only wanted to stay by the villain’s side to eke out a small life, would now be willing to die for Zhou Yutao—and in such a humiliating way at that.

But she really could not think of any good method.

Either she died alone, or she died together with the two burly men and Xin’er. No matter how she looked at it, the former was more worthwhile.

Even though she had already made her choice, Xu Man felt incomparable sadness in her heart.

She really wanted to live together with Zhou Yutao. She really did. But it seemed there would be no chance.

In the moment when the camouflage men escorted her out of the mine, Xu Man closed her eyes.

However, after waiting for a long time, no one stripped off her clothes, and no whip fell on her body.

She only heard a familiar voice. “Let her go.”

The owner of that voice was the one Xu Man had thought of countless times just a moment before.

She thought she had hallucinated right before death, until the next moment, when the camouflage man holding her released her. He even apologized repeatedly.

“Sorry, I did not know you were Doctor Qi’s people. Please spare my life.”

His voice no longer held the arrogance from before and even carried a trace of fear.

Zhou Yutao and a glamorous woman walked over. The camouflage man’s fear was obviously because of that woman surnamed Qi.

Xu Man was stunned. The familiar peach fragrance entered her nose. When she opened her eyes and saw Zhou Yutao, she could see no one else in her gaze.

How had Zhou Yutao come here?

Had she promised these people something?

Xu Man’s thoughts raced wildly. After the joy, she worried even more.

“Manman, are you hurt?”

Hearing Zhou Yutao’s question, Xu Man nodded subconsciously. Once she reacted, she shook her head quickly.

Zhou Yutao’s hand on Xu Man’s arm moved without warning to her back and pressed gently.

It pressed right on the injury. Xu Man could not hold back and changed expression.

Zhou Yutao’s eyes darkened. She turned her head and called to the woman beside her. “Qi Lin.”

Qi Lin immediately smiled. “Alright, alright, alright. I understand. Little Taotao, I did not expect you liked this kind of pretty boy.”

The next moment, she scanned the surrounding camouflage men with a dark face. “Who injured this young lady? Step forward yourself.”

Her face changed very quickly.

The camouflage men around her all shivered together.

The person who had escorted Xu Man out knelt on the spot and kowtowed nonstop. “Spare my life, miss. It was not intentional. Please spare my life.”

He did not even dare beg Qi Lin for mercy.

Xu Man stayed silent. When this person had whipped her, he had struck with deadly intent. Moreover, these people did not look like good people at all. The lives on their hands were probably too many to count.

She also did not want to plead for this person and end up bringing trouble to herself and Zhou Yutao instead.

By the way, this woman named Qi Lin knew Zhou Yutao?

So had Yutao known Qi Lin was here and thus chosen to enter the town? Were Zhou Yutao and Qi Lin friends?

Wait, Qi Lin?

Xu Man’s face suddenly paled a bit.

Qi Lin, thirty-two years old, ordinary beta. She was also a rare genius in pharmaceuticals, but she was not Zhou Yutao’s friend—rival was more accurate.

In international status, Zhou Yutao ranked first, and this person ranked second.

Qi Lin had always believed that she lost to Zhou Yutao only because she was a beta while Zhou Yutao was an Omega. Therefore, Qi Lin had always been keen on researching Omegas, especially those Omegas who could still emit pheromone scents to lure alphas even after being infected with the zombie virus. She was extremely interested in them.

For that reason, even if there was no zombie-infected Omega around her, she could create one herself.

It seemed that these camouflage men wanted so many Omegas largely for Qi Lin to use in research.

Before the apocalypse, she could still disguise her true nature. After the apocalypse, it was paradise for her.

This person was truly mad. Zhou Yutao at least turned black and became a villain only later in the book. When Qi Lin appeared, she was a villain right away.

Because this person died off quite early, and the novel basically glossed over unimportant people, Xu Man had overlooked key information and thus had not remembered that Qi Lin might be here.

Although Qi Lin was also a dangerous figure, one thing could be affirmed: she least wanted Zhou Yutao to die. After all, she viewed Zhou Yutao as her lifelong rival.

Everyone in the scene fell silent except for that camouflage man begging for mercy.

Qi Lin laughed again. “It seems this young lady does not want to forgive you. You can go die now.”

A gunshot rang out, and the man fell to the ground.

Xu Man keenly noticed that quite a few hostile gazes fell on her.

But because of Qi Lin’s presence, no one dared to move.

Qi Lin had pulled a full load of hatred value for Xu Man.

“Let us go, Little Taotao. Since we have found the person, I will send you all to Qingshan Hospital.” Qi Lin seemed unaware of the consequences of her last words.

Upon hearing this, Xu Man was startled inside.

She would even send them to Qingshan Hospital. What benefits had Zhou Yutao promised Qi Lin?

But Zhou Yutao said, “Wait a moment first. Find me a quiet place.”

“Wait for what? Sis, granny, do not forget about us. We have always listened to you and protected that little girl.”

The two burly men were afraid they would be abandoned and spoke up quickly.

Zhou Yutao glanced at them, and the two burly men immediately did not dare to speak.

Qi Lin raised her brow slightly. Looking at how Zhou Yutao held Xu Man’s hand, she understood. “Oh, your pheromones are acting up again. You want to have a moment of intimacy with your little alpha first.”

As she said it, she shook her head to herself. “This is why I say Omegas are a failed product of human evolution. Although it gave you a bit more talent in pharmaceuticals, you are constrained by pheromones everywhere. What a pity, Little Taotao.”

“You know, if you gave me your gland, how great that would be.”

Zhou Yutao showed no change on her face.

But Xu Man felt both shy and angry. Her whole face turned red. But under someone else’s roof, she had to lower her head.

What was more, she still did not quite understand the current situation and was afraid of bringing more trouble to Zhou Yutao.

She would talk after they safely reached Qingshan Hospital, Xu Man thought.

Qi Lin was merciless with her words but satisfied all of Zhou Yutao’s requests. She immediately took them, along with Xin’er and the two burly men, back to the town and arranged a clean house for Zhou Yutao and Xu Man.

As soon as they entered the room, Zhou Yutao said, “Manman, you actually lied to me.”

Xu Man originally had many things she wanted to ask Zhou Yutao, but she had to swallow the words back. She answered instead, “I did not.”

She had not reacted in time that Zhou Yutao meant her hiding the injury.

Zhou Yutao: “Fine then. Take off your clothes.”

“Yutao… no… it is not good, right? It is very dangerous here. Let us leave here first, then…”

Xu Man widened her eyes and could not control her thoughts from going astray. Her hands clutched her clothes tightly, and her face flushed red as bl00d.

It was no wonder she thought astray. Qi Lin had just said those words on the way.

“I can wait, but you cannot.”

Zhou Yutao reached out directly. Xu Man’s hands clutching her clothes loosened, and soon she had stripped her.

Xu Man had not expected it to develop like this.

She wanted to say that she had not thought that way and that she could wait.

Until Zhou Yutao’s slightly cool hand gently stroked the injury on her back. “An injury like this, and you said it did not hurt.”

Her tone carried obvious displeasure.

Only then did Xu Man realize that the lie Zhou Yutao meant was this matter.

She wanted to say something to explain.

But Zhou Yutao had already started applying medicine to her. It was cool and soothing and greatly alleviated that fiery burning pain.

Xu Man only felt that her heart was about to jump out.

The Zhou Yutao who suddenly became gentle and treated her well was equally hard to resist.

In the end, Xu Man obediently said sorry. It only hurt a little.

Zhou Yutao’s hand applying the medicine paused slightly. Her movements became even gentler, but her tone was somewhat cold. “I will let it go this time. If you dare to deceive me again in the future, I will have to punish Manman.”

As she said it, after applying the medicine, when Zhou Yutao buttoned the top button on Xu Man’s clothes, she scraped her throat hard.

Xu Man’s body trembled, but she did not feel the fear from before. Instead, inexplicable anticipation rose.

She actually anticipated being punished by Zhou Yutao.