After The Mission Failed, The Scumbag Alpha Ran Away - Chapter 41

41: The Original Worldline

The word “weakness” instantly ignited Jiang Youbai’s competitive spirit.

She was someone with an exceptionally strong sense of rivalry and ambition.

When Jiang Youbai was a child, while the previous head of the Chi family was still alive, the Chi family head once scolded Chi Ruo for not studying hard, saying that when she made noise, one of her could outdo ten. Hearing this, Jiang Youbai felt she was being compared unfavorably and immediately made even more noise than Chi Ruo.

Normally, the Chi family head was extremely lenient with Jiang Youbai’s minor mistakes, but that time, driven to a headache by the two children’s clamor, he punished both of them in a fit of anger.

As she grew older, due to various experiences and external circumstances, Jiang Youbai concealed this aspect of her personality under a facade of gentleness and politeness, rarely revealing this side of herself.

Even Chi Ruo often forgot just how strong her competitive nature was, how she couldn’t stand being slighted in the slightest, and how vengeful she could be.

However, whenever the person she faced was Lou Huaiche, Jiang Youbai could never suppress her true nature. Or perhaps, in front of Lou Huaiche, pretending to be someone else was unnecessary.

Because she had just taken hormone-regulating medication the day before, Jiang Youbai’s pheromone concentration was almost no different from usual, only slightly fainter.

Lou Huaiche fiercely bit Jiang Youbai’s scent gland for a while. Sensing the increasingly rich pheromone scent, she raised her head and sneered, “Your Highness, do you think you can turn the tables?”

Jiang Youbai didn’t answer. Pressed into the corner of the bed by Lou Huaiche, she simply curled up there. Hearing this, she silently doubled down, releasing even more pheromones.

Lou Huaiche grabbed an inhibitor from the bedside table, waved it in front of Jiang Youbai, and injected herself: “Your Highness, stop trying. It’s useless.”

Jiang Youbai: “Huh?”

“Just because you didn’t manage to bite me yesterday, you set an alarm for 8 a.m. today to climb out of bed and bite me, and even prepared an inhibitor?”

Jiang Youbai couldn’t help raising her voice, angrily accusing Lou Huaiche, “How can you be so childish!”

Lou Huaiche curled her lips into a faintly mocking smile: “Your Highness, don’t start attacking me personally just because you can’t turn the tables. It’s useless. All I know is that today, I won.”

Jiang Youbai: “…” Her words were so hurtful. She sulked silently.

There were still matters to attend to today. Even if she lured Lou Huaiche into a heat cycle, at most she could only bite her once for a temporary mark, making it even. But with Lou Huaiche’s move, Jiang Youbai had no choice but to swallow this silent defeat.

Lou Huaiche cut the silk ribbon tied tightly around Jiang Youbai’s wrist with her dagger, then patted Jiang Youbai’s cheek lightly with a smug and teasing tone: “Your Highness, wash up and get ready. We’re going to see Chi Ruo.”

With that, she rolled out of bed and hummed a tune as she headed to the bathroom to freshen up.

Jiang Youbai, her face cold, rubbed her sore wrists—which had been bruised from struggling—and listened to Lou Huaiche’s cheerful singing, grinding her teeth in frustration.

What’s there to be so smug about? Winning or losing is temporary, not eternal.

The meeting place with Chi Ruo was still on the third floor of Fontainebleau, though compared to half a year ago, there were even more measures to obstruct surveillance.

It was Lou Huaiche’s first time here. Seeing the layers of protective measures, a look of surprise flashed in her eyes.

Before entering, Jiang Youbai asked her, “By the way, have you taken anti-surveillance measures with your personal terminal?”

As soon as she asked, she felt it was unnecessary. Lou Huaiche had dared to openly form a military group in the Lower District and had people like Lou Chuxue by her side. Her anti-surveillance measures were probably even better handled than hers and Chi Ruo’s.

Lou Huaiche seemed to think Jiang Youbai had been angered into confusion by her earlier defeat. After a brief pause, she said, “Isn’t it a bit late to ask this now… Besides, is there even a need to ask?”

Jiang Youbai pretended not to hear. She had changed bodies and could no longer use her iris to enter directly, so she unlocked the door with a password, wiped her fingerprints clean with her sleeve, and led Lou Huaiche inside.

The room was dimly lit, with only a faint light at the very end. Chi Ruo sat on a single sofa by a small tea table, under a lamp, munching on a bag of potato chips while waiting for them.

Jiang Youbai’s sharp eyes spotted the potato chips immediately. She strode over and snatched the bag away, taking a few bites before commenting, “Not as good as the ones in the Lower District.”

Lou Huaiche frowned, recalling the time Jiang Youbai had eaten several bags of potato chips from her cabinet.

Back then, this incident had made her even more certain of the differences between “Li Sisi” and Jiang Youbai.

In reality, her subconscious had long told her the truth. It was just that Lou Huaiche hadn’t dared to believe it, finding reasons to refute the voice in her heart from the clues.

Chi Ruo, caught off guard by the theft of her potato chips, glared angrily: “What are you doing? You never used to eat potato chips before. If you don’t like them, give them back.”

Jiang Youbai handed the bag back, which only made Chi Ruo angrier. With a furious expression, she slammed the armrest of the sofa: “How dare you say they’re not good? This is my favorite flavor! Apologize to the chips and me!”

Jiang Youbai retorted confidently, “They’re just not as good as the ones in the Lower District!”

Chi Ruo was so annoyed she wanted to hit her: “Then go back to the Lower District.”

Lou Huaiche pulled out a single sofa and sat down: “Should we get to the main matter first?”

Chi Ruo rummaged through a pile of snacks at her feet for a while before pulling out four or five sheets of paper: “Here! What’s happened in the Upper District recently and the changes in power dynamics. Take a look first.”

The report Chi Ruo had given Jiang Youbai a few days ago had focused on Jiang Qingxian. This one covered the changes across the entire imperial capital.

Jiang Youbai skimmed through the report and smiled: “As expected, without me as the prince, the power struggles in the imperial capital have become much simpler. One-on-one is easier than a three-way free-for-all.”

Before her fake death, she had stirred up chaos in the imperial capital, pitting the two crown princes against each other for a long time. Combined with the old emperor’s growing paranoia and cruelty due to lingering fears over the death of his eldest imperial grandson, the two crown princes were frequently reprimanded.

Though at a glance, the two crown princes had their own victories and defeats over the past six months, Jiang Youbai knew all too well how mediocre her Beta cousin was. It wasn’t hard to see that Jiang Qingxian had deliberately conceded in these so-called balanced struggles.

In these six months, that sickly, compassionate Alpha crown prince had rapidly transformed from a cub who strayed into the back garden into a beast playing with power and influence.

Now that she might be bound to the system, she would be even harder to deal with.

“Jiang Qingxian is very difficult to handle now. Let’s not talk about that for the moment. The most urgent matter is confirming Ning Yunze’s safety…” Chi Ruo gave Jiang Youbai a meaningful look but didn’t elaborate further, considering Lou Huaiche’s presence.

Ning Yunze was the one among them who possessed the most information. With or without him, the difficulty of dealing with the system would be on entirely different levels.

Holding the report, Lou Huaiche felt a mix of emotions.

In the previous timelines, Jiang Qingxian had never changed. She was always compassionate, concerned for the nation and its people, gentle and kind to the core.

Perhaps it was because Jiang Youbai had never existed before, and there had been no issue of her identity being exposed.

From the moment Jiang Qingxian returned to the empire, she was the highly anticipated Alpha princess. The power dynamics in the empire were straightforward. Without Jiang Youbai or the previous crown princess to provoke her, and without the old emperor’s current paranoia and erratic temper, the imperial capital had no one more suitable to be the heir than Jiang Qingxian. She smoothly became the highly regarded crown prince.

Faced with Jiang Qingxian, Lou Huaiche always felt ashamed, as if no amount of filth or darkness could taint this imperial princess.

She was a benevolent ruler, the wise monarch that the imperial nobility, long oppressed under the old emperor’s tyrannical rule, had yearned for.

But now, this thin report sketched a Jiang Qingxian that Lou Huaiche had never seen before.

Jiang Youbai knew Lou Huaiche held a favorable opinion of Jiang Qingxian’s character—though the 30% favorability wasn’t high, it was enough for appreciation. Seeing Lou Huaiche’s despondent expression now, she reminded her: “It’s highly likely that the system has bound Jiang Qingxian as the villain.”

Lou Huaiche fell silent.

She hadn’t fully processed the matter of her fate and the system yet. Too many things had happened in rapid succession, each one hitting her with immense impact. Lou Huaiche hadn’t had time to react, let alone deal with the emotions piling up inside her.

But now, with urgent matters at hand, Lou Huaiche had no choice but to temporarily set aside her inner turmoil.

Lou Huaiche composed herself and asked in a muffled voice, buried in Jiang Youbai’s embrace: “Tell me the details.”

Chi Ruo knew what she wanted to hear but couldn’t bring herself to say it, stammering: “He, uh, Ning Yunze himself didn’t want you to know, actually.”

Lou Huaiche pressed: “Given the circumstances, there’s no point in hiding it anymore. I’ve already guessed most of it.”

Jiang Youbai released her hold and met Lou Huaiche’s gaze.

Her amber peach-blossom eyes held an unprecedented firmness.

From this resolve, Jiang Youbai discerned Lou Huaiche’s stance—she would not let go of this truth easily.

Ning Yunze was her only friend, her best friend.

Jiang Youbai stated bluntly: “The system bound Ning Yunze. Ning Yunze resisted the system for you. Unwilling to accept defeat, the system reset the world seven times. In the struggle against the system, Ning Yunze expended a great deal of his energy but also gained the ability to fake my death.”

Lou Huaiche’s trembling gradually subsided. She clenched her jaw and said quietly, “I see. Let’s move on to other matters.”

Seeing her force herself to calm down, Jiang Youbai returned to her seat.

“Ning Yunze said that the world has its own worldline. Our current problems are, first, that with Ning Yunze gone, we’re unsure of the system’s exact status, and second, we don’t know what the current worldline is.”

After hearing this, Lou Huaiche asked, “You think Jiang Qingxian is the chosen villain, so by working against her, you’re indirectly opposing the worldline’s protagonist, right?”

Jiang Youbai nodded: “That’s our thought.”

“But you lack a stepping stone,” Lou Huaiche closed her eyes, her vision sinking into darkness as her entire being was engulfed in a soul-deep exhaustion. “Actually, there’s no need to fear being associated with Chi Ruo. Whether you are or not, Jiang Qingxian will oppose her… Besides, most people don’t know about consciousness transfer. Right now, Jiang Qingxian might not even know either.”

“There’s no need to worry about avoiding suspicion anymore. Everyone already knows. If Jiang Qingxian is actively vying for the throne, then you should find a way to pull her down and then look for an opportunity to contact Ning Yunze.”

Lou Huaiche’s voice was hoarse. She opened her eyes and forced herself to continue in a steady tone: “If there’s a plan, then let’s start as soon as possible. Time is too precious now.”

Chi Ruo and Jiang Youbai exchanged glances, silently confirming each other’s thoughts. Then Chi Ruo asked Lou Huaiche: “Miss Lou, actually, Jiang Youbai and I have always wanted to ask you something. What was your original worldline development supposed to be? What was your original goal… For example, the military group hovering in the Lower District now—what’s its purpose?”

Lou Huaiche was taken aback. Her clear, cold eyes met Chi Ruo’s before she uttered two chilling words: “Massacre.”

Jiang Youbai’s heart skipped a beat.

Chi Ruo was stunned into silence by the two words, unsure what they truly entailed. Finally, she said awkwardly, “Actually, a massacre is quite difficult to pull off. For now, your military group can… uh… reluctantly serve as support for the plan…”

Lou Huaiche’s gaze remained fixed on Chi Ruo, her voice as clear as water: “Chi Ruo, do you know of the Human Federation?”

A strange light suddenly flashed in her eyes, as if seeking validation from a kindred spirit.

The brilliance in Lou Huaiche’s eyes was so dazzling that Chi Ruo couldn’t help but be drawn in. She pondered Lou Huaiche’s words and murmured, “I know of it, but… very little historical record of it remains.”

Before humanity entered the Crossing Era, it was said to have been a time of advanced technology and flourishing culture, a realized utopia.

After the Crossing Era, the human population sharply declined, much technology was lost, and the starship commanders quickly monopolized resources with their close associates, reestablishing a monarchical society.

This part of history was a deeply taboo subject for the imperial emperors, passed down through the years until only fragments of information about the Human Federation remained.

Chi Ruo’s knowledge of it was minimal.

Lou Huaiche enunciated each word: “The Human Federation was a world where Alphas held no privilege.”

As someone also subjugated under the Alpha hierarchy, Chi Ruo naturally understood Lou Huaiche’s meaning. Yet she couldn’t quite imagine what such a world would look like. In the end, she could only say blankly, “But… that has nothing to do with us. It’s too far removed.”

“Lou Chuxue was sent by the Human Federation to assist me. They’ve been on the harsh, disaster-ridden planet Fawon for too long and desperately need a habitable planet.”

Lou Huaiche said, “My original worldline was probably about overthrowing the empire’s rule.”

In every timeline, every iteration, she had failed.

By the end, she had fallen into a kind of madness, no longer caring about success or failure, only wanting to use her life to take a bite out of the imperial nobility, to teach these hypocritical aristocrats an unforgettable lesson.

In this timeline, due to Jiang Youbai’s death, Lou Huaiche’s hatred for the empire had burned to its peak. A bone-deep, venomous hatred had made her bide her time, slowly plotting a massacre of the Upper District’s nobility.

Jiang Youbai had been listening quietly. Hearing this, she lowered her eyes and suddenly realized what Ning Yunze had meant.

He had once said to her with fervent passion that in the original worldline, Lou Huaiche should have been powerful and beautiful, reaching heights no other Omega could attain.

For this, he was willing to be Lou Huaiche’s stepping stone, devoting everything to silently support her glorious life from the shadows.

Because the future Lou Huaiche would bring was too alluring for any Beta, Omega, or those struggling in the depths of suffering in this rotten empire—

To shatter the high walls representing tyranny, to tear apart the unjust status quo, to let the dawn illuminate this hopeless dark land.

Ning Yunze couldn’t do it himself, so he placed his hopes in Lou Huaiche.

Jiang Youbai thought of something, her expression dazed as she slowly said to Chi Ruo and Lou Huaiche, “But now, the protagonist of this world has changed… My worldline likely ends with me becoming emperor and successfully ascending the throne.”

The room fell into silence.

Chi Ruo broke the silence. Lowering her voice, she said, “First, let Jiang Youbai enter the Lower Council under the identity of Bai Mu, recommended by me. As a Beta, opposing Jiang Qingxian is reasonable.”

The three of them set aside the topics of the Human Federation and Lou Huaiche’s original worldline. Chi Ruo stood up and smiled at the two: “I still have to attend a council meeting. I’ll try to arrange Jiang Youbai’s entry into the Lower Council within the next two days… I’ll go ahead first.”

Jiang Youbai sat on the sofa, watching Chi Ruo’s retreating figure in high heels, clearly noticing her unsteady steps.

Clearly, Chi Ruo’s longing for a “new world” had left her unable to face the muddy reality calmly.

Jiang Youbai remained silent, unsure what to say.

As the protagonist of the altered worldline, she could only force herself not to dwell on the original worldline.

After Chi Ruo left, Jiang Youbai thought of a problem: “Do we still not have a place to live?”

Lou Huaiche pulled her thoughts back from the earlier conversation. Hearing this, she paused for a moment: “As I said, it doesn’t matter whether we’re associated with Chi Ruo or not. Let’s just stay at her place now.”

Jiang Youbai rubbed her chin, pondering for a moment: “Hmm, that could work… After all, her house only has intelligent robots.”

The two reached an agreement immediately and headed downstairs to hail a taxi to the Chi residence.

In the bustling Upper District, the taxis were unmanned. After setting the route, the two sat side by side in silence.

The grim reality weighed heavily on them. Whether it was Jiang Youbai or Lou Huaiche, both needed time to process the new information and the emotional turmoil it brought.

In front of Chi Ruo, Jiang Youbai couldn’t bring herself to discuss the original worldline.

She knew Chi Ruo’s experiences over the years and understood how much Chi Ruo had sacrificed to become the “Empire’s Number One Beta.”

Jiang Youbai, having absorbed the protagonist’s aura, had indirectly become the culprit preventing this worldline from unfolding.

Jiang Youbai had no standing to calmly discuss this matter with Chi Ruo.

There had been a rift between them—one that remained unresolved because Jiang Youbai couldn’t understand Chi Ruo.

Jiang Youbai curled her lips slightly. Glancing at Lou Huaiche, she suddenly found it somewhat amusing.

The two of them were the protagonists of this world, one after the other. One faced the seismic truth about her own fate, having just learned the immense sacrifices her best friend had made for her. The other had just realized she had crushed her friend’s most cherished dream.

There was a sense of shared suffering—though Lou Huaiche’s plight was far more tragic.

It seemed Jiang Youbai and Lou Huaiche had always been this way, sharing each other’s misfortunes.

Their fates were intertwined, moving in parallel yet always in sync, like two points of light drawn to each other in the vast darkness.

With similar experiences and shared emotions, they feigned or truly found solace in each other, drawing warmth from their mutual closeness.

Like two fragments, perfectly fitting together.

Jiang Youbai covered Lou Huaiche’s hand with her own and asked softly, “Are you okay?”

The silence shattered. Lou Huaiche lowered her head and murmured, “No, not at all.”

Everything was overwhelming her, leaving her adrift in a storm.

The truth, learned only after seven timelines, was unbearably cruel to Lou Huaiche.

Lou Huaiche raised her eyes to Jiang Youbai. They were red-rimmed, tears on the verge of falling.

Through her blurred vision, Lou Huaiche looked at Jiang Youbai, then lowered her head again and gave a bitter smile.

On the day of the fireworks, the words she hadn’t spoken seemed to have lost their chance forever.

Before, she lacked the courage. Now, she lacked the heart.

Ning Yunze’s matter weighed heavily on her, making it hard to breathe.

She couldn’t bear to imagine it, nor could she suppress the desolation in her heart.

Fate was always cruel.

Seeing Lou Huaiche’s tears, Jiang Youbai panicked.

She didn’t know how to comfort Lou Huaiche.

But an Alpha and Omega who had undergone a formal mark could soothe each other by releasing small amounts of pheromones.

Jiang Youbai cautiously released a trace of pheromones, letting them settle gently on Lou Huaiche to comfort her.

Lou Huaiche smiled: “Your Highness, it’s unnecessary. You don’t need to take responsibility for my emotions. We’re not that close yet.”

She lacked the strength to confront the tangled emotions between her and Jiang Youbai.

Lou Huaiche’s eyes were dark, a deep despair tearing at her emotions, ultimately dissolving into a deathly stillness.

Jiang Youbai’s tenderness at this moment suddenly filled Lou Huaiche with hatred.

You don’t love me, yet you’re so kind to me.

Jiang Youbai gazed into Lou Huaiche’s shadowy eyes, a sense of unease stirring in her heart.

After being entangled for so long, recklessly exposing their true natures and competing for fleeting victories, Jiang Youbai understood Lou Huaiche well.

The old illusion returned—instinctively, Jiang Youbai felt Lou Huaiche’s life was too fragile now, as if no one could hold it, as if even a breeze could extinguish her vitality.

Jiang Youbai cupped Lou Huaiche’s face, casting aside all her fears and reservations about emotions.

With tender affection, she kissed Lou Huaiche.

Jiang Youbai wanted to cradle Lou Huaiche’s life.

This poisonous flower was dazzlingly beautiful, captivating Jiang Youbai entirely. She wanted it to bloom, not wither in a corner.

Wrapped in such extreme tenderness, Lou Huaiche slowly closed her eyes, tears streaming down.

After a long while, the taste of tears lingered bitterly in her mouth.

Lou Huaiche thought viciously, Your Highness, you brought this upon yourself.

If Jiang Youbai had stopped at comforting her earlier, if she had only maintained a half-hearted pretense, then Lou Huaiche would have restrained herself, suppressing her feelings and not crossing that line.

But Jiang Youbai hadn’t. She comforted Lou Huaiche so carefully, as if facing a cherished lover, as if Lou Huaiche weren’t a madwoman.

This tenderness nearly provoked all the pain in Lou Huaiche’s heart.

Lou Huaiche gripped Jiang Youbai’s shoulders tightly, watching her endure the pain silently, and let out a strange laugh.

You brought this upon yourself. From now on, you’re bound to me forever. I’ll never let go.